walls of Jerusalem O God wherefore art thou absent from us so long Why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture O think upon thy Congregation whom thou hast purchased and Redeemed of old Look upon the Tribe of thine Inheritance and Mount Sion where thou hast dwelt It is time for thee Lord to say to thy hand for they have destroyed thy Law Arise O God and mantain thine own cause Deliver Israel O God out of all his troubles Brief Heads of Self-Examination especially before the Sacrament Collected out of the foregoing Treatise concerning the breaches of our Duty To GOD FAITH NOt BELIEVING there is a God Not believing his Word Not believing it practically so as to live according to our belief HOPE DEspairing of Gods Mercy so as to neglect duty Presuming groundlesly on it whilst we go on in wilful sin LOVE NOt Loving God for his own excellencies Not Loving him for his Goodness to us Not labouring to please him Not desiring to draw near to him in his Ordinances Not longing to enjoy him in Heaven FEAR NOt Fearing God so as to keep from offending him Fearing man above him by committing sin to shun some outward suffering TRUST NOt Trusting on God in dangers and distresses Using unlawful means to bring us out of them Not depending on God for supply of our Wants Immoderate Care for outward things Neglecting to labour and expecting God should sup 〈…〉 our idleness Not looking up to God for a blessing on our honest endeavours HUMILITY NOt having a high esteem of God Not submitting obediently to act his Will Not patiently suffering it but murmuring at his Corrections Not aâ—ending by them Not being Thankful to him Not acknowleding his Wisdome in choosing for us but having eager and impatient desires of our own HONOUR NOt Honouring God by a reverend usage of the things that Relate to him Behaving our selves irreverently in his House Robbing God by taking things that are consecrated to him Profaning Holy times the Lords Day and the Feasts and Fasts of the Church Neglecting to read the Holy Scriptures not marking when we do read Being careless to get knowledge of our duty chusing rather to continue ignorant then put our selves to the pains or charge of learning Placing Religion in hearing of Sermons without Practice Breaking our Vow made at Baptisme By resorting to Witches and Conjurers i. e. to the Devil By loving the Pomps and Vanities of the World and following its sinful customes By fulfilling the Lusts of the flesh Profaning the Lords Supper By coming to it ignorantly without Examination contrition and purposes of New Life By behaving our selves irreverently at it without Devotion and spiritual Affection By neglecting to keep the Promises made at it Profaning Gods Name by blasphemous thoughts or Discourse Giving others occasion to Blaspheme him by our vile wicked liâ—es Taking unlawful OATHS Perjury Swearing in ordinary Communication WORSHIP NOt Worshipping God Omitting Prayers publick or private and being glad of a pretence to do so Asking unlawful thigs or to unlawful ends Not purifying our Hearts from sin before we pray Not praying with Faith and Humility Coldness and deadness in Prayer Wandring thoughts in it Irreverent gestures of body in prayer REPENTANCE NEglecting the duty of Repentance Not calling our selves to Dayly account for our sins Not assigning any set or Solemn times for Humiliation and Confession or too seldome Not deeply considering our sins to beget Contrition Not acting Revenges on our selves by Fasting and other acts of Mortification IDOLATRY OUtward Idolatry in Worshipping of creatures Inward Idolatry in placing our love and other affections more on creatures then the Creator To our SELVES HUMILITY BEing puft up with high conceits of our selves In respect of natural parts as beauty wit c. Of worldly riches and honours Of Grace Greedily seeking the praise of men Directing christian Actions as Prayer Alms c. to that end Committing sins to avoid Reproach from wicked men MEEKNES DIsturbing our minds with Anger and peevishness CONSIDERATION NOt carefully Examining whâ—t our estate towards God is Not trying our selves by the true Rule i. e. our obedience to Gods Commands Not weighing the Lawfulness of our Actions before we venture on them Not examining our past actions to Repent of the ill to give God the glory of the good CONTENTEDNES UNcontentedness in our estates Greedy desires after Honour and Riches Seeking to gain them by sinful means Envying the condition of other men DILIGENCE WATCHFULNES BEing Negligent in observing resisting Temptations Not improving Gods gifts outward or inward to his Honour Abusing our Natural Parts as Wit Memory c. to sin Neglecting or Resisting the motions of Gods Spirit CHASTITY UNcleanness adultery fornication unnatural lusts c. Uncleanness of the Eye and Hand Filthy and obscene Talking Impure Fancies and Desires Heightning of Lust by pampering the body Not labouring to subdue it by Fasting or other Severities TEMPERANCE EAting too much Making pleasure not Health the end of Eating Being too curious or costly in Meats Drunkenness Drinking more then is useful to our bodies though not to drunkenness Wasting the Time or Estate in good Fellowship Abusing our strength of brain to the making others Drunk Immoderate Sleeping Idleness and Negligence in our Callings Using unlawful Recreations Being too vehement upon Lawful ones Spending too much time at them Being drawn by them to Anger or Covetousness Being proud of Apparel Striving to go beyond our rank Bestowing too much time care or cost about it Abstaining from such Excesses not out of conscience but covetousness Pinching our bodies to fill our purses To our NEIGHBOUR NEGATIVE JUSTICE BEing Injurious to our Neighbour Delighting causlesly to grieve his mind Ensnaring his soul in sin by Command Counsel Enticement or Example Affrighting him from godliness by our Scoffing at it Not seeking to bring those to Repentance whom we have led into sin MURDER MVrder open or secret Drawing men to Intemperance or other vices which may bring diseases or death Stirring men up to Quarrelling and Fighting Maiming or hurting the body of our Neighbour Fierceness and Rage against him ADULTERY COveting our Neighbours wife Actually defiling her MALICE SPoiling the goods of others upon spight and malice COVETOUSNES COveting to gain them to our selves OPPRESSION OPpression by violence and force or colour of Law THEFT NOt paying what we Borrow Not Paying what we have voluntarily promised Keeping back the Wages of the Servant and hireling DECEIT UNfaithfulness in Trusts whether to the Living or Dead Using arts of Deceit in Buying and Selling Exacting upon the necessities of our Neighbours FALSE-WITNES BLasting the credit of our neighbour By false Witness By Railing By Whispering Incouraging others in their Slanders Being forward to believe ill reports of our neighbour Causeless suspicions Rash judging of him Despising him for his Infirmities Inviting others to do so by scoffing and Deriding him Bearing any Malice in the heart Secret wishing of death or
if I have come it hath been rather to defie then to adore thee I have brought such troops of thy professed enemies unrepented sins along with me as if I came not to commemorate but renew thy passion crucifying thee afresh and putting thee to open shame And now of what punishment shall I be thought worthy who have thus trampled under foot the Son of God and counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Yet O merciful Jesu this blood is my only refuge O let this make my atonement or I perish eternally Wherefore didst thou shed it but to save sinners Neither can the merit of it be overwhelmed either by the greatness or number of sins I am a sinner a great one O let me finde its saving efficacie Be merciful unto me O God be merciful to me for my soul trusteth in thee and in the clefts of thy wounds shall be my refuge until thy Fathers indignation be over-past O thou who hast as my high Priest sacrificed for me interceed for me also and plead thy meritorious sufferings on my behalf and suffer not O my Redeemer the price of thy blood to be utterly lost And grant O Lord that as the sins I have to be forgiven are many so I may love much Lord thou seest what faint what cold affections I have towards thee O warm and enliven them and as in this Sacrament that transcendent love of thine in dying for me is shed forth so I beseech thee let it convey such grace into me as may enable me to make some returns of love O let this divine fire descend from Heaven into my soul and let my sins be the burnt offering for it to consume that there may not any corrupt affection any cursed thing be sheltered in my heart that I may never again defile that place which thou hast chosen for thy Temple Thou diedst O dear Jesu to redeem me from all iniquitie O let me not again sell my self to work wickedness but grant that I may approach thee at this time with most sincere and fixed resolutions of an entire reformation and let me receive such grace and strength from thee as may enable me faithfully to perform them Lord there are many old habituated diseases my soul groans under Here mention thy most prevailing corruptions And though I lie never so long at the Pool of Bethesda come never so often to thy Table yet unless thou be pleased to put forth thy healing virtue they will still remain uncured O thou blessed Physician of souls heal me and grant I may now so touch thee that every one of these loathsome issues may immediately staneh that thess sicknesses may not be unto death but unto the glorie of thy mercie in Pardoning to the glorie of thy grace in Purifying so polluted a wretch O Christ hear me and grant I may now approach thee with such humilitie and contrition love devotion that thou mayest vouchsafe to come unto me abide with me communicating to me thy self and all the merits of thy Passion And then O Lord let no accusations of Satan or my own conscience amaze or distract me but having peace with thee let me also have peace in my self that this Wine may make glad this Bread of life may strengthen my heart and enable me chearfully to run the way of thy Commandments Grant this merciful Saviour for thine own bowels and compassions sake EJACVLATIONS to be used at the LORDS TABLE LORD I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof I have sinned What shall I do unto thee O thou preserver of men Here recollect some of thy greatest sins If thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it But with the Lord there is mercie and with him is plenteous Redemption Behold O Lord thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased Hearken to the crie of his blood which speaketh better things then that of Abel By his Agonie and bloodie Sweat by his Cross and Passion good Lord deliver me O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world grant me thy Peace O Lamb of God which takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon me Immediately before Receiving THou hast said that he that eateth thy flesh and drinketh thy blood hath eternal life Behold the servant of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word At the receiving of the Bread By thy Crucified bodie deliver me from this body of death At the receiving of the Cup O Let this blood of thine purge my conscience from dead works to serve the living God Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean O touch me and say I will be thou clean After Receiving WHat shal I render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glorie and blessing Therefore blessing honour glorie and power be to him that sicteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgements O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not A Thanksgiving after the Receiving of the Sacrament O Thou fountain of all goodness from whom everie good and perfect gift cometh and to whom all honour and glorie should be returned I desire with all the most fervent and inflamed affections of a grateful heart to bless and praise thee for those inestimable mercies thou hast vouchsafed me Lord what is man that thou shouldst so regard him as to send thy beloved Son to suffer such bitter things for him But Lord what am I the worst of men that I should have any part in this attonement who have so often despised him and his sufferings O the height and depth of this mercie of thine that art pleased to admit me to the renewing of that Covenant with thee which I have so often and so perversly broken That I who am not worthy of that dayly bread which sustains the bodie should be made partaker of this bread of life which nourisheth the soul and that the God of all puritie should vouchsafe to unite himself to so polluted a wretch O my God suffer me no more I beseech thee to turn thy grace into wantonness to make thy mercie an occasion of securitie but let this unspeakable love of thine constrain me to obedience that since my blessed Lord hath died for me I may no longer live unto my self but to him O Lord I know there is no concord between Christ and Belial therefore since he hath now been pleased to enter my heart O let me never permit any lust to chance him thence but let him that hath so dearly bought me still keep possession of me and let nothing ever take me out of his hand To
thoughts of them Therefore let those be early dispatched that they may not disturb thee at last A Prayer for a sick person O Merciful and Righteous Lord the God of health and of sickness of life and of death I most unfeignedly acknowledge that my great abuse of those manie dayes of strength and welfare which thou hast afforded me hath most justly deserved thy present visitation I desire O Lord humbly to accept of this punishment of mine iniquitie and to bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him And O thou merciful Father who designest not the ruine but the amendment of those whom thou scourgest I beseech thee by thy grace so to sanctifie this correction of thine to me that this sickness of my bodie may be a means of health to my soul make me diligent to search my heart and do thou O Lord enable me to discover everie accursed thing how closely soever concealed there that by the removal thereof I may make way for the removal of this punishment Heal my soul O Lord which hath sinned against thee and then if it be thy blessed will heal my bodie also restore the voice of joy and health unto my dwelling that I may live to praise thee and to bring forth fruits of repentance But if in thy wisdome thou hast otherwise disposed if thou hast determined that this sickness shall be unto death I beseech thee to fit and prepare me for it give me that sincere and earnest repentance to which thou hast promised mercie and pardon wean my heart from the world and all its fading vanities and make me to gasp and pant after those more excellent and durable joys which are at thy right hand for ever Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and in all the pains of my bodie in all the agonies of my spirit let thy comforts refresh my soul and enable me patiently to wait till my change come And grant O Lord that when my earthly house of this Tabernacle is dissolved I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens And that for his sake who by his precious blood hath purchased it for me even Jesus Christ A Thanks giving for Recovery O Gracious Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh in whose hand my time is I praise and magnifie thee that thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption and restored me to health again it is thou alone O Lord that hast preserved my life from destruction thou hast chastened and corrected me but thou hast not given me over unto death O let this life which thou hast thus graciously spared be wholly consecrated to thee Behold O Lord I am by thy mercie made whole O make me strictly careful to sin no more lest a worse thing come unto me Lord let not this reprieve thou hast now given me make me secure as thinking that my Lord delayeth his coming but grant me I beseech thee to make a right use of this long suffering of thine and so to imploy everie minute of that time thou shalt allow me that when thou shalt appear I may have confidence and not be ashamed before thee at thy coming Lord I have found by this approach towards death how dreadful a thing it is to be taken unprepared O let it be a perpetual admonition to me to watch for my Masters coming And when the pleasures of sin shall present themselves to entice me O make me to remember how bitter they will be at the last O Lord hear me and as thou hast in much mercie afforded me time so grant me also grace to work out my own salvation to provide oile in my lamp that when the Bridegroom cometh I may go with him to the marriage Grant this I beseech thee for thy dear Sons sake A Prayer at the approach of Death O Eternal and everliving God who first breathedst into man the breath of life and when thou takest away that breath he dies and is turned again to his dust look with compassion on me thy poor crature who am now drawing near the gates of death and which is infinitely more terrible the bar of Judgement Lord my own heart condemns me and thou art infinitely greater then my heart and knowest all things The sins I know and remember fill me with horrour but there are also multitudes of others which I either observed not at the time or have since carelesly forgot which are all present to thee Thou settest my misdeeds before thee and my secret sins in the light of thy countenance and to what a mountainous heap must the minutely provocations of so manie years arise How shall one so ungodly stand in thy Judgement or such a sinner in the Congregation of the Righteous And to adde yet more to my terrour my verie repentance I fear will not abide the trial my frequent relapses heretofore have sufficiently witnessed the unsinceritie of my past resolutions And then O Lord what can secure me that my present dislikes of my sins are not rather the effects of my amazing danger then of any real change And O Lord I know thou art not mocked nor wilt accept of any thing that is not perfectly sincere O Lord when I consider this fearfulness and trembling comes upon me and an horrible dread overwhelmeth me my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and my heart is wounded within me But O Lord one deep calleth upon another the depth of my miserie upon the depth of thy mercie Lord save now or I perish eternally O thou who willest not that any should perish but that all should come to repentance bring me I beseech thee though thus late to a sincere Repentance such as thou wilt accept who triest the heart Create in me O God a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Lord one day is with thee as a thousand years O let thy mightie spirit work in me now in this my last day whatsoever thou seest wanting to fit me for thy mercie and acceptation Give me a perfect and entire hatred of my sins and enable me to present thee with that sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which thou hast promised not to despise that by this I may be made capable of that atonement which thy dear Son hath by the more excellent oblation of himself made for all repenting sinners He is the propitiation for our sins he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was o him O heal me by his stripes and let the cry of his blood drown the clamour of my sins I am indeed a childe of wrath but he is the Son of thy love for his sake spare me O Lord spare thy creature whom he hath redeemed with his most precious blood and be not angrie with me for ever In his wounds O Lord I take Sanctuarie O let not
PRIVATE DEVOTIONS For several OCCASIONS ORDINARY And EXTRAORDINARY LONDON Printed for T. Garthwait at the little North Door of St. Pauls Church 1660. CHRISTIAN READER I Have for the help of thy Devotions set down some FORMS of PRIVATE PRAYER upon several occasions If it be thought an omission that there are none for Families I must answer for my self that it was not from any opinion that God is not as well to be worshipp'd in the Family as the Closet but because the Providence of God and the Church hath already furnish'd thee for that purpose infinitely beyond what my utmost care could do I mean the PUBLICK LITURGY or COMMON PRAYER which for all publick addresses to God and such are Family prayers are so excellent and useful that we may say of it as David did of Goliah's sword 1 Sam. 21. 9. There is none like it DIRECTIONS for the MORNING As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning lift up thy heart to God in this or the like short Prayer LORD as thou hast awaked my Body from sleep so by thy grace awaken my Soul from sin and make me so to walk before thee this day and all the rest of my life that when the last trumpet shall awake me out of my grave I may rise to the life immortal through Jesus Christ WHen thou hast thus begun suffer not without some urgent necessity any worldly thoughts to fil thy mind till thou hast also paid thy more solemn Devorions to Almighty God and therefore during the time thou art dressing thy self which should be no longer then common decency requires exercise thy mind in some spiritual thoughts as for example consider to what Temptations thy business or company that day are most like to lay thee open and arm thy self with Resolutions against them or again consider what Occasions of doing service to God or good to thy neighbour are that day most likely to present themselves and resolve to embrace them and also contrive how thou mayst improve them to the uttermost But especially it will be fit for thee to Examine whether there have any sin escaped thee since thy last nights examination If after these considerations any further leisure remain thou mayst profitably imploy it in meditating on the general Resurrection whereof our rising from our beds is a Representation and of that dreadful Judgement which shall follow it and then think with thy self in what preparation thou art for it and resolve to husband carefully every minute of thy time towards the fitting thee for that great account As soon as thou art ready retire to some private place and there offer up to God thy Morning Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer Prayers for the Morning At thy first kneeling down say O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner LORD I know not what to pray for as I ought O let thy Spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer up a spiritual Sacrifice acceptable to thee by Jesus Christ A Thanksgiving O Gracious Lord whose mercies endure for ever I thy unworthy servant who have so deeply tasted of them desire to render thee the tribute of my humblest praises for them In thee O Lord I live move and have my being thou first madest me to be and then that I might not be miserable but happy thou sendest thy Son out of thy bosome to Redeem me from the power of my sins by his Grace and from the punishment of them by his Blood and by both to bring me to his glory Thou hast by thy mercy caused me to be born within thy peculiar fold the Christian Church where I was early consecrated to thee in Baptisme and have been partaker of all those spiritual helps which might aid me to performe that Vow I there made to thee and when by my own wilfulness or negligence I have failed to do it yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken me but hast graciously invited me to repentance afforded me all means both outward and inward for it and with much patience hast attended and not cut me off in the acts of those many damning sins I have committed as I have most justly deserved It is O Lord thy Restraining grace alone by which I have been keept back from any the greatest sins and it is thy Inciting and Assisting grace alone by which I have been enabled to do any the least good therefore not unto me not unto me but unto thy name be the praises For these and all other thy spiritual blessings my soul doth magnifie the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name I likewise Praise thee for those many outward Blessings I enjoy as health friends food and raiment the comforts as well as the necessaries of this life for those continual Protections of thy hand by which I and mine are kept from dangers and those gracious Deliverances thou hast often afforded out of such as have befallen me and for that mercy of thine whereby thou hast sweetned and allayed those Troubles thou hast not seen fit wholly to remove for thy particular Preservation of me this night and all other thy goodness towards me Lord grant that I may render thee not only the fruit of my lips but the obedience of my life that so these blessings here may be an earnest of those richer blessings thou hast prepared for those that love thee and that for his sake whom thou hast made the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that obey him even Jesus Christ A Confession O Righteous Lord who hatest iniquitie I thy sinful creature cast my self at thy feet acknowledging that I most justly deserve to be utterly abhorred and forsaken by thee for I have drunk iniquitie like water gone on in a continued course of sin and rebellion against thee daily committing those things thou forbiddest and leaving undone those things thou commandest mine heart which should be an habitation for thy spirit is become a cage of unclean birds of foul and disordered affections and out of this abundance of the heart my mouth speaketh my hands act so that in thought word and deed I continually transgress against thee Here mention the greatest of thy sins Nay O Lord I have despised that goodness of thine which should lead me to Repentance hardning my heart against all those means thou hast used for my amendment And now Lord what can I expect from thee but judgement and fierie indignation that is indeed the due reward of my sins But O Lord there is mercie with thee that thou mayest be feared O fit me for that mercie by giving me a deep and heartie Repentance and then according to thy goodness let thy anger and thy wrath be turned away from me look upon me in thy Son my blessed Saviour and for the merit of his sufferings pardon all my sins And Lord I beseech thee by the power of thy grace so to renew and
purifie my heart that I may become a new creature utterly forsaking everie evil way and living in constant sincere universal obedience to thee all the rest of my dayes that behaving my self as a good and faithful servant I may by thy mercie at the last be received into the joy of my Lord Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake A Prayer for Grace O Most gracious God from whom everie good and perfect gift cometh I wretched creature that am not able of my self so much as to think a good thought beseech thee to work in me both to Will and Do according to thy good pleasure Inlighten my minde that I may know thee and let me not be barren or unfruitful in that knowledge Lord work in my heart a true Faith a purifying Hope and an unfeigned Love towards thee give me a full Trust on thee Zeal for thee Reverence of all things that relate to thee make me Fearful to offend thee Thankful for thy mercies Humble under thy corrections Devout in thy Service Sorrowful for my sins and grant that in all things I may behave my self so as befits a creature to his Creatour a servant to his Lord enable me likewise to perform that Dutie I owe to my self give me that Meekness Humilitie and Contentedness whereby I may alwayes possess my soul in Patience and Thankfulness make me Diligent in all my duties Watchful against all temptations perfectly pure and Temperate and so moderate in my most lawful enjoyments that they never become a snare to me make me also O Lord to be so affected towards my Neighbour that I never transgress that royal Law of thine of loving him as my self grant me exactly to perform all parts of Justice yielding to all whatsoever by any kinde of Right becomes their due and give me such bowels of Mercie and compassion that I may never fail to do all acts of Charitie to all men whether friends or enemies according to thy command and example Finally I beseech thee O Lord to sanctifie me throughout that my whole spirit and soul and bodie may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glorie for ever Amen Intercession O Blessed Lord whose mercie is over all thy works I beseech thee to have mercie upon all men and grant that the precious ransom which was paid by thy Son for all may be effectual to the saving of all Give thy inlightning Grace to those that are in darkness and thy converting grace to those that are in sin look with thy tenderest compassions upon the Universal Church O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem unite all those that profess thy Name to thee by Puritie and Holiness and to each other by Brotherly love Have mercie on This desolate Church and sinful Nation thou hast moved the Land and divided it heal the sores thereof for it shaketh make us so truly to repent of those sins which have provoked thy Judgements that thou also may'st turn and repent and leave a blessing behinde thee Bless those whom thou hast appointed our governours whether in Church or State so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands that they may neither want will nor power to punish wickedness and vice and to maintain Gods true Religion and Vertue Have pitie O Lord on all that are in affliction be a Father to the fatherless and plead the cause of the Widow comfort the feeble-minded support the weak heal the sick relieve the needie defend the Oppressed administer to everie one according to their several necessities let thy blessings rest upon all that are near and dear to me and grant them whatsoever thou seest necessarie either to their bodies or their souls Here name thy nearest Relations Reward all those that have done me good and pardon all those that have done or wisht me evil and work in them and me all that good which may make us acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ For Preservation O Merciful God by whose bountie alone it is that I have this day added to my life I beseech thee so to guide me in it by thy grace that I may do nothing which may dishonour thee or wound my own soul but that I may diligently apply my self to do all such good works as thou hast prepared for me to walk in and Lord I beseech thee give thy Angels charge over me to keep me in all my wayes that no evil happen unto me nor any plague come nigh my dwelling but that I and mine may be safe under thy gracious protection through Jesus Christ O Lord pardon the wandrings and coldness of these petitions and deal with me not according either to my prayers or deserts but according to my needs and thine own rich mercies in Jesus Christ in whose blessed Name and Words I conclude these my imperfect Prayers saying Our Father c. Directions for Night AT NIGHT when it draws towards the time of rest bethink thy self how thou hast passed the day examine thine own heart what sin either of Thought Word or Deed thou hast committed what opportunity of doing good thou hast omitted and whatsoever thou findest to accuse thy self of confess humbly and penitently to God renew thy purposes and resolutions of amendment and beg his pardon in Christ and this not slightly and only as of course but with all devout earnestness and heartiness as thou wouldest do if thou wert sure thy death were as near approaching as thy sleep which for ought thou knowest may be so indeed and therefore thou shouldest no more venture to sleep unreconciled to God then thou wouldest dare to die so In the next place consider what special and extraordinary mercies thou hast that day received as if thou hast had any great deliverance either in thy inward man from some dangerous temptations or in thy outward from any great and apparent danger and offer to God thy hearty and devout praise for the same or if nothing extraordinary have so happened and thou hast been kept even from the approach of danger thou hast not the less but the greater cause to magnifie God who hath by his protection so guarded thee that not so much as the fear of evil hath assaulted thee And therefore omit not to pay him the tribute of humble thankfulness as well for his usuall and daily preservations as his more extraordinary deliverances And above all endeavour still by the considerations of his mercies to have thy heart the more closely knit to him remembring that every favour received from him is a new engagement upon thee to love and obey him Prayers for Night O Holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner Lord I know not what to pray for as I ought O let thy Spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer up a spiritual Sacrifice acceptable unto thee by
Jesus Christ A Confession O MOST Holy Lord God who art of purer eyes then to behold iniquity how shall I abominable wretch dare to appear before thee who am nothing but pollution I am defiled in my very nature having a backwardness to all good and a readiness to all evil but I have defiled my self yet much worse by my own actual sins and wicked customes I have transgrest my duty to Thee my Neighbour and my Self and that both in thought in word in deed by doing those things which thou hast expresly forbidden and by neglecting to do those things thou hast commanded me And this not only through ignorance and frailty but knowingly and wilfully against the motions of thy Spirit and the checks of my own conscience to the contrary And to make all these out of measure sinful I have gone on in a daily course of repeating these provocations against thee notwithstanding all thy calls to and my own purposes and vows of amendment yea this very day I have not ceased to adde new sins to all my former guilts Here name the particulars And now O Lord what shall I say or how shall I open my mouth seeing I have done these things I know that the wages of these sins is death but O thou who willest not the death of a sinner have mercy upon me work in me I beseech thee a sincere contrition and a perfect hatred of my sins and let me not daily confess and yet as dayly renew them but grant O Lord that from this instant I may give a bill of Divorce to to all my most beloved lusts and then be thou pleased to marry me to thy self in truth in righteousnes holiness And for al my past sins O Lord receive a reconciliation accept of that ransome thy blessed Son hath paid for me and for his sake whom thou hast set forth as a propitiation pardon all my offencies and receive me to thy favour And when thou hast thus spoken peace to my soul Lord keep me that I turn not any more to folly but so establish me with thy grace that no temptation of the world the Divil or my own flesh may ever draw me to offend thee that being made free from sin and becoming a servant unto God I may have my fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord A Thanksgiving O thou Father of Mercies who art kind even to the unthankful I acknowledge my self to have abundantly experimented that gracious propertie of thine for notwithstanding my dayly provocations against thee thou still heapest mercy and loving kindness upon me All my contempts and despisings of thy spiritual favours have not yet made thee withdraw them but in the riches of thy goodness and long suffering thou still continuest to me the offers of grace and life in thy Son And all my abuses of thy temporal blessings thou hast not punished with an utter deprivation of them but art still pleased to afford me a liberal portion of them The sins of this day thou hast not repayed as justly thou might'st by sweeping me away with a swift destruction but hast spared and preserved me according to the greatness of thy mercy Here mention the particular mercies of that day What shal I render unto the Lord for all these benefits he hath done unto me Lord let this goodness of thine lead me to repentance and grant that I may not only offer thee thanks and praise but may also order my conversation aright that so I may at the last see the salvation of God through Jesus Christ Here use the Prayer for Grace and that of Intercession appointed for the Morning For Preservation O blessed Lord the Keeper of Israel that neither slumbrest nor sleepest be pleased in thy mercie to watch over me this night keep me by thy grace from all works of darkness and defend me by thy power from all dangers grant me moderate and refreshing sleep such as may fit me for the duties of the day following And Lord make me ever mindful of that time when I shall lie down in the dust and because I know neither the day nor the houre of my Masters coming grant me grace that I may be always readie that I may never live in such a state as I shall fear to die in but that whether I live I may live unto the Lord or whether I die I may die unto the Lord so that living and dying I may be thine through Jesus Christ Vse the same concluding prayer as in the Morning AS thou art putting off thy clothes think with thy self that the time approaches that thou must put off thy body also and then thy Soul must appear naked before Gods judgment Seat and therefore thou hadst need be careful to make it so clean and pure by repentance and holiness that he who will not look on iniquity may graciously behold and accept it Let thy Bed put the in mind of thy Grave and when thou lyest down say O Blessed Saviour who by thy precious death and burial didst take away the sting of death and power of the grave grant me the joyful fruits of that thy victory and be thou to me in life and death advantage I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord thou God of truth IN the ANTIENT CHURCH there were besides morning and night four other times every day which were called HOURS OF PRAYER and the zeal of those first Christians was such as made them constantly observed It would be thought too great a strictness now in this luke-warm age to enjoyn the like frequency yet I cannot but mention the example and say that for those who are not by very necessary business prevented it will be but reasonable to imitate it and make up in publick and private those FOUR TIMES of PRAYER besides the OFFICES already set down for MORNING and NIGHT and that none may be to seek how to exercise their devotions at these times I have added divers COLLECTS for several Graces whereof every man may use at each such time of prayer so many as his zeal and leisure shall point out to him adding if he please one of the confessions appointed for morning or night and never omitting the LODRS PRAYER But if any mans state of life be really so busie as will not allow him time for so long and solemn devotions yet certainly there is no man so overlayed with business but that he may finde leisure oftentimes in a day to say the LORDS PRAYER alone and therefore let him use that if he cannot more But because it is the Character of a Christian Phil. 3. 20. That he hath his conversation in Heaven it is very fit that besides these set times of Prayer he should divers times in a day by short and suddain EJACULATIONS dart up
there but enable me I beseech thee to keep both body and soul pure and undefiled that so I may glorifie thee here both in body spirit be glorified in both with thee hereafter For Temperance O Gracious Lord who hast in thy bountie to mankind afforded us the use of thy good creatures for our corporal refreshment grant that I may always use this liberty with thankfulness and moderation O let me never be so enslaved to that bruitish pleasure of taste that my Table become a snare to me but give me I beseech thee a perfect abhorrence of all degrees of excess and let me eat and drink only for those ends and according to those measures which thou hast assigned me for health and not for luxury And Lord grant that my pursuits may be not after the meat that perisheth but after that which endureth to everlasting life that hungring and thirsting after righteousness I may be filled with thy grace here and thy glory hereafter through Jesus Christ For Contentedness O Merciful God thy wisdom is infinite to choose thy love forward to dispence good things to us O let me alwaies fully and intirely resign my self to thy disposals have no desires of mine own but a perfect satisfaction in thy choices for me that so in whatsoever estate I am I may be therein content Lord grant I may never look with murmuring on my own condition nor with envie on other mens And to that end I beseech thee purge my heart of all covetous affections O let me never yield up any corner of my soul to Mammon but give me such a contempt of these fading riches that whether they increase or decrease I may never set my heart upon them but that all my care may be to be rich towards God to lay up my treasure in heaven that I may so set my affections on things above that when Christ who is my life shall appear I may also appear with him in glory Grant this O Lord for the mercies of the same Jesus Christ For Diligence O Lord who hast in thy wisdom ordained that man should be born to labour suffer me not to resist that design of thine by giveing my self up to sloth and idleness but grant I may so imploy my time and all other talents thou hast intrusted me with that I may not fall under the sentence of the slothful and wicked servant Lord if it be thy wil make me some way useful to others that I may not live an unprofitable part of mankind but however O Lord let me not be useless to my self but grant I may give all diligence to make my calling and election sure My soul is beset with many and vigilant adversaries O let me not fold my hands to sleep in the midst of so great dangers but watch and pray that I enter not into temptation enduring hardness as a good souldier of Jesus Christ till at the last from this state of warfare thou translate me to the state of triumph and bliss in thy Kingdome through Jesus Christ For Justice O Thou King of righteousness who hast commanded us to keep judgement and do Justice be pleased by thy grace to cleanse my heart and hands from all fraud and injustice and give me a perfect integrity and uprightness in all my dealings O make me ever abhor to use my power to oppress or my skil to deceive my brother and grant I may most strictly observe that sacred rule of doing as I would be done to that I may not dishonour my Christian profession by an unjust or fraudulent life but in simplicitie and godly sincerity have my conversation in this life never seeking to heap up treasures of wickedness but preferring a little with righteousness before great revenues without right Lord make me exactly careful to render to every man what by any sort of obligation becomes his due that I may never break the bond of any of those relations that thou hast placed me in but may so behave my self towards all that none may have an evil thing to say of me that so if it be possible I may have peace with all men or however I may by keeping innocency and taking heed to the thing that is right have peace at the last even peace with thee through Jesus Christ our Lord For Charity O Mercifull Lord who hast made of one blood and redeemed by one ransome all Nations of men let me never harden my bowels against any that partake of the same nature and redemption with me but grant me an universall charitie towards all men Give me O thou father of compassions such a tenderness and meltingness of heart that I may be deeply affected with all the miseries and calamities outward or inward of my bretheren and diligently imploy all my abilities for their succour relief O let not an unchristian self-love possess my heart but drive out that accursed spirit and let thy Spirit or love enter and dwell there and make me seek not to please my self but my neighbour for his good to edification even as Christ pleased not himself Lord make me a faithful steward of all those talents thou hast committed to me for the benefit of others that so when thou shalt cal me to give an account of my stewardship I may do it with joy and not with grief Grant this mercifull Lord I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake For perseverance O Eternall and unchangeable Lord God who art the same yesterdaie and to daie and for ever Be thou pleased to communicate some small ray of that excellence some degree of that stability to me thy wreched creature who am light and unconstant turned about with every blast my understanding is very deceivable O establish it in thy truth keep it from the snares of seducing spirits that I may not be led away with the errour of the wicked and fall from my own stedfastness my will also O Lord is irresolute and wavering and doth not cleave stedfastly unto God my goodness is but as the morning cloud and as the early due it passeth away O strengthen and confirm me and whatever good work thou hast wrought in me be pleased to accomplish and perform it until the day of Christ Lord thou seest my weakness and thou knowest the number and strength of those temptations I have to struggle with O leave me not to my self but cover thou my head in the day of battel and in all spiritual combates make me more then conquerour through him that loved me O let no terrours or flatteries either of the world or my own flesh ever draw me from my obedience to thee but grant that I may continue stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and by patient continuing in well doing seek and at last obtain glorie and honour and immortalitie and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord A Brief Paraphrase of the LORDS PRAYER To be used as a Prayer Our Father which
this end be thou graciously pleased to watch over me and defend me from all assaults of my spiritual enemies but especially deliver me from my self from the treacherie of my own heart which is too willing to yield it self a prey And where thou seest I am either by nature or custome most weak there do thou I beseech thee magnifie thy power in my preservation Here mention thy most dangerous temptations And Lord let my Saviours sufferings for my sins and the Vows I have now made against them never depart from my minde but let the remembrance of the one enable me to perform the other that I may never make truce with those lusts which nailed his hands pierced his side and made his soul heavie to the death But that having now anew listed my self under his banner I may fight manfully and follow the Captain of my Salvation even through a sea of blood Lord lift up my hands that hang down and my feeble knees that I faint not in this warfare O be thou my strength who am not able of my self to struggle with the slightest temptations How often have I turned my back in the day of battel how many of these Sacramental vows have I violated And Lord I have still the same unconstant deceitful heart to betray me to the breach of this O thou who art Yea and Amen in whom there is no shadow of change communicate to me I beseech thee such a stabilitie of mind that I may no more thus start aside like a broken bow but that having my heart whole with thee I may continue stedfast in thy Covenant that not one good purpose which thy Spirit hath raised in me this day may vanish as so many have formerly done but that they may bring forth fruit unto life eternal Grant this O merciful father through the merits and mediation of my Crucified Saviour A Prayer of Intercession to be used either before or after the receiving of the Sacrament O MOST gracious Lord who so tenderly lovedst mankind as to give thy dear Son out of thy Bosome to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world grant that the effect of this Redemption may be as universal as the design of it that it may be to the salvation of all O let no person by impenitence and wilful sin forfeit his part in it but by the power of thy grace bring all even the most obstinate sinners to repentance Inlighten all that sit in darkness all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks take from them all blindness hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord unto thy fold that they may be saved among the number of the true Israelites And for all those upon whom the Name of thy Son is called grant O Lord that their conversations may be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that his Name be no longer blasphemed among the Heathens through us O Blessed Lord how long shall Christendom continue the vilest part of the world a sink of all those abominable pollutions which even Barbarians detest O let not our profession and our practise be alwayes at so wide a distance Let not the Disciples of the holy and Immaculate Jesus be of all others the most profane and impure Let not the subjects of the Prince of Peace be of all others the most contentious and bloodie but make us Christians in deed as well as in name that we may walk worthy of that Holy vocation wherewith we are called and may all with one minde and one mouth glorifie thee the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Have mercie on this languishing Church look down from Heaven the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glorie where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards us Are they restrained Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquitie for ever but though our backslidings are many and we have grievously rebelled yet according to all thy goodness let thy anger thy furie be turned away cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuarie which is desolate for the Lords sake and so separate between us and our sins that they may no longer separate between us and our God Save and defend all Christian Kings Princes Governours especially those to whom we owe subjection plead thou their cause O Lord against those that strive with them fight thou against those that fight against them so guide assist them in the discharge of that office whereunto thou hast appointed them that under them we may lead quiet and peaceable life in all godliness honestie Bless them that wait at thine Altar open thou their lips that their mouth may shew forth thy praise O let not the lights of the world be put under bushels but place them in their Candlesticks that they may give light to all that are in the house Let not Jeroboams Priests profane thy Service but let the seed of Aaron still minister before thee And O thou Father of mercies and God of all comfort succour and relieve all that are in affliction and deliver the out-cast and poor help them to right that suffer wrong let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee and according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die grant ease to those that are in pain supplies to those that suffer want give to all presumptuous sinners a sense of their sins and to all despairing a sight of thy mercies and do thou O Lord for every one above what they can ask or think Forgive my enemies persecuters and flanderers and turn their hearts Pour down thy blessings on all my friends and benefactors all who have commended themselves to my Prayers Here thou may est name particular persons And grant O merciful Father that through this blood of the Cross we may all be presented pure and unblameable and unreproveable in thy sight that so we may be admitted into that place of puritie where no unclean thing can enter there to sing eternal praises to Father Son and Holie Ghost for ever A Prayer in times of common Persecution O BLESSED Saviour who hast made the Cross the badge of thy Disciples enable me I beseech thee willingly and chearfully to embrace it thou seest O Lord I am fallen into dayes wherein he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey O make me so readily to expose all my outward concernments when my obedience to thee requireth it that what falls as a Prey to men may by thee be accepted as a Sacrifice to God Lord preserve me so by thy grace that I never suffer as an evil doer and then O Lord if it be my lot to suffer as a Christian let me not be ashamed but rejoyce that I am counted worthy to suffer for thy Name O thou who for my sake enduredst the cross and dispisedst the shame let the example of that love
persons should be brought into error Thou seest with what Windes with what Waves with what storms thy silly ship is tossed thy ship wherein thy little flock is in peril to be drowned And what is now left but that it utterly sink and we all perish Of this tempest and storm we may thank our own Wickedness and sinful living we discern it well and confess it we discern thy Righteousness and we bewail our unrighteousness But we appeal to thy Mercy which surmounteth all thy works we have now suffered much punishment being scourged with so many Wars consumed with such Losses of goods shaken with so many floods and yet appears there no where any Haven or Port unto us being thus tired and forlorn among so strange evils but still every day more grievous punishments and more seem to hang over our heads We complain not of thy sharpness most tender Saviour but we discern here also thy Mercy forasmuch as much grievouser plagues we have deserved But O most merciful Jesus we beseech thee that thou wilt not consider nor weigh what is due for our deservings but rather what becometh thy Mercy without which neither the Angels in Heaven can stand sure before thee much less we silly vessels of clay Have mercie on us O Redeemer which art easie to be intreated not that we be worthy of thy mercie but give thou this Glorie unto thine own Name Suffer not those which either have not known thee or do envie thy glorie continually to triumph over us and say Where is their God where is their Redeemer where is their Saviour where is their Bridegroom that they thus boast on These opprobrious words redound unto thee O Lord while by our evils men weigh and esteem thy Goodness they think we be Forsaken whom they see not amended Once when thou sleptst in the Ship and a Tempest suddenly arising threatned death to all in the Ship thou awokest at the outcrie of a few Diseiples and straightway at thine Almightie word the Waters couched the Winds fell the Storm was suddenly turned into a great calm the dum waters knew their makers voice Now in this far greater Tempest wherein not a few mens bodies be in danger but innumerable Souls we beseech thee at the crie of thy holy Church which is in danger of drowning that thou wilt awake So many thousands of men do crie Lord save us we perish the Tempest is past Mans power it is Thy word that must do the deed Lord Jesu only say thou with a word of thy mouth Cease O tempest and forthwith shall the desired calm appear Thou wouldst have spared so many thousands of most wicked men if in the City of Sodom had been found but ten good men Now here be so many Thousands of men which love the glorie of thy Name which sigh for the beautie of thy House and wilt thou not at these mens Prayers let goe thine Anger and remember thine accustomed and old mercies Shalt thou not with thy heavenly policie turn our folly into thy glory Shalt thou not turn the wicked mens evils into thy Churches good For thy mercie is wont then most of all to succour when the thing is with us past Remedie and neither the Might nor Wisdome of men can help it Thou alone bringest things that be never so out of order into order again which art the only Author and maintainer of Peace Thou framedst that old Confusion wherein without order without fashion confusedly lay the discordant seeds of things and with a wonderful order the things that of nature fought together Thou didst ally and knit in a perpetual band But how much greater Confusion is this where is no Charitie no Fidelitie no bonds of Love no reverence neither of Laws nor yet of Rulers no agreement of Opinions but as it were in a misordered Quire every man singeth a contrary note Among the Heavenly Planets is no dessention the Elements keep their place every one do the office whereunto they be appointed And wilt thou suffer thy Spouse for whose sake all things were made thus by continual discords to perish Shalt thou suffer the wicked Spirits which be authors and workers of discord to bear such a swing in thy Kingdome unchecked Shalt thou suffer the strong Captain of mischief whom thou once overthrewest again to invade thy Tents and to spoil thy Souldiers When thou wert here a man conversant among men at thy Voice fled the Divils Send forth we beseech thee O Lord thy Spirit which may drive away out of the brests of all them that profess thy Name the wicked Spirits masters of riot of covetousness of vain-glory of carnal lust of mischief and discord Create in us O our God and King a clean heart and renew thy holy Spirit in our brests pluck not from us thy holy Ghost Render unto us the joy of thy saving health and with thy principal Spirit strengthen thy Spouse and the Heardmen thereof By this Spirit thou reconciledst the earthly to the Heavenly By this thou didst frame and reduce so many Tongues so many Nations so many sundry sorts of men into one body of a Church which body by the same Spirit is knit to thee their Head This Spirit if thou wilt vouchsafe to renew in all mens hearts then shall all these forreign miseries cease or if they cease not they shall turn to the profit and avail of them which love thee Stay this Confusion set in order this horrible Chaos O Lord Jesus let thy Spirit stretch out it self upon these Waters of evil wavering Opinions And because thy spirit which according to thy Prophets saying containeth all things hath also the Science of speaking make that like as unto all them which be of thy House is one Light one Baptisme one God one Hope one Spirit so they may also have one Voice one Note one Song professing one Catholick truth When thou didst mount up to Heaven triumphantly thou threwst out from above thy precious things thou gavest Gifts amongst men thou dealtest sundry rewards of thy Spirit Renew again from above thy old bountifulness give that thing to thy Church now fainting and growing downward that thou gavest unto her shooting up at her first beginning Give unto Princes and Rulers the grace so to stand in awe of thee that they so may guide the Common-weal as they should shortly render accompt unto thee that art the King of Kings Give wisdome to be alwayes assistant unto them that whatsoever is best to be done they may espy it in their minds and pursue the same in their doings Give to the Bishops the gift of Prophesie that they may declare and interpret holy Scripture not of their own brain but of thine inspiring Give them the threefold Charity which thou once demandest of Peter what time thou didst betake unto him the charge of thy sheep Give to the Priests the love of Soberness and of Chastity Give to thy people a good will to follow thy Commandments and a readiness to obey such persons as thou hast appointed over them So shall it come to pass if through thy Gift thy Princes shall command that thou requirest if thy Pastors and Herdmen shall teach the same and thy People obey them both that the old Dignity Tranquillity of the Church shall return again with a goodly order unto the glory of thy Name Thou sparedst the Ninivites appointed to be destroyed as soon as they converted to repentance and wilt thou despise thy House falling down at thy feet which instead of sackcloth hath sighs and in stead of ashes tears Thou promisedst Forgiveness to such as turn unto thee but this self thing is thy Gift a man to turn with his whole heart unto thee to the intent all our goodness should reâ—ound unto thy glory Thou art the Maker repair the work that thou hast fashioned Thou art the Redeemer save that thou hast bought Thou art the Saviour suffer not them to perish which do hang on thee Thou art the Lord and owner challenge thy possession Thou art the Head help thy members Thou art the King give us a reverence of thy Laws Thou art the Prince of Peace breath upon us brotherly love Thou art the God have pity on thy humble beseechers be thou according to Pauls saying all things in all men to the intent the whole Quire of thy Church with agreeing minds and consonant voices for mercy obtained at thy hands may give thanks to the Father Son and Holy Ghost which after the most perfect example of concord be distinguished in property of Persons and one in nature to whom be praise and glory Eternally Amen FINIS