in Oblivion and the Voice of True Peace and Joy be heard again in our Land Lord let us have that Religion which may make us happy in Heaven and that True Peace which may give Time and Leave to Enjoy that Religion And to that end let Power be Establish'd upon Righteousness and Employ'd for the Preservation of thy Church and People and then maintain that Power and them O Thou by whom Kings Reign who hast promised to make them Nursing Fathers to thy Church Grant us these Blessings to the Glory of thy Name the Quiet of our Lives and the Saving of our Souls Even for thy dear Son our Saviour's Sake Amen A Prayer for Mercy to the Nation O Lord we are a Nation not to be beloved a Nation ready to be ruined for our Iniquities and for our Sins thou may'st justly destroy us both Prince and People But spare us good Lord spare us for thy Mercy sake Let the Blood of Jesus Expiate all our Guilts and the Spirit of Jesus amend our Misdoings O thou who wouldst not have one Sinner Dye suffer not Millions of poor Souls to perish Be reconciled to us in a Meditators Blood and be the Reconciler of us in a firm and blessed Peace God of Pity and Peace be at Peace with us and make it for us Even that Peace which none can take from us do thou make us Partakers of O thou holy One of God who camest into the World to take away the Sins of it O thou Prince of Peace pity a poor Church and Nation ready to Perish Pity that Church that hath so long maintain'd thy Truth and Worship in the Nation Pity them who are ready to perish for seeking to maintain thy holy Truth and Worship in thy Church And do thou from Heaven Preserve It and Us and Them O thou that hast the Power of Heaven and Earth in thy hand who stillest the raging of the Sea when the Waves thereof roar and lift up themselves make bare thy holy Arm for our Deliverance O God make haste to help us for we are brought very low stir up thy strength and come and save us and make no long tarying O our God but deliver us for thy Mercy sake Amen A Prayer for those that are in great Distress and Danger O God of Power and Pity who hast promis'd to regard the Prayer of the destitute and not to despise their Cry Look down O Lord from thy Sanctuary from the Heavens do thou behold the Earth to hear the groaning of the Prisoners and to loose those that are in danger of Death Rescue them from the rage of Violence and shew thy self Merciful to them in this time of their distress O thou Preserver of Men And grant them all Graces and Mercies needful for the saving of their Souls And let them glorifie thee both in Life and Death and do thou glorifie them with Life Eternal through the Merits and Righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord. In whose blessed Name I further beg for Mercy for all that suffer in these Times of Trouble Chiefly for those that are Destitute for the Widows and the Fatherless Let thy Mercy be extended to them in the daily supplying of their several Wants and Necessities Take them into thy peculiar Care O thou Father of the Fatherless and Judge of the Widow And be thou their Comfort Help and Succour for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Collect for Grace O God I can ask no greater Gift than thy Glory and therefore beg no better Gift than thy Grace yea even this perfect is nothing else but that Nor can I come at it but by the way of Grace I do therefore for Jesus Christ his sake beseech thee bestow on me this blessed Gift Grace to do thee Service on Earth that thou may'st give me thy Salvation in Heaven through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Collect for Peace O God my poor Soul is an humble Suitor for Peace the Blood of Jesus is my Plea thy Spirit my Advocate I deserve by my Sins Eternal Enmity but for thy dear Sons sake have Favour for me By whom the World is Attoned O let me be Reconciled to thee I know not how to pray this as I ought but thy Spirit can make Effectual Intercession for me Lord let thy Spirit move and thy Son make my Peace Subdue my Lusts Conquer Satan for me that my Conscience may have Peace with thee and I in it by thy Grace through the Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Collect for Health O Lord when I am Sick let me think I may Die when I am in Health that I may be Sick that I may not mis-spend the stock of my Life but do thee Honour with my Health and thou mayst give me Comfort for it in my Sickness Even this that Sin hath not bound me to my Bed but thy Providence hath cast me down which can and will lift me up or to Health in this World or to Happiness in a better Such an Enjoyment of Health give me I beseech Thee for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Collect for Safety O Lord so many days as I live so many Lives I owe Thee Thou renewest my Lease every day A poor Tenant at thy Will I am and a frail Cottage of Clay by thy Power I keep Lord thou hast hitherto spar'd me still preserve me and let me pay as I can what I owe of Service the only Rent thou requiest for Tenement and Appurtenances Life Health Wealth and all the good things I have of thee for which thou both grantest Term of Life and givest Eternity This to that continue I beseech thee for his sake who was Surety and is sole Purchaser for me Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Collect for Friends O Lord graciously accept my Prayers for all my Kindred and Friends Do thou good unto them all O God To those that Err shew thy Truth and those that see it keep from Error To those that do amiss give Grace to do better and those that do well continue in so doing To those that are Afflicted give Comfort and Deliverance to those that Prosper Humility and Temperance Bless the Sick with Health and the Healthy from Sickness Supply those that want and let those that want not give Supply To all grant thy Grace O God and shew thy Mercy Let Love bind us one to another and Religion knit us all to Thee that all who are of Natural Kindred may meet in Heavenly Consanguinity Even so Lord let the Blood of Jesus run through all the Veins and the Spirit of Jesus go along with the Blood that the Glory of Jesus may be the End of us all And that hower we suffer and scatter on Earth we may Live and Joy together in the Bliss and Felicity of Heaven by the Union of that holy Spirit and Communion of that blessed Blood Amen and Amen A Collect for the Catholick Church O God of Peace send Unity
if I do Thine O Lord is the Sword of Vengeance and thine is the sharpest Sword O let me not dare to take it out of thy hand Lest while I strike others I fall justly by thy Sword Tho' Flesh and Blood provoke me to it let thy holy Spirit withhold me from it And cast and keep out of me that Evil Spirit by thy Power O good God and Saviour for thy infinite Mercies sake Amen A Collect or Prayer against Malice O Thou Divine Goodness that wouldst not have me be of a Revengeful Spirit neither wouldst thou have me be of a Malicious Spirit and therefore O Lord be pleased to keep me from Malice which is the very Soul of Satan and Sin of the Devil Thou O God art Love but he is Hatred And if Malice be in me I shall be as he is even one whom unless thou hatest thy self thou canst not love Thou hast commanded that I should love my Enemies and wouldst not have me be malicious against them nor bear them ill will for what they have done to me but rather to pray for them yea tho' they use me despitefully thou wouldst not have me be despiteful towards them And therefore from such a hateful and damning Disposition O Lord Deliver me Let not Satan's Brand be on my Brest and his Soul in my Body lest being marked for him he seiz me as his own But O Lord do thou stamp me as thy own and set the Seal of thy Love on my heart that I may be owned by thee and have thy Badge continually upon me which is That we love one another O let me not wear the Devils Badge in a visible or secret Malice to any Make me O Lord a Child of thy Family a Dove of thy Flock without any Gaul or Rancor a Lamb of thy Fold harmless to all and not doing Mischief to any but delighting like thy Blessed Self to do good unto all Even for his sake who is holy harmless and undefiled who did good to all and Evil to none even Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Collect for Grace O Thou that hast promised thy holy Spirit to them that ask it give me thy Grace O God that being strengthened thereby I may with Courage and Constancy Engage all my Spiritual Enemies and subdue them That I may pass my Pilgrimage here in thy fear and at last receive my Triumphs in thy Glory Through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Collect for Peace O God of Peace which art incomprehensible give me Thy Peace which passeth all understanding Let me so live according to thy Rule that I may have Peace with my Conscience and let me be so ruled by thy Will and Word that my Conscience may have Peace with Thee Lord make an Everlasting Peace with me and let me never do that which has any Tendency to break that League Dear Jesus Let it be Ratified and Confirmed in thy Blood and maintain it in me by thy holy Spirit Amen Amen A Collect for Health IT is the wonder of thy Providence O Lord that a Body subject to thousands of Frailties and Casualties every Day should Enjoy Health or Life an Hour yet through thy Mercy I have both at this instant Lord continue to me what I have and let me so improve it to thy Honour that thou mayst continue it and suffer me not by any Sin to provoke thee to take it away from me and to Smite me with Sickness Hear me I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Collect for Friends O Lord it is Ioyful for Friends to love and live together on Earth but the Ioy of all Ioys to live with thee in Heaven I beseech thee let this happiness be the Portion of all whom thou hast made more Nearly and Dearly to be Mine Let us so live in thy Service that we may die in thy Salvation In the mean while what we want of any Earthly Good necessary for us Give us What is amiss and offensive to thy Heavenly Majesty in any of us Forgive us What is requisite to make us so to serve thee now that thou mayst save us then in thy Bounty bestom upon us Even Truth and Grace aright to See and Seek thy Face in Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer for the Kingdom O Lord Our Distractions threaten Desolations to us Preserve us Our sins cry aloud for thy Vengeance upon us Pardon us Thy Mercies have been great to this Nation O Lord remember them Thy Deliverances of us have been many O Lord Renew them That Iniquity be not our utter Ruine give us Repentance The Guilt and Blood upon us Forgive Our Breaches Repair The Order which may bring Peace Establish The Government thou hast Establish'd maintain What is Iust and Right in thine Eyes set up What thou seest Evil cast down What makes the Nation miserable Remove What may make it happy Restore Lord for thy Mercies sake say We have been miserable enough and make us more happy Let the Light of thy Countenance shine again upon us and grant us thy Peace The Power and Authority which may procure it Preserve and those to whom thou hast given that Power Bless them to us and us in them and all in thee For Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Collect for the Church Catholick BEhold O God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ I a Christian and Child of his True Catholick Church Pray thy Mercies on my Good and great Mother and all my Brethren and her Children in thee and thy Son For Errors amongst them send them Truth For Schism Vnity For Superstition Warrantable Worship For Confusion Order For Prophaness Piety For Variance Concord for War Peace That all may as one Body with one Mind and Heart and Mouth and Knee Believe Love Confess Adore and so serve Thee and Him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ the Great Lord and Common Saviour of us all as thou mayst save us all in the World to come O Thou Head of the Church Save thy Body By thy Blood Cleanse it by thy Spirit Sanctifie it by thy Power Preserve it and every Limb of it dear Iesus Amen A Collect for the Church O Christ Head of thy Body the Church let not this poor Member of it amongst us Perish What it is Thou seest Lord with Pity behold us What it was thou knowest O Lord in Mercy Restore us Thy Primitive Order in Christian Truth and Worship for the saving of Souls which is cast down set up The Present Confusions Distractions Innovations Errors which are got up cast down Set up thy Glory O Lord amongst us And what is set apart to support it do Thou maintain and continue to us and our Posterities after us for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Collect for Safety FORGIVE O Lord the Forfeitures I have made of thy Protection by the Wanderings of my Life And tho I have not been as I should a Dutiful Child yet be Thou O Lord as
among all that Profess thy Name As they have but one Head let them be but one Body as they are but one Body let them have but one Spirit The Spirit of Truth and Holiness in Doctrine and Life be in all Cease Schisms and Wars in the Christian World Let them not Spill one anothers Blood for whom thy Son shed his Let there not be many Hearts under one Head nor more Heads with it least they make a Massacre in thy Body or a Monster of it O let thy Scepter have Obedience and thine Orders Observance every where Suffer none by Delusion or Depravation of Mind or Ambition of Spirit to pull down thy Throne whilst they pretend for thy Scepter and take down thy House to set up thy Glory and let Confusion and Tyranny into thy Church whilst they profess to bring in Liberty and Order From Violence Avarice Sacriledge Schism Herefie Anarchy and Tyranny O thou King of the Church do thou keep us Do thou Govern us and let us Obey thee Do thou save us and let us serve thee Even all Christian Souls save throughout the World Dear Jesus Amen A Charitable Prayer for Times of Affliction O Lord that do'st not willingly afflict the Children of Men Behold from thy holy Habitation of Heaven the multitude of Miserable and Afflicted Souls and Lives amongst us and have Mercy upon us HAVE Mercy on all Ignorant Souls and instruct them on all Deluded Minds and Enlighten them on all Seducing and Seduced Spirits and Convert them Have Mercy on all broken Hearts and heal them all strugling with Temptation and Rescue them All languishing in spiritual Desertion and receive them Have mercy on all that stagger in Faith and Establish them That are fallen from thee and Raise them That stand with thee and Confirm them Have Mercy on all that groan under their Sins and Ease them That bless themselves and go on in their Wickedness and Curb and stop them Iesus That did'st shed thy Blood for all Souls to save them shed thy holy Spirit on all and heal them AND Lord have Mercy on all Miserable Bodies Those that are ready to famish for want Feed them Those that are bound to Beds of Pain loose them Those that are in Prison and Bonds Release them Those that are under the Fury of Persecution and Cry under the Yoke of Oppression Relieve them Those that lie smarting in their Pain and Wounds Cure them Those that are distracted in their Thoughts and Wits Settle them Those that are in Perils of their Estates and Lives Preserve them Iesus That didst freely distribute thy Comforts and Cures to all Miseries and Maladies of Men when thou wast on Earth have Mercy on all and help them far or near with us or from us Lord have Mercy on all even every Son and Daughter of Adam at this time in Pain and Anguish upon the face of the Earth where-ever they are whosoever they be what Help I would pray for my self from Thee or Comfort from Man in their Condition I beseech Thee the GOD of all Help and Comfort to give it them Take them to thy Care and Tender them supply them and Succour them Have Compassion on them and heal them Iesus That didst give thy Blood for them deny not thy Bowels to them Thou that didst Redeem them all Preserve them Even all Miserable Souls and Bodies I beseech Thee for thine infinite Mercies sake Amen A Prayer against the Temptations of Troublesome Times O God who wilt not suffer us to be Tempted above what we are able to bear succour me that the Temptations of this Time of Trouble does not over-whelm me Discover to me the ways of thy Providence so far that I may see why I shou'd neither Deny it nor Doubt it And make me know thy Judgments to be so unsearchable and thy ways past finding out that I may humbly submit my Will to thy Wisdom and admire and adore that Justice which I cannot Comprehend Let me not be of so narrow a Mind as to confine thy Work to one World which Thou do'st not finish but in Two Nor let me be such a Creature of Sense as to believe thou hast no other Reward or Punishment than what I See and Feel O let my Eyes look to the End of all which is Heaven or Hell And let me Envy no Ill Mans Happiness which shall end in Hell Nor bewail any Good Mans Wretchedness who shall have Heaven for his End And let me understand that the Prosperity of Sinners is a heavy Plague because it spurs them on to Hell which is the greatest Punishment And that the Adversity of the Saints is to them a Mercy because it is thy Rod to whip them into Heaven the best Reward Mean while let me not give a Brest full of thy Peace for an Armful of that Wealth which breeds Nests of Vipers and Adders in their Hearts and continual Stings in their Bosoms But let me Prefer the Sufferings of Innocence before the Spoils and Triumphs of Violence O God since a guilty Conscience is the greatest Punishment on Earth because next to Hell and Accusing and Condemning thy Providence and Forsaking my Innocence the greatest Guilt To that Extremity let no Temptation ever lead me JESUS keep me from it by thy Grace and Mercy Amen The Concluding Prayer O Lord it is thy Promise to grant whatsoever I ask in thy Sons Name and thou wilt not perform less because I ask so in his Words In his Blessed Breviary therefore I sum and offer up these my Imperfect Prayers saying as he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Blessing GOD the Father Bless me GOD the Son Defend me GOD the Spirit Preserve Me and all Mine and His now and Evermore Amen EVENING PRAYER Psal. XLIV LXXVII LXXVIII or LXX LXXXIII XCVIII or CXXXVII CXL CXLI Proper Lessons 2 Chron. XIII or XX 1 Cor. X. or Iudes Eistle A Collect or Prayer against Revenge O Thou to whom Vengeance belongeth Keep me from a Revengeful Spirit that I fall not into the hands of thy Vengeance And since it is thy Will that I should exercise Pity and Patience and Pardon let me not study Revenge and Returns of Injuries What tho' I have lost my Estate wrongfully and been turn'd out of my Place for my Loyalty to the King yet have I not justly deserved it for my Rebellion against thee my God why shou'd I then Meditate Revenge against the Instruments whom thou O Lord hast made the just Executioners of thy will for my Deserts O help me rather to look unto thee who hast justly suffered these things to befal me for my sins than to study Revenge against those that have Injur'd me Thou O most Meek and Merciful Saviour didst pray for thy bloody Enemies O let me then forgive my greatest Foes Committing my Cause to thee who wilt do Justice for me on them if I seek not to revenge my self and for thy self upon me
Thou ever art a Merciful Father Forget not thy Fatherly Goodness to me who pray thy Pardon for offending Thee Thy Grace to serve Thee and Thy Providence to preserve me this Night and Evermore through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer for one in Affliction O Lord That Affliction which is now my Lot is the Result of thy good Pleasure and as such let me Eye it and improve it to Reclaim me from Evil Ways and to direct my course into those that are Good If it be so grievous to bear it for a Time what is it O God to suffer it and ten thousand times more misery than it for Ever Then if it be ill let it be thy Rod to reclaim me and if Good thy Staff to make me stand better in Grace and advance me to thy Glory Thy Fan to Purge me Thy Furnace to Prove me So Adversity to my Body be the Prosperity of my Soul let it come and Welcome O Lord that my Soul may at last everlastingly Prosper with Thee in that Day of Bliss which knows no Cloud of Ill nor end of Good to Eternity Since Affliction is a sign of thy Mercy a Badge of thy Favour and a means of Glory let me not be Impatient under it lest I perpetuate my Woes to two Worlds and whom Thou hast but for a Time make my self miserable for ever Blessed Jesus who didst go from a Cross to a Crown and doest Cross me to Crown me let me carry mine Patiently that I may come to thy Throne and not cast my self from a Cross of Woe into a Gulph of Confusion From such Miscarriages under my Present Afflictions O Lord deliver me Dear Jesus By the Merits and Example of thy holy Cross and by the Vertues and Works of thy holy Spirit Do it for me and Sanctifie it to me Amen A Concluding Prayer BEhold O Lord what I have Prayed unto thee for and grant I humbly beseech thee the Requests that I have put up unto Thee this Evening and hear the Petitions of thy Servant And do for me for the Nation for thy Church and for all Estates and Conditions therein not only according to what I have Prayed but according to what I should and ought to have Prayed and what any else have prayed with me for Jesus Christ his sake in whose Name I have presented them with whose Words I desire to Perfume and Perfect my Prayers Beseeching Thee That his Spirit may breathe in those Words in which I know I Pray both what and as I ought And therefore as Devoutly Confidently say Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Blessing BLESSED are the Afflicted and Troubled and those that mourn under those Calamities we feel and fear The Blessing and Comfort of God the Father and the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Consolations of the holy Spirit be upon me and upon all such sad and sorrowful Souls with me this Night and Evermore Amen Meditations and Prayers FOR THE NOLY COMMUNION BOTH Before At and After Receiving A Meditation before the Receiving the holy Communion O My dear Lord Thy Passion makes me full of all Passions I am in Love and yet I Hate I have my Longings and my Loathings I both Rejoyce and Grieve and Cherish Hope and Fear I am Incens'd and Ravish'd I am in Love with Thee O blessed Jesus I am Enamour'd of thy Person O Thou God-Man The Son of God! The Beauty of Heaven and Earth The Center of all Created and Uncreated Excellency The Mirror of the Godhead The Wonder of Angels The Glory of Mankind I am Inflamed with thy Love Thou mad'st thy Love to Lazarus legible in thy Tears See how he loved him said the Jews and shall not I read it in thy Wounds They saw Love in thy driping Eye and shall not I in thy Bleeding Side They in the Hot-water thou didst bestow on his Dead Body and shall not I see it in that reaking Blood thou sheddest for my lost and Dying Soul O let not my heart be so hard to see those Wounds of so great Love to me and yet to have no Woundings of Affection for Thee For thee Lord Yes and all in Heaven and Earth that have Relation to Thee I am also in Love with the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ who would give his Son his only Son the Son of his Love so to suffer on Earth for a Time that I might not suffer for Ever in Hell I am also in Love with Thee O Thou Blessed and Holy Spirit of GOD who didst anoint Jesus to be my Christ and thereby Inaugurate him to his Crown of Thorns and Blessed tho' most Bloody Passion which he suffered for me I am in Love with the whole Blessed Trinity whose glorious Essence and Ineffable Unity I Adore tho' I cannot comprehend and whose Counsels fill my Soul with the highest Admiration tho' I am never able to search out their Unfathomable depth I have also Love for the Sons of Men for them especially for whom my Lord Jesus shed his precious Blood thereby to make them the Sons of God and Brothers of Christ Thy Cross O Jesus shall make all Mankind my Friends for where thou gavest thy Blood why shou'd not I give my Heart THUS Lord I love all for thee and thee in all And now I will love my self for thy sake amongst them O Lord I am one in whom is thy Flesh a Man I am one in whom is thy Spirit a Christian I am one for whom thou didst shed thy Blood on whom thou hast shed thy Spirit A redeemed esteemed Man by Thee and shall I be so poor as to Value Dirt to thy Blood Shall I be tempted to give my self from Thee to the Flesh and to the World O Lord I will Value thy Blood more I will keep the Spirit better I will set a higher price on my self than to sell thy Blessed Purchase to the Devil for a base Piece of Flesh and a small portion of the World So am I and let me ever be in love with Thee O Lord. BUT O Sin I am in Hate with Thee for my own and for my Saviour's sake O thou Enemy of God and Man how execrable art thou More than heart can think That madest him lamentable more than Eye saw AND O Devil I hate Thee who didst tempt Man out of Paradise and so draw Christ to a Cross And could thy Temptations have prevail'd and thy Power been equal to thy Malice wouldst have cast the second Adam out too that so nor the First nor his Seed might ever have come in again AND O World I abhor thee as the Imp of the Devil who of his Jews and Gentiles couldst find hands for such horrid Acts and Sins that made those Bloody Passions So Sin Devil World for the Death of my King and Lord and Christ you have my Hate I have also my Longings too I Long for the Lord My Soul Longeth for God even the
Living God yea even for the Dying God! When shall I come and appear in the Presence of God God Dying once yet Living ever When shall I come before the Dying-Living God I long for the Chariot that will bring me to Thee and will Kiss it tho' it be a Cross. I long for the Inn which will lodge me near Thee and will Embrace it tho' it be a Grave I long for the Bed which will raise me to Thee and will climb to it tho' it be a Gibbet O Cup of Salvation I will not refuse thee Tho' full even to the Martyrs Measure of Blood If from him thou shalt be drank and yet deem'd nothing to thy Saviour's Blood I long to be in thy Courts where thou art present in Spirit To be in thy holy Temple which is thy Chamber at the Altar and Table which is the Chair of thy Presence yea where in high and ineffable Mystery I find a Presence of thy Body and keep both a Commemoration and Communion of it and thy Blood But as I have my Longings so I have my Loathings I Loath the Life in which I cannot see Thee At best an Exile at worst a Trouble to thee I Loath my self for casting away Love on so base and unworthy a Life where I do either Crucifie Thee with my Sins or Wound Thee with my Miseries Where I renew Thy Passion by my Guilts or thine Agony by my Conflicts I Loath my self for Loving Thee no more who hast lov'd me so much I likewise Loath my self for Loving Sin so much which has been so great an Enemy to my dearest Lord. But then I have also my Joys I Ioy in thy Cross not in thy Grief O Christ. For can I see thy Sacred Body all gore and my heart not bleed The Spear be in thy Heart and no Sword at mine I will not I cannot endure it O my dearest Lord No! I Joy in the Root thine Infinite Mercy O God And in the Fruit the Perfect Redemption of Man It is finished Yes Blessed be the Blood that was the Price and blessed be the Body that laid out that Blood The Satisfaction is full Salvation is sure Sin is nail'd Hell foil'd Satan chain'd The World baffl'd The Flesh wounded Death slain The Grave buried Every Adversary's Power is conquered by Christ Triumphant in the Chariot of his Cross over all All is finished THERE are some very lavish in their Praises of the Wood of the Cross But it was the Blood of the Cross by which Redemption is Purchased And what Good doth not grow from and upon that Pulpit of Repentance Pillar of Faith Anchor of Hope Magazine of Charity Armory of Mortification School of Patience Mirror of Obedience Rock of Constancy Shop of Humility the whole Duty of a Christian. O blessed Root of God's Mercy that bringest forth the happy Fruit of Mans Grace and Glory O Tree of Death more blessed than the Tree of Life that hast such a Root and such Fruit Thus are my Joys Triumphant in thy Cross. But I Grieve to see Thee Crucify'd again O Christ and my Soul is Crucify'd for having a hand in thy Cross Wo to the World for offences which make Thee bleed afresh and bring Thee to thy Cross again Wo is me that see Thee daily Crucify'd betwixt Hereticks and Schismaticks Thieves of thy Truth between Hypocrites and Profligates Thieves of thy Grace amidst Men of Intemperate Heats and Cools in Religion Thieves of thy Honour I Grieve to see Thee Crucify'd in vain So much of the World lost when all was paid for A Price sufficient to have ransom'd not a World only but a Hell-full of Devils Effectual only to a handful of Men. Yea even within thy Holy Pale which should preserve thy Blood to a drop wo is me how is it spilt to a stream Whilst so many make void by their Sins the healing vertue of thy precious Blood By Unbelief how many Millions are lost out of the Church And by Mis-belief how many Thousands in it And by Miscarriage of Life how many Thousands of Millions both in and out My heart bleeds to see thy Creed without Faith thy Decalogue without Obedience thy Prayer without Use thy Sacraments without Reverence Nay to see it made Faith Conscience Devotion Zeal to have no respect to Sacrament Prayer Decalogue or Creed And Lord what Tears even of Blood are sufficient to bewail it O my dear Lord Can my Eyes see thee thus Crucify'd again Twice and in vain Once and my heart not grieve And yet tho' I grieve I am not without Hope And I hope in Thee and the Blood of thy Cross alone I hope for Pardon because I read it Seal'd in thy Blood I hope for Salvation because I find it Purchased under that Seal Wilt thou not make good thy Seal Wilt thou not prefer thy Purchase Nor Sin nor Devil then shall Damn me O Christ he shall not steal thy Purchase nor make void thy Seal Thy Blood is my Plea against both In it I see my Pardon and Salvation Written nor care I so thou be my Advocate for Saint or Angel to set to their Hands I hope in Thee for my Salvation AND so I do for my Mothers too the Spouse bought with thy Blood and Lov'd as thy Body O Lord thou art her Saviour and shall she want thy Salvation O let her not want thy Bowels for whom thou gavest thy Blood Behold her Miseries and forgive her Sins Till thy Blood hath no Vertue she is not without hope And I know O Lord that the Streams of thy Blood are not yet drain'd and that the Sea of thy Mercy still flows as fresh and free as ever And therefore will I hope still But I fear too I dread Temptation Thy Cross was made of Adams Tree I fear because he fell I Dread Desertion I want both David's Grace and Solomon's Wisdom and yet tho' I had both I shou'd fall if thou forsak'st me On the Cross thy Disciples left thee but let me never leave thee I dread Apostacy O keep me from that Sin from which even thy Blood thy Cross cannot or will not save me But then I fear my self for all this As my Sins nail'd thee to thy Cross so my Corruption rivets me in my Sins The heart is deceitful above all things and mine is desperately wicked and full of divers Lusts and Abominations And therefore from a Tempest of Temptation from the Gulph of Spiritual Desertion from the Precipice of Apostacy and from my self above all by the Vertue of thy Cross deliver me O Lord. O Christ my Spirit is Incens'd and I am full of Indignation for the Affronts and Injuries done unto thee To see thy Blood spilt or scorn'd to see thy Passion forgot or abus'd Thy Love without Memory or Value thy Pains without Belief or Remorse Who can endure O blessed Jesus to see thy Cross made the Devils Standard And thy Wounds the only shelter for Sinners turn ' d into
all Blessings without whose Gracious Influence the best of all our Performances will neither bring glory to thee nor Profit to our selves Look down we pray thee in Mercy upon us and let this Work be so attended with thy Blessing that it may be Efficacious through thy Grace to take off our Hearts and Affections from the love of those things of which thou hast justly depriv'd us for our Sins that so we may now with more earnestness and intenseness of Soul seek after those things that cannot be taken from us to which end we pray thee shew us the emptiness of all present things whether they be Honours Riches or Pleasures and that Thou only art that chief Good which alone can satisfie our Souls Hear us O Lord and help us for Iesus Christ his sake And let these Words of our Mouths and Meditations of our Hearts be acceptable in thy sight O LORD our GOD and our Redeemer Meditation I. Of the Vanity and Vncertainty of Honour THERE is certainly nothing so convincing as our own Experience and if we truly consider it it is no small Advantage that we reap even by our Losses if thereby we come to be convinc'd of the Vanity of that which we have lost For such is the Deceitfulness of our Hearts and the Corruption of our Natures that while we are in the Possession of any outward Good we are loth to let it go and tho' we find no real Good in it we are yet so much pleas'd with it as to Endeavour with all our Might to retain it And let us hear from the Ministers of GOD's Word never so long and learned Harrangues of the Vanity and Uncertainty of them we are unwilling to believe them But when the Storm of GOD's Anger is come upon us and the Tempest of his Wrath has cover'd us and taken from us our King our Queen our Princes and Nobles all our pleasant and delectable things we by our own Experience come to see that Honour is but an Empty Puff of Air that it is only Vox preterea nihil a Voice and nothing else and that all is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit BUT to come a little more particularly to shew the Vanity of Honour What Certainty is there in that which consists in Popular Applause and depends on the breath of the Vulgar Well may it be compar'd to Wind for with every Wind it changes Did not the common People change their Notes like the Wind even to our Saviour himself How did they cry Hosamna one Day and the next Crucifie him Now the Blessed Jesus is esteem'd a Prophet by 'em and anon reputed a Samaritan that hath a Devil Nor had his Followers less Experience of the Inconstancy of the People When St. Paul escap'd Shipwrack and was cast upon the Island call'd Melita a Viper fasten'd on his hand which made the People take him for a Murderer but when they saw him shake it off without doing him any harm they chang'd their Minds and said he was a God And the same St. Paul accompanied with St. Barnabas were at another time first honoured with Paganish Devotion as tho' they had been Iupiter and Mercury and soon after stoned as tho they were Malefactors Again St. Paul and Silas were one time imprison'd in the lowest Dungeon at Philippos and afterwards Honour'd and Ador'd of the same Goaler that was their Executioner Even as our Blessed Lord was honour'd of the same Iudas that was his Betrayer and of the same Pilate that was his Condemner How lamentable was the Case of Zedikiah who of King of Iudah was made a Captive to the King of Babylon and put in Chains he had indeed for a short time his Eyes spared but it was only that he might behold the Dreadful Slaughter of his Children and then the Light of his Eyes was obscur'd in utter Darkness O lamentable Vicissitude of Worldly Honours When Crowns and Scepters are tumbled under Foot And Royal Blood is shed like Water on the Ground that cann't be gather'd up again How soon was Pharoah tumbled from his Triumphal Chariot when he pursu'd the Israelites and was made Food for Fishes and all his Pomp lay buried in the Sea The like unhappy but just Fate befel Adonibezeck who from a great and a Puissant King was disgracefully mangled in his Hands and Toes and forc'd to Eat such Crumbs as fell under the Table like a Dog And Agag likewise another Royalet was hewn in Pieces like an Ox even when he thought the bitterness of Death was past And Iezabel who well deserv'd her fate tho' a great Queen her self and a Kings Daughter was Eaten up and gnaw'd by Dogs like Carrion Nay the great Nebuchadnezzar that Universal Monarch of Chaldea whilst he was hugging of himself in his own Happiness and Contemplating the Glory of his Kingdom and the honour of his Majesty was turn'd out of his Pallace and forc'd to graze like a brute Beast in his own Park See here the Instability of Worldly Honour And what prodigious changes a moment can produce When from the highest Pinacle of Glory a Mighty King whom all the World obey'd is turn'd a grazing with the very Beasts NOR do we find that prophane Histories are wanting in producing Numerous Examples of the Uncertainty of Worldly Greatness and how Airy a Nothing the Breath of Honour is Of which one fatal Instance is that of the great Bajazet the Emperour of the Turks who like a Wolf or some wild Beast of Prey was carried up and down by Conquering Tamberlain in an Iron Cage and expos'd to that Contempt which he thought worse than Death and therefore to release himself he knock'd out his Brains against the Bars of the Cage in which they kept him Valerian the Emperour was another Instance likewise who as a Slave and Vassal to Sapores King of Persia was forc'd to hold his Stirrop whilst he got up on Horseback as tho' he had been Pope And even amongst Christians Frederick the Third one of the best of Emperours was Trod upon by Alexander the Sixth one of the worst of Popes in St. Mark 's Church in Venice as if he had been an Asp or a Basilisk the Pope most Blasphemously using these Words Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and the Adder the Young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under feet Nor is it without a just Compassion to be remembred that the Emperour Mauritius had his Empress and his Children slain before his Eyes by that Bloody Phocas his Servant who after he had slain his Master and usurp'd his Empire was Countenanc'd in all his Villany by the Pope because he stil'd him Universal Bishop This sudden change of Fortune likewise befel the Aged Priam King of Troy and Palaeologas the Emperour of Constantinople when those two Famous Cities were destroy'd the one by the Greeks the other by the Turks These and many more Great Ones in the World have been suddenly thrown down from the Top of
thou hadst most occasion for 'em then they left thee and fled away to strangers Is it not therefore far better to trust in the Living God than in uncertain Riches For Riches profit not in the Day of Wrath but Righteousness delivereth from Death And if thou mak'st it thy chief Business to seek first the Kingdom of GOD and the Righteousness thereof there is nothing necessary for thee but GOD has promis'd it shall be added to thee And wilt thou grieve because thou art depriv'd of Unnecessary Things Learn O my Soul to make the Will of God the measure of thy Desires And when thou desirest nothing but what God wills thou may'st desire what thou wilt and obtain it Thou mayst assure thy self that God wills what is best for thee and when thou hast conform'd thy Will to his thou needest not fear a blessed Issue And if what God has done appears not at the present best to thee it is not because it really is not best but because by reason of thy present Darkness thou canst not see it so God sees the End of all his Works from the beginning and perfectly knows the Events of all his Dispensations but thou O my Soul are short-sighted can'st not see far before thee and since thou canst not see what God intends by his present Providences 't is now thy time to live in the Exercise of Patience and glorifie him by believing A PRAYER O Most Merciful and gracious God who art the Well-spring of Life and an inexhaustible Fountain of Goodness be pleased to look in Mercy upon me poor and miserable Sinner who had been immers'd in the things of this Life and drown'd in the Love of the World hadst not thou in mercy taken them away from me O help me to acknowledge thy righteous hand herein and kiss that Rod wherewith thou hast so mercifully chastiz'd me And O most gracious God wilt thou please for the time to come to take off my Heart from the inordinate Love of Riches and all other things of this World and to place my Affections upon thy blessed Majesty who art my Souls supreme and ultimate Happiness and it s exceeding great Reward Convince me more and more of the Wickedness as well as Folly of my former Life in forsaking Thee the Fountain of Living Waters and hewing out to my self Cisterns broken Cisterns that could hold no Water Suffer me O Lord no longis to follow after Lying Vanities and so to forsake my own Mercy And let thy Love O thou God of my Life purge my Soul from the love of all other things whatsoever Thou hast said in thy Word That those that love Thee shall inherit Substance whilst I like a wretched Prodigal have been feeding on Husks and grasping at Shadows O let me not henceforth trust in uncertain Riches but in Thee the Living God and buy of Thee Gold Try'd in the Fire that so I may be truly rich and white Rayment that I may be cloathed Grant this O Lord and whatsoever else Thou seest necessary for me for Iesus Christ his sake Amen Our Father c. Meditation III. Of the Vanity of Worldly Pleasures PLEASURE is that which all pursue and covet tho' most mistake the Object of it It is that for which Men value their lives and without which they think it wou'd scarce be worth the Living But if they mean the Pleasures of this World abstracted from the Love of God and those unspeakable Delights that are in him there 's nothing in which men are more mistaken So far is Worldly Pleasure from making of Men happy that it puts 'em in a state of Death This St. Paul assures us 1 Tim. V. 6. She that liveth in Pleasure is dead while she liveth And large Experience confirms this Truth for those that have most affected it have always found it fatal LET us give a few Instances For we are apter to be led by Examples than Precepts The Philistines had taken Sampson thro' the Treachery of Dalilah Sampson wou'd needs enjoy his Pleasure with Dalilah but she refus'd to let him unless he told her where his strength lay which when she knew she straight betray'd him to his Enemies And this was the effect of Sampson's Pleasure When the Philistines had obtain'd this Prize it made 'em mighty merry and they must needs go take their pleasure too And Sampson whom they barbarously had blinded must be sent for that he might make them Sport But it was fatal Sport to the Philistines for Sampson having with some assistance grop'd out the two Supporters or chief Pillars of the House praying to God to strengthen him that he might be aveng'd for his two Eyes was heard and answer'd and Sampson pulls the House about their Ears whereby they all were slain which put a bloody Period to their Pleasure THE Persians were a People given up to Pleasure above other Nations which made 'em so effeminate as render'd 'em an easie Conquest to their Enemies Belshazzar was a Prince given to Pleasure and liv'd in great Voluptuousness and that not only in a time of Peace but when he was surrounded by his Enemies and Darius lay with a Vast Army on the other side the River Euphrates This notwithstanding Belshazzar was resolv'd to take his Pleasure and makes a great Feast to a Thousand of his Lords and drinks Wine before 'em even out of the sacred Vessels taken out of the Temple of the House of God which was at Ierusalem But while Belshazzar was taking of his Pleasure and Carrousing with his Lords there appears suddenly a Hand Writing upon the Wall which tho' the King understood not yet his Countenance was chang'd and his Thoughts so troubled him that the Ioynts of his Loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another This quickly put an End to all their Pleasure and fill'd 'em with Confusion and Astonishment And the sad Epilogue to this Jovial Feast was That God had number'd his Kingdom and finished it and that he was weigh'd in the Balances and found wanting and his Kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians And that Night Belshazzar himself was slain which put a final End to all his Pleasure So that it is very evident that what is affirmed of Wordly Sorrow is much more true of Worldly Pleasure That it worketh Death And Solomon who of all Men was best able to Extract the quintessence of Pleasure and taste what was in it gives us this poor yet true Account of it after he had made the Experiment Behold this also is Vanity Eccles. II. 1 2. Not only Vain but Vanity it self in the Abstract and as if this was not enough he lays a greater Imputation on it in the next Verse where he tells us I said of Laughter It is mad and of Mirth What doth it And this he further Exemplifies by telling us It is better to go to the House of Mourning than to go to the House of Feasting Eccles. VII 2.
fear that great and dreadful Name The LORD our GOD And this prophane Swearing is also forbidden in the New-Testament our Blessed Saviour strictly enjoyning us not to Swear at all Mat. v. 34. And this St. Iames presses further saying Above all things my Brethren Swear not Jam. v. 12. Not that hereby we are forbidden to testifie the Truth of a matter upon Oath before a Magistrate as some dream for in this case St. Paul tells us That an Oath for Confirmation is an end of all strife Heb. vi 16. The intent therefore is That we abstain from all prophane Swearing which is a Taking of God's Name in vain and a procuring Cause of his Judgments upon a People and Nation of which there wants not plenty of Examples both Sacred and Prophane were it needful to insert ' em BUT that which more concerns us is To Enquire whether we are not grievously guilty hereof our selves and so are justly made an Example to others And in this case I must say Our guilt is too evident to be deny'd for we declare our Sin as Sodom and hide it not Our Tongues being oftner us'd in imprecating Divine Vengeance even Damnation it self upon our Souls than in imploring the Pardon of our Sins How many are there that pretend Love and Loyalty to our King yet will shew it no other way but by Drinking his health till they have lost their own and by their horrid execrable Oaths defying of the Majesty of Heaven Alas What can be expected from those Men that are every hour bidding Defiance to the Almighty and Daring God to damn them With what face can they pretend to love their King that thus affront their Maker Whoever thus harden'd himself against God and prosper'd It was these Fighters against Heaven that brought the Royal Martyr to the Block and were more guilty of his Death than the Regicides that condemn'd him or the Villanous Executioner that sever'd his Royal Head from his Sacred Body And it is such as these that have turn'd our Royal Master out of his Throne and forc'd him to Abdicate as some will have it his Crown and Kingdoms For when GOD was thus Engag'd against him by the reiterated Blasphemous Imprecations of his pretended Followers how cou'd he hope to stand For shame therefore Gentlemen let us either lay aside our pretences of Loyalty to the King or cease to offend GOD as we do every Day by Belching forth such Vollies of loud Oaths and Blasphemies against him For had we but as frequently Employ'd our Tongues in praying for him as we have done in cursing of our selves and in Blaspheming God we might have long since hop'd a better Issue If therefore we wou'd shew our selves good Subjects to the King let us approve our hearts to God as good Christians which we cannot do but by walking in his Ways and keeping of his Laws We have seen the fatal effects of Cursing and Swearing let us now steer a contrary Course and betake our selves to Prayers and Tears the Churches only Weapons in suffering Times Of which I shall say more at the Conclusion But 2. Whoredom and Adultery is another crying Sin that brings down God's Judgments upon a Nation This Sin is directly against the Seventh Commandment which forbids us to commit Adultery and however the Fools of this Age I mean such as make a Mock at Sin have stil'd it but a Trick of Youth and that the Roman Church calls it but a Vanial Sin yet we have a more sure Word of Prophecy even the holy Scriptures which tells us That for these things the Wrath of God comes upon the Children of Disobedience And well it may since the Author to the Hebrews assures That how slight so ever others make of it yet Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will judge And that this Sin brings down Judgments on a Nation the Prophet Ieremiah informs us Ier. v. 7 8 9. When I had fed them to the full then they committed Adultery and assembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses They were as fed Horses in the Morning every one Neighed after his Neighbours Wife This was their sin And what the effect of it was the next Verse shews us Shall I not Visit for these things saith the Lord And shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this This sufficiently expresses God's Anger against it especially when it is grown common IT now concerns us therefore to Examine our selves and see whether this also be not registred in that black Catalogue of Sins which we are guilty of And I am much afraid that there is but few of us that can say in this respect my heart is clean For the foot steps of this Sin are but too plainly to be trac'd among us And therefore all of us have reason to humble our Souls before God and to say O Lord to us belongs confusion of Face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Nobles as well as to the Commons because we have sinned against thee For my part I know not what unaccountable Liberty some Men give themselves in this matter as if those in high places had a Toleration or a License to Sin But I am sure God's Word allows none no not to the greatest of Men The Law of God is Thou shalt not commit Adultery and I know of no Exception Of this sin When King David himself was found guilty though he had an Illustrious Pardon sent him from Heaven Thou shalt not dye yet it did not Exempt him from Temporal Judgments for the Prophet Nathan told him plainly The Sword shou'd never depart from his House because he had despised God in taking the Wife of Vriah Therefore let all that are concerned herein how great soever they be humble their Souls under the mighty hand of God and turn from the Evil of their doings that God may be thereby reconciled unto us and have Mercy upon us For this is a sin that if not repented of will keep good things from us and make a Separation between us and our God And such have the more reason to do this because their Example may have corrupted many For Regis ad Exemplum totus Componitur Orbis And indeed this Sin has spread so exceedingly upon that account that I am perswaded it has been none of the least causes of God's heavy displeasure against us Yet will not this in the least justifye them of a lower degree who shall follow so ill an Example for by them God's holy Law is violated and Himself provoked by their Filthiness and themselves thereby made the cause of bringing down the Judgments of God both upon King and People such have therefore great reason forthwith to break off their Sins by Righteousness and turn from the Evil of their Ways that the Lord may pardon their Sins and heal our Land 3. Cruelty and Bloodshed is a great and crying Sin which defiles the Land and brings down Judgments from Heaven upon it Nay it
Body thy Temple more pure from Sin and holy to Thee and my Heart thy Bed more clean from Lust and undefiled before Thee In the strength of Thee the Living Bread let me grow more able to serve thee And by Vertue of so near an Vnion and Communion with thee let not mine but thy holy Spirit from henceforth Lighten Lead and Enliven me that I may shun Sin which thou hatest and daily do those Duties of Devotion and Charity which please Thee So let this holy Sacrament at once Seal to me thy Mercy and my Glory where I shall for ever Communicate with Thee in Perfect Purity and Felicity To that happy Communion by thy Grace dear Saviour ever Prepare me and Now for a holy Communion with Thee Amen Amen Say Amen Lord Jesus A Prayer At our Receiving the Holy Communion DIDST Thou not Invite me to thy holy Table O Lord I durst not come Now thou callest me I dare not keep away And yet when I do consider Who and What is here I fear and tremble to come Thou O Lord art a holy and dreadful Majesty and so thy Mysteries be Holy Bread and holy Wine A most holy Body and Blood No Taint in his Blood who is GOD as well as Man The Lamb of God Immaculate Undefiled without Spot All-Pure most High and Holy But alas I am Unclean Unclean Unclean Originally Actually Every-way in Heart Hand and Lips throughout Childhood Youth and Manhood most Unworthy to approach a Presence so Pure who am so Unholy TRUE Lord But I Lament my Uncleanness I Renounce my own Unworthiness I come not because Worthy but Needy I come to be made Clean and Worthy That Body and Blood can make me Clean it is my Saviours and his Merits can make me Worthy They are thy Sons O Lord And here is a Conveyance of that blessed Body and Blood It is thy Sacrament LORD Think me Worthy for his sake and make me Worthy for thy Mercies sake by my Coming Give my Sins thy Pardon my Soul thy Grace my Self thy Acceptance in thy Beloved And what thou doest Convey Seal to me by what I now Receive from Thee the Blessed Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer and Thanksgiving After the Receiving of the holy Communion PARDON O Father the Errors and Infirmities of thy poor Child which have pass'd in thy holy Service whether Before or In or Since the Sacrament And in and for the Precious Blood of thy holy Child Jesus of which I have had the holy Communion Seal me my Pardon And behold and accept thy Servant from a Heart full of thy Love pouring out Praises to Thee for the Inestimable Benefits Received in those high and holy Mysteries What am I O Lord or what is in me that thou shouldest do this great Honour and Favour to me I am unworthy to touch the Tresholds of thy House and Thou hast taken me to thy Table I am not worthy to stand amongst thy Saints and thou hast made me Sit with my Saviour I am not worthy to come before thee and fall down before thy Footstool and Thou hast been pleased to come into me and make my Heart thy Throne I am not worthy to Eat the Bread of Men and thou hast given me the Bread of Angels Yea Lord the Angels hunger but have not this Bread What they admire I have Received whom they Adore I have Entertained The Body and Blood of Jesus their Mirror is my Meat Christ and they are two but I and my Saviour are One Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone One Blood one Body O unspeakable Mystery O incomparable Mercy LORD I beseech Thee since of my self I cannot enough Praise Thee make me some way worthy of Thee Let my Hands which have Received thy Blessed Body and Blood be henceforth Sacred and do no Deeds that may offend Thee Let my Lips which have touched those holy Mysteries be hallowed from all Words that may displease thee And let my Heart the Habitation of my Lord and Saviour be hereafter holy and no Vain Thoughts lodge within me As I am one with him in Body and Blood let me be one in Spirit the Spirit of Wisdom Love and Holiness Truly to know Thee serve Thee and cleave unto thee By the blessed Sacrament of his Body and Blood convey it to me Confirm it in me Let it be to my Soul the Signet of thy Love and Seal of thy Glory And Even for the precious Merits of that Blood and Body receive me to it I beseech Thee that I may be one in Everlasting Union and Communion with Thee for Jesus his sake Amen Amen A Thanksgiving for a Devout Soul After Receiving the Communion O Thou that hast given the Bread of Heaven to feed me give me the Tongue of Angels to praise Thee Lord the very Angels are not blessed with such Bread O what an high Mystery and Mercy is this that my Saviour is my Sustenance and their Maker my Meat The Body and Blood of Christ the Eternal Son of God to be in an holy Communion Eaten and Drunken by the Mouth of a Mortal Man O the Infinite Condescending Goodness of a gracious God! To make my humble Heart the Habitation of his Holiness To come to me Enter in me and become one not by Reconciliation only but Heavenly Vnion and Communion with me O miraculous Vnion O mysterious Incorporation O happy Soul that art so near to thy Saviour O blessed Saviour that art so near my Soul O wretched Soul if thou esteem'st any thing too dear for such a Saviour Wilt thou not give thy Body and Blood for his Truth Wilt thou not offer thy Life as a Sacrifice to his Glory O Lord Let my Soul which by thy Sacrament is made so happy by my Sin never be made wretched And since I have received thy Body and Blood let thy Spirit take Possession of my Heart and Guide me Lead me Command me and Rule me Be thou the Spirit of my Soul and Soul of my Body Let not the Flesh World or Devil have any Power in me Live O Live Thou in me O Christ Live in my Earthly Tabernacle and let me live for Ever with Thee in thy heavenly Habitation Even by the Merits and Vertues of thy pretious Body and Blood O sweet Iesus I beseech Thee Amen I AM now come through the Divine Assistance to the last thing I Promised which is Some General Rules and Directions for our Daily Practice In which I shall be very short a few things well digested being better than many which oftentimes prove burdensome to the Memory and hinder instead of help I HAVE already set down a Form of Prayer to be us'd Morning and Evening in Times of Affliction besides which I will add Rules of Devotion for the Morning IN the Morning when you first awake lift up your Eyes to God and say I lift up mine Eyes to the Hills from whence cometh my help THEN lift