the merits of Christ to obtain pardon of them But such sins as be of an higher and deeper stain sins of wilfulness and presumption of perverseness and obstinacy of mind and even lesser when multiplied and continued require a deeper sense and sorrow For 't is most just and equitable that true and sincere Repentance be commensurate to the hainousness of the Crimes repented 4. Psal 51.17 1 Pet. 2.5 That your Confession may flow from a broken heart which will render the same a Sacrifice acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ these following Considerations and farther Directions may be usefull Remember how deeply you stand obliged to keep God's holy will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of your life This was promised in your name when you were Christened and if you have any sense or conscience of the Religion you profess you have frequently renewed this your Baptismall Vow And surely to live in obedience to God's Commandments you are deeply obliged 1. in general in that he is the great Lord of all the world to whom all things in Heaven and Earth do bow and obey 2. more particularly he is the God of thy life health strength wealth from whom thou hast received thy whole self Body Soul Spirit with all thou dost enjoy in this life or canst hope or desire to make thee happy either in this world or in the world to come 5. That to offend a God so great so good so glorious so gracious and frequently to transgress his most holy Laws contracts a guilt of such infinite weight and demerit as will undoubtedly without an infinite mercy sink thy Soul to the bottom of Hell 6. Consider for what foolish petty trifling things you have offended God perhaps for a little filthy lucre or some dirty delight or to please a rebellious appetite or to satisfy a mischievous vindictive malicious humour or for the venomous breath of popular applause or the aicry thing of a fansied esteem and the praise of men wherein the service of every such unprofitable and brutish lust is preferred before the service you owe to the great Majesty of Heaven which consists in obedience to his Commandments 7. Remember and ponder with your self as the folly so the filthiness of your Sins how odious they render you both before God and Man First as for God he is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity a Hab. 1.13 The Sinner with his Sins are equally hatefull unto him b Job 4.8 9. Prov. 13.5 So that your Sins do not onely 1. rob you of his grace and favour and 2. render all your Praiers and all your other acts of Religion abomination unto him c Isa 1.12 13 14. but also 3. move him to raze your name out of the Book of life d Exod. 32.33 and 4. to deliver you up to have your portion with the Devil and his Angels in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone * Rev. 20.15 Psal 11.6 Secondly as for Man even wicked men themselves will abhor and revile you for your Sins but much very much more hatefull do they render you to all good men Prov. 29.27 Psal 97.10 who truly love God and hate all that is evill And questionless you would be ashamed to look any men in the face whether good or bad men did they but know all that by you which you know by your self and which God knoweth better then your self 8. Call to mind some of the most aggravating Circumstances how such or such a Sin was committed against the light of your mind wittingly and knowingly against the checks of your Conscience stubbornly and wilfully against the admonitions of God's Holy Word and the dictates of his Holy Spirit presumptuously and contumaciously against your Covenant with God in Baptism and frequently renewed in your Praiers profanely and perjuriously against your profession as a Christian to make conscience of your ways scandalously and offensively And this guilt of Scandall is much aggravated if you be a Master of a family a Pastour of people a Parent of children a Magistrate Minister In every of which respects your Sin is doubled by the encouragement of others to the like offence by your example 9. In calling your Sins to remembrance 't will be necessary also to call to mind several other Circumstances of many Sins as the Time when the Place where the Persons with whom the Manner how such or such a Sin was committed viz. how bold how impudent how shameless how peremptory how furious and unbridled you were in the prosecution of such or such exorbitant desires such unruly lusts such irrationall passions Whether also 't was the first or second time onely you transgressed in the like kind or whether you have not rather been more frequently guilty and so through custom and continuance your heart is hardened and your Repentance for the same but hypocriticall and feigned if any at all 10. The most of these Considerations are of so high concernment that if you will truly turn unto the Lord from all the errours of your ways your mind must dwell upon them especially upon such as do most sting your Conscience and affect your heart 1 Sam. 7.6 2 Cor. 7.10 Jam. 4.9 10. till the pride thereof be humbled and its stubbornness subdued and your Soul melt into holy compunction and your eyes run over with the tears of godly sorrow 11. And because your Soul cannot be truly humbled within you except your Body be humbled also and God requires both Soul and Body in every act of his service 1 Cor. 6.20 't will be requisite therefore that you prostrate your self upon the earth in the confession of your Sins 2 Sam. 12.16 So holy David lay upon the earth when he fasted and praied for the remission of his sins When the people of God made confession of their sins publickly in the Temple they did it groveling on the ground with their faces in the dust and to this day the Jews doe the same in their Synagogues falling flat upon the earth when they confess their sins and the sins of their forefathers Wherein that which should yet have a greater influence upon too stubborn hearts and stifned joynts is the example of our dearest Saviour who when he praied Matt. 26.38 39. Lak 22.44 groaning under the burthen of our sins fell upon his face and praied and swet drops of bloud and praied more earnestly saying the same words 1 Pet. 2.21 herein leaving us an example that we should follow his steps not so much to mind variety of expressions and multitude of words in our praiers and confessions as to be throughly humbled both in body and Soul under the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 that he may vouchsafe to raise us up out of the mire and clay of all our sinfull pollutions 12. This humiliation of your selves both in Body and Soul for your Sins cannot be perfectly sincerely
into Egypt to return into thy countrey to be subject to thy parents to be baptized by John to be afflicted with a forty days fast and thrice to be tempted of the Devil to be wearied with journeys and macerated by hunger and thirst and watchings to be tired with preaching to weep for compassion to be rejected of the Jews and frequently abused by them Thy Passion approaching thou vouchsafedst to be heavy and exceeding sorrowful to pray not onely with bended knees but thrice to fall upon thy face to be in a bitter Agony and to sweat drops of bloud to be betrayed by Judas with a deceitful kiss to be apprehended by the Jews and bound as a thief to be left desolate and alone for all thy Disciples forsook thee and fled To be led to Annas the High-priest first and there to be buffeted to be sent by him bound to Caiaphas and there to be many ways derided to be brought before the council of the Jews and there to be falsely accused and condemned to have thy face polluted with spittings to be provok'd by manifold reproâ—ches to be scorned and blasphemed and again smitten on the face and buffeted to be delivered bound unto Pilate and before him vehemently accused unto death and by him to be sent unto Herod and there to be calumniated and set at nought by him and his men of war to be arrayed in white and sent back unto Pilate by his command to be bound to a pillar and cruelly scourged unto bloud to be by him condemned and delivered up to the souldiers to be crucified by whom thou wast mockt with a purple garment and pierced with a Crown of thorns derided with a Reed in stead of a Regal sceptre and with bowing of knees named in contempt The King of the Jews again the third time bespatter'd with spittle and buffeted and beaten with a Reed on thy head laden with the weight of thy Cross and led away to the place of thy Passion there again stript naked of thy garments and profered to drink Gall mingled with Myrrh At last thou wast extended on the Cross thy hands and feet transfixed with nails crucified amongst thieves numbred amongst transgressours blasphemed both by them that stood by and by them that passed by and in the extremity of thy sufferings criedst out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thy head bowed down thou didst give up the ghost and thy Side was pierced by a Souldier whence issued both water and bloud Taken down from the Cross and buried by Joseph the third day thou didst rise again and appear to thy disciples The fortieth day thou ascendedst into Heaven and sitting on the right hand of God the Father thou didst send down the promise of the Holy Ghost upon thy blessed Apostles and Disciples and shalt come again to Judgment to render to all men according to their works done in the body whether they be good or whether they be evil O Blessed Lord Jesus by all these thy most sacred Sufferings by thy bitter death and most precious bloud shed for us and by all things foretold of thee and fulfill'd by thee vouchsafe in great mercy to deliver me a sordid sinner with all my friends and enemies parents brothers sisters all that are poor and desolate tempted and afflicted bound and imprison'd with all Christian people From all our tribulations and distresses from the snares of the Devil from the bonds and chains of our Sins and from all evils both of Soul and body good Lord deliver save and defend us All our imaginations and actions vouchsafe so to dispose and order that they may be acceptable unto thee fill us with thy grace and with holy peace and with all vertue and grant us herein to persevere even unto death that making a good end of this present life thou mayst bring us to eternal life in thy celestial Kingdom where thou livest and reignest CHAP. VI. Saint Gregorie 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ I. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus hanging upon the Cross and bearing on thy venerable head a Crown of Thorns and I humbly beg by thy Cross to be delivered from the destroying Angel II. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus Christ expanded on the Cross with five great wounds in thy nailed hands and feet and pierced side and I humbly beg that thy dire and gastly wounds may be a healing remedy to my sin-sick Soul III. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus panting under the sad weight of the sins of the world and I humbly beg by that unconceivable bitterness of sorrow thy innocent Soul suffered in that moment when it left the body have mercy upon my Soul in the memert of her departure hence IV. I Adore thee Holy Lord Jesus laid in the Sepulchre and anointed with Myrrh and Aloes and I humbly beg that thy death may be the life of my Soul V. O Save Holy Jesus the good Shepherd who laid down his life for his Sheep save and preserve the righteous call home the wicked justifie the penitent have mercy upon all true believers and upon me a miserable sinner Amen CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. MY God my God So prayed my dear Redeemer hanging upon the Cross the gemination of his words expressing both the great Devotion and also the bitter Anguish of his Soul look upon me imploring divine commiseration and assistence in the sufferings of his humane nature why hast thou forsaken me That 's the height of sorrow and suffering to be therein forsaken as if the personall union of his divine and humane nature were dissolved and art so far from my health not affording the least mitigation of my tormenting pains or consolation therein and from the words of my complaint or the voice of my roaring for with strong crying and tears I offer up my prayers and supplications a Heb. 5.7 2. O my God I will never cease to call thee so though now thine indignation for the sins of the world lieth heavy upon me so that though I cry in the day-time in the which I suffer the torments of crucifixion yet thou hearest not so as to deliver me from them and in the night-season also when I was in a bitter agony sweating drops of bloud under the pressure of the Sins of men and thy wrath for them in both seasons and sad sufferings I take no rest no ease of my Soul's sorrows no cessation of my bodily torments 3. And thou continuest holy just and faithfull in all thy promises of mercy to the miserable or thou dwellest in thy holy one in this holy and innocent body of mine though nailed to the cross So we reade God was in Christ reconciling the world b 2 Cor. 5.19 O thou worship of Israel who hast so often delivered thy people and been made both the subject matter of their prayers and praises and onely object of
Body the Church 19. But be not thou far from me O Lord so as to leave me altogether destitute of consolation in my present distresses nor yet to leave me buried in the grave to see corruption with other men and not to rise again till 〈◊〉 generall Resurrection thou art 〈◊〉 succour 'T is thy promise of succour I rely upon haste thee to help me finishing my Sufferings by Death and the Redemption of the world by my Resurrection from death to life 20. Deliver my soul from the sword from that death which by the sword and violence of wicked men is inflicted and my darling or dear and onely one Such was the Soul of Christ dear because innocent and free from Sin and the onely one that is absolutely so such is the Church of Christ dear unto him without spot and onely one as united in its Members from the power of the dog from such who without reason bark and devour August or from the power of Hell which greedily devours like a dog all that descend into it Lyra. 21. Save me from the lion's mouth out of the jaws of the Devill which are open ever to swallow up all departing Souls into death eternall But by thy assistence I shall overcome the tyrant and swallow up Death in victory thou hast heard me also answered my prayers by thy deliverance of me from amongst the horns of the unicorns such as lifted up the horn of pride and fierceness against me and extolled themselves August as if there were none like them And thus far saith Cassiodore our Lord expostulates his Sufferings by way of Prayer The fruit of his Passion followeth which is in generall the Glory of God's name 22. I will declare thy name thy might and thy Majesty thy greatness and thy goodness in my Passion and Resurrection especially manifested unto my brethren to my Apostle and Disciples and they to others Fâ—â— the word was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them theâ— heard him f Heb. 2.2 3. in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee publickly and in the Temple of the Lord where every man speaks of his honour 23. O praise the Lord ye that fear him Ye that have any respect to thâ— worship of the Lord lift up you voice in the congregation and both with Priest and people praise the Lord magnify him all ye of the seed of Jacob and fear him all ye of the seed of Israel even all whom he hath chosen to be his people whether Jews or Gentiles So they are distinguished Ye men of Israel and ye that fear the Lord i. e. from amongst the Gentiles g Act. 13.16 To both even to all you it appertains to praise the Lord for the Redemption of the world by his Son Jesus Christ who although he was despicable in the eyes of men yet is far otherwise in the eyes of the Lord for 24. He hath not despised nor abhorred the low estate of the poor Though born in a poor condition lived a poor life more poor yet in his death being stripped naked of all even to a little linen to cover his nakedness destitute of what the poorest enjoy a buriall-place for he was buried in a stranger's sepul chre yet not despised but highly exalted having a Name given above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow Nor hath He ever despised his brethren the Members of his body who conform to his poverty by being poor in spirit humble and meek he hath not hid his face from him either through neglect or scorn as too usually men doe to the poor but when he called unto him he heard him as not presuming in himself but depending upon God 25. My praise is of thee or in thee For God the Son is praised in the Father and the Father in the Son in the great congregation both of the Church militant here below and triumphant above And that thy praise may be perfected in and by me my vows will I perform The vows of our Blessed Lord were to offer up his Soul a Sacrifice for Sin and to give his holy Body and Bloud to be the food of devout Souls in the Blessed Eucharist and this to be publickly performed even in the sight of them that fear him And onely for such is that Blessed Feast prepared not for the proud stubborn and disobedient but for 26. The poor The humble and penitent Souls and such as have abjured the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked world such shall eat and be satisfied because they hungred and thirsted after righteousness they that seek after the Lord in all humility and devotion shall praise him because he is found of them that seek him and sheweth himself to such as distrust him not your heart shall live for ever The life of your heart is the joy thereof which is both begot and maintained unto perpetuity by the Bread of life He that eateth this bread shall live for ever h Jeh 6.51 27. All the ends of the world The inhabitants of the utmost corners of the earth shall remember themselves in the remembrance and adoration of their Creatour and Redeemer and be turned unto the Lord from the service of the creature to the worship of God over all Blessed for ever Such so great and unspeakable is the efficacy of our Saviour's Passion as that thereby the sacred beams of Grace and Truth are displayed over all the world insomuch that all the kindreds of the nations of what tribe family nation sect or condition soever shall worship before him fall down before his footstool and adore him as the great Redeemer of the world and Prince of the holy Catholick Church 28. For the Kingdom is the Lord's Or Dominion over all the people of the earth is given to the Lord Christ who hath a Name written on his vesture and on his thigh King of kings and Lord of lords i Rev. 19.16 and he is the Governour among the people even all true Christian people among whom and over whom he sways his Scepter of righteousness by his Holy Word and by his Holy Spirit 29. All such as be fat upon earth spiritually fat or grown in Grace and Holiness temporally fat abounding in wealth and power the Princes and Potentates of the earth saith the Chaldee Paraphr have eaten and worshipped adoring the Lord for that he feeds them with his Divine Gifts and Graces 30. All they who goe down into the dust whose bodies are buried in the grave shall kneel before him prostrate themselves unto him who vouchsafed to give himself both Soul and Body a Ransom for their Sins for being all dead in Sin no man hath quickened his own soul That was and is effected onely by the meritorious Death of the Lord of Life And such as are quickened even 31. My seed whose Life in grace is the fruit and issue of my Death of which seed it is said When thou
shalt make his Soul an offering for Sin he shall see his seed k Isa 53.10 even the fruits of his Passion devout Believers who shall serve him or keep his holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of their life they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation being regenerated by Water and the Holy Ghost in Baptism whereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven 32. They shall come being admitted into the glorious Communion of his blessed Saints and the Heavens both above and below both the Church Triumphant and Militant shall declare his righteousness His Mercies promised and performed in the Redemption of the world shall be proclaimed to all succeeding generations to a people that shall be born new born in and through all the Ages of the Church whom the Lord hath made his own peculiar people whose mouths are filled with his praise for ever saying Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning In the Greek Liturgy the people pray in the words of the Thief upon the Cross Lord remember us in thy Kingdom The Priest answers God be mindful of every one of us in his Kingdom both now and always for ever and ever Amen In the Mozarabick Liturgy I. By the wood of a Tree was Adam banished out of Paradise and from the Tree of wood the Cross the Thief that was crucified with our Lord ascended into Paradise The one by eating the forbidden Fruit transgrest the Law of his Maker the other confessed Christ in his Crucifixion to be the Lord of Heaven saying Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom II. Grant unto us O Lord the Repentance of the Thief upon the Cross and grant that we may with the like Faith call upon thee our Lord of great and much mercy saying Lord remember us in thy Kingdom III. Lord thou hast made us in the image of thine ineffable Glory which we have much defaced by the black marks of our many Falls have mercy upon the work of thine hands sanctify us of thy great goodness and restore us to our much-desired Country the celestial Paradise Lord remember us in thy Kingdom CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday-night or Sunday-morning before I. THOU art now invited O my Soul to such a Banquet as Heaven and Earth affords not the like 'T is the precious Body and Bloud of thy dear Redeemer which he first gave to be the price of thy Redemption and now gives again to be thy food and nourishment Teach me O Lord by thy Holy Spirit Out of St. Ambrose to understand and believe and ever to conceive and speak of those great and wonderful Mysteries and this day to receive the same with that Faith and Esteem Humility and Contrition holy Desires and Resolutions Reverence and Devotion as may please thee and conduce to my Soul's Salvation Empty my heart of all vain idle wandring Thoughts and of all filthy and unfruitfull Lusts Take from me this Heart of stone and give me an heart of flesh a soft and melting heart to fear thee love thee honour thee delight in thee and so to follow thee that I may be for ever happy in the enjoyment of thee II. O Holy crucified Jesus Out of St. Aug. Man ca. 11. I humbly beg by that sacred effusion of thy most precious Blead give unto thy Servant the effusion of Tears with compunction of spirit when I approach thine Altar to partake of that celestial Sacrament worthy of all Reverence and the most inflamed Devotion which thou O Lord God didst institute and command to be received in commemoration of thine infinite Love in dying for us and for the reparations of our manifold infirmities and daily failings Grant me Blessed Lord Out of T. Aquin. not onely to receive that Sacrament in the outward Elements but in the virtue and power thereof not Bread and Wine alone but the Body and Bloud of my Jesus to the Remission of all my Sins and to all other the Benefits of his Death and Passion for me III. The whole need not a Physician Out of T. Aquin. but they that are sick And such am I a diseased sin-sick Soul and as sick I now go to my Physician as a Sinner to the Redeemer of fallen Man as miserable to the Father of Mercy as unclean to the fountain of Purity as poor and needy to the Lord of all Bounty as blind and ignorant to the Brightness and splendour of Spirits as infirm and weak to the Strength of Israel And oh that it may please thee to enlighten my Darkness to heal all my Infirmities to inrich my Poverty to strengthen my Weakness to wash away all my Uncleanness and by the Communion of thy precious Body and Bloud to cleanse me from all Filthiness both of flesh and spirit that I may perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. IV. Thou didst offer up thy self Out of Tho. a Kempis Blessed Jesus even thy whole self upon the Altar of the Cross a Sacrifice for my Sins no Member of thy Body not tormented no Power of thy Soul not sacrificed no Drop of thy Bloud not shed for me a miserable Sinner 'T is therefore most just and meet and my bounden Duty that I should offer up my self my whole self to thee and to thy service for I am not mine own being bought with a price and such a price as transcends the value of all that the whole Heavens and Earth afford beside Whatever I offer unto thee O Lord though it be all that I do enjoy in the world with my Praiers for all it will not be accepted without the offering of my self for 't is not mine but me not all that is without me but all that is within me thou requirest as the price of thy self to be enjoyed Receive me O Lord in the devout Participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud whereunto I am now invited Guard me O Lord with the pious custody and strong defence of thy holy Angels invisibly present and assistent in the transaction of those tremend Mysteries of Godliness and Salvation that the enemies of all that is holy and good may be thence driven back with shame and confusion In all the holy Actions of that sacred celestial Service make me sensible of the sweetness of thy presence with me that I may taste and see how gracious the Lord is a Psal 34.8 be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and drink of thy pleasures as out of a river For with thee is the Well of life and in thy light shall we see light b Psal 36.8 9. O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me to thy holy hill and to thy dwelling and that I may goe unto the Altar of God even the God of my joy and gladness and upon the
THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Divided into FOUR PARTS I. The Practice of Self-examination and a Form of Confession fitted thereunto the Lord's Praier and Penitential Psalms paraphrased with Meditations and Praiers to be made partakers of Christ's Merits II. Directions Meditations and Praiers in order to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ III. Meditations with Psalms for the Hours of Praier the ordinary Actions of Day and Night with other Religious Considerations and Concerns IV. Meditations with Psalms upon the Four 〈◊〉 things 1. Death 2. Judgment 3. Hell 4. Heaâ—â—â— The Third and Fourth Parts make the Second Volume formerly called the Second Part. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Omne tempus in quo de Deo non cogitas hoc te computa perdidisse LONDON Printed by E. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXVII To the Parishioners of Winwick in Lancashire Good People THE Cure of your Souls being by 〈◊〉 Divine Providence incumbent upon Me very unfit to undergoe so great a Chaâ— especially considering the Liberty which 〈◊〉 men do now assume in the way of Religion In the discharge of my Duty though 〈◊〉 not say I have been so prudent and diâ—â—gent as the high and holy nature of my Funâ—â—â—â— requires yet you know I have not omitteâ— frequently to put you in mind which is on principal part of my Office of the whoâ— Will of God in the carefull observancâ— whereof the Health of your Souls consisteth The Contents of God's revealed Will being delivered and disporsed through thâ— whole Body of Holy Scriptures are collected and summed up into general Heads by the Church of Christ in her Catechism thâ— which though by a strange Fanatick humouâ— it be slighted and even derided yet contains all things both of Faith and Fact necessary to Salvation being rightly clearly â—nd fully understood Did you therefore rightly understand â—nd seriously consider wherein your Soul's Health and Edification chiefly consists you â—ould be better pleased with the frequency â—f Catechizing and be more versed in those â—ssentials of Religion then in the hearing 〈◊〉 many Sermons which are of less concernâ—â—â— have not spared my Pains in Preaching â—or my Purse in the maintenance of others â— assist me herein But by long experience it is evident that Sermons what through â—he Variety severall Modes and Methods on â—he one hand and what through the great abuse thereof on the other have not that â—nfluence upon the minds of men as becometh â—ound Doctrine but have too much sway with men of itching ears who heap to â—hemselves Teachers after their own â—usts who upon Pretence of going on to â—erfection goe off the Foundation wax â—ain in their imaginations and their fooâ—â—sh hearts are darkned whilst they conceit â—hemselves enlightned And therefore for your more ready easy and constant instruction I have committed to writing and made publick the Summary of Christian Doctrine in the Church-Catechism paraphrased And because Doctrine without Practice is but a Body of Religion without a Soul to quicken it I have here added a Summary of Christian Practice in the insuing Rules of Self-examination which will equally discover unto you your Sins and Miscarriages past and serve for a Guide to direct you in the future ordering of all the Actions of your lives in the ways of Godliness In both which Summaries I have endeavoured to be both brief and plain delivering onely what I conceive generally necessary to Salvation and expressing the same in the most easy way to be understood as knowing that multitude of words various acute and quaint affected expressions especially in the Essentials of Religion though they may more please do not so much profit nay they do really rather distract then instruct the minds of most For it is not the rattling of the Leaves but the Fruits of the Tree of knowledge that feed the Soul to life eternall The Praiers prescribed upon any the insuing considerations are not by way of one long continued Oration without intermission but divided into severall shorter Praiers and this because 1. The heat of holy Zeal is hereby better maintained and kept flaming in the Soul whilst the ending of one Praier and beginning another adds new fervour to the Soul's Devotion 2. Long Praiers do tire the spirits clog the memory distract the mind and damp that celestiall fervour which is the life of all holy and acceptable Praiers 3. Such are all those Praiers which are truly the Praiers of God's Holy Spirit and stand upon record in Holy Writ they are all divided and cut short into so many distinct Verses as into so many several shorter Praiers 4. Thus Christ has commanded us to pray Matt. 6.7 8 9. And according to this patern the Praiers of Christ's Church even for the length thereof are generally framed My primary intention in the insuing Discourse was chiefly to direct you for the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ whereunto a through Self-examination is absolutely necessary And being desired to inlarge my Meditations upon that Blessed Sacrament I have therefore now divided the former Edition into Two Parts the First of Self-examination and the Second of the Holy Communion Wherein I must necessarily tell you that since the Danger of unworthy Receiving is equivalent with the Benefit of the worthy it therefore concerns every one of you that hath any sense and sincere care of his Soul's health as strictly to examine himself before he eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup as he believes he shall be examined before the great Tribunal of Heaven and accordingly to purge and purify his Soul by Confession Contrition and all the sacred Acts and Offices of true Repentance the practice whereof is in the following Leaves delivered Of the other Two Parts of the Practical Christian mentioned in the general Title-page you will have a farther account in the Preface thereunto I shall not farther enlarge this Epistle more then to pray that God may be pleased to assist you by his Divine grace carefully to observe such useful Instructions as be herein given you not vainly jangling and talking of Religion but according to the Covenant you have made with your God to keep his holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of your life remembring who it is that has said it If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matt. 19.17 And that you may observe the one as the way to the other is and shall be the constant Praier of Your respective Pastour Ric. Sherlock A TABLE of the Chapters CHAP. I. Of the great necessity of Self-examination CHAP. II. The Rule of Self-examination by the Vow in Baptism CHAP. III. The Rule of Self-examination by the Creed or by the Second part of the Vow in Baptism To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith CHAP. IV. The Rule of
infamous reports 4. As to your spiritual Fathers 1 Tim. 3.1 13. Luk. 10.16 the Bishops and Pastors of Christ's Church have you not despised their Calling but honoured them according to their respective degrees and stations in the Church of Christ 1 Tim. 5.17 Heb. 13.17 Ecclus. 7.29 Have you not slighted and disobeyed those commands and admonitions which God by them hath given you Have you not denied or diminished their dues or payed them grudgingly Joh. 10.4 5. 2 Tim. 4.3 4. Have you not forsaken your lawful Pastor to follow after factious Preachers or such who more tickle your itching ears which is the issue of a corrupt heart Prov. 29.1 Isa 29.21 and the high rode to errour and falshood Have you not been angry when told of your faults or put in mind of the errours of your waies and refused to return and amend thereupon 5. Have you been respective and lowly in your demeanour to all your Superiours whether in age or office learning and judgment temporal estate and preferment Rom. 12.10 2 Tim. 2.20 1 Pet. 2.17 giving to each the honour due to their respective conditions and this though you have no dependence upon them nor hopes to receive any benefits from them 6. Have you been meek gentle courteous and affable unto all men as becomes the Spirit of a true Christian not high and haughty Tit. 3.3 churlish and distasteful in your carriage towards any slighting undervaluing scorning your equals if not your betters in some respects However the truly humble good Christian esteems others better then himself Phil. 2.3 7. If you have any persons under your command as a Master of a Family Eph. 6.9 have you not been over-harsh and rigorous towards any of your Servants 1 Sam. 12.3 nor defrauded them of their wages and have you preserved them to your power from the wrongs of others and have you taken care what in you lies for the good of their Souls viz. that they be Catechized in the principles of Religion Gen. 18.19 Jos 24.15 and duly frequent the publick Worship of God both in Church and family 8. If you be a Servant examine Eph. 6.5 Tit. 2.9 10. have you been obedient to your Master in all his lawful commands just and true in the managing his business so that he hath suffered no loss either by your carelesness or dishonesty and hath your carriage towards him been submissive and meek not answering again when provoked by hard language 9. In a word have you obeyed that admonition of S. Paul which is the more full meaning of this 5. Commandment Rom. 13.7 8. Render therefore to all men their due tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Owe no man any thing but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law The Sixth Commandment Thou shalt do no murther Examination by the Sixth Commandment THere are several degrees of Murther in this Law prohibited and though you have not been guilty thereof by bloud-shed yet examine 1. Have you not been guilty of immoderate Anger Matt. 5.21 22. been peevish and disquieted at trifles at slight miscarriages of others and inconsiderable accidents about you 2. Hath not your anger swelled into wrath and fury Pro. 27.3 4. Eph. 4.31 Jam 1.19 Matt. 5.22 1 Pet. 3.9 Matt. 5.40 nor been drawn out into hatred and malice nor broken out into bitter and opprobrious language rendring evil for evil and railing for railing brawling and quarrelling for any offence going to law upon petty and small occasions of trespass 3. Ps 37.1 Rom 13.13 Have you not envied the good parts and endowments or the wealth and preferments or the flourishing estate of others in any respect though they may be wicked and unworthy 4. Lev. 19.18 Matt. 5.38 Have ye harboured no secret grudge in your heart towards any person nor entertained any secret thoughts and desires of revenge 5. Prov. 24.17 Rom. 12.15 Have you not secretly rejoyced at the losses crosses disgraces or death of any 6. Have you no way impaired the health either of the Souls or bodies of others either by hurting maiming Exod. 21.22 c. wounding any person in body or tempting them to sin Matt. 18.6 Gal. 5.26 to the ruine of their Souls or provoking their spirits or neglecting to perform the Christian duties of Charity both corporal and spiritual unto them 7. Hath your demeanour been with all meekness and humility Matt. 11.29 Eph. 4.32 being loving kind tender-hearted pitiful peaceful and easie to be entreated with the several qualifications of true Christian charity 1 Cor. 13.1 c. without which no true Christianity 8. Have you not impaired your own health by surfeiting drunkenness uncleanness or giving way to any unruly lusts passions and desires even against your reason and judgment Prov. 21.16 The Seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery Examination by the Seventh Commandment THe Christian Vertues in this Law commanded are Chastity and Temperance the one being not to be preserved without the other and of both these there are several degrees the transgression of each of which is to be here examined And First Concerning Chastity because the uncleanness of the heart is as vile before God as any act of that kind before man examine Matt. 5.28 1. Have you not pleased your fancy with loose and wanton imaginations nor suffered unchast thoughts so long to dwell in your heart till by the corrupt bent of its concupiscence they have grown into unruly lusts and have you endeavoured to subdue those lusts Col. 3.5 and not suffered them to break out either 1. Eph. 4.29 into any filthy communication scurrilous and obscene speeches 2. into any sinful solicitations and temptations of others to commit uncleanness with you Matt 5.29 30. by the wantonness of the eyes hands tongue 2. Have you not gazed upon any person Matt. 5.8 till your eyes have betrayed your heart secretly to lust and sinfully to enjoy them And as to the acts of corporal uncleanness they are of such a loathsome nature Eph. 5.3 as not fit to be once named amongst Christians your own Conscience will be your best guide for your examination in such particulars wherein consider and seriously weigh the aggravating circumstances of Time Place Person the unruliness of your lust against all the laws of God and Nature right Reason and holy Religion consider the inconsistency of every such deed of darkness with the purity of your profession 1 Cor. 6.15 c. Eph. 5.5 and your relation of being a member of Christ a child of God and an heir of Heaven Upon the consideration of this let this Memento of that one Father have a deep impression upon your Soul That in every lust of uncleanness as the unlawfull flame thereof goes up into Heaven so the filthy stench thereof
goes down into Hell And as another Father observes I am persuaded that the greatest number of the Souls tormented in Hell have been less or more guilty of this Sin Secondly And because unlawful lusts are nourished and maintained by Intemperance Jer. 5.7 8. and that chiefly 1. In Eating and Drinking either more or more often then is conducible to the two ends of feeding first to maintain life secondly to preserve health examine how frequently you have crost these ends of God and Nature either 1. by too much curiosity and daintiness to please an exotick palate Prov. 23.3 Deut. 31.20 32.15 Ecclus. 9.12 Luk. 21.34 Ecclus. 37.29 30 31. Luk. 16.19 c. Prov. 23.29 and humour a rebellious appetite or 2. to maintain and strengthen the lusts of the flesh or 3. to please and humour others And herein by drinking to excess consider first the sinful expence of your Time secondly of your Talent and estate thirdly of the health and good temper of your Body fourthly of the soundness and quickness of all the faculties of your Mind fifthly of what might and ought to have relieved the poor sixthly Isa 56.12 Wisd 2.6 c. of contracting the guilt of the excess of your companions at least by your compliance with them if not tempting of them to drink the which though it be lookt upon as a matter of jest and merriment yet 't will end in sadness and woe Hâ—b 2.15 16. And though perhaps through the strength of your brain and good constitution of body you may come off from your excess without any visible distemper yet that frees you not from the sad woe to such denounced Isa 5.22 Luk. 6.25 And 't is woful enough that this beastly sin of eating and drinking to riot and excess is inconsistent as the former 1 Cor. 6.10 Gal. 5.21 with your Christian profession and hopes of Heaven 2. And since an account must be given of your pretious Time examine whether your intemperance in diet hath not often engaged you to spend your time either in immoderate sleep or slothfulness Thess 5. â— 7. â—sa 56.10 â—2 Ezek. 16. â—9 whereby the sinful lusts of the flesh are fomented which was the sin of Sodom and 't is the onely business of the slothful man to tempt the Devil who tempts man unto all other sins 3. Intemperance and excess in Apparel is not onely a sign of pride and vain-glory but a symptom and allurement to unlawful lusts Examine if your attire be such as is 1. agreeable to your rank and condition neither affectedly sordid nor too curiously fine and costly Luk. 7.25 2. answerable to the ends of cloathing viz. first to cover your nakedness secondly to preserve by moderate warmth the health of the body in either of which respects to affect gorgeous apparel Luk. 16.19 Phil. 3.19 Gen. 3.21 or to be proud of the same is to glory in your shame to cover which shame the use of garments was first instituted Again have you not envied others for the bravery of their apparel but rather pitied their folly remembring that the true ornament of a Christian is the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 even the ornaments of a meek and quiet spirit 4. Recreations are not onely useful but necessary to recruit the vigour both of the Soul and body Eccl. 2.10.11 3.12 13. 2 Sam. 11.2 3. when over-toil'd with labour but are too often the foments of unlawful lusts and therefore as to these examine 1. that your recreations be in themselves lawful neither dishonourable to God nor scandalous and injurious to man Eph. 5.11 2. that they be not unseasonable Eccl. 3.1 to the hindrance of any duty to God or man 3. that you be not immoderate in their use by making that your imployment which should onely fit you for employments more useful 4. Eccl. 8.5 that your recreations be not what they are vulgarly call'd pastimes it being strangely imprudent to spend that pretious time in toys and vanities Eccl. 2.1 2 3. Phil. 2.12 which is lent onely to work out the eternal Salvation of your Soul The Eighth Commandment Thou shalt not steal Examination by the Eighth Commandment A Man may steal and play the thief 1. to himself 2. to others 1. As to the first consider if you have not ruin'd decayed or diminished the estate God hath given you either Prov. 24.30 31. 1. by your own careless and imprudent management thereof or 2. by the carelesness and profuseness of others whom you intrusted but not discreetly regarded Prov. 6.6 13.4 and 19.15 Prov. 18.9 Eccles 6.1 2. or 3. by your sloth and negligence in your calling or 4. by your prodigal and profuse mispending or yet on the contrary 5. by pinching and too much sparing and denying thy self the full and lawful enjoyment of thy riches the which with several others are the causes of poverty Prov. 24.34 and kinds of self-robbery 2. As to injustice towards others examine your self 1. 1 Kin. 21.1 c. Is 3.14 15. by the publick sins of oppression or grinding the face of the poor 2. of making hard bargains with the necessitous of every forcible way either to get 1 Sam. 12.3 4. or to keep what not of right or more then of right belongs to you 3. by the private sins 1. of pilfering and filching which is properly call'd stealing 2. of cogging and lying to couzen and deceive 3. Luk. 19.13 c. 1 Thess 4 6. Deut. 15.7 8 9. Ps 37.21 Hos 12.7 of cunning to defraud and circumvent in buying and selling lending and borrowing lending to the loss of the borrower borrowing and not paying again by false weights and measures by counterfeit coin naughty money and the like unjust dealings Have you not robbed God in tithes and offerings Mal. 3.8 Eccles. 7 29.3â— 31. Rom. 13.6 Luk. 10.7 â—eâ— 20.13 â—â—m 13.7 8. nor his Priests in their accustomed dues nor the King's Majesty in his Tribute customs honour and obedience due to him nor the labourer of his hire or servants of their wages nor yet deprived any person of what either by law or custom belongs unto him All which with many more particulars are transgressions of that golden rule of righteousness and charity Whatsoever ye would that men should doe unto you Matt. 7.12 even so doe unto them Have you not been uncharitable to the poor and indigent Deut. 15.7 c. Ps 41.1 112.9 2 Cor. 9.9 Pro. 29.7 Is 58.7 Eccl 5.11 Luk. 2.11 Pro. 3.27 2 Cor. 8.12 13 14. either by not giving or not lending to supply their wants or by railing reviling and using opprobrious language towards them Want of charity is no other then downright robbery for the poor man's livelihood is the rich man's superfluity and that is the poor man's due it being as equal justice for the rich to relieve the poor as 't is
for the poor not to steal from the rich This sin is also a transgression of the former law Ecclus. 34.21 for the bread of the needy is their life and he that defraudeth him thereof is a man-slayer The Ninth Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour Examination by the Ninth Commandment NOt onely of all false and evill speaking Matt. 12.36 37. but of every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account in the day of Judgment And therefore to make up your accounts against that great day of trial 't will be necessary to commune with your heart 12.34 out of the abundance whereof the mouth speaketh 1. Whether you have been guilty of any officious lies by speaking falsely either in the cause of God Job 13. Col. 3.9 or of man The first being unlawful the second is highly sinful though my neighbour may be benefited thereby Ps 12.2 Ecclus. 2.24 25. and 23. 2. Have you told no scurrilous lies vain-glorious bragging lies to please and humour your own and your companions sensual inclinations 3. Psal 24 4. Pro. 12 17. 13.5 Have you told no false stories to allure others to be of your mind and judgment though you be in an errour And 't is very evident that you are both deceived your self and desire to deceive others when you tell a lie to maintain your opinion for Truth stands in need of no lie to support it 4. Prov. 18.8 â—nd 24.28 Ecclus. 19. â— 8. and â—1 25 Eph. 4.25 Have you told no infamous lies and scandalous stories to detract and blemish the good name of any If such stories should be true 't is uncharitable but when falsities abominable to report and spread them 5. Matt. 7.3 â— Have you not talk'd of the moat in your brother's eye to his disgrace being blind as to the beam in your own And have you not judged rashly censured uncharitably of other mens actions viz. not in the better but worser sense 6. â—rov 26. â—4 25 26. Have you not flattered with your lips professing more love and respect to any then has been truly in your heart towards them 7. Exod. 23.1 Have you neither publickly nor privately testified what is false to the diminution either of the reputation or estate of any man 8. Have you used no opprobrious language as thou fool knave Matt. 5.22 1 Pet. 3.9 nor answered railing for railing The sin of evil speaking is much aggravated from the qualitie of the persons evil spoken of As 1. for Children to speak evil and reproachfully either of or to their Parents Pro. 20.20 2. Jer. 18.18 Exod. 22.28 Jud. 8. for a people to speak evil of their Pastours 3. for Subjects to speak evil of their King and his Ministers of State Which is the humour of false Prophets and Hereticks it being the practice of Orthodox Pastours Tit. 3.1 2. to put their people in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to speak evil of no man c. The Tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife nor his servant nor his maid nor his ox nor his ass nor any thing that is his Examination by the Tenth Commandment 1. HAth no lust inflamed your breast towards the Wife or Maid of another Matt. 5.28 1 Thess 4.5 2 Sam. 11.2 or to covet whatsoever of his you vainly conceive serviceable to your sinful pleasures So lusted David after the wife of Vriah 2. Hab. 2.9 Luk. 12.15 Have you not coveted the house lands preferments offices or whatsoever is enjoyed by another in order to your worldly profit 1 King 21.1 c. So coveted Ahab the vineyard of Naboth 3. Have you not secretly wished the loss or ruine of your neighbour's health peace credit liberty life Job 31.29 30. 1 Joh. 2.11 and 3.15 or any thing that is his in order either to your pleasure or profit 4. Num. 11.28 29. Have you not envied the flourishing estate of any either in respect of their wealth esteem honour preferment and this whether in reference to your self or to your friend 5. Phil. 4.11 1 Tim. 6.8 Matt. 6.19 20. Heb. 13.5 Have you been content with your present state and condition in this world how mean soever not roving after the exteriour consolations of the creature abroad the onely way to lose contentment in your self at home 6. Prov. 13.4 Eph. 4.28 2 â—hess 3.8 Have you been diligent and industrious in the duties of your calling without all carking solicitude both for the support of your self and yours and for the relief of others 7. Have none of those great Diana's whom all the world worshippeth viz. the lusts of the flesh 1 Joh. 2.15 16. or voluptuousness the lusts of the eyes or covetousness the pride of life or ambition taken up more room in your heart then the love of God and the joys of the world to come My soul cleaveth to the dust Psal 119.25 quicken me O Lord according to thy word CHAP. V. The Examination of Religious actions SUch is the infelicity of our humane condition upon earth that we frequently trespass against the Majesty of Heaven not onely by doing what God hath by his holy Laws forbidden but also by the irregular performance of those holy acts of Religion which he hath commanded Gen. 4.4 5. And herein a more strict scrutiny is required a more narrow search into all the secret recesses and corners windings and turnings of the corrupt heart because the sins of such actions as be outwardly holy do commonly lie more closely hidden from our apprehension and view then those which have no appearance of holiness in them Where 1. Examine your intention in every good work what is your chief end and aim therein Matt. 6.22 23. For the light of the body is the eye 't is the intention the internall eye of the Soul which renders every work either of light or of darkness sinfull or holy Consider then whether in Alms-giving Fasting Praying Preaching or any other Religious duty you intend either 1. the glory of God rather then your own glory and esteem the praise of God more then the praise of men or 2. the good of your Soul and the interest of Heaven rather then any worldly ends or interests 3. Whether you perform such or such an holy action out of a true love to God and obedience to his commands or rather to please your self in following your own imaginations inclinations and humours 4. whether to satisfy your own conscience rather then to prevent the discourses or censures of others 5. to benefit others rather then to please your own fancy And lastly whether you have an eye to the recompence of reward in the other world without reflexion upon any secular advantage in this life 'T is too common with men to mistake their own
and throughly transacted except your Prayers be joyned with Fasting That great day of expiation commanded by God for the putting away of Sin was a Fasting-day and for this corporall mortification Lev. 16.29 30. Isa 58 3 5. Joel 2.12 Matt. 17.21 Luk. 2.37 as well as for the spiritual compunction 't was called a day wherein to afflict the Soul The many admonitions and examples of Fasting both in the Old and New Testament and its frequent conjunction with Praier may sufficiently convince us of the necessity of this Duty when we implore the pardon of our Sins as also of other acts of Mortification for the taming and subduing of the flesh 1 Cor. 9.27 Gal. 5.17 which hath so shamefully rebelled against the spirit as in the through Confession of Sins is acknowledged 13. That you may be both humbled for your Sins and yet not despair of mercy and forgiveness meditate upon the bitter Sorrows and Sufferings of our Blessed Redeemer Behold him with the eye of Faith and devout Meditation expanded on the Cross as on a Tormenting-rack see him naked and racked and wounded and bleeding for thy Sins no part of his Body untormented no power of his Soul unsacrific'd no drop of his Bloud unshed for thine offences His tender Skin and delicate Flesh was torn and rent and razed by cruell lashes with forked whips his Head crowned with thorns the curse of the earth his Sinews crackt his Veins burst his Joynts disparted and all his Bones started aside whilst in the midst of these torments he offered up his Soul a Sacrifice for thy Sins And 't is this precious Bloud thus shed and applied to thy heart if any thing will mollify its hardness and melt thee into tears of Compunction for thy Sins the cause of thy Saviour's Sufferings into tears of Compassion with thy Redeemer in his Passion for thee into tears of Devotion in the dedication of thy whole self unto the service of his Majesty who gave himself wholly to redeem and save thee And because Meditations upon this subject are of all others most effectuall to excite Compunction and Devotion in the heart and to obtain mercy I have therefore annexed some short Meditations on the severall Mysteries of our Redemption and our Saviour's Passion wherein every one may enlarge himself as his Devotion shall suggest 14. In the Confession of your Sins as in every of your set solemn constant Praiers unto God 't will be very imprudent and too presumptuous to trust to your own extempore expressions and boldly say onely what at present comes into your mind for this is to be as one of them that tempt the Lord. Ecclus. 18.23 Eccles. 5.1 2. And by such rash inconsiderate addresses you offer to the All-wise God the sacrifice of fools There 's no Malefactour that petitions his Judge for the pardon of his crime but will pen his Petition and study to doe it in such words as are pertinent and not superfluous that he offend not by any tedious prolix or unnecessary expressions And we cannot surely be less considerate and carefull when we petition the Great Judge of the world for the pardon of our Sins which would otherwise sink our Souls to eternall honour For the right performance therefore of a Duty of so high concernment Dan. 9.4 c. Hos 14.2 3. Baruc. 1.15 c. Luke 15.18 21. we have many Forms of Confession upon record in the Book of God and other books of practicall Devotion both ancient and modern But because such generalls reach not punctually to the particulars of Self-examination proposed I have hereunto added for the greater ease of the Reader a Form of Confession whereunto every man may adde or diminish as his Conscience tells him he is guilty or not guilty also as he finds himself more or less guilty remembring to enlarge upon every general head of Confession the enumeration of all such particular Sins as relate thereunto And because there be few devout orthodox good Christians but are affected with what is ancient and primitive more then with the modes of new and modern Devotion I have therefore added one Form of Confession out of the Bibliotheca Patrum for its antiquity and the generall extent thereof 15. After the Confession of your Sins the most effectuall Praiers you can use for the Pardon of them are next to the Lord's Praier the Penitentiall Psalmes the praying whereof with understanding and devotion is truly and indeed to pray by the Holy Spirit of God Eph. 5.18 19. for such are undeniably the dictates of God's Holy Spirit I have therefore added the said Psalms with the Lord's Praier paraphrased that in the devout use thereof you may pray by the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and pray with understanding also CHAP. VIII A Form of Confession of Sin fitted to the Rules of Self-examination whereunto every one may adde or substract as he finds himself guilty or not guilty In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen BUT I am unworthy O Lord to take thy Holy Name in my mouth ashamed to lift up mine eyes to Heaven for I have sinned against Heaven and before thee in that I have daily broken my Vow and Promise made unto the God of Heaven Sins against the Baptismal Vow in general To renounce the Devil and all his works I am unworthy to be called thy Son having obeyed the suggestions and done the works of the Devil and I do therefore justly deserve as a child of the Devil to have my portion with him and his Angels for with those Apostate spirits I have not kept to my first estate of Regeneration in Baptism but have transgressed all the particulars of that Covenant which I made with my God therein God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have suffered my foolish heart to be deceived with the Pomps and Vanities of this transitory life The Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and have been more enamour'd with the empty gaudy flattering felicities of this present World then with those never-fading joys and unspeakable glories of the World to come God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner The Pride of life hath ensnared me more to affect the praise of men then the praise of God and the Lust of the eyes hath bewitched me to prefer the love and service of Mammon before the love and fear and service of my Maker God be mercifull to me a sinner I have more readily obeyed the sinful lusts of the flesh And all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh then the godly motions of the Spirit and carnal Concupiscence hath reigned in my heart and prevailed in the actions of my life against the dictates both of right Reason and holy Religion Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ Amen I have not been so careful as
been rude and unworthy of thee Irreligious Worship so has my Worship also been far misbeseeming so great so holy so pure a Majesty I have not worshipt thee either with that humble low prostration of Body or yet with that sincere intense devotion of Soul as was meet I should I have drawn near to thee with my lips when often my heart has been far from thee God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have made a God of the World by Pride and Covetousness Idolatry which is Idolatry and a God of my Belly by Luxury and Wantonness wherein and in many more respects I have served the Creature more then the Creatour God over all blessed for ever I have too much idolized my own Imaginations both by believing and worshipping God otherwise then himself in his Holy Word and by the Ministry of his Holy and true Church hath commanded God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have too often sacrilegiously robbed my God in Tithes and offerings usurping and withholding what hath been consecrated to holy use diminishing and defrauding in the dues of the Church Remember not Lord our iniquities nor the iniquities of our fore-fathers but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious bloud That Name of Heaven Sins against the Third Commandment which is great wonderful and holy I have too slightly regarded and too often used to promote vanities and maintain lies I have not onely my self too often profaned Rash Swearing and Cursing but without regret in my self or reproof of others have heard thy holy Name blasphemed by rash Oaths and irreligious Execrations cursing the creatures my neighbours nay my self by that ever-blessed Name which is onely to be mentioned for adoration and blessing God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have taken many solemn Oaths Perjury in publick without a right understanding of the respective contents thereof and the obligation of my Conscience thereunto and what I have understood I have not conscienciously kept and observed being guilty of Perjury both in general Oaths and in many particular I have seen the reverend Name and Oath of God imposed upon the Consciences of men out of Tyranny as a covert of oppression and injustice and I also partly for fear partly for favour and affection to unjust defigns have wickedly taken the same Oaths and Engagements and though because of such unlawful Oaths the Land sadly mourned yet have not I been humbled for the sins and Perjuries of this sinful Nation Those holy and just Promises I have made both to God and man Breach of Promise I have not justly performed but have preferred sometimes my sinful pleasure sometimes my sordid gain and worldly advantage before the obligations of my Conscience both by oath and promise I have not given occasion to others to sanctifie thy Name by my discreet Scandal sober edifying speech and demeanour but have rather caused the same to be profaned by my idle light foolish sinful words and works For thy Name 's sake Blessed Jesus thy sweet and saving Name of JESVS be merciful unto my sin for it is great I have too slightly and negligently both read and heard the Sacred Word of God Against the Word of God through carelesness not understanding and through precipitancy and self-interest misunderstanding and wresting the contents thereof and what I have rightly understood I have not conscienciously put in practice God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have too much slighted and the Sacraments and too often profaned those Holy Sacraments Christ hath ordained in his Church as the blessed means of Grace and Salvation I have not seriously enough weighed Of Baptism and carefully observed the Covenant I made with my God in Baptism nor yet informed those committed to my charge of their obligation to perform the same I have not been so reverent and devout at the administration of that Holy Sacrament of Baptism as becometh so great a Mystery of Godliness and the holy offices of its Celebration God be merciful unto me and heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee When I have been invited to that Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ Of the Lord's Supper I have often slighted such invitations chusing rather to continue in my ignorance and neglect of so great a duty then to take pains to be informed and to practise the Religious acts and offices of due preparation thereunto I have pretended scruples of Conscience about harmless Ceremonies to neglect the Service of God it self and remembred the danger of unworthy receiving to keep me back but forgot the duty that is incumbent on me to eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. Many excuses and pretences I have fansied to my self and made to others to detain me from that Sacrament when the true cause has been want of Devotion in my heart and of a full purpose to leave my Sins and to turn unto the Lord sincerely from all the errours of my ways God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I am much afraid that I have received that Blessed Sacrament unworthily by not discerning the Lord's Body being ignorant of the nature ends and benefits thereof and of what is required of them that come thereunto and by not observing strictly in my Preparation and Participation what I have known thereof As to Preparation I have not so duly and truly examined my heart and life confessed and bewailed my Sins humbly implored pardon fully resolved amendment carefully renewed my Vow and Covenant in Baptism as becometh a devout Communicant Thine infinite mercy O God in giving us thine onely Son to be both the price of our Redemption and the food of our Souls hath not sunk so deep into my heart as to be inflamed with Divine love and affection with a spiritual joy in the Lord and a through devoting of my self to thy service and to praise thee therefore both with heart and voice and through all the actions of my whole life God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not performed my promises nor put into practice my resolutions I undertook upon my approach to thine Altar but have again returned to my old sins as the dog to his vomit I have sinned wo unto me that I have sinned O Father against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy son Thy Holy Temple have I profaned by my often irreverent approaches thereunto and my careless The profanation of what is holy slovenly and indevout demeanour therein as if there were no difference betwixt the House of God and the houses of men betwixt a Church and a Barn I have too much undervalued the Ministers of thy Holy Word and Sacraments slighted and contemned holy persons profaned many holy actions and holy things which have thy mark enstamped on them and have been dedicated to the
service of thy great Name And though thus and more ways then thus in more respects then I can possibly conceive or remember I have profaned thy Holy Name yet is thy Name called upon me and I do daily call upon thy Name I do therefore humbly beg For thy Name 's sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Many of those Days and hours Sins against the Fourth Commandment times and seasons dedicated to thy Divine Worship publick and private have I profan'd and unhallowed making no difference either by my words or works betwixt Daies separate to the sacred Service of God and such as are left in common for the service of our selves I have too often absented my self from thy solemn publick Worship without sufficient cause and have too carelesly irreverently and indevoutly demeaned my self therein I have mis-spent much of the time assigned for holy Exercises in following my own private business satisfying my sensful lusts pursuing the pleasures and interests of this present world spending upon such daies in luxury riot and excess what might better have been laid out in Alms and Charitable uses The whole course of my life which thou grantedst me to be spent in thy service here that I might advance my hopes of Heaven hereafter I have foolishly thrown away upon my lusts and vanities continually grieving thy good Spirit quenching those sacred flames he hath enkindled in my breast never ceasing from the works of sin but daily labouring to destroy my hopes to keep a perpetual Sabbath in Heaven O God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my eyes to Heaven for mine iniquities are increased over mine head and my trespass is gone up unto the Heavens Sins against the Second Table of the Law O Most just and dear God Sins against the Fifth Commandment I humbly confess my self not onely to have broken the bonds of that love fear and service I owe unto thee but I have also transgrest my duty in all my Relations unto others I have been disobedient to my Parents Against Parents stubborn and disrespective in my carriage towards them I have sometimes secretly despised them in my heart and openly reviled them I have slighted their admonitions thinking my self too good to own them too wise to obey their commands I have not to the best of my power comforted and relieved them in their wants and weaknesses sorrows and sicknesses and I have too often wished for their death that I might enjoy their estate and follow the sway of my own corrupt humour and inclinations God be merciful to me a sinner I have not been careful Against Children either my self to instruct my Children or to see they were by others instructed in the Principles of holy and true Religion I have been more careful for their temporal then spiritual estate for the health of their Bodies then for the Salvation of their Souls not wisely admonishing discreetly correcting and seasonably reproving them and by my good example teaching them the ways of Truth and Holiness God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Against the King I have been too disobedient to my Prince too censorious and malapert in traducing his Person and Conversation his Government and the Governours under his Majesty I have murmured to pay him Toll and Tribute and refused to obey many of his Laws and lawful Commands I had too deep a hand in the Rebellion against the late King of blessed memory by my many personal sins provoking the wrath of God by entertaining false opinions by believing and spreading lies and infamous stories God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not made conscience to obey the Laws and Orders of thy Church Against the Church whether universal or particular not acknowledging or not submitting to the authority of either and am justly to be therefore rankt amongst Publicans and Sinners My Ghostly Fathers and the Ministers thereof in the several Orders of Bishop Priest and Deacon I have disbelieved disrespected disobeyed despised them in their Persons in their Callings in their Admonitions for my Soul's health And I have also detained diminished defrauded and grudingly paid the Dues of the Church God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Amongst the Ministers of the Gospel I have had respect of persons being better pleased with a stranger then with my own lawful Pastour better pleased with the Factious and Schismatical then with the Orthodox and Regular Clergy better pleased with Preachers that tickle the itching ear then with such as feed the Soul with sound and wholsom Doctrine I have hated him that reproveth in the gate I have hardened my heart and refused when admonished to return from the Errours of my ways God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner Towards all my Superiours I have been too haughty and disrespectful Against all men in their relations and conditions both in my carriage towards them and speeches of them I have not honoured the aged and admonished the younger and less experienc'd Towards all men my deportment has been too churlish and ungentle not so meek and lowly not so courteous and affable as becomes the spirit of a true Christian I have been proud and vain-glorious stubborn and disobedient slighting contemning deriding others giving rash judgment but have been impatient my self of scorn or of a just reproof not enduring to be slighted and yet extremely deserving it God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have not ordered aright the members of my Family or my Servant Sins of Masters of Fandlies or Servants been too remiss in my care for their instruction and for their daily attendance upon the publick Worship of God preferring their attendance upon me and their service in my worldly concerns before the great concernment and interest of their own Souls Salvation in the service of thy Sacred Majesty I have detained or curtail'd their wages murmuring to give them their due provoked their spirits exacted too hard duty from them and too superciliously lorded it over them God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner I have oftentimes disobeyed And of Servants and murmured to obey my Master's commands I have not been so lowly and submissive in my demeanour towards him so just and honest in the management of his affairs as becomes a good and faithful Servant Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences through Jesus Christ I have been hainously and frequently guilty of immoderate Anger Sins against the Sixth Commandment Immoderate Anger in the heart in word and deed been peevish and disquieted at trifles at slight miscarriages of others and inconsiderable accidents about me My Anger hath often swelled into wrath and fury broken out into bitter railing and cursing opprobrious speeches to such and such mindful of wrongs forgetful of benefits going to law with such and such
thee for thy guidance in the way of life And he that is thus guided himself will say unto others 10. Be ye not like to the horse that is untam'd head-strong and stubborn or to the mule that is foolish and slothful which have no understanding or reason to bridle their sensual appetites whose mouths must be held with bit and bridle lest they fall upon thee Be not so brutish as not to keep the ways of God's Laws except he whip and spur thee with affliction and trouble this is like a horse that will not obey his rider without a bridle in his jaws and a spur in his sides 11. Great plagues remain for the ungodly often in this life to drive them to repentance but assuredly in the life to come if they repent not but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord and will be doing good his holy confidence in God being not onely notionary in the brain and fancy but practical in the heart and life mercy embraceth him on every side The Lord's mercy shall surround him for his protection and support him for his perseverance in the way to Heaven where he shall both see and enjoy Divine mercy on every side 1. above him in the beatifical Vision of God's Majesty 2. below him in the torments he hath escaped 3. and mercy round about him in the blissful society of Angels and Saints great cause of joy surely 12. Be glad O ye righteous through the testimony of a good Conscience and rejoyce in the Lord not in your own merits for by grace we are saved and be joyfull not ye that prosper in the world but all ye that are true of heart sincere and upright before God whose wills and affections are conformable to the Divine will both in desire and deed such may rejoyce heartily in this life in the assured hope of celestial happiness in the life to come And therefore Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm XXXVIII Verse 1. PVT me not to rebuke O Lord in thine anger to take revenge of the ingratitude and perjury of mine offences against thee neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure Let not my correction for my faults be in rigour of justice but temper'd with mercy as a father chasteneth his son whom he loveth 2. For thine arrows stick fast in me The sharp sentences of thy holy Word against sinners pierce my heart with fear and terrour and thy hand presseth me soar Thy vindicative power which thou exercisest against offenders weigheth down and oppresseth myspirits 3. There is no health in my flesh thence is the spring and foment of my sinful corruption and therefore justly punished because of thine anger the sad effects whereof afflict me neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sin The sinful sickness of my Soul renders me so disquieted and disturb'd as be those who are so afflicted with bodily pain and sickness that they find no ease or intermission of their anguish 4. For mine iniquities by my frequent reiteration of them are gone over my head their number is greater then the hairs of my head and so prevalent withall that they have brought under both head and heart both my Judgment and Affections are ensnared thereby and are as a heavy burthen which sinks the body to the earth so is the weight of sin upon the Soul too heavy for me to bear the weight of punishment due thereunto 5. My wounds stink My sins through long continuance in them fester in my Soul and are corrupt through my foolishness in consenting and delighting my self to wallow with the sow in the mire of sinful pollutions 6. I am brought into so great trouble and misery Both the powers and parts of my Soul and body are so distemper'd and disturb'd that I go mourning all the day long The sense of my sins and just fears of punishment make the day of my present life sad and heavy 7. For my loyns are filled with a soar disease there there my carnal lusts engendred the fulfilling whereof hath made my Soul like a loathsome leper or some such ulcerous creature and there is no soundness in my flesh which alway lusteth against the spirit to the great distemper of both 8. I am feeble in body through carnal incentives and soar broken in spirit by their prevalency over me I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart My conscience gain-saying such exorbitances but not prevailing makes me now cry aloud through its disquietude unto the searcher of all hearts 9. Lord thou knowest all my desire my earnest longings after thee for ease and help and my groaning under the heavy weight of my sins and of thy displeasure is not hid from thee although I should be silent and not express the same by prayers and tears 10. My heart panteth through the disquietude of its unruly passions the peace of my Conscience being also lost and my strength hath failed me the wonted vigour of my Devotion is decayed whence fear and solicitude do issue and the light of mine eyes is gone from me My understanding which is the eye of the Soul is darkned through the sway of its passions and the Sun of righteousness is gone down upon my Soul because of the deeds of darkness I have committed 11. My lovers and my neighbours who are obliged by the ties of friendship and continued conversation did stand looking upon my trouble â—â—t moving to perform their wonted friendly offices to me and my kinsmen they of mine own flesh and bloud either out of scorn or abhorrence of my troubled estate 〈◊〉 aâ— far off as if I were a stranger to them and not onely my friends but mine enemies 12. They that seâ—k â—fter my soul the Devil and his Angels and wicked men their instruments laid sâ—â—res for me by their cunning temptations of me unto sin to destroy me and they that went about to doe me evil endeavoured by all means to doe me all the mischief was in their power have to this end talked of wickedness framed lies raised false reports consulted and contrived pernicious designs against me and imagined deceit all the day long or continually framed all their imaginations to deceive and ruine me 13. As for me I was like a deaf man that heareth not With such patience I sustained all this as if I had heard nothing of their consultations nor known any thing of their designs against me and as one that is dumb who doth not open his mouth either to rail against mine enemies or to murmur at the sadness of my condition 14. I became even as a man that heareth not taking no notice of what was said or done against me and in whose mouth are no reproofs I opened not my mouth to reprove much less to revile my adversaries So my dear Saviour has taught me by his example who suffered himself with all sweetness of patience he was led as a sheep to the
rather to be as a cast-away given up to a reprobate sense yet take not thy holy Spirit from me though I have often quench'd his sacred fires by my extravagant lusts yet leave me not forsake me not utterly But 13. Give me the comfort of thy help again or Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation which by my sins I have forfeited and lost and stablish me with thy free spirit Free me by thy holy Spirit of liberty from the law of sin and of death 14. Then shall I teach both by word and example thy waies of mercy and truth unto the wicked who follow the ways of their own hearts and sinners shall be converted unto thee by the example of my sincere conversion and seasonable admonitions 15. Deliver me from bloud-guiltiness O God from all the kinds and degrees of bloud-guiltiness such are immoderate anger hatred malice envy and from all mortal or soul-killing sins thou that art the God of my health the health both of my body and Soul both temporal and eternal Salvation is from thee and therefore my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness extolling thy truth in making good thy promised mercies to the truly penitent 16. O Lord open my lips which my sins have closed up and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise which becometh not the lips of sinners but thou art a God forgiving offences and even out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast perfected praise 17. For thou O Lord desirest no sacrifice of slain beasts for the expiation of sin else would I give it thee were it thy pleasure to accept the same but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings 'T is not the outward carnal offerings though commanded by thee that thou respectest as the principal means to pacifie thy displeasure but the inward devotion and compunction of the person offering 18. The sacrifices of God those he chiefly respecteth and accepteth are a troubled spirit wounded and groaning under the sad sense of his sins a broken and contrite heart the fallow-ground whereof is broken up by a strict Self-examination contrite by Compunction weeded by Confession watered with the tears of godly Sorrow such a Sacrifice O God thou wilt not despise but accept through his merits who with a torn body and broken heart offered up himself a sacrifice for the sins of the world 19. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion Let thy blessing plentifully descend upon our holy Mother the Church both universal and this particular Church whereof I am a Member build thou the walls of Jerusalem Repair the breaches both in true doctrine and discipline which through licenciousness in opinion and conversation are greatly decayed that the Souls of the righteous may enjoy the vision of peace 20. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness with those sacred acts and offices of true Repentance whereby through Faith in the bloud of Christ the sinner is justified with burnt-offerings not of beasts without spot or defect but of holy innocent persons enfir'd with godly zeal and devotion to thy Service and whole burnt-offerings even the whole man devoted to a whole entire obedience through the whole course of life then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar themselves shall they offer upon the Altar of a pure heart a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Psalm CII Verse 1. HEar my praier O Lord as to the saving effects thereof and let my crying come unto thee be accepted by thee since my loud voice manifests the inward zeal and devotion of my heart 2. Hide not thy face from me under the thick cloud of my transgressions in the time of my trouble when burthened with the weight of sin or violence of temptation inclâ—ne thine ears to me when I call being penitent and humbled under thy mighty hand O hear me and that right soon there being danger in delay 3. For my days are consumed away like smoak spent in airy light vain unprofitable and black sinful works and my bones the strength and support of my Soul are burnt up as it were a firebrand scorched and withered through the exorbitant heat of carnal concupiscence which renders me liable to the fire of thy wrath 4. My heart is smitten down and withered like grass As when the grass is mowed down and withered by the Sun 's hot beams so my Soul being smitten down by the violence of temptation is dried up and withered in her devotion so that I forget to eat my bread neglecting the sweet refreshments of thy Holy Word and Sacraments where the Soul is nourished with the bread of life 5. For the voice of my groaning under the heavy burthen of my sins my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh being macerated by the strict rigour of penitential severities 6. I am become like a pelican in the wilderness flying even the sight and society of men through shame and confusion of face and like an owl that is in the desart that takes up her lodging in ruinous houses and not inhabited 7. I have watched in the serious consideration of my sinful and sad condition and am even as it were a sparrow flying the company of sinners that sitteth alone upon the house top solitary serious and studious how to escape the snares of sin below and mount up my Soul to Heaven above 8. Mine enemies revile me all the day long Such as hate to be reformed and are enemies to a serious and settled course of Religion continually deride and revile me and they that are mad upon me with rage and fury are sworn together against me have conspired my ruine 9. For I have eaten ashes as it were bread My meat was as unpleasant to me as if I had eaten ashes and mingled my drink with weeping All my wonted corporal refreshments were sowred with spiritual sorrow for my sins Or a August in loc I have exercised the penitential rigours of ashes and weeping sack-cloath and ashes being the armour and cloathing of penitents 10. And that because of thine indignation and wrath That 's the chief ingredient in my sorrow that I have deservedly incurred thy wrath for thou hast lift me up and cast me down Thou seemest as it were to raise me up that I may fall with the greater weight and violence or Thou hast raised me to great honour to be stampt after thine own image but for want of understanding I have faln down as low as the beasts that perish 11. My days are gone like a shadow they are not onely vain empty and unprofitable but also darksom and gloomy because I have declined from the Sun of righteousness and I am withered like grass for want of the celestial dew of Divine grace 12. But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever Whilst all other things pass away thou changest not being immutable as in mercy to raise up so
conveyances of sense are the thickest to the unspeakable torment of thine innocent body The sorrows and sufferings of thy Soul were far greater The sufferings of his Soul being like melting wax molten in the fiery furnace of God's wrath for the sins of the world till the fulness of thy sufferings being accomplished thou commendedst thy spirit into the hands of God All this Sorrow and Suffering Grief and Torment of thine I believe verily was for me and for my sins there being nothing in thee the spotless Son of a spotless Virgin to grieve or sorrow or suffer for O sweetest Saviour save and deliver me from all my sins whether of knowledge or ignorance of wilfulness or negligence of omission or commission of thought desire word or deed confessed or not confessed before thee wash them all away in thy precious bloud shed for me nail them to thy Cross which were the cause of thy Crucifixion hide them in thy wounds who wast wounded for my transgressions and write those wounds of thine in my heart not with ink but with the bloud which was shed forme that in and by those characters of bloud I may reade and learn to die unto sin and live onely unto thee who diedst for me cleaving stedfastly unto thee whose whole self wast so fast nailed to the Cross for me By thy Cross and Passion both in Soul and Body cleanse me from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit crucifie this corruptible flesh of mine with all the inordinate affections and unruly lusts thereof that being conformed to thy Death I may be partaker of thy Resurrection that suffering with thee here I may reign with thee hereafter where thou livest THE SECOND PART OF THE PRACTICAL Christian Being Considerations Meditations and Prayers in order to the worthy Receiving the HOLY COMMUNION of the Body and Bloud of CHRIST The Second Edition revised and augmented Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Luk. 12.43 LONDON Printed for R. Royston 1677. A TABLE of the Chapters CHAP. I. Of the two general Christian Duties required in order to the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of Christ CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemâ—ration of our Saviour's Passion CHAP. VI. Saint Gregory 's Praiers upon the Passion of Christ CHAP. VII The Form of Praier used by our Lord upon the Cross viz. the XXII Psalm paraphrased CHAP. VIII Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament on Saturday-night or Sunday-morning before CHAP. IX Meditations upon your going to Church with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament CHAP. XI Psalms of praise and thanksgiving after the Holy Communion THE PRACTICAL Christian PART II. CHAP. I. Of the two general Christian Duties required in order to the Holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of CHRIST 1. THE Blessed Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is of all the Mysteries of godliness the most comprehensive and applicatory to the Soul 's eternall Happiness 'T is amongst all Christian Duties of highest dignity and greatest concern 'T is both the Food and the Medicine the Life and the Health the Strength and Defence the Peace Joy and Delight of the truly Religious Soul 'T is the most effectual means of the nearest Union and Communion with Christ in this life attainable 'T is expresly so called the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Communion of the Bloud of Christ a 1 Cor. 10.16 which Doctrine we are taught as one of the Principles of our Religion The Body and Bloud of Christ is verily and indeed taken and received of the faithfull in the Lord's Supper b Church Catech. 2. In the right and reverent Administration with the devout and worthy Participation of this Sacramental Body of Christ we are incorporated into his holy Mystical Body So saith our Lord himself He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him c Joh. 6.56 And such is also the Doctrine of the Church of Christ If with a true penitent heart and lively faith we receive the Holy Sacrament we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ and drink his bloud we dwell in Christ and Christ in us we be one with Christ and Christ with us we obtain remission of our Sins and all other the Benfits of his Passion d Comm. office 3. Hence then it follows that whoever owns the name of a Christian and understands aright what it is to be truly so and not in vain so called must acknowledge these two general Duties to be incumbent upon him 1. Not to neglect any opportunity of Receiving this Blessed Sacrament 2. To use all possible means with his utmost endeavours to receive the same worthily I. As to the First whoso slights or neglects to come being invited to the Holy Communion either 1. He rightly understands not the Holy Religion he professeth or 2. His Religion is no other but a bare Profession something that perhaps employs his Tongue and strikes upon his Ears to hear and talk about it but never entred the deep of his Heart truly to believe and practise it * Matt. 15.8 There be too many such persons God wot that talk much of Religion yea many that talk loudly of Communion with Christ and are seemingly zealous in the external performance of several Christian Duties especially in the frequency of long and loud Praiers but if the many wild extravagancies of such performances did not lay them open yet their general neglect of this Sacrament which is the life and quintessence of all Christian offices and the infallible witness of true Christianity discovers the hypocrisy of such seeming Zelots that with the old Pharisees they draw nigh unto God with their mouth and honour him with their lips but their heart is not whole with him neither are they stedfast in his covenant f Isa 29.13 Psal 78.36 37. Which is farther evident in that 3. Such persons make no conscience of Sin which is the transgression of the Law of Christ He commands saying Take eat Drink ye all of this Doe this in remembrance of me Shew forth the Lord's death till he come Come unto me all ye that are weary Ho every one that thirsteth come g Matt. 26.27 28. Luk. 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 25 26. Matt. 11.28 Isa 55.1 Not to come to that Blessed Sacrament being invited is to disobey all these and several more positive commands of God which being also frequently read heard preached and pressed upon the consciences of men by their consciencious Ministers and yet still slighted and disobeyed will undoubtedly incur if not prevented
by a timely true Repentance and Amendment that sad and dismall sentence at the last Day Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire h Matt. 25.41 4. Disobedience to these commands of our Lord in the neglect of this Blessed Sacrament doth declare every such person so neglecting whatever his excuses may be 1. in generall that he is more in love with his Sins then with his Saviour with the errours of his ways then with the Truth that is in Jesus i Eph. 4.21 or 2. more particularly that he prefers either his sloth and negligence or his enmity and maliciousness or his temporall concerns and covetousness or in a word some secular or sensual lust before the purification of his Soul in the Bloud of Christ and its nourishment to life eternall 5. He disobeys the commands slights the orders contemns the discipline of Christ's Church makes no conscience of conforming to the practice of and of holding communion with all sound and orthodox Members of Christ but rather implies nay openly declares that he is none of Christ's number but separate and divided from Christ's mysticall Body which is the Church k Col. 1.24 and consequently not quickened with his Spirit for these two are inseparable one Body the Church and one Spirit l Eph. 4.4 viz. of truth and holiness which quickeneth this one Body and this alone The guilt of any which particulars is so inconsistent with the state of true Christianity that there is no person who reads and seriously considers them can reasonably call himself a Member of Christ or acceptably call upon God as such and yet still continue his neglect of this Blessed Sacrament 6. And this amongst others is one of the greatest causes of so great a decay of Piety of so much dulness and deadness of heart in all Religious performances of so much averseness from the publick Worship of God in his House of prayer and of so much irreverence and profaneness therein 'T is the cause of so many spiritual diseases in the Souls of men of so much weakness against Temptations of so much wavering in opinion of so many Errours Schisms Factions even because the Souls of all such are not fed nourished strengthned and refreshed quickned and confirmed with the precious Body and Bloud of Christ the which being rightly and reverently received illuminates the Understanding purifies the Will cleanses the Heart rectifies the Affections and renders the whole Man apt and active to every good work of the Lord. II. The Second general Duty in order to this Holy Sacrament is To use all possible means and endeavours to receive the same worthily There will need no other Reasons to enforce this Duty then the terrour of those known words of the Apostle He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself And this Unworthiness consists in not discerning the Lord's Body as it immediately follows m 1 Cor. 11.29 Here then every man that hath any care of his Soul will desire to know what it is not to discern the Lord's Body which makes a man liable to Damnation by being an unworthy Communicant at the Lord's Table To understand this fully and clearly we must use the light of a distinction For there is a threefold Body of Christ abstracted from that of his personal subsistence as Man of a reasonable Soul and humane Flesh subsisting viz. 1. Mystical 2. Doctrinal 3. Sacramental And not to discern the Lord's Body in any of these three meanings thereof makes unworthie Receivers 1. The Mystical Body of Christ is his Church n Eph. 1.22 23. Col. 1.24 And he discerns not this Body of Christ who rightly believes not the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints 'T is one of the names whereby this Holy Sacrament is called The Holy Communion excluding thence as unworthy all that are not within the Pale and Communion of Christ's Church both Unbelievers and Misbelievers Hereticks and Schismaticks all disobedient factious contentious spirits with all sorts of Separatists from the Church of Christ whether in Faith or Charity Doctrine or Worship For all worthy Communicants being many are one Body in Christ and every one Members one of another o Rom. 12.5 1 Cor. 12.12 13. 2. The Doctrinal Body of Christ is the Doctrine of Christianity or the Body of Faith wherein all found orthodox Christians do agree and are united as Members of the foresaid Mystical Body of Christ the Church which is therefore called the common Faith p Tit. 1.4 and 't is that Faith which was once given to or rather by the Saints q Jude v. 3. the holy Apostles of our Lord. He discerns not this Body of the Lord who understands not the Principles of his Religion which are summed up in the Vow or Covenant which every person rightly Christned hath made with God in his Baptism the positive parts whereof besides the negative are 1. the Apostles Creed 2. the Ten Commandments with what is implied therein and depends thereupon viz. 3. the Lord's Praier and 4. the Doctrine of the Sacraments Not to know these general Heads of Religion which be plainly and fully delivered in the Church-Catechism or having learned them by heart when Children not frequently to remember and consider them when come to age so as to understand and hold them fast as the Essentials of Christianity is the second general kind of Unworthiness of the Lord's Supper from whence all ignorant and careless foolish and sottish persons are excluded r Jer. 24.7 Heb. 8.11 with all such as hold not fast the first Principles of the Oracles of God †Heb. 5.12 3. The Sacramental Body of Christ is the consecrated Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament This is expresly affirmed by our Lord saying This is my Body This is my Bloud Who then dare say as the Fathers frequently observe This is not his Body but a Figure of his Body onely He discerns not this Body of our Lord 1. who sees not with the eye of Faith Christ really present under the Species of Bread and Wine though he conceive not the manner thereof who doth not with all gratefull acknowledgment and divine love and with the greatest humility and devotion adore the infinite wisedom power mercy goodness and condescension of this Presence of our Lord not curiously questioning much less pragmatically defining the way and manner of his Presence as being deeply mysterious and inconceivable Those old Verses expressing the Faith of the wifest of our first Reformers may satisfy every modest humble and sober-minded good Christian in his great Mystery of godliness It was the Lord that spake it He took the Bread and brake it And what the Word did make it So I believe and take it 2. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who knows not in some measure the nature ends uses and benefits of this Sacrament with what is required of them that come thereunto All
which being plainly fully and yet very briefly taught in our Church-Catechism to be therefore ignorant of these things which every Child is bound to learn and say is another Species of an unworthy Communicant 3. He discerns not this Sacramental Body of the Lord who prepares not himself to receive the same with all reverence and godly fear t Heb. 12.28 with hands washed in innocency v Psal 26.6 and into a pure and clean heart x Isa 1.16 Psal 24.4 into a Soul cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit y 2 Cor. 7.1 and perfumed as was our Lord's crucified Body with the sweet odours of Humility and Compunction of Love and Devotion of Obedience and Charity And hereunto all the parts and kinds of true Repentance do necessarily concur for there can be no cleanness of hands no purity of heart if the naturally stiff and proud heart be not first humbled and its stifness broken with godly sorrow for sin and its filthiness washed off with the devout tears of true Penitence through Faith in the bloud of Christ And he that receives Christ's Holy Body and Bloud into his Soul not first emptied of all his Sins by holy Faith and all the sacred offices of true Repentance doth with Judas betray his Master into the hands of his enemies even those very enemies which crucified him for those were our Sins And therefore 't is said of such unworthy Receivers that they are guilty of the Body and Bloud of Christ To avoid such a horrid Sin 1 Cor. 11.27 and Damnation following the same v. 29. betwixt both Verses 't is commanded v. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat Self-examination as 't is in the former Leaves prescribed to be practised is the first and the greatest Duty and requires the most of spiritual labour care and industry of all that is required to the worthy Receiving of the Holy Communion And this because 't is not onely necessary in it self but necessarily conducing to the sincere performance of all the other Religious Duties commanded Our Repentance in all its parts our Humiliation and godly Sorrow for sin our holy Purposes and Resolves of amendment our Faith our Hope our Charity must be examined that they be sincere and without hypocrisy And therefore it is that this Duty is commanded by the Apostle as if it were alone sufficient when sincerely performed to make us acceptable Guests at the Lord's Table saying Let a man examine himself and so let him eat And indeed this so great so necessary a Duty is as greatly extolled and withall pretended unto by most men especially such as talk much of their Religion but practise little 'T is generally the pretence and the plea of such who cry up Self-examination to cry down the Sacerdotal power and function to withdraw themselves from under the guidance and examination of their respective Pastours whose Instructions being not received or observed but so far forth as to every man seemeth good in his own eyes is the great reason why this grand Duty is so generally neglected or negligently performed The which is manifest 1. From the numerous company of those who make no conscience of coming to the Holy Communion when invited 'T is not possible that men otherwise prudent as to their worldly concerns should yet be so sottish so retchless so stupidly careless of their eternal health and happiness did they ever seriously examine and consider the state and condition of their Souls But whilst they know not themselves in their spiritual wants weakness and wickedness how can they have any desire much lesse a delight to come to the fountain of mercy truth and holiness z Wisedom 2 21 22. Matt. 5.6 'T is the reason 2. Why many persons having received the Sacrament but feeling no virtue no efficacy no power of grace no consolation flowing from these celestral Mysteries of Salvation have therefore afterwards slighted and neglected the same For whilst their ignorances and errours whether in opinion or practice for want of due Examination appeared not unto them that Sun of Righteousness shined not into their hearts who appears not but through the windows and the openings of broken hearts and displayed consciences a Wised 5.6 And besides such is the corrupt nature of all finfulness and vice that if the leaven thereof be not narrowly searched out and abandoned it will sour the Bread of life and make it without any tast of sweetness to the Soul b 1 Cor. 5.7 8. 'T is the reason 3. Why many persons have by the receiving of that Blessed Sacrament been more hardened in their sins and in the errours of their ways For errours in judgment and offences in conversation which are the soars and diseases of the Soul being not searched to the bottom and salved by Repentance and the acknowledgement of the Truth c 2 Tim. 2.25 do change the spiritual food and nourishment of the Soul into the poison thereof whereby what was ordained unto life is found unto death d Rom. 7.10 CHAP. II. Meditations and Praiers preparatory to the Holy Communion the Week before THE truly sincere good Christian whose Faith is not in Fancy or Opinion or Presumption or consisting in word and tongue alone but in deed and in truth who desires truly to serve God and to honour and obey him with his whole heart and through his whole life every such qualified Christian will as soon as he hath notice given by his Pastour of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to be administred seriously apply himself to the great work of fitting preparing and ordering his Soul for the joyfull and devout entertainment of his Blessed Redeemer thereinto In order to such a Blessed work 't will be very usefull and advantageous the whole Week foregoing to adde to your daily Praiers and Meditations these or the like following Collects with the Psalms ensuing I. Almighty God our heavenly Father who of thy tender mercy didst give thine onely Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and hast commanded us to continue a perpetual memory of that his precious Death untill his comiong again Hear me O mercifull Father I most humbly beseech thee and grant that I may with that right Understandingâ— true Faith sincere Repentance deep Humility and fervent Charity receive the Sacrament of my dear Saviour's Death accoridng to his institution and command that I may be made partaker of all the benefits of his Passion to the justification sanctification and eternal Salvation of my Soul through the same Jesus Christ II. I will not presume to approach thine Altar O Lord trusting in mine own Righteousness but in thy manifold and great Mercies I am not worthy to gather up the crums that fall from thy Table for I am an unclean creature to whom the Childrens bread belongs not having too often returned to my old Sins as the dog to his vomit But
whither Blessed Lord whither should a defiled Soul go to be cleansed but unto that Fountain which is opened in the house of Israel for sin and for uncleanness In this inexhaustible Fountain of Divine grace my sinfull Soul longs to be washed and through the effusion of the precious Bloud of my Redeemer to be purified and my whole self for the future to be sincerely devoted to serve thee in holiness and righteousness before thee all the days of my life Amen III. Assist me Blessed Lord in the Triall and impartial Examination of my heart and of all the actions of my life in the full Confession of all my Sins with the tears of true Penitence and godly Sorrow for them in my Praiers for mercy and pardon of them and for grace to be sanctified against them O hear in Heaven and be mercifull unto me forgive me my Sins and heal my Soul through the merits and mediation of my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A short preparatory Meditation to the Sacrament out of S. Ambrose O with what great contrition of heart with what a floud of tears with what reverence fear and trembling with what purity of mind and chastity of body is that Divine celestial Mystery to be celebrated where thy Flesh O Lord is truly received and thy Bloud is truly drunk where things most high and low Divine and humane are mysteriously intermingled where the Angels of Heaven are invisibly present beholding and assisting in the celebration and where thou O Lord art inconceivably present both as the Priest and the Sacrifice O who can worthily either administer or receive such grand tremend celestial Mysteries except Thou the Omnipotent God make him worthy of thy Grace Even so come Lord Jesus The XXIII Psalm paraphrased Verse 1. THE Lord who hath created redeemed and sanctified me is my Shepherd to feed guide and defend me from the ravening of my ghostly foes therefore I can lack nothing that is needfull or convenient either for Soul or body 2. He shall feed me in a green pasture My Soul doth he feed with the verdant refreshing Indoctrinations of his Holy Word and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort Such are the influences of the Holy Ghost the Comforter and such are the Sacraments of his Church which as waters do quench the fire of Concupiscence wash off the pollution of Sin cleanse the heart from all vain and impure thoughts and desires satisfy the spiritual thirst of the Soul and feed the same to life eternal and these be Comforts both great and glorious 3. He shall convert my soul from the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World and from the sinfull Lusts of the Flesh and bring me forth into the paths of righteousness to keep God's holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the days of my life and this he will doe for his Name 's sake that his Name which is great wonderfull and holy may be glorified in me and by me 4. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death be conversant amidst continual Temptations and Tribulations which are the miseries of mortality and the shadows of death in this valley of tears I will fear none evill neither the evil of Sin nor Death the wages of Sin for thou art with me dwelling in my heart by Faith in this mortal life that after the shadow of death is vanished I may dwell with thee by Vision in life immortal Aug. thy rod and thy staff comfort me thy rod to correct me thy staff to support me thy rod to punish me when I doe evill thy staff to sustain me in my sufferings for my Sins Both are great comforts to the devout Soul as being signs of Adoption and Grace purchased by the mystical Rod and Staff of my Saviour's Sufferings on the wood of his Cross This was the rod of the Lord's indignation for our Sins and the rod wherewithall our Lord beat the Devil out of his strong holds this was the staff also or stay of fallen Man the merits whereof I humbly beg to be applied to my Soul in the Sacrament of his Passion For 5. Thou shalt prepare a table before me The Table of the Lord is spred before all true Believers where is prepared the Bread of Heaven the food of Angels the Body and Bloud of Christ for the strengthning and refreshing of my Soul against them that trouble me and these are chiefly home-bred Enemies even all those sinful Lusts of the flesh which war against the Soul But that I may be prepared for the conflict with them thou hast anointed my head with oil The Unction of the Holy one are the Graces of the Holy Spirit which from Christ the Head do flow down upon his Members in the devout use of his Sacraments and my cup shall be full That Cup of blessing which is the Communion of the Bloud of Christ is full of grace and heavenly benediction And this in all humility I call my cup because I am invited nay commanded to take and drink thereof And if I receive it worthily I may then rejoycing say The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup and as it follows 6. Thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life 'T was thy loving-kindness and mercy preventing me whereby I was called unto the state of Grace and Salvation and I believe and humbly pray that thy Grace may also follow me to continue in the same to my life's end and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the end and the perfection of all the Lord's Blessings upon me He is therefore my Shepherd and doth feed and guide me protect and defend me correct and support me and with his precious Body and Bloud doth nourish me in his house of praier here below that I may hereafter dwell in his house of praise above and with his holy Angels and Saints for ever sing Glory be to God the Father As it was in the beginning Other Psalms seasonable for Meditation and relating to this Divine subject in several Verses are the XLII XLIII LXXXI LXXXIV Psalms the which I have not paraphrased or explained that this Volume might not swell into too great a bulk CHAP. III. Meditations and Praiers for the Friday especially before the Communion 1. AMongst all the days of the Week Friday is the most seasonable and fittest for the performance of those Religious Duties the which though never out of season are yet then most practical when commanded as necessary Preparatives for the worthy receiving of the Sacrament viz. the grand Duty of Self-examination of Confession of sins with Contrition Humiliation and Fasting as also for Meditations and Praiers upon the Passion of our Lord since it was upon this day of the week he was crucified and died for our Sins 2. 'T is upon this account that our Church enjoyns this day to be observed through the whole
year as a day of Fasting and Abstinence and it was ever observed as such since our Lord died upon the Friday through all the Ages of the Church untill these last and worst of days wherein the evil spirit of contradiction against the Religious practices of Christ's Church doth so rage as amongst many others to cry down all Times and Days devoted to the Service of God except what they call the Sabbath-day the which under the Gospel is neither properly so called nor rightly observed by such as truly understand not the IV. Commandment but misinterpret the sound meaning of the Spirit by the killing Letter of the Law 3. All orthodox and understanding good Christians in stead of a Jewish Sabbath observe as festival and holy the Christian Sunday because the Sun of Righteousness arose upon that day from death to life and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel in which respect 't is frequently in Holy Scripture called the Lord's day 4. And there is the like reason for the observance of Friday as fasting in commemoration of Christ's Passion as there is for Sunday as festival in commemoration of his Resurrection Nor is this obscurely but plainly enough commanded by our Lord himself But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days a Luk. 5.35 These words are both 1. a positive command to all the Disciples of Christ they shall fast and also 2. the days whereon they shall fast are prescribed in those days whereon the Bridegroom was taken away from them which are the Fridays of the year whereon our Lord the Bridegroom and Head of his Church was taken off by a bitter death upon the Cross It is therefore but meet and just that all true Members of this Head should fast and pray and be humbled for their Sins on that day especially whereon the Son of God so sadly suffered and sorrowed for the Sins of the world Friday Meditations I. Part of LXIX Psalm paraphrased Verse 13. LORD I make my praier unto thee in an acceptable time Now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation even the day whereon for us men and for our Salvation the Blessed Son of God was crucified unto death 14. Hear me O God in the multitude of thy mercies against the multitude of my Sins which require a multitude of mercies to pardon them even in the truth of thy Salvation which on this day was so dearly purchased with the precious Bloud of the Son of God as a Lamb without spot 15. Take me out of the mire of all my sinfull pollutions and of all exorbitant lusts both secular and sensual that I sink not under the weight and pressure of them O let mâ— be delivered from them that hate me meaning chiefly the Devil and his angels and all the enemies of my Soul and out of the deep waters the rising waves of my unruly Passions and the waters of Trouble and Affliction which issue thence 16. Let not the water-floud of iniquity which overflows the face of the earth drown me with the rest of evill-doers neither let the deep swallow me up the deep abyss of Death the wages of Sin and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me so as that I arise not out of the gulph of Sin and Death to the life of Grace and Glory 17. Hear me O Lord for thy loâ—â—â— kindness is comfortable T is the 〈◊〉 and fountain life and soul of 〈◊〉 consolation at all times and in 〈◊〉 conditions both prosperous and adverse turn thee unto me not for any worth that is in me to attract thy loving-kindness but according to the multitude of thy mercies which are ever manifested to all them who truly turn unto thee 18. Hide not thy face from thy servant as angry and displeased for the alienations of my heart from thee and negligence in thy service for I am in trouble troubled for my Sins and frequent back-slidings and the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise O haste thee and hear me For if thou make as though thou hearest not I shall be like them that goe down into the pit 19. Draw nigh unto my Soal and save it who for the Salvation of my Soul didst this day humble thy self unto death even the cursed death of the Cross by the Merits and efficacy of which Cross and Passion O deliver me from all mine offences because of mine enemies that they triumph not in my confusion II. Meditations out of the Prophet Isaiah Chap. LIII Verse 4. SVrely he hath born our griefs and carried our serrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 6. All we like sheep have gone astray and God hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all In the Sufferings of thy Saviour O my Soul thou maiest see as in a glass thine own Deformities and Sins The Great Lord over all Blessed for ever to be reproached reviled scorned contemned and numbred amongst the transgressours discovers thy false and uncharitable Judging Censuring Condemning Evil-speaking Lying and Slandering Railing and Reviling of others The blessed Face of Jesus besmeared with Spittle doth remember thee of all thy unclean Lusts and of all the filthy Communication that has proceeded out of thy mouth His blessed Mouth embittered with Gall and Vinegar doth mind thee of thy Effeminacy and Luxury Drunkenness and Gluttony and his Whipping of thy Stubbornness and Disobedience to the Laws of Heaven The King of Glory to wear a Crown of Thorns and for his Robes of Majesty onely a little Linen to cover his nakedness declares the iniquity of thy Pride and Vain-glory the folly of Gay cloathing and all thy vain and foolish affectation of the Pomps and Vanities of this sinfull World That Crown of Thorns beaten into his Temples with a Reed and much rage discovers the offensive nature of immoderate Cares of the world with the sharp and piercing Vexations issuing thence which eat up the Consolation of the heart and all true sincere Devotion of the spirit O sweetest Jesu let all my Sins be done away through thy Sufferings which did both represent and satisfy for them Let thy Wounds be a Salve for my Sin-wounded Soul and by thy Stripes let her be healed of all her Distempers Let thy Bonds discharge that Bond of malediction and woe wherein my Sins have enwrapt my Soul and let my Obligation to punishment be cancelled by thy Cross Let thy Pains deliver me from the Pains of Hell and thy Labours procure my Rest with the Saints in Heaven Let thy Sorrows purchase the Joys and thy Griefs the Pleasures of thy right hand Let thy Captivity be my Redemption thy Humiliation my Exaltation
thy Cross my Crown and thy Death my Life for ever God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the world is crucified to me and I unto the world b Gal. 6.14 III. Meditations out of the Prophet Jeremy IS it nothing to you Lam. 1.12 all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Ob that mine head were waters Jer. 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the Sufferings of my Saviour Shall I not weep for him who both wept and bled for me yea wept out every drop of his most precious Bloud to deliver me from weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever In the natural Body if one Member suffer all suffer with it and 't is thus in the Body mysticall also If I be a lively Member of Christ his Afflictions will afflict and pierce my heart his Passion will excite both compassion and compunction in my Soul so as to bewail not my Saviour onely but my self and my Sins also to bewail my self and the hardness of my heart that I cannot even with a floud of tears bewail my Saviour in his Sufferings nor yet sufficiently lament and abhor my Sins the causes thereof Upon the Passion of our Lord the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom That Temple mystically represents the Heart of man which signifies by its triangular form that 't is framed to be a Temple consecrated to the thrice-blessed Trinity But woe and alas my Heart is harder then the stones of that material Temple and receives not any deep impressions of that honour and happiness whereunto it was created Yet if any thing will mollify its stifness it must be the precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer which was for this very end shed upon the Cross There he bled whilst he had one drop to shed and there together with his precious Bloud he poured forth his righteous Soul with strong cryings and tears to melt the stony hearts of the sons of men into tears of Penitence and Devotion of divine Love and Obedience The gaping Wounds of my dear Lord are as so many Mouths opened to shew forth the bowels of his Compassion and through the hollow of his pierced Side may the devout Soul behold with the eye of faith his broken Heart flaming with the love of Man and dying for love O senseless ingratefull Soul who art not wounded with the Wounds of thy Saviour who art not throughly pierced with the dart of his Love who was pierced to the heart for the love of thee whose mouth is not continually opened in the praise of him all whose Wounds were as so many mouths praising the Lord for thy Redemption I am surely bound deeply engaged to love to honour to obey and wholly to live unto him who died for me even to give up my self my whole self all that I am and all that I have to his service who gave up his whole self every member of his Body every power of his Soul every drop of his Bloud a Sacrifice for my Sins And the very God of peace sanctify me wholly to his service And I pray God my whole spirit and Soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen CHAP. IV. Saint Augustine 's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father BEhold Holy Father thy Blessed Son suffering for me great and grievous things Regard most glorious King who it was that suffered and remember in mercy for whom he suffered Is not this He my Lord even that Innocent one whom to redeem a Servant thou offeredst up being a Son Is not this He even that Authour and Giver of Life who was led as an innocent Lamb to the slaughter and became obedient unto thee even unto death and feared not to undergo the most bitter of all deaths Is not this He whom thou the dispenser of all Salvation didst beget from all eternity but in fulness of time wouldst have him partaker of my infirmity This is truly thy Deity who hath put on my mortality who was lifted up on the Cross and in my flesh suffered that sad punishment of a cursed death Look back O Lord my God with the eyes of thy Majesty upon this unspeakable work of mercy Behold thy sweet Son in all the parts of his Body extended and rackt See his innocent Hands flowing with his precious bloud and pardon in great mercy the iniquities which my wicked hands have committed Consider his naked Side pierced with a cruel spear and renew me in the sacred Font which I believe to have issued thence Behold those immaculate Feet which never stood in the way of sinners but alway walked in the Law of the Lord cruelly bored and transfixed with nails remove far from me the way of iniquity and make me to chuse the way of truth to hate and decline the ways of the ungodly and to walk in the paths of thy Commandments O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not I beseech thee O King of Saints by him who is the chief of Saints my Blessed Redeemer make me to run the way of thy Commandments that I may be united unto him who abhorred not to be cloathed with my flesh Behold most merciful Creatour the Humanity of thy beloved Son and have mercy upon the infirmity of thy frail creature His naked Breast is white and wan his pierced Side red and bloudy his distorted Bowels wither his splendid Eyes do languish his majestick Countenance is pale his procerous Arms are stiff and cold his marble Thighs hang down whilst his precious Bloud like water bedews his Feet Behold the punishment of God made Man and relax the misery of created man consider the sufferings of the Redeemer and forgive the sins of the redeemed This is He my Lord whom thou hast stricken for the sins of thy people although he be thy beloved Son in whom thou art well pleased This is He who knew no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth and yet he was numbred amongst the Transgressours and bore the sins of many CHAP. V. Saint Ambrose 's Commemoration of our Saviour's Passion O Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the living God the Creatour and Redeemer of all mankind we give thee thanks unworthy though they be yet desire they may be devout and acceptable to thee who for us miserable sinners camest down from Heaven and tookest flesh of the blessed Virgin Mary of her thou vouchsafedst to be born to be wrapt in swadling-cloaths and laid in a manger to suck the breasts to be circumcised in thy tender flesh to be manifested to the Wise men and adored by them to be presented in the Temple to be carried
harp with my heart will I give thanks unto thee O God my God c Psal 43.3 4. The CXI Psalm Verse 1. I Will give thanks unto thee O Lord with my whole heart a God must be worshipped not with the lips alone nor alone in the closet but both with heart and voice both secretly and in the Congregation secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation b not in the Conventicles of Hereticks and Schismaticks but in the Congregation of the faithfull 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein c whose delight it is to study and meditate upon the greatness of God apparent in his works 3. His work is worthy to be praised and had in honour and his righteousness endureth for ever d wherein to the honour of God his righteousness is as himself unchangeable and everlasting 4. The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance * Though the Lord be marvellous in all his works yet of his grace and mercy he hath therein observed such an excellent order that we might remember and recount them to his praise and glory 5. He hath given meat to them that fear him he shall ever be mindfull of his covenant f In remembrance of the Covenant of grace he has made with his people he feeds them with celestial meat even the Sacrament of his Holy Body and Bloud 6. He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen g by the power and virtue whereof we who were heathens are entitled to the heritage of Heaven 7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment all his Commandments are true h Christ is Truth to them who worthily receive him but Judgment to the unworthy 8. They stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and equity i And this being true and equitable shall never fail of its due accomplishment 9. He hath sent Redemption to his people he hath commanded his Covenant for ever Holy and reverend is his Name k God's holy and reverend Name is to be for ever magnified for the Redemption of his people in the Bloud of his Son which is sealed and applied in the Blessed Eucharist to stand as an everlasting Covenant betwixt God and man 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisedom l The first part of this Covenant is the beginning of Wisedom viz. to fear the Lord and to depart from evill or to renounce the Devil and all his works the Pomps a good understanding have all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for ever m They are truly wise who frame both their hearts and lives by this rule of Divine fear the praise whereof is everlasting Glory be to the Father and As it was in the beginning The Praiers I. THou art worthy O Lord to be praised and had in honour for all thy marvellous works but most to be admired for thy grace and mercy in the Redemption of thy people by the Bloud of thine own dear Son whom thou hast also given to be meat unto them that fear thee Be ever mindfull O Lord of this thy Covenant of grace and grant that I may ever receive the Blessed Sacrament which is the Seal thereof in verity and not unto judgment nor to my condemnation but unto the attainment of the heritage of Heaven through Jesus Christ II. Vouchsafe O Lord to pierce my heart with such an awfull fear of thy Name which is holy and reverend that I may not dare to offend thee by transgressing the least of thy Commandments but carefully conscienciously and constantly doe thereafter that I may be admitted into the blissful Society of those happy Souls the praise of whose innocence and holiness endureth for ever through Jesus Christ Praefatio ad Orationem Dominicam ex Liturgia S. Basilii ante Communionem Corporis That we may worthily receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord to the confirming and strengthning of our Souls let us worthily say that Praier which the onely-begotten Son of God hath taught us crying unto heaven with a pure heart Our Father which art in Heaven You may if you desire to enlarge your Praiers upon this divine subject adde Psal CXVI verse 10. to the end and CXXVIII and CXLVII verse 12. to the end CHAP. IX Meditations upon your going to Church with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God UPON your going to Church three things will be necessary for you to consider 1. the condition of the Place whither you are going 2. the great End of your going thither and 3. how there you are to demean your self All this you would consider if you were going to the Palace of an earthly Prince who is but a mortall man like your self and you surely have much more reason to consider these particulars now that you are going unto the Courts of the Lord's House First then as to the House whither you are going 't is indeed as to its Fabrick but like other houses made of wood and stone even as the Lord's Day is but like other days as to the air and light of Heaven But the relative Holiness of this House and its eminency above other houses will appear by the Names whereby it is called both in the Book and by the People of God Under the Law it was called the Tabernacle of the congregation i. e. the place of God's meeting with his people the Temple of the Lord where he presents himself to the view of his people sitting betwixt the Cherubims as on his Throne of state 'T is also called the Sanctuary of the Lord the House of God the Habitation of his Holiness and the place where his Honour dwelleth All which Names do explain each other and need no interpretation Under the Gospell 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord's House 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King's Palace and Oratorium the house of Praier Any of which Names much more all of them together considered will oblige any man who hath any sense of Religion to obey that command of God himself which is not merely ceremonial and typical but moral and perpetual Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord a Lev. 19.30 Secondly as to the great End of your going to Church it is to present your self before the Lord and there to adore the great Majesty of Heaven from whom you have your life and breath and all things It is not to serve your self by hearing this or tother fine-gifted Minister tickling your itching ears by his taking discourses agreeable to your fancy but to serve the Lord is your errand to his House viz. there to joyn
with the Minister and the Congregation in publick Praiers and Praises of God in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs in Confessions Thanksgivings and Benedictions as wherein chiefly the service of God consists Behold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord even in the Courts of the house of our God Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary and praise the Lord b Psal 134.1 2. As for me I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name c Psal 138.2 Thirdly as to your Carriage and Demeanour in the House of God you are commanded Keep thy foot when thou goest unto the house of God d Eccles. 5.1 enjoyning thee 1. to beware of all light unseemly indecent and irreverent carriage and to shew Humility and Devotion in all the Gestures of thy Outward man bowing down thy self and kneeling before the Lord thy Maker * Psal 95.6 before him who made both thy Body and Soul and joyned them together that they might be joyned in his Service So worshipped the people of God the whole congregation bowed themselves with their faces to the ground f 2 Chron. 7.3 And so all good people resolve to doe We will goe into his tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footstool g Psal 132.7 2. The foot of the Inward man must also and chiefly be kept upright in the House of God Thy Affections are the feet or motions of thy Soul these must be kept free from all secular Cares pure from all sensuall Lusts clean from all wanton wicked Inclinations yea from all Thoughts of any worldly concerns For ye cannot serve God and Mammon h Matt. 6.24 In the High-priest's forehead was engraven in a plate of gold Holiness to the Lord i Exod. 28.36 and every ordinary Priest was commanded to wash before he entred into the Sanctuary k Exod. 30.19 20. intimating that exact Purity and Holiness which is required of all both Priests and people when we approach the presence of the Lord in his holy Temple So saith the holy man of God Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever l Psal 93.5 and he resolves accordingly I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I goe to thine Altar m Psal 26.6 Be not slothfull and negligent averse and careless backward and tardy in coming to the Church for many and mischievous are the Consequents of coming late For 1. you rob your self of the opportunity of your private Praiers for a Blessing upon the publick 2. You lose the benefit of the publick Confession and Absolution which are of high esteem and value to all who are wisely Religious And 3. to deprive your self wittingly and willingly of any part of God's publick Worship is both a sin and a loss of so great an account as cannot easily be exprest or will be ordinarily believed Against such sinfull sloth and neglect endeavour to have imprinted in your heart the love of God's House and of his Service there performed Say with the man after God's own heart Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth o Psal 26.8 I was glad when they said unto me We will goe unto the house of the Lord p Psal 122.1 Our feet stand in thy gates O Jerusalem q Verse 2. 1. When you come to the Church-door Consider that you are now upon entrance into the Presence-chamber of the Great King of the world whose Throne of glory is in Heaven above but his Throne of grace in his Temple here below Say then within your self Surely the Lord is in this place How dreadful is this place this is none other but the House of God this is the Gate of heaven r Gen. ◠16 17. O how amiable are thy dwellings thou Lord of hosts My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh rejoyce in the living God Yea the sparrow hath found her an house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young even thine Altars O Lord of hosts my King and my God Blessed are they who dwell in thy House they will be always praising thee †Psal 84.1 2 3 4. And most happy were I could I both esteem it and make it my greatest joy and constant labour of love to praise the Lord in his Temple 2. When you are entred and View the Baptisterion or Font Give hearty thanks unto God for your Christendom that by holy Baptism he hath called you to the state of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ and humbly beseech God to give you his grace to continue in the same to your life's end by the religious observance of that Vow which was so solemnly taken in your name the which you must now perform that you forfeit not the great privileges rewards and honours of being a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Heir of the Kingdom of Heaven 3. When you view the Pulpit Remember how many good Lessons you have received thence the which not being carefully practised will rise up in judgment against you in the great Day of your Triall Resolve therefore for the future to be a Doer of the Word and not a Hearer onely deceiving your own self 4. When you look up towards the Altar say What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the Cup of salvation offer the sacrifice of Thanksgiving for my Redemption and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the sight of all his people in the courts of the Lord's house even in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Praise the Lord t Psal 116.12 13 14 18 19. Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning 5. When you come to your Seat kneeling down pray I. Praier Let thy merciful ears O Lord be open to the praiers of thy humble servants and grant that what we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually through Jesus Christ II. Prayer O God forasmuch as without thee we are not able to please thee grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts and more especially be assistent to us in all the holy actions of this day through Jesus Christ III. Prayer And since by reason of our Sins we are unworthy to offer up any Sacrifice to so pure a Majesty grant mercifull Lord both to me and to all thy faithfull people pardon and peace that being cleansed from all our Sins we may serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ Directions relating to some parts of the publick Worship AS soon as the Minister begins with the publick Worship all your private Meditations and Praiers must be waved and your mind applied to attend diligently and to joyn devoutly in
every part and passage of Divine Service considering that this is the great End of your coming to Church and your business there is to serve the Lord with your Christian brethren in publick 1. Therefore when the Minister exhorts you out of the Word of God to confess and acknowledge your sins and wickedness harden not your heart but with all possible humility both of Body and Soul say after the Minister in the Confession of sin and to this and to every Praier or other act of Divine Worship where 't is prescribed neglect not to say Amen for that is as it were the seal to confirm to your Soul the Benefits thereof And the Hebrews have a saying that Whosoever says Amen with all his might opens the doors of Paradise 2. After the Confession when the Minister comes to the words of Absolution bow down your head and say softly in your heart Lord let this pardon pronounced by thy Minister fall upon my Soul and seal thereunto the forgiveness of all my sins 3. The Psalms and Hymns are to be answered verse for verse with the Minister that so all may joyn and bear a part in the Service of God for in his Temple doth every man speak of his honour v Psal 29.9 And 〈◊〉 although you cannot reade yet your heart may joyn with them that do reade and your mouth also may shew forth the praise of God by saying after every Psalm Glory be to the Father and to or else if it fall in course As it was in the beginning is now Adding always Amen to express how affectionately you desire the glory of God 4. Be not silent nor ashamed publickly and audibly to make confession of the holy Christian Faith when you are thereunto called by the Minister For this is a Duty you owe both to God and Man it is an act of God's Worship and a declaration that you hold the same Faith with all true Christians And therefore 't is required of you not onely with the heart to believe unto righteousness but that with the mouth also Confession be made unto salvation x Rom. 10.10 And when the Confession of Faith is publickly pronounced do not you sit or loll as if it concerned you not but stand up with the rest of the Congregation to signify and declare that you will stand to this Faith and earnestly contend for it as being the same which was once given to or by the Saints the holy Apostles 5. Be not so cold and careless in giving honour to God as not to bow at the name of Jesus for 't is a Duty positively commanded and universally practised by the Church and people of God in all Ages And therefore give no ear to those deceivable Criticisms corrupt Glosses and false Inferences which are too frequently but profanely urged to make void the commandment of God in the omission of this Religious practice If you hear any such allegations out of the Pulpit detest them the rather that any act of Religious worship should be spoken against in the place where whatever tends to the honour of God should be magnified and advanced 6. That you may not be tired with the length of the Divine Service consider 1. the great variety of its severall parts as consisting of Praiers and Praises Confessions Thanksgivings Invitations Lessons Admonitions all of which are with most admirable prudence and Religious wisedom so ordered and contrived to follow each other that so the ending of one and beginning of another may renew and re-enquicken your Devotion chearfully to joyn in all Remember 2. whose service it is you are a-doing and continue therein from the beginning to the end that you may reap the benefit of the whole Office both of the Absolution in the beginning and of the Blessing in the end and of the Amen's throughout CHAP. X. Meditations and Praiers at the Blessed Sacrament When you goe up to communicate COme unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you a Matt. 11.28 Thus calleth my Saviour upon Sinners whereunto my heart answereth I come Blessed Jesus in all humility and deeply sensible of my Sins I now come unto thee to be eased of the burthen of them and to be refreshed with the sense of thy Mercy and the truth of thy Salvation My heart hath talked of thee and of thy gracious command Seek ye my face Thy face Lord do I now seek O hide not thou thy face from me b Psal 27.8 9. under the clouds of my Sins neither let the thick clouds of my transgressions hinder the light of thy countenance from shining upon thy servant When you kneel down before the Altar Thou art worthy O Lord to receive blessing and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created c Rev. 4.11 Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedom and strength and honour and glory and blessing d Rev. 5.12 Out of S. Chrysost Liturgy But I am unworthy his praise should come within my polluted lips and much more unworthy his precious Body and Bloud should be received into my Soul and unclean mouth But since he disdained not to be born in a Stable and to be laid in a Manger amongst Beasts * Luk. 2.7 since he vouchsafed to enter into the house of a Leper f Matt. 26.6 and of a Publican g Luk. 5.29 and to admit the kisses of an unclean Sinner such as I am washing his delicate Feet with her penitent Tears h Luk. 7.38 O vouchsafe most benign Jesus to receive me also reject me not though a Sinner yet thy Servant though unclean yet penitent and now humbling my self under thy most mighty hand That it may please thee to remit to release to pardon all my Sins whether of knowledge or ignorance whether by thought word or deed committed that with a pure and clean Soul I may receive thy most precious Body and Bloud Prayers out of several other Liturgies that the devout Reader may have the more choice and fix upon the use of such as he feels most enquickening his Devotion Out of S. James's Liturgy I. O Lord God the Bread of Heaven and Life of the World I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to partake of thy most holy Mysteries yet vouchsafe mercifull Lord to make me worthy by thy grace that I may not receive thy Holy Body and Bloud to my condemnation but unto the remission of my Sins and everlasting life Amen II. I beseech thee O Lord Out of the R. B. that I may so worthily receive those sacred Mysteries of Salvation as to have Christ dwelling in my heart and that it may become the Temple of the Holy Ghost III. In the spirit of Humility and with a contrite heart receive me O Lord and may the Sacrifice which this day I offer up unto thee be
accepted and please thee O Lord my God IV. Let not the Participation of thy Body Lord Jesus which I too much unworthy presume to receive be unto me for judgment but effectual through thy great mercy for the safeguard both of my Mind and Body and for the healing of my sin-sick Soul who livest and reignest with the Father Out of the Greek Ritual I. May what we now offer up unto thee O Lord be accepted for the mercy of the universal World for all them for whom Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice upon the Altar of the Cross for the glory of thy Name and for the coming of the Holy Ghost that he may please to visit and enlighten my heart Amen II. As the Offering of righteous Abel as the Sacrifice of Noah of Abraham of Isaac so let this our Sacrifice be acceptable unto thee O Lord and may the same be so worthily offered by us and mercifully received by thee as when 't was performed by thy holy Apostles Amen III. O God the King of all give me I beseech thee true Compunction the Redemption of my Sins and the Amendment of my life who am deeply immers'd in bodily Affections estranged from thee and without hopes but in thy great goodness and saving mercies Omnipotent Jesus Saviour and Redeemer Amen Out of the Mozarabick Liturgy I. May the Sacrifice we now offer up unto thy Divine Majesty be effectual for the Pardon of all our offences for the Establishment of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Faith and for all who religiously profess the same through Jesus Christ II. Bearing in mind continually the Holy Catholick Church we pray that the Lord may be pleased to be propitious hereunto and by the increase of Faith Hope and Charity to enlarge its limits We likewise remember all them that are fallen all that be in captivity the infirm and sick the stranger the fatherless and widow that the Lord would in mercy look upon them restore redeem heal comfort and relieve them all through Jesus Christ III. O Holy Trinity the Store-house of blessings vouchsafe to bless confirm and strengthen us all here present before thee deliver us from the day of condemnation and let us not be confounded when we shall appear before thee and in the presence of thy holy Angels but make us joyfull in thy Resurrection Blessed Jesus Keep the Soul of thy Servant the King and let Grace and Peace Charity and Humility flourish in his days through Jesus Christ IV. Grant O Lord our God that we may receive the Body and Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ to obtain the Remission of all our Sins and to be replenished with thy Holy Spirit who livest and reignest Father Son and Holy Ghost one God over all Blessed for ever Out of the Aethiopick Liturgy I. Holy Holy Holy thrice Blessed ineffable Lord grant me to receive the Blessed Body of my Redeemer not unto judgment but to all fruitfulness in Good works according unto thy will and that such fruits may remain to thy glory Quicken us in thee to doe thy will In faith we call thee Father and pray Thy Kingdom come Hallowed be thy Name in us and by us for thou art most powerfull praise-worthy and glorious To thee be glory for ever Amen II. O God the Governour of Souls the Guide of the holy and the Crown of the just open mine Eyes now to see thee mine Ears always to hear thee and mine Heart to receive thee O give me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me And after of thy great grace thou hast satiated my Soul with thy Blessed Body and Bloud give me to understand both thy Greatness and thy Goodness and grant that thy holy will may ever be done in my Soul for thine is the Kingdom O Lord. Glory and Blessing be to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever Amen III. Grant me Blessed Lord Out of the English Lit. so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ and to drink his Bloud that my sinfull Body may be made clean by his most Holy Body and my Soul washed in his most precious Bloud that I may evermore dwell in him and he in me Amen which is the great benefit of the Communion of Saints After you have received the consecrated Bread The Bread which I have now taken is the Bread which came down from Heaven and giveth life unto the world Oh that I may now feel its efficacy enquickening and inflaming my Soul with the heavenly ardours of divine love having all my Affections set upon things above and not upon things below May this Bread be to my Soul the staff of strength whereby I may vanquish all the assaults of the Devil the World and the Flesh and continue my Lord 's faithfull Servant and Souldier to my life's end Amen After the Cup received O that this precious Bloud of my dear Redeemer may be now both the Purification and Nourishment of my Soul the seal of my Pardon and Peace with God and the pledge of mine Inheritance in Heaven After both Grant Holy Jesus that as I have now received in faith thy precious Body and Bloud veiled under the Species of Bread and Wine I may hereafter behold thy blessed Face reveiled in Heaven to eat and drink with thy holy Angels and Saints in their mansions of blisse where they are satisfied with the fulness of the most ravishing delights in the Beatificall vision of the thrice-blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost of whom and through whom and in whom are all things and to whom be all glory for ever Amen Out of the Greek Ritual We give thee thanks good Lord the Benefactour of our Souls that thou hast this day made us worthy of thy celestial and immortall Mysteries Vouchsafe O Lord to confirm us in thy fear to preserve our life to secure our paths and to guide our feet in the way of peace Amen The Song of Simeon 1. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word 2. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation 3. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father As it was in the beginning Meditations whilst others are communicated The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his fathers though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary i 2 Chron. 30.18 19. Blessed are they who dwell in the House of the Lord and are fed though it be but with the crums that fall from his Table The XXXIV Psalm is in the Apostolical Constitutions and in S. Chrysostom 's Liturgy appointed to be at this time devoutly praied Verse 1. I Will alway give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth 2. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the