nothing but what comes from the ground of the Heart is accepted by him and that only the Fervent Prayer is effectual and prevails with him how great need you have of those things you ask and that for ought you know this may be the last time you may have an opportunity of putting up any Petition unto him Then draw near unto God in Faith and in Humility in a sense of his great Majesty and thy own Wretchedness and Misery In the entrance to thy Prayer earnestly desire the Assistance of Gods Holy Spirit and have a care to keep out all vain and wandring thoughts In the close of thy Prayer remember to give God thanks for that gracious opportunity vouchsafed thee for that strength of Body and Assistance of his Holy Spirit which he hath been pleased to afford thee in the performance of thy Duty and desire him for the continuation of the same Mercies to pardon the Frailties and Imperfections of thy Holy Duties and to do more abundantly for thee than thou art able to ask or think c. This being done prepare thy self for thy Bed unless thou art Major Domo Master of a Family and then call thy Family together read unto them or cause them to read a Chapter or two and afterwards Pray with them and be not unmindful to adapt thy Prayers as near as thou canst to their as well as thy own particular wants and necessities which by having an eye over them thou mayst without any great difficulty observe and know As thou art putting off thy Cloaths Meditate that it will not be long before thou put off thy Body also Beg of God therefore by Ejaculation that when this Earthly Tabernacle of thy Body shall be dissolv'd thou mayst have a building with God not made with hands but Eternal in the Heavens and that when thy Body shall lie down in its Bed of Darkness thy Soul may pass into the Regions of Light and dwell with God for ever more through Jesus Christ Amen After thou art in Bed use these or the like short Prayers or Ejaculations I will remember thee in my Bed I will think upon thee in the Night Season At Midnight will I give thanks to â—hee because of thy Righteous Judgments O Lord deliver me from the place works and spirits of Darkness O Let â—e not walk in the Night of Sin lest I â—umble and fall In the midst of Darkâ—ess and the shadow of Death O Lord â—e thou my Light Give thy Holy Angels charge over â—e to keep me in all thy ways and be â—hou O blessed Saviour unto me both 〈◊〉 life and death advantage I will lay me down in Peace and â—ake my rest for thou Lord only makest â—e dwell in fafety Consider and bear me O Lord my â—od Lighten mine Eyes that I sleep â—ot in Death Into thy hands I commend my Spirit â—oul and Body for thou hast redeemed â—â—em O Lord thou God of Truth Glory be to the Father and to the â—on and to the Holy Ghost As it was 〈◊〉 the beginning is now and ever sha◠〈◊〉 c. If any time remains before sleep seizeth on thee you cannot do better than to spend it in Meditation of some portion of that Scripture which you before read If you awake in the Night fill up the Chasms and Intervals with short Prayers Ejaculations or Meditations upon the four last things Death Judgment Heaven and Hell So shalt thou sleep and awake with God Prov. 3.24 yea thy sleep shall be sweet and no dangers of the Night or Spirits of Darkness shall terrifie thee So shalt thou be in a continual epectation of the coming of thy dearest Lord that if he call for thee at Morning or at Evening at Midnight or at Mid-day at the third or fourth Watch thou wilt be found prepared for his coming thou wilt lay thy head down in the dusâ— with joy rest in hope and at length rise to a glorious Immortality which will make an ample Compensation for these thy pains and services Of a Private Fast and Directions for it FAsting in its Definition I take to be nothing else but an abstaining from our lawful Food upon a Religious account which although it be no where in Scripture injoyn'd simply for its own sake yet if we consider the many advantages of it in order to the benefit of our Souls we shall not think the Commands of the Church and the Practice of the Primitive Christians too severe and inimitable The Jews fasted twice every Week sc Tuesdays and Thursdays concerning which is the boast of the Pharisee Luke 18.12 and the Christians have not come behind them and the Sabbath being for good Reasons altered they have observed Wednesdays and Fridays for a Religious Fast which days are taken notice of by Tertullian and called Dies Stationarii But alas we that now live in this profligate and degenerate Age are so far from following the steps of pious Antiquity or the Commands of our Holy Mother the Church that if we set apart a Day for this purpose once in a quarter shall I say before the Sacrament or a year rather we think we have sufficiently deny'd our selves and discharg'd our Duty But certainly did we seriously consider and put a due estimate upon the great Emoluments and Advantages of this Holy exercise we should not be so remiss and negligent in it which I shall in the next place give you a taste of 1. And first of all Fasting is very instrumental to all Acts of Devotion for seeing there is so near an affinity between the Soul and the Body the former using the Organs of the latter for its Operations and for the most part follows the Temperament of it it cannot be when the Body is stuff'd even to Satiety and clog'd with a Load of indigested Humours that the Soul should be so active and vigorous as at other times and mount with those Wings of Devotion with that Zeal and Affection towards Heaven as when it is freed from that Burthen which still presses it down to the Earth And if there were no other reason to be given for it every good Christian's own Experience will sufficiently evince the Truth of the Assertion 2. Fasting is very instrumental in order to our humilation for Sins past and subduing of Lusts for the future Such is the misery of Mankind That whilst we are driven by an indispensable necessity to Eating and Drinking that we may support our frail Beings we also by the same Act cherish and foment our Vices Our Flesh is apt to be too rebellious and we find a Law in our Members constantly warring against the Law of our Minds and leading us Captive at will Now fasting is the Soul's Physick and there is no better way to tame this Monstrous Panther than by substracting that Pabulum which nourishes and feeds it This course Holy David took he wept and chastened himself with Fasting and many of God's Children imitate his Example
my Heart unto Wisdom when I awake up I am ever with thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the ginning is now c. Then have an especial care that no vain filthy or impure thoughts have any entertainment within thy Breast but if any such endeavour to crowd themselves in presently discard them with detestation and abhorrency emembring that the First Fruits belong to God and he ought to have the râ—ime of all thy Thoughts then cast thy self out of Bed and whiles thou art dressing thy self desire God to cloath thee with the Righteousness of his Son Christ Jesus and use the following Ejaculations O Lord grant that I may put on the whole Armour of God that I may be able to stand against all the Fiery Darts of the Devil Above all things O Lord give me the Shield of Faith the Breast-plate of Righteousness the Sword of the Spirit the Girdle of Verity the Helmet of Salvation and let my Feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace O grant that I may put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no Provision for the Flesh to fulfil it in the Lusts thereof Before thou art throughly dressed kneel down by the Bed-side and say In the Name of the Father and of the the Son and of the Holy Ghost prevent me O Lord in all my doings with thy most gracious Favour and further me with thy continual Help that in all my works begun continued and ended in thee I may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy Mercy obtain everlasting Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. On Combing your Head or Plaiting the Hair you may use such Ejaculaions as these Grant O Lord my Ornament may not be that of the Hair but that of a lowly meek quiet and humble Spirit Let it not be that of the outer but of the inner and hidden Man of the Heart Make me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me While you are Washing you may Ejaculate thus O Lord wash me throughly from mine Iniquities and cleanse me from my Sin O cleanse me from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit Not only my Hands and my Face O Lord but my Heart also Purge me with Hysop and so shall I be clean O Lord wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow I am unclean I am unclean but O Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean O touch me and say I will be thou clean Being now compleatly dress'd withdraw to thy Closet or place of Retirement and there lift up thy Soul to God in this or the like manner O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit direct me how I may spend this day most of all to thy Glory and my own and others benefit And then ponder a while on the business of the day and consider what sins either thy natural Temper Business or Company may most subject thee to to what dangers thou art most liable and what opportunities thou art like to have either of doing God Service or thy Neighbour good Against the former implore Gods Aid and Assistance in a particular Petition which you may find a convenient place to insert in your Morning Devotions and also Arm your self before-hand with Resolutions and the best Means you can to prevent them that so you may avoid the occasions of Sin And for the latter resolve to embrace all opportunities for the discharge of your Duty and then use this Ejaculation Thus thus O Lord I purpose by thy Grace to spend this day O be thou pleased to be present with me by the preventings and assistings of thy Grace and Holy Spirit that so I may perform what I intend to the Glory of thy Name the discharge of my Duty the benefit of others the comfort of my own Soul here and everlasting happiness hereafter in and through Jesus Christ Let thy Grace be sufficient for me Consider also seriously what Sins have passed from thee since thy Evening Devotions Being thus prepared take Gods Holy Book into thy hands yet not without Reverence and to put a distinction between this and other Books it will be commendable if thou uncover thy head in the reading of it or stand up even the Hearhens pay it Reverence the Jews hear the Law with Adoration and the Turks kiss the Alcoran thou maist also use one of these or the like Ejaculation or the Collect of the second Sunday in Advent Assist me I pray thee O Lord with thy Holy Spirit in the reabing of thy holy Word enlighten the Eyes of my Vnderstanding that I may understand the same give me a retentive Memory and Grace to reduce the same into Practice in my Life and Conversation through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen Open thou mine Eyes O Lord that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law Blessed art thou O Lord O teach me thy Statutes O Lord sanctifie unto me my present Reading and Meditations for Jesus Christ his sake Then read that portion of Scripture that is either accommodated to the day or most fitted for your own condition and that with much seriousness attention and particular application of it to your self When you have ended use the common Doxology of Glory be to thee O Lord. Then re-collect what things observable you have met with in your reading and spend some time in Meditation of them and consider what use you may afterwards make of them either to encourage to Vertue or deter from Vice without this Post Meditation you will reap no more benefit by this â—alutary Word than a Body by the reception of the most nutritious Aliment which is not well digested in the Stomach Nay as this will be apt to turn into Crudities and Diseases to the Body so will the other prove fatal to the Soul and that which should have been the savour of Life unto Life will be nothing else than the savour of Death unto Death Meditation being ended betake your self decently and reverently to your knees and with great fervency offer up your Morning Devotions unoâ— the Throne of Grace which being done follow your lawful Studies or Employments still having an awful sense of Gods Omnipresence But if you be a Master of a Family then call your Family together and let they as well as you serve the Lord. Read a Chapter unto them and Pray again with them before you dismiss them to their business And if you live in a place where Publick Prayers are Celebrated and your manner of Life be such that you can without considerable inconveniences dispense with it think your self not excused from the Prayers of the Church in the Congregation At Noon when you see the Table spread you may meditate concerning Gods Mercy and Bounty towards thee and all mankind and use those or the like Ejaculations hereafter prescribed for that purpose and then receive
thank thee thou art my God and I will exalt thee Psal 118.28 Then rise out of your Bed and that too more early than upon any other day in which you follow your Worldly Emplyments to shew your greater readiness to serve God than your self When you are dressed retire to your Closet and keep a strict guard over your thoughts that you suffer nothing if possible of any Worldly thing to enter there but meditate that you are to keep this day in the blessed memory of your Lord and Saviour's Resurrection and of the great goodness of God in vouchsafing you the liberty of another Sabbath day the continuance of his Word and Ordinances whereas there are many thousands which yet sit in Darkness and the Shadow of Death And therefore resolve with thy self to spend it intirely to his Glory and in his Service and that not only in general but in particular and draw out as it were a platform of thy holy performances that day and resolve with thy self thus and thus to spend the day as first I will read and meditate then I will offer up unto God my Morning Sacrifice of prayer and praises in private by my self afterwards with my family Then I will spend the time between this and the publick prayers in examining my self concerning any unrepented Sin in Reading Meditation Singing Psalms or the like Then betake thy self humbly to thy knees and pray fervently and earnestly unto Almighty God and praise his name desiring God in the conclusion to inflame thee with a spiritual zeal and affection that thou may'st enter into his Gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise that thy soul may be satisfied with the fulness of his House as with marrow and fatness That he will give thee reverence in his House and a holy dread and awe of his more immediate presence there that he will give thee fervency in thy Devotions attention unto his Word a retentive memory and grace to reduce the same to practice â—n thy Life and Conversation In a word that he will so assist thee with his holy Spirit that thou may'st perform all those duties God requireth of thee so as they may be well-pleasing and acceptable in his sight that so at the end of the day upon examination of thy self thou may'st not find any thing to charge thy Conscience with whereby thou hast omitted any part of thy duty or committed any sin against God Forget not to pray also for all the faithful Ministers of God's holy Word that God would open their Lips that their Mouths may shew forth his praise that they may deliver his word with power and efficacy to the convincing the most obdurate sinner and comforting the feeble minded and in particular pray that God who knows the several Conditions of all Men that he would be with the Spirit of that his Servant who is to be the Dispenser of his Word unto thee that day and put a Word into his Mouth which may particularly respect thy own Condition and give thee grace to apply it to thy self and to practise it and finally that he will be with all Congregations that are that day assembled in his faith Fear c. A prayer comprizing these Petitions you have in the subsequent pages At the time appointed for Divine Service call thy whole family together and go towards God's House but not without considering where thou art going Keep thy Foot Eccl. 5.1 and go not without longing Desires and hearty Ejaculations and though thy tongue should be silent yet thy heart should speak the louder and let it say As the Hart panteth after the Water-Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My soul is a thirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come and appear before him One day in thy Courts is better then a Thousand I had rather be a Door-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the Tents of ungodliness c. As thou art Entring say Surely the Lord is in this place Surely this is no other but the House of God this is the Gate of Heaven When thou art Entred into the House uncover thy Head and if thou followest the Custom of the Greek Church to put a distinction between the House of God and that which is profane or common and bowest thy self lifting up their Ejaculation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God be merciful to me a Sinner thou wilt shew thy reverance to the Place and him that is said to dwell in it and give no offence to truly pious Christians who do not esteem any essential but a relative holiness inherent in it When thou comest into thy Seat kneel down and use this or the like short Prayer O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel who dwellest between the Cherubims and yet are pleas'd not only to permit but to invite thy poor sinful Creatures to draw near unto thee even for their own soul's Good I who am not worthy to tread thy Courts am here bold to present my self to hear what the Lord will say unto me O Pardon all my sins and frailties which make me unworthy to appear in thy presence and so assist me with thy holy Spirit that I may so perform all those duties thou requirest of me here that they may be well-pleasing and acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ Amen Be sure to go early to the house of God at least before the Minister begins with the prayers of the Church and if any over-plus of time remain before spend it not in gazing about or in vain worldly discourse as is too common or in sleeping or the like but take thy Common Prayer Book and thy Bible and turn to the Service of the Church the Lessons Epistle and Gospel and if there be yet spare time read over the latter and see how fitly the prudence and piety of the Church have adapted them to the day and treasure up all those good Lessons and Instructions contained therein in thy mind When the Minister is about to begin say O Lord be with the Spirit of thy Servant in the Discharge of his present duty and open thou his Lips that his Mouth may shew forth thy praise When the Minister begins with the sentences stand up as also at the reading or singing of the Psalms which was a Custom used by the Ancients and now continued by many good Christians because they are of a sublime nature and full of holy Prayers and Ejaculations stand up likewise at the Hymns Creed and Gospel kneel at the Confession Absolution Litany the Decalogue and all the Prayers and content not your self with that slovenly posture of sitting or careless leaning too common with many God who made both for his glory expects the worship of the body as well as that of the Soul and certainly where there is real devotion and spiritual affection in the heart it will discover it self by an outward reverence in the body At the end
of every prayer say an hearty Amen a Custom which our times which pretend to so much zeal hath quite laid aside not following our Saviours example Matth. 6.13 who placed it at the end of his own Prayer nor the commands of the Apostles 1 Corinth 14.16 Be very attentive to the Absolution and when the Minister pronounceth those Words And hath given power and commandment to his Ministers to declare and pronounce to his people being penitent the absolution and remission of their sins He pardoneth c. Do thou thus ejaculate O Lord confirm now I beseech thee this power unto thy Servant Do thou ratifie and establish in Heaven what thy Servant doth now on Earth Amen even Amen Lord Jesus Make your alternate responses with an audible voice and still bear your part in the Doxology Glory be to the Father c. Do not slubber over your Devotions but regard the manner as well as the matter pray with fervency and that for others in any Sickness or Affliction as well as for thy self and as if thou wert in the same condition thou wouldest desire them to do for thee sing and praise God with the Spirit Attend unto the Word of God read and preached with all diligence and carefulness and as unto the Word of God and not of Man Suffer not thy Eyes to rove and wander or any vain thoughts to enter within thee to choke the good Word and to that end fix thy eyes constantly on the Minister and what things are profitable for instruction revolve often in thy mind that thou mayest remember them or if thou be so disposed write down the Sermon Shew respect to the Place and Ordinance by keeping thy head uncovered 〈◊〉 never knew any take Cold in the Church Depart not from God's House without the final Blessing which receive according to the primitive manner upon thy knees and rise not till thou hast made his short prayer BLessed be thy Holy name O Lord for all thy mercies chiefly for this thy gracious opportunity O Lord accept of my weak and imperfect Services pardon their frailties and imperfections Sanctifie unto me all thy Ordinances and continue such thy mercies unto me for Jesus Christ his sake Amen As soon as thou returnest from the Church retire into thy Closet offer up a short prayer of thanksgiving again unto God praising him for his mercies and desiring him to sanctifie unto thee that good Word thou hast heard that it may bring forth Fruit in thee to the amendment of Life that so it may in the end prove to be the Savour of Life unto Life and not of Death unto Death that he will bring again to thy rememberance what profitable Instructions thou hast heard and write them in thy mind and by the power of his Grace dispose thy Soul to a constant obedience of them Then if thou hast omitted to do it before commit to Writing what mos◠practical Lessons thou hast been taught Then receive the good Creatures provided for thee with chearfulness and thankfulness yet keeping a more strict Watc◠over thy self than on other days tha◠thou be not guilty of vain idle an◠worldly discourse Eat moderately 〈◊〉 as not to make thy self dull or drowsie in the remaining Duties of the day but so that thou may'st return unto them with greater cheerfulness and gladness of heart After a little Parenthesis or Breathing betake thy self again to thy Retirement and offer up thy Meridian Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving as well for the Refreshments of thy Body as the Soul and desire God to go with thee again into his House and to be present with thee by the Assistances of his Holy Spirit in the remaining Duties of the day c. Then call thy Family together make each read a Chapter and read thy self unto them out of some good Book or explain those places of Scripture they have read or if thou art not able to do it thy self make use of an Expositor When the time calls thee again to the Church repair there with cheerfulness holy Meditations and Ejaculations behaving thy self there as directed for the Forenoon When thou returnest home again give Thanks meditate on what thou hast heard and consider whether nothing particular to thy condition hath proceeded out of the Ministers mouth which hath been the effect of thy former Prayer if so give God thanks that he hath heard thy Prayer and be sure to make particular Application of it to thy self Spend not the residue of the day as too many loose and profane persons do either in Recreations or Pastimes or which is worse at the Taverns and Ale-houses but either in Reading Medicating holy Conference Visiting the Sick praying either with them or in private for them especially for any who have that day desired the Charity of the Publick Prayers pray also for those Graces thou seest thy self to stand in most need of as Faith Hope Chastity Temperance Patience Charity Preseverance c. After Supper call thy whole Family together examine each person what they have learn'd that day and make them give thee an account Encourage those that have done wcll and reprehend those that have been faulty If they have not been Catechiz'd at the Church Catechize them at home and instruct them in the Principles of Faith and other their Duties Spend an hour or more in repeating the Sermons reading to them out of the Bible or some Practical Author or causing them to read and then conclude with a Psalm Then you may with-draw and suffer your Family to do so too for a little while that both your self and they may have time to meditate on what hath been read or taught Examine now your own Conscience impartially concerning the Sins of Omission and Commission of the day and of the Mercies received both Spiritual and Temporal that so you may beg pardon for the former and render praises for the latter Then offer up your private Evening Devotions which being done prepare your self for publick Prayer in your Family by Meditation not only of the subject Matter of your Petitions but even of the most accomodated Expressions especially if you do not pray by a Form and if you do you may before-hand consider of a convenient place to insert such Petitions as either the extraordinary occasions of the day or the particular necessities of any of your Family require which you should be watchful over to understand Then close the duties of this day with your publick Family Prayers in which you may find a place also to insert a Repetition of some profitable Truths that you have learned from the Minister You may pray against that Vice that hath been condemned or for that Grace which hath been commended and desire God to write his Law in your inward parts and to give you all Grace to practise it in your Lives and Conversations Pray to God also for the pardon of your Frailties and Imperfections in the discharge of your holy Duties
that they may never rise to shame me here or to condemn me hereafter and I pray thee O Lord to give me every day a deeper sense of my sins and a more compleat repentance for them a loathing and detestation of them and let their remembrance be bitter unto my soul Send down thy holy Spirit into my heart and let him root out every accursed unmortified Lust and sinful corruption from my Soul and destroy in me all the remaining affections unto Sins and dispose my Soul to a constant obedience of all thy Commandments and keep me in an habitual frame and temper of Piety all the days of my Life O Lord give me daily a clearer sight of my Duty and incline my heart to walk exactly and so acceptably continually before thee make me sensible of thy exuberent Love and let not all thy mercies longanimity and patience towards me a miserable Sinner prove successless but raise in my heart all grateful acknowledgments Blessed be thy great and glorious Name O Lord God for all the mianfestations of thy love and goodness towards me unto this day for the Mercies of thy right as well as thy left hand but especially for the Fountain and Foundation of all our Mercies Jesus Christ for the means of Grace for the hopes of Glory for thy particular preservation of me and mine this Night past and for all other thy goodness and loving kindness and I pray thee O Lord Give me that due sense of all thy Mercies that my heart may be unfeignedly thankful and that I may shew forth thy praise not only with my lips but in my life by giving up my self to thy Service and by walking before thee in Holiness and Righteousness all my days And now O Lord since thou hast been pleased in thy Mercy to bring me safe to the beginning of another day preserve me I beseech thee in the same by thy mighty power from all sin and from all danger Let thy spirit and providence direct and preside over all my Actions this day and keep me by the power of thy Grace from those Sins to which my wicked and disorderly Nature subjects me to but especially free me from Here mention thy most prevailing Sins or such as thy Nature Business or Company may that day incline thee to Make me exactly watchful over my self to behave my self as in thy presence and to set thee always before my Eyes that so I do nothing which may dishonour thee my God or wound my own Soul and grant that by the conduct of thy Grace I may be directed and assisted in keeping strictly close unto all thy Commandments and in the discharge of my Duty in that place and Calling in which thou hast set me Let thy blessing O Lord attend me in my Studies Labours or Employments this day give me holiness of intention in them and succeed all with thy benediction Let thy Providence signally watch over me and thy Presence secure me from all evil either of Soul or Body this day and for ever Hear me O Lord and answer me graciously and do for me more abuundantly then I can ask or think and all I beg for Jesus Christ his sake for whom my Soul desires to bless thee and in whosemost prevailing name and holy words I farther pray unto thee saying Our Father which art in heaven c. A Prayer for the Morning in publick with thy Family which with little variation may be also used in private It is a good thing to give thanks unto thee O Lord and to sing praise unto thy name O thou most high to shew forth thy loving kindness in the Morning and thy faithfulness every Night Hear our Prayers O Lord and accept of our praises in Jesus Christ O Most Gracious Lord our God whose Mercies endures for ever and thy Remembrance throughout all generations Thou art boundless in thy compassions towards all thy Creatures and art infinitely good unto them not only beyond what they can deserve but what they can wish We the unworthyest of them desire at this time to give glory unto thee in a humble and hearty acknowledgment of those many mercies and favours both Spiritual and Temporal which thou from time to time hast vouchsafed unto us and most liberally heaped upon us We confess O Lord that we are not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies but most worthy of the greatest and severest of all thy Judgments especially when we consider the sinfulness and wickedness of our lives past for we have drank iniquity like water gone on very Stubbornly and Rebelliously against thee and thy Commandments all the days of our lives continually committing those things thou forbiddest and leaving undone those things which thou commandest yea all the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts have been evil and only evil and that continually and which is worst of all we have still the same proneness to all that is evil but aversness and obstinacy towards that which is good We have still impenitent hard hearts that are not mollified with the sense of our Sins or of thy Wrath due unto us for them But O thou who art a God of infinite Mercies and Compassions manifest the same unto us in the full pardon and forgiveness of all the Sins that ever we have committed against thy Divine Majesty Accept of that satisfaction and attonement made by thy innocent and beloved Son Jesus Christ and for the merits of his suffering pardon all that is past and be thou fully reconciled unto us And so assist us with thy Grace and Holy Spirit that we may be able for the time to come to repel all the temptations of the Devil the World and the Flesh and to live more Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present evil World that so having our fruits unto holiness here we may have our ends everlasting Life O make us stedfastly resolved to despise all the pleasures of sin rather than offend thee our God and to chuse the most difficult parts of Virtue and Piety to obtain and secure thy Love O let us delight in thy Service and desire thy favour above alâ— things which is better than life it self and all the comforts of it Let us love what thou lovest and hate what thou hatest wish nothing so much as to please thee fear nothing so much as to offend thee and in all things be conformable to thy holy Will and walk before thee in all well pleasing O Lord put us in mind of Death and Judgment that every day we draw nearer to our last day and that we shall all shortly give a severe account of all that we have done in the Body and all that we have left undone of all that we have spoken nay of all that we have thought So teach us therefore O Lord to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom and continually so to demean our selves as those that must one day appear before the Judgment seat
which his Providence hath so disposed of and that contingently which he hath left in a contingency and both these in the Nature of things necessary and contingent are within the Verge and Rule of his Providence and he alters them not but Extra Ordinem when he would do some extraordinary Work Gods usual way of working is by regular and connatural Means as shall more manifestly be shewn in the next Section but yet sometimes he works without Means and even by Miracles as our Saviour cured many of divers Diseases barely by the word of his power yea and sometimes works even contrary to Means as when he laid on the Clay for a Cataplasm to the Blind Mans Eyes and recovered his Sight which had it not been for the vertue of the Hand that applied it was more likely to have put them out Both the Physician and the Medicine saith the Son of Syrach Eccles 38.1 4. are created of the Lord and yet it follows of the most High cometh healing v. 2. he adds likewise in the 13. v. There is a time when in their hands there is good success And 't is easie to infer there is a time when in their hands there is not good success when the use of the most regular Means shall be altogether unprosperous and unsuccessful The All-wise God who is well acquainted with our Frame and Natures knows well enough what Condition is best for us and for certain particular ends and reasons doth dispose and order the Means that tend thereto Sometimes in a state of an uninterrupted Health and Ease he sees we are apt to grow proud and haughty insolent and vain-glorious to slight his Mercies and perhaps contemn his Judgments and therefore sees it most fit to lay a restraint upon us by visiting us with Pains and Sickness and reasonably enough may suffer the Means to be ineffectual until he hath accomplished his End that so we may put a greater value and estimate upon that portion of health which we afterwards enjoy Juxta seposita magis elucescunt A rich Diamond is most admired in the dark and a serene Evening never more priz'd than after a Stormy Morning for even Sickness and Afflictions have their Errand and serve to make Men more humble watchful and considerate Sometimes again the bounds of a Mans Life which he cannot pass are at hand his Stock of Radical Moisture is quite exhausted his Flesh withers his Spirits are dissipated and the Strength of Art and Medicine cannot repair the loss and so of necessity he returns again to his dust Pharmaca nil prosunt praebetur potio frustra Heu nullâ tristis mors est medicabilis arte Of necessity I say because I find some late Author seem to affirm That if a Man be but luckily furnished with a skilful Physician he may live to what Age he pleases or chuse whether he will ever die at all Si foret in terris rideret Democritus This Opinion is rather to be laugh'd at than confuted and even by the Non-immortality of the most Learned and Able Physicians that ever were in the World falls of it self to the ground SECT VI. That God's usual way of Working is by fit and appropiate Means and therefore the Empirick or he that understands nothing of the true Cause of the Disease and Nature of the Medicine is not to be trusted HAving in the last Section shewn you how by a special providence of God and for ends best known to himself the Course and Order of Nature may be sometimes inverted It shall be my endeavour in this to make it appear that it doth never without a positive command from God recede from those Laws anciently given her but always proceeds in the same regular Method When God at first created all the numerous Families of Vegetables Minerals and Animals he infused into them their particul Vertues which they should retain even unto their Ultimate Annihilation neither may we think they can alter those Laws at first set them or assume new Qualities until he who is Unchangable cease to be so The Rhubarb and Sena will continually purge The Emetick Preparations of Antimony will alwaies Vomit and the flesh and parts of Animals well constituted if they meet with a fit subject will never cease to nourish and restore And these hath God by his infinite Power and Wisdom made and destin'd as the proper and adaequate Instrument to those very Ends from all Eternity Thus we ordinarily find that all Medicines well prepared and exhibited by a Skilful hand which understands not onely the Nature of the Medicine but the Patient's Disease never fail of their designed effect It is recorded in Sacred Writ that several Cures have been wrought by our Saviour his Apostles and Prophets which though in one sense they have been miraculous because the end hath very far exceeded the strength of the means yet we rarely find any without Application to Natural Means When the Israelites were bitten with fiery Serpents in the Wilderness God commanded Moses to erect a Brazen Serpent for their Cure Num. 21.8 But although the Divine Will had annex'd a power of healing unto that Serpent instrumentally yet the same Will appointed the actual application of that power to the looking upon that Serpent Every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live God could have cured Hezekiah by a word but he must apply a Lump of Figs to the Boil before it shall be effected Isa 38.21 Naaman must by command from the Prophet wash not in the Rivers of Damascus but in Jordan before he can be healed of his Leprosie 2 Kings 5.10 although he could have done it by the very Touch of his Hand Nay our Saviour himself makes Clay with his Spittle for the Blind-Mans eyes Iohn 9.6 7. And he must afterwards wash in Siloam He laid his hands also upon some and healed them So that it is very manifest that God Almighty doth not separate the Means from the End but makes the former a necessary preparative to the latter otherwise he should always do Miracles for Miracles are nothing else but the Works of God without and against the ordinary Means but he worketh by succeeding all lawful Means with his Blessing This may serve to condemn two sorts of persons First The Empirick or him that pretends to Physick understanding nothing of the true Nature and Causes of a Disease and therefore cannot prescribe fit and appropriate Means suitable to their desired End Secondly It reproveth those that think a fatal and indispensable necessity of Events and so neglect the use of Means proper for their Health or Recovery As to the first When I consider seriously with my self how difficult and misterious the Art of Physick is and of what price the Bodies shall I say or rather the Souls of Men are the welfare of which for ought we know may depend upon the protraction of their lives what depth of Judgment Learning and Experience how great Skil
an Oxe to the slaughter to his eternal perdition without some Monition and Advice which for ought we know being given prudently and in season may with the Operation of Gods Spirit concurring work so good an effect upon him as to draw him to a true tho late Repentance and then he hath pull'd him out of the Fire as a Fire-brand ready to be consumed and saved a Soul from Death as St. James saith Chap. 5.20 and then let any one tell me if this be not a sufficient recompence for his pains and amongst all sober and prudent persons salve enough for his Reputation It may be farther urged that Physicians are only to take care of the Body and the Divine of the Soul It is true for that purpose they were consulted and it were to be wished the Divine might never be forgotten but acquainted early with the Diseased's Case and earnestly in treated to visit the Patient as well as the Physician but yet I humbly conceive that the Physician hath many better opportunities than he can have and which is much to be lamented he is seldom so early or so often advised with as the Physician and though the later be not so much obliged by his Profession as the former yet certainly even he cannot be excused in point of Charity The last Caution or Advice is That if it shall please God to make us successful in our Endeavours we do not ascribe the praise of it as is too common unto our selves but unto God to whom alone it is due I have in the former part of this Section shew'd the reasonableness of it and therefore all I shall add by way of Conclusion shall be this That this is the â—eadiest way to find success in our Undertakings By this shall we be more famous than our Neighbours round about â—s This will most advantage both Paâ—ient and Physician and cause God to continue such his Mercies toward us Whilst on the contrary by arrogating the â—ole praise to our selves we rob God of â—he honour due unto him and our selves of the reward of our good Action Therefore let us all unanimously from our hearts â—ay Non nobis Domine non nobis sed â—omini too sit gloria Not unto us not â—nto us but unto God be the praise both â—ow and for evermore Amen The Physicians Prayer O Thou great Creator both of Heaven and Earth and of all things contained therein Thou art the Fountain of all Goodness Mercy and Benediction who by my Education and other Effects of thy Providence hath call'd me to this Profession of Physick that by my industry therein I may in my small proportion be instrumental for the bringing of some good and benefit both to my self and others I humbly begg thy grace to guide me in my intention and in the transaction of my Affairs that I may be diligent studious and faithful and grant me thy Favour that these my Endeavours may be accepted as a part of my necessary Duty and grant me thy Blessing to assist and prosper me in all my Studies and Vndertakings And seeing O Lord I am a Man not God to heal be thou graciously pleased to let thy Wisdom go before me to direct my Judgment for thy good of thy Servant who desires my Assistance Let thy blessing accompany what I shall direct giving unto all things a due and kindly Operation that so a prosperous and happy success come after it And I pray thee O Lord give me and all my Patients who by thy blessing have received benefit by my hands hearts truly thankful unto thee for thy Mercies and Grace to ascribe as is most due all the Praise Honour and Glory unto thy holy Name And grant me O Lord a quiet and cheerful Submission unto thy all-wise Providence when ever it shall please thee to deny me the Blessing of Success Let thy holy Spirit be ever present with me to direct me in all my Vndertakings that I may manage my Affairs with Prudence Honesty and most Christian Sincerity that so my Profession may be sanctifi'd by my Religion and all my Actions by thy Blessing that when I have done that portion of Work thou hast allotted â—ne and improved that Talent thou hast intrusted unto me and served the Common-wealth in my Capacity I may receive the mighty price of my high Calling which I most earnestly beg may be in the portion and inheritance of my ever blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen Those who by reason of the multitude of Patients may not find leisure for the using of the aforesaid or any other set Form of Prayer at the time of their Address to them may yet do it every Morning before they leave their Closet and only use this or the like short Ejaculation at the time when they are to treat with their Patient or to direct for him O Lord the Giver of Health and all good things let thy Wisdom I beseech thee iâ—struct my Judgment in order to the Health and Recovery of thy Sick Servant who now next to thee commits him or her self to my care and succeed my Directions with thy Benediction for Jesus Christ his sake Amen When you enter into the Sick Persons Chamber Ejaculate thus Peace O Lord and Health be unto this Sick Person through Jesus Christ Raise him or her up again O Lord that we may reward thee with Praises and Thanksgivings Amen Finis Partis Prioris The Christian PHYSICIAN The Second PART By H. A. M. D. Non magna loquimur sed vivimus Quanto plus melius scis tanto gravius inde judicaberis nisi sanctius vixeris Gerson De Imitatione Christi LONDON Printed by T. James for William Leach at the Crown in Corn-hill 1683. TO THE Right Honourable the Lady LAETITIA ISABELLA Countess of RADNOR MADAM THis following small Treatise comes to beg your Honours shelter and acceptance which if it be ever safe I am very certain it must be with your Ladyship who without flattery are so generally known to be the Patroness and Protectrix of all that is Pious and Vertuous that I can never in the least doubt of it till even Vertue it self comes to want a Patronage I dare not nay indeed I cannot tell the World how much you deserve that Title it being a Task too difficult far for my undertakings for who can paint the Heavens besides I am so well acquainted with your Ladyships Temper that I know your Noble Mind loves the substance only not the outward shew and delights more in being Vertuous than in appearing or being known to be so which makes me decline those praises which really and deservedly your Vertues call for I cannot in the least think that your Honour stands in need of any of those following Helps and Directions your whole life being indeed nothing else but a Map or Transcript of Piety and had I consulted your Ladyship I know they would have been much more compleat however at least I hope it may
contribute some assistance to them who have not better advice And being to make this publick I know no person that I have so many Obligations to dedicate it to as your Ladyship and having nothing better to present by way of an ackonwledgment I hope your Ladyship will not refuse to accept this though of a small value from From Newcastle upon Tine Nov. 2d 1682. Your Honours most Faithful and most Obedient Servant Henry Atherton THE PREFACE HAving in the former Treatise I hope satisfied all rational persons concerning the Existence of a Deity it will I judge naturally follow that this Deity is to be Worshipped I say Naturally because I never read of any of the Heathens who acknowledged gods but they paid them homage and adoration Qualescunque sunt saith Cicero in his Book De Natura deorum after he had reckoned up the variety of gods hos does venerari colere debemus Whatsoever they are if we own them gods we ought to honour and worship them Nay He though a Heathen goes farther Cultus autem deorum est optimus idemque castissimus atque sanctissimus plenissmusque pietatis ut eos semper pura integra incorrupta mente voce veneremur For indeed the worship of the gods is best of all most pure most holy and most full of Piety and he advises that when we worship them it should be always with a sincere honest Heart and undefiled Tongue There are many ways by which God may be worshipped but that which I only intend to mention here is by Prayer and Invocation which I shall not curiously dissect neither into its various parts but only tell you that this being a part of Gods Worship those that own his Existence and their dependance upon him are indispensably obliged to pay him that so easie Tribute and Adoration Prayer is the great duty and greatest priviledge of a Christian By it we have intercourse with Heaven and bear a part with Angels and beautifi'd Spirits It is the Medium by which we discover all our wants and necessities unto God the Key to unlock Heaven and draw down all Blessings spiritual and temporal upon us Is any Man Afflicted let him Pray Doth any Man lack Wisdom James 1.5 Let him ask of God who giveth to all Men liberally and it shall be given him Therefore seeing it is so much our interest as well as our priviledg and duty let us not be wanting to our selves in it You will find in the following Sheets a small Manual of Directions and Devotions which as by the homeliness of the dress you may easily see were composed only for my own private use and addresses and never intended that they should as much as peep out of my Closet door And now I shall not tell you as many do that they were press'd out or extorted from me by importunity of Friends or the like but indeed after a little pause and consideration with my self they came out voluntarily hoping at least they may have some good influence on some or other either for Direction or Encouragment to a Holy Life and if not they will only remain useless to others as they did before in my Closet and yet however I shall have this satisfaction in my own Conscience that I intended them well and I hope the purity of the Intention will some way sanctifie the Action and procure Acceptance if not with Men yet with God I am very sensible of the most excellent and unparallell'd composure of the Liturgy of our Church for all publick and most private concerns and how the deficiency of this as to particular wants if any such be is supplied by the incomparable Authors of the Whole Duty of Man Practice of Piety Method of Private Devotions Devout Christian by Bishop Taylor and many other worthy and pious Persons whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear out of some of which you will find several Collections in the following pages But yet give me leave to east in my Mite too and take in good part my weak endeavours also which probably in some things may be more particular than what you meet in them Neither dare I being a Laick prescribe them as Forms for others but only acquaint my Reader that they are such as I use my self and may perhaps be beneficial to him upon the like occasions These I know are very defective too and as he grows more prolifick in Grace so he will be able to supply my defects by a new Additament of his own And if these may give any such encouragment or have any good effect upon any one I have my aim and shall think my self well recompenced for my Studies Hic Rhodus Hic saitus I know this little Tract will fall into the hands of many a Momus who will either carp at or deride it The Learned will perhaps think it impertinent or at least not dainty enough for their curious Paluts and the looser vulgar taunt and scoff at it This is the best usage I can expect it shall meet withal in this profligate Age but however I doubt not but amongst sober and pious Christians it will find better entertainment which will make me dis-esteem the Censures of the one and the revilings of the other it being my design to gratifie â—ot the most but the best Directions how to spend every day in the Fear of God EVery Morning as soon as thou awakest out of Sleep endeavour to get thy Soul Affected with the Majesty and Mercy of God Consider his Power that he was able to raise thee again and his Goodness that he would not suffer thee to sleep in death his Mercy that he hath carefully defended thee and thine from the many sad Casualties and Accidents which might have justly faln either upon thee or them by reason of your Sins and then lift up thy Soul to God in these or the like short Prayers or Ejaculations O Almighty God who hast in thy Mercy awak'ned my Body out of Sleep so I beseech thee by thy grace awaken my Soul from the sleep of Sin and grant I may so walk before thee this day and all the days of my life hereafter that when the last Trumpet shall awaken my Body out of the Grave I may rise to the Life Immortal through Jesus Christ My Voice shalt thou hear in the Morning O Lord in the Morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up I will sing of thy Power yea I will sing aloud of thy Mercy in the Morning for thou hast been my Defence and my Refuge in the time of my Trouble My Soul desires to wait for thee O Lord more than they that wait for the Morning O God therefore be thou merciful unto me and bless me and cause thy Face to shine upon me O fill me with thy Mercy this Morning so shall I rejoyce and be glad even all the days of my life So teach me to number my days that I may apply
the good Creatures of God with an hearty desire of his Blessing Moderation and Thankfulness remembring that every Creature of God is good and not to be refused if it be received with Thanksgiving and that it is sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer At any other time besides at Set Meals venture not to eat or drink without craving a Blessing and returning Praise at least by Ejaculation After a little Diversion return to thy Closet read a Psalm or two meditate and follow David's Example by offering up a Meridian Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving in the following or like Method Then betake thy self again â—o thy Employments or Studies and be â—iligent in them At Four in the Afternoon if thy occasions permit as there are but very few who can not spare so much time if the â—eart be inclin'd for thou maist do this â—n the midst of thy business and make â—hy Closet in the very Street use some â—f the following Ejaculations either as â—hy Devotion or particular necessities â—rompt thee to If there be again any Publick Prayers if thou be not a Man of Employment and Business omit them not Use the same Meditations again at Supper as before at Dinner and after Supper if the time of the Year or Season permits walk into the Fields and there contemplate and admire the wonderful Works of God the strange Effects of his Wisdom exhibited to us in the variety of Plants their decorous Order exact Symmetry of Parts and the like Praesentem narrat quaelibet herba Deum Let thy Soul say O how marvellous are thy Works O Lord in Wisdom hast thou made them all The Earth is full of thy Riches Who can express the noble Acts of the Lord Or shew forth all his praise c And if you use any Recreation have an especial care first that it be not unlawful or with evil Company next that it be not immoderate and take up too much time but that it may be such as may either tend to the health of thy Body or refreshment of thy Mind that so thou may'st be the better disposed either for the Service of God thy Neighbour or thy Self And because we are too apt to be led by Sense and to forget God in our Mirth thou may'st often lift up thy Soul to God to set a Watch before thy Mouth and to keep the door â—f thy Lips and take care that no lying â—ain-glorious Jesting frothy or idle Discourse proceed from thence consisering that thou must give an account â—f every idle word as well as sinful action Keep always a Religious sense of God in thy Soul and let no sensual pleaâ—ure or delight stain thy innocency When the time for Rest draws nigh â—etire to thy Closet cast off as much as â—hou canst all worldly thoughts and use â—hese or the like Ejaculations Let the words of my Mouth and the Meditations of my Heart be now and â—lways acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Strength and my Redeemâ—r O Lord I beseech thee bring into my â—emembrance the Sins of the day past whether of Omission or Commission whether of Thoughts Words or Actiâ—ns that so I may humbly confess them â—efore thee and find favour at thy Hands â—r the pardon of them in and through fesus Christ And also I humbly pray â—hee the mercies of the Day past wheâ—her Spiritual or Temporal that so I â—ay in some measure offer unto thy Divine Majesty that praise which is due unto thy Great and Glorious Name for them Then reflect and consider how you have spent the Day in what Company you have been how you have discharg'd your Duty in your Place Relation or Calling and how you have in all things behaved your self And if any Sin beyond the common frailties of Nature hath passed from thee keep a Diary of it that thou mayest repent it over again on thy Fast Days or before the Sacrament And that you may not think this Task and Discipline too severe to speak nothing of the common practise of pious Christians even Heathen Philosophers took this Course Pythagras Seneca and Plutarch yea the poor barbarous Indians as Apuleius reports used to call themselves to a daily account of the good and evil of the day and how much greater obligation lies upon us Christians besides the serenity and tranquility of mind every Man feels by such short reckonings with God Almighty I leave to every Man piously inclined to consider And that thou mayest do this the better after a general survey of thy Company Actions and the like in particular examine if thy thoughts have not been vain peevish uncharitable or unchast Whether they have been so holy or at least so innocent as they ought to have been c If thy words have not been vain and empty rash and inconsiderate Whether no foolish speaking or jesting lying or frothy and corrupt Communication hath proceeded out of â—hy Mouth Whether thou hast not slanâ—ered or back-bitten thy Neighbour Whether thy words have been mix'd with that Grace Discretion tending â—o Reprehension and Edification as they ought to have been Whether thy Actions have not been â—nweighed and inconsiderate Whether â—hou hast had purity of intention in â—hem Whether thou hast been so temâ—erate so chast so careful of spendâ—ng thy Time and Estate as thou oughtâ—st to have been Whether thou hast â—ischarged thy Duty in thy Calling as â—hou shouldest or whether thou hast oâ—itted any Duty which thou oughtest 〈◊〉 have perform'd and hast had opporâ—nity for Where thou hast been faulâ— confess it humbly to God and anâ—ex this short Ejaculation Lord be merâ—ful to me a Sinner And venture no more to sleep in thy sins unreconciled to God than thou would'st to die so for for ought thou know'st thou maist now sleep in Death and never see the dawn of another day Then seriously and thankfully consider also the Mercies of the day past both spiritual and temporal which may be commonly such as these delivering thee from those many sad casualties and accidents which might justly have faln upon thee by reason of thy Sins refreshing thee plentifully with his good Creatures blessing thee in thy Studies Labours and Undertakings giving thee leave to lift up thy Soul to him by some tho weak and imperfect Prayers and Praises and also preserving thee if it hath so happen'd from any presumptious sin into which thou would'st certainly have fallen had not Gods restraining Grace prevented thee c. Then say Not unto me not unto me but unto thy Name be the praise Blessed be the Lord God which daily loadeth me with his benefits even the God of my Salvation and blessed be the Name â—f his Majesty for ever Then read a Chapter in the New Testament meditate on it and theâ— immediately before you Address your ielf to God by Prayer to help your Devotion consider that God is a most Holy God that he will be sanctifi'd of all them who draw near unto him that
and no doubt when it is performed with good ends and designs as it is an act of Austerity and holy Revenge upon our Selves so by God's Mercy it will procure that Mortification that we aim'd at by it and we shall find either the Temptation removed or God impowering us from on High with Grace sufficient to withstand it 3. It is very profitable and instrumental for the removing or prevention of Judgments and that either particular upon thy Self Family or Friends or National Ahab though a wicked King yet because he fasted and humbled himself before God tho positive Judgments were denounced against him he receives a Suspension of them in his days 1 Kings 21.27 and 29. and tho David found not that effect when he fasted for the Child 2 Sam. 12.16 because his Sin was notorious and scandalous and God would have the punishment as publick to yet it is manifest that David expected it and thought that the readiest way to attain it The Heathen Ninevites succeeded in their Fast for the removal of a general Judgment upon the whole City Jonah 3.5 they proclaimed a Fast and in the tenth verse you have the good success of it God repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not Lastly Fasting is very seasonable when we have any extraordinary thing to beg of God I do not give much Credit to the many Stories amongst the Romish Credentials and what great things have been done by Prayer and Fasting but we have a much surer Word of Prophesie we know what the effect of Hester's Fast was Esther 4.16 how she obtained her request for the deliverance of the Jews We know that when Paul and Barnabas were to be ordained Apostles there was Fasting as well as Prayer premised Acts 13.3 Therefore if we have any Internal Mercy or Grace to desire of God or if we have any extraordinary External Blessing to implore at his Hands let us unto our Prayer joyn Fasting also One Emolument more I will by way of surplusage subjoyn which probably with some sort of persons may be more perswasive than all the rest and that is the advantage of it upon the Score of Health In most Constitutions when the Stomach does as it were keep Holy day and is not charg'd with a new load or taken up with the concocting of new Food it hath time to digest Crude and Superflous Humours which oppress it and so after Concoction either manifestly evacuates or insensibly dissipates them so that that which could not be before digested by a full Stomach is now effectually performed by an empty one All the ways and passages of the body are by this means rendred open and ready for Exclusion Fasting powerfully opens Obstructions makes Respiration more Free and Easie and the Mind and all the Senses more chearful quick and vegate Fasting is not onely the Physick of the Soul but the Body too Many Diseases have been by this prevented many cured Hence that of Fernelius Quos igitor morbos inediâ— non sustulit Medicatione curato So that you see if we had nothing else in Prospect but our own Health Fasting or rather in this sense Abstinence seems most fit and reasonable It will be impossible for me to prescribe to every one how often they ought to fast Every Man's piety and his necessary occasions must instruct him in the frequency of this Duty From those who labour and are bound in the Sweat of their Brows to procure a Competency for themselves and their poor Family little of this Duty is expected However seeing they ought to separate some time before the receiving of the Holy Sacrament for Examination of themselves Prayer and Preparation they cannot do better than add Fasting also But for those who are not under such indispensible necessities and have any tolerable leisure their Piety certainly may well prompt them to set apart one Day every Week for Fasting Calling themselves to an Account of their Sins Humiliation and Prayers unto God for Pardon Preventing or Strength'ning Grace It is Observed even in the outward affairs of this World that those who keep the closest Accounts thrive best and though there be a Day-Book as they call it in which they set down the Debentures of every Day yet once in a Week at least these are all summ'd up and put into a better Form in the great Shop-book that they mey be found and review'd upon all occasions Thus ought the Spiritual Merchant do likewise though he examines himself every day for the Sins thereof yet he ought to have other particular days to look them over again that so having a few of them altogether it may make him more humble more penitent If thou therefore art a Man of leisure and God hath wrought in thy Heart to set apart one Day in a Week thus to humble thy self before him to be reconciled to and to be at peace with him and thy own Conscience thou hast thy liberty to choose which Day of the Week thou wilt for this purpose only give me leave to inform thee That it hath been the Practise of the Primitive Christians and that not without some reason and it is the Command of our Church too to set a part Friday for that purpose as being the Day of our Blessed Saviour's Crucifixion which was thus long observ'd by the Christians after his Passion Others choose rather Saturday for that Action which was likewise kept as a Fast by the Christians who bewailed our Saviours absence he now lying in the Grave And others observe the same day because it may serve as a preparation to the Lords Day which may be best sanctified when some Preparatory Religious Acts have gone before casting off the Cares and Thoughts of the World before-hand that they may attend upon the Lord without distraction Either of these I judge convenient enough neither do I think it necessary to bind you to either of them Prudence and your own occasions must prescribe to you in this However this is my Custom I always design Fryday for my Fasting day because if by any Interposition of Friends or Company or accidential Business I am then hindred from my Design I may have the benefit of another Day i. e. Saturday to perform my Devotions in You may also perhaps see cause to set apart a particular day or days in a year to humble your self for any great or capital Sin that day committed or to praise God for any great mercy or deliverance that day received And that you may perform this Exercise the better I shall give you some particular Rules or Directions for it Rules for a Religious Fast THe Evening before you fast insert some such Petitions as these by way of preparation into your private Prayers O blessed God to whom all hearts are open and all desires known and from whom no secret is hid I could not think a good thought unless thou hadst first infused it into my Soul
my head and my Trespass is grown up even unto Heaven All the thoughts and imaginations of my heart have been Evil and only Evil and that continually I have wrought many and great provocations in thy sight especially O Lord c. Here enumerate thy old capital Sins and that in the mosâ— provoking manner They have not been only single but repeated acts of sin for O Lord of this black Cataloguâ— which I have now brought forth before thee how few are there which I have not often times committed nay which are not become even habitual and customary unto me And to this frequency I have added both agreediness and obstinacy in sinning turning into my course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel doing evil with both hands earnestly yea hating to be reformed and casting thy words behind me quenching thy Spirit within me which testified against me to turn me from my evil ways and frustrating all those outward means whether of Judgment or Mercy which thou hast used to draw me to thy self Nay O Lord even my Repentances may be numbred amongst my greatest Sins they have sometimes been feigned and hppocritical always so slight and ineffectual that they have brought forh no Fruit in amendment of Life but I have still return'd with the Dog to his vomit and the Sow to the mire again and have added the breach of many resolutions and vows both at thy Table and in private to all my former Guilts Yea O Lord I desire to confess to my own shame and confusion that since the last time that I humbled my self in thy sight and so solemnly vowed and purposed to forsake every Sin and not to regard any iniquity in my heart I have returned unto the same if not worse Sins than I then came to confess before thee and to beg pardon at thy hands for for my thoughts O Lord have been vain c. Here enumerate the sins My Words have been inconsiderate c. my Actions have been unweighed c. And besides all this O Lord I have still the same proneness to that which is evil aversness and obstinacy towards what is good I have still an impenitent hard heart which is not sufficiently mollified with the sense of my Sins or thy wrath due unto me for them O God! God be merciful to me a Sinner yea I know not how often I have offended O cleanse cleanse thou me from my secret faults Thus thus O Lord am I become out of measure sinful and since I have thus chosen death I am most worthy to take part in it even in the second death the lake of Fire and Brimstone which burneth for evermore This this O Lord is in Justice to be the portion of my Cup to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face and that eternally But to thee O Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiveness though I have â—â—belled against thee O remember not my Sins and Offences but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness Thou sentest thy Son to seek and to save that which was lost be hold O Lord I have gone astray like a Sheep that is lost O seek thy servant and bring me back again to the Shepherd and Bishop of my Soul Let thy Spirit work in me a hearty sense and detestation of all my abominations that true contrition of heart which thou hast promised not to despise And then be thou pleased to look upon me in mercy to take away all my iniquity and to receive me graciously into thy favour and for his sake who hath done nothing amiss be thou reconciled to me who have done nothing well Wash away the guilt of all my Sins in his Blood bury them so deep in his grave and hide them in his Wounds that they may never rise up in Judgment against me either here to shame me or hereafter to condemn me and subdue the power of them by his grace and grant O Lord that I may from this hour bid a final adieu to all Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts that I may never once more cast a look toward Sodom or long after the Flesh Pots of Egypt but consecrate my self intirely to thee to serve thee in righteousness and true holiness all the days of my life reckoning my self to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour Amen After this go on with your Devotions and pray over the One and fiftieth Psalm HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins For I acknowledg my faults and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done these Evils in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying and clear when thou art judged Behold I was shapen in Wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me But lo thou requirest Truth in the inward parts and shalt make me to understand Wisdom secretly Thou shalt purge we with Hysop and I shall be clean thou shalt wash me and I shall be whither than Snow Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O take away this stony this hard heart of mine and give me a heart of flesh O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou that art the God of my health and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness Thou shalt open my lips O Lord and my mouth shall shew thy praise For thou desirest no Sacrifice else would I give it thee but thou delightest not in burnt Offering The Sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit a broken and contrite Heart O God shalt thou not despise O be savourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the Walls of Jerusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of Righteousness with the burnt Offerings and Oblations then shall they offer Young Bullocks upon thine Altar Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen Conclude your Penitentials with the following Collects ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and do'st forgive the sins of all them that are penitent create and make in me a new and contrite heart that I worthily lamenting my sins and acknowledging my wretchedness may obtain of thee the God of all mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O
Lord I beseech thee mercifully hear my prayer and spare me who now confess my sins unto thee that I whose conscience by sin is accused by thy merciful pardon may be absolved from all my offences through Christ our Lord. Amen O most Mighty God and Merciful Father who hast compassion upon all Men and hatest nothing that thou hast made who wouldest not the Death of a Sinner but that he should rather turn from his Sin and be saved mercifully forgive me my Trespasses receive and comfort me who am grieved and wearied with the Burthen of my Sins Thy property is alwayes to have mercy to thee only it appertaineth to forgive Sins Spare me therefore good Lord spare me whom thou hast redeemed Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant who am vile Earth and a miserable Sinner but so turn thine anger from me who meekly acknowledg my vileness and truly repent me of my faults and so make hast to help me in this World that I may ever live with thee in the World to come through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen This being done you are next to review your Sins again and consider what were the occasions which drew you into each particular Sin and then consider and think of those ways and mean by which you may for the future avoid them and arm your self before-hand with reasons and holy resolutions against their assaults whensoever they invade which you may do well to commit to Writing After this consider what Graces directly oppose your Vices that you may in the next place petition for them for it is not enough that you are pardoned but you must also remember that that will not stand you in stead If you again return to your Old Vices An Examplification of this you have in one or two Sins following As January I fasted and upon Examination I found my self guilty of unclean and unchast thoughts and that with delight and approbation which sometimes brake forth into corrupt frothy Discourse and immodest or unclean Actions Upon reflecting into the Causes of this Sin I found them to be Eating and Drinking too highly keeping light or idle Company not keeping that Guard over my self as I ought nor behaving my self in all places with that gravity and seriousness as I should and giving way to the first motions of vain and impure thoughts Upon which I resolved to use my self to a spare low Diet to avoid Drinking much Wine or Strong Liquors to avoid light Company and not suffer mine ears to hear or my tongue to utter any frothy or corrupt Communication to carry my self always with a becoming gravity in my behaviour to deport my self as in the immediate presence of God remembering that he is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness I will be watchful over my own Heart that I do not permit any unclean thoughts or fancies to enter within me much less give them Entertainment and as soon as they offer themselves to my fancy I will endeavour to divert them by holy and heavenly Meditations And last of all I will be frequent in my prayers to God for a clean heart and purity of spirit and for the Graces of Temperance and Chastity When I fasted likewise I found my self guilty of muth deadness and dulness in my Devotions vain and wandring thoughts in them c. Upon Examination of my self I found the great Causes of it to be the want of keeping my self continually in a serious frame and temper of spirit my not spending some some time in Meditation before I came to pray my want of frequency in my Devotions and want of the due sense of God's great and dreadful Majesty and my own necessities of those things I come to pray for Upon which I resolved constantly to keep my self in an habitual frame and temper of piety to be more frequent in Prayer and to praemeditate of the dread and awfulness of that Majesty before whom I appear to consider before-hand that nothing but what is hearty and from the ground of the Soul will be accepted by him and how great need I have of those things I ask I will pray often for the Spirit of Devotion and Sincerity and will be sure to watch over my thoughts when I am at my Devotions but if any such enter I will presently repel them and then pray with greater fervency to cross the Devil's design therein These meditations and resolutions being over you may begin again thus O Lord increase my weak Faith Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief and give me Grace to live and die according to my belief for I believe in thee O God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ thy only Son our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried He descended into Hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into heaven and siteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins The Resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting Amen O Lord be with my Spirit O Most gracious God make me careful to discharge and perform all my Vows and Resolutions which I have made unto thee both in publick and in private Make me a serious and professed enemy to every sin and to all ungodliness especially O Lord to all c. Here meition thy most prevailing Sins and Corruptions and let no sinful thought surprize me without a sorrowful sigh no ungracious word pass me without a suddain retractation and devour confession no wicked action defile me without a sincere and godly humiliation Unto each measure of sin enable me to allow a due measure of sorrow Let those sins that have been reigning over me be at set times constantly revenged by me and as my body hath been a deep sharer in my Sins so let it have a daily share in my Sufferings Help me at set times to deny my self some of those outward Enjoyments which thou O Lord in mercy hast allowed me as a true sign of my godly sorrow for that sinful excess which I have too oft taken without thine allowance Let those sinful hours which have been vainly lost in idleness and emptiness be willingly redeemed in a constant observation of Religious Duties Let no day pass me with out a solemn and devout task of Devotion no hour without some sweet Ejaculation and when at any time the troubles and disturbances of this frail life shall deny me happy opportunities for those heavenly performances what is wanting in act let it be made up in desire which thou Lord I trust wi lt graciously accept and look upon because faithfully intended These and whatever mercies thou knowest needful and requisite I humbly beg in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ
hath vouchsafed to thee in the whole course of thy Life whether Spiritual or Temporal And here seeing Gods Mercies are like himself infinite it will be impossible for me to set down any definite number of them and therefore I shall leave it to every particular person to make his own Collection and Observation But certainly the Spiritual Advantages will be very great to intermix the remembrance of Gods Mercies with the remembrance of his own Sins especially at such a time of Humiliation it will conduce much to the augmenting of his sorrow and contrition for sin for when the pious Soul shall thus reason with himself Lord I have daily provoked thee to displeasure by my sinful and wicked Life though thou hast followed me day by day with thy Mercies I have crucified my Blessed Saviour afresh and put him to an open shame though he thought it not too much to suffer such great things and at last to die for me to rescue me from everlasting Damnation I have grieved thy holy Spirit by my frequent Oppositions of his blessed Motions who would have led me to Repentance and hath often courted and invited me to it and when I have run wilfully into Sin O what earnest solicitations hath he made unto me to forbear Thus and thus O Lord hast thou done for me but yet what unworthy returns have I made for all this love of thine O my Soul canst thou think of this without remorse Canst thou forbear condemning thy self and justifying God And to say Thou O Lord art Righteous but I am Vile and Wicked thy ways are upright and equal but mine very crooked and unequal thou hast not dealt with me after my Sins nor rewarded me according to my Iniquities This was the Method that God himself took with David to work him to a true Compunction of Spirit after he had been guilty of Adultery and Murder 2 Sam. 12.7 8. where you have God reckoning up the Mercies he had confer'd on David I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Masters House and thy Masters Wives into thy Bosome and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things which in the 13. v. made him with sorrow of heart confess that he had sinned So in Deut. 32.6 Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee hath not he made thee and established thee Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Directions for Saturday THings of great moment are never so well performed as when there hath some preparation gone before to usher them in Hence it is that we read John 19.31 of the preparation of the Passover which was the day before it was to be celebrated and Mark 15.42 of the preparation of the Sabbath Moses taught the People over Night to remember the Sabbath Exodus 16.23 and our Saviour himself sends Peter and John before-hand to prepare the Passover Luke 22.8 Here is a memorandum annex'd to this Commandment which is not to any other as if God had said Remember before-hand to keep holy the Sabbath day A Man must not think he can step from his Shop-board or his Plough or his Recreations into the Church and perform a Sacrifice well pleasing to God Alass our hearts are so corrupt and our memories so tenacious of the vanities and things of this World that it is no easie matter to give them a dismission and I fear when we have done our utmost even our best preparations are very mank and imperfect and certainly I cannot easily be induced to be lieve that he designs to sanctifie the Sabbath who without some manifest and necessary hindrance doth not make some preparation for it before it comes You may therefore in order to it make use of this following Method The Forenoon and till Three in the Afternoon which if I mistake not was the beginning of the preparation of the Sabbath among the Jews you may spend as you do other days only it may be your care so prudnetly to dispose of your common Affairs that they may be about that time at an end The remaining part of the day and till you betake your self â—o rest which should be earlier than on â—â—her days that you and your Family may rise the earlier the next Morning â—ou cannot do better than spend in priâ—ate Prayer for Devotion Sincerity â—aith Thankfulness and other Graces which are fit for the Actions of the following day or that you find your self â—o stand in need of or in publick Prayâ—rs in the Church if there be any as 〈◊〉 is great pity there should not in reading the Scripture or some other good Book in Meditation and the like holy Exercises In the close of your Evening Devotions desire God to fit and prepare you for the great business of the ensuing day that he will banish all vain and and worldly Thoughts Desires and Cares that he will fill thy Soul with Affections suitable to thy Duty that so lying down in his fear and being awak'ned to the Comforts of the succeeding day thy Soul may be affected with the Majesty of it and thy Mouth filled with his praise that he will abstract thy thoughts from all the Vanities and Concerns of this World and sublime them to a higher degree of Purity that so beginning his day in his fear thou may'st wholly spend it in his Service and end it in his favour to the Glory of his great Name the discharge of thy Duty the comfort of thy Soul here and everlasting Happiness hereafter in and through Jesus Christ Having thus prepared thy self thou may'st not fear to want the Assistance of Gods Spirit in the Duties of the following day which though thou art not so strictly able to perform as God requires yet thou mayst do it so as he will be pleased to accept in and through Jesus Christ Directions for the Lords Day AS soon as you are awaked in the Morning lift up your Soul to God by some Devout Ejaculations or short Prayer and say This is the day which the Lord hath made I will be glad and rejoyce in it Psal 118.24 Grant That as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father even so I also may walk in newness of Life Rom. 6.4 Because thou livest I shall live also Joh. 14.19 Thanks be to God who hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live with him 1 Thess 5. â— 10. Knowing that he which raised up â—he Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus 2 Cor. 4.14 and shall present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude 24. Glory be to God on high on Earth peace good will towards Men Luk. 2.14 Thou art my God and I will
That he would bless his Minister that hath this day blessed you that he would pour down a double portion of his Spirit into his heart and make him an eminent Instrument for his glory and finally may so live and so preach that he may both save himself and them that hear him Pray also that he would continue such his spiritual Mercies towards you and make you to grow in knowledg and to be more fruitful under all the means of Grace that so his Word may be unto you the savour of Life unto Life and not to any Soul of you the savour of death unto death c. Thus shalt thou sanctifie this day unto the Lord and the Lord will sanctifie thee unto himself He will give thee of the blessings of this Life and that which is to come Remember the words of the Prophet Isaiah ch 58.13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a Delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thy own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy Father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Of the holy Sacrament SHould I here go about to enumerate the many great benefits of this holy Mystery I might in the next page also reckon up all the benefits of Physick Meat and Drink for what there are to the Body the other is to the Soul Meat and Drink are the Supporters of our Beings strengthen the Powers and Abilities of the Body preserve its natural heat and vigor and repair its decays and our Saviour saith of this Holy Sacrament my Flesh is Meat indeed and my Blood is Drink indeed such as will not only like Meat strengthen and nourish but like Drink or Wine comfort encourage and revive even drooping dying Souls It came down from Heaven and it is of Efficacy sufficient to translate us thither and as the Body being but a little deprived of Food languishes and at last expires even so is it with the Soul being deprived of this spiritual Sustenance which is said to nourish the Soul unto Life everlasting it immediately grows sick and at length dead unto all good Works And then as the Body by too great plenty of feeding at last contracts Corruption and Diseases and hath need of some Physick to cleanse and purifie it and to preserve the Blood from dangerous putrefactions even so is it with the Soul which by conversing with the pleasures and delights of the World is apt to contract some stain and foulness which may here in this sacred Fountain be washed away and cleansed and the Soul by this Antidote preserved from future Corruptions It is not my design here to acquaint you with the nature use and end of this Sublime Mystery or with the manner of worthy receiving it this being a Province above my low Sphere or Capacity and already so exactly done by the Learned and Pious Authors of the Christian Sacrifice Whole Duty of Man Method of Private Devotions c. to which I refer you All that I shall say in it is to endeavour to press you to the frequency of communicating which if we consider the Will and Command of Christ Luke 22.19 our continual wants and necessities and the great and inestimable benefits we reap by it we should not think our selves excused from any opportunity that offers it self but rather court every one and if it be in our power make it rather than want it for certainly if thou be a good Christian thou wilt think every return too slow and confess with David That as the Hart panteth after the Rivers of Waters so panteth thy Soul after God That thy Soul is athirst for God even for the living God when shalt thou come and appear before him And if thou not knowing it before-hand come into a Congregation where the Table is spread or art sodainly invited to communicate with a sick or dying person I cannot see how thou canst turn thy Back upon that sacred Ordinance although thy preparations are not according to the Sanctuary or so strict as they ought to have been hadst thou had timely notice thereof Supposing thee therefore to be one who lives in an habitual preparation that is in a daily Examination of thy Conscience and calling thy self to an account of thy Sins and in a constant performance of Religious duties and even now lamenting that thou hast not more time to prepare thy self so that what is wanting in Act is made up in Desire thou may'st undoubtedly draw near with comfort and receive as worthily though not perhaps so much to thy own satisfaction as if thou hadst made a greater and more solemn preparation and I must tell thee who ever thou art that unless thou art thus always ready to receive thou art in no wise prepared to die which that thou maist be I shall in the next Section set down some short Rules and Directions which may help thee towards it Remote Preparations for Death THere is nothing so much sharpens the sting of Death and adds greater malignity and venom to it than the want of due Consideration of it before-hand and Preparation for it Inexpertata plus aggravant novitasadjicit calamitatibus pondus Senec. Epist 91. The suddenness and surprize of an evil adds to the weight and smart of it Death we are told is an enemy 1 Corinth 15.26 and you know to be surprized by an Enemy puts all into tumult and confusion and permits not the free use of that reason and conduct that we should otherwise have had upon a timely monition and preparation Nay we are told that it is the last enemy and being to fight but this one battle it will be the greatest imprudence in the World not to muster up all our forces not to make all the provision we can before-hand that we be not worsted in this last Conflict Non licet in bello his peccare To fail once here is to fail for ever And we shall never have any opportunity more to rectify a former fault And therefore that you may not miscarry in so momentous a concern take and follow these brief Directions First in the time of your greatest health carry your self with the greatest innocency watchfulness and circumspection Endeavour to keep your Soul in an habitual frame and temper of piety continually abstain from the commission of any known Sin and do not that at any time which if God should then call for thee for no Man hath any assurance that he shall not die suddainly thou wouldst not be ashamed to be found doing If a sharp Sickness seizes our Bodies whilst we have a load of guilt upon our Souls what consternation and terrour does it strike unto us Our Sins stare
Subtilties and Assaults of the Devil and discover to thee the sin for which he now sees it fit to afflict thee anâ— make an absolute surrender of thy seâ—â— unto Gods all-wise disposal 2. As soon as thou art in thy Bed anâ— hast leisure and privacy begin whilâ— thou hast strength and the free use 〈◊〉 thy Reason which possibly in some acuâ— Distempers thou may'st not long enjoy to renew thy Repentance taking a freâ— survey of all thy Capital Sins which the former Catalogue will help thee in and of any others lately committed by thee remembring that God never corrects but for Sin When thou with rebukes saith David dost chasten Man for sin Psalm 39.11 These again humbly confess to Almighty God acknowledg thy de-merits and the justice of his proceeding and most earnestly implore his pardon 3. Next exercise thy Faith by a stedfast recumbency on God through Jesus Christ for the full pardon of all thy sins and resting upon those gracious promises of his that he hath made Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll Isa 1.18 That God will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 That Jesus Christ is the propitiation for thy sins and that in him God hath said He is well pleased Math. 3.17 That God will deliver thy Soul from going down to the pit because he hath found a Ransom Job 33.24 and will certainly give thee Eternal Salvation if thou continue faithful unto Death Believe also that God is wise and just in sending thee Afflictions that he wil not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able That all things shall work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 That if thou live thou shalt live to him and if thou die Death shall be unto thee advantage In a word firmly believe all those Truths that thou did'st believe and wert perswaded of in the time of thy greatest health 4. The next Grace now to be exercised is Hope which is nothing else but a comfortable expectation of the performances of all those good promises made unto thee by God Job assures us that the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish because it was not founded upon a good bottom he continued in his sins and yet hoped for Mercy But thou hast repented of thy sins and purified thy self from them quite forsaken them and therefore thy hope is such as maketh thee not ashamed but thou may'st be assured that thou art of the number of those Righteous ones Who have hope in their death Prov. 14.32 Fifthly Exercise throughout the whole course of thy Sickness Prayer and Devotion This is a time of trouble and God bids us then to call upon him and to encourage us hath promised to hear us Psalm 5.15 besides as we have now greater needs than ever so for the most part the Devotion of every pious Soul is at this time raised to a greater height and accompanied with more fervency and humility than in the time of his greatest health Therefore frequently Pray and Ejaculate unto God as thou findest the temper of thy Soul requires whether it be for support under thy weaknesses against despondencies impatience distractions or confusions of Mind whether for Revelations of his Goodness and Irradiations of his Love and Favour and if thou art a constant Reader and Meditator of Gods Word thou canst not want suitable Expressions out of that rich Treasury the Holy Bible You may find some cull'd out for that purpose in the subsequent pages and in The Whole Duty of Man many more But if thy Devotion be not so much exalted as thou would'st have it remember this is a time for Passion not Action and God will accept thee 6. Exercise likewise throughout the whole time of thy Sickness Christian patience You have need of Patience saith the Apostle Heb. 10.36 That when you have done all you may inherit the promises Now is the chief use of this grace therefore you cannot want it It is that which crowns all the rest This discovers it self by a cheerful submission to Gods Fatherly Correction justifying God and condemning thy self saying with the Psalmist Thou hast punished me less than my sins have deserved or with the Prophet I will bear the Indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Micah 7.9 or with good old Ely It is the Lord let him do as it seemeth him good Or with the Apostle Chasten me here as thou pleasest that I be not condemned with the World And then resting in a cheerful Expectation that God will convert all to thy good and that he will be to thee both in life and death advantage taking up holy Job's resolve That tho he kill thee thou wilt trust in him Job 13.5 and that tho thou walk through the valley of the shadow of death thou wilt fear no Evil Psalm 23.4 Submit to the Rules of thy Physician and be kind and courteous not peevish as too many are towards thy Attendants and all that come to see thee and give them and thy Family good Instructions â—eeing those that are spoken from a Friend on a dying Bed stick closest â—f any Be sure no word drop from thee of repining or murmuring against Gods dispensations towards thee but let thy words be sueh as tend to the use of Edifying and in all things behave thy â—elf as if thou wert giving up the Ghost â—he next moment Be willing and content to die say as St. Paul did I desire to be dissolved and â—o be with Christ which is best of all or as David Like as the Hart desireth the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul aftee thee O God My soul is athirst for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before the presence of God O that I had Wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying Last of all exercise thy Charity not as if thou wert not to use it all along but now more particularly give and forgive Beg pardon for any injury done thy Neighbour and if it be in thy power make restitution for any Offence that is capable of it if not beg God to accept of thy Intentions and to pay thy debt in Blessings Forgive from thy heart all others who have injured thee as thou expectest to be forgiven by God When thou shalt find thy strength fail and Death approaching say or ejaculate thus Lord Jesus receive my Soul Into thy hands I commend my Spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord thoâ— God of Truth Come Lord Jesus come quickly Remedies against some particular Temptations of the Devil in the time of Sickness THe Devil is so delusory and subtil a Spirit that like the cunning Angler he loves to fish in Troubled Waters and takes all Advantages of our weaknesses and disturbances of mind to insnare
the Character as well as the Practice of a good Man That he delights himself in the Law of the Lord and in that Law he doth meditate Day and Night Psalm 1.2 Meditation is the consequence or effect of delight and what any man loves and delights in he is often thinking and meditating upon and certainly much Reading without Meditation seems to favour more of formality and custom than of any real delight in it Reading is like the Manducation or Chewing of our Food and Meditation as the Concoction of it and if both these go before there is no doubt of a good and salutary Reflection to follow and as one affords wholsome laudible Chyle for the nourishment of the Body so will the other give forth strength and spiritual Refreshment for the Soul But if a Man have the Lientery that his Meat pass from him quickly and unchanged what strength and vigor of Body is he like to receive by it He may indeed eat more than a sounder Man but he will draw thence but a small faint and languishing Nutriment Even so is it with such as have this Spiritual Boulimos who have great Appetites and strong Desires after Reading and Hearing but they never suffer it to digest it suddenly passes through them and the poor Soul is like to starve in the midst of so much plenty Meditatin is stiled by a Learned Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of augmentation a beating out of the Gold into Plate and Wire An Enlargement of the Object we look upon which by our continual Survey of the Beauty of it we make it more clear and visible than before Our study and desire of this holy Exercise wants no opportunity of time and place Sed inter medios Rerum actus invenit aliquid vacui In the midst of our Employments and Business finds leisure and makes its Closet in the very Streets I cannot therefore think any person totally excused from this Duty Indeed those whose leisure is greater and opportunities more God will expect more from According to that of the Apostle Luke 12.48 Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required but if thou hast less time and thy occasions are more pressing yet thou may'st cast in thy Symbole thy Mite too and no doubt but God will accept it Meditation I take to be a serious Cogitation or Consideration of any Divine or Spiritual Subject and a particular Application of it to our selves so as to work upon and raise our Affections It is not a meer Employment of the Brain but an Act of the Heart and engages the Affections and all the Powers of the Soul Of it there are two sorts the one set and deliberate the other occasional or sudden Both these have a large Field to walk in and are as unconfined as the Matter and Subjects of them are but principally the former is taken up in Contemplation of the Love Wisdom Power Justice and other Attributes of God in Consideration of the great and miraculous Love of Jesus Christ in his Incarnation miserable yet senseless Life bitter Death Resurrection Ascension continual Intercession and all the benefits of our Redemption of the Miseries of Life the Certainty of Death and Uncertainty of the Time of it the glory of Gods Saints the dreadfulness of Judgment the Terrors of Hell Or else in Meditating of any part of Gods holy Word c. The latter is only conversant about sudden and occasional things whereby the busie active Soul makes particular Applications and Reflections according as the Subject or Occasion offers it self The benefits of both these are very great Meditatio quasi mentis ditatio Meditation is an inriching of the Soul By this means you have a sufficient Treasury or Stock of Scripture fit for all Occasions and Conditions to strengthen your Faith to encourage your Hope to incite your Love both to be the matter of and also to quicken your Devotions and to comfort you in all your Tryals and Afflictions c. I shall begin with the former of these set or deliberate Meditation and here according to my slender capacity I shall give you some brief Instructions for it and Examples of it This work is of all others the most spiritual and sublime and therefore the person most fit for this Heavenly Employ is the most holy most heavenly Christian He only can extract the Elixir and Quintessence from this precious Mineral As to the time and place for your Meditation it matters not much so you make choice of that time when you may have the greatest vacancy and recess from your worldly Concerns and Business and when the Temper of your Body and Mind is most fit for Contemplation and that place where you may have the most privacy and retirement Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus said Scipio Africanus The time of Isaack's Meditation was in the Evening and the place was the Field Gen. 24.63 David's time was at Midnight and in the Bed Psalm 63.6 Our blessed Saviour we read used both these times Matth. 14.23 Mark 1.35 His place was either in a Mountain Wilderness or solitary Garden insomuch that even Judas when he came to betray him knew where to find him John 18.1 2. And though he took his Disciples there with him yet he separated himself from them for more private Devotions Luk. 22.41 And though his Meditation be not directly named but only his Praying yet it is very clearly implied Matth. 26.38 39. his Soul is first made sorrowful with the bitter Meditations on his Death and Sufferings and then he poureth it out in Prayer Mark 14.34 Our Saviour then had an accustomed place for this accustomed Duty whose holy Example we ought to imitate And if thou be a Man who canst dispose of thy Affairs at thy pleasure it will be convenient at least that thou observe the same time for this holy Exercise A stated time is a hedg to Duty and defends it from many Temptations to Omission The more frequent thou art in it the better because seldom conversing with God will create a strangeness betwixt thy Soul and him and will take off much of that life heat and pleasure which thou formerly hadst in the discharge of this Duty Being then retired at a convenient time to this solitary place which thou choosest for thy Meditation endeavour in the first place to disband all vain and worldly thoughts and to work up thy Soul to a due frame and temper of seriousness to help which thou may'st use this or the like short Prayer LEt the words of my Mouth and the Meditations of my Heart be now and always acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Strength and my Redeemer O Most gracious God without whom I am not able so much as to think a good thought be thou pleased to be present with me at this time by the preventings and assistances of thy holy Spirit that the course of my Meditation may be guided aright and
Irreversible so certainly shall all the Off-spring of Adam High and Low Rich and Poor Learned and Unlearned descend unto the gates of the Grave mingle their dust and pay down their Symbole of Mortality Divesne prisco natus ab Inacho Nil interest infimâ De gente sub dio morieris Victima nil miserantis orci Omnes eoâ—em cogimur c. Horat. Carmin Lib. 2. Ode 3. St. Austin observes three kinds of â—eath The first is when God forsakes â—he Soul so he forsook Saul 1 Sam. 6.14 and so he forsook Pharaoh Exod. â—13 This Death is also mentioned Matt. â— 22 Let the dead bury their dead The second is When the Soul forâ—â—kes the Body which is in the common â—urse and order of Nature So Lazaâ—s died John 11. The last is When both Body and Soul â—ffer eternal Death and this is mentiâ—ned Matt. 25.46 and so also Luke 16. â—2 23. The Rich also Man died and was â—uried and in Hell he lift up his Eyes â—eing in torments c. Now Sin is the parent of all these â—ut great sins and a state of impenitency â—nd hardness of heart are the cause that â—ove God to the first and last First to â—rsake the Soul but not till the Soul â—rsakes him next to consign him over 〈◊〉 that state of Immortal Death The second kind of Death is common â—o the Godly as well as the Wicked to â—im that feareth an Oath as well as â—im that sweareth to the Religious as â—ell as the Profane because Gods Decree 〈◊〉 unchangeable Eccles 7.20 and because â—hat even they also cannot lead a sinless life but have many sins many frailties and imperfections that they cannot totally be freed from while they live Death saith the Apostle passed upon all Men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 Death then is certain to all nullum Saevà caput Proserpina fugit and yet nothing more uncertain than the time of it Mors certa est incerta dies One dies in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and vigor of his Age when his Bones are full of Marrow and his Blood of Spirits Another in his Infancy wen there are great expectations of future comfort and hopeful successes Another is intombed in his Mothers Womb and never sees the Light Another dies in the Flower of his Youth Another in Old Age but all sooner oâ— later come to one Seat the Grave One goes well at Night to his Bed and in the Morning is found dead Lotus nobisum est hilaris coenavit ideâ— Inventus mane est mortuus Andragoras Martial l. 6. Another goes out of his doors anâ— his beloved Consort is with much joâ— and impatience expecting his happy reâ—urn and anon she receives the sorrowâ—â—l news of his Death by a Fall or a â—eavor Of all the uncertain things in â—â—e World I know not a more uncerâ—â—in thing than the times of our Death There are so many thousand Casualâ—es that may intervene to deprive a Man â—f life that it is a greater wonder that â—e is than that he is not A Plague or â—â—me popular Disease or Fevour or Smallâ—ox an Immoderate Grief or profuse â—y an Intemperate Draught or undiâ—ested piece of Meat yea a Hair or a â—rape-stone with Myriads of other acciâ—ents may introduce Death And as Death is certain so is Judgâ—ent too As it is appointed unto Men once to â—e so after this the Judgment As one fixed by an irrevocable unalterable Deâ—ee so is the other too He hath appointed a day in which he â—ill judge the World Acts 17.31 This Judgment will be universal both 〈◊〉 to persons and things God will judge â—e secrets of all hearts by Jesus Christ â—om 2.16 Every Man shall receive the â—â—ings done in his body according to â—â—at he hath done whether it be good or evil 2 Cor. 5.10 and to that end we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ God is said to be the Judge of all Heb. 12.23 which evinces the certainty of a day of Judgment Otherwise to what purpose is there a Judge And shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right Here the good man finds the sharpest Misery and greatest Afflictions the Evil Man the sweetest Felicity and fullest Pleasures Here the Rich mans Table stands pressed with Delicacies and poor Lazarus lacks even Crums to feed him Therefore it would much impeach the Justice and Goodness of God if there were not a time and place to make some retribution to each of these to reward the Righteous and to punish the Wicked Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels 2 Thess 1.6 7. Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 So that a Man shall say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal 58.11 Otherwise where is our Hope For if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all Men most miserable 1 Cor. 15.9 Nothing could buoy up the Spirits of a good Christian amidst all the heavy Pressures and Afflictions of this Life but that he has the Hopes and Assurance that there is an exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory laid up for him in the life to come St. John in his Revelation tells us Chap. 20.12 13. That he saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works And the Sea gave up the Dead which were in it and Death and Hell delivered up the Dead which were in them and they were judged every Man according to their Works From the whole you see there is a certainty nay a necessity of Death and Judgment This then should teach thee O my Soul 1. First to be often meditating of it before it comes Nil sic revocat a peccato quam frequens Mortis et Judicii meditatio This will restrain thee from Sin and make Death and Judgment less terrible when it comes Is there such a day approaching for all the Sons of Men How should we then resolve with David to make a Covenant with our eyes that they behold not vanity that we set a Watch before our Mouths and keep the door of our lips as with a bridle that we offend not with our tongues that we always have clean hands and a pure heart that at length we may dwell in his Tabernacle and rest upon his holy Hill for ever Si sapis utaris totis Colinediebus Extremumque tibi semper adesse puta Martial I know the sting of Death is Sin but thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Are there
him the Torments of others and others his yet withal of so violent a burning that should it glow on Mountains of Steel it would melt them like Snow Suppose thou shouldest be confined to lie but one Night grievously afflicted with a raging Fit of the Stone Strangury Collick Gout Toeth-ach or the like though thou had'st a soft Bed to lie upon Friends and Companions about thee and all things necessary that thou couldest desire but ease from thy pains how long would'st thou count the minutes and blame the Clock for its slow progression What will it be then for thee to suffer the torment of the hottest Flames And that not for a Night only but for Myriads of Ages and when that circle is gone through there is yet no point or end 'T is Labor actus in orbem a continual Revolution Believe it This is no Poetical Phantastical Styx or Acheron but a real Hell Ixion's Wheel was a place of Rest compared with this Wheel of Justice The Task of Sisyphus or Danaus's Daughter but a sport compared with this Torture And besides these external Torments of the Body the Soul the more sensible part drinks most deeply of this Cup of God's fury All the Furies of Hell afflict his Conscience Thought calls to Fear Fear to Horrour Horrour to Despair Despair to Torment Torment to Extremity all to Eternity The damned Soul hath no Soul now capable of comfort and tho his Eyes distil like Fountains and his Prayers and Cries were loud enough to silence the dismal Shreeks of all his miserable Companions yet God is now inexorable and speaks to them in this Language You refused to hear me when I have called yea when I have so often wooed and intreated you I have waited to be gracious and stretched out my hand all the day long and you have not regarded I will not now hear your Cry I will laugh at your Calamity and mock at your Fear this shall be your portion for ever This is the Damned's Poena Sensus their positive punishment There is also Poena Damni to be considered their privative punishment and this the Contemplation of the Blessedness of the Righteous will much help them too when they shall too late consider that such joys as the Righteous are now partakers of might have been their lot and portion if they had obeyed the Laws and Commands of God as the others did The consideration of this is that Worm of Conscience that never dies that cruel Vulture that continually gnaws upon the Liver of this Tityus and cannot be shaken off Haeret latori laethalis arundo I could speak much more to aggravate the misery of the Damned and represent the Torments of Hell out par nulla figura Gehennae Reflections upon Hell and the Yorments of it Is Hell such a direful Place And are the Torments of it so acute so inexpressible so remediless so eternal Then this should teach thee O my Soul 1. First to avoid Sin which was the Founder of it and which if persevered â—n will certainly bring thee to that dismal Place those dire Torments from which there is no Redemption Did sinners seriously consider of the evil consequences of Sin and had they â—ut one glympse of those Torments they are to suffer in Hell to all Eternity how would it charm their Spirits appale their Faces and strike fear and astonishment to their Hearts for who can think of the Divine Wrath without trembling Or Who can dwell with Everlasting Burnings O poor secure sinners what will ye now do Where will you hide your selves Or what shall cover you Mountains and Rocks are gone the Earth and Heavens that were are passed away the devouring Fire hath consumed all except your selves who must be the Fuel for ever There is no remedy for you but Repentance that plank after Shipwrack that can rescue you from this Vengeance Think O think of this ye that now forget God lest he pluck you away and there be none to deliver you 2. Is Hell such a direful place c. Then this should teach thee to mind those things that are above The way of Life is above to the Wise saith Solomon that he may depart from Hell beneath The way to depart from Hell which is the lowest is to mind those things which are highest which are above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seek or be wise for those things that are above This is the truest Wisdom the greatest piece of Understanding 'T is not enough to cease to do evil but we must also learn to do well Non progredi est regredi If we lie still we shall never come to our Journeys end There is no standing idle or loitering in the School of Vertue As we must abstain from the appearance of Evil so we must follow after Holiness without which no Man shall see God so shall we be free'd from the fears of this dreadful place And when Christ who is our life shall appear we shall also appear with him in Glory Coloss 3.4 3. Is Hell such a direful place And are the Torments of it so insupportable so endless Then this should teach me to pity instruct and pray for those that are posting thither We see Dives even in Hell pities his poor Brethren and would could he have found a Messenger have sent them an account of the Torments he felt that they might escape their coming into that place And although this Province be chiefly the Ministers yet private Persons as place and fit opportunity occurs may also instruct and reprove the unfruitful works of Darkness or if that doth not take place we may at least pity them mourn in secret for them and pray for their Conversion and though they perhaps may not reap the benefit yet we may God accepts our Charity and will reward our Prayers they shall return into our own bosom Psal 35.13 4. Is Hell such a direful place And have I any assurance that I shall escape it This then should raise my thankfulness to God for this his great and distinguishing Mercy towards me that he hath called me from under the power of Darkness into his marvellous Light This should cause me to be continually magnifying his great and glorious Name for so unspeakable so inestimable a Mercy that whereas others lie wallowing in the puddle of their Sins heaping up Wrath against the day of Wrath and hastning to their eternal ruin he hath been graciously pleased to snatch me as a Fire-brand out of the Fire and hath given me some hopes and assurance that I shall never come into this Place of Torment Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness And now being delivered out of the hands of these my spiritual Enemies I may serve God without fear in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of
multiplicity of Lusts and Sins insnared with passions amazed with fears divided between cares and impertinencies wearied with labours loaden with diseases afflicted with want evil spoken of with and without a cause I have had many disappointments and losses been unfortunate in my Friends and Relatives and which is worst of all I have been daily harrassed with many impetuous Lusts and Temptations My sins have prevailed against me I have displeased my God and wounded my own Conscience interrupted my hopes of Heaven and am continually tormented with evil and wicked inclinations I find still a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Lavv of Sin and Death Those things vvhich I vvould do I cannot do but those things that I would not do those I do O Wretched Man that I am Who shall deliver me from this Body of Sin and Death that I carry about me I am afraid lest my Faith should fail lest having received the Grace of God and tasted of the heavenly Powers I should again be entangled by the Snares of my old beloved Lusts and so forfeit all my right to Heaven lose the Reward of all my strict and circumspect Walking and not continue faithful unto Death But O my Soul there is something the remembrance of which alleviates my grief and sweetens this bitter Cup These my sorrows will not last long a few years are the most and they will suddenly come and then I shall go the way whence I shall not return I shall then cease to grieve any more cease to sorrow cease to fear and cease to sin any more for ever All tears shall then be wiped away from mine Eyes and there shall be no more Sickness nor Sorrow nor Death nor Crying nor Pain I shall then have perfect rest and joy peace and quietness without any interruption for in his presence is fulness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Though the way be foul and troublesome yet the Journey is but short and the end will be pleasant and peaceable and this consideration shall make me go cheerfully away with my present burthen for when a few years are come then I shall go the way whence I shall not return Meditations before or at Dinner or Supper 1. VVHen you see the Table spread Meditate on Gods Fatherly goodness and providence towards all his Creatures what vast infinite numbers there are and yet he carefully as a loving Father for his Children provides for them all their Meat in due season 2. Meditate how much more gracicious God is to thee who hath richly furnished thy Table and prepared these his good Creatures for thee without any great care or trouble of thine whereas there are many thousands in the World far better than thy self who are sentenced to a necessitous Condition and are enforced daily to tug at the Oar to delve in the Dirt to wash their Faces and bathe their Bodies in their own Sweat and yet for all this must be content at last with course Fare and hungry Stomachs 3. Meditate that every Creature of God is good if it be received with Thanksgiving and that it is sanctified by the Word of God and by Prayer and therefore resolve always to implore his blessing on the same in the first place 4. Meditate that several of Gods Creatures lose their lives to preserve thine whose Nature have as great a repugnancy to Annihilation as thy own and as thou now feedest on them so the Worms shall shortly feed on thee and let this excite thee to be temperate in the use of them and so to eat and drink as may the better dispose thee for any service of God thy Neighbour or thy self Let not the daintiness of the Cheer tempt thee to Luxury remembring that it is the greater Vertue to abstain when there is the greater Temptation 5. Lastly Meditate that God who filleth things living with his goodness expects no other return but praise and thanksgiving therefore when thou hast eaten and art full have a care that thou forget not to pay him that so easie Tribute Occasional Meditations Vpon the sight of a Dying Friend IT was not many days since that we had sweet Commerce together and our Conversation was dear to each other we frollick'd it till the Night parted us and then our separation was as the shadow of Death We thought the Nights tedious and the Days long till we should be again happy in each others Embraces but â—o how soon the Scene is altered my Friend is arrested by a fatal Disease and is just expiring his last Breath I came to comfort him and to receive Comfort and Satisfaction from him but alass all that is left me to do now is to be only a witness of his dying groans to close his Eyes and to receive his departing Breath Those Arms that used to hug and imbrace me at our first Meetings are now become so weak and languid that he cannot shake hands at parting nor lift them up unto his Maker That Tongue that was formerly the Conduit of Eloquence and Charm'd all that heard him by its sweet and mellifluous Expressions into a sensible but silent admiration is now become mute and speechless that he cannot as much as take his Vltimum Vale or bid me farewell at parting Those Ears that were heretofore delighted with pleasant Discourse and melodious Sonnets are now become thick of hearing and cannot distinguish between the soft murmurs of some and the louder cries of other his mournful Friends nor can admit of the least comfortable Advice in this his greatest extremity His Eyes sometimes so sparkling and sprightly that they would not suffer the most minute Object to pass their Advertency are now become so dull and heavy that they can scarce peep out of their Casements to behold the most glorious Object nay not so much as to salute that Heaven which he is just going to be the possessor of That countenance which a few days since was so amiable and pleasant as to attract the Eyes as well as raise the Envy of all beholders is now so pallid and ghastly and his Cheeks so bedewed with Cold Sweats that his dearest Friends and Relations draw the Curtains about him that they may not contemplate his grim Visage In a word his brother Body the Receptacle of his Divine Soul and partner with her in all her Actions which till now kept an indissoluble Relation with it is turning into Dust and says to the Grave Thou art my Father and to the Worms my Mother and my Sister Job 17.13 Good God how great a change is this in so short a span of time This shall teach me to put a very slight estimate on all the imperfect Perfections of this World and to seek after those things which alone are truly valuable This shall teach me also to think often of my latter end and all the days of my appointed time to wait until
of Christ As to all our outward concerns here in this life we desire to refer our selves wholly unto thee our good God Thou art infinitely wise and knowest what condition is best for every one of us give us therefore any measure of prosperity or adversity riches or poverty health or sickness whereby we may most of all glorifie thy holy Name and in every condition give us grace to look up unto thee as the author and disposer of it and therein to be really content Together with us we beseech thee to be mindful of all mankind Let thy ways be known upon earth and thy saving health among all nations Bless thy universal Church lead it into all truth and let not the Gates of Hell be ever able to prevail against it Be gracious unto our Soveraign Lord the King the Queen and all the Royal Family to all the Ministers and Magistrates toall that fear thee and call upon thyname Remember all the Sons and Daughters of sorrow and affliction in what case or state soever and relieve them all according to thy Mercies and their several necessities for thou only knowest them all Bless all our Friends Kindred and Benefactors and all that we are under any Obligation to pray for whether Friends or Enemies infuse Grace where it is not and where it is weak do thou strengthen it give them all things necessary for their Souls and Bodies guide them here by thy Counsel and at length receive them to thy self in Glory And now O Lord because it is very meet right and our bounden duty at all times and in all places to give thanks unto thee we desire at this time to praise and magnifie thy holy Name for all the freeness and fulness of thy Mercy and loving kindness towards us and others Thou daily loadest us with thy benefits spiritual and temporal who art the God of our Salvation thou hast given a fresh Testimony of thy Goodness and Mercy to us in our preservation this Night past from those many sad Casualties and Accidents which might justly by reason of our sins fall upon us and brought us safe unto another day O Lord thou mightest have made our Beds our Graves our Sheets our Winding Sheets and our rising again this Morning a rising unto judgment What is man that thou art mindful of him Or the Son of Man that thou visitest him Praise the Lord O our Souls and all that is within us praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O our Souls and forget not all his benefits and grant that we may render thee not only the fruit of our Lips but the obedience of our Lives by consecrating our selves entirely to thy Service and walking before thee in a sincere and impartial observance of thy holy Commandments all the days of our lives And seeing thou hast been graciously pleased to add another day unto our Lives so we beseech thee to give us Grace to add more Wariness Repentance and Circumspection unto our days Make us O Lord carefully to watch against all Sin especially those that do so easily beset us and that we have been so often conquered by Teach us by the Strength of thy holy Spirit to deny our selves to pluck out even our right Eyes to cut off even our right hands to undergo the severest afflictions rather than to offend so Sacred a Majesty Let our thoughts be always holy and heavenly and when we are about our Studies and Employments let them be often carried up unto thee by holy Meditations and Divine Ejaculations Let our words be seasoned with Salt with prudence and discretion not stained with filthiness and vanity lying detraction or any other sin but such as may tend to the use of Edifying and minister Grace unto the hearer Set a watch O Lord before our Mouths and keep the doors of our Lips Let our Actions O Lord be always holy and just or at least innocent and unblameable give us grace to walk as in thy sight and evermore to set thee before our Eyes Make us careful in the well spending of our time so as we may best prevent or resist Temptations and by discharging our Duties in our places and callings may glorifie thy holy Name Take from us O Lord all slothfulness and give us diligent and active Spirits that when the Devil assaults us he may not find us idle but improving those Talents intrusted to every one of us that we may at length receive from our great Lord and Master Jesus Christ that blessed Sentence Of Well done ye good and faithful Servants enter ye into your Masters Joy Do thou O Lord be with us in our labours and employments this day and bless us bless and prosper O Lord the works of our hands upon us yea prosper thou our handy-work Give thy holy Angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways that we rush not into any Temptation nor fall into any kind of bodily danger which our sins may justly expose us to but preserve us as the Apples of thine Eye and hide us under the shadow of thy Wings that in our going out and in our coming in we may be blessed and have always thy watchful protection over us These and whatever other Mercies thou knowest needful and requisite for us for all thine and thy whole Church we humbly begg in the Name and for the sake of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and in whose words we shut up our imperfect Petitions saying as he hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer at Noon Morning and Evening and at Noon will I praise thee and thou wilt hear my Voice Open thou my Lips O Lord and my Mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort and Consolation Thou art to be Worshipped and Adored with my continual Praises and Thanksgivings for thou continually followest me with thy Goodness and thy Mercies are renewed upon me every moment In thee I live and move and have my being and without thy succour and support I should quickly return to my first Principle of no being at all Thou hast created me redeemed me and by thy Fatherly care and providence constantly provided for me Thou art the God of my life and the Author of all those Mercies I enjoy whether Spiritual or Temporal and therefore thou alone deservest my praises and unto thee I ascribe as is most due all honour praise and glory both now and for evermore More especially I desire to bless and praise thy holy Name for thy particular Mercies towards me at this time that thou hast so plentifully refreshed my Body with thy good Creatures and filled me with the Flower of Wheat Blessed be the Lord God who daily loadeth me with his benefits even the God of my Salvation O Lord refresh my Soul also with the Spiritual Manna of thy Heavenly Grace and grant my pursuiâ— may not be after the Meat that perisheth but after that
which endureth to Everlasting Life Pardon I beseech thee O Lord as all my sins in general so especially whatever amiss hath passed from me this day and for Jesus Christ his sake do thou become unto me a reconciled Father own me for thy Child and continually preservr me by thy providence keep in me always a Religious Sense of thee and of thy goodness towards me and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit that I may walk before thee the remaining part of this day and all the days of my life to thy honour and glâ—ry through Jesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour in whose Name and Words I continuâ— to implore thy Mercies saying Our Father c. A Prayer for the Evening in private O Most holy holy Lord God Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory Thou art a God of purer Eyes then to behold the least Iniquity with the least Approbation thou chargest thine Angels with folly yea the Heavens are not pure in thy sight How shall I then so sinful and impure a Wretch dare to appear before thee or to take so holy a Name into my sinful and unhallowed Lips But O Lord thou art God and not Man thy ways are not as our ways nor thy thoughts as our thoughts but as high as the Heavens are above the Earth so are thy thoughts of Love and Peace higher than our thoughts and therefore relying on thy Mercies and gracious Promises I am bold at this time to prostrate my self before thee humbly confessing that I am corrupt in my very Nature having an inability and aversness to that which is good and an aptitude and proneness to all that is evil but I have corrupted my self yet much worse by many vicious Customs and sinful Habits I have transgressed my duty to thee my Neighbour and my self followed too much the devices and desires of my own wicked heart and not only not obeyed but many times wilfuâ—ly broken thy Commandements which are holy just and good and to my former provocations I have added the sins of the day past of omission and commission of thoughts words and actions Here particularize any sin Yea I know not how often I have offended O cleanse cleanse thou me from my secret faults And now O Lord should'st thou be extream to mark what I have done amiss I could not be justified in thy sight nor be able to answer thee for the sins of this one day but thou O God delightest in Mercy and there is forgiveness with thee that thou may'st be feared O I beseech thee let Repentance and Contrition prepare me for that Mercy of thine and then be thou pleased to take away all mine Iniquity and to receive me graciously into thy favour Neither do I desire thee only for the pardon of my past sins but do most bumbly beg for a Divine Power that I may be able to subdue them for the time to come and get a compleat Victory over all the Temptations of the World the Flesh and the Devil To that end let thy Grace and goodness and tender mercies prevent and follow me all the days of my life and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy blessed will that at last I may come to be such as thou would'st have me to be even holy in all manner of Conversation And as I pray unto thee so I desire likewise from an unseigned heart to praise and to bless thee for thy infinite Mercies for those which relate to this life and a better particularly for the Mercies of the day past Here enumerate them O Lord the least of these deserves my hearty Thanksgivings let not the universality and commonness of thy goodness make me to have the slighter regard of it but fill my Soul with a Sense of thy Love and my Tongue with sincere acknowledgments that as I daily receive blessings from thee so I may daily from an affectionate and devout heart offer up thanks unto thee and let my whole life and all my actions be the verification of my Praises And now I beseech thee O Lord receive me this Night into the Arms of thy providence hide me under the shadow of thy Wings Give thy holy Angels charge over me to pitch their Tents round about me that no evil happen unto me nor any plague come nigh unto my Dwelling but that I and mine and all my Concerns may be safe under thy gracious protection that lying down in thy fear and being refreshed with moderate rest I may be the fitter to serve thee in the duties of the ensuing day And all I beg in the Name and for the sake of Jesus Christ my alone Saviour and Redeemer for whom my Soul hath endless cause to bless and to praise thee to whom with thy self and Holy Spirit of Grace be by me ascribed as is most due and all thy Saints and Servants both in Heaven and in Earth all possible Praise Might Majesty and Dominion both now and for evermore Amen A Prayer in publick with the Family for the Evening HEar us O Lord in the multitude of thy Mercies even in the truth of thy Salvation and let not O let noâ— the loud cry of our sins hinder our Prayers from coming up unto thee or thy Graces and Mercies from coming down upon us but pardon our sins which make us unworthy to appear in thy presence and our services to be accepted by thee and assist us we pray thee with thy holy Spirit which may make us fervent and earnest in our Devotions that so we may obtain our Requests at thy hands in and through Jesus Christ O Eternal and Everliving Lord our God thou art in thy self most glorious and in thy Son most gracious Heaven is thy Throne and that thou fillest with thy Majesty the Earth is but thy Foot-stool and yet that thou fillest with thy Goodness both Heaven and Earth loudly proclaim the exceeding greatness of thy Glory and transcendent Excellencies We thy sinful Creatures who are not worthy to lift up our Eyes unto Heaven for we have sinned against Heaven and before thee are yet bold in the Bowels and Mercies of Jesus Christ to cast our selves down at the Foot-stool of thy Majesty desiring in all humility of Souls and Bodies to acknowledg our own vileness and wretchedness O Lord we brought into the World with us evil and wicked Inclinations and we have since made it our business to improve them into practice As the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts so the very words of our Lips and actions of our Lives have been evil and only evil and that continually Our provocations against thee our God have been very great and hainous and as for their number more than the Sands of the Sea We have lived in an universal disobedience to thy Laws and violated all thy holy Commandments in the keeping of which there is great Reward And this O Lord not only through ignorance and frailty but too many
Counsel and afterwards receive them to thy self in Glory Extend thy Compassions towards all that are in any Want Trouble Sorrow Sickness or other Adversity either of Soul or Body O visit and relieve them according to thine own Mercies Reward those that have done us any good and pardon those that have done or wish'd us any Evil. And now O Lord we desire to mingle praises with our Prayers and to bless and magnifie thy glorious Name for all thy Mercies and Favours from time to time vouchsafed unto us but more especially for the Fountain of all our Mercies Jesus Christ for the means of Grace and the hopes of Glory for all those Temporal Mercies which thou hast given us richly to enjoy For the Mercies of the day past to our Souls and Bodies to our selves and others Blessed be the Lord God which daily loadeth us with his benefits even the God of our Salvation and blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and ever Finally we recommend unto thee our good God our Souls and our Bodies all that we have and all that are near and dear unto unto us most humbly beseeching thee to receive us this Night into thine Almighty protection and whensoever it shall please thee that our Souls depart our Bodies receive them O Lord receive them into the Arms of thine Everlasting Mercy in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Grant us quiet and comfortable Refreshment by sleep and awaken us again the next Morning with hearts full of the sense and with mouths full of the acknowledgments of thy Mercies that we may all of us return with more cheerfulness to serve thee in the respective places of our calling Hear us O most merciful Father and graciously answer us in these our Requests and not only in these but in whatever else thou knowest more needful and requisite for us Accept we humbly pray thee both of our persons and our Prayers at this time pardon the many frailties and imperfections of our holy things and deal with us not according to their weakness or our demerits but according to the Richness of thy Mercy in and through Jesus Christ for whom we bless thee and in whose Name and Words we farther pray Our Father which art in Heaven c. Thy Grace O Lord Jesus Christ thy Love O heavenly Father thy sweet and comfortable Fellowship O holy and blessed Spirit of Grace be with us remain with us guide defend and comfort us this Night and for evermore Amen A Prayer for Sunday Morning in the Family which with very little variation may be used by any single person in his Closet Hear our Prayer O Lord give Ear to our Supplications In thy faithfulness answer us and in thy righteousness O Thou high and lofty One that inhabitest Eternity Thy Name is great wonderful and holy and thou dwellest in the high and holy place with them also that are of a contrite and humble Spirit howshall we then sinful Dust and Ashes who dwell in Houses of Clay and are very far from that Humility and Contrition which should render us fit for thy Co-habitation dare to appear before thee or approach the place where thine honour dwelleth But though thou art high yet hast thou respect unto the lowly and art pleas'd to humble thy self to behold the things that are done by us poor wretched Mortals here on Earth Thou art pleased not only to permit but to invite and command us miserable and needy Creatures to make known our Requests unto thee and it is our interest as well as our duty so to do In obedience therefore unto thy Commands in a sense of our Duâ—y and in a sense of our own Necessities which can no where else be supplied but from the riches of thy Bounty we are now emboldened at this time to present our Petitions unto thee And because thou hast said that if we confess our sins thou wilt be faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness relying an thy Mercies and gracious Promises we desire in the first place most humbly to confess before thee that we were not only conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity but as if that had been but a small matter we have proceeded on to the commission of many actual Transgressions To Sins of omission we have daily added sins of commission To sins of weakness and surprize sins of wiljulness and obstinacy To sins of ignorance sins of presumption Yea O Lord if we reflect upon the actions of our lives past and seriously consider how we have behaved our selves even from the first use of our Reason to this very moment we can scarcely find that sin which we have not committed that Commandment of thine which we have not often broken although to the keeping of it thou hast annexed a great reward Thou hast not been wanting unto us in any thing that might invite or incourage us to promote the welfare of our precious and immortal Souls Thou hast given us the knowledg of our duty and instructed us in it and followed it with the inward work of thy Grace whereby we might be enabled to perform it and to conquer our sinful Lusts and Desires But O Lord we still retain a darkness in our Vnderstandings an unruliness in our Affections and a crookedness in our Wills bending down towards the carnal part and great proneness to gratifie it Thou hast deterred us also by thy menaces and denunciation of Judgments saying Thou wilt by no means clear the guilty Tribulation and Anguish Indignation and Wrath upon every Soul that sinneth and yet neither have thy Mercies allured us nor thy Threats affrighted us from following the dictates of our own sinful Inclinations but we have gone on in a continual Rebellion against thee as if we meant speedily to fill up the measure of our Iniquity and to hasten our own destruction And now O Lord what can we say for our selves But that we have deserved the severest of thy wrath and displeasure and that it is purely of the Lords Mercy that we are not consumed And now Lord what is our hope Truly our hope is even in thee Thou hast revealed thy self to be a God gracious and merciful slow to Anger and of great kindness repenting thee of the evil We Appeal therefore from the Bar of thy Justice to the Throne of thy Mercy humbly beseeching thee not to deal with us after our sins nor to reward us according to our Iniquities but for thy Names sake for thy Mercies sake yea for thy dear Son Jesus Christ his sake in whom thou hast said thou art well plsased blot out the multitude of our Transgressions pardon all our sins and receive us graciously yet once more into thy favour And as we destre thee to free us from the guilt and punishment of our sins so we pray thee also to free us from the power of them too
Give us grace to apply it to our selves and to reduce it into practice that thy word may be unto us the savour of life unto life and not unto any Soul of us the savour of death unto death These Mercies O most merciful Father for our selves or any of thine and whatever else thou knowest fitting for us together with the acceptance of our praises we humbly beg at thy hands though not for any worthiness that is in our selves for we utterly disclaim all but for the Merits of him who alone is worthy Jesus Christ the Righteous in whose endearing Name and holy Words we continue to pray unto thee saying Our Father c. Thy Grace O Lord Jesus Christ c. A Prayer for Sunday Evening in the Family Open thou our Lips O Lord and our Mouths shall shew forth thy praise O Most blessed and glorious Lord God Father of Mercies and of our Lord Jesus Christ Thou fillest Heaven with thy Glory and the Earth with thy Goodness All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints give thanks unto thee Thy Name only is excellent and thy praise above Heaven and Earth but because thou art good and delightest in doing good thou art pleased to permit us thy poor unworthy Creatures here on Earth to offer up our Prayers and our Praises unto thee who dwellest in the highest Heavens that thou may'st reward them with thy favour and loving kindness And that we might never be wanting to our selves thou art daily pleased to give us new and fresh occasions of Praising and Magnifying thy Holy Name Even this very day we have had large Experiences of thy Goodness which call for our highest Thanksgivings The temporal Mercies we have received in thy protection of us from those many dangers to which we were exposed by reason of our sins and the plentiful refreshment we have had in the use of thy good Creatures deserve our due acknowledgments but that thou hast given us Dust and Ashes an opportunity and leave to come into thy more immediate presence to wait upon thee in thy House to speak unto thee the glorious Majesty of Heaven before whom Angels cover their Faces and to hear thee speaking unto us instructing us in our Duties and offering unto us terms of Reconciliation most justly challenge our devoutest Affections and most exalted Praises Thou hast given thine only Son to be a Sacrifice for us by whom we have Redemption through his Blood thou hast given him Victory over Hell and the Grave by his Resurrection from the dead and he is now sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high making continual Intercession for us Thou hast given us the constant Solicitations of thy blessed Spirit of Truth the Seal of our Adoption and the earnest of the Inheritance of the Saints together wih a succession of Pastors and Teachers to be the Dispensers of thy Word and Will and the Guides of our Souls And thou hast prepared such things for those that fear thee as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor ever entred into the heart of Man to conceive Lord what is Man that thou art mindful of him Or the Son of Man that thou hast done such great things for him Praise the Lord O our Souls and all that is within us praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O our Souls and forget not all his benefits O that all this Goodness of thine might ingage us by way of just return to thy free and undeserved Mercies more heartily to love thee more devoutly to worship thee and more diligently to live after thy Commandments Give us a due savour and relish of those Divine Truths we have learned this day Grant that we may not be only hearers but doers of thy Word lest we deceive our own Souls Cherish those holy Thoughts Affections and Resolutions which thy good Spirit hath raised in us O Let not them pass out of our minds with the day but leave Impressions upon our hearts the whole Week following and all our days that as we have received how we ought to walk and to please thee our God so we may abound more and more Bless all the faithful Dispensers of thy Word and Sacraments however dignified or distinguished More especially bless him O Lord who hath this day blessed us in thy Name Pour down a double portion of thy holy Spirit into his heart make him an eminent Instrument for thy Glory Let him turn many from their wicked ways unto thee the living God and hereafter let his Soul shine as a Star in the Firmament of thy Kingdom Continue unto us O Lord such holy opportunities and seasons of Grace as thou now affordest us and send them where they are not Let not O let not the loud cry of our national Sins provoke thee to remove thy Candlestick from us or to quench the Light of our Israel but blessed God whatever temporal Judgments thou art pleased to bring upon us whatever Mercies thou art pleased to deny us yet for thy Names sake and for thy Truth and Righteousness sake be pleased still to continue unto us the free liberty of thy House of thy Word Sacraments and Ordinances in their primitive purity and regularity until time shall be no more Pardon we pray thee good God whatever thou hast seen amiss in us the day past even the many frailties and imperfections of our holiest Duties and Performances Look not upon the weakness of our Flesh but upon the sincerity of our Hearts and Desires Pity all our Infirmities and let those Sacrifices which we have this day offered unto thy Divine Majesty be accepted in and for that Sacrifice which thy Son Christ Jesus hath offered up upon the Cross for us Finally O Lord we commend into thine hands this Night our Selves Souls and Bodies and all our Friends every where to be protected by thy providence refreshed with moderate rest and raised again the next Morning by thy power to serve thee with more cheerfulness and to praise thee for thy renewed Mercies And all we beg for the alone sake and love of thy Son who is the Son of thy love Jesus Christ our Lord In whose holy Name we are bold to beg the acceptance of our Petitions and Thanksgivings and to continue to supplicate thy Divine Majesty Saying as he hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven c. Thy Grace O Lord Jesus Christ c. A Prayer preparatory for Death to be often used in the time of Health O Immortal and Everliving Lord God thy years endure throughout all Generations from everlasting to everlasting thou art God I thy frail Creature created at first by thy power to a state of Immortality with thy self which by Adams Transgression the representative of all mankind I have long since forfeited my right to and am become liable to Death I acknowledg thy mercy towards me in my Creation and thy justice and faithfulness in the execution of thy Threatnings upon breach
inflict upon me whether in Mind Body or Estate and to that end furnish my Soul with those Gifts and Graces which are accommodate to the Condition of Suffering Give me Spiritual Wisdom Discretion to manage my Affairs aright in these difficult times give me true Patience Meekness and an inlarged Charity towards all yea even those whom thou shalt permit to be the instruments of my suffering no way murmuring or repining but instead thereof following that admirable Example of my Blessed Saviour loving and praying for my greatest Persecutors Fortisie my Soul with Christian Courage and Constancy that I may with cheerfulness and inward joy run the race that is set before me and O let me receive such invisible Aids and Succors from thee as may enable me thankfully to resign my self to thy disposals and to resist even unto Blood And because of my self I am a very frail Creature subject to many Infirmities having a heart apt to be divided betwixt the love of God and the World betwixt fear of punishment and trusting in thee do thou O blessed Mediator pray for me that my Faith fail not but that tho it be tryed with Fire it may be found unto Praise and Glory and Honour at thy appearing In the mean time take from me all anxious troublesome and solicitous thoughts and make me to commit my self wholly unto the Lord and to trust in him and so in every thing by fervent and humble Prayers with Thanksgiving make my Requests known unto thee my God and having done this let me cheerfully acquiesce in thy disposals meditate of thy Promises of thy Faithfulness in performing them and joyn these with my constant Experiences of thy goodness and so rest confidently assured that all things even the most bitter Afflictions that can befall me shall work together for my good either to make me more holy in life or else more happy in death Grant this O merciful Father for thy dear Sons sake Jesus Christ Amen The Close I Have now by Gods Assistance gone through my proposed method and I cannot but think it high time to draw to a Close especially being conscious of the numerous Defects and Imperfections which the Reader hath met withal in his Journey hither Many things I confess I have passed over siccopede slightly and cursorily designing only a Specimen or Essay leaving it for more pious and worthy persons to make a compleat discovery of the whole Merchandize By way of Surplusage I have added those last Forms of Prayer yet I would not be understood to be so supercilious as to think my own private Inventions better than those publick ones of the Church or that the one ought to justle out the other or that any should be obliged to these Forms here prescribed who probably can much better adapt their Conceptions and Expressions to their own particular Conditions they being only designed to be a Direction â—r Method for those who are defective 〈◊〉 it and therefore I shall hope to escape the Censure of my holy Mother the Church and all pious persons If it be Objected by any that the course of Piety by me here prescribed as too severe and the burden I would impose is too insupportable I must answer that if he be a person of leisure and disposed to live a Godly Life he will be willing to press on farther towards perfection and diligently apply himself to every even the most difficult work of Piety and walk in all the ways of well-doing that may conduct him to it Use and Custom will make that Task easie and pleasant which at first seem'd difficult if not possible Elige vitam optimam said Seneca consuetudo faciet jucundissimam The Sands of Arabia which to Strangers and Forreigners are troublesome to pass to the Inhabitants are easie because accustomed to them And I dare presume may I so far prevail with any pious Soul as to put it in practice for some time he will then confess it to be not only tolerable but facil and delightsome And yet I would not have any well disposed humble Souls to think ill of their conditions although they proceed not to so a severe a Course of Piety as is here described for I know this cannot be a Rule for all nay 't is not proper for all to follow Some have not leisure and opportunities and here it is not expected others are Novices in the School of Grace and those I would not counsel to lay too heavy burdens on their Shoulders before they are of Strength able to bear them Milk is fittest for Babes and strong Meat for those of adult years Let not therefore such be discouraged or follow after sorrowing because they have not arrived to that heighth as others but comfort themselves with this viz. That God exacts not a perfect but sincere Obedience and that where Perfection is wanting in the act that it be made up in the desires and endeavours and this God will please to accept We all pretend to be Christians and we Name the Name of Christ O let us depart from Iniquity and let our practice be someway at least answerable to what we profess I have read of Alexander that hearing of a Captain in his Army called by his own Name that proved himself to be a very Coward he sent to him either to quit his Name or to fight better If we indeed own a God and pretend to fight under his Banner let us live God-like and behave our selves as his faithful Souldiers and Servants Though a speculative Atheist be indeed a great wonder yet the practical one is certainly the biggest prodigy of the two and I would much rather choose to be found at the last a Seneca Antoninus Scipio or Aristides an honest Heathen or a devout Idolater than a prophane Christian I shall add no more but my Prayers that God will make us Christians in Deed as well as in Name that we may not only believe and acknowledge the Existence of a God but that we may also be subject to him governed by him and in all things be conformable to his Will which God grant for his Son Jesus Christ his sake Amen FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
times knowingly and wilfully against the Motions of thy holy Spirit against the Checks of our own Consciences against those various methods of thy Mercies and thy Judgments which thou hast used to draw us to thy self yea against those many Promises Vows and Resolutions which we have so often made betwixt thee and our own Consciences both in publick and in private of better obedience and amendment of Life And now O Lord what belongeth unto us but shame and confusion of Face And should'st thou abandon and cast us out of thy favour for ever we must needs confess that the Lord our God is Righteous and that we reap but the fruit of our ways but unto thee our God belong Mercies and Forgiveness though we have rebelled against thee Thou hast published thy self to be the Lord Merciful and Gracious slow to Anger and abundant in goodness and in truth A God forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin and therefore it is that we yet hope and because we hope we pray Have Mercy therefore upon us O God according to thy loving kindness and according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out all our Transgressions washus throughly from our Iniquities and cleanse us from our Sins for we acknowledg our faults and our sins are ever before us We know O Lord that though our sins are exceeding great and many yet they cannot exceed the multitude of thy Mercies nor the greatness of Christ his Merits O we beseech thee therefore remember thy tender Mercies which have been ever of old and remember the bitter Sufferings of our blessed Redeemer and for the Merits thereof pardon all that is past and become unto us a reconciled Father and own us for thy Children Neither do we desire thee only to forgive unto us our past sins but we pray thee also to sanctifie our Natures to instruct our Understandings that we may know the things that belong to our Peace to regulate our Affections and place them on their right Objects and to dispose and incline our Wills readily to choose and cheerfully to imbrace what relates to thy Glory and our own Eternal Happiness Subdue all our Lusts mortifie all our Corruptions and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy most holy and blessed will that at last we may come to be such as thou wouldest have us and canst delight in Strengthen us O Lord against all the Temptations of the Devil the World and our own corrupt Flesh O Lord thou knowest the Frailties and weaknesses of our Natures and the number and strength of those Temptations we have to struggle with We humbly pray thee leave us not to our selves for then we shall quickly leave thee but assist us with thy Grace perfect thy Strength in our weakness and where thou feest we are either by Nature or Custom Company or Temptation most apt to be drawn aside to sin there do thou more especially magnifie thy power in our preservation Set a watch O Lord before our Mouths and keep the doors of our Lips Turn away our Eyes from beholding Vanity our hearts lest they think on Vanity and our hands lest they at any time act it and quicken thou us in thy way Search us O God and know our hearts O try us and know our thoughts and see what ways of Wickedness there are in us and lead us in the way Everlasting Give us grace to abstain from the very appearance of Evil and to watch and pray that we enter not into Temptation Possess our Souls continually with an holy fear and love of thee our God Make us holy as thou art holy pure as thou art pure and merciful as thou our heavenly Father art Merciful and Crown all thy Graces in us with Patience and Perseverance that notwithstanding all those discouragements and oppositions which we may meet withal here in this sinful World we may go on chearfully and constantly to do and suffer those things which thou requirest of us in order to thy Glory and the Salvation of our precious and immortal Souls O grant that we may not recede from any Christian performance upon the sight of any Obstruction lying in the way but may be willing to resist even unto Blood for the Name and for the sake of Jesus Christ Fit and prepare us O Lord for all Estates and Conditions whatsoever thou in thy Divine Providence hast allotted for us for Adversity as well as prosperity for Sickness as well as health for an Evil as well as a good Report But above all fit and prepare us for the hour of Death and the day of Judgment that so whensoever wheresoever or howsoever it shall please thee to call for us out of this Vale of Tears we may be found prepared for thy coming and may cheerfully and contentedly resign our Souls up into thine hands as into the hands of a faithful Creator But seeing that whilst we are here below we have a continual need of supply of all those outward things for supportance of these Houses of Clay we humbly beseech thee give us such a portion of them as thou knowest may make most for the glory of thy Name and the good of our selves and others Grant that we may seek first thy Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof and then let all those outward things be added unto us in such a measure as thou in thy Divine Wisdom seest best for us and in every condition that it shall please thee to place us give us Grace to be content Take away from us O Lord both the Evil of Sin and the Evil of Punishment O keep thy Servants from presumptuous Sins deliver us from thine Anger from the withdrawing of thy Grace and from Everlasting Damnation and as for all Temporal Afflictions not as we will O Lord but thy holy and blessed will be done in all things only whatsoever thou shalt please to inflict upon us give us patience and contentment under it and then chasten us here O Lord as thou pleasest that we be not condemned with the World With us we humbly beseech thee to be mindful of all thine the World over give thy Enlightning Grace to all that are in darkness Thy Converting Grace to all that are in Sin O be favourable and gracious unto Zion Build thou the Walls of Jerusalem look upon the Tribe of thine own Inheritance and the place where thou hast dwelt Let thy Mercies and Blessings rest upon all people of this Nation from the highest to the lowest more especially bless with thy choicest blessings our Gracious King Charles The Queen and all the Royal Family Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates Grant that they may be Men fearing God and hating Coverousness Charge thy Providence with all our Friends and Relations Let those that are near and dear unto us be near and dear unto thee let their Souls be bound up in the bundle of Life give them all things necessary for their Souls and Bodies guide them here by thy