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A
CHOICE
MANUAL,
Containing
What is to be Believed, Practised,
and Desired or Prayed for; the Prayers
being fitted to the several Days of the
Week.
ALSO FESTIVAL HYMNS, According to the Manner of the ANCIENT CHURCH.
Composed for the use of the Devout, especially
of younger Persons,
By Jeremy Taylor, D. D.
LONDON,
Printed, by J. Grover, for R. Royston,
Bookseller to his most Sacred
Majesty. 1677.
The Eleventh Edition.
Believed, Practised,
and Desired or Prayed for; the Prayers
being fitted to the several Days of the
Week.
ALSO FESTIVAL HYMNS, According to the Manner of the ANCIENT CHURCH.
Composed for the use of the Devout, especially
of younger Persons,
By Jeremy Taylor, D. D.
LONDON,
Printed, by J. Grover, for R. Royston,
Bookseller to his most Sacred
Majesty. 1677.
IN this sad declension of Religion, the
Seers, who are appointed to be the WatchIncertis de salute de
gloria minime certandum. For since they
who have seen Jerusalem in prosperity, and
have forgotten the order of the Morning and
Evening Sacrifice, and the beauty of the
Temple will be tempted to neglect so excelIsrael after the manner of their fore-fathers,
till it shall please God that Religion shall
return into the Land, and dwell safely, and
grow prosperously,
But never did the excellency of Episcopal
Government apppear so demonstratively and
conspicuously as now: Under their conduct
and order we had a Church so united, so
orderly, so govern'd, a Religion so setled,
Articles so true, sufficient, and confess'd CaJesus Christ in some, who
dare transgress an Institution and OrdiTruth, and knew no hopes
but by setting their faces against us to deBalaam the Son of Bosor was sent for, to
curse the People of the Lord, in hope that
the son of Zippor might prevail against
them that had long prospered under the ConMoses and Aaron.
But now instead of this excellency of Con
But when men have try'd all that they can,
it is to be supposed they will return to the
excellency and advantages of the Christian
Religion, as it is taught by the Church of
England; for by destroying it no end can be
serv'd but of Sin and Folly, Faction and
Death eternal. For besides that no Church,
that is enemy to this, does worship God in
that truth of Propositions, in that unblameEngland does; besides this (I
say) it cannot be persecuted by any Gover
And certainly for a Prince to persecute
the Protestant Religion, is as if a
Physician should endeavour to destroy all
Medicaments, and Fathers kill their Sons,
and the Master of Ceremonies destroy all
Formalities and Courtships, and as if the
Pope should root out all the Ecclesiastick
State. Nothing so combines with GovernEngland,
because nothing does more adhere to the
Word of God, and disregard the crafty
advantages of the World. If any man
shall not decline to try his Title by the
Word of God, it is certain there is not in
In the mean time we must by all means
secure the founndation, and take care that
Religion may be conveyed in all its mate
There is therefore in the following pages
a Compendium of what we are to Believe,
what to do, and what to Desire.
It is indeed very little; but it is enough
Holy Lesson,
than in all the disputes of impertinent
people, who take more pains to prove there
is a Purgatory, than to perswade men to
avoid Hell: And that a plain Catechism
can more instruct a Soul, than the whole
day's prate which some daily spit forth,
to bid them get Christ, and persecute his
Servants.
Christian Religion is admirable for its
wisdom, for its simplicity; and he that
presents the following Papers to thee, de
But do thou pray for him that desires this to thee, and endeavours it,
IN what does true Religion consist?
In the knowledge
of the one true God,and,
and in
the worshipping and serving them.
What doest thou believe con
1. That there is is a God:
What other Mystery is re
That God being one in
Nature, is also three in Person; exand Holy Spirit.]The Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ. ]The son, and the Word of the Father.]The Spirit and promise of the Father.]Three and One
after a secret manner,
What is this God to us?
He is our Creator and Fa
Wherefore did God create and make us?
That we might do him
honour and service,
How did God make man?
By the Power of his word
out of the slime of the Earth,
Was man good or bad when God made him?
Man was made pure and
innocent.
How then did man become sinful and miserable?
By listening to the whis
What evils and chages followed this Sin,
Adam, who was the first
man and the first sinner,
Was man left in these evils without Remedy?
No;
How did God perform the promise?
By sending Jesus Christ
to take upon him our nature,
Who is Jesus Christ?
He is the Son of God,
How then could he be our
Redeemer,
The Son of God in the
fulness of time, by the miracles of
his Mercy,God and Man.
Jesus Christ;
and his Mother's name was Mary
of the seed of Abraham, Mat. 1. 21.
of the faDavid.
Augustus Caesar
was Lord of the Roman Empire.
How did Jesus Christ work this promised Redemption for us?
By his holy and humble
life,
What benefits do we receive by the life and death of Jesus Christ?
We are instructed by his
Doctrine,
What Promises hath Jesus Christ made us in the Gospel?
He hath promised to give
us all that we need in this life;
How is Jesus Christ able to do all this for us?
When he had suffered
death,
By what means doth Jesus
Christ our Lord convey all these Bles
Jesus Christ had three
Offices,Mediator between God and man;
What was his Office as he was a Phophet?
This Office he finished on
earth;
When began his Priestly Office? and wherein does it consist?
It began at his death;
Did his Priestly Office then cease?
No: He is a Priest for
ever,
What doth Christ in Hea
That our sins may be par
How is Jesus Christ also our King?
When he arose from his
grave, and had for forty days togeshewing himself alive by many infallible
tokens,
How long must his King
Till Christ hath brought
all his enemies under his feet,
How is Christ a Mediator in all these Offices.
A Mediator signifies one
that stands between God and us. As
Christ is a Prophet,
Priest, he is our
Redeemer,
Advocate, pleading for us, and
mediating our Pardon and SalvaKing, so he is our
Lord, our Patron, and our Judge;
yet it is the Kingdom of a Mediator,Covenant between God and us of
an everlasting interest.
What is the Covenant which Jusus Christ our Mediator hath made between God and us?
That God will write his
Laws in our hearts,
To what Conditions hath he bound us on our parts.
Faith and Repentance.
When do we enter into this Covenant?
In our Baptism, and at
our ripe years, when we understand
the secrets of the kingdom of Christ,
What is the Covenant of
Faith which we enter into in Bap
We promise to believe
that Jesus Christ is the Messias,
Lord's Christ;
That he is the Son of God, and
the Son of the Virgin Mary;
That he is God incarnate,manifested in the flesh;
What is the Covenant of Repentance?
We promise to leave all
our sins,
How if we fail of this
Promise through infirmity, and com
Still we are within the
Covenant of Repentance,
What Ministeries hath Christ appointed to help us in this duty?
The Ministery of the
Word and Secraments,
What is a Sacrament?
An outward Ceremony or
How many Sacraments are ordained by Christ?
Two:
What is Baptism?
An outward
washing of the Body in
Water,
VVhat is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper?
A ceremony of eating
Bread and drinking Wine,
What benefits are done un
Our Souls are nourished
by the Body and Blood of Christ,
Who are fit to receive this Sacrament?
None but baptized Chri
What other Ministeries hath Christ ordained in his Church to help us, and to bring so many great purposes to pass?
Jesus Christ hath appoin
What are we tied to per
To pay them honour and
maintenance,
Which are the Command
They are many, but easy;
holy, but very pleasant to all good
minds, to such as desire to live well
in this world and in the world to
come:Matthew.
I Believe in God,
I Believe that there is a God, who
is one, true, supreme and alone,
The Father Almighty,
I believe that he is (1.)Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
(2.)
Father,
Almighty, he is able to per
Maker of Heaven & Earth.
He made the Sun and the Moon
the Stars,
And in Jesus Christ,
I also believe in Jesus Christ,anointed
with the Holy Spirit and with power,
to become the Great Prophet, and
declarer of his Father's Will to all
the world; telling us how God will
be worshipped and served: he is
anointed to be the Mediator of the
New Covenant,HighPriest,
reconciling us to his Father
by the Sacrifice of himself; and to
be the Great King of all the world.Christians,
Jesus Christ.
His only Son.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God,Virgin;
the express Image of his person, Phil. 2.6. the
brightness of his glory,
beloved before the beginning of the
world,
very God by essence, and very Man,
by assumption: as God, all one in
nature with the Father, and as Man,
one Person in himself.
Our Lord;
Jesus Christ, God's only Son,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
I believe that Jesus Christ was
not begotten of a Man, nor born by
natural means,Jesus in her womb; and by this his
admirable manner of being concei
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Though God was his Father,David, and called the Son of Man;
his Mother being a holy person, not
chosen to this great honour for her
wealth or beauty, but by the good
will of God, and because she was of
rare exemplar modesty and humili
Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
After that Jesus passed through
the state of Infancy and Childhood,
being subject to his Parents,of Eternal life,
Resurrection of the Dead,
Regeneration,
Renewing by the Holy,
Spirit, perfect Remission of sins,
and Eternal Judgment; at last,
that he might reconcile the world
to his Father, he became a Sacrifice
for all our sins, and suffered himPontius Pilate was Governour of
Judea.
Was crucified.
Jesus Christ being taken by the
Rulers of the Jews, bound and deMessias, and desit on the right hand of the
Majesty on high, they resolved to
call it Blasphemy, and delivered him
over to Pilate, and by importunity
and threats forced him, against his
Conscience, to give him up to be
scourged, and then to be Cruci
Dead,
When the Holy Jesus was weariJesus commending his
Spirit into the hands of his Father,
cried with a loud voice,our merciful
High-Priest, and by a feeling
of our miseries and temptations, beable to help them that are tempted;
And Buried.
That he might suffer every thing
of humane nature,Pilate, taken from
the Cross, and embalmed, (as the
manner of the Jews was to bury)
and wrapp'd linnen, and buried in
a new grave hewn out of a Rock.
And this was the last and lowest
step of his Humiliation.
He descended into Hell.
That is He went down into the
lower parts of the earth,
The third day he rose again from the Dead.
After our Lord Jesus
put to death in the
flesh,
being quickned in
the Spirit, he lives for ever.
Adam, so in
Christ we all shall be made alive;
but every man in his own order:
Christ is the first; and we, if we
follow him in the Regeneration,
shall also follow him in the Resur
He ascended into Heaven,
When our dearest Lord was risen
from the Grave,
And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
I believe that Jesus Christ sitteth
in Heaven above all Principalities
and Powers,Tabernacle which
God made, Heb. 12. 2. and not man, the Author
and Finisher of our Faith, the Captain
of our Confession, the great Apothe Great Bishop
of our Souls, the Head of the Church,
and the Lord of Heaven and Earth.
And therefore to him we are to pay
Dvino Worship,Jesus Christ.
From thence he shall come
In the Clouds shining, and a
To Judge the Quick and the Dead.
For the Father judgeth no man,
but hath given all judgment to his
Son. Joh. 5. 22, 23. 1 Thes. 4. 16, 17.
And at this day of Judgment
the Lord Jesus shall sit in the Air in
a glorious Throne;Redeemed ones: and
then the righteous Judge shall con
I believe in the Holy Ghost [or] the Holy Spirit.
Who is the third Person of the
holy, undivided, ever-blessed TriSpirit proceeds from the Father,
Jesus received
him from his Father, and sent him
into the world; who receiving the
things of Christ and declaring the
same excellent Doctrines, speaks
whatsoever he hath heard from him;
and instructed the Apostles, and
builds the Church;Jesus and the Gospel.
And all these things God the Father
does for us by his Son, and the Son
by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy
Spirit by all means within and withtestifies to our Spirits that we are
the Sons of God, and that makes us
to cry, Abba, Father; that is, who
inspires into us such humble confiPromise of the Father, Luke 24.49. & 4.18.
and it is the
gift of God, Acts 2. 33, 38.
which he will give to
all them that ask him, and who live
piously and chastly, and are perwho obey his Motions, Eph. 4. 7, 30.
and love his
presence,grieve the Holy
Spirit shall loose that which they
have;extinguish
him belong not to Christ, but are
in the state of reprobation; and
they that blaspheme this holy Spirit,Jesus.
The holy Catholick Church.
I believe that there is and ought
to be a visible company of men proJesus Christ, and in confession of
the Articles of this Creed, and agree
together in praying and praising
God through Jesus Christ,
Holy Church, 1 Cor.14. 26,&c. Spiritual,
and not Civil and Secular,
but sanctified by their Profession,
and the solemn Rites of it, professing
holiness,Church is Catholick;
that is,Catholick and a Christian,
Catholick Church
I believe, that is, I believe what
The Communion of Saints,
That is, the Communion of all
Christians; because by reason of
Saints in Scripture,Jesus Christ,
they are separated from the world,
called to the knowledge of the
Truth, justified before God, and inSaints in their bemake their calling and
election sure, lest they be Saints oneSaints,
Faith, and in their Hope, and in their Sacraments,
and in their Prayers, and
in their Publick Assemblies,
Government: and must do to
them all the acts of Charity and muJesus Christ, there is no Salinward things
always and in all persons,outward acts always,
The Forgiveness of sins.
I believe that all the sins I comFaith and Repentance,
Righteousness of Works,
Righteousness of Faith:
and we are preserved in the state of
forgiveness or justification by the
fruits of a lively Faith,
The Resurrection of the Body.
I believe that at the last day all
they whose sins are forgiven, and who
lived and died in the Communion of
Saints, and in whom the Holy Spirit
did dwell,
And the Life everlasting.
I believe that they who have
their part in this Resurrection shall
meet the Lord in the Air,love without dissimulation,
excellency without envy,
multitudes without confusion, muAmen.
Tertull. de velandis Virgin.
Regula quidem fidei
The Rule of Faith is wholly one,
unalterable, never to be mended,
never changed; to wit, I believe
in God, &c, This Law of Faith re
S. Aug. de Fide & Symb.
Haec est Fides, quae paucis verbis
tenenda in Symbolo Novellis da
This is the Faith which in few
words is given to Novices. These
Max. Taurin. de Tradit. Symb.
Symbolum tessera est & signaculum,
quo inter fideles Perfidosque
secernitur.
This Creed is the Badge or Cog
Hujus Catholici Symboli brevis
& perfecta Confessio, quae duodecim
Apostolorum totidem est signata sen
Leo M. ad Pulcheriam
Aug.
This short and perfect Confession
of this Catholick Creed, which was
consigned by the Sentences of
twelve Apostles, is so perfect a ce
8. In your dressing, let there be eja
For Religion must not onely be the
garment of your Soul, to invest it all o
22. Towards the declining of the day,
be sure to retire to your private devotith and 9th Psalms, and
sometimes the 104th, with proper ColRule of Holy Living, pag. 378.
in the manner as is there directed, or
some other of your own chusing.
On Friday recollect your sins that
you have done that week, and all your
life-time and let your devotion be to
Rule of Holy Living,
pag. 373.
On Saturday at the serne time, mediRule of Holy Living, pag.
391. in all your devotions begin and
end with the Lord's Prayer.
Upon these two days and Sunday you
may chuse some partions out of The Life
of Christ, to read and help your medi
32. Confess your sins often, hear the
Word of God, make Religion the busi
Thou shalt always rejoyce in the Evening, if thou dost spend the day vertuously.
Prayer and Obedience;
by Love and Patience.
one
lust, than to have known all mysteries.
within, nothing can
hurt us from without: for from inordi
indignation
and contention and envy.
do amiss, then may these also
speak amiss. Man is frail and prone to evil,
and therefore may soon fail in words.
sometimes be
contradicted and ill thought of, and that
we always bear it well, even when we
deserve to be well spoken of. Perfect
peace and security cannot be had in this
world.
counsels and perfections, and the
extraordinaries of Religion, as you see
cause.
how or
what he suffers, so he suffer well, and be
the friend of Christ; nor where nor
when he prays, so he may do it frequently,
fervently and acceptably.
Jesus; for nothing
patiently,
injuries charitably, the labour of
Religion comfortably, and censuring
words and detractions with meekness
and quietness.
Jesus, and conTake
up my Cross and follow me, it is a harder
saying, Go ye Cursed into everlasting
fire.
that, this will return. Any man
would serve God, if he felt pleasure in it
always; but the vertuous does it when
his Soul is full of heaviness, and regards
not himself, but God, and hates that con
can and do,
and love to do it.
MErciful and Gracious, thou gaJesus: Thou hast given
us the portion and the food of Sons; O
make us to do the Duty of Sons, that we
may never loose our title to so glorious
an inheritance.
Let this excellent Name and Title, by
which thou hast vouchsafed to relate to
us, be our Glory and our Confidence,
our Defence and Guard, our Ornament
and Strength, our dignity, and the en
Unite every member of the Church to
thee in holy bands: Let there be no
more names of Division, nor Titles and
Ensigns of Errour and Partiality: Let
not us who are Brethren contend, but in
giving honor to each other and glory to
thee, contending earnestly for the Faith,
but not to the breach of Charity, nor the
denying each others Hope. But grant
that we may all join in the promotion
of the honour of thee our Father, in celeAbba, Father.
Heaven is thy Throne, the Earth
thy Footstool. From thy throne thou beHeaven,
and thou sittest in thy own Essential
Happiness and Tranquillity, immovable
and Eternal. That is our Country, and
thither thy Servants are travelling;
there is our Father, and that is our in
Thy Name, O God, is glorious, and
in thy Name is our hope and confiAccording to thy Name, so is
thy praise unto the World's end. They that
love thy Name shall be joyful in thee; for
thy Name which thou madest to be proThe Lord,
the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abundant in goodness and
truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity, and transgression, and sin,
and that will by no means clear the guilty.
In this glorious Name we worship
thee, O Lord; and all they that know
thy Name will put their trust in thee. The
desire of our Soul is to thy Name, and to
the remembrance of thee. Thou art worwe
hope in thy Name, and thy Saints like it
well: for thy Name is praised unto the
end of the World; it is believed by
Faith, relied upon by a holy Hope, and
loved by a great Charity. All thy Church
celebrates thee with praises, and offers
to thy Name the Sacrifices of Prayers
and Thanksgiving.
Thou, O God, didst frame our NaChristians. O let us never dishonour
so excellent a Title, nor by unworthy
usages prophane thy holy Name, but for
ever glorifie it. Let our Life be answerthat men seeing our
good works, may glorifie thee our Father
which art in Heaven.
Thou reignest in Heaven and Earth:
O do thou rule also in our hearts, adJesus, conformthy Spirit of Grace; subdue every lust
and inordinate appetite, trample upon
our pride, mortifie all rebellion within
us, and let all thine and our enemies be
sin may never
reign in our mortal Bodies; but that
Christ may reign in our Understanding
by Faith, in the Will, by Charity, in the
Passions by Mortifications, in all the Memart all
in all.
Thy Will, O God is the measure of
holiness and peace; thy Providence the
great disposer of all things, tying all ewhatsoever thou
saiest is true, and whatsoever thou doest is
good. Grant we may submit our wills to
theirs cannot be
more; that as they in Heaven, so we on
Earth May obey thy will promptly, chearfully,
zealously, and with all our faculthere, so all
the world here may serve thee with
peace and concord, purity and love un
Grant that we may quit all our own
affections, and suspect our reasonings,
and go out of our selves, and all our own
confidences; that thou being to us all
things, disposing all events, and guide
Thou, O God, which takest care of
our Souls, do not despise our Bodies
which thou hast made and sanctified, and
designed to be glorious. But now we are
exposed to hunger and thirst, nakedness
and weariness, want and inconvenience,
Give unno us neither poverty nor riches,
but feed us with food convenient for us,
and cloth us with fitting provisions,
according to that state and condition
wherein thou hast placed thy Servants:
that we may not be tempted with want,
nor made contemptible by beggery, nor
wanton or proud by riches, nor in love
with any thing in this World; but that
we may use it as strangers and pilgrims,
as the relief of our needs, the support of
our infirmities, and the oil of our lamps,
feeding us till we are quite spent in thy
service. Lord, take from thy Servants
sad carefulness and all distrust, and give
us only such a proportion af temporal
things as may inable us with comfort to
do our duty.
O dear God, unless thou art pleased
to pardon us, in vain it is that we should
live here, and what good will our life
do us? O look upon us with much merJ
and under his cover we plead our cause,
not that thou shouldst judge our sins,
but give us pardon, and blot out all our
iniquities, that we may never enter into
the horrible regions where there are
torments without ceasing, a prison
without ransom, reproaches without
comfort, anguish without patience,
darkness without light, a worm that never
dies, and the fire that never goeth
out.
Jesus; lest our prayer be turned
into sin, and thy Grace be recalled, and
thou enter into a final anger against thy
Servants.
Gracious Father, we are weak and
ignorant, our affections betray us, and
make us willing to die; our adversary
the Devil goeth up and down, seeking
whom he may devour, he is busie and
crafty, malicious and powerful, watch
From sin and shame, from the malice and fraud of the Devil, and from the falseness and greediness of men, from all thy wrath, and from all our impurities, good Lord deliver thy Servants.
Do not reserve any thing of thy wrath
in store for us; but let our sins be parthat evil, and for ever deliver us
from the power of the evil one, the great
enemy of mankind; and never let our
portion be in that Region of Darkness in
that everlasting burning which thou hast
prepared for the Devil and his Angels for
ever.
So shall we thy Servants advance the Mightiness of thy Kingdom, the Power of thy Majesty, and the Glory of thy Mercy, from generation to generation for ever.
O God the Father of Mercies, the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
have mercy upon thy Servants,
and hear the prayers of us miserable
sinners.
O Blessed Jesus, the Fountain of
Peace and Pardon, our Wisdom and
our Righteousness, our Sanctification and
Redemption, have mercy upon thy Ser
O Holy and Divinest Spirit of the Fa
REmember not, Lord, the follies of our childhood, nor the lusts of our youth, the wildness of our head, nor the wandrings of our heart; the infinite sins of our tongue, and the inexcusable errours of the days of vanity.
Lord, have mercy upon us poor miserable sinners.
Remember not, O Lord, the growing
iniquities of our elder age, the pride of
our spirit, the abuse of our members, the
greediness of our purposes, the peevish
Lord, have mercy, &c.
Remember not, O Lord, how we have
been full of envy and malice, anger and
revenge; fierce and earnest in the pur
Lord, have mercy, &c.
Lord, have mercy, &c.
Remember not, O Lord, how often
we have omitted the several parts and
actions of our duty; for our sins of
Omission are infinite, and we have not
sought after the Righteousness of God,
but have rested in carelesness and for
Lord, have mercy, &c.
O most gracious Lord, enter not into
judgment with thy servants, lest we be
consumed in thy wrath and just displea
Good Lord, deliver us, and preserve
thy servants for ever.
FRom gross ignorance and stupid neg
Good Lord, deliver and preserve thy servants for ever.
From a covetous mind and greedy
desires, from lustful thoughts and a wan
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From improvidence and prodigality,
from envy and the spirit of slander, from
idleness and sensuality, from presumpti
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From fierceness of rage and hastiness
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From a schismatical and heretical spi
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From fornication and adultery, from
unnatural desires and unnatural hatreds,
from gluttony and drunkenness, from
loving and believing lyes, and taking
pleasure in the remembrances of evil
things, from delighting in our Neigh
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From impudence and shame, from
contempt and scorn, from oppression and
cruelty, from a pitiless and unrelenting
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From famine and pestilence, from
noisome and infectious deseases, from
sharp and intolerable pains, from impa
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From banishment and prison, from
widowhood and want, from violence of
pains and passions, from tempests and
earthquakes, from the rage of fire and
water, from Rebellion and Treason, from
fretfulness and inordinate cares, from
murmuring against God and disobedi
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From delaying our rep
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From Thunder and lightning, from
phantasms. Spectres and illusions of the
night, from sudden and great Changes,
from the snares of wealth and the con
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From condemning others and justify
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From excess in speaking and peevish
silence, from looser laughing and immo
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From cursing and swearing, from un
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From the want of a Spiritual Guide,
from a famine of the Word and Sacra
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From drowning or being burnt alive,
from sleepless nights and contentious
days, from a melancholick and a confu
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From relying upon vain fancies and
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From hypocrisie and wilfulness, from
self-love and vain ambition, from curio
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
HEar our Prayer, O Lord, and consider our desire, hearken unto us for thy truth and righteousness sake: O hide not thy face from us, neither cast away thy servants in displeasure.
Give unto us the spirit of Prayer, fre
Hear our Prayers, O Lord, and consider our desire.
Give unto us true humility, a meek
and a quiet spirit, a loving and a friend
Hear our Prayers, &c
Give us a prudent and a sober, a just
and a sincere, a temperate and a religi
Hear our Prayers, &c
Grant us to be thankful to our Bene
factors, righteous in performing promi
Hear our Prayers, &c.
Hear our Prayers, &c.
Give to thy servants a watchful and
an observing Spirit, diligent in doing our
duty, inflexible to evil, obedient to thy
word, inquisitive after thy will, pure and
holy thoughts, strong and religious pur
Hear our Prayers, &c.
O teach us to despise all vanity, to fight the battels of the Lord manfully against the Flesh, the World and the Devil, to spend our time religiously and usefully, to speak gracious words, to walk always as in thy presence, to preserve our Souls and bodies in holiness, fit for the habitation of the holy Spirit of God.
Hear our Prayers, &c.
Hear our Prayers, &c.
Give us a healthful body and a clear
understanding, the love of our neigh
Hear our Prayers, &c.
Give us Spiritual Wisdom, that we
may discern what is pleasing to thee, and
follow what belongs unto our peace;
and let the knowledge and love of God,
and of Jesus Christ our Lord, be our
guide and our portion all our days.
Hear our Prayers, &c.
Give unto us holy dispositions, and
an active industry in thy service, to re
Hear our Prayers, &c.
Our Father, &c.
For all states of Men and Women, especially in the Christian Church.
O Blessed God, in mercy remember
thine inheritance, and forget not the
congregation of the poor for ever; pity
poor mankind, whose portion is misery
and folly, shame and death. But thou
art our Redeemer, and the lifter up of
our head, and under the shadow of thy
Have mercy upon us, O God, and hid not thy self from our Petition.
Preserve, O God, the Catholick
Church in holiness and truth, in unity
and peace, free from persecution, or
glorious under it; that she may for ever
advance the honour of our Lord Jesus,
for ever represent his Sacrifice, and glo
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give the spirit of Government and
Holiness to all Christian Kings, Princes
and Governours: grant that their peoJesus.
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Jesus.
Have mercy npon us, &c.
Give to our Relatives [our Wives and
Children, our Friends and Benefactors,
our Charges, our Family, &c.] pardon
and support, comfort in all their sor
Have mercy upon us,&c.
Give to all Christian Kingdoms and
Commonwealths peace and plenty,
health and holy Religion; to all Fami
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give to all married persons faith and
love, charitable and wise compliances,
sweetness of society and innocence of
conversation; to all Virgins and Wi
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Be thou a star and a guide to them that
travel by land or sea, the confidence and
comfort of them that are in storms and
shipwrecks, the strength of them that
toil in the Mines and row in the Gallies,
an instructer to the ignorant; to them
that are condemned to die be thou a
guide unto death: give chearfulness to
every sad heart, spiritual strength and
proportionable comfort to them that are
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give unto our enemies grace and parJesus, and a participation of all the
Promises of the Gospel, all the benefits
of his Passion; to all Hereticks give huJesus.
Have mercy, &c.
Give to all Merchants faithfulness
and truth; to the labouring husbandJesus Christ,
Amen.
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the Love of God, and the Communica
O Almighty God Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the God of mercy
and comfort, with reverence and fear,
with humble confidence and strong desorrowful and repenting:
Thou art justly offended at me, but yet
thou art my Lord and my Father, merciful
and gracious. Be pleased to blot all
my sins out of thy remembrance, and
heal my Soul that I may never any more
sin against thee. Lord, open my eyes,
that I may see my own infirmities, and
watch against them; and my own follies,
that I may amend them; and be pleased
to give me perfect understanding in the
way of godliness, that I may walk in it
all the days of my pilgrimage. Give me
a spirit diligent in the works of my calJesus.
BLessed by thy Name, O God, and
blessed be thy Mercies, who hast preidleness
or folly, by evil company or private sins,
by word or deed, by thought or desire;
and let the imployment of my day leave
no sorrow or the remembrance of an evil
conscience at night; but let it be holy
and profitable, blessed and always innJesus Christ: in whose
name, and in whose words in behalf of
my self, and all my friends, and all thy
Servants, I humbly and heartily pray,
Our Father, &c.
ETernal God, Almighty Father of
Men and Angels, by whose care
and providence I am preserved and
blessed, comforted and assisted, I humbly
beg of thee to pardon the sins and follies
of this day, the weaknesses of my serviJesus, that I may lie in thy boAmen.
Our Father, &c.
OEternal God, merciful and glorious,
thou art exalted far above all heaWhat art thou, O Lord? The
great God of Heaven and Earth, the
Fountain of Holiness and Perfection inBut what am I? So ignorant, that
I know not what; so poor, that I have
nothing of my own; so miserable, that
I am the heir of sorrow and death; and
so sinful, that I am encompassed with
shame and grief.
AND yet, O my God, I am proud;
proud of my shame, glorying in
my sin, boasting my infirmities; for this
is all that I have of my own, save only
that I have multiplied my miseries by
vile actions, every day dishonouring the
THou, O God, who givest grace to the
humble, do something also for the
proud man; make me humble and
obedient. Take from me the spirit of
pride and hautiness, ambition and self
O Teach me to love to be concealed
and little esteem'd; let me be
truly humbled, and heartily ashamed of
my sin and folly: teach me to bear reproaches
evenly, for I have deserved
them; to refuse all honours done unto
me, because I have not deserved
them; to return all to thee, for it is
thine alone; to suffer reproof thankfulJesus;
and when I have humbly, patiently,
charitably and diligently served thee,
change this robe into the shining gar
IN the mean time use what means thou
pleasest to conform me to the image
of thy holy Son; that I may be gentle
to others, and severe to my self; that I
may sit down in the lowest place, striving
to go before my brother in nothing but
in doing him and the honour, staying for
Jesus Christ's sake,
who humbled himself to the death and
shame of the Cross, and is now exalted
unto glory: Unto him, with thee, O Fa
O Almighty God, eternal Treasure of
all good things, thou fillest all
things with plenteousness; Thou clothest
the lilies of the field, and fecdest the young
ravens that call upon thee: Thou art all
TEach me, O God, to despise the
world, to labour for the true richseek the Kingdom of Heaven
and its Righteousness, to be content with
what thou providest, to be in this world
like a stranger, with affections set upon
Heaven, labouring for and longing after
the possessions of thy Kingdom; but nethe blessedness of
doing good to others, and giving to them
that want, and the blessedness of receiving
from thee pardon and support, grace and
holiness, perseverance and glory, through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
O Eternal Purity, thou art brighter
than the Sun, purer than the An
REprove in me the spirit of Fornicaseek the things that
are above, hating the garments spotted
with the flesh, never any more grieving
the holy spirit by filthy inclinations, with
impure and phantastick thoughts; but
let my thoughts be holy, my Soul pure,
my body chast and healthful, my spirit
severe, devout and religious every day
more and more; that at the day of our
appearing I may be presented to God
washed and cleansed pure and spotless,
by the blood of the holy Lamb, through
Jesus Christ our Lord,
O Almighty Father of Men and Annot to make provision for the flesh, to fulfill
the lusts thereof. Let me not, as Esau,
prefer meat before a blessing; but sub
PArdon, O God, in whatsoever I have
offended thee by meat and drink and
pleasures; and never let my body any
more be oppressed with loads of sloth
and delicacies, or my Soul drowned in
Seas of wine or strong drink: but let
my appetites be changed into spiritual
desires, that I may hunger after the food
of Angels, and thirst for the wine of elect
Souls, and may account it meat and
drink and pleasure to do thy will, O God.
Lord, let me eat and drink so, that my
food may not become a temptation, or
a sin, or a disease; but grant that
with so much caution and prudence I
may watch over my appetite, that I may
in the strength of thy mercies and reJesus Christ, ever advancing his honour,
and being filled with his Spirit, that I
may at last partake of his glory, through
the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
O Most gracious Father, thou Spring
of an eternal Charity, who hast so
loved mankind, that thou didst open thy
bosom, and send thy holy Son to convey
thy mercies to us: and thou didst create
Angels and Men, that thou mightest
have objects to whom thou mightest
communicate thy goodness: Give me
grace to follow so glorious a precedent,
that I may never envy the prosperity of
any one, but rejoyce to honor him whom
thou honourest, to love him whom thou
lovest, to commend the vertuous, to dis
O Dear God, never suffer the Devil
to rub his vilest Leprosie of Envy
upon me; never let me have the affectiJesus Christ our Lord.
O Almighty Judge of Men and An
LOrd, let me be ever courteous, and
easie to be intreated; never let me
fall into a peevish or contentious spirit,
but follow peace with all men, offering
forgiveness, inviting them by courtesies,
ready to confess my own errours, apt to
make amends, and desirous to be reconJesus. Give me the
spirit of a Christian, charitable, humble,
merciful and meek, useful and liberal,
complying with every chance; angry at
nothing but my own sins, and grieving
for the sins of others: that while my
passion obeys my reason, and my reason
is religious, and my religion is pure and
undefiled, managed with humility, and
adorned with charity, I may escape thy
anger which I have deserved, and may
dwell in thy love, and be thy Son and
Servant for ever, through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
O My God, merciful and gracious,
my Soul groans under the loads of
its own infirmity, when my spirit is willing,
my flesh is weak, my understanding
foolish and imperfect, my will peevish &
listless, my affections wandering after
strange objects, my fancy wild and un
O Most glorious God, what greater
favour is there than that I may, and
what easier imployment can there be
than to pray to thee, to be admitted to
thy presence, and to represent our needs,
and that we have our needs supplied on
O Relieve my spirit with thy graciJesus Christ our Lord: To
whom, with the Father and the Holy
Ghost, be all honour and worship, all
service and thanks, all Glory and Do
O Most glorious God, and my most
indulgent Lord and gracious Father,
who dost bless us by thy bounty, pardon
us by thy mercy, support and guide us
by thy grace, and govern us sweetly by
thy providence; I give thee most hum
AND now, O Lord, since by thy
dispensation and over-ruling pro
LOrd, bless and preserve that dear
person whom thou hast chosen to
be my Husband: let his life be long and
blessed, comfortable and holy; and let
me also become a great blessing and
comfort unto him, a sharer in all his
joys, a refreshment in all his sorrows, a
meet helper for him in all accidents and
chances of the world. Make me amia
O Blessed Father, never suffer any
mistakes or discontent, any distrustJesus Christ our Lord.
O Eternal and Holy Jesus, who by
death hast overcome death, and by
Jesus may be deJesus.
Tertull.
LONDON,
Printed by J. Grover, for R. Royston, Book
AMong the so troublesome multiEnchiridion
may find more comfort, and
do thimselves and the Age more right,
than in that small harvest of reputation
their own voluminous labours could bring
in, which are now very fitly preferred
from the Closet to the more worthy mi
YOU are to consider the Ne
You are to remember, that there is a
great Measure of Discretion to be used
in the Performance of this: so that you
may neither omit it, when your own
heart may tell you that there is someWho can
tell how oft he offendeth?
That though it may not only seem,
but be impossible to you to recollect e
That though it be the Duty of every
day not to let the Sun go down upon
any Sin that you have committed, with
For the Manner of Ordering this Exa
THat besides this Examination of your
Conscience, (which may be done in
secret between God and your own Soul)
there is great use of Holy Confession:
which though it be not generally in all
Cases, and peremptorily commanded, as
if without it no Salvation could possibly
be had; yet you are advised by the
Church under whose discipline you live,
that before you are to receive the Holy
Sacrament, or when you are visited with
any dangerous sickness, if you find any
one particular sin or more that lies heavy
upon you, to disburthen your self of it
into the Bosom of your Confessor, who
not only stands between God and you
to pray for you, but hath the power of
You are to remember that you bring
along with you to Confession not only
unfeigned Sorrow and Remorse of Con
That having made choice of such a
Confessor who is every way qualified
that you may trust your Soul with him,
you are advised plainly and sincerely to
open your heart to him, and that laying
aside all consideration of any personal
weakness in him, you are to look upon
him only as he is a Trustee from God,
and commissioned by him as his Ministe
That the Manner of your Confession
be in an humble posture on your knees,
as being made to God rather than man:
and for the Matter of it, let it be severe
and serious; but yet so as it may be
without any inordinate Anxiety and un
That for the frequency of doing this,
you are to consult with your own neces
YOU are first to consider seriously
the Infinite love of your Saviour,
who not only offered himself for you as
a Sacrifice upon the Cross, but that this
might never be forgotten by you, left
the blessed memory of it in his holy Sa
That for the frequency of doing this
(if your own Conscience doth not speak
home to you) you refer your self to your
Spiritual Guide, who knowing the Tem
That three times in the year at least,
especially on those solemn Festivals ob
That as soon as you wake that Morn
As for the precedent days of Prepa
That upon the blessed day of your
Receiving you do more vigorously pre
That during the Celebration of this
Holy Sacrament you attend earnestly to
what is done by the Priest. When he
breaks the Bread, imagine to your self
that you see the Body of your dear Savi
That farther you are really to believe
the words as they are spoken, This is
my Body, This is my Blood; and not to
doubt, but that it is effectually made
good to you in the Receiving, without
any dispute at all, or scrupulous inqui
That the Celebration of these Holy
Mysteries being ended, you are to re
YOU are to consider Fasting either
as a Duty enjoined by the Church
or as a voluntary undertaking of your
own. Your Obedience is required to
the former in every particular as far as
it is enjoyned, unless the want of Health
or some other Accidents may unavoid
Besides the ordinary Fasts prescribed
by the Church, you are advised to set
aside some Day, either Weekly or (at
least) Monthly, wherein you may
mourn in private, not only for your
own sins and personal calamities, but
for those publick Judgments now fallen
on the whole Church and Nation, and
those crying sins which have occasioned
them; offering up your earnest prayers
to God for the removing of them, which,
when they come from a mortified Body
and a contrite Heart, are such a Sacri
That the Fast for the time designed
be such as may in some measure be af
That you imploy this Day (or such a
part of it (at least) as you may keep free
to your self) as a Retreat from the
world, the business and the pleasures
of it, that so you may with the more free
RIghteousness, O Lord, belongs unto thee; but unto me confusion of face, the vainest, the vilest, the sinfullest of all the children of men.
Lord, I am vile in mine own eyes, and I will be yet more vile, because my sins have made me vile in thine.
For thou hast said that no unclean
thing shall come within thy sight: and
how then shall I appear, who am so mi
If the Man according to thine own heart could say that he was a Worm, and no Man, O what am I?
If Abraham, who had the honour to
be called thy Friend, could say that he
was but Dust and Ashes, O what am I?
O my God, thou madest me of no
For I am still in my Sins, and what to do I know not.
But this I will do;
I Will confess my wickedness, and be sorry for my sins.
I will stand aloof with the Publican,
and smite my breast, and say, Lord, be
merciful to me a sinner.
I will return with the Prodigal, and
say, Father, I am not worthy to be cal
I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep,
nor mine eye-lids to slumber, till I have
by the mediation of thy dear Son ob
And what shall I say more? I will
pour out my prayers in the bitterness of
my Spirit; and if my dry Eyes want
Tears, I will call unto my Heart for
Tears of Blood, wherewith I may sup
WO, Wo unto me, O God, that being a Creature of thine, and made by thee capable of enjoying everlasting felicity, I have lived so wickedly and leudly, that, unless thy mercy prevent it, I shall utterly forfeit the very End of my Creation.
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am utterly ashamed of it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that I have
trifled away so many of my Youngest
days without knowing thee, or taking
any notice of those strict duties which I
did owe unto thee; that I was so long a
Child in all things, excepting Inno
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I Accuse, and Judge, and Condemn my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that as I
grew up, the seeds of Corruption which
I brought with me into the world grew
up along with me, and by insensible de
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am infinitely confounded at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that being
washed in the Waters of Baptism from
the guilt of that Original Corruption
which I brought with me into the
World, I have since that time so many
ways actually defiled my self, that I can
no longer pretend by any former con
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am utterly confounded at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo unto me, O God, that having been
received into the Bosom of thy Church,
(which so many millions of Souls have
not had the happiness to be) I have in
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I Accuse, and Judge, and Condemn my Self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that ha
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am confounded and astonished at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that being
obliged by that high calling of being a
Christian to renounce the Pomps and
Vanities of the World, I have so infi
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am ashamed and confounded at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that being farther bound by that most Solemn Vow, utterly to forsake the sinful Lusts of the Flesh, I have, instead of forsaking them pursued and hunted after them, and when other temptations have failed, have been apt enough to kindle my own Fire, and to be a Tempter to my self.
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I hate, and loath, and abhar my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that know
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I Accuse, and Judge, and Condemn my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that being
made according to thine Image, (the
greatest honour that could be done thy
Creature) I have dashed so many blurs
and spots and foul sins upon it, so defa
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am ashamed and confounded at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that ha
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I Accuse, and Judge, and Condemn my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that being endowed with Memory to serve as a Magazine to treasure up thy Precepts and holy Counsels in, I have stuft it so miserably full with the Idea's of former Vanities and Sin, that I have left no room for thee at all.
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I infinitely condemn my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that ha
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I hate, and loath, and abhor my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that my
wretched Heart being corrupted, my
Imagination hath run wildly after with
a swarm of vain and sinful Thoughts,
which like importunate Flies, being dri
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am infinitely troubled and grieved for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that mine
Eyes, being greedy after Vanity, have
been upon all occasions as open win
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am inwardly grieved and deplore my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O my God, that,
for the entertaining of vain conversati
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I Accuse, and Judge, and Condemn my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that I
have not resolved, with thy Servant
David, to take care of my ways, that I
offend not in my tongue, but have ma
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I do infinitely condemn my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that all
the parts and faculties of my Soul and
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am confounded and astonished at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo unto me, O God, that I have
wretchedly failed even in my best endea
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I Accuse, and Judge, and Condemn my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that I have not washed mine hands in Innocency, when I have gone unto thine Altar, nor made mine heart ready to receive the bread that came from Heaven, but have failed in my Preparations, and have not sufficiently considered either mine own unworthiness, or the high secrets of so great a Mystery.
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am grieved and troubled at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that ha
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am infinitely ashamed at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that my Repentance, the only plank left me in the Shipwrack of my Soul, hath been so weak, so slight, and so unsteady, that every small blast of a new Temptation hath been able to drive me from it, and by frequent Relapses into sin, gives me cause enough to repent, even of my vain repentance.
But I Repent again, O God, again I I Repent. I hate, and loath, and abhor my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that ha
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am confounded and astonished at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, wo unto me, O God, that be
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I hate, and loath, and abhor my self for it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me O God, that thy
Holy Spirit I have grieved, thy Coun
But I Repent, O my God, I Repent. I am utterly ashamed and confounded at it. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
Wo, Wo unto me, O God, that ha
But whatsoever they are, or whereso
I call the whole Court of Heaven to witness, That I do sadly Repent my self of them all; That I do abhor my self for them all; That I resolve stedfastly to renounce them all. Lord, be thou merciful to me a Sinner.
WHat shall I say more unto thee,
O thou that art the Judge of the
Hezekiah the blaspheming Letter of his
Enemy. I do not desire that there should
be so much as any fold, or pleight, or
corner of it hidden from thee.
Or if this be not enough to transact
this great business of my Soul between
me and thee alone, and that possibly I
may flatter my self in the several acts of
my intended Penitence, I am ready to
go farther, and (to make my self the
more ashamed of sinning) with all humi
O deal with me then as thou didst
with thy Servant David, who no sooner
confessed his sins,but thou forgavest him
all his iniquities.
But are there not they who confess
their sins, and have the impudence to
But, O my God, (if my heart deceive me not) I am none of those; for I can neither glory in my shame, nor can I be satisfied with my self when I appear with dry eyes before thee.
FOR I am grieved, O my God, I am grieved passionately, heartily grieved that ever I offended thee.
That I, the work of thy hands, have sinned against thee my Maker.
That I, the price of thy Blood, have
sinned against thee my Jesus, who hadst
so much love for me as to be content to die for me.
That I, the chosen Temple of thy
For this I grieve, and mourn, and my heart is wounded within me.
And having done all this, yet I have
not done; for still I am grieved: grie
Wo is me, wretch as I am, that I who have been so easie, so forward, so eager to sin, should not be so untoward, so heavy, so unable to repent.
Wo is me, that I should be still so drowsie, so dead asleep in sin, that I should not be yet awake, and sensible of the condition I am in.
O that I had died before my unwor
But, O my God, though I cannot
wait on thee among the Innocent, yet
Remember, O my God, that though
Ahab had sold himself to work wicked
But, Lord, if my heart deceives me
not, I do not only outwardly and seem
And therefore for the evil that I have
deserved, O my God, rather let the pu
Rather let me perform the Penance of my Tears here, than reserve it for that sad time, when a whole Sea of Tears will do no good.
And having said all this, if my ReJesus be cast
But of my self, O God, I am utterly unable; and which way to satisfie thee I know not.
I dare not say so much as the Servant
in the Gospel did, Master, have patience
with me, and I will pay thee all. But
rather, Master, have patience with me,
for I can pay thee nothing at all, unless
thy bounty be so great as to give it me
to pay thee.
I can Fast from a meal sometimes, (though it be with much ado) and I can Pray, though coldly enough; and if the fit and qualm of my Devotion holds out longer, I can strain for a Tear or two to sprinkle upon my dry Devotions.
But should I fast my self into Air and
Emptiness, and weep my self into Wa
What I have transgressed against
others, I am not only sorry for, but rea
But the comfort is, (and blessed shall
be my Soul if rightly I lay hold on it)
that it is thou, O my blessed Jesu, who
hast satisfied for me, one drop of whose
blood is enough to satisfie for the sins of
a thousand worlds.
And this being so, will thy offended Eather be so rigorous as to require the same payment again? Especially will he require it of me, a poor, a broken, and a bankrupt Sinner?
Canst thou exact the utmost farthing of him who hath not a mite of his own to pay thee?
BUT because by thy infinite Mercy, O my God, thou hast satisfied for me already, shall I therefore fold my Arms, and sit down and do nothing towards it? Or which is worse, shall I go on? Shall I continue in my Sins that Grace may abound?
Now God forbid.
No, I here resolve rather to die the Death, than ever wilfully to sin against thee more.
I do here resolve utterly to avoid the temptations and approaches towards those former sins which have hitherto so miserably betrayed me.
If after all this I should be so miser
I do here once more resolve to abhor and loath my self for it, and not to let my Conscience sleep or admit of any rest, till I have with bitter tears and a sharp reiterated Repentance obtained my pardon.
AND now O thou great Searcher of
all Hearts, who seest that I am of
my self weak and mutable, and no bet
O give me the Resolution of thy SerJoshua; I and my house will
serve the Lord.
O give me the Heart of thy Servant
David, who so passionately makes
his Protestations.
I will walk in my house with a per
I have sworn, and am stedfastly pur
Lord, I am not able to think one of these good thoughts without thee, much less to resolve upon them.
But I, who without thee am able to do nothing, may venture to say as thine Apostles did, that in thee I am able to do all things.
Lord, give me the strength to do what thou requirest, and then require of me what thou pleasest.
O The God of my life, and the unex
O God the Father, who canst not be thought so cruel as to make me only to destroy me,
O God the Son, who knowing thy Father's Will, didst make it thy business to come into the world to save me,
O God the Holy Ghost, who to the same end didst sanctifie me in my Baptism, and hast so often since breathed holy thoughts and motions on me,
O Holy and Blessed and Glorious Trinity, whom in three Persons I adore as my one and onely true God,
Have mercy on me. Hear me, O Lord. Help me, O Lord. Save me, or else I perish.
And wilt thou now shew thine anger against a Worm, against a Leaf, against a Vapour that vanisheth before thee?
O remember how short my time is, and deliver not my Soul into the power of Hell.
For, alas! what profit is there in my Bloud? or who shall ever give thee thanks in that bottomless pit?
No, let me live in thy sight? let me live, O my God, that my Soul may praise thee.
Forget me as I have been disobedient, provoking thee to anger; and regard me as I am distressed, crying out to thee for help.
Look not upon me as I am a Sinner; but consider me as I am thy Creature.
A Sinner I am, I confess, a Sinner of
no ordinary strain; but let not this hin
O remember for whose sake it was
that thou camest from the bosom of thy
Remember for whom it was that thy tender body was Torn, & Scourged, and Crucified, and thy precious Blood shed.
Was it not for the sins of the whole world? and shall I be so narrow-hearted to my own Soul, or so injurious to thy Glory, as to think that in all this crowd, thou hast particularly excepted me?
Or, which is as great a dishonour to thee, can I possibly imagine that thou diedst only for Sinners of a lower kind, and leftest such as I am without remedy?
What had become then of him who
filled Jerusalem with blood? What of
the noted Woman who had lived in a
trade of Sin? Nay, what had become of
thine own Disciple who with Oaths and
Curses thrice denied thee?
O how easie is it for thee to forgive? for it is thy Nature.
How proper is it for thee to save? for it is thy Name.
How suitable is it to thy only End of coming into the World? for it is thy Business.
And when I consider that I am the
I ask not of thee any longer the things
of this world: neither Power, nor Ho
O that I could hear thee once say, as
thou didst to him in the Gospel, My Son,
be of good chear, thy Sins are forgiven thee.
How would my drooping Spirits re
But, O my weak Soul, what dost thou
fear? or what dost thou scruple at? For
thou art not yet in such a desperate con
Nay, be confident (though it be with
a mixture of fear and trembling) that if
thou dost not act the part of an HypoBe of good chear, thy
Sins are forgiven thee.
Return then unto thy rest, O my Soul, for thy Sins are forgiven thee.
Only take this Counsel along with
thee, Sin no more, lest a worse thing fall
unto thee.
O that I could never sin against thee more; never purposely, deliberately, wilfully sin against thee more.
And for those sins of daily Incursion, those over-familiar corruptions of my nature, which thou hast not yet given me strength enough to conquer; Lord, either subdue them to me by degrees, or lay them not to my charge.
But wherein soever my Conscience most accuseth me, therein, O my God, be thou most merciful unto me.
Save me, O God, as a Brand snatched out of the Fire.
Receive me, O my Jesu, as a Sheep
that hath wandred, but is now re
REjoyce over me, O God the Father; that this thy Child was lost, but is found, was dead, but is alive again.
Rejoyce over me, O God the Son,
that thy loud Cries and Tears, and bit
Rejoyce over me, O God the Holy Ghost, that thy so many secret and powerful touches have at last got the upper hand of me.
Rejoyce over me, O ye holy Angels, a great part of whose Ministery it is, to rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner.
Rejoyce over thy self, O my Soul, that
thou hast received so much grace from
Heaven this day, as sadly to confess thy
Sins, seriously to repent of them, and sted
LET this day, O my God, be noted in thy Book.
Do not thou forget my Prayers, nor suffer me to forget my Resolutions.
For though I am weak, though I am unworthy, though I am unprofitable, yet I am thy Servant.
And here upon my bended Knees I humbly beg of thee, that I may live and die so.
Lord hear my Prayers, and let my cry come unto thee.
Lord, pardon my Prayers, and let not
my coldness and wanderings, and infi
Lord, hear my Prayers, and let my cry come unto thee.
Celebrating the Mysteries and chief Festivals of the Year, according to the manner of the Ancient Church: fitted to the fancy and devotion of the younger and pious persons.
Apt for memory, and to be joiPrayers.