of charity that this day and ever I may serve thee according to all my opportunities and capacities growing from grace to grace till at last by thy mercies I shall receive the consummation and perfection of grace even the glories of thy Kingdom in the full fruition of the face and excellencies of God the Father the Son and the holy Ghost to whom be glory and praise honour and adoration given by all Angels and all Men and all Creatures now and to all eternity Amen To this may be added the prayer of intercession for others whom we are bound to remember which is at the end of the foregoing prayer or else you may take such special prayers which follow at the end of the fourth Chapter for parents for children c. After which conclude with this ejaculation Now and in all tribulation and anguish of spirit in all dangers of soul and body in prosperity and adversity in the hour of death and in the day of judgement holy and most blessed Saviour Jesus have mercy upon me save me and deliver me and all faithful people Amen Between this and Noâ—n usually are said the publick prayers appointed by Authority to which all the Clergy are obliged and other devout persons that have leisure do accompany them Afternoon or at any time of the day when a devout person retires into his closer for private prayer or spiritual exercises he may say the following devotions An exercise to be used at any time of the day In the name of the Father and of the Son c. Our Father c. The hymn collected out of the Psalms recounting the excellencies and greatnesse of God O be joyful in God all ye lands sing praises unto the honour of his Name make his Name to be glorious * O Come hither behold the works of God how wonderful he is in his doings toward the children of men He ruleth with his power for ever He is the Father of the fatherlesse and defendeth the cause of the widow even God in his holy habitation He is the God that maketh men to be of one minde in a house and bringeth the prisoners out of captivity but letteth the runnagates continue in scarcenesse It is the Lord that commandeth the warers it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder * It is the Lord that ruleth the sea the voice of the Lord is mighty in operation the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice Let all the Earth fear the Lord stand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the world Thou shalt shew us wonderful things in thy righteousnesse O God of our salvation thou that art the hope of all the ends of the Earth and of them that remaine in the broad Sea Glory be to the Father c. Or this O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy Name for thou hast done wonderful things thy counsels of old are faithfulnesse and truth Isay 25.1 Thou in thy strength â—etst fast the Mountains and art girded about with power Thou stillest the raging of the Sea and the noise of his waves and the madnesse of his people They also that remain in the uttermost parts of the Earth shall be afraid at thy tokens thou that makest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee O Lord God of Hosts who is like unto thee thy truth most mighty Lord is on every side Among the gods there is none like unto thee O Lord there is none that can do as thou doest * For thou art great doest wondrous things thou art God alone God is very greatly to be feared in the counsel of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are round about him Righteousnesse and equity is in the habitation of thy seat mercy and truth shall go before thy face * Glory and worship are before him power and honour are in his Sanctuary Thou Lord art the thing that I long for thou art my hope even from my youth through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born thou art he that took me out of my mothers womb my praise shall be alwayes of thee Glory be to the Father c. After this may be read some portion of holy Scripture out of the New Testament or out of the sapiential bookes of the Old viz. Proverbs Ecclesiastes c. because these are of great use to piety and to civil conversation Vpon which when you have a while meditated humbly composing your self upon your knees say as followeth Ejaculations My help standeth in the Name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth Shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servant and I shall be safe Do well O Lord to them that be true of heart and evermore mightily defend them Direct me in thy truth and teach me for thou art my Saviour and my great Master Keep me from sin and death eternal and from my enemies visible and invisible Give me grace to live a holy life and thy favour that I may dye a godly and happy death Lord hear the prayer of thy servant and give me thy holy Spirit The prayer O Eternal God mercifull and gracious vouchsafe thy favour and thy blessing to thy servant let the love of thy mercies and the dread and fear of thy Majesty make me careful and inquisitive to search thy will and diligent to perform it and to persevere in the practises of a holy life even till the last of my dayes II. KEep me O Lord for I am thine by creation guide me for I am thine by purchase thou hast redeemed me by the blood of thy Son and love me with the love of a Father for I am thy childe by adoption and grace let thy mercy pardon my sins thy providence secure me from the punishments and evils I have deserved and thy care watch over me that I may never any more offend thee make me in malice to be a childe but in understanding piety and the fear of God let me be a perfect man in Christ innocent and prudent readily furnished and instructed to every good work III. KEep me O Lord from the destroying Angel and from the wrath of God let thy anger never rise against mee but thy rod gently correct my follies and guide me in thy ways and thy staffe support me in all sufferings and changes Preserve me from fracture of bones from noisome infections and sharp sicknesses from great violences of Fortune and sudden surprizes keep all my senses intire till the day of my death and let my death be neither sudden untimely nor unprovided let it be after the common manner of men having in it nothing extraordinary but an extraordinary piety and the manifestation of thy great and miraculous mercy IV. LEt no riches ever make me forget my self no poverty ever make me to forget thee Let no hope or fear no pleasure or pain no accident without no weaknesse within hinder or
Mary O Holy and Almighty God Father of mercies Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of thy love and Eternal mercies I adore and praise and glorifie thy infinite and unspeakable love and wisdom who hast sent thy Son from the bosom of felicities to take upon him our nature and our misery and our guilt and hast made the Son of God to become the Son of Man that we might become the Sons of God and partakers of the divine nature since thou hast so exalted humane nature be pleased also to sanctify my person that by a conformity to the humility and laws and sufferings of my dearest Saviour I may be united to his spirit and be made all one with the most Holy â—esus Amen O Holy and Eternal Jesus who didst pity mankinde lying in his blood and sin and misery and didst choose our sadnesses and sorrows that thou mightest make us to pertake of thy felicities let thine eyes pity me thy hands support me thy holy feet tread down all the difficulties in my way to Heaven let me dwell in thy heart be instructed with thy wisdom moved by thy affections choose with thy will and be clothed with thy righteousness that in the day of judgement I may be found having on thy garments sealed with thy impression and that bearing upon every faculty and member the character of my elder brother I may not be cast out with strangers and unbelievers Amen To God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. * To the eternal Son that was incarnate and born of a virgin * To the spirit of the Father and the Son be all honour and glory worship and adoration now and for ever Amen The same Form of Prayer may be used upon our own Birth-day or day of our Baptisme adding the following prayer A Prayer to be said upon our Birth-day or day of Baptisme O Blessed and Eternal God I give thee praise and glory for thy great mercy to me in causing me to be born of Chrisâ—ian parents and didst not allot to me a portion with Misbelievers and Heathen that have not known thee thou didst not suffer me to be strangled at the gate of the womb but thy hand sustained and brought me to the light of the world and the illumination of baptisme with thy grace preventing my election and by an artificial necessity and holy prevention engaging me to the profession and practises of Christianity Lord since that I have broken the promises made in my behalf and which I confirmed by my after act I went back from them by an evil life and yet thou hast still continued to me life and time of repentance and didst not cut me off in the beginning of my dayes and the progresse of my sins O Dearest God pardon the errours and ignorances the vices and vanities of my youth and the faults of my more forward years and let me never more stain the whiteness of my baptismal robe and now that by thy grace I still persist in the purposes of obedience and do give up my name to Christ and glory to be a Disciple of thy institution and a servant of Jesus let me never fail of thy grace let no root of bitterness spring up and disorder my purposes and desile my spirit O let my years be so many degrees of neerer approach to thee and forsake me not O God in my old age when I am gray-headed and when my strength faileth me be thou my strength and my guide unto death that I may reckon my years and apply my heart unto wisdom and at last after the spending a holy and a blessed life I may be brought unto a glorious eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then adde the form of thanksgiving formerly described A prayer to be said upon the dayes of the memory of Apostles Martyrs c. O Eternal God to whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord and in whom the souls of them that be elected after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh be â—n peace and rest from their labours and their works follow them and their memory is blessed I blesse and magnifie thy holy and ever glorious name for the great grace and blessing manifested to thy Apostles and Martyrs and other holy persons who have glorified thy name in the dayes of their flesh and have served the interest of religion and of thy service and this day we have thy servant name the Apostle or Martyr c. in remembrance whom thou hast lead thorough the troubles and temptations of this World and now hast lodged in the bosome of a certain hope and great beatitude until the day of restitution of all things Blessed be the mercy and eternal goodnesse of God and the memory of all thy Saints is blessed Teach me to practise their doctrine to imitate their lives following their example and being united as a part of the same mystical body by the band of the same â—aith and a holy hope and a never ceasing charity and may it please thee of thy gracious goodnesse shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect to hasten thy Kingdom that we with thy servant * and all others departed in the true faith fear of thy holy Name may have our perfect consummation and blisse in body and soul in thy eternal and everlasting kingdom Amen A form of prayer recording all the parts and mysteries of Christs passion being a short history of it to be used especially in the week of the passion and before the receiving the blessed Sacrament All praise honour and glory be to the holy and eternal Jesus I adore thee O blesâ—ed Redeemer eternal God the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel for thou hast done and suffered for me more then I could wish more â—hen I could think of even all that a lost and a miserable perishing sinner could possibly need Thou wert afflicted with thirst and hunger with heat and cold with labours and sorrowes with hard journeys and restlesse nights and when thou wert contriving all the mysterious and admirable wayes of paying our scores thou didst suffer thy self to be designed to slaughter by those for whom in love thou wert ready to dye What is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou thus visitâ—st him Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus for thou wentest about doing good working miracles of mercy healing the sick comforting the distressed instructing the ignorant raising the dead inlightning the blinde strengthning the â—ame straitning the crooked relieving the poor preaching the Gospel and reconciling sinners by the mightinesse of thy power by the wisdom of thy Spirit by the Word of God and the merits of thy Passion thy heaâ—thful and bitter passion Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him c. Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus who wert content to be conspired against by the Jews to be sold by thy servant for
love then I have to give but Lord do thou turn me all into love and all my love into obedience and let my obedience â—e without interruption and then I hope thou wilt accept such a return as I can make make me to be something that thou delightest in thou shalt have all that I am or have from thee even whatsoever thou makest fit for thy self Teach me to live wholly for my Saviour Jesus and to be ready to dye for Jesus and to be conformable to his life and sufferings and to be united to him by inseparable unions and to own no passions but what may be servants to Jesus and Disciples of his institution O sweetest Saviour clothe my soul with thy holy robe hide my sins in thy wounds and bury them in thy grave and let me rise in the life of grace and abide and grow in it till I arrive at the Kingdom of Glory Amen Our Father c. Ad. Sect. 7 8 10. A â—orm of prayer or intercession for all estates of people in the Christian Church The parts of which may be added to any other formes and the whole office intirely as it lyes is proper to be said in our preparation to the holy Sacrament or oâ— the day of celebration 1. For our selves O thou gracious Father of mercy Father of our Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon thy servants who bow our heads and our knees and our hearts to thee pardon and forgive us all our sins give us the grace of holy repentance and a strict obedience to thy holy word strengthen us in the inner man with the power of the holy Ghost for all the parts and duties of our calling holy living preserve us for ever in the unity of the holy Catholick Church in the integrity of the Chrâ—stian faith and in the love of God and of our neighbours and in hope of life Eternal Amen 2. For the whole Catholick Church O holy Jesus King of the Saints and Prince of the Catholick Church preserve thy spouse whom thoâ— hast purchased with thy right hand and redeemed and cleansed with thy blood the whole Catholick Church from one end of the Earth to the other she is founded upon a rock but planted in the sea O preserve her safe from schisme heresy and sacriledge Unite all her members with the bands of Faith Hope and Charity and an external communion when it shall seem good in thine eyes let the daily sacrifice of prayer and Sacramental thanksgiving never cease but be for ever presented to thee and for ever united to the intercession of her dearest Lord and for ever prevail for the obtaining for every of its members grace and blessing pardon and salvation Amen 3. For all Christian Kings Princes and Governours O King of Kings and Prince of all the Rulers of the Earth give thy grace and Spirit to all Christian Princes the spirit of wisdom and counsel the spirit of government and godly fear Grant unto them to live in peace and honour â—hat their people may love and feare them and they may love and fear God speak good unto their hearts concerning the Church that they may be nursing Fathers to it Fathers of the Fatherlesse Judges and Avengers of the cause of Widowes that they may be compassionate to the wants of the poor and the groans of the oppressed that they may not vex or kill the Lords people with unjust or ambitious wars but may feed the â—lock of God and may inquire after and do all things which may promote peace publick honesty and holy religion so administring things present that they may not fail of the everlasting glories of the world to come where all thy faithful people shall reign Kings for ever Amen 4. For al the orders of them that minister about H. things O thou great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls Holy and Eternal Jesus give unto thy servants the Ministers of the Mysteries of Christian religion the Spirit of prudence and sanctity faith and charity confidence and zeal diligence and watchfulnesse that they may declare thy will unto the people faithfully and dispense the Sacraments rightly and intercede with thee graciously and acceptably for thy servants Grant O Lord that by a holy life and a true beliefe by well doing and patient suffering when thou shalt call them to it they may glorifie thee the great lover of souls and after a plentiful conversion of sinners from the errour of their wayes they may shine like the stars in glory Amen Give unto thy servants the Bishops a discerning Spirit that they may lay hands suddenly on no man but may depute such persons to the Ministeries of religion who may adorn the Gospel of God whose lips may preserve knowledge such who by their good preaching holy living may advance the service of the Lord Jesus Amen 5. For our neerest relatives as Husband Wife Children Family c. O God of infinite mercy let thy loving mercy and compassion descend upon the head of thy servants my wife or huâ—band children and family be pleased to give them health of body and of spirit a competent portion of temporals so as may with comfort support them in their journey to Heaven preserve them from all evil and â—ad accidents defend them in all assaults of their enemies direct their persons their actions sanctify their hearts and words and purposes that we all may by the bands of obedience and charity be united to our Lord Jesus and alwayes feeling thee our merciful and gracious Father may become a holy family discharging our whole duty in all our relations that we in this life being thy children by adoption and grace may be admitted into thy holy family hereafter for ever to sing praises to thee in the Church of the first-born in the family of thy redeemed ones Amen 6. For our Parents our Kinred in the flesh our Friends and Benefactors O God merciful and gracious who hast made my Parents my Friends and my Benefactors ministers of thy mercy and instruments of providence to thy servant I humbly beg a blessing to descend upon the heads of name the persons or thâ— relations Depute thy holy Angels to guard their persons thy holy spirit to guide their souls thy providence to minister to their necessities and let thy grace and mercy preserve them from â—he bitter pains of eternal death and bring them â—o everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Amen 7. For all that lye under the rod of war famine pestilence to be said in the time of plague or war c. O Lord God Almighty thou art our Father we are thy children thou art our Redeemer we thy people purchased with the price of thy most precious blood be pleased to moderate thy anger towards thy servants let not thy whole displeasure arise lest we be consumed and brought to nothing Let health and peace be within our dwellings let righteousness and holyness dwell for ever in our hearts
seeth not therefore the land is full of blood and the city full of perversenesse What a childe would do in the eye of his Father and a Pupil before his Tutor and a Wife in the presence of her Husband and a servant in the sight of his Master let us alwayes do the same for we are made a spectacle to God to Angels and to men we are alwayes in the sight and presence of the Allseeing and Almighty God who also is to us a Father and a Guardian a Husband and a Lord. Prayers and Devotions according to the religion and purposes of the foregoing Considerations I. For grace to spend our time well O Eternal God who from all eternity doest behold and love thy own glories and perfections infinite and hast created me to do the work of God after the manner of men and to serve thee in this generation and according to my capacities give me thy grace that I may be a curious and prudent spender of my time so as I may best prevent or resist all temptations and be profitable to the Christian Common-wealth and by discharging all my duty may glorifie thy Name Take from me all slothfulnesse and give me a diligent and an active spirit and wisdom to choose my imployment that I may do works proportionable to my person and to the dignity of a Christian and may fill up all the spaces of my time with actions of religion and charity that when the Devil assaults me he may not finde me idle and my dearest Lord at his sudden coming may finde me busie in lawful necessary and pious actions improving my talent intrusted to me by thee my Lord that I may enter into the joy of my Lord to partake of his eternal felicities even for thy mercie sake and for my dearest Saviours sake Amen Here follows the devotion of ordinary dayes for the right imployment of those portions of â—ime which every day must allow for religion The first prayers in the Morning as soon as we are dressed Humbly and reverently compose your self with heart lift up to God and your head bowed and meekly kneeling upon your knees say the Lords Prayer after which use the following Collects or as many of them as you shall choose Our Father which art in Heaven c. I. An act of adoration being the song that the Angels sing in Heaven HOly Holy Holy Lord God Almighty which was and is and is to come Heaven and Earth Angels and Men the Aire and the Sea give glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth on the throne who liveth for ever and ever All the blessed spirits and souls of the righteous cast their crowns before the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Thy wisdom is infinite thy mercies are glorious and I am not worthy O Lord to appear in thy presence before whom the Angels hide their faces O Holy and Eternal Jesus Lamb of God who wert slain from the beginning of the world thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reigne with thee for ever Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen II. An act of thanksgiving being the song of David for the Morning SIng praises unto the Lord O ye saints of his and give thanks to him for a remembrance of his holinesse For his wrath indureth but the twinkling of an eye and in his pleasure is life heavinesse may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Thou Lord hast preserved me this night from the violence of the spirits of darknesse from all sad casualtyes and evil accidents from the wrath which I have every day deserved thou hast brought my soul out of hell thou hast kept my life from them that go down into the pit thou hast shewed me marvellous great kindesse and hast blessed me for ever the greatnesse of thy glory reacheth unto the heavens and thy truth unto the clouds Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing O my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Allelujah III. An act of oblation or presenting our selves to God for the day MOst Holy and Eternal God Lord and Soveraigne of all the creatures I humbly present to thy divine Majesty my self my soul and body my thoughts and my words my actions and intentions my passions and my sufferings to be disposed by thee to thy glory to be blessed by thy providence to be guided by thy counsel to be sanctified by thy spirit and afterwards that my body and soul may be received into glory for nothing can perish which is under thy custody and the enemy of souls cannot devour what is thy portion nor take it out of thy hands This day O Lord and all the dayes of my life I dedicate to thy honour and the actions of my calling to the uses of grace and the religion of all my dayes to be united to the merits and intercession of my holy Saviour Jesus that in him and for him I may be pardoned and accepted Amen IV. An act of repentance or contrition FOr as for me I am not worthy to be called thy servant much lesse am I worthy to be thy son for I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of men a lover of the things of the world and a despiser of the things of God proud and envious lustful and intemperate greedy of sin and impatient of reproof desirous to seem holy and negligent of being so transported with interest fool'd with presumption and false principles disturb'd with anger with a peevish and unmortified spirit and disordered by a whole body of sin and death Lord pardon all my sins for my sweetest Saviours sake thou who didst dye for me Holy Jesus save me and deliver me reserve not my sins to be punished in the day of wrath and eternal vengeance but wash away my sins and blot them out of thy remembrance and purifie my soul with the waters of repentance and the bloud of the crosse that for what is past thy wrath may not come out against me and for the time to come I may never provoke thee to anger or to jealousie O just and dear God be pitiful and gracious to thy servant Amen V. The prayer or petition BLesse me gracious God in my calling to such purposes as thou shalt choose for me or imploy me in Relieve me in all my sadnesses make my bed in my ficknesse give me patience in my sorrows confidence in thee and grace to call upon thee in all temptations O be thou my
Guide in all my actions my protector in all dangers give me a healthful body and a clear understanding a sanctified and just a charitable and humble a religious and a contented spirit let not my life be miserable and wretched nor my name stained with sin and shame nor my condition lifted up to a tempting and dangerous fortune but let my condition be blessed my conversation useful to my Neighbours and pleasing to thee that when my body shall lie down in its bed of darknesse my soul may passe into the Regions of light and live with thee for ever through Jesus Christ. Amen VI. An act of intercession or prayer for others to be added to this or any other office as our devotion or duty or their needs shall determine us O God of infinite mercy who hast compassion on all men and relievest the necessities of all that call to thee for helpe hear the prayers of thy servant who is unworthy to ask any petition for himself yet in humility and duty is bound to pray for others * O let thy mercie descend upon the whole Church preserve her in truth and peace in unity and safety in all stormes and against all temptations and enemies that she offering to thy glory the never ceasing sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving may advance â—he honour of her Lord and be filled with his Spirit and partake of his glory Amen Remember them that minister about holy things let them be clothed with righteousnesse and sing with joyfulnesse Amen Blesse thy servant my Wife or Husband with health of body and of spirit O let the hand of thy blessing be upon his or her head night and day and support him in all necessities strengthen him in all temptations comfort him in all his sorrows and let him be thy servant in all changes and make us both to dwell with thee for ever in thy favour in the light of thy countenance and in thy glories Amen Blesse my children with healthful bodies with good understandings with the graces and gifts of thy Spirit with sweet dispositions and holy habits and sanctifie them throughout in their bodies and souls and spirits and keep them unblameable to the coming of the Lord Jesus Amen Be pleased O Lord to remember my friends all that have pray'd for me and all that have done me good here name such whom you would specially recommend Do thou good to them return all their kindnesse double into their own bosome rewarding them with blessings and sanctifying them with thy graces and bringing them to glory Let all my family and kinred my neighbours and acquaintance here name what other relation you please receive the benefit of my prayers and the blessings of God the comforts and supports of thy providence and the sanctification of thy Spirit Relieve and comfort all the persecuted and afflicted speak peace to troubled consciences strengthen the weak confirm the strong instruct the ignorant deliver the oppressed from him that spoileth him and relieve the needy that hath no helper and bring us all by the waters of comfort and in the wayes of righteousnesse to the kingdom of rest and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen To God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ To the eternal Son that was incarnate and born of a Virgin To the Spirit of the Father and the Son be all honour and glory worship and thanksgiving now and for ever Amen Another form of prayer for the Morning In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Our Father c. I. MOst glorious and eternal God Father of mercy and God of all comfort I worship and adore thee with the lowest humility of my soul and body and give thee all thanks and praise for thy infinite and essential glories and perfections and for the continual demonstration of thy mercies upon me upon all mine and upon thy holy Catholick Church II. I acknowledge dear God that I have deserved the greatest of thy wrath and indignation and that if thou hadst dealt with me according to my deserving I had now at this instant been desperately bewailing my miseries in the sorrows and horrours of a sad eternity But thy mercy triumphing over thy justice and my sins thou hast still continued to me life and time of repentance thou hast opened to me the gates of grace and mercy and perpetually callest upon me to enter in and to walk in the paths of a holy life that I might glorifie thee and be glorified of thee eternally III. BEhold O God for this thy great and unspeakable goodnesse for the preservation of me this night and for all other thy graces and blessings I offer up my soul and body all that I am and all that I have as a Sacrifice to thee and thy service humbly begging of thee to pardon all my sins to defend me from all evil to lead me into all geod and let my portion be amongst thy redeemed ones in the gathering together of the Saints in the Kingdom of grace and glory IV. GUide me O Lord in all the changes and varieties of the world that in all things that shall happen I may have an evennesse and tranquillity of spirit that my soul may be wholly resign'd to thy Divinest will and pleasure never murmuring at thy gentle chastisements and fatherly correction never waxing proud and insolent though I feel a torrent of comforts and prosperous successes V. FIx my thoughts my hopes and my desires upon Heaven and heavenly things teach me to despise the world to repent me deeply for my sins give me holy purposes of amendment and ghostly strength assistances to perform faithfully whatsoever I shall intend piously Enrich my understanding with an eternal treasure of Divine truths that I may know thy will and thou who workest in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure teach me to obey all thy Commandments to believe all thy Revelations and make me partaker of all thy gracious promises VI. TEach me to watch over all my wayes that I may never be surpriz'd by sudden temptations or a carelesse spirit nor ever return to folly and vanity Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips that I offend in my tongue neither against piety nor charity Teach mee to think of nothing but thee and what is in order to thy glory and service to speak nothing but thee and thy glories and to do nothing but what becomes thy servant whom thy infinite mercy by the graces of thy holy Spirit hath sealed up to the day of Redemption VII LEt all my passions and affections be so mortified and brought under the dominion of grace that I may never by deliberation and purpose nor yet by levity rashnesse or inconsideration offend thy Divine Majesty Make me such as thou wouldest have me to bee strengthen my faith confirm my hope and give me a daily increase
discompose my duty or turn me from the wayes of thy Commandements O let thy Spirit dwell with me for ever and make my soul just and charitable full of honesty full of religion resolute and constant in holy purposes but inflexible to evil Make me humble and obedient peaceable and pious let me never envy any mans good nor deserve to be despised my self and if I be teach me to bear it with meeknesse and charity V. GIve me a tender conscience a conversation discreet and aâ—fable modest and patient liberal and obliging body a chaste and healthful competency of living according to my condition contentednesse in all estates a resigned will and mortified affections that I may be as thou wouldst have me and my portion may be in the lot of the righteous in the brightnesse of thy countenance and the glories of eternity Amen Holy is our God * Holy is the Almighty * Holy is the Immortal Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath have mercy upon me A form of Prayer for the evening to be said by such who have not time or opportunity to say the publick prayers appointed for this office I. O Eternal God Great Father of Men and Angels who hast established the Heavens and the Earth in a wonderful order making day and night to succeed each other I make my humble addresse to thy Divine Majesty begging of thee mercy protection this night ever O Lord pardon all my sins my light and rash words the vanity and impiety of my thoughts my unjust and uncharitable actions and whatsoever I have transgressed against thee this day or at any time before Behold O God my soul is troubled in the remembrance of my sins in the frailty and sinfulnesse of my flesh exposed to every temptation and of it self not able to resist any Lord God of mercy I earnestly beg of thee to give me a great portion of thy grace such as may be sufficient and effectual for the mortification of all my sins and vanities and disorders that as I have formerly served my lust and unworthy desires so now I may give my self up wholly to thy service and the studies of a holy life II. BLessed Lord teach me frequently and sadly to remember my sins and be thou pleased to remember them no more let me never forget thy mercies and do thou still remember to do me good Teach me to walk alwayes as in thy presence Ennoble my soul with great degrees of love to thee and configne my spirit with great fear religion and veneration of thy holy Name and laws that it may become the great imployment of my whole life to serve thee to advance thy glory to root out all the accursed habits of sin that in holinesse of life in humility in charity in chastity and all the ornaments of grace I may by patience wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Amen III. Teach me O Lord to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisdom ever to remember my last end that I may not dare to sin against thee Let thy holy Angels be ever present with me to keep me in all my wayes from the malice and violence of the spirits of darknesse from evil company and the occasions and opportunities of evil from perishing in popular judgements from all the wayes of sinful shame from the hands of all mine enemies from a sinful life and from despair in the day of my death Then O brightest Jesu shine gloriously upon me let thy mercies and the light of thy Countenance sustain me in all my agonies weaknesses and temptations Give me opportunity of a prudent and spiritual Guide and of receiving the holy Sacrament let thy loving spirit so guide me in the wayes of peace and safety that with the testimony of a good conscience and the sense of thy mercies and refreshment I may depart this life in the unity of the Church in the love of God and a certain hope of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord and most blessed Saviour Amen Our Father c. Another form of Evening Prayer which may also be used at bed-time Our Father c. I Will lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help My help cometh of the Lord which made heaven and earth He will not suffer thy foot to be moved he that keepeth thee will not slumber Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The sun shall not smite thee by day neither the moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth for evermore Glory be to the Father c. I. VIsit I beseech thee O Lord this habitation with thy mercy and me with thy grace and salvation Let thy holy Angels pitch their tents round about and dwell here that no illusion of the night may abuse me the spirits of darknesse may not come neer to hurt me no evil or sad accident oppresse me and let the eternal spirit of the Father dwell in my soul and body filling every corner of my heart with light and grace Let no deed of darknesse overtake me and thy blessing most blessed God be upon me for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. INto thy hands most blessed Jesu I commend my soul and body for thou hast redeemed both with thy most precious blood So blesse and sanctifie my sleep unto me that it may be temperate holy and safe a refreshment to my wearied body to enable it so to serve my soul that both may serve thee with a never failing duty O let me never sleep in sin or death eternal but give me a watchful a prudent spirit that I may omit no oportunity of serving thee that whether I sleep or wake live or die I may be thy servant and thy childe that when the work of my life is done I may rest in the bosom of my Lord till by the voice of the Archangel the trump of God I shall be awakened and called to sit down and feast in the eternal supper of the Lamb. Grant this O Lamb of God for the honour of thy mercies and the glory of thy name O most merciful Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen III. BLessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who hath sent his Angels and kept me this day from the destruction that walketh at noon and the arrow that flyeth by day and hath given me his Spirit to restrain me from those evils to which my own weaknesses and my evil habits and my unquiet enemies would easily betray me Blessed and for ever hallowed be thy name for that never ceasing showre os blessing by which I live and am content and blessed and provided for in all necessities and set forward in my duty and way to heaven * Blessing honour
glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Amen Holy is our God * Holy is the Almighty Holy is the Immortal Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth have mercy upon me Ejaculations and short meditations to be used in the Night when we wake Stand in awe and sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still I will lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord onely makest me dwell in safety O Father of Spirits and the God of all flesh have mercy and pity upon all sick and dying Christians and receive the souls which thou hast redeemed returning unto thee Blessed are they that dwell in the heavenly Jerusalem where there is no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glorie of God does lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof And there shal be no night there they need no candle for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever Revel 21.23 Meditate on Iacobs wrastling with the Angel all night be thou also importunate with God for a blessing and give not over till he hath blessed thee Meditate on the Angel passing over the children of Israel and destroying the Egyptians for disobedience and oppression Pray for the grace of obedience and charity and for the divine protection Meditate on the Angel who destroyed in a night the whole army of the Assyrians for fornication Call to minde the sins of thy youth the sins of thy bed and say with David My reins chasten me in the night season and my soul refuseth comfort Pray for pardon and the grace of chastity Meditate on the agonies of Christ in the garden his sadnesse and affliction all that night and thank and adore him for his love that made him suffer so much for thee and hate thy sins which made it necessary for the Son of God to suffer so much Meditate on the four last things 1. The certainty of death 2. The terrours of the day of judgement 3. The joyes of Heaven 4. The pains of Hell and the eternity of both Think upon all thy friends which are gone before thee and pray that God would grant to thee to meet them in a joyful resurrection The day of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3.10.11 Lord in mercy remember thy servant in the day of Judgement Thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God In thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded Amen I desire the Christian Reader to observe that all these offices or forms of prayer if they should be used every day would not spend above an hour and a halfe but because soâ—e of them are double and so but one of them to be used in one day it is much lesse and by affording to God one hour in 24. thou mayest have the comforts and rewards of devotion But he that thinks this is too much either is very busie in the world or very carelesse of heaven However I have parted the prayers into smaller portions that he may use which and how many he please in any one of the forms Ad Sect. 2. A prayer for holy Intention in the beginning and pursuit of any considerable action as Study Preaching c. O Eternal God who hast made all things for man and man for thy glory sanctifie my body and soul my thoughts and my intentions my words and actions that whatsoever I shall think or speak or do may he by me designed to the glorification of thy Name and by thy blessing it may be effective and successeful in the work of God according as it can be capable Lord turn my necessities into vertue the works of nature into the works of grace by making them orderly regular temperate subordinate and profitable to ends beyond their own proper efficacy And let no pride or self-seeking no covetousnesse or revenge no impure mixture or unhandsome purposes no little ends and low imaginations pollute my Spirit and unhallow any of my words and actions but let my body be a servant of my spirit and both body and spirit servants of Jesus that doing all things for thy glory here I may be partaker of thy glory hereafter thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 3. A prayer meditating and referring to the divine presence This prayer is especially to be used in temptation to private sins O Almighty God infinite and eternal thou fillest all things with thy presence thou art every where by thy essence and by thy power in heaven by Glory in holy places by thy grace and favour in the hearts of thy servants by thy Spirit in the consciences of all men by thy testimony and observation of us Teach me to walk alwayes as in thy presence to fear thy Majesty to reverence thy wisdom and omniscience that I may never dare to commit any undecency in the eye of my Lord and my Judge but that I may with so much care and reverence demean my self that my Judge may not be my accuser but my Advocate that I expressing the belief of thy presence here by careful walking may feel the effects of it in the participation of eternal glory thorough Jesus Christ. Amen CHAP. II. Of Christian Sobriety Sect. I. Of sobriety in the general sense CHristian Religion in all its moral parts is nothing else but the Law of Nature and great Reason complying with the great necessities of all the world and promoting the great profit of all relations and carrying us through all accidents of variety of chances to that end which God hath from eternal ages purposed for all that live according to it and which he hath revealed in Jesus Christ and according to the Apostles Aâ—ithmetik hath but these three parts of it 1. Sobriety 2. Justice 3. Religion For the grace of God bringing salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live 1. Soberly 2. Righteously and 3. Godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the greaâ— God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. The first contains all our deportment in our personal and private capacities the fâ—ir treating of our bodies and our spirits The second eâ—larges our duty in all relations to our Neighbour The third contains the offices of direct Religion and entercourse with God Christian sobriety is all that duty that concerns our selves in the matter of meat and drink and pleasures and thoughts and it hath within it
table hereafter at the Eternal supper of the Lamb to sing an Allelujah to God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen For Chastity to be said especially by unmarried persons ALmighty God our most holy and eternal Father who art of pure eyes and canst behold no uncleannesse let thy gracious and holy Spirit descend upon thy servant and reprove the spirit of Fornication and Uncleannesse and cast him out that my body may be a holy Temple and my soul a Sanctuary to entertain the Prince of purities the holy and eternal Spirit of God O let no impure thoughts pollute that soul which God hath sanctified no unclean words pollute that tongue which God hath commanded to be an Organ of his praises no unholy and unchaste action rend the vail of that Temple where the holy JESUS hath been pleased to enter and hath chosen for his habitation but seal up all my senses from all vain objects and let them be intirely possessed with Religion and fortified with prudence watchfulnesse and mortification that I possessing my vessel in holiness may lay it down with a holy hope and receive it again in a joyful resurrection through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer for the love of God to be said by Virgins and Widows professed or resolved so to live and may be used by any one O Holy and purest Jesus who wert pleased to espouse every holy soul and joyn it to thee with a holy union and mysterious instruments of religious society and communications O fill my soul with Religion and desires holy as the thoughts of Cherubim passionate beyond the love of women that I may love thee as much as ever any creature loved thee even with all my soul and all my faculties and all the degrees of every faculty let me know no loves but those of duty and charity obedience and devotion that I may for ever run after thee who art the King of Virgins and with whom whole kingdoms are in love for whose sake Queens have dyed and at whose feet Kings with joy have laid their Crowns and Scepters My soul is thine O dearest Jesu thou art my Lord and hast bound up my eyes and heart from all stranger affections give me for my dowry purity and humility modesâ—y and devotion charity and patience at last bring me into the Bride-chamber to partake of the felicities and to lye in the bosome of the Bride-groom to eternal ages O holy and sweetest Saviour Jesus Amen A Prayer to be said by married persons in behalf of themselves and each other O Eternal and gracious Father who hast consecrated the holy estate of marriage to become mysterious and to represent the union of Christ and his Church let thy holy Spirit so guide me in the doing the duties of this state that it may not become a sin unto me nor that liberty which thou hast hallowed by the holy Jesus become an occasion of licentiousnesse by my own weaknesse and sensuality and do thou forgive all those irregularities and too sensual applications which may have in any degree discomposed my spirit and the severity of a Christian. Let me in all accidents and circumstances be severe in my duty towards thee affectionate and dear to my wife or Husband a guide and good example to my family and in all quietnesse sobriety prudence and peace a follower of those holy pairs who have served thee with godlinesse and a good testimony and the blessings of the eternal God blessings of the right hand and of the left be upon the body and soul of thy servant my Wife or Husband and abide upon her or him till the end of a holy and happy life and grant that both of us may live together for ever in the embraces of the holy and eternal Jesus our Lord and Saviour Amen A Prayer for the grace of Humility O Holy and most gracious Master and Saviour Jesus who by thy example and by thy precept by the practise of a whole life and frequent discourses didst command us to be meek and humble in imitation of thy incomparable sweetnesse and great humility be pleased to give me the grace as thou hast given me the commandment enable me to do whatsoever thou commandest and command whatsoever thou pleasest O mortifie in me all proud thoughts and vain opinions of my self let me return to thee the acknowledgement and the sruits of all those good things thou hast given me that by confessing I am wholly in debt to thee for them I may not boast my self for what I have received and for what I am highly accountable and for what is my own teach me to be asham d and humbled it being nothing but sin and misery weaknesse uncleannesse Let me go before my brethren in nothing but in striving to do them honour and thee glory never to seek my own praise never to delight in it when it is offered that despising my self I may be accepted by thee in the honours with which thou shalt crown thy humble despised servants for Jesus's sake in the kingdom of eternal glory Amen Acts of Humility and modesty by way of prayer and meditation 1. Lord I know that my spirit is light and thorny my body is bruitish and expos'd to sicknesse I am constant to folly and inconstant in holy purposes My labours are vain and fruitlesse my fortune full of change and trouble seldome pleasing never perfect My wisdom is folly being ignorant even of the parts and passions of my own body and what am I O Lord before thee but a miserable person hugely in debt not able to pay 2. Lord I am nothing and I have nothing of my self I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies 3. What was I before my birth First nothing and then uncleannesse What during my childehood weaknesse and folly What in my youth folly still and passion lust and wildenesse What in my whole life a great sinner a deceived and an abused person Lord pity me for it is thy goodnesse that I am kept from confusion and amazement when I consider the misery and shame of my person and the defilements of my nature 4. Lord what am I and Lord what art thou What is man that thou art mindeful of him and the son of Man that thou so regardest him 5. How can Man be justified with God or how can he be clean that is born of a Woman Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not yea the Stars are not pure in his sight How much lesse Man that is a Worm and the son of Man which is a Worm Iob 25. A Prayer for a contented spirit and the grace of moderation and patience O Almighty God Father and Lord of all the Creatures who hast disposed all things and all chances so as may best glorifie thy wisdom and serve the ends of thy justice and magnifie thy mercy by secret and undiscernable wayes bringing good out of evil
beam of comfort Possibly the Man may erre in his judgement of circumstances and therefore let him fear but because it is not certain he is mistaken let him not despair 7. Consider that God who knows all the events of Men and what their final condition shall be who shall be saved and who will perish yet he treateth them as his own calls them to be his own offers fair conditions as to his own gives them blessings arguments of mercy and instances of fear to call them off from death and to call them home to life and in all this shews no despair of happinesse to them and therefore much lesse should any Man despair for himself since he never was able to reade the Scrols of the eternal predestination 8. Remember that despair belongs onely to passionate Fools or Villains such as were Achitophel and Iudas or else to Devils and damned persons and as the hope of salvation is a good disposition towards it so is despair a certain consignation to eternal ruine A Man may be damned for despairing to be saved Despair is the proper passion of damnation God hath placed truth and felicity in Heaven Curiosity and repentance upon Earth but misery and despair are the portions of Hell 9. Gather together into your spirit and its â—reasure-house the Memory not onely all the promises of GOD but also the remembrances of experience and the former senses of the Divine favours that from thence you may argue from times past to the present and enlarge to the future and to greater blessings For although the conjectures and expectations of Hope are not like the conclusions of Faith yet they are a Helmet against the scorchings of Despair in temporal things and an anchor of the soul sure and stedfast against the fluctuations of the Spirit in matters of the soul. Saint Bernard reckons divers principles of Hope by enumerating the instances of the Divine Mercy and wee may by them reduce this rule to practise in the following manner 1. GOD hath preserved mee from many sinnes his mercies are infinite I hope he will still preserve me from more and for ever * 2. I have sinned and GOD smote me not his mercies are still over the penitent I hope he will deliver me from all the evils I have deserved He hath forgiven me many sins of malice and therefore surely he will pity my infirmities * 3. God visited my heart and chang'd it he loves the work of his own hands and so my heart is now become I hope he will love this too * 4. When I repented he receiv'd me graciously and therefore I hope if I do my endeavour he will totally forgive me 5. He help'd my slow and beginning endeavours and therefore I hope he will lead me to perfection * 6. When he had given me something first then he gave me more I hope therefore he will keep me from falling and give me the grace of perseverance * 7. He hath chosen me to be a Disciple of Christs institution he hath elected me to his Kingdom of grace and therefore I hope also to the Kingdom of his glory * 8. He died for me when I was his enemy and therefore I hope he will save me when he hath reconcil'd me to him is become my friend * 9. God hath given us his Son how should not he with him give us all things else All these S. Bernard reduces to these three Heads as the instruments of all our hopes 1. The charity of God adopting us 2. The truth of his promises 3. The power of his performance which if any truly weighs no infirmity or accident can break his hopes into undiscernable fragments but some good planks will remain after the greatest storm and shipwrack This was S. Pauls instrument Experience begets hope and hope maketh not ashamed 10. Do thou take care onely of thy duty of the means and proper instruments of thy purpose and leave the end to God lay that up with him and he will take care of all that is intrusted to him and this being an act of confidence in God is also a means of security to thee 11. By special arts of spiritual prudence and arguments secure the confident belief of the Resurrection and thou canst not but hope for every thing else which you may reasonably expect or lawfully desire upon the stock of the Divine mercies and promises 12. If a despair seizes you in a particular temporal instance let it not defile thy spirit with impure mixture or mingle in spiritual considerations but rather let it make thee fortifie thy soul in matters of Religion that by being thrown out of your Earthly dwelling and confidence you may retire into the strengths of grace and hope the more strongly in that by how much you are the more defeated in this that despair of a fortune or a successe may become the necessity of all vertue Sect. 3. Of Charity or the love of God LOve is the greatest thing that God can give us for himself is love and it is the greatest thing we can give to God for it will also give our selves and carry with it all that is ours The Apostle cals it the band of perfection it is the Old and it is the New and it is the great Commandement and it is all the Commandements for it is the fulfilling of the Law It does the work of all other graces without any instrument but its own immediate vertue For as the love to sinne makes a Man sinne against all his own reason and all the discourses of wisdom and all the advices of his friends and without temptation and without opportunity so does the love of God it makes a man chast without the laborious arts of fasting and exteriour disciplines temperate in the midst of feasts and is active enough to choose it without any intermedial appetites and reaches at Glory thorough the very heart of Grace without any other arms but those of Love It is a grace that loves God for himself and our Neighbours for God The consideration of Gods goodnesse and bounty the experience of those profitable and excellent emanations from him may be and most commonly are the first motive of our love but when we are once entred and have tasted the goodnesse of God we love the spring for its own excellency passing from passion to reason from thanking to adoring from sence to spirit from considering our selves to an union with God and this is the image and little representation of Heaven it is beatitude in picture or rather the infancy and beginnings of glory We need no incentives by way of special enumeration to move us to the love of God for we cannot love any thing for any reason real or imaginary but that excellency is infinitely more eminent in God There can but two things create love Perfection and Vsefulnesse to which answer on our part first admiration and 2. Desire and both these are centred in love For the
of secular imployments must come onely they must leave their secular thoughts and affections behinde them and then come and converse with God If any man be well grown in grace he must needs come because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come that so he may grow in grace The strong must come lest they become weak the weak that they may become strong The sick must come to be cured the healthful to be preserved They that have leisure must come because they have no excuse They that have no leisure must come hither that by so excellent religion they may sanctifie their businesse The penitent sinners must come that they may be justified and they that are justified that they may be justified still They that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries and think no preparation to be sufficient must receive that they may learn how to receive the more worthily and they that have a lesse degree of reverence must come often to have it heightned that as those Creatures that live amongst the snowes of the Mountains turne white with their food and conversation with such perpetual whitenesses so our souls may be transformed into the similitude and union with Christ by our perpetual feeding on him and conversation not onely in his Courts but in his very heart and most secret affections and incomparable purities Prayers for all sorts of Men and all necessities relating to the several parts of the vertue of Religion A Prayer for the Graces of Faith Hope Charity O Lord God of infinite mercy of infinite excellency who hast sent thy holy Son into the world to redeem us from an intolerable misery and to teach us a holy religion and to forgive us an infinite debt give me thy holy Spirit that my understanding and all my faculties may be so resigned to the discipline and doctrine of my Lord that I may be prepared in minde and will to dye for the testimony of Jesus and to suffer any affliction or calamity that shall offer to hinder my duty or tempt me to shame or sin or apostacy and let my faith be the parent of a good life a strong shield to repell the fiery darts of the Devil and the Author of a holy hope of modest desires of confidence in God and of a never failing charity to thee my God and to all the world that I may never have my portion with the unbelievers or uncharitable and desperate persons but may be supported by the strengths of faith in all temptations and may be refreshed with the comforts of a holy hope in all my sorrows and may bear the burden of the Lord and the infirmities of my neighbour by the support of charity that the yoak of Jesus may become easy to me and my love may do all the miracles of grace till from grace it swell to glory from earth to heaven from duty to reward from the imperfections of a beginning and little growing love it may arrive to the consummation of an eternal and never ceasing charity through Jesus Christ the Son of thy love the Anchor of our hope and the Author and finisher of our faith to whom with thee O Lord God Father of Heaven and Earth and with thy holy Spirit be all glory and love and obedience and dominion now and for ever Amen Acts of love by way of prayer and ejaculation to be used in private O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary because thy loving kindnes is better then life my lips shall praise thee Psal. 63. I am ready not only to be bound but to dye for the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 23. How amiable are thy Tabernacles thou Lord of Hosts my soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will still be praising thee Psal. 84. O blessed Jesu thou art worthy of all adoration and all honour and all love Thou art the Wondeâ—ful the Counsellor the mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of peace of thy government and peace there shall be no end thou art the brightnesse of thy Fathers glory the expresse image of his person the appointed Heir of all things Thou upholdest all things by the word of thy power Thou didst by thy self purge our sins Thou art set on the right hand of the Majesty on high Thou art made better then the Angels thou hast by inheritance obtain'd a more excellent name then they Thou O dearest Jesus art the head of the Church the beginning and the first born from the dead in all things thou hast the preheminence and it pleased the Father that in thee should all fulnesse dwell Kingdoms are in love with thee Kings lay their crowns and scepters at thy feet and Queens are thy handmaids and wash the feet of thy servants A Prayer to be said in any affliction as death of children of husband or wife in great poverty in imprisonment in a sad and disconsolate spirit in temptations to despair O Eternal God Father of Mercyes and God of all comfort with much mercy look upon the sadnesses and sorrowes of thy servant My sins lye heavy upon me and presse me sore and there is no health in my bones by reason of thy displeasure and my sin The waters are gone over me and I stick fast in the deep mire and my miseries are without comfort because they are punishments of my sin and I am so evil and unworthy a person that though I have great desires yet I have no dispositions or worthiness towards receiving comfort My sins have caused my sorrow and my sorrow does not cure my sins and unless for thy own sake and merely because thou art good thou shalt pity me relieve me I am as much without remedy as now I am without comfort Lord pity me Lord let thy grace refresh my Spirit Let thy comforts support me thy mercy pardon me and never let my portion be amongst hopelesse and accursed spirits for thou art good and gracious and I throw my self upon thy mercy Let me never let my hold go do thou with me what seems good in thy own eyes I cannot suffer more then I have deserved and yet I can need no relief so great as thy mercy is for thou art infinitely more merciful then I can be miserable and thy mercy which is above all thy own works must needs be far above all my sin and all my misery Dearest Jesus let me trust in thee for ever and let me never be confounded Amen Ejaculations and short meditations to be used in time of sickness and sorrow or danger of
what seemeth good in his own eyes Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Recite Psalm 107. and 130. A form of a vow to be made in this or the like danger If the Lord will be gracious and hear the prayer of his servant and bring me safe to shore then I will praise him secretly and publickly and pay unto the uses of charity or Religion then name the sum you designe for holy uses O my God my goods are nothing unto thee I will also be thy servant all the dayes of my life and remember this mercy and my present purposes and live more to Gods glory and with a stricter duty And do thou please to accept this vow as an instance of my importunity and the greatnesse of my needs and be thou graciously moved to pity and deliver me Amen This form also may be used in praying for a blessing on an enterprize and may be instanced in actions of devotion as well as of charity A prayer before a journey O Almighty God who fillest all things with thy presence and art a God afar off as well as neer at hand thou didst send thy Angel to blesse Iacob in his journey and didst leade the children of Israel through the Red Sea making it a wall on the right hand and on the left be pleased to let thy Angel go out before me and guide me in my journey preseving me from dangers of robbers from violence of enemies and sudden and sad accidents from falls and errours and prosper my journey to thy glory and to all my innocent purposes and preserve me from all sin that I may return in peace and holinesse with thy favour and thy blessing and may serve thee in thankfulnesse and obedience all the dayes of my pilgrimage and at last bring me to thy countrey to the coelestial Jerusalem there to dwell in thy house and to sing praises to thee for ever Amen Ad Sect. 4 A prayer to be said before hearing or reading the word of God O Holy and Eternal Jesus who hast begotten us by thy word renewed us by thy Spirit fed us by thy Sacraments and by the dayly ministery of thy word still go on to build us up to life eternal Let thy most holy Spirit be present with me and rest upon me in the reading or hearing thy sacred word that I may do it humbly reverently without prejudice with a minde ready and desirous to learn and to obey â—hat I may â—e readily furnished and instructed to every good work and may practise all thy holy laws and commandments to the glory of thy holy name O holy and eternal Jesus Amen Ad Sect. 5 9 10. A form of confession of sins and repentance to be used upon fasting dayes or dayes of humiliation especially in Lent and before the Holy Sacrament Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences For I will conâ—esse my wickednesse and be sorry for my sin * O my Dearest Lord I am not worthy to be accounted amongst the meanest of thy servants not worthy to be sustained by the least fragments of thy mercy but to be shut out of thy presence for ever with dogs unbelievers But for thy names sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of men proud and vain glorious impatient of scorn or of just reproof â—ot enduring to be slighted and yet extreamly deserving it I have been cosened by the colours of humility and when I have truly called my self vitious I could not endure any man else should say so or think so I have been disobedient to my Superiours churlish and ungentle in my behaviour unchristian and unmanly But for thy names sake c. O Just and Dear God how can I expect pitty or pardon who am so angry and peevish with and without cause envious at good rejoycing in the evil of my neighbours negligent of my charge idle and uselesse timerous and base jealous and impudent ambitious and hard hearted soft unmortified and effeminate in my life indevout in my prayers without fancie or affection without attendance to them or perseverance in them but passionate and curious in pleasing my appetite of meat and drink and pleasures making matter both for sin and sicknesse and I have reâ—ped the cursed fruits of such improvidence entertaining undecent and impure thoughts and I have brought them forth in undecent and impure actions and the spirit of uncleanness hath entred in and unhallowed the temple which thou didst consecrate for the habitation of thy Spirit of love and holinesse But for thy names sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Thou hast given me a whole life to serve thee in and to advance my hopes of heaven and this pretious time I have thrown away upon my sins and vanities being improvident of my time and of my talent and of thy grace and my own advantages resisting thy Spirit and quenching him I have been a great lover of my self and yet used many wayes to destroy my self I have pursued my temporal ends with greedinesse and indirect means I am revengful and unthankful forgetting benefits but not so soon forgetting injuries curious and murmuring a great breaker of promises I have not loved my neighbours good nor advanced it in all things where I could I have bin unlike thee in all things I am unmerciful and unjust a sottish admirer of things below and careless of heaven and the wayes that lead thither But for thy names sake O Lord be merciful unâ—â— my sin for it is great All my senses have been windows to let sin in and death by sin Mine eyes have been adulterous and covetous mine ears open to slander and detraction my tongue and palate loose and wanton intemperate and of foul language talkative lying rash and malicious false and flattering irreligious and irreverent detracting and censorious My hands have bin injurious and unclean my passions violent and rebellious my desires impatient and unreasonable all my members and all my faculties have been servants of sin and my very besâ— actions have more matter of pity then of confidence being imperfect in my best and intolerable in most But for thy names sake O Lord c. Unto this and a far bigger heap of sin I have added also the faults of others to my own score by neglecting to hinder them to sin in all that I could and ought but I also have encouraged them in sin have taken off their fears and hardened their consciences and tempted them directly and prevailed in it to my own râ—ine and theirs unlesse thy glorious and unspeakable mercy hath prevented so intolerable a calamity Lord I have abused thy mercy despised thy judgements turned thy grace into wantonnesse I have been unthankful for thy infinite loving kindnesse I have sinned and repented and then sinned again and resolved
against it and presently broke it and then I tyed my self up with vows then was tempted and then I yielded by little little till I was willingly lost again and my vows fell ofâ— like cords of vanity Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin And yet O Lord I have another heap of sins to be unloaded My secrets sins O Lord are innumerable sins I noted not sins that I willingly neglected sins that I acted upon willfull ignorance and voluntary mispersuasion sins that I have forgot and sins which a diligent and a watchful spirit might have prevented but I would not Lord I am confounded with the multitude of them and the horrour of their remembrance though I consider them nakedly in their direct appearances without the deformity of their unhandsome and aggravating circumstances but so dressed they are a sight too ugly an instance of amazement infinite in degrees and insufferable in their load And yet thou hast spared me all this while and hast not thrown me into Hell where I have deserved to have been long since and even now to have been shut up to an eternity of torments with insupportable amazement fearing the revelation of thy day Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin Thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God Thou that Prayest for me shalt be my Iudge The Prayer Thou hast prepared for me a more healthful sorrow O deny not thy servant when he begs sorrow of thee Give me a deep contrition for my sins a hearty detestation and loathing of them hating them worse then death with torments Give me grace intirely presently and for ever to forsake them to walk with care and prudence with fear and watchfulnesse all my dayes to doe all my duty with diligence and charity with zeal and a never fainting spirit to redeem the time to trust upon thy mercies to make use of all the instruments of grace to work out my salvation with fear and trembling that thou mayest have the glory of pardoning all my sins and I may reap the fruit of all thy mercies and al thy graces of thy patience and long-suffering even to live a holy life here and to reign with thee for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Ad Sect. 6. Special devâ—tions to be used upon the Lords-day and the great Festivalls Of Christians In the Morning recite the following forme of Thanksgiving upon the special Festivalls adding the commemoration of the special blessing according to the following prayers adding such prayers as you shall choose out of the foregâ—ing Devotions 2. Besides the ordinary and publick duties of the day if you retire into your closet to read and meditate after you have performed that duty say the song of S. Ambrose commonly called the Te Deum or We praise thee c then add the prayers for particular graces which are at the end of the former Chapters such and as many of them as shall fit your present needs and affections ending with the Lords prayer This form of devotion may for variety be indifferently used at other times A forme of thanksgiving with a recital of publick and private blessings To be used upon Easter-day Whit-sunday Ascension-day and all Sundayes of the year but the middle part of it may be reserved for the more solemn Festivals and the other used upon the ordinary as every mans affections or leisure shall determine I. Ex Liturgiâ S. Basilii magnâ ex parte O Eternal Essence Lord God Father Almighty Maker of all things in Heaven and Earth it is a good thing to give thanks to thee O Lord and to pay to thee all reverence worship and devotion from a clean and prepared heart and with an humble spirit to present a living and reasonable sacrifice to thy holinesse and Majesty for thou hast given unto us the knowledge of thy truth and who is able to declare thy greatnesse and to recount all thy marvellous works which thou hast done in all the generations of the world O Great Lord and Governour of all things Lord and Creator of all things visible and invisible who sittest upon the throne of thy glory and beholdest the secrets of the lowest abysse and darknesse thou art without beginning uncircumscribed incomprehensible unalterable and seated for ever unmoveable in thy own essential happinesse and tranquillity Thou art the Father of our Lord JESU SCHRIST who is Our Dearest and most Gracious Saviour our hope the wisdom of the Father the image of thy goodnesse the Word eternal and the brightnesse of thy person the power of God from eternal ages the true light that lightneth every Man that cometh into the World the Redemption of Man and the Sanctification of our Spirits By whom the holy Ghost descended upon the Church the holy Spirit of truth the seal of adoption the earnest of the inheritance of the Saints the first fruits of everlasting felicity the life-giving power the fountain of sanctification the comfort of the Church the ease of the afflicted the support of the weak the wealth of the poor the teacher of the doubtful scrupulous and ignorant the anchor of the fearful the infinite reward of all faithful souls by whom all reasonable and understanding creatures serve thee and send up a never-ceasing and a never-rejected sacrifice of prayer and praises and adoration All Angels and Archangels all Thrones and Dominions all Principalities and Powers the Cherubins with many eyes and the Seraphinâ— covered with wings from the terror and amazement of thy brightest glory These and all the powers of Heaven do perpetually sing praises and never-ceasing Hymns and eternal Anthems to the glory of the eternal God the Almighty Father of Men and Angels Holy is our God Holy is the Almighty Holy is the Immortal Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory Amen * With these holy and blessed Spirits I also thy servant O thou great lover of souls though I be unworthy to offer praise to such a Majesty yet out of my bounden duty humbly offer up my heart and voice to joyn in this blessed quire and confesse the glories of the Lord. * For thou art holy and of thy greatnesse there is no end and in thy justice and goodnesse thou hast measured out to us all thy works Thou madest man out of the earth and didst form him after thine own image thou didst place him in a garden of pleasure and gavest him laws of righteousnesse to be to him a seed of immortality O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men For when man sinned and listned to the whispers of a tempting spirit and refused to hear the voice of God thou didst throw him out from Paradise and sentest him to till the Earth but yet left nor his condition without remedy but didst provide
be express'd in all our actions and the light of thy countenance be upon us in all our sufferings that we may delight in the service and in the mercies of God for ever Amen O gracious Father and merciful God if it be thy wil say unto the destroying Angel it is enough and though we are not better then our brethren who are smitten with the rod of God but much worse yet may it please thee even because thou art good and because we are timerous and sinful not yet fitted for our appearance to set thy mark upon our foreheads that the Angel thy Minister of thy justice may passe over us and hurt us not let thy hand cover thy servants and hide us in the clefts of the rock in the wounds of the holy Jesus from the present anger that is gone out against us that though we walk thorough the valley of the shadow of death we may fear no evil and sufâ—er none and those whom thou hast smitten with thy rod support with thy staff and visit them with thy mercies and salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen 8. For all women with childe and for unborn children O Lord God who art the Father of them that trust in thee and shewest mercy to a thousand generations of them that fear thee have mercy upon all women great with childe * be pleased to give them a joyful a safe deliverance let thy grace preserve the fruit of their wombs and conduct them to the holy Sacrament of Baptisme that they being regenerated by thy Spirit and adopted into thy family and the portion and duty of Sons may live to the glory of God to the comfort of their parents and friends to the edification of the Christian Common-wealth and the salvation of their own souls thorough Jesus Christ. Amen 9. For all estates of Men and Women in the Christian Church O Holy God King Eternal out of the infinite stâ—re-houses of thy grace and mercy give unto all Virgins chastity and a religious spirit to all persons dedicated to thee and to religion continence and meekness an active zeal and an unwearied spirit to all married paires faith and holinesse to widows and fatherless and all that are oppressed â—hy paâ—ronage comfort and defence to all Christian women simplicity and modâ—sâ—y humility and chastity pâ—tience aâ—d charity give unto the poor to all â—hat are robbed and spoiled of their goods a competent supporâ— and a contented spirit and a treasure in heaven hereafter give unto prisoners and captives to them that toil in the mines and row in â—he gallâ—es strength of body and of spirit liberty and redemption comfort and restitution to all that travel by land thy Angel for their guide and a holy and prosperous return to all that travel by sea freedom from Pirates and shipwrack and bring them to the Haven where they would be to distressed and scrupulous consciences to melancholy and disconsolate persons to all that are afflicted with evil and unclean spirits give a light from heaven great grace and proportionable comforts and â—imely deliverance give them patience and resignation let their sorrows be changed into grace and comfort and let the sâ—orm waft them certainly to the regions of rest and glory Lord God of Mercy give to thy Martyrs Confessors and all thy persecuted constancy and prudence boldness and hope a full faith and a never failing charity To all who are condemned to death do thou minister comfort a strong a quiet and a resigned spirit take from them the fear of death and all remaining affections to sin and all imperfections of duty and cause them to dye full of grace full of hope and give to all faithfull and particularly to them who have recommended themselves to the prayers of thy unworthy servant a supply of all their needs temporal and spiritual and according to their several states and necessities rest and peace pardon and refreshment and shew us all a mercy in the day of judgment Amen Give O Lord to the Magistrates equity sinceritie courage and prudence that they may protect the good defend religion and punish the wrong doers Give to the Nobility wisdom valour and loyalty To Merchants justice and faithfulnesse to all Artificers and Labourers truth and honesty to our enemies forgivenesse and brotherly kindnesse Preserve to us the Heavens and the Ayre in healthful influence and disposition the Earth in plenty the kingdom in peace and good government our marriages in peace and sweetnesse and innocence of society thy people from famine and pestilence our houses from burning and robbery our persons from being burnt alive from banishment and prison from Widowhood destitution from violence of pains and passions from tempests and earth-quakes from inundation of waters from rebellion and invasion from impatience and inordinate cares from tediousnes of spirit and despair from murder and all violent accursed and unusual deaths from the surprize of sudden and violent accidents from passionate and unreasonable fears from all thy wrath and from all our sins good Lord deliver and preserve thy servants for ever Amen Represse the violence of all implacable warring and tyrant Nations bring home unto thy fold all that are gone astray call into the Church all strangers increase the number and holinesse of thy own people bring infants to ripenesse of age and reason confirm all baptized people with thy grace and with thy Spirit instruct the Novices and new Christians let a great grace and merciful providence bring youthful persons safely and holily through the indiscretions and passions and temptations of their younger years those whom thou hast or shalt permit to live to the age of a man give competent strength and wisdom take from them covetousnesse and churlishnesse pride and impatience fill them full of devotion and charity repentance and sobriety holy thoughts and longing desires after Heaven and heavenly things give them a holy and a blessed death and to us all a joyful resurrection through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Ad. Sect. 10. The manner of using these devotions by way of preparation to the receiving the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper The just prepararion to this holy Feast consisting principally in a holy life and consequently in the repetition of the acts of all vertues and especially of Faith Repentance Charity and Thanksgiving to the exercise of these four graces let the person that intends to communicate in the times set apart for his preparation and devotion for the exercise of his faith recite the prayer or Letany of the passion For the exercise of Repentance the form of confession of sins with the prayer annexed And for the graces of thanksgiving and charity let him use the special formes of prayer above described or if a lesse time can be allotted for preparatory devotion the two first will be the more proper as containing in them all the personal duty of the communicant To which upon the morning of that holy solemnity let him adde A
the duties of 1. Temperance 2. Chastity 3. Humility 4. Modesty 5. Content It is a using severity denial and frustration of our appetite when it growes unreasonable in any of these instances the necessity of which we shall to best purpose understand by considering the evil consequences of sensuality effeminacy or fondnesse after carnal pleasures Evil consequents of voluptuousnesse or sensuality 1. A longing after sensual pleasures is a dissolution of the spirit of a man and makes it loose soft and wandring unapt for noble wise or spiritual imployments because the principles upon which pleasure is chosen and pursued are sottish weak and unlearned such as prefer the body before the soul the appetite before reason sense before the Spirit the pleasures of a short abode before the pleasures of eternity 2. The nature of sensual pleasure is vain empty and unsatisfying biggest alwayes in expectation and a meer vanity in the enjoying and leaves a sting and thorn behinde it when it goes off Our laughing if it be loud and high commonly ends in a deep sigh and all the înstances of pleasure have a sting in the tayl though they carry beauty on the face and sweetnesse on the lip 3. Sensual pleasure is a great abuse to the Spirit of a man being a kinde of fascination or witchcraft blinding the understanding and enslaving the will And he that knowes he is free-born or redeemed with the blood of the Sonne of God will not easily suffer the freedom of his soul to be entangled and rifled 4. It is most contrary to the state of a Christian whose life is a perpetual exercise a wrastling and a warfare to which sensual pleasure disables him by yeilding to that enemy with whom he must strive if ever he will be crown'd And this argument the Apostle intimated He that striveth for masteries is temperate in all things Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible 5. It is by a certain consequence the greatest impediment in the world to martyrdom that being a fondnesse this being a cruelty to the flesh to which a Christian man arriving by degrees must first have crucified the lesâ—er affections for he that is overcome by little arguments of pain will hardly consent to lose his life with torments Degrees of sobriety Against this voluptuousnesse sobriety is opposed in three degrees 1. A despite or disaffection to pleasures or a resolving against all entertainment of the instances and temptations of sensuality and it consists in the internal faculties of will and understanding decreeing and declaring against them disapproving and disliking them upon good reason and strong resolution 2. A fight and actual war against all the temptations and offers of sensual pleasure in all evil instances and degrees and it consists in prayer in fasting in cheap diet and hard lodging and laborious exercises and avoiding occasions and using all arts industry of fortifying the Spirit and making it â—evere manly and Christian. 3. Spiritual pleasure is the highest degree of Sobriety and in the same degree in which we relish and are in love with spiritual delights the hidden Manna with the sweetnesses of devotion with the joyes of thanksgiving with rejoycings in the Lord with the comsorts of hope with the delitiousnesse of charity and almes-deeds with the sweetnesse of a good conscience with the peace of meeknesse and the felicities of a contented spirit in the same degree we disrelish and loath the husks of swinish lusts and the parings of the apples of Sodom and the taste of sinful pleasures is unsavoury as the Drunkards vomit Rules for suppressing voluptuousnesse The precepts and advices which are of best and of general use in the curing of sensuality are these 1. Accustom thy self to cut off all superfluity in the provisions of thy life for our desires will enlarge beyond the present possession so long as all the things of this world are unsatisfying if therefore you sufâ—er them to extend beyond the measures of necessity or moderated conveniency they will still swell but you reduce them to a little compasse when you make nature to be your limit We must more take care that our desires should ceasâ— then that they should be satisfied and therefore reducing them to narrow scantlings and small proportions is the best instrument to redeem their trouble and prevent the dropsie because that is next to an universal denying them it is certainly a paring off from them all unreasonablenesse and irregularity For whatsoever covets unseemly things and is apt to swell to an inconvenient bulk is to be chastened and tempered and such are sensuality and a Boy said the Philosopher 2. Suppresse your sensuall desires in their first approach for then they are least and thy faculties and election are stronger but if they in their weaknesse prevail upon thy strengths there will be no resisting them when they are increased and thy abilities lessened you shall scarce obtain of them to end if you suffer them to begin 3. Divert them with some laudable imployment and take off their edge by inadvertency or a not attending to them For since the faculties of a man cannot at the same time with any sharpnesse attend to two objects if you imploy your spirit upon a book or a bodily labour or any innocent and indifferent imployment you have no room left for the present trouble of a sensual temptation For to this sense it was that Alexander told the Queen of Caria that his Tutor Leonidas had provided two Cooks for him Hard marches all night and a small dinner the next day these tam'd his youthful aptnesses to dissolution so long as he eat of their provisions 4. Look upon pleasures not upon that side that is next the Sunne or where they look beauteously that is as they come towards you to be enjoyed for then they paint and smile and dresse themselves up in tinsel glasse gems and counterfeit imagery but when thou hast rifled and discomposed them with enjoying their false beauties that they begin to go ofâ— then behold them in their nakednesse and wearinesse See what a sigh and sorrow what naked unhandsome proportions and a filthy carkasse they discover and the next time they counterfeit remember what you have already discovered be no more abused And I have known some wise persons have advised to cure the passions and longings of their children by letting them taste of every thing they passionately fancied for they should be sure to find lesse in it then they looked for and the impatience of their being denied would be loosened and made slack and when our wishings are no bigger then the thing deserves and our usages of them according to our needs which may be obtain'd by tryâ—ng what they are and whaâ— good they can do us we shall finde in all pleasâ—res so little entertainment that the vanity of the possession will soon reprove the violence of the
a wicked Eye is an evil thing and what is created more wicked then an eye Therefore it weepeth upon every occasion Stretch not thy hand whithersoever it looketh and thrust it not with him into the dish A very little is sufficient for a man well nurtured and he fetcheth not his winde short upon his bed Signes and effects of Temperance We shall best know that we have the grace of temperance by the following signes which are as so many arguments to engage us also upon its study and practise 1. A temperate man is modest greedinesse is unmannerly and rude And this is intimated in the advice of the son of Sâ—rach When thou sittest amongst many reach not thy hand out first of all Leave off first for manners sake and be not unsatiable lest thou offend * 2 Temperance is accompanied with gravity of deportment greedinesse is garâ—sh and rejoyces loosely at the sight of dainties * 3. Sound but moderate sleep is its signe and its effect Sound sleep cometh of moderate eating he riseth early and his wits are with him * 4 A spiritual joy a devout prayer 5. * A suppressed and seldom anger * 6. A command of our thoughts and passions * 7. A seldom returning and a never prevailing temptation * 8. To which adde that a temperate person is not curious of sauces and deliciousnesse He thinks not much and speaks not often of meat and drink hath a healthful body and long life unlesse it be hindered by some other accident whereas to gluttony the pain watching and choler the pangs of the belly are continual company And therefore 〈◊〉 said handsomely concerning the luxury of the Rhodians They built houses as if they were immortal but they feasted as if they meant to live but a little while And Anâ—ipater by his reproach of the old glutton Demades well expressed the basenesse of this sin saying that Demades now old and alwayes a glutton was like a spent sacrifice nothing left of him but his belly and his tongue all the man besides is gone Of Drunkennesse But I desire that it be observed that because intemperance in eating is not so soone perceived by others as immoderate drinking and the outward visible effects of it are not either so notorious or so ridiculous therfore gluttony is not of so great disreputation amongst men as drunkennesse yet according to its degree it puts on the greatnesse of the sin before God and is most strickly to be attended to least we be surprized by our security and want of diligence and the intemperance is alike criminal in both according as the affections are either to the meat or drinke Gluttony is more uncharitable to the body and drunkennesse to the soule or the understanding part of man and therefore in Scripture is more frequently forbidden and declaimed against then the other and sobriety hath by use obtained to signify Temperance in drinking Drunkennesse is an immoderate affection and use of drink That I call immoderate that is besides or beyond that order of good things for which God hath given us the use of drink The ends are digestion of our meat cheerfulnesse and refreshment of our spirits or any end of health besides which if we go or at any time beyond it it is inordinate and criminal it is the vice of drunkennesse It is forbidden by our blessed Saviour in these words Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkennesse Surfetting that is the evil effects the sottishnesse and remaining stupidity of habitual or of the last nights drunkennesse For Christ forbids both the actual and the habitual intemperance not onely the effect of it but also thâ— affection to it for in both there is sinne He that drinks but little if that little makes him drunk and if he know beforehand his own infirmity is guilty of surfetting not of druâ—kennesse But he that drinks much and is strong to bear it and is not deprived of his reason violently is guilty of the sin of drunkennes It is a sin not to prevent such uncharitable effects upon the body and understanding And therefore a man that loves not the drink is guilty of surfetting if he does not watch to prevent the evil effect and it is a sin and the greater of the two inordinately to love or to use the drink though the surfetting or violence do not follow Good therefore is the counsel of the son of Syrach Shew not thy valiantnesse in wine for wine hath destroyed many Evil consequents to drunkennesse The evils and sad consequents of drunkennesse the consideration of which are as so many arguments to avoyd the sin are to this sence reckoned by the writers of holy Scripture and other wise personages of the world 1. It causeth woes and mischiefe wounds and sorrow sin and shame it maketh bitternesse of spirit brawling and quarrelling it increaseth rage and lesseneth strength it maketh red eyes and a loose and babling tongue 2. It particularly ministers to lust and yet disables the body so that in effect it makes man wanton as a Satyr and impotent as age And Solomon in enumerating the evils of this vice adds this to the account Thine eyes shall behold strange women and thy heart shall utter perverse things as if the drunkard were onely desire and then impatience muttering and enjoying like an Eunuch imbracing a woman 3. It besots and hinders the actions of the understanding making a man brutish in his passions and a fool in his reason and differs nothing from madnesse but that it is voluntary and so is an equal evil in nature and a worse in manners 4. It takes off all the guards and le ts loose the reins of all those evils to which a man is by his nature or by his evil customs inclined and from which he is restrained by reason and severe principles Drunkennesse calls off the Watch men from their towers and then all the evils that can proceed from a loose heart and an untied tongue and a dissolute spirit and an unguarded unlimited will all that we may put upon the accounts of drunkennesse 5. It extinguisheth and quenches the Spirit of God for no man can be filled with the Spirit of God and with wine at the same time And therefore Saint Paul makes them exclusive of each other Be not drunk with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the Spirit And since Iosephs cup was put into Benjamins sack no man hath a divining gobler 6. It opens all the Sanctuaries of Nature and discovers the nakednesse of the soul all its weaknesses and follies it multiplies sins and discovers them it makes a man uncapable of being a private friend or a publick Counseller 7. It taketh a mans soul into slavery and imprisonment more then any vice whatsoever because it disarms a man of all his reason and his wisdom wherby he might
her face to represent that no vertue hath cost the Saints so much as this of Chastity 5. Fly from all occasions temptations loosenesses of company Balls and Revellings undecent mixtures of wanton dancings idle talke private society with stranger women starings upon a beauteous face the company of women that are singers amorous gestures garish and wanton dressings feasts and liberty banquets and perfumes which are made to persecute chastity some of these being the very Prologues to lust and the most innocent of them being but like condited or pickled Mushroms which if carefully corrected and seldome tasted may be harmelesse but can never do good Ever remembring that it is easier to dye for chastity then to live with it and the Hangman could not extort a consent from some persons from whom a Lover would have intreated it For the glory of chastity will easily overcome the rudenesse of fear and violence but easinesse and softnesse and smooth temptations creep in and like the Sun make a mayden lay by her vail and robe which persecution like the Northern winde made her hold fast and clap close about her 6. He that will secure his chastity musâ— first cure his pride and his rage For oftentimes lust is the punishment of a proud man to tame the vanity of his pride by the shame and affronts of unchastity and the same intemperate heat that makes anger does enkindle lust 7. If thou beest assaulted with an unclean Spirit trust not thy self alone but runne forth into company whose reverence and modesty may suppresse or whose society may divert thy thoughts and a perpetual witnesse of thy conversation is of especial use against this vice which evaporates in the open air like Camphyre being impatient of light and witnesses 8. Use frequent and earnest prayer to the King of Purities the first of Virgins the eternal GOD who is of an essential purity that hee would be pleased to reprove and cast out the unclean Spirit For besides the blessings of prayer by way of reward it hath a natural vertue to restrain this vice because a prayer against it is an unwillingnesse to act it and so long as we heartily pray against it our desires are secured and then thâ—â— Devil hath no power This was S. Pauls other remedy For this cause I besought the Lord thrice 9. Hither bring in succour from consideration of the Divine presence and of his holy Angels meditation of Death and the passions of CHRIST upon the Crosse imitation of his purities and of the Virgin Mary his unspotted and holy Mother and of such eminent Saints who in their generations were burning and shining lights unmingled with such uncleannesses which defile the soul and who now follow the Lambe whithersoever he goes 10. These remedies are of universal eâ—ficacy in all cases extraordinary and violent but in ordinary and common the remedy which GOD hath provided that is Honourable marriage hath a natural efficacy besides a vertue by Divine blessing to cure the inconveniences which otherwise might aâ—flict persons temperate and sober Sect. 4. Of Humility HUmility is the great Ornament and Jewel of Christian Religion that whereby it is distinguished from all the wisdome of the world it not having been taught by the wise men of the Gentiles but first put into a discipline and made part of a religion by our Lord Jesus Christ who propounded himselfe imitable by his Disciples so signally in nothing as in the twinne sisters of Meeknesse and Humility Learne of me for I am meek and humble and ye shall finde rest unto your souls For all the World all that we are and all that we have our bodies and our souls our actions and our sufferings our conditions at home our accidents abroad our many sinnes and our seldome vertues are as so many arguments to make our souls dwell low in the deep valleys of Humility Arguments against Pride by way of Consideration 1. Our Body is weak and impure sending out more uncleannesses from its several sinkes then could be endured if they were not necessary and natural and we are forced to passe that through our mouthes which as soon as we see upon the ground we loathe like rottennesse and vomiting 2. Our strength is inferiour to that of many Beasts and our infirmities so many that we are forced to dresse and tend Horses and Asses that they may help our needs and relieve our wants 3. Our beauty is in colour inferiour to many flowers and in proportion of parts it is better then nothing For even a Dog hath parts as well proportion'd and fitted to his purposes and the designes of his nature as we have and when it is most florid and gay three fits of an ague can change it into yellownesse and leanness and the hollowness and wrinkles of deformity 4. Our learning is then best when it teaches most humility but to be proud of Learning is the greatest ignorance in the World For our learning is so long in getting and so very imperfect that the greatest Clerke knowes not the thousand part of what hee is ignorant and knowes so uncertainly what he seemes to know and knowes no otherwise then a Fool or a Childe even whaâ— is told him or what he guesses at that except those things which concerne his duty and which God hath revealed to him which also every Woman knowes so far as is necessary the most Learned Man hath nothing to bee proud of unlesse this be a sufficient argument to exalt him that he uncertainly guesses at some more unnecessary things then many others who yet know all that concernes them and minde other things more necessary for the needs of life and Common-wealths 5. Hee that is proud of riches is a Foole. For if he be exalted above his Neighbours because hee hath more gold how much inferiour is hee to a Gold Mine How much is he to give place to a chain of Pearl or a knot of Diamonds For certainly that hath the greatest excellence from whence he derives all his gallantry and preheminence over his Neighbours 6. If a man be exalted by reason of any excellence in his soul he may please to remember that all souls are equal and their differing operations are because their instrument is in better tune their body is more healthful or better tempered which is no more praise to him then it is that he was born in Italy 7. He that is proud of his birth is proud of the blessings of others not of himself for if his parents were more eminent in any circumstance then their Neighbours he is to thank God and to rejoyce in them but still he may be a Fool or unfortunate or deform'd and when himself was born it was indifferent to him whether his Father were a King or a Peasant for he knew not any thing nor chose any thing and most commonly it is true that he that boasts of his Ancestors who were the founders and raisers of a
of S. Paul I have learnd in whatsover state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both how to be full and to be hungry both to abound and suffer need We are in the world like men playing at Tables the chance is not in our power but to play it is and when it is fallen we must manage it as we can and let nothing trouble us but when we do a base action or speak like a fool or think wickedly these things God hath put into our powers but concerning those things which are wholly in the choice of another they cannot fall under our deliberation and therefore neither are they fit for our passions My fear may make me miserable but it cannot prevent what another hath in his power and purpose and prosperities can onely be enjoyed by them who fear not at all to lose them since the amazement and passion concerning the future takes off all the pleasure of the present possession Therefore if thou hast lost thy land do not also lose thy constancy and if thou must die a little sooner yet do not die impatiently For no chance is evil to him that is content to a man nothing is miserable unlesse it be unreasonable No man can make another man to be his slave unles he hath first enslaved himself to life and death to pleasure or pain to hope or fear command these passions and you are â—reer then the Parthian kings Instruments or exercises to procure contentednesse Upon the strength of these premises we may reduce this vertue to practise by its proper instruments first and then by some more special confiderations or arguments of content 1. When any thing happens to our displeasure let us endeavour to take off its trouble by turning it into spiritual or artificial advantage and handle it on that side in which it may be useful to the defignes of reason For there is nothing but hath a double handle or at least we have two hands to apprehend it When an enemy reproaches us let us look on him as an impartial relator of our faults for he will tell thee truer then thy fondest friend will and thou mayest call them precious balms though they break thy head and forgive his anger while thou makest use of the plainnesse of his declamation The Ox when he is weary treads surest and if there be nothing else in the disgrace but that it makes us to walk warily and tread sure for fear of our enemies that is better then to be flattered into pride and carelessenesse This is the charity of Christian Philosophy which expounds the sence of the divine providence fairly and reconciles us to it by a charitable construction and we may as well refuse all physick if we consider it onely as unpleasant in the tast and we may finde fault with the rich valleys of Thasus because they are circled with sharp mountains but so also we may be in charity with every unpleasant accident because though it tast bitter it is intended for health and medicine If therefore thou fallest from thy imployment in publick take sanctuary in an honest retirement being indifferent to thy gain abroad or thy safety at home If thou art out of favour with thy Prince secure the favour of the KING of Kings and then there is no harm come to thee and when Zeno Citiensis lost all his goods in a storm he retired to the studies of Philosophy to his short cloak and a severe life and gave thanks to fortune for his prosperous mischance When the North-winde blows hard and it rains sadly none but fools sit down in it and cry wise people defend themselves against it with a warm garment or a good fire and a dry roof when a storm of a sad mischance beats upon our spirits turn it into some advantage by observing where it can serve another end either of religion or prudence of more safety or lesse envy it will turn into something that is good if we list to make it so at least it may make us weary of the worlds vanity and take off our confidence from uncertain riches and make our spirits to dwell in those regions where content dwells essentially if it does any good to our souls it hath made more then sufficient recompence for all the temporal affliction He that threw a stone at a dog and hit his cruel stepmother said that although he intended it otherwise yet the stone was not quite lost and if we fail in the first designe if we bring it home to another equally to content us or more to profit us then we have put our conditions past the power of chance and this was called in the old Greek Comedy a being reveng'd on fortune by becoming Philosophers and turning the chance into reason or religion for so a wise man shall overrule his stars and have a greater influence upon his own content then all the constellations and planets of the firmament 2. Never compare thy condition with those above thee but to secure thy content look upon those thousands with whom thou wouldest not for any interest change thy fortune and condition A souldier must not think himself unprosperous if he be not successeful as the son of Philip or cannot grasp a fortune as big as the Roman Empire Be content that thou art not lessened as was Pyrrhus or if thou beest that thou art not routed like Crassus and when that comes to thee it is a great prosperity that thou art not cag'd and made a spectale like Bajazet or thy eyes were not pull'd out like Zedekiahs or that thou wert not flead alive like Valentinian If thou admirest the greatnesse of Xerxes look also on those that digged the mountain Atho or whose ears and noses were cut off because the Hellespont carried away the bridge It is a fine thing thou thinkest to be carried on mens shoulders but give God thanks that thou art not forced to carry a rich fool upon thy shoulders as those poor men do whom thou beholdest There are but a few Kings in mankinde but many thousands who are very miserable if compared to thee However it is a huge folly rather to grieve for the good of others then to rejoyce for that good which God hath given us of our own And yet there is no wise or good man that would change persons or conditions intirely with any man in the world It may be he would have one mans wealth added to himself or the power of a second or the learning of a third but still he would receive these into his own person because he loves that best and therefore esteems it best and therefore overvalues all that which he is before all that which any other man in the world can be Would any man be Dives to have his wealth or Iudas for his office or Saul for his kingdom or Absalom
for these are the proper parts of willingnesse and choice 3. The understanding must yeeld obedience in general though not in the particular instance that is we must be firmly perswaded of the excellency of the obedience though we be not bound in all cases to think the particular Law to be most prudent But in this our rule is plain enough Our understanding ought to be inquisitive whether the civil constitution agree with our duty to God but we are bound to inquire no further And therefore beyond this although he who having no obligation to it as Counsellours have inquires not at all into the wisdome or reasonablenesse of the Law be not alwayes the wisest Man yet he is ever the best Subject For when he hath given up his understanding to his Prince and Prelate provided that his duty to God be secured by a precedent search hath also with the best and with all the instruments in the World secured his obedience to Man Sect. 2. Of Provision or that part of Iustice which is due from Superiours to Inferiours AS God hath imprinted his authority in several parts upon several estates of Men as Princes Parents Spiritual Guides so he hath also delegated and committed parts of his care and providence unto them that they may be instrumental in the conveying such blessings which God knowes we need and which hee intends should be the effects of Government For since GOD governes all the World as a King provides for us as a Father and is the great Guide and Conductor of our spirits as the Head of the Church and the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls they who have portions of these dignities have also their share of the administration the sum of all which is usually signified in these two words Governing and Feeding and is particularly recited in the following rules Duties of Kings and all the Supreme power as Lawgivers 1. Princes of the people and all that have Legislative power must provide useful and good Lawes for the defence of propriety for the encouragement of labour for the safeguard of their persons for determining controversies for reward of noble actions and excellent arts and rare inventions for promoting trade and enriching their people 2. In the making Lawes Princes must have regard to the publick dispositions to the affections and disaffections of the people and must not introduce a Law with publick scandal and displeasure but consider the publick benefit and the present capacity of affairs and general inclinations of mens mindes For he that enforces a Law upon a people against their first and publick apprehensions tempts them to disobedience and makes Lawes to become snares and hooks to catch the people and to enrich the treasury with the spoil and tears and curses of the Communalty and to multiply their mutiny and their sin 3. Princes must provide that the Lawes be duely executed for a good Law without execution is like an unperformed promise and therefore they must be severe exactors of accounts from their Delegates and Ministers of Justice 4. The severity of Lawes must be temper'd with dispensations pardons and remissions according as the case shall alter and new necessities be introduced or some singular accident shall happen in which the Law would be unreasonable or intolerable as to that particular And thus the people with their importunity prevailed against Saul in the case of Ionathan and obtained his pardon for breaking the Law which his Father made because his necessity forced him to taste honey and his breaking the Law in that case did promote that service whose promotion was intended by the Law 5. Princes must be Fathers of the people and provide such instances of gentlenesse ease wealth and advantages as may make mutuall confidence betweene them and must fix their security under GOD in the love of the people which therefore they must with all arts of sweetnesse remission popularity noblenesse and sincerity endeavour to secure to themselves 6. Princes must not multiply publick Oathes without great eminent and violent necessity lest the security of the King become a snare to the people and they become false when they see themselves suspected or impatient when they are violently held fast but the greater and more useful caution is upon things then upon persons and if security of Kings can be obtain'd otherwise it is better that Oathes should be the last refuge and when nothing else can be sufficient 7. Let not the people be tempted with arguments to disobey by the imposition of great and unnecessary taxes for that lost to the son of Solomon the dominion of the ten Tribes of Israel 8. Princes must in a special manner bee Guardians of Pupils and Widows not suffering their persons to be oppressed or their states imbecill'd or in any sense be exposed to the rapine of covetous persons but be provided for by just lawes and provident Judges and good Guardians ever having an ear ready open to their just complaints and a heart full of pity and one hand to support them and the other to avenge them 9. Princes must provide that the Laws may be so administred that they be truly and really an ease to the people not an instrument of vexation and therefore must be careful that the shortest and most equal wayes of trials be appointed fees moderated and intricacies and windings as much cut off as may bee lest injured persons be forced to perish under the oppression or under the Law in the injury or in the suit Laws are like Princes the best and most beloved who are most easie of accesse 10. Places of judicature ought at no hand to be sold by pious Princes who remember themselves to be Fathers of the people For they that buy the Office will sell the act and they that at any rate will be judges will not at an easie rate do justice and their bribery is lesse punishable when bribery opened the door by which they entred 11. Ancient priviledges favours customes and Acts of grace indulged by former Kings to their people must not without high reason and great necessities be revoked by their successours nor forseitures be exacted violently nor penal Laws urged rigorously nor in light cases nor Lawes be multiplied without great need nor vitious persons which are publickly and deservedly hated be kept in defiance of popular desires nor any thing that may unnecessarily make the yoke heavie and the affection light that may increase murmures and lessen charity alwayes remembring that the interest of the Prince and the People is so infolded in a mutual imbrace that they cannot be untwisted without pulling a limb off or dissolving the bands and conjunction of the whole body 12. All Princes must esteem themselves as much bound by their word by their grants by their promises as the meanest of their Subjects are by the restraint and penalty of Laws and although they are superiour to the people yet they are not superiour
that we have being thy Debtors by reason of our sins and by thy own gracious contract made with us in Jesus Christ teach me in the first place to perform all my Obligations to thee both of duty and thankfulnesse and next enable me to pay my duty to all my friends and my debts to all my Creditors that none bee made miserable or lessened in his estate by his kindenesse to me or traffick with me Forgive me all those sins and irregular actions by which I entered into debt further then my necessity required or by which such necessity was brought upon me but let not them suffer by occasion of my sin Lord reward all their kindnesse into their bosomes and make them recompence where I cannot and make me very willing in all that I can and able for all that I am oblig'd to or if it seem good in thine eyes to afflict me by the continuance of this condition yet make it up by some means to them that the prayer of thy servant may obtain of thee at least to pay my debt in blessings Amen II. LOrd sanctifie and forgive all that I have tempted to evil by my discourse or my example instruct them in the right way whom I have lead to errour let me never run further on the score of sinne but do thou blot out all the evils I have done by the spunge of thy passion and the blood of thy Crosse and give me a deep and an excellent repentance and a free and a gracious pardon that thou mayest answer for me O Lord and enable me to stand upright in judgement for in thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded Pity me and instruct me guide me and support me pardon me and save me for my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for Patron and Benefactours O Almighty GOD thou Fountain of all good of all excellency both to Men and Angels extend thine abundant favour and loving kindnesse to my Patron to all my friends and Benefactors Reward them and make them plentiful recompence for all the good which from thy merciful providence they have conveyed unto me Let the light of thy countenance shine upon them and let them never come into any affliction or sadnesse but such as may be an instrument of thy glory and their eternal comfort Forgive them all their sins let thy Divinest Spirit preserve them from all deeds of Darknesse Let thy ministring Angels guard their persons from the violence of the spirits of Darknesse And thou who knowest every degree of their necessity by thy infinite wisdom give supply to all their needs by thy glorious mercy preserving their persons sanctifying their hearts and leading them in the wayes of righteousnesse by the waters of comfort to the land of eternal rest and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen CHAP. IV. Of Christian Religion REligion in a large sense does signifie the whole duty of Man comprehending in it Justice Charity and Sobriety because all these being commanded by God they become a part of that honour and worship which we are bound to pay to him And thus the word is used in S. Iames Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this To visit the fatherlesse and Widows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world But in a more restrained sense it is taken for that part of duty which particularly relates to God in our worshippings and adoration of him in confessing his excellencies loving his person admiring his goodnesse believing his Word and doing all that which may in a proper and direct manner do him honour It containes the duties of the first Table onely and so it is called Godlinesse and is by Saint Paul distinguished from Iustice and Sobriety In this sense I am now to explicate the parts of it Of the internal actions of Religion Those I call the internal actions of Religion in which the soul onely is imployed and ministers to God in the special actions of Faith Hope and Charity Faith believes the revelations of God Hope expects his promises and Charity loves his excellencies and mercies Faith gives our understanding to God Hope gives up all the passions and affections to Heaven and heavenly things and Charity gives the will to the service of God Faith is oppos'd to Infidelity Hope to Despair Charity to Enmity and Hostility and these three sanctifie the whole Man and make our duty to God and obedience to his Commandments to be chosen reasonable and delightful and therefore to be intire persevering and universal SECT I. Of Faith The Acts and Offices of Faith are 1. TO believe every thing which God hath revealed to us and when once we are convinced that God hath spoken it to make no further enquiry but humbly to submit ever remembring that there are some things which our understanding cannot fathom nor search out their depth 2. To believe nothing concerning God but what is honourable and excellent as knowing that belief to be no honoring of God which entertains of him any dishonourable thoughts Faith is the parent of Charity and whatsoever Faith entertains must be apt to produce love to God but he that believes God to be cruel or unmerciful or a rejoycer in the unavoidable damnation of the greatest part of mankinde or that he speaks one thing and privately means another thinks evil thoughts concerning God and such as for which we should hate a man and therefore are great enemies of Faith being apt to destroy charity Our Faith concerning God must be as himself hath revealed and described his own excellencies and in our discourses we must remove from him all imperfection and attribute to him all excellency 3. To give our selves wholly up to Christ in heart and desire to become Disciples of his doctrine with choice besides conviction being in the presence of God but as Ideots that is without any principles of our own to hinder the truth of God but sucking in greedily all that God hath taught us believing it infinitely and loving to believe it For this is an act of Love reflected upon Faith or an act of Faith leaning upon Love 4. To believe all Gods promises and that whatsoever is promised in Scripture shall on Gods part be as surely performed as if we had it in possession This act makes us to rely upon God with the same confidence as we did on our Parents when we were children when we made no doubt but whatsoever we needed we should have it if it were in their power 5. To believe also the conditions of the promise or that part of the revelation which concerns our duty Many are apt to believe the Article of remission of sins but they believe it without the condition of repentance or the fruits of holy life and that is to believe the Article otherwise then God intended it For the Covenant of the Gospel is the great object of Faith and
fasting is an act of mortification that is is intended to subdue a bodily lust as the spirit of fornication or the fondness of strong and impatient appetties it must not be a sudden sharp and violent fast but a state of fasting a dyet of fasting a daily lessening our portion of meat and drink and a choosing such a course dyet which may make the least preparation for the lusts of the body He that fasts 3 dayes without â—ood will weaken other parts more then the ministers of fornication and when the meals return as usually they also will be serv'd assoon as any In the mean time they will be supplyed and made active by the accidental heat that comes with such violent fastings for this is a kinde of aerial Devil the Prince that rules in the air is the Devil of fornication and he will be as tempting with the windinesse of a violent fast as with the flesh of an ordinary meal But a daily substraction of the nourishment will introduce a lesse busy habit of body and that will prove the more effectual remedy 8. Fasting alone will not cure this Devil though it helps much towards it but it must not therefore be neglected but assisted by all the proper instruments of remedy against this unclean spirit and what it is unable to do alone in company with other instruments and Gods blessing upon them it may effect 9. All fasting for whatsoever end it be undertaken must de done without any opinion of the necessity of the thing it self without censuring others with all humility in order to the proper end and just as a man takes physick of which no man hath reason to be proud and no man thinks it necessary but because he is in sicknesse or in danger and disposition to it 10. All fasts ordained by lawful authority are to be observed in order to the same purposes to which they are enjoyned and to be accompanied with actions of the same nature just as it is in private fasts for there is no other difference but that in publick our Superiours choose for us what in private we do for our selves 11. Fasts ordained by lawful authority are not to be neglected because alone they cannot do the thing in order to which they were enjoyn'd It may be one day of Humiliation will not obtain the blessing or alone kill the lust yet it must not be despis'd if it can do any thing towards it An act of Fasting is an act of self-denial and though it do not produce the habit yet it is a good act 12. When the principal end why a Fast is publickly prescribed is obtained by some other instrument in a particular person as if the spirit of Fornication be cur'd by the rite of Marriage or by a gift of chastity yet that person so eased is not freed from the Fasts of the Church by that alone if those fasts can prudently serve any other end of Religion as that of prayer or repentance or mortification of some other appetite for when it is instrumental to any end of the Spirit it is freed from superstition and then we must have some other reason to quit us from the Obligation or that alone will not do it 13. When the Fast publickly commanded by reason of some indisposition in the particular person cannot operate to the end of the Commandment yet the avoiding offence and the complying with publick order is reason enough to make the obedience to be necessary For he that is otherwise disoblig'd as when the reason of the Law ceases as to his particular yet remains still oblig'd is he cannot do otherwise without scandal but this is an obligation of charity not of justice 14. All fasting is to be used with prudence and charity for there is no end to which fasting serves but may be obtain'd by other instruments and therefore it must at no hand be made an instrument of scruple or become an enemy to our health or be impos'd upon persons that are sick or aged or to whom it is in any sense uncharitable such as are wearied Travellers or to whom in the whole kinde of it it is uselesse such as are Women with childe poor people and little children But in these cases the Church hath made provision and inserted caution into her Laws and they are to be râ—duced to practise according to custome and the sentence of prudent persons with great latitude and without niâ—enesse and curiosity having this in our first care that we secure our vertue and next that we secure our health that we may the better exercise the labours of vertue lest out of too much austerity we bring our selves to that condition that it be necessary to be indulgent to softnesse ease and extream tendernesse 15. Let not intemperance be the Prologue or the Epilogue to your fast lest the fast be so far from taking off any thing of the sin that it bee an occasion to increase it and therefore when the fast is done be careful that no supervening act of gluttony or excessive drinking unhallow the religion of the passed day but eat temperately according to the proportion of other meals lest gluttony keep either of the gates to abstinence The benefits of Fasting He that undertakes to enumerate the benefits of fasting may in the next page also reckon all the benefits of physick for fasting is not to be commended as a duty but as an instrument and in that sense no Man can reprove it or undervalue it but he that knows neither spiritual arts nor spiritual necessities but by the Doctors of the Church it is called the nourishment of prayer the restraint of lust the wings of the soul the diet of Angels the instrument of humility and self-denial the purification of the Spirit and that palenesse and maigrenesse of visage which is consequent to the daily fast of great mortifiers is by Saint Basil said to be the mark in the Forehead which the Angel observed when he signed the Saints in the forehead to escape the wrath of God The soul that is greatly vexed which goeth stooping and feeble and the eyes that fail and the hungry soul shall give thee praise and righteousnesse O Lord. Sect. VI. Of keeping Festivals and dayes holy to the Lord particularly the Lords day TRue naturall Religion that which was common to all Nations and Ages did principally relye upon four great propositions 1. That there is one God 2. That God is nothing of those things which wee see 3. That God takes care of all things below and governs all the World 4. That hee is the Great Creator of all things without himself and according to these were fram'd the four first precepts of the Decalogue In the first the Unity of the Godhead is expresly affirmed In the second his invisibility and immateriality In the third is affirmed Gods government and providence by avenging them that swear falsly by his Name by which also his Omniscience
may praise him for so we blesse God and God blesses us And yet fail not to finde or make opportunities to worship God at some other times of the day at least by ejaculations and short addresses more or lesse longer or shorter solemnly or without solemnity privately or publickly as you can or are permitted alwayes remembring that as every sin is a degree of danger and unsafety so every pious prayer and well imployed opportunity is a degree of return to hope and pardon Cautions for making vowes 16. A vow to God is an act of prayer and a great degree and instance of opportunity an increase of duty by some new uncommanded instance or some more eminent degree of duty or frequency of action or earnestnesse of spirit in the same And because it hath pleased God in all Ages of the World to admit of entercourse with his servants in the matter of vows it is not ill advice that we make vows to God in such cases in which we have great need or great danger But let it be done according to these rules and by these cautions 1. That the matter of the vow be lawful 2. That it be useful in order to Religion or charity 3. That it be grave not trifling and impertinent but great in our proportion of duty towards the blessing 4. That it be in an uncommanded instance that is that it be of something or in some manner or in some degree to which formerly wee were not obliged or which wee might have omitted without sinne 5. That it bee done with prudence that is that it be safe in all the circumstances of person lest we beg a blessing and fall into a snare 6. That every vow of a new action bee also accompanied with a new degree and enforcement of our essential and unalterable duty such as was Iacobs vow that besides the payment of a tithe God should be his God that so hee might strengthen his duty to him first in essentials and precepts and then in additionals and accidentals For it is but an ill Tree that spends more in leaves and suckers and gummes then in fruit and that thankfulnesse and Religion is best that first secures duty and then enlarges in counsels Therefore let every great prayer and great need and great danger draw us to GOD neerer by the approach of a pious purpose to live more strictly and let every mercy of GOD answering that prayer produce a real performance of it 7. Let not young beginners in Religion enlarge their hearts and streighten their liberty by vowes of long continuance nor indeed any one else without a great experience of himself and of all accidental dangers Vowes of single actions are safest and proportionable to those single blessings ever begg'd in such cases of sudden and transient importunities 8. Let no action which is matter of question and dispute in Religion ever become the matter of a vow He vowes foolishly that promises to God to live and dye in such an opinion in an article not necessary not certain or that upon confidence of his present guide bindes himself for ever to the profession of what he may afterwards more reasonably contradict or may finde not to be useful or not profitable but of some danger or of no necessity If we observe the former rules we shall pray piously and effectually but because even this duty hath in it some especial temptations it is necessary that we be armed by special remedies against them The dangers are 1. Wandring thoughts 2. Tediousnesse of spirit Against the first these advices are profitable Remedies against wandring thoughts in Prayer If we feel our spirits apt to wander in our prayers and to retire into the World or to things unprofitable or vain and impertinent 1. Use prayer to bee assisted in prayer pray for the spirit of supplication for a sober fixed and recollected spirit and when to this you adde a moral industry to be steady in your thoughts whatsoever wandrings after this do return irremediably are a misery of Nature and an imperfection but no sinne while it is not cherished and indulged too 2. In private it is not amisse to attempt the cure by reducing your prayers into Collects and short forms of prayer making voluntary interruptions and beginning again that the want of spirit and breath may be supplied by the short stages and periods 3. When you have observed any considerable wandring of your thoughts binde your self to repeat that prayer again with actual attention or else revolve the full sense of it in your spirit and repeat it in all the effect and desires of it and possibly the tempter may be driven away with his own art and may cease to interpose his trifles when hee perceives they doe but vex the person into carefulnesse and piety and yet hee loses nothing of his devotion but doubles the earnestnesse of his care 4. If this bee not seasonable or opportune or apt to any Mans circumstances yet be sure with actual attention to say a hearty Amen to the whole prayer with one united desire earnestly begging the graces mentioned in the prayer for that desire does the great work of the prayer and secures the blessing if the wandring thoughts were against our will and disclaimed by contending against them 5. Avoid multiplicity of businesses of the World and in those that are unavoidable labour for an evennesse and tranquillity of spirit that you may be untroubled and smooth in all tempests of fortune for so we shall better tend Religion when we are not torn in pieces with the cares of the World and seiz'd upon with low affections passions and interest 6. It helps much to attention and actual advertisement in our prayers if we say our prayers silently without the voice onely by the â—pirit For in mental prayer if our thoughts wander we onely stand still when our minde returns we go on again there is none of the prayer lost as it is if our mouths speak and our hearts wander 7. To incite you to the use of these or any other counsels you shall meet with remember that it is a great undecency to desire of God to hear those prayers a great part whereof we do not hear our selves If they be not worthy of our attention they are far more unworthy of Gods Signes of tediousnesse of spirit in our prayers and all actions of religion The second temptation in our prayer is a tediousnesse of spirit or a wearinesse of the imployment like that of the Jews who complained that they were weary of the new moons and their souls loathed the frequent return of their Sabbaths so do very many Christians who first pray without fervour and earnestnesse of spirit and secondly meditate but seldom and that without fruit or sence or affection or thirdly who seldom examine their consciences and when they do it they do it but sleepily slightly without compunction or hearty purpose or fruits of amendment 4. They
enlarge themselves in the thoughts and fruition of temporal things running for comfort to them onely in any sadnesse and misfortune 5. They love not to frequent the Sacraments nor any the instruments of religion as sermons confessions prayers in publick fastings but love ease and a loose undisciplin'd life 6. They obey not their superiours but follow their own judgement when their judgement follows their affections and their affections follow sense and worldly pleasures 7. They neglect or dissemble or defer or do not attend to the motions and inclinations to vertue which the spirit of God puts into their soul. 8. They repent them of their vows and holy purposes not because they discover any indiscretion in them or intolerable inconvenience but because they have within them labour and as the case now stands to them displeasure 9. They content themselves with the first degrees and necessary parts of vertue and when they are arrived thither they sit down as if they were come to the mountain of the Lord and care not to proceed on toward perfection 10. They enquire into all cases in which it may be lawful to omit a duty and though they will not do lesse then they are bound to yet they will do no more then needs must for they do out of fear and self love not out of the love of God or the spirit of holinesse and zeal The event of which will be this He that will do no more then needs must will soon be brought to omit something of his duty and will be apt to believe lesse to be necessary then is Remedies against tediousnesse of spirit The Remedies against this temptation are these 1. Order your private devotions so that they become not arguments and causes of tediousnesse by their indiscreet length but reduce your words into a narrower compasse still keeping all the matter and what is cut off in the length of your prayers supply in the earnestnesâ—e of your spirit for so nothing is lost while the words are changed into matter and length of time into fervency of devotion The forms are made not the lesse perfect and the spirit is more and the scruple is removed 2. It is not imprudent if we provide variety of forms of Prayer to the same purposes that the change by consulting with the appetites of fancy may better entertain the Spirit and possibly we may be pleased to reâ—ite a hymn when a collect seems flat to us and unpleasant and we are willing to sing rather then to say or to sing this rather then that we are certain that variety is delightful and whether that be natural to us or an imperfection yet if it be complyed with it may remove some part of the temptation 3. Break your office and devotion into fragments and make frequent returnings by ejaculations and abrupt entercourses with God for so no length can oppresse your tenderness and sicklinesse of spirit and by often praying in such manner and in all circumstances we shall habituate our souls to prayer by making it the businesse of many lesser portions of our time and by thrusting in between all our other imployments it will make every thing relish of religion and by degrees turn all into its nature 4. Learn to abstract your thoughts and desires from pleasures and things of the world For nothing is a direct cure to this evill but cutting off all other loves and adherences Order your affairs so that religion may be propounded to you as a reward and prayer as your defence and holy actions as your security and charity and good works as your treasure Consider that all things else are satisfactions but to the brutish part of a man and that these are the refreshments and relishes of that noble part of us by which we are better then beasts and whatsoever other instrument exercise or consideration is of use to take our loves from the world the same is apt to place them upon God 5. Do not seek for deliciousnesse and sensible consolations in the actions of religion but onely regard the duty and the conscience of it For although in the beginning of religion most frequently and at some other times irregularly God complyes with our infirmity and encourages our duty with little overflowings of spiritual joy and sensible pleasure and delicacies in prayer so as we seem to feel some little beam of Heaven and great refreshments from the spirit of consolation yet this is not alwayes safe for us to have neither safe for us to expect and look for and when we do it is apt to make us cool in our enquiries and waitings upon Christ when we want them It is a running after him not for the miracles but for the loaves not for the wonderful things of God and the desires of pleasing him but for the pleasures of pleasing our selves And as we must not judge our devotion to be barren or unfruitful when we want the overflowings of joy running over so neither must we cease for want of them If our spirits can serve God choosingly and greedily out of pure conscience of our duty it is better in it self and more safe to us 6. Let him use to soften his spirit with frequent meditation upon sad and dolorous objects as of death the terrours of the day of judgement fearful judgements upon sinners strange horrid accidents fear of Gods wrath the pains of Hell the unspeakable amazements of the damned the intolerable load of a sad Eternity For whatsoever creates fear or makes the spirit to dwell in a religious sadnesse is apt to entender the spirit and make it devout and plyant to any part of duty For a great fear when it is ill managed is the parent of superstition but a discreet and well guided fear produces religion 7. Pray often and you shall pray oftner and when you are accustomed to a frequent devotion it will so insensibly unite to your nature and affections that it will become trouble to omit your usual or appointed prayers and what you obtain at first by doing violence to your inclinations at last will not be left without as great unwillingnesse as that by which at first it entred This rule relyes not onely upon reason derived from the nature of habits which turn into a second nature and make their actions easy frequent an delightful but it relyes upon a reason depending upon the nature and constitution of grace whose productions are of the same nature with the parent and increases it self naturally growing from granes to huge trees from minutes to vast proportions and from moments to Eternity But be sure not to omit your usual prayers without great reason though without sin it may be done because after you have omitted something in a little while you will be passed the scruple of that and begin to be tempted to leave out more keep your self up to your usual forms you may enlarge when you will but do not contract or lessen them without a
receive it into an unhallowed soul and body is to receive the dust of the Tabernacle in the waterâ— of jealousie it will make the belly to swell and the thigh to rot it will not convey Christ to us but the Devil will enter and dwell there till with it he returns to his dwelling of torment Remember alwayes that after a great sin or after a habit of sins a Man is not soon made clean and no unclean thing must come to this Feast It is not thâ— preparation of two or three dayes that can render a person capable of this banqueâ— For in this seast all Christ and Christs passion and all his graces the blessings and effects of his sufferings are conveyed nothing can fit us for this but what can unite us to Christ and obtain of him to present our needs to his heavenly Father this Sacrament can no otherwise be celebrated but upon the same terms on which we may hope for pardon and Heaven it self 5. When we have this general and indispensably necessary preparation we are to make our souls more adorn'd and trimm'd up with circumstances of pious actions and special devotions setting apart some portion of our time immediately before the day of solemnity according as our great occasions will permit and this time is specially to be spent in actions of repentance confession of our sins renewing our purposes of holy living praying for pardon of our failings and for those graces which may prevent the like sadnesses for the time to come meditation upon the passion upon the infinite love of God expressed in so great mysterious manners of redemption and indefinitely in all acts of vertue which may build our soules up into a Temple fit for the reception of Christ himself and the inhabitation of the holy Spirit 6. The celebration of the holy Sacrament being the most solemne prayer joyned with the most effectual instrument of its acceptance must suppose us in the love of God and in charity with all the World and therefore we must before every Communion especially remember what differences or jealousies are between us and any one else and recompose all disunions and cause right understandings betweene each other offering to satisfie whom we have injur'd and to forgive them who have injur'd us without thoughts of resuming the quarrel when the solemnity is over for that is but to rake the embers in light and phantastick ashes it must be quenched and a holy flame enkindled no fires must be at all but the fires of love and zeal and the altar of incense will send up a sweet perfume and make atonement for us 7. When the day of the feast is come lay aside all cares and impertinencies of the World and remember that this is thy Souls day a day of traffique and entercourse with Heaven Arise early in the morning 1. Give God thanks for the approach of so great a blessing 2. Confesse thy own unworthinesse to admit so Divine a Guest 3. Then remember and deplore thy sinnes which have made thee so unworthy 4. Then confesse Gods goodnesse and take sanctuary there and upon him place thy hopes 5. And invite him to thee with renewed acts of love of holy desire of hatred of his enemy sin 6. Make oblation of thy self wholly to be disposed by him to the obedience of him to his providence and possession and pray him to enter and dwell there for ever And after this with joy and holy fear and the forwardness of love addresse thy self to the receiving of him to whom and by whom and for whom all faith and all hope and all love in the whole Catholick Church both in Heaven Earth is design'd him whom Kings and Queens and whole Kingdoms are in love with and count it the greatest honour in the World that their Crowns and Scepters are laid at his holy feet 8. When the holy Man stands at the Table of blessing and ministers the rite of consecration then do as the Angels do who behold love and wonder that the Son of God should become food to the souls of his servants that he who cannot suffer any change or lessening should be broken into pieces and enter into the body to support and nourish the spirit and yet at the same time remain in Heaven while he descends to thee upon Earth that he who hath essential felicity should become miserable and dye sor thee and then give himself to thee for ever to redeem thee from sin and misery that by his wounds he should procure health to thee by his affronts he should intitle thee to glory by his death he should bring thee to life and by becoming a Man he should make thee partaker of the Divine nature These are such glories that although they are made so obvious that each eye may behold them yet they are also so deep that no thought can fathome them But so it hath pleased him to make these mysteries to be sensible because the excellency and depth of the mercy is not intelligible that while wee are ravished and comprehended within the infinitenesse of so vast mysterious a mercy yet we may be as sure of it as of that thing we see and feel and smell and taste but yet is so great that we cannot understand it 9. These holy mysteries are offered to our senses but not to bee placed under our feet they are sensible but not common and therefore as the weaknesse of the Elements addes wonder to the excellency of the Sacrament so let our reverence and venerable usages of them adde honour to the Elements and acknowledge the glory of the mystery and the Divinity of the mercy Let us receive the consecrated Elements with all devotion and humility of body and spirit and do this honour to it that it be the first food we eat and the first beverage we drink that day unlesse it he in case of sicknesse or other great necessity and that your body and soul both be prepared to its reception with abstinence from secular pleasures that you may better have attended fastings and preparatory prayers For if ever it be seasonable to observe the counsel of Saint Paul that married persons by consent should abstain for a time that they may attend to solemne Religion it is now It was not by Saint Paul nor the after ages of the Church called a duty so to do but it is most reasonable that the more solemne actions of Religion should be attended to without the mixture of any thing that may discompose the minde and make it more secular or lesse religious 10. In the act of receiving exercise acts of Faith with much confidence and resignation believing it not to be common bread and wine but holy in their use holy in their signification holy in their change and holy in their effect and believe if thou art a worthy Communicant thou doest as verily receive Christs body and blood to all effects and purposes of the spirit as
Death Hear my Prayer O Lord and let my crying come unto thee * Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble incline thine ear unto me when I call O hear me and that right soon * For my dayes are consumed like smoaâ— my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand * My heart is smitten down withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread that because of thine indignation and wrath for thou hast taken me up cast me down * Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sin * My wickednesâ—es are gone over my head and are a sore burden too heavy for me to bear * But I will confesse my wickednesse and be sorry for my sin * O Lord rebuke me not in thy indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure * Lord be merciful unto me heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences * O remember not the sins and offences of my youth but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodnesse * Wash me thoroughly from my wickednesse and cleanse me from my sin * Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me * Cast me not away from thy presence from thy all-hallowing and life-giving presence and take not thy holy Spirit thy sanctifying thy guiding thy comforting thy supporting and confirming Spirit from me O God thou art my God for ever and ever thou shalt be my guide unto death * Lord comfort me now that I lye sick upon my bed make thou my bed in all my sicknesse * O deliver my soul from the place of Hell and do thou receive me * My heart is disquieted within me and the fear of death is falen upon me * Behold thou hast made my dayes as it were a span long mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee and verily every man living is altogether vanity * When thou with rebukes doest chasten man for sin thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth fretting a garment every man therefore is but vanity And now Lord what is my hope truly my hope is even in thee * Hear my prayer O Lord and with thine ears consider my calling hold not thy peace at my tears * Take this plague away from me I am consumed by the means of thy heavy hand * I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my Fathers were * O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen * My soul cleaveth unto the dust O quicken me according to thy word * And when the snares of death compasse me round about let not the pains of hell take hold upon me An Act of Faith concerning resurrection and the day of judgment to be said by sick persons or meditated I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self mine eyes shal behold though my reins be consumed within me Iob 19. God shall come and shall not keep silence there shall go before him a consuming fire and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him he shall call the heaven from above and the earth that he may judge his people * O blessed Jesu thou art my judge and thou art my Advocate have mercy upon me in the hour of my death and in the day of judgment See Iohn 5.28 1 Thessal 4.15 Short Prayers to be said by sick persons O Holy Jesus thou art a merciful High Priest and touched with the sense of our infirmities thou knowest the sharpnesse of my sicknesse and the weaknesse of my person The clouds are gathered about me and thou hast covered me with thy storm My understanding hath not such apprehension of things as formerly Lord let thy mercy support me thy spirit guide me and lead me through the valley of this death safely that I may passe it patiently holily with perfect resignation and let me rejoyce in the Lord in the hopes of pardon in the expectation of glory in the sence of thy mercies in the refreshments of thy spirit in a victory over all temptations Thou hast promised to be with us in tribulation Lord my soul is troubled and my body is weak and my hope is in thee and my enemies are busy and mighty now make good thy holy promise Now O holy Jesus now let thy hand of grace be upon me restrain my ghostly enemies and give me all sorts of spiritual assistances Lord remember thy servant in the day when thou bindest up thy Jewels O take from me all tediousnesse of Spirit all impatience and unquietnesse let me possesse my soul in patience and resigne my soul and body into thy hands as into the hands of a faithful Creator and a blessed Redeemer O holy Jesu thou didst dye for us by thy sad pungent intolerable pains which thou enduredst for me have pity on me ease my pain or increase my patience Lay on me no more then thou shalt enable me to bear I have deserv'd it all more and infinitely more Lord I am weak and ignorant timerous and inconstant and I feâ—r lest something should happen that may discompose the state of my soul that may displease thee Do what thou wilt with me so thou doest but preserve me in thy fear and favour Thou knowest that it is my great â—ear but let thy Spirit secure that nothing may be able to separate me from the love of God in Jesus Christ then smite me here that thou mayest spare me for ever and yet O Lord smite me friendly for thou knowest my infirmities Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth * Come holy Spirit help me in this conflict Come Lord Jesus come quickly Let the sick person often meditate upon these following promises and gracious words of God My help cometh of the Lord who preserveth them that are true of heart Psal. 7.11 And all they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast never failed them that seek thee Psal. 9.10 O how plentiful is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee even before the sons of men Psal. 31. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that put their trust in his mercy to deliver their souls from death Ps. 33. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart
for him the salvation of a new birth and by the blood of thy Son didst redeem and pay the price to thine own justice for thine own creature lest the work of thine own hands should perish O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. For thou O Lord in every age didst send testimonies from Heaven blessings and Prophets and fruitful seasons and preachers of righteousness and miracles of power and mercy thou spakest by thy Prophets and saidst I will help by one that is mighty and in the fulnesse of time spakest to us by thy Son by whom thou didst make both the Worlds who by the word of his power sustains all things in Heaven and Earth who thought it no robbery to be equal to the Father who being before all time was pleased to be born in time to converse with men to be incarnate of a holy Virgin he emptied himself of all his glories took on him the form of a servant in all things being made like unto us in a soul of passions and discourse in a body of humility and sorrow but in all things innocent and in all things afflicted and suffered death for us that we by him might live and be partakers of his nature and his glories of his body and of his Spirit of the blessings of earth and of immortal felicities in Heaven O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. For thou O holy and immortal God O sweetest Saviour Jesus wert made under the Law to condemn sin in the flesh thou who knewest no sin wert made sin for us thou gavest to us righteous Commandements and madest known to us all thy Fathers will thou didst redeem us from our vain conversation and from the vanity of Idols false principles and foolish confidences and broughtest us to the knowledge of the true and onely God and our Father and hast made us to thy self a peculiar people of thy own purchase a royal Priesthood a holy Nation Thou hast washed our soules in the Laver of Regeneration the Sacrament of Baptisme Thou hast reconciled us by thy death justified us by thy Resurrection sanctified us by thy Spirit sending him upon thy Church in visible formes and giving him in powers and miracles and mighty signes and continuing this incomparable favour in giâ—ts and sanâ—tifying graces and promising that hee shall abide with us for ever thou hast fed us with thine own broken body and given drink to our soules out of thine own heart and hast ascended up on high and hast overcome all the powers of Death and Hell and redeemed us from the miseries of a sad eternity and sittest at the right hand of God making intercession for us with a never-ceasing charity O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. The grave could not hold thee long O holy eternal Jesus thy body could not see corruption neither could thy soul be left in Hell thou wert free among the dead and thou brakest the iron gates of Death and the bars and chains of the lower prisons Thou broughtest comfort to the souls of the Patriarchs who waited for thy coming who long'd for the redemption of Man and the revelation of thy day Abraham Isaac and Iacob saw thy day and rejoyced and when thou didst arise from thy bed of darknesse and leftest the grave-clothes behinde thee and put on a robe of glory over which for 40 dayes thou didst wear a vail and then entred into a cloud and then into glory then the powers of Hell were confounded then Death lost its power and was swallowed up into victory though death is not quite destroyed yet it is made harmlesse and without a sting and the condition of Humane Nature is made an entrance to eternal glory art become the Prince of life the first fruits of the resurrection the first-born from the dead having made the way plain before our faces that we may also rise again in the Resurrection of the last day when thou shalt come again unto us to render to every Man according to his works O that men would therefore praise the Lord c. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is gracious and his mercy endureth for ever O all ye angels of the Lords praise ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever O ye spirits and souls of the Righteous praise ye the Lord praise him and magnifie him for ever And now O Lord God what shall I render to thy Divine Majesty for all the benefits thou hast done unto thy servant in my personal capacity Thou art my Creator and my Father my Protector and my Guardian thou hast brought me from my Mothers wombe thou hast told all my joynts and in thy book were all my members written Thou hast given me a comely body Christian and careful parents holy education Thou hast been my guide and my teacher all my dayes Thou hast given me ready faculties and unloosed tongue a cheerful spirit strait limbs a good reputation and liberty of person a quiet life and a tender conscience a loving wife or husband and hopeful children thou wert my hope from my youth through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born Thou hast clothed me and fed me given me friends and blessed them given me many dayes of comfort and health free from those sad infirmities with which many of thy Saints and dearest servants are afflicted Thou hast sent thy Angel to snatch me from the violence of fire and water to prevent praecipices fracture of bones to rescue me from thunder and lightning plague and pestilential diseases murder and robbery violence of chance and enemies and all the spirits of darknesse and in the dayes of sorrow thou hast refreshed me in the destitution of provisions thou hast taken care of me and thou hast said unto me I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithful and in the congregation Thou O my dearest Lord and Father hast taken care of my soul hast pitied my miseries sustained my infirmities relieved and instructed my ignorances and though I have broken thy righteous Lawes and Commandements run passionately after vanities and was in love with Death and was dead in sin and was exposed to thousands of temptations and fell foully and continued in it and lov'd to have it so and hated to be reformed yet thou didst call me with the checks of conscience with daily Sermons and precepts of holinesse with fear and shame with benefits and the admonitions of thy most holy Spirit by the counsel of my friends by the example of good persons with holy books and thousands of excellent arts and wouldest not suffer me to perish in my folly but didst force me to attend to thy gracious calling and hast put me into a state of repentance and possibilities of pardon being infinitely desirous I should live and recover and make use of thy grace and partake
prayer of preparation or addresse to the holy Sacrament An act of Love O most gracious and eternal God the helper of the helplesse the comforter of the comfortlesse the hope of the afflicted the bread of the hungry the drink of the thirsty and the Saviour of all them that wait upon thee I blesse and glorifie thy Name and adore thy goodnesse and delight in thy love that thou hast once more giveâ— me the opportunity of receiving the greatest favour which I can receive in this World even the body and blood of my dearest Saviour O take from me all affection to sin or vanity let not mâ— affections dwell below but soar upwards to the element of love to the seat of God to â—he Regions of Glory and the inheritance of â—esus that I may hunger and thirst for the bread of life and the wine of â—lect soules and may know no loves but the love of God and the most merciful Jesus Amen An act of Desire O blessed Jesus thou hast used many arts to save mee thou hast given thy life to redeem me thy holy Spirit to sanctifie me thy self for my example thy Word for my Rule thy grace for my guide the fruit of thy body hanging on the tree of the crosse for the sin of my soul and after all this thou hast sent thy Apostles and Ministers of salvation to call me to importune me to constraine me to holinesse and peace and felicity O now come Lord â—esus come quickly my heart is desirous of thy presence and thirsty of thy grace and would fain entertain thee not as a guest but as an inhabitant as the Lord of all my faculties Enter in and take possession and dwell with me for ever that I also may dwell in the heart of my dearest Lord which was opened for me with a spear and love An act of contrition Lord thou shalt finde my heart full of cares and worldly desires cheated with love of riches and neglect of holy things proud unmortified false and crafty to deceive it self intricated and intangled with difficult cases of conscience with knots which my own wildnesse and inconsideration and impatience have tied and shuffled together O my dearest Lord if thou canst behold such an impure seat behold the place to which thou art invited is full of passion and prejudice evil principles and evil habits peevish and disobedient lustful and intemperate and full of sad remembrances that I have often provoked to jealousie and to anger thee my God my dearest Saviour him that dyed for me him that suffered torments sor me that is infinitely good to me and infinitely good and perfect in himself This O dearest Saviour is a sad truâ—h and I am heartily ashamed and truly sorrowful for it and do deeply hate all my fins and am full of indignation against my self for so unworthy so carelesse so continued so great a folly and humbly beg of thee to increase my sorrow and my care and my hatâ—ed against sin and make my love to thee swell up to a great grace and then to glory and immensity An act of Faith This indeed is my condition But I know O blessed Jesus that thou didst take upon thee my nature that thou mightest suffer for my sins and thou didst suffer to deliver me from them and from thy Fathers wrath and I was delivered from this wrath that I might serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all my dayes Lord I am as sure thou didst the great work of Redemption for me and all mankinde as that I am alive This is my hope the strength of my spirit my joy my confidence and do thou never let the spirit of unbelief enter into me and take me from this Rock Here I will dwell for I have a delight therein Here I will live and here I desire to dye The Petition Therefore O blessed Jesu who art my Saviour and my God whose body is my food and thy righteousnesse is my robe thou art the Priest and the Sacrifice the Master of the feast and the Feast it self the Physician of my soul the light of my eyes the purifier of my stains enter into my heart and cast out from thence all impurities all the remains of the Old man and grant I may partake of this holy Sacrament with much reverence and holy relish and great effect receiving hence the communication of thy holy body and blood for the establishment of an unreproveable faith of an unfained love for the fulnesse of wisdom for the healing my soul for the blessing and preservation of my body for the taking out the sting of temporal death and for the assurance of a holy resurrection for the ejection of all evil from within me and the fulfilling all thy righteous Commandements and to procure for me a mercy and a fair reception at the day of judgement through thy mercies O holy and ever blessed Saviour Jesus Amen Here also may be added the prayer after receiving the cup. * Ejaculations to be said before or at the receiving the holy Sacrament Like as the Hart desireth the water-brooks so longeth my soul after thee O God My soul is athirst for God yea even for the living God when shall I come before the presence of God O Lord my God great are thy wondrous works which thou hast done like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward and yet there is no man that ordereth them unto thee O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy dwelling And that I may go unto the Altar of God even unto the God of my joy and gladnesse and with my heart will I give thanks to thee O God my God I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord so will I go to thine altar that I may shew the voice of thanksgiving tell of all thy wondrous works Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart For thy loving kindnesse is now and ever before my eyes and I will walk in thy truth Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me thou hast anointed my head with oil and my cup shall be full But thy loving kindnesse and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever This is the bread that cometh down from Heaven that a man may eat thereof and not dye Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and hath eternal life abiding in him I wil raise him up at the last day Lord whither shall we go but to thee thou hast the words of eternal life If any man thirst let him come unto me drink The bread which we break is it not the communication of the body of Christ and the cup which we drink is it not the communication of the blood of Christ What are those wounds
in thy hands They are those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends Zech. 13.6 Immediately before the receiving say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof But do thou speak the word onely and thy servant shall be healed Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hasâ—e to help me Come Lord Iesus come quickly After receiving the consecrated and blessed bread say O taste and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him * The beasts do lack and suffer hunger but they which seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good Lord what am I that my Saviour should become my food that the Son of God should be the meat of Wormes of dust and ashes of a sinner of him that was his enemy But this thou hast done to me because thou art infinitely good and wonderfully gracious and lovest to blesse every one of us in turning us from the evil of our wayes Enter into me blessed Jesus let no root of bitternesse spring up in my heart but be thou Lord of all my faculties O let me feed on thee by faith and grow up by the increase of God to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Amen Lord I believe help mine unbelief Glory be to God the Father Son c. After the receiving the cup of blessing It is finished Blessed be the mercies of God revealed to us in Jesus Christ. O blessed and eternal high Priest let the sacrifice of the Crosse which thou didst once offer for the sinnes of the whole World and which thou doest now and alwayes represent in Heaven to thy Father by thy never ceasing intercession and which this day hath been exhibited on thy holy Table Sacramentally obtain mercy and peace faith and charity safety and establishment to thy holy Church which thou hast founded upon a Rock the Rock of a holy Faith and let not the gates of Hell prevail against her nor the enemy of mankinde take any soul out of thy hand whom thou hast purchased with thy blood and sanctified by thy Spirit Preserve all thy people from Heresie and division of spirit from scandal and the spirit of delusion from sacriledge and hurtful persecutions Thou O blessed Jesus didst dye for us keep me for ever in holy living from sin and sinful shame in the communion of thy Church and thy Church in safety and grace in truth and peace unto thy second coming Amen Dearest Jesu since thou art pleased to enter into me O be jealous of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth suffer no unclean spirit or unholy thought to come near thy dwelling lest it defile the ground where thy holy feet have trod O teach me so to walk that I may never disrepute the honour of my Religion nor stain the holy Robe which thou hast now put upon my soul nor break my holy Vows which I have made and thou hast sealed nor lose my right of inheritance my priviledge of being coheir with Jesus into the hope of which I have now further entred but be thou pleased to love me with the love of a Father and a Brother and a Husband and a Lord and make me to serve thee in the communion of Saints in receiving the Sacrament in the practise of all holy vertues in the imitation of thy life and conformity to thy sufferings that I having now put on the Lord Jesus may marry his loves and his enmities may desire his glory may obey his laws and be united to his Spirit and in the day of the LORD I may be found having on the Wedding Garment and bearing in my body and soul the marks of the LORD JESUS that I may enter into the joy of my LORD and partake of his glories for ever and ever Amen Ejaculations to be used any time that day after the solemnity is ended Lord if I had lived innocently I could not have deserved to receive the crumbs that fall from thy Table How great is thy mercy who hast feasted me with the Bread of Virgins with the Wine of Angels with Manna from Heaven O when shall I passe from this dark glasse from this vail of Sacraments to the vision of thy eternal clarity from eating thy Body to beholding thy face in thy eternal Kingdom Let not my sins crucifie the Lord of life again Let it never be said concerning me the hand of him that betraieth me is with me on the Table O that I might love thee as well as ever any creature lov d thee Let me think nothing but thee desire nothing but thee enjoy nothing but thee O Jesus be a Jesus unto me Thou art all things unto me Let nothing ever please me but what favours of thee and thy miraculous sweetnesse Blessed be the mercies of our Lord who of God is made unto me Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Amen The End LONDON Printed by R. Norton MDCL 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian Epict. l. 1. c. 13. Ezekiel 16.49 Sâ—nec * â—ee Chap. 4. â—â—ct 6. S. Bern. de tripli ci custodia Laudatur Augustus Caesar apud Lucanum media inter praelia semper stellaâ—um caelique plagiâ— superisque vacabat Casâ—â—an Collâ—â— 24 c. â—1 Jerem. 48.10 Plutarch â—e Curioâ—t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rocop 2. Vandal 1 Cor. 7.5 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. Carm. 1 Cor. 1â— 31. Seneca â—ui furatur ut â—â—â—chetur moechus est tragis quam fur Arist. Eth. See Sect. 1. of this Chapt. Rule 18. Seneca Ep. 113. S. Chrys. l. 2. de compan cordis S. Greg. moral 8. cap. 25. S. â—ern lib. de praecept Publius Mimuâ—â—â— Jer. 23.24 Hebr. 4. â—3 Acts. 17.28 Lib 7. de Civit. â—â—p 3â— Mat. 18.20 Heb. 10.25 1 King 5 9. Psal. 138 â— 2 1 Cor. 3 16. 2 Cor. 6 16. S. Aug. de verbis Don. c. 3 Psâ—l 13â— 7. ◠〈…〉 de conâ—ol â—sa 26..12 Jâ—â—em â—1 15 Secâ—nd 〈◊〉 Edic â—n vitâ—â— S. 〈◊〉 Ezek. 9.9 Psal. 10. â—â— Rev. 11. â—7 â— 5.10.13 Revel â— â— 3 For the Chuâ—ch For the Glory For wife or husband For our children For Friends Benefaâ—tors For our family For al in misery Evening prayer Psal. 121 Psal. 4. 〈◊〉 2.11 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian c. 2. l. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epist. c. 34 1 Cor. 9.25 Apoc. 2.17 〈…〉 tum 〈…〉 desinant 〈◊〉 L. 3 〈◊〉 c. 12. Facâ—llus 〈…〉 qua◠〈…〉 86. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluptateâ— abâ—untes feâ—laâ— paenitentia plenas animis nostris natâ—â—a â—ubiâ—cit quo minus câ—pide repetantur Senec. Lâ—ta veniâ—e Venâ—s trisâ—is abire so â—et 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foâ—lix initium prior aetas contenta dâ—lcibus arvis Facileque seâ—a solebat jejunia solvere glande â—oeth l. 1. de consol Arbuteos â—erus montanaque fragâ—a legeâ—