A Guide to DEVOTION: OR, The Penitent Souls daily Practice, &c.
Directions for a Religious and Holy Life, and what Prayer is.
WHosoever thou art that readest this Book, give me leave to set down how necessary Prayer is, in order to a Holy and Religious Life; by the consideration of our manifold wants, our Soul are lifted up unto God in Prayer, to beg pardon and forgiveness for all our Sins and Transgressions which we have committed. e [...]ther in thought, word or deed: and sin e our sins are more in number then the hairs of our Head, the [...]tars in the Firmament, or the Sand on the Sea [...]hore; we ought to imitate the Prophet David, [Page 2] who says thus, In the Evening and Morning, and at Noon-day shall I pray, and that instantly, and he will hear my voice, Psal. 55. ver. 17. the Meditation of our own sins doth sufficiently show that we have of our selves no manner of Grace [...]r Spiritual Goodness: for Solomon asks the question in Proverbs 20. ver. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean, I am pure from Sin? Moreover, seeing that we are daily assaulted with sundry Temptations, we have just cause to pray daily for the contempt of all Earthly things, for the denial of our own sinful Aff [...]ctions, for tranquility of Mind and comfort in Adversi [...]y, for Heavenly Wisdom to direct us in the various accidents that we meet with in this present World: therefore create in us clean Hearts, and renew right Spirits within us, that we may all obtain the end of our hopes, even the forgiveness of our Sins, and the salvation of our immortal [...] Souls.
A Prayer for Sunday Morning.
O Most Holy Lord God, I humbly beseech thee, pardon and and forgive all my transgressions, and grant me thy Grace, that I ma [...] set my affections on things in Heaven and no [...] on things on Earth; mortifie in me the lov [...] of this World, that the love of thee ma [...] [Page 3] increase; preserve me by the aid of thy holy Spirit, and grant that I may always submit unto thy Will, and keep thy Commandments: O Lord make me a Child of the light and of the day, that I may walk soberly, chastly, and Honestly, preserve me this day from all evil; O Lord, I beseech thee, keep my Soul, keep me from falling, and present me faultless before thy great and terrible Tribunal, at the last day, for into thy merciful hands I recommend my Spirit, my Soul, my Body, thou hast Created them: O Lord thou God of Truth, grant that whatsoever I shall hear this day with my outward Ears, may be so grafted in my Heart, that it may bring forth inwardly the fruit of good living, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour; Amen.
A Prayer for Sun [...]y Night.
O Lord my Heavenly Father, Almighty and Everlasting God, by whose providence both the day and the night are governed, vouchsafe I beseech thee, as thou hast this day preserved me by thy goodness, so [...]his night shaddow me under the blessed Wings of thy most mighty protection, and co [...]er me with thy Heavenly Mercy, that neither [Page 4] the Prince of darkness may have power over me, nor the works of darkness overwhelm me: pardon I beseech thee, my manifold Sins committed against thee, especially my neglect of keeping holy this day past, defend me from Satan that roaring Lyon that seeks day and night to devour me, arm me with thy defence, that I may be preserved from all adversities which may happen to my Body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and defile my Soul; protect me this night from all dangers, when I lay me down in peace to take my rest, for it is thou Lord only that makest me to dwell in safety, grant my Petition for th [...] Merit of my dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: Amen.
A Prayer for every Morning in the Week.
O Eternal and ever-blessed Lord God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, thou turnest the shadow of Death into the morning, and renewest the face of the Earth, thou dost dispel the darkness by the presence of the light, and separatest the night and bringest in the day: O Lord blot out, for thy mercies sake all my iniquities, and scatter thy transgressions as a morning cloud; vouchsafe to keep me this day without sin, uphold me when I am falling, [Page 5] and lift me up when I am down, let me do nothing that shall make my heart to ake, or be a scandal unto me, but let my doi [...]gs be such that they may never hurt either my self or Neighbours: preserve my going out and coming in, from this time forth and for evermore, and prosper me thy Servant this day, and grant me mercy in the sight of all I shall meet with, for the sake of my blessed Saviour a [...]d Redeemer, Jesus Christ my Lord; Amen.
Another Morning Prayer for every day in the Week.
O Eternal God, Father of Mercies, and God of all Comfort, with the Eyes of compassion look down upon me thy poor afflicted Servant, laden with sin and iniquity, and pressed down with the sense of thy Wrath, who comes not in my own name or merits to prostrate my self before thee, but in the name and merits of [...]hy dear Son our blessed Lord and Saviour, in whom thou art well pleased, for his sake, O most merciful Father, pardon all my sins that are past, and keep me this day from committing any sin, or provoking thy divine Majesty, in thought, word or deed, but so guide and direct me, that all my doings may tend to thy honour and glory, to the peace [Page 6] and welfare of my own Soul, for the sake of thy Son and my only Saviour, who with thee and thy Holy Spirit liveth a [...]d reigneth one God World without end: Amen.
A Prayer for every Night in the Week
O Most glorious Lord God, whose dwelling is in the highest Heavens, and yet beholdest the lowl [...] and humble upon Earth; look down I hum [...]ly bes [...]ech thee, upon me a miserable sinner, who prostrate my self at the Footstool of thy Mercy, confessing my manifo d sins and transgressions, that am by nature a [...] Child of Wrath, and deserve to be plunged into e [...]erlasting Torments, but great is thy mercy O Lord, and therefore I sue unto thee for pardon and forgiveness: my sins are many in number, more then the hairs of my Head, the Stars in the Firmament, or the Sands on the Sea shore, but thy mercies are without number: let me O Lord. be absolved by the merits of my blessed Saviour, pardon the sinful course of my life past, and guide me by thy holy Spirit, for the time to come, and keep me this night from all evil and danger, f r the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord and only S viour; Amen.
Another Prayer for every Night in the Week.
O Lord God, most excellent and good thou art to them that serve thee, be pleased to look down from Heaven upon me a sinful creature, which am not worthy to take thy Holy Name with my poluted lips, vouchsafe O Lord to pardon all my sins, for the sake of thy Son, my only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and take a care and charge over me this night, and preserve me from all dangers, that I may lye down and take my natural rest, and arise safe and sound the next morning, and serve thee with a true Heart, that all my doing may be acceptable in thy sight: grant this and what else thou thinkest requisite for my Soul or Body, and that the power of Sin may dye daily in me, and that thy Grace may increase and abound; seal in my heart the assurance of my Adoption, that my Conversation may testifie I am thy Child, weaning my heart from sin, purifie me with thy Spirit, protect me with thy grace, preserve me for thy self, prepare me for thy Kingdom, for Jesus Christ his sake; Amen.
A Prayer for the King and Royal Family.
MOst Holy Lord God, thou art the great preserver of Princes, bless our most [Page 8] gracious King Iames, grant him a long and happy Reign, and make his Throne as the days of Heaven: Bless our most grac ous Queen Mary, Katherine the Queen Dowager, their Royal Highnesses, Mary Princess of Orange, and the Princess Ann of Denmark, and all the Royal Fam ly; govern them with thy Holy Spirit, preserve them with the blessings of goodness, and grant them Everlasting Felicity, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour and Redeemer; Amen.
A Morning Prayer for a Family every day in the Week.
ALmighty God, we sue unto thee to have mercy upon us, who have violated thy Laws and broken thy Commandments; mortifye, we humbly beseech thee, every day more and more all sinful lusts and affections, and quicken in us all saving Graces; increase our Faith, confirm our Hope, inflame our Charity; teach us to imitate the life of Christ; teach us humility, patience, meekness, gentleness, chastity, temperance: teach us to contemn all Earthly things, to deny our selves, and to overcome the World; grant us consolation in adversity, victory in temptations, a blessed departure out of this life, and a blessed Resurrection unto life Everlasting. Bless every [Page 9] Family in this Kingdom, especially this and all that belong to it, bless our Parents, Brethren, Sisters, Kinsfolks, Benefactors and Friends, forgive our Enemies and shew pitty and compassion to all that are afflicted and in misery, relieve thou them according to their several wants and Necessities; Be thou a Father to the Fatherless, and a Husband to the Widdow, a comfort to the comfortless, a deliverer to the Captive, and a Physitian to the sick; Accept our thanksgiving for preserving us ever since we were born, for defending us this last night from all perils and danger, and for thy mercies renewed unto this morning; and this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake; Amen.
An Evening Prayer for a Family every day in the Week.
O Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, we confess that thou madest us after thine own Image, thou did'st cloath us with Innocency as a garment, but we have defaced and cast off our first covering; our Parents sinned against thee, and we have sinned in them; they we corrupted, and we are inheritors of their corruption; they were the Parents of disobedience, and we are their unhappy Children, we lived in darkness and in the shaddow of Death, till thou gavest us [Page 10] thy word to be a Lanthorn unto our Feet and a Light unto our paths, that to walk in the way of truth we might attain everlasting life, but we have loved darkness more then light, because our deeds are evil, our hearts every hour imagine wickedness: in the day of health and Prosperity we forget thee, and never think upon the day of Sickness and adversity; thy many benefits heaped upon us, do not allure us to be obedient unto thee, neither do thy Judgements inflicted upon others, make us afraid to offend thee; what could'st thou. O Lord, have done more for us, then in sending thy Son in the fulness of time, to take our Nature upon him to fulfill thy Law for us, and to be Crucified for our sins; we have not followed the Examples of his holy life, but have every day crucified him afresh by our sins; and now O Heavenly Father, we humbly beg thy blessing upon us this night, and grant us a peaceable rest to refresh our weak bodies, and thy Heavenly food to refresh our poor Souls: there is mercy with thee O God, and that mercy we here implore for the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and only Saviour; Amen.
Heavenly Meditations to ponder with ones self.
OUr Life is a Warfare, and every Christian is a Soldier, the Army consists of good and evil motions, whilst they contend, how is my heart strangely tossed too and fro, yet chear up O my Soul, and take courage in the reward that is set before thee, so fight that thou mayest conquer; so run that thou mayest obtain; let not the pollicy of the Devil dismay thee, nor thy own weakness discourage thee, but laying aside all fear, trust in one that is mighty, fear not the fiery Darts of Satan, nor be afraid of his Arrows that flye against you, but press towards the great reward which is Eternal life, in a Kingdom where is fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore: Consider well for whom you contend, 'tis for my God that you stand in defiance of my Spiritual Enemy and rebellious lusts, who will not suffer me to be tempted above what I am able to bear, for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Iam. 1. ver. 12. And Rev. 2. ver. 10. Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. Thus may a good man be comforted and incouraged to proceed in the way of Holy living, that [Page 12] when this life is ended, he may live with Saints and Angels to all Eternity.
Several Graces to be said before and after Meat.
A Grace before Meat.
MOst Gracious God and merciful Father, we beseech thee, sanctifie these thy good creatures to our use, and make them healthful for our nourishments, and us thankful for all thy blessings, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Another Grace b [...]fore Meat
LOrd, sanctifie these thy good Creatures which thou hast prepared f [...]r our use, and make us truly thankful for all thy Mercies which we have receiv'd from thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour, Amen.
Another Grace before Meat.
GRant, O merciful Father, as thou hast been pleased to grant us life unto this moment, thou wouldst feed our Bodies with these thy good Creatures, and our Souls with spiritual food, for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.
A Grace after Meat.
O Heavenly Father, we give thee most Humble and hearty thanks for these thy creatures bestowed upon us at this time, beseeching thee likewise to feed our Souls with Heavenly food, for the sake of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Another Gr [...]ce after Meat.
WE return thee thanks, O merciful Father, for these and all other Blessings bestowed upon us; Lord grant and bestow upon us likewise Heavenly Food for the refreshing our Souls, for Jesus Christ his sake, Amen.
Another Grace after Meat.
O Most gracious God and merciful Father, we give thee thanks for feeding our Bodies with these thy good Creatures to this temporal life, beseeching thee likewise to feed our Souls with thy Heavenly Mercies, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A short Catechism for the better Instruction of Children in the Christian Religion.
Q WHo Created the World, and the Creatures therein?
A. God.
Q. In what time were they Created?
A. In six days, for on the seventh God rested from his Labour.
Q. Of what was Man made?
A. Of the Dust of the Earth.
Q. How came he by a Rational Soul?
A. God breathed into him the breath of Life.
Q. Of what was Woman made?
A. Of the substance of the Man.
Q. How doth that appear?
A. God cast Adam into a deep sleep, and took from his side a Rib, of which he made Woman, and gave her him as a help meet.
Q. Was Man made in a state of Innocence?
A. Yes, and placed in Paradice the Garden of God, and all Creatures subjected to him.
Q. How came he to fall from that blessedness?
A. By disobeying the Command of his Maker, and defacing by Sin his lively Image stamped on him.
Q. In what did he disobey?
A. In earing the forbidden Fruit, which distinguished Good and Evil.
Q. How came he to eat?
A. By the suggestion of the Woman, whom the Serpent (or rather the Devil) begu [...]led, with guilded allurements.
Q. What was their Punishment?
A. Death, and the loss of Paradice.
Q. Was there no hopes left?
A. Yes; The Great Creators promises in the Seed of the Woman.
Q. As how?
A. That her Seed should break the Serpents Head.
Q. And is that promise fulfilled?
A. Yes, in the Birth of our blessed Saviour, that Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, that Star of Jacob.
Q. And was he the promised Seed that should redeem us from the Bondage of Satan?
A. Yes, for laying aside his glory and brightness, in the fulness of time he suffered himself to be born of a spotless Virgin, and so became perfect God and perfect Man.
Q. Why was he God?
A. That he might satisfie his Fathers Iustice for the Sins of Mankind, by sustaining the weight of his Wrath, which as Man he could not not do.
Q. Why was he Man?
A. That he might be capable of laying down his Life to redeem us from Death.
Q. What was the Office of Christ?
A. To become a Mediator for us, and reconcile us to his offended Father, and is stiled a Priest, a Prophet, and a King.
Q. What benefit do we receive by his Death?
A. We are restored to a state of Grace and a possibility of Salvation.
Q. On what terms?
A. If through Faith we lay hold of him as offered in the Gospel, and receive him upon his own terms of Salvation.
Q. What are they?
A. Repentance and obedience, a hearty sorrow for sin, and a resolution to struggle with Temptation to the utmost.
Q. How is the Faith wrought in us, by which we receive Christ?
A. By the outward hearing the Word, and the inward motion of the Spirit.
Q. How is it increased?
A. By often hearing and meditating on the Sacred Promises in the Gospel, and by Prayer and the like.
Q. How must we pray?
A. In Faith with Reverence, Fervency and Charity.
Q. What must we do after Prayer?
A. We must observe what answer we receive.
Q. Who can or may pray with hope to be heard?
A. Those that are unwilling to Sin and resolve not to offend, but are, as far as human [...] frailty will admit, conformable to the Will of God, revealed in the Gospel.
Q. What else?
A. Above all, to observe those Vows pledged for us in the Sacrament of Baptism, and the worthy receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, which he hath enjoyned us as a remembrance of him, till his coming at the last day.
Q. How shall his coming be?
A. With Glory and Power, as a Iudge to Iudge the World.
Q. Is the time of his coming known?
A. No, but we ought and are commanded to Watch and be prepared, least it seize us at unawares, by coming like a Thief in the night.
Q. What shall be the state of Man after this Life?
A. Happiness or Misery, according as their deeds have been good or evil.
Q. When shall the happiness of the Elect be compleated?
A. At the beginning of Eternity, when time shall be no more.
Thus far you have answered well, now let me hear you repeat the ten Commandments.
Q. How many be there?
A. Ten.
Q. Which be they?
A. The same which God spake in the twentieth Chapter of Exodus, saying, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of Bondage.
Q. Which is the first?
A. Thou shalt have no other Gods but me.
Q. Which is the second?
A. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in the Heaven above, or in the Earth beneath, or in the waters under the Earth, thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them; for I the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children, unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me, and shew mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments.
Q Which is the third?
A. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Q. Which is the fourth?
A. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day, six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do, but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt do no manner of work; thou, and thy Son, and thy Daughter, thy Man-Servant, and thy Maid-Servant, thy Cattel, and the Stranger that is within thy Gates, for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day, wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.
Q. Which is the fifth?
A. Honour thy Father and thy Mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Q. Which is the sixth?
A. Thou shalt do no Murther.
Q. Which is the seventh?
A. Thou shalt not commit Adultery:
Q. Which is the eighth?
A. Thou shalt not steal.
Q. Which is the ninth?
A. Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour.
Q. Which is the tenth?
A. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours House, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours Wife, nor his Servant, nor his Maid, nor his Ox, nor his Ass, nor any thing that is his.
Very well answered, now let me hear thee rehearse the Lords Prayer and Belief.
The LORD'S-PRAYER.
OUr Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven, give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that tresgass against us; and lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom, and the power and Glory, for ever and ever: Amen.
The Apostles CREED.
I Believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the V [...]rgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified, Dead, and Buried, he descended into Hell, the third day he arose again from the Dead, he ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the Right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge both the quick and the Dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of Sins, the Resurrection of the Body, and the life Everlasting; Amen.