/////
.
/////////////// y /
///////// // s.//./ /
iM^fiil
/ / / / / / / / / / ,
/ / /
-
'
'
/\/x
'
\/'V>,
, , s , .
-
xxx ! -
.
\ \ \ V x > - .
x x , X x
, x X X
X X X x X X .
, X x , x X - - ' S/X/
, x
x X x X \ x x x
X x X \ X
XX
-
, , ,
-
X/X
/y
v/x
<,' \ r >' y \r\ry
xA/V
\/\s-
yy*yyyjyy\s\,
y\/\/\/*
sy\/\/\<
yy*
SrV
y\s (
-
>
- , X .
x
I N " \
^. ,
&\r\'/\s\ > s\/''>
1
-
-
-
1
,
, . - - -
'
\.^
^
'
.
.......
^
------ \>\ Y
x . - " '
- -
- X x v x X x
X V X X X - ,
>---.'
\ \ \ \ s x. x x' \ V <
V. \ v \ v \ < \ \ \ \- ' ^*.
i
*
13-NIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES
THE
WHOLE WORKS
OF THE
RIGHT REV. JEREMY TAYLOR, D.D.
LORD BISHOP OF DOWN, CONNOR, AND DROMORE.
VOLUME XV.
CONTAIMXG
THE GOLDEN GROVE J THE PSALTER ; A COLLECTION OF OFFICES, OR
FORMS OF PRAYER; DEVOTIONS FOR VARIOUS OCCASIONS;
AND THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT.
YOL. XV.
THE
WHOLE WORKS
OF THE
RIGHT REV. JEREMY TAYLOR, D.D,
LORD BISHOP OF DOWN, CONNOR, AND DROMOKE :
WITH
A LIFE OF THE AUTHOR,
AND
A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF HIS WRITINGS,
BV THK
RIGHT REV. REGINALD HEBER, D.D.
LATE LORD BISHOP OF CALCUTTA.
V'
THIRD EDITION OF THE COLLECTED WORKS.
IN FIFTEEN VOLUMES.
VOL. XV.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS ; J. RICHARD-
SON : HATCHARD AND SON; J., G., AND F. RIVINGTON ;- J. BOHN; HAMILTON,
ADAMS, AND CO. ; DUNCAN AND MALCOLM; SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO.;
E. HODGSON; B. FELLOWES ; H. BOHN; C. DOLMAN; H. BICKERS; J. H. PARKER,
OXFORD; J. AND J. J. DEIGHTON, CAMBRIDGE; G. AND J. ROBINSON, LIVER-
POOL; AND W. STRONG, BRISTOL.
M.DCCC.XXXIX.
LONDON.
PRINTtD BY MOVES AND BAKCLAY,
Castle Strict, Leicester Square.
BR75
n 3?
. J5
CONTENTS
OF
THE FIFTEENTH VOLUME.
THE GOLDEN GROVE;
PAGE
Or, a Manual of Daily Prayers and Litanies, fitted to the Days of the
Week : containing a short Summary of what is to be believed, prac-
tised, and desired 1
CREDENDA ; or, what is to be believed 11
AGENDA; or, Things to be done 32
POSTULANDA ; or, Things to be prayed for 50
Festival Hymns 76
THE PSALTER OF DAVID;
With Titles and Collects, according to the Matter of each Psalm :
whereunto are added, ' Devotions for the Help and Assistance of all
Christian People, in all Occasions and Necessities' 93
Devotions for several Occasions 197
A COLLECTION OF OFFICES,
Or Forms of Prayer in Cases Ordinary and Extraordinary ; taken out
of the Scriptures, and the Ancient Liturgies of several Churches,
especially the Greek 237
Morning Prayer, throughout the Year 243
Evening Prayer, throughout the Year '. 255
Additional to the foregoing Offices 265
Varieties to be added upon the Great Festivals of the Year 282
An Office or Order for the Administration of the Holy Sacrament of
the Lord's Supper, according to the way of the Apostolical Churches,
and the Doctrine of the Church of England . . 290
CONTENTS.
A Form of Administration of the Holy Sacrament of Baptism 306
The Devotions and proper Offices for Women 316
The Offices or Forms of Prayer and Devotion for the Miserable and
Afflicted 332
A Form of Devotion ; to be used and said in the Days of Sorrow and
Affliction of a Family, or of Private Persons 371
A Form of Prayer or Thanksgiving 378
THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT;
Or, a Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings, consequent
to the worthy Receiving of the Lord's Supper; and of all the Duties
required in order to a worthy Preparation : together with the Cases
of Conscience occurring in the Duty of him that ministers and of him
that communicates; as also Devotions fitted to every part of the
Ministration 391
The Introduction . 397
CHAPTER I.
OF THE NATURE, EXCELLENCES, USES, AND INTENTION OF THE
HOLT SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.
SECTION I.
Of the several Apprehensions of Men concerning it 404
SECTION II.
What it is which we receive in the Holy Sacrament 409
SECTION III.
That in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper there are represented and
exhibited many great Blessings, upon the special Account of that
sacred Ministry, proved in general 421
SECTION IV.
The Blessings and Graces of the Holy Sacrament enumerated and proved
particularly 431
SECTION V.
Practical Conclusions from the preceding Discourses 445
SECTION VI.
Devotions preparatory to this Mystery 454
CONTENTS. V
CHAPTER II.
OF OUR GENERAL PREPARATION TO THE WORTHY RECEPTION OF THE
BLESSED SACRAMENT, AND THE PARTICIPATION OF THE MYSTERIES.
SECTION I. PAGE
Of Examination of ourselves in order to the Holy Communion 457
SECTION II.
Of the Examination of our Desires 462
SECTION III.
Of our Examination concerning remanent Affections to Sin 470
SECTION IV.
Of Examination of ourselves in the Matter of our Prayers, in order to
a holy Communion 480
SECTION V.
Of preparatory Examination of ourselves in some other Instances .... 486
SECTION VI.
Devotions to be used upon the Days of our Examination, relative to
that Duty 493
CHAPTER III.
OF FAITH, AS IT IS A NECESSARY DISPOSITION TO THE
BLESSED SACRAMENT.
SECTION I.
Of Catechumens, or unbaptized Persons * 499
SECTION II.
Of Communicating Infants 501
SECTION III.
Whether Innocents, Fools, and Madmen, may be admitted to the Holy
Communion , , 508
SECTION IV.
Of actual Faith, as it is a necessary Disposition to the Sacrament .... 510
CONTENTS.
SECTION V. PAGE
Of the proper and specific Work of Faith in the Reception of the Holy
Communion 520
SECTION VI.
Meditations and Devotions relative to this preparatory Grace ; to be
used in the Days of Preparation, or at any Time of Spiritual Com-
munion . 534
CHAPTER IV.
OF CHARITY, PREPARATORY TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.
SECTION I.
Operations of Charity, relative to the Holy Communion 537
SECTION II.
Of Doing Good to our Neighbours * 540
SECTION III.
Of Speaking Good of our Neighbours 543
SECTION IV.
Forgiveness of Injuries a necessary Part of Preparation to the Holy
Sacrament ^ 546
SECTION V.
Devotions relative to this Grace of Charity: to be used, by way of
Exercise and Preparation to the Divine Mysteries, in any Time or
Part of our Life; but especially before and at the Communion .... 579
CHAPTER V.
OF REPENTANCE, PREPARATORY TO THE BLESSED SACRAMENT.
SECTION I.
Remarks on the Necessity of Repentance in general 582
SECTION II.
The Necessity of Repentance in order to the Holy Sacrament 585
CONTENTS. Vll
SECTION III. PAGE
What Actions of Repentance are specially required in our Preparations
to the Holy Sacrament 589
SECTION IV.
How far we must have proceeded in our general Repentance, and
Emendation of our Lives, before we communicate 606
SECTION V.
What Significations of Repentance are to be accepted by the Church
in Admission of Penitents to the Communion 635
SECTION VI.
Whether may every Minister of the Church and Curate of Souls reject
impenitent Persons, or any Criminals, from the Holy Sacrament, until
themselves be satisfied of their Repentance and Amends 639
SECTION VII.
Penitential Soliloquies, Ejaculations, Exercises, and preparatory
Prayers, to be used in all the Days of Preparation to the Holy
Sacrament . 648
CHAPTER VI. '
OF OUR ACTUAL AND ORNAMENTAL PREPARATION TO THE
RECEPTION OF THE BLESSFD SACRAMENT.
SECTION [ .
An Inquiry whether we are habitually prepaied, is the pr oper Pre
paralion for the Holy Communion 652
SECTION II.
Rules for Examination of our Consciences against the Day of our
Communion 655
SECTION III.
Of an actual Supply to be made of such Actions and Degrees of Good
as are wanting against a Communion Day 659
SECTION IV.
Devotions to be used upon the Morning of the Communion 664
Vlll CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VII.
OF OUR COMPORTMENT IN AND AFTER RECEIVING THE
BLESSED SACRAMENT.
SECTION I. PAGE
Of the Circumstances and Manner of Reception of the Divine Mysteries 667
SECTION II.
Acts of Virtues and Graces relative to the Mystery, to be used before
or at the Celebration of the Divine Sacrament 677
SECTION III.
An Advice concerning him who only communicates spiritually 688
Prayer before Sermon 690
Prayer after Sermon 694
THE
GOLDEN GROVE;
OR,
A MANUAL
OF
DAILY PRAYERS AND LITANIES,
FITTED TO THE DAYS OF THE WEEK.
CONTAINING
A SHORT SUMMARY
OF
WHAT IS TO BE BELIEVED, PRACTISED, AND DESIRED.
VOL. XV.
TO THE
PIOUS AND DEVOUT READER.
IN this sad declension of religion, the seers who
are appointed to be the watchmen of the Church,
cannot but observe that the supplanters and under-
miners are gone out, and are digging down the
foundations ; and having destroyed all public forms
of ecclesiastical government, discountenanced an
excellent liturgy, taken off the hinges of unity, dis-
graced the articles of religion, polluted public as-
semblies, taken away all cognizance of schism, by
mingling all sects, and giving countenance to that
against which all power ought to stand upon their
guard : there is now nothing left, but that we take
care that men be Christians. For concerning the
ornament and advantages of religion, we cannot
make that provision we desire : " Incertis de salute,
de gloria minime certandum :" for since they who
have seen Jerusalem in prosperity, and have forgot-
ten the order of the morning and evening sacrifice,
and the beauty of the temple, will be tempted to
IV TO THE READER.
neglect so excellent a ministration, and their as-
sembling themselves together for peace and holy
offices, and be content with any thing that is
brought to them, though it be but the husks and
acorns of prodigals and swine, so they may enjoy
their lands and their money with it ; we must now
take care that the young men who were born in
the captivity, may be taught how to worship the
God of Israel 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 excellence of episcopal
government appear so demonstratively and con-
spicuously as now.- Under their conduct and order
we had a church so united, so orderly, so governed ;
a religion so settled, articles so true, sufficient,
and confessed ; canons so prudent and so obeyed ;
devotions so regular and constant ; sacraments so
adorned and ministered ; churches so beauteous
and religious ; circumstances of religion so grave
and prudent, so useful and apt for edification, that
the enemies of our church, who serve the pope
in all things, and Jesus Christ in some, who dare
transgress an institution and ordinance of Christ,
but dare not break a canon of the pope, did despair
TO THE READER. V
of prevailing against us and truth, and knew no
hopes but by setting their faces against us to
destroy this government, and then they knew they
should triumph without any enemy : so Balaam,
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 conduct of Moses and Aaron.
But now, instead of this excellence of con-
dition and constitution of religion, the people are
fallen under the harrows and saws of impertinent
and ignorant preachers, who think all religion is
a sermon, and all sermons ought to be libels against
truth and old governors, and expound chapters
that the meaning may never be understood, and
pray that they may be thought able to talk, but
not to hold their peace ; casting not to obtain
any thing but wealth and victory, power and
plunder. And the people have reaped the fruits
apt to grow upon such crabstocks : they grow idle
and false, hypocrites and careless ; they deny them-
selves nothing that is pleasant; they despise reli-
gion, forget government; and some never think
of heaven ; and they that do, think to go thither in
such paths which all the ages of the Church did
give men warning of, lest they should that way
go to the devil.
VI TO THE READER.
But when men have tried all that they can,
it is to be supposed they will return to the ex-
cellence and advantages of the Christian religion,
as it is taught by the Church of England ; for by
destroying it, no end can be served 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 than unblam-
able and pious liturgy, and in preaching the
necessities of holy life, so much as the Church
of England does; besides this, I say, it cannot
be persecuted by any governor that understands
his own interest, unless he be first abused by false
preachers, and then prefer his secret opinion
before his public advantage. For no church in
the world is so great a friend to loyalty and obe-
dience, as she, and her sisters of the same per-
suasion. They that hate bishops, have destroyed
monarchy ; and they that would erect an eccle-
siastical monarchy, must consequently subject the
temporal to it. And both one and the other would
be supreme in consciences ; and they that govern
there, with an opinion that in all things they ought
to be attended to, will let their prince govern
others, so long as he will be ruled by them : and,
certainly, for a prince to persecute the Protestant
religion, is as if a physician should endeavour to
TO THE READER. Vll
destroy all medicaments, and fathers kill their sons,
and the master of ceremonies destroy all formali-
ties and courtships ; and as if the pope should root
out all the ecclesiastic state. Nothing so combines
with government, if it be of God's appointment, as the
religion of the Church of England ; 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 the world a better guard
for it than the true Protestant religion, as it is taught
in our church. But let things be as it please God :
it is certain, that in that day when Truth gets her
victory, in that day we shall prevail against all God's
enemies and ours, not in the purchases and perqui-
sites of the world, but in the rewards and returns of
holiness and patience, and faith and charity ; for by
these we worship God, and against this interest we
cannot serve any thing else.
In the meantime we must, by all means, secure
the foundation, and take care that religion may be
conveyed, in all its material parts, the same as it was,
but by new and permitted instruments. For let us
secure that our young men be good Christians : it is
easy to make them good Protestants ; unless they be
abused with prejudice, and suck venom with their
Vlll TO THE READER.
milk, they cannot leave our communion, till they
have reason to reprove our doctrine.
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 to begin with, and will serve all persons so
long as they need milk, and not strong meat. And
he that hath given the following assistances to thee,
desires to be even a doorkeeper in God's house, and
to be a servant of the meanest of God's servants, and
thinks it a worthy employment to teach the most
ignorant, and make them to know Christ, though but
in the first rudiments of a holy institution. This only
he affirms, that there is more solid comfort and mate-
rial support to a Christian spirit in one article of
faith, in one period of the Lord's Prayer, in one holy
lesson, than in all the disputes of impertinent people,
who take more pains to prove there is a purgatory,
than to persuade 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 men
' get Christ, and persecute his servants.'
Christian religion is admirable for its wisdom, and
for its simplicity ; and he that presents the following
papers to thee, designs to teach thee as the Church
was taught in the early days of the apostles. To
TO THE READER. IX
believe the Christian faith, and to understand it ; to
represent plain rules of good life; to describe easy
forms of prayer ; to bring into your assemblies hymns
of glorification and thanksgiving, and psalms of prayer.
By these easy paths they lead Christ's little ones into
the fold of their great Bishop ; and if by this any
service be done to God, any ministry to the soul of a
child or an ignorant woman, it is hoped that God will
accept it: and it is reward enough, if by my ministry
God will bring it to pass that any soul shall be in-
structed, and brought into that state of good things,
that it shall rejoice for ever.
But do thou pray for him that desires this to
thee, and endeavours it.
CREDENDA;
ou,
WHAT IS TO BE BELIEVED.
'O ft.lv Sj i.oyas hfiiv ofteXoyti^ii; pit/tru, u; o'iyt, o^6us fi<xu,ibiup.ivoi, <r%l$ov tt.yu.Qai
ylyvovrai, Plato de Legibus.
Let this truth be confessed, and remain for ever, That they who are well
instructed, easily become good men.
A short Catechism for the Institution of Young Persons in
the Christian Religion.
QUESTION. In what does true religion consist ?
ANSWER. In the knowledge of the one, true God, and,
whom he hath sent, Jesus Christ ; and in the worshipping
and serving them. a
Quest. What dost thou believe concerning God ?
Ans. 1. That there is a God ; 2. That he is one ; 3. Eter-
nal ; 4. Almighty ; 5. That he hath made all the world ;
6. That he knows all things ; 7. That he is a Spirit, not of
any shape, or figure, or parts, or body ; 8. That he is present
in all places ; 9. That his seat is in heav.en, and he governs
all the world, so that nothing happens without his order and
leave; 10. That he is the fountain of justice ; 11. Of mercy;
12. Of bounty and goodness ; 13. That he is unalterably
happy, and infinitely perfect; 14. That no evil can come
near him ; 15. And he is the rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. b
1 John, xvii. 3. 1 John, ii. 23.
b Deut vi. 4. Exod. xx. 2, 3. Revel, i. 4. Psalm xc. 2. 1 Tim. i. 17.
12 CREDENDA.
Quest. What other mystery is revealed concerning
God?
Ans. That God being one in nature, is also three in
person ; expressed in Scripture by the names of " Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit." The first person is known to us
by the name of " The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The second person is called " The Son, and the Word of the
Father." The third is "The Spirit and Promise of the
Father." And these are three and one after a secret manner,
which we must believe, but cannot understand.
Quest. What is this God to us ?
Ans. He is our Creator and Father, and therefore he is
our Lord ; and we are his creatures, his sons, and his ser-
vants. d
Quest. Wherefore did God create and make us?
Ans. That we might do him honour and service, and
receive from him infinite felicities. 6
Quest. How did God make man ?
Ans. By the power of his Word, out of the slime of the
earth ; and he breathed into him the breath of life/
Quest. Was man good or bad, when God made him?
Ans. Man was made pure and innocent. 8
Quest. How, then, did man become sinful and miserable ?
Ans. By listening to the whispers of a tempting spirit,
and breaking an easy commandment, which God gave him
as the first trial of his obedience. 11
Quest. What evils and changes followed this sin ?
Ans. Adam, who was the first man, and the first sinner,
did, both for himself and his posterity, fall into the state of
death, of sickness, and misfortunes, and disorder both of
Gen. i. 1. Exod. xx. 11. Heb. iii. 4. Isa. xl. 12. Job, xlii. 2, 3. Psalm
cxxxix. 1, &c. Psalm cxlvii. 5. Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16.
John, iv. 24. 1 Kings, viii. 27. Psalm cxxxix. 8, 9. Acts, vii. 48, 49.
Psalm ii. 4 ; ciii. 19 ; cxv. 3. Isa. xli. 4 ; xliv. 6. Job, ix. 4, &c. Deut.
xxxii. 39. Gen. xviii. 25. Deut xxxii. 4. Psalm ciii. 8 ; xxv. 8 ; Ixxxvi. 5.
Psalm 1. 12. James, i. 17.
c Matt, xxviii. 19. John, xiv. 16, 26 ; xv. 26. 1 Cor. xii. 4-6. 2 Cor.
xiii. 14. 1 John, i. 1 ; v. 7, 5 ; iii. 23. Luke, xxiv. 49. Acts, i. 4 ; ii. 33.
d Coloss. i. 16. Acts, xvii. 24. 1 Cor. viii. 6 ; vi. 19. Gal. i. 4.
Phil. ii. 15. Dan. ii. 47. Zech. iv. 14 ; xiv. 9. Matt. xi. 25.
e Psalm cxlv. 10, 11. Acts, xiv. 15. ' Gen. ii. 7.
f Eccles. vii. 29. Ecclus. xv. 14. h Gen. iii. per tot.
CKEDENDA. 13
body and soul : we were thrown out of Paradise, and lost
our immortality. 1
Quest. Was man left in these evils without remedy?
Ans. No ; but God, pitying his creature, promised, that
of the seed of the woman he would raise up a Saviour and
Redeemer, who should restore us to God's favour, and to
the felicity which we lost. k
Quest. How did God perform the promise ?
Ans. By sending Jesus Christ to take upon him our
nature, to die for our sins, to become our Lord, and the
author of holiness, and life, and salvation to mankind. 1
Quest. Who is Jesus Christ ?
Ans. He is the Son of God, the second Person of the
Holy Trinity, equal with the Father, true God, without be-
ginning of life, or end of days.
Quest. How, then, could he be our Redeemer, and the
promised seed of the woman ?
Ans. The Son of God, in the fulness of time, by the
miracles of his mercy, took upon him human nature, and
united it after a wonderful manner to his godhead ; so that
he was both God and man. He was born of a virgin, who
conceived him not by any natural means, but by the power
of the Holy Ghost, and was called Jesus Christ ; and his
mother's name was Mary, of the seed of Abraham, of the
family of King David ; and all these things came to pass
when Augustus Caesar was lord of the Roman empire."
Quest. How did Jesus Christ work this promised re-
demption for us ?
Ans. By his holy and humble life, and his obedient dying
a painful death for us upon the cross.
Quest. What benefits do we receive by the life and death
of Jesus Christ?
*
9 i
' Rom. v. 12 ; iii. 23 ; vi. 20. Ephes. ii. 3.
k Gen. iii. 15. Gal. iv. 4. 1 Pet. i. 20. John, iii. 16. Heb. ii. 14,
15, &c.
1 John, viii. 25, 28. Heb. ii. 9, 16-18. Luke, i. 74, 75.
m Isa. ix. 6. 1 Tim. iii. 16. 1 John, v. 20. Isa. XXXY. 4, 5.
John, i. 2, 18 ; viii. 5, 8. Rer. i. 8. Heb. xiii. 8 ; i. 8. Phil. ii. 6. Rom.
ix. 5.
n Gal. iv. 4. Rom. i. 3. Acts, ii. 30, 32; iii. 22. Heb. i. 1 ; ii. 11.
Acts, xiii. 23. Deut. xviii. 15. Matt. i. 18. Matt. i. 21. Luke, ii. 4, 5, &c.
Heb. ii. 9, 10.
14 CREDENDA.
Ans. We are instructed by his doctrine, and encouraged
by his excellent example ; we are reconciled to God by his
death ; he hath given us an excellent law, and glorious pro-
mises ; and himself hath received power to make good all
those promises to his servants, and fearfully to destroy them
that will not have him to reign over them. p
Quest. What promises hath Jesus Christ made us in the
Gospel ?
Ans. He hath promised to give us all that we need in
this life ; that every thing shall work together for our good ;
that he will be with us in tribulation and persecution. He
hath promised his graces and his Holy Spirit to enable us to
do our duty ; and if we make use of these graces, he hath
promised to give us more : he hath promised to forgive us
our sins ; to hear our prayers ; to take the sting of death
from us ; to keep our souls in safe custody after death ; and
in his due time to raise our bodies from the grave, and to
join them to our souls, and to give us eternal life, and joys
that shall never cease. q
Quest. How is Jesus Christ able to do all this for us ?
Ans. When he had suffered death, and was buried three
days, God raised him up again, and gave him all power in
heaven and earth, made him Head of the Church, Lord of
men and angels, and the Judge of the quick and dead/
Quest. By what means doth Jesus Christ our Lord convey
all these blessings to us ?
Ans. Jesus Christ had three offices, and in all he was
Mediator between God and man ; he is our Prophet, our
Priest, and our King. 3
Quest. What was his office as he was a Prophet?
Ans. This office he finished on earth; beginning when
P Read the 3d, 4th, and 5th chapters to the Hebrews. Eph. ii. 13-15.
Luke, xix. 27 ; xxiv. 46, 47.
1 Matt. vi. 25, &c. Rom. viii.' 28. John, xiii. 33. Acts, xiv. 22.
2 Cor. i. 4. Matt. iv. 11, 12; xi. 20, 21. John, vi. 44, 45. 2 Pet. i. 3, 4.
Matt. xv. 59. Acts, ii.38; iii. 19. Luke, xviii. 7. Matt, vii.7. Coloss. ii. 13.
1 Cor. xv. 54, 55, 57. Rev. xiv. 13. 1 Cor. xv. 22 ; vi. 14. 2 Cor. iv. 14.
John, vi. 40.
r Matt, xxviii. 6, 18. Phil. ii. 9, &c. Heb. ii. 9 ; v. 9 ; i. 8. Tit. ii. 13, 14.
Epb. iii. 14, 15, 20. 1 Cor. xi. 3. Ephes. v. 23. Coloss. ii. 10. Acts, x. 42.
2 Tim. iv. \; viii. 17, 31. 1 Pet. iv. 5.
1 Tim. ii. 5. Heb. viii. 6 ; ix. 15 ; xii. 24.
CREDENDA. 15
he was thirty years old to preach the Gospel of the kingdom,
faith, and repentance. 1
Quest. When began his priestly office, and wherein does
it consist ?
Ans. It began at his death ; for he was himself the priest
and the sacrifice, offering himself upon the altar of the cross
for the sins of all the world."
Quest. Did his priestly office then cease ?
Ans. No; he is a priest for ever; that is, unto the end
of the world, and represents the same sacrifice to God in
heaven, interceding and praying continually for us, in the
virtue of that sacrifice, by which he obtains relief of all our
necessities."
Quest. What doth Christ in heaven pray for on our
behalf?
Ans. That our sins may be pardoned, our infirmities
pitied, our necessities relieved, our persons defended, our
temptations overcome, that we may be reconciled to God, and
be saved. y
Quest. How is Jesus Christ also our King ?
Ans. When he arose from his grave, and had for forty
days together conversed with his disciples, shewing himself
alive by many infallible tokens, he ascended into heaven,
and there sits at the right-hand of God ; all things being
made subject to him, angels, and men, and devils, heaven
and earth, the elements, and all the creatures ; and over all
he reigns, comforting and defending his elect, subduing the
power of the devil, taking out the sting of death, and making
all to serve the glory of God, and to turn to the good of his
elect. 2
Quest. How long must his kingdom last ?
Ans. Till Christ hath brought all his enemies under his
feet ; that is, till the day of judgment : in which day shall
be performed the greatest acts of his kingly power; for
then he shall quite conquer death, triumph over the devils,
1 John, i. 18. Luke, iii. 23. John, v. 43. Luke, xxir. 19. Acts,
iii. 23, &c.
u Heb. v. 5, 7, 8, &c. Heb. vii. per totum. * Heb. vii. 24, 25.
s Rom. viii. 33, 34. 1 John, ii. 1. Heb. iv. 14-16.
z Heb. i. 3, 8. Psalin ex. 1. 1 Thess. i. 10. Acts, i. 3. Luke, xxiv. 51 ;
i. 33. 1 Pet. iii. 23.
16 CREDENDA.
throw his enemies into hell-fire, and carry all his elect to
never-ceasing glories ; and then he shall deliver up the
kingdom to his Father, that God may be all in all."
Quest. How is Christ a Mediator in all these offices ?
Ans. A mediator signifies one that stands between God
and us. As Christ is a Prophet, so he taught us his Father's
will, and ties us to obedience : as he is a Priest, he is our
Redeemer, having paid a price for us, even his most precious
blood, and our Advocate pleading for us, and mediating our
pardon and salvation : as he is a King, so he is our Lord,
our Patron, and our Judge ; yet it is the kingdom of a
Mediator, that is, in order to the world to come, but then to
determine and end. And in all these, he hath made a
covenant between God and us of an everlasting interest. 6
Quest. What is the covenant which Jesus Christ, our
Mediator, hath made between God and us?
Ans. That God will write his laws in our hearts, and
will pardon us, and defend us, and raise us up again at the
last day, and give us an inheritance in his kingdom.
Quest. To what conditions hath he bound us on our part ?
Ans. Faith and repentance. d
Quest. When do we enter into this covenant ?
Ans. In our baptism, and at our ripe years, when we
understand the secrets of the kingdom of Christ, and under-
take willingly what in our names was undertaken for us in
our infancy. 6
Quest. What is the covenant of faith which we enter
into in baptism?
Ans. We promise to believe that Jesus Christ is the
Messias, or he that was to come into the world ; that he is
the anointed of the Lord, or the Lord's Christ ; that he is
the Son of God, and the son of the Virgin Mary ; that he is
God incarnate, or God manifested in the flesh ; that he is the
Mediator between God and man; that he died for us upon
the cross, and rose again the third day, and ascended into
heaven, and shall be there till the day of judgment ; that then
a Psalm ex. 1. 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25, 28. Matt. xxv. 34, 41.
b Gal. iii. 20. Heb. viii. 6 ; ix. 15 ; xii. 24. 1 Cor. xv. 24.
c Heb. viii. 6 ; x. ; xiii. ; x. 16 ; xii. 24. Jer. xxxi. 31.
d Mark, xvi. 16. Matt. iv. 17. Acts, ii. 38.
e Acts, ii. 38, 41 ; iii. 19.
CREDENDA. 17
he shall be our Judge ; in the meantime he is the King of
the world, and Head of the Church/
Quest. What is the covenant of repentance ?
Ans. We promise to leave all our sins, and, with a
hearty and sincere endeavour, to give up our will and affec-
tions to Christ, and do what he hath commanded, according
to our power and weakness* 5
Quest. How if we fail of this promise through infirmity,
and commit sins?
Ans. Still we are within the covenant of repentance,
that is, within the promise of pardon, and possibility of
returning from dead works, and mortifying our lusts ; and
though this be done after the manner of men, that is, in
weakness, and with some failings, yet our endeavour must
be hearty, and constant, and diligent, and our watchfulness
and prayers for pardon must be lasting and persevering. 11
Quest. What ministries hath Christ appointed to help
us in this duty ?
Ans. The ministry of the word and sacraments, which
he will accompany with his grace and his Spirit. 1
Quest. What is a sacrament ?
Ans. An outward ceremony ordained by Christ, to be a
sign and a means of conveying his grace unto us.
Quest. How many sacraments are ordained by Christ?
Ans. Two: baptism, and the supper of our Lord. k
Quest. What is baptism ?
Ans. An outward washing of the body in water, in the
name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : in which we are
buried with Christ in his death, after a sacramental manner,
and are made partakers of Christ's death, and of his resur-
rection, teaching us that we should rise from the death of
sin to the life of righteousness. 1
t
' Matt. xvi. 16; i. 18. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Rom. xiv. 9. Acta, i. 9; iii. 21 ;
xvii. 31. Rer. i. 5 5 xvii. 14.
Luke, i. 75. Tit. ii. 11, 12. 1 Pet. ii. 1-3. <H Pet. i. 4, &c. Heb.
xii. 1, 2.
h 1 John; ii. 12 ; v, 16, 17. Gal. vi. 1 ; v. 24, 25.
1 Rom. x. 15. Eph. ii. 20; iv. 11, 12. 1 Cor. xii. 28. 2 Cor. v. 20.
Matt, xxviii. 20.
k Matt, xxviii. 19 ; xxvi. 26. 1 Cor. xi. 24.
1 Gal. iii. 27. 1 Cor. xii. 13. Rom. vi. 4. John, iii. 25. Tit. iii. 5.
Eph. v. 24. Col. ii. 12. Acts, ii. 38 ; xxii. 16. Heb. x. 22. 1 Pet. iii. 21.
VOL. XV. C
18 CREDENDA.
Quest. What is the sacrament of the Lord's supper ?
Ans. A ceremony of eating bread and drinking wine,
being blessed or consecrated by God's minister in public
assemblies, in remembrance of Christ's death and passion . m
Quest. What benefits are done unto us by this sacra-
ment?
Ans. Our souls are nourished by the body and blood of
Christ ; our bodies, are sealed to a blessed resurrection, and
to immortality ; our infirmities are strengthened, our graces
increased, our pardon made more certain ; and when we
present ourselves to God, having received Christ's body
within us, we are sure to be accepted, and all the good
prayers we make to God for ourselves and others are sure
to be heard."
Quest. Who are fit to receive this sacrament ?
Ans. None but baptized Christians, and such as repent of
their sins, and heartily purpose to lead a good life.
Quest. What other ministries hath Christ ordained in
his Church, to help us, and to bring so many great purposes
to pass.
Ans. Jesus Christ hath appointed ministers and am-
bassadors of his own to preach his word to us, to pray for
us, to exhort and to reprove, to comfort and instruct, to
restore and reconcile us, if we be overtaken in a fault ; to
visit the sick, to separate the vile from the precious, to
administer the sacraments, and to watch for the good of our
souls.?
Quest. What are we tied to perform towards them ?
Ans. To pay them honour and maintenance, to obey
them in all things according to the Gospel, and to order
ourselves so, that they may give account of our souls with
cheerfulness and joy. q
Quest. Which are the commandments and laws of Jesus
Christ?
Ans. 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 : and they are set down in
m 1 Cor. xi. 23-25. Matt. xxvi. 26. Mark, xiv. 22. Luke, xxii. 19.
1 Cor. x. 16. Matt. xxvi. 28. 1 Cor. xi. 27-29.
P 1 Cor. v. 18. Acts, xx. 28. 1 Pet. v. 2. Gal. i. 6. James, v. 14.
1 Gal.ri. <i. 1 Tim. v. 17. Heb. xiii. 17.
CREDENDA. 19
the sermons of our blessed Lord, and of his apostles ; but
especially in the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of St.
Matthew/
AN EXPOSITION
THE APOSTLES' CREED.
/ believe in God.
I BELIEVE that there is 'a God who is one, true, supreme,
and alone, infinitely wise, just, good, free, eternal, immense,
and blessed, and in him alone we are to put our trust. a
The father Almighty.
I believe that he is, 1. The Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ; and, 2. Of all that believe in him, whom he hath
begotten by his word, and adopted to the inheritance of
sons : and because he is our Father, he will do us all that
good to which we are created and designed by grace ; and
because he is almighty, he is able to perform it all ; and,
therefore, we may safely believe in him, and rely upon him. b
Maker of heaven and earth.
He made the sun and the moon, the stars, and all the
regions of glory ; he made the air, the earth, and the water,
and all that live in them ; he made angels and men, and he
who made them, does, and he only can, preserve them in the
r Read also Rom. xii. Epb. v. and vi. 1 Thess. v.
Luke, vi. 35. Deut. x. 17 ; vi. 4. Mark, xii. 29, 32. 1 Cor. viii. 4.
John, xvii. 3. 1 Thess. i. 9. Psalm xc. 2 ; xciii. 2 ; Ixxvii. 13 ; xcv. 3 ; cxlvii.
5. Rom. xvi. 17. 1 Tim. i. 17. 2 Chron. xix. 7. Psalm cxix. 137. 1 Chron.
xvi. 34. Psalm xxxiv. 8 ; cxxxv. 6. Exod. xxxiii. 19. 1 Tim. i. 11.
b John, viii. 58. Rom. viii. 29, 32. 1 Cor. viii. 6; xv. 24. Matt. xxiv. 36.
Heb. ii. 11. 1 Pet. i. 23. Gal. iv. 4.
20 CREDENDA.
same being, and thrust them forward to a better ; he that
preserves them, does also govern them, and intends they
should minister to his glory; and therefore we are to do
worship and obedience to him in all that we can, and that he
hath commanded. 6
And in Jesus Christ.
I also believe in Jesus Christ, who is, and is called a
Saviour, and the Anointed of the Lord, promised to the
patriarchs, whom God 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, and our High-Priest, reconciling us to
his Father by the sacrifice of himself; and to be the great
King of all the world : and by this article we are Christians,
who serve and worship God the Father through Jesus
Christ. d
His only Son.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he alone, of him. alone;
for God, by his Holy Spirit, caused him to be born of a virgin :
by his power he raised him from the dead, and gave him a
new birth, or being in the body : he gave him all power and
all excellence ; and beyond all this, he is the express image
of his person, the brightness of his glory, equal to God,
beloved before the beginning of the world, of a nature
perfectly Divine ; 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. 6
Our Lord.
Jesus Christ, God's only Son, is the heir of all things and
persons in his Father's house : all angels and men are his
servants, and all the creatures obey him ; we are to believe
c Isaiah, Ixv. 17 ; Ixvi. 12. Acts, iv. 24. Psalm xxxvi. 7, 8. Matt v. 26 ;
x. 29, 30. Rev. xiv. 7. Matt. iv. 10.
d Matt. i. 20. John, iii. 34. Acts, x. 28 ; iii. 22, 23. Heb. xii. 24 ; i. 8 ;
vi. 7, 21. Rev. i. 5. Acts, xi. 26 ; xxvi. 28. 1 Pet. iv. 16.
e Luke, i. 32. Rom. i. 3, 4. 1 John, v. 9, &c. ; iv. 15 ; v. 5. John, i. 11.
Col. i. 15, 17, 18. Heb. i. 3, 5. Phil. ii. 6. John, iii. 35 ; v. 19. Col. ii. 9, 10.
John, xvii. 24.
CREDENDA. 21
in him, and by faith in him only, and in his name, we shall
be saved. f
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost.
I believe that Jesus Christ was not begotten of a man,
nor born by natural means, but that a Divine power from
God, God's Holy Spirit, did overshadow the virgin-mother
of Christ, and made her, in a wonderful manner, to conceive
Jesus in her womb; and by this his admirable manner of
being conceived, he was the Son of God alone, and no man
was his father. 5
Born of the Virgin Mary.
Though God was his Father, and he begat him by the
power of the Holy Ghost, and caused him miraculously to
begin in the womb of his mother, yet from her he also
derived his human nature, and by his mother he was of the
family of King 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 a rare exemplar modesty and humility :
and she received the honour of being a mother to the Son of
God, and ever a virgin, and all generations shall call her
blessed.' 1
Suffered under Pontius Pilate.
After that Jesus passed through the state of infancy and
childhood, being subject to his parents, and working in an
humble trade to serve his own and his mother's needs, he
grew to the state of a man, he began to preach at the age of
thirty years, and having, for about three years and a half,
preached the Gospel, and taught us his Father's will, having
spoken the Gospel of his kingdom, and revealed to us the
secrets of eternal life, and resurrection of the dead, regene-
ration and 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
f Matt, xxviii. 18. Acts, ii. 36. Psalm ii. 6, 7, &c. 1 Cor. viii. 6. Heb.
i. 6, 14, 15. 1 Pet. i. 21.
s Luke, i. 35. Gal. iv. 4. Luke, i. 32.
11 Luke, i. 26, &c. Matt. i. 18. Luke, i. -15, 48. Mutt. i. '.'3.
22 CREDENDA.
sins, and suffered himself to be taken by the malicious Jews,
and put to a painful and shameful death ; they being envious
at him for the number of his disciples, and the reputation of
his person, the innocence of his life, the mightiness of his
miracles, and the power of his doctrine ; and this death he
suffered when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea.'
Was crucified.
Jesus Christ being taken by the rulers of the Jews, bound
and derided, buffeted and spit upon, accused weakly and
persecuted violently ; at last, wanting matter and pretences
to condemn him, they asked him of his person and office ;
and because he affirmed that great truth, which all the world
of good men longed for, that he was the Messias, and
designed to sit at 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 crucified. The soldiers, therefore, mocking him with a
robe and a reed, and pressing a crown of thorns upon his
head, led him to the place of his death ; compelling him to
bear his cross, to which they presently nailed him ; on which
for three hours he hanged in extreme torture, being a sad
spectacle of the most afflicted and the most innocent person
of the whole world. k
Dead.
When the holy Jesus was wearied with tortures, and he
knew all things were now fulfilled, and his Father's wrath
appeased towards mankind : his Father, pitying his innocent
Son groaning under such intolerable miseries, hastened his
death ; and Jesus, commending his Spirit into the hands of
his Father, cried with a loud voice, bowed his head, and
died ; and by his death sealed all the doctrines and revela-
tions which he first taught the world, and then confirmed by
his blood : he was consecrated our merciful High-Priest, and,
by a feeling of our miseries and temptations, became able to
help them that are tempted : and for these his sufferings, was
1 Luke, ii. 51, 52 ; iii. 23. John, iii. 4, &c. Acts, xiii. 39. Matt. xxr.
31, 32. Luke, xxii. 63. John, xviii. 4, 12, &c. Matt. xxvi.
k Matt, xxvii. Mark, xv. Luke, xxiii. John, xix.
CREDENDA. 23
exalted to the highest throne, and seat of the right-hand of
God ; and hath shewn, that to heaven there is no surer way
than suffering for his name ; and hath taught us willingly to
suffer for his sake what himself hath already suffered for
ours: he reconciled us to God by his death, led us to God,
drew us to himself, redeemed us from all iniquity, purchased
us for his Father, and for ever made us his servants and
redeemed ones, that we, being dead unto sin, might live unto
God : and this death being so highly beneficial to us, he
hath appointed means to apply to us, and to represent to
God for us in the holy sacrament of his last supper. And
upon all these considerations, that cross which was a smart
and shame to our Lord is honour to us, and as it turned to
his glory, so also to our spiritual advantages. 1
And buried.
That he might suffer every thing of human nature, he
was, by the care of his friends and disciples, by the leave of
Pilate, taken from the cross, and embalmed (as the manner
of the Jews was to bury), and wrapt in linen, and buried in a
new grave, hewn out of a rock ; and this was the last and
lowest step of his humiliation." 1
He descended into hell.
That is, he went down into the lower parts of the earth,
or (as himself called it) "into the heart of the earth;" by
which phrase the Scripture understands the state of separa-
tion, or of souls severed from their bodies : by this, his
descending to the land of darkness, where all things are
forgotten, he sanctified the state of death and separation,
that none of his servants might ever after fear the jaws of
death and hell ; whither he went, not to buffer torment (be-
cause he finished all that upon the cross), but to triumph
over the gates of hell, to verify his death, and the event of
his sufferings, and to break the iron bars of those lower
1 John, xix.; xviii. 37. Phil. ii. 8. Col. i. 20. Isaiah, Hi i. 10. Heb. vii.
25 ; is. 12 ; ii. 17, 18 ; iv. 5. Luke, xxiii. 46. John, x. 17, 18 ; xii. 32 ;
xi. 51. Eph. ii. 13, 11. Heb. ii. 10. Col. i. 21 , 22. Tit. ii. 14. John, vi. 51.
1 Pet. ii. 24 ; iv. 13. 2 Tim. ii. 11. Gal. vi. 14.
m Matt, xxvii. 57, &c.
24- CREDENDA.
prisons, that they may open and shut hereafter only at his
command. 11
The third day he rose again from the dead.
After our Lord Jesus had abode in the grave the remain-
ing part of the day of his passion, and all the next day, early
in the morning upon the third day, by the power of God, he
was raised from death and hell to light and life, never to
return to death any more, and is become the first-born from
the dead, the first-fruits of them that slept ; and although he
was put to death in the flesh, yet now being quickened in
the spirit, he lives for ever ; and as we all die in Adam, so
in Christ we shall all 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 resurrection.
He ascended into heaven.
When our dearest Lord was risen from the grave, he
conversed with his disciples for forty days together, often
shewing himself alive by infallible proofs, and once to five
hundred of his disciples at one appearing : having spoken to
them fully concerning the affairs of the kingdom, and the
promise of the Father; leaving them some few things in
charge for the present, he solemnly gave them his blessing,
and in the presence of his apostles was taken up into
heaven by a bright cloud and the ministry of angels, being
gone before us to prepare a place for us above all heavens, in
the presence of his Father, and at the foot of the throne of
God ; from which glorious presence we cannot be kept by
the change of death, and the powers of the grave, nor the
depth of hell, nor the height of heaven ; but Christ being
lifted up, shall draw all his servants unto him. p
Andsitteth on the right-hand of God the Father Almighty.
I believe that Jesus Christ sitteth in heaven above all
n Eph. iv. 9. Matt. xii. 40. Acts, ii. 27. Hos. xiii. 14. 1 Cor. xv. 54.
Rev. xx. 13, 14. Matt xvi. 18. Rev. i. 17, 18.
Mark, xvi. 1, Acts, x. 40. Rom. xiv. 9. Acts, v. 30, Inc. Col. i. 18.
Matt, xxviii. 1. 1 Pet. iii. 18; i.3. Eph. i. 17. 1 Cor. xv. 20, &c.
P Luke, xxiv. 45, 50. Matt. xxi. 17. John, xx. and xxi. Acts, i. 9. 1 Cor.
xv. 6, 45, 47. Heh. vi. 19, Rom. viii. 38, 39. 1 John, iii. 2.
CREDENDA. 25
principalities and powers, being exalted above every name
that is named in heaven and earth, that is, above every
creature above and below, all things being put under his
feet : he is always in the presence of his Father, interceding
for us, and governs all things in heaven and earth, that he may
defend his Church, and adorn her with his Spirit, and pro-
cure and effect hereternal salvation : there he sits and reigns
as King, and intercedes as our High-Priest ; he is a Minister
of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle which God
made and not man, the Author and Finisher of our faith, the
Captain of our confession, the great Apostle of our religion,
the 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 Divine worship, service, and obedience, and we must
believe in him, and in God by him, and rely entirely on the
mercies of God through Jesus Christ. q
From thence he shall come.
In the clouds, shining, and adorned with the glory of his
Father, attended by millions of bright angels, with the voice
of an archangel, and a shout of all the heavenly army, the
trump of God ; and every eye shall see him ; and they that
pierced his hands and his feet shall behold his majesty, his
terror, and his glory : and all the families of the earth shall
tremble at his presence ; and the powers of heaven shall be
shaken, and the whole earth and sea shall be broken in pieces
and confusion : for then he shall come to put an end to this
world/ and
To judge the quick and dead.
" For the Father judgeth no man, but hath given all
judgment to the Son ;" and at this day of judgment, the Lord
Jesus shall sit in the air in a glorious throne ; and the angels
having gathered together God's elect from the four corners
of the world, and all the kindreds of the earth being brought
before the judgment-seat, the records of their conscience
shall be laid open ; that is, all that ever they thought, or
J Phil. ii. 8, 9, &c. Eph. i. 17, 22. Rom. viii. 34. Heb. vii. 27. 2 Pet.
i. 4. Heb. xii. 2. 1 Pet. i. 20, 21. Heb. i. 6.
r John, xiv. 3. Matt. xxiv. 30. 1 Thess. iv. 16. Rev. i. 7. Acts, i. 11.
y Tim. iv. 1.
26 CREDENDA.
spake, or did, shall be brought to their memory, to convince
the wicked of the justice of the Judge in passing the fearful
sentence upon them, and to glorify the mercies of God to-
wards his redeemed ones : and then the righteous Judge shall
condemn the wicked to the portion of devils for ever, to a
state of torments, the second, and eternal, and intolerable
death ; and the godly being placed on his right-hand, shall
hear the blessed sentence of absolution, and shall be led by
Christ to the participation of the glories of his Father's
kingdom for ever and ever. Amen. s
/ believe in the Holy Ghost [or] the Holy Spirit ;
Who is the third person of the holy, undivided, ever
blessed Trinity, which I worship, and adore, and admire,
but look upon with wonder, and am not in a capacity to
understand. I believe that the Holy Spirit, into whose name,
as of the Father and the Son, I was baptized, is the hea-
venly Author, the Captain, the Teacher, and the Witness of
all the truths of the Gospel : that as the Father sent the
Son, so the Son from heaven sent the Holy Spirit to lead
the Church into all truth ; to assist us in all temptations, and
to help us in the purchase of all virtue. This Holy Spirit
proceeds from the Father, and our Lord Jesus received him
from his Father, and sent him into the world, who, receiving
the things of Christ, and declaring the same excellent doc-
trines, speaks whatsoever he hath heard from him ; and in-
structed the apostles, and builds the Church, and produces
faith, and confirms our hope, and increases charity : and this
Holy Spirit our blessed Lord hath left with his Church for
ever, by which all the servants of God are enabled to do all
things necessary to salvation, which by the force of nature
they cannot do : and we speak by the Spirit, and work by
the Spirit, when by his assistances, any ways imparted to us,
we speak or do any thing of our duty. He it is who en-
lightens our understandings, sanctifies our will, orders and
commands our affections ; he comforts our sorrows, supports
our spirits in trouble, and enables us, by promises, and confi-
dences, and gifts, to suffer for the Lord Jesus and the Gospel :
and all these things God the Father does for us by his Son,
8 John, v. 22, 23. 1 Thess. ir. 16, 17. Matt. xxv. 32. Acts, x. 42.
Matt. xxv. 34, &c.
CREDENDA. 27
and the Son by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit by all
means within and without, which are operative upon, and
proportionable to, the nature of reasonable creatures. This
is he who works miracles, gives the gifts of prophecy and of
interpretation ; that teaches us what and how to pray ; that
gives us zeal and holy desires ; who sanctifies children in
baptism, and confirms them with his grace in confirmation,
and reproves the \vorld, and consecrates bishops, and all the
ministers of the Gospel, and absolves the penitent, and blesses
the obedient, and comforts the sick, and excommunicates the
refractory, and makes intercession for the saints, that is, the
Church; and those whom he hath blessed, appointed, and
sanctified to these purposes, do all these ministries by his au-
thority, and his commandment, and his aids. This is he that
' testifies 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 confidences of our being accepted in our
hearty and constant endeavours to please God, that we can
with cheerfulness and joy call God our Father, and expect
and hope for the portion of sons both here and hereafter;
and, in the certainty of this hope, to work out our salvation
with fear and reverence, with trembling and joy, with dis-
trust of ourselves, and mighty confidence in God. By this
holy and ever blessed Spirit, several persons in the Church,
and every man in his proportion, receives the gilts of wisdom,
and utterance, and knowledge, and interpretation, and pro-
phecy, and healing, and government, and discerning of
spirits, and faith, and tongues, and whatsoever can be ne-
cessary for the Church in several ages and periods, for her
beginning, for her continuance, for her in prosperity, and for
her in persecution. This is the great ' promise of the Father,'
and it is the ' gift of God,' which he will give to all them
that ask him, and who live piously and chastely, and are
persons fit to entertain so Divine a grace. This Holy Spirit
God gives to some more, to some less, according as they are
capable. They ' who obey his motions,' and love his pre-
sence, and improve his gifts, shall have him yet more abun-
dantly : but they that ' grieve ,the Holy Spirit,' shall lose
that which they have ; and they that ' extinguish him,' belong
not to Christ, but are in the state of reprobation ; and 'they
28 CREDENDA.
that blaspheme ' this Holy Spirit, and call him the spirit of
the devil, or the spirit of error, or folly, or do malicious de-
spites to him. that is, they who on purpose considering and
choosing, do him hurt by word or by deed (so far as lies in
them), shall for ever be separated from the presence of God
and of Christ, and shall never be forgiven in this world, nor
in the world to come. Lastly, this Holy Spirit seals us to
the day of redemption; that is, God gives us his Holy Spirit
as a testimony that he will raise us again at the last day,
and give us a portion in the glories of his kingdom, in the
inheritance of our Lord Jesus. 1
The holy Catholic Church.
I believe that there is and ought to be a visible company
of men professing the service and discipline, that is, the reli-
gion of the Gospel, who agree together in the belief of all
the truths of God revealed by Jesus Christ, and in confession
of the articles of this creed, and agree together in praying
and praising God through Jesus Christ ; to read and hear the
Scriptures read and expounded ; to provoke each other to
love and to good works ; to advance the honour of Christ,
and to propagate his faith and worship. I believe this to be
a holy church, spiritual, and not civil and secular, but sanc-
tified by their profession and the solemn rites of it, pro-
fessing holiness, and separating from the evil manners of
heathens and wicked persons, by their laws and institutions.
And this church is catholic, that is, it is not confined to the
nation of the Jews, as was the old religion ; but it is gathered
out of all nations, and is not of a differing faith in differing
places, but always did, doth, and ever shall profess the faith
which the apostles preached, and which is contained in this
creed ; which whosoever believes, is a catholic and a Christ-
ian, and he that believes not, is neither. This catholic
Church I believe, that is, I believe whatsoever all good
* Matt, xxviii. 19. Jobn, xv. 26 ; xvi. 13 ; vi. 45 ; vii. 16, 17 ; y. 37.
Acts, xv. 32; iii. 33 j ii. 4 ; xiii. 1-3 ; xx. 28. Luke, xii. 12. John, xvii/37 ;
xiv. 16 ; xvi. 13, 8. Watt. x. 10. Eph. i. 17 ; iii. 16. 1 Cor. ii. 10-12. Rom.
viii. 14-16 ; xiv. 17 ; xv. 13, 19. 1 Thess. i. 6. Luke, xxiv. 49 ; iv. 18. Acts,
ii. 33, 38. Eph. iv. 7, 30. 1 Cor. iii. 16. Eph. i. 13. Acts, vii. 51. Rom. i. 14.
1 TLess. v. 19. Mark, iii. 29. 2 Cor. i. 22 ; v. 15.
CREDENDA. 29
Christians in all ages and all places did confess to be the
catholic and apostolic faith."
The communion of saints.
That is, the communion of all Christians, because, by
reason of their holy faith, they are called saints in Scripture,
as being begotten by God into a lively faith, and cleansed
by believing; and by this faith, and -the profession of a holy
life in obedience to Jesus Christ, they are separated from
the world, called to the knowledge of the truth, justified
before God, and endued with the Holy Spirit of grace, fore-
known from the beginning of the world, and predestinated
by God to be made conformable to the image of his Son, here
in holiness of life, hereafter in a life of glory ; and they who
are saints in their belief and profession, must be so also in
their practice and conversation, that so they may make their
calling and election sure, lest they be saints only in name
and title, in their profession aud institution, and not in
manners and holiness of living, that is, lest they be so
before men, and not before God. I believe that all people
who desire the benefit of the Gospel, are bound to have a
fellowship and society with these saints, and communicate
with them in their holy things, in their faith, and in their
hope, and in their sacraments, and in their prayers, and in
their public assemblies, and in their government ; and must
do to them all the acts of charity and mutual help which
they can and are required to ; and without this communion
of saints, and a conjunction with them who believe in God
through Jesus Christ, there is no salvation to be expected :
which communion must be kept in inward things always,
and by all persons, and testified by outward acts always,
when it is possible, and may be done upon just and holy
conditions/
The forgiveness of sins.
I believe that all the sins I committed before I came to
u 1 Tim. iii. 15. Eph. iii. 21. Heb. ii. 12 ; x. 24. 1 Cor. xiv. 26, &c.
Matt, xviii. 17, 18. Acts, xii. 5. 1 Cor. xiv. 14. Gal. i. 8, 9. Col. ii. 8, 9.
Heb. xiii. 8, 9.
x Acts, xx vi. 10 ; ix. 13, 32, 41. 1 Cor. vi. 11 ; i. 2. Matt. xxii. 14.
1 Pet. i. 2, 14-16. 2 Pet. iii. 11. Matt, xviii. 17, 18. Heb. x. 25. 1 Cor. xi.
23, &c. Eph. iv. 13 ; v. 6, 7, 21 ; vi. 18. Phil. ii. 4 ; i. 27. Rom. xvi. 16, 17.
1 John, iii. 18. 1 Pet. i. 22.
.30 CREDENDA.
the knowledge of the truth, and all the Slips of human
infirmity, against which we heartily pray, and watch, and
labour, and all the evil habits, of which we repent so timely
and effectually, that we obtain their contrary graces, and
live in them, are fully remitted by the blood of Christ ;
which forgiveness we obtain by faith and repentance, and
therefore are not justified by the righteousness of works,
but by the righteousness of faith : and we are preserved in
the state of forgiveness or justification by the fruits of a lively
faith, and a timely active repentance/
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, shall rise
from their graves, their dead bones shall live, and be clothed
with flesh and skin, and their bodies, together with their
souls, shall enter into the portion of a new life ; and that
this body shall no more see corruption, but shall rise to an
excellent condition ; it shall be spiritual, powerful, immortal,
and glorious, like unto his glorious body, who shall then be
our Judge, is now our Advocate, our Saviour, and our Lord. 2
And the life everlasting.
I believe that they who have their part in this resur-
rection, shall meet the Lord in the air; and when the
blessed sentence is pronounced upon them, they shall for
ever be with the Lord in joys unspeakable, and full of
glory ; God shall wipe all tears from their eyes ; there shall
be no fear or sorrow, no mourning or death, a friend shall
never go away from thence, and an enemy shall never
enter; there shall be fulness without want, light eternal,
brighter than the sun; day, and no night; joy, and no
weeping ; difierence in degree, and yet all full ; there is love
without dissimulation, excellence without envy, multitudes
without confusion, music without discord ; there the under-
y Rom. iii. 28. Acts, iL 38; xiii. 38. 1 John, ii. 1, 2, 12. Gal. vi. 1.
John, xx. 23. Mark, xvi. 16. 2 Pet. i. 5, &c. Eph. i. 13. 1 Pet. i. 15-18.
James, ii. 17, 20, &c. 1 John, iii. 21, &c. Heb. xii. 14-16.
1 1 Cor. xv. 29, &c. Matt. xxii. 31. Rom. viii. 11, 23. John, vi. 3?.
Phil. iii. 20. 2 Cor. v. 1.
CREDENDA. 31
standings are rich, and the will is satisfied, and the affec-
tions are all love, and all joy, and they shall reign with God
and Christ for ever and ever. a
Amen.
This is the catholic faith, which, except a man believe
faithfully, he cannot be saved.
" Regula quidem fidei, una omnino est, sola immobilis et
irreformabilis, credendi scil. in unicum Deum Oninipotentem,
&c. Hac lege fidei maneute, csetera jam disciplines et con-
versationis admittunt novitatem correctionis, operante scil. et
proficiente usque in finem gratia Dei : b
"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 remaining, in other things you may
increase and grow."
" Hsec est fides, quae paucis verbis tenenda in symbolo
novellis datur ; quse pauca verba fidelibus nota sunt : ut
credendo subjugentur Deo, subjugati recte vivant, recte
vivendo cor mundent, corde niundo quod credunt, intel-
ligant : c
" This is the faith which in few words is given to novices;
these few words are known to all the faithful ; that by believ-
ing they may be subject to God ; by this subjection they may
live well ; by living well they may purify their hearts ; and
with pure hearts they may relish and understand what they
do believe."
" Symbolum tessera est et signaculurn, quo inter fideles,
perfidosque secernitur : d
" This creed is the badge or cognizance by which the
faithful are discerned from unbelievers."
" Hujus catholici syrnboli brevis et perfecta confessio,
quse duodecim apostolorum totidem est signata sententiis,
tarn instructa est in munitione coelesti, ut'omnes hsereticorum
opiniones solo possint gladio detruncari : e
" This short and perfect confession of this catholic creed,
which was consigned by the sentences of twelve apostles, is
so perfect a celestial armour, that all the opinions of heretics
may by this alone, as with a sword, be cut in pieces."
a 1 Thess. iv. 17. Rev. xxi. 4 ; xxii. 5. Matt. xxtr. 34.
b Tertull. de velandis Virgin. S. Aug. de Fide et Symb.
d Max. Taurin. de Tradit. Symb. Leo M. ad Pulcheriam Aug.
AGENDA;
OR,
THINGS TO BE DONE.
Inscripta Christo pagina immortalis est ;
Nee obsolescit ullus in ccelis apex.
Prudent. vt rrtQamt. Hymn x.
The Diary; or, a Mule to spend each Day religiously .
SECTION I.
1 . SUPPOSE every day to be a day of business ; for your
whole life is a race and a battle, a merchandise and a jour-
ney. Every day propound to yourself a rosary or a chaplet
of good works, to present to God at night.
2. Rise as soon as your health and other occasions shall
permit; but it is good to be as regular as you can, and as
early. Remember, he that rises first to prayer, hath a more
early title to a blessing ; but he that changes night into day,
labour into idleness, watchfulness to sleep, changes his hopes
of blessing into a dream.
3. Never let any one think it an excuse to lie in bed, be-
cause he hath nothing to do when he is up ; for whoever hath
a soul, and hopes to save that soul, hath work enough to do
to " make his calling and election sure," to serve God, and to
pray, to read, and to meditate, to repent, and to amend, to
do good to others, and to keep evil from themselves. And
if thou hast little to do, thou oughtest to employ the more
time in laying up for a greater crown of glory.
4. At your opening your eyes, enter upon the day with
some act of piety.
AGENDA. 33
1. Of thanksgiving for the preservation of you the
night past.
2. Of the glorification of God for the works of
the creation, or any thing for the honour of God.
5. When you first go off from your hed, solemnly and
devoutly bow your head, and worship the Holy Trinity, the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
6. When you are making ready, be as silent as you can,
and spend that time in holy thoughts ; there being no way
left to redeem that time from loss, but by meditation and
short mental prayers. If you choose to speak, speak some-
thing of God's praises, of his goodness, his mercies, or his
greatness : ever resolving, that the first-fruits of thy reason,
and of all thy faculties, shall be presented to God, to sanc-
tify the whole harvest of thy conversation.
7. Be not curious, nor careless in your habit, but always
keep these measures :
1 . Be not troublesome to thyself, or to others, by
unhandsomeness or uncleanness.
2. Let it be according to your state and quality.
3. Make religion to be the difference of your habit,
so as to be best attired upon holy or festival days.
8. In your dressing, let there be ejaculations fitted to the
several actions of dressing : as, at washing your hands and
face, pray God to cleanse your soul from sin ; in putting on
your clothes, pray him to clothe your soul with the righteous-
ness of your Saviour : and so in all the rest.
For religion must not only be the garment of your soul,
to invest it all over ; but it must be also as the fringes to
every of your actions, that something of religion appear in
every one of them, besides the innocence of all of them.
9. As soon as you are dressed with the first preparation
of your clothes, that you can decently do it, kneel and say
the Lord's Prayer ; then rise from your knees, and do what
is necessary for you in order to your further dressing, or
affairs of the house, which is speedily to be done ; and then
finish your dressing, according to the foregoing rules.
10. When you are dressed, retire yourself to your closet;
and go to your usual devotions, which it is good that, at the
first prayers, they were divided into seven actions of piety:
1. An act of adoration.
VOL. xv. D
34 AGENDA.
2. Of thanksgiving.
3. Of oblation.
4. Of confession.
5. Of petition.
6. Of intercession .
7. Of meditation, or serious, deliberate, useful read-
ing of the Holy Scriptures.
11. I advise that your reading should be governed by
these measures :*
1. Let it be not of the whole Bible in order, but
for your devotion use the New Testament, and such
portions of the Old as contain the precepts of holy life.
2. The historical and less useful part, let it be
read at such other times which you have of leisure
from your domestic employments.
3. Those portions of Scripture which you use in your
prayers, let them not be long. A chapter at once, no
more ; but then what time you can afford, spend it in
thinking and meditating upon the holy precepts which
you read.
4. Be sure to meditate so long, till you make
some act of piety upon the occasion of what you
meditate; either that you get some new arguments
against a sin, or some new encouragements to virtue ;
some spiritual strength and advantage, or else some
act of prayer to God, or glorification of him.
5. I advise that you would read your chapter in the
midst of your prayers in the morning, if they be divided
according to the number of the former actions ; because
little interruptions will be apt to make your prayers
less tedious, and yourself more attent upon them. But
if you find any other way more agreeing to your spirit
and disposition, use your liberty without scruple.
12. Before you go forth of your closet, after your prayers
are done, sit yourself down a little while, and consider what
you are to do that day, what matter of business is like to
employ you, or to tempt you ; and take particular resolution
against that, whether it be matter of wrangling, or anger, or
covetousness, or vain courtship, or feasting : and when you
enter upon it, remember upon what you resolved in your
a Out tffri <riva ffuQTiva.1 fan ffuii^
Sf . Chrysoit. Homil. iii. de Lazaro.
AGENDA. 35
closet. If you are likely to have nothing extraordinary that
day, a general recommendation of the affairs of that day to
God in your prayers, will be sufficient ; but if there be any
thing foreseen that is not usual, be sure to be armed for it,
by a hearty, though a short prayer, and an earnest, prudent re-
solution beforehand : and then watch when the thing conies.
13. Whosoever hath children or servants, let him or her
take care that all the children and servants of the family
say their prayers before they begin their work ; the Lord's
Prayer, and the ten commandments, with the short verse at
the end of every commandment, which the Church uses ; and
the creed is a very good office for them, if they be not fitted
for more regular offices. And to these also it were good
that some proper prayer were apportioned, and they taught
it. It were well if they would serve themselves of this form
set down at the end of this Diary.
14. Then go about the affairs of your house, and proper
employment, ever avoiding idleness, or too much earnestness
of affection upon the things of the world : do your business
prudently, temperately, diligently, humbly, charitably.
15. Let there be no idle person in or about your family,
or beggars, or unemployed servants, but find them all work
and meat ; call upon them carefully ; reprove them without
reproaches, or fierce railings. Be a master, or a mistress,
and a friend to them, and exact of them to be faithful and
diligent.
16. In your servants, suffer any offence against yourself,
rather than against God ; endure not that they should swear,
or lie, or steal, or be wanton, or curse each other, or be
railers, or slanderers, or tell-tales, and sowers of dissension
in the family, or amongst neighbours.
17. In all your intercourse with your .neighbours in the
day let your affairs be wholly matter of business or civility,
and always managed with justice and charity ; never let it
be matter of curiosity or inquiry into the actions of others ;
always without censuring or rash judgment, without back-
biting, slandering, or detraction : do it not yourself, neither
converse with them that do. He or she that loves tale-
bearers, shall never be beloved, or be innocent.
18. Before dinner and supper, as often as it is conve-
nient, or can be had, let the public prayers of the Church, or
some parts of them, be said publicly in the family, and let as
36 AGENDA.
many be present as you can. The same rule is also to be
observed for Sundays and holydays, for their going to
church. Let no servant be always detained, but relieved and
provided for by changes.
19. Let your meal be temperate and wholesome, accord-
ing to your quality, and the season begun and ended with
prayer ; and be sure that in the course of your meal, and
before you rise, you recollect yourself, and send your heart
up to God with some holy and short ejaculation, remem-
bering your duty, fearing to offend, or desiring and sighing
after the eternal supper of the Lamb.
20. After meal, use what innocent refreshment you please
to refresh your mind or body, with these measures.
1 . Let it not be too expensive of time.
2. Let it not hinder your devotion, nor your busi-
ness.
3. Let it be always without violence or passion.
4. Let it not then wholly take you up when you are
at it ; but let your heart retire with some holy thoughts,
and sober recollections, lest your mind be seized upon by
it, and your affections carried off from better things ;
secure your affections for God, and sober and severe
employment. Here you may be refreshed, but take heed
you neither dwell here, nor sin here. It is better never to
use recreation, than at any time to sin by it. But you
may use recreation, and avoid sin, and that is the best
temper ; but if you cannot do both, be more careful of
your soul than of your refreshment, and that is the
best security. But then in what you use to sin, carefully
avoid it, and change your refreshment for some other
instance, in which you can be more innocent.
2 1 . Entertain no long discourses with any, but, if you can,
bring in something to season it with religion : as God must
be in all your thoughts, so, if it be possible, let him be in all
your discourses, at least, let him be at one end of it ; and
when you cannot speak of him, be sure you forget not to
think of him.
22. Toward the declining of the day, be sure to retire to
your private devotions. Read, meditate, and pray ; in which
I propound to you this method :
On the Lord's day meditate on the glories of the
creation, the works of God, and all his benefits to
AGENDA. 37
mankind, and to you in particular. Then let your devo-
tion be humbly, upon your knees, to say over the 8th
and 19th Psalms, and sometimes the 104th, with proper
collects which you shall find or get : adding the form
of thanksgiving which is in the * Rule of Holy Living,'
page 293, in the manner as is there directed ; or some
other of your own choosing.
Meditate on Monday on 1. Death.
Tuesday 2. Judgment.
Wednesday 3. Heaven.
Thursday 4. Hell.
Saying your usual prayers, and adding some ejaculations
or short sayings of your own, according to the matter of
your devotion.
On Friday, recollect your sins that you have done
that week, and all your lifetime ; and let your devotion
be to recite, humbly and devoutly, some penitential lita-
nies, whereof you may serve yourself in the ' Rule of
Holy Living,' p. 284.
On Saturday, at the same time, meditate on the pas-
sion of our blessed Saviour and all the mysteries of our
redemption, which you may do and pray together, by
using the forms made to that purpose in the ' Rule of
Holy Living,' p. 298. In all your devotions begin and
end with the Lord's Prayer.
Upon these two days and Sunday, you may choose
some portions out of the ' Life of Christ,' to read and
help your meditation, proper to the mysteries you are
appointed to meditate, or any other devout books.
23. Read not much at a time ; but meditate as much as
your time, and capacity, and disposition, will give you leave :
ever remembering that little reading and much thinking,
little speaking and much hearing, frequent and short
prayers and great devotion, is the best way to be wise, to
be holy, to be devout.
24. Before you go to bed, bethink yourself of the day
past ; if nothing extraordinary hath happened, your con-
science is the sooner examined ; but if you have had any
difference or disagreeing with any one, or a great feast, or
great company, or a great joy, or a great sorrow, then recol-
lect yourself with the more diligence ; ask pardon for what
is amiss ; give God thanks for what was good : if you have
38 AGENDA.
omitted any duty, make amends next day ; and yet if nothing
be found that was amiss, he humbled still and thankful, and
pray God for pardon if any thing be amiss that yon know
not of. If all these things be in your offices, for your last
prayers, be sure to apply them according to what yon find in
yonr examination : but if they be not, supply them with short
ejaculations before yon begin your last prayers, or at the
end of them. Remember also, and be sure to take notice of,
all the mercies and deliverances of yourself and yonr rela-
tives that day.
25. As yon are going to bed, as often as yon can con-
veniently, or that yon are not hindered by company, meditate
on death, and the preparations to yonr grave. When yon lie
down, close your eyes with a short prayer, commit yourself
into the hands of your faithful Creator ; and when yon have
done, trust him with yourself, as yon must do when you are
dying.
26. If you awake in the night, fill up the intervals or
spaces of your not sleeping by holy thoughts and aspirations,
and remember the sins of your youth : and sometimes re-
member your dead, and that you shall die ; and pray to God
to send to you and all mankind a mercy in the day of
judgment.
27. Upon the holydays observe the same rules ; only let
the matter of your meditations be according to the mystery
of the day. As upon Christmas-day, meditate on the birth
of our blessed Saviour, and read that story and considera-
tions which are in the * Life of Christ :' and to your ordinary
devotions of every day, add the prayer which is fitted to the
mystery which you shall find in the ' life of Christ/ or in
the * Role of Holy Living.' Upon the day of the Annuncia-
tion, or our Lady-day, meditate on the incarnation of our
blessed Saviour ; and so, upon all the festivals of the year.
28. Set apart one day for fasting once a week, or once a
fortnight, or once a month at least, but let it be with these
cautions and measures :
1 . Do not choose a festival of the Church for your
fasting day.
2. Eat nothing till your afternoon devotions be done,
if the health of your body will permit it : if not, take
something, though it be the less.
3. When you eat your meal, let it be no more than
AGENDA. 39
ordinary, lest your fasting day end in an intemperate
evening.
4. Let the actions of all the day be proportionable
to it ; abstain from your usual recreations on that day,
and from greater mirth.
5. Be sure to design beforehand the purposes of your
fast, either for repentance, or for mortification, or for the
advantages of prayer ; and let your devotions be accord-
ingly. But be sure not to think fasting, or eating fish,
or eating nothing, of itself to be pleasing to God, but as
it serves to one of these purposes.
6. Let some part of that day extraordinary be set
apart for prayer, for the actions of repentance, for con-
fession of sins, and for begging of those graces for whose
sake you set apart that day.
7. Be sure that on that day you set apart some-
thing for the poor ; for fasting and alms are the wings
of prayer.
8. It is best to choose that day for your fast, which is
used generally by all Christians, as Friday and Saturday ;
but do not call it a fasting day, unless also it be a day of
extraordinary devotion and of alms.
29. From observation of all the days of your life, gather
out the four extraordinaries :
1. All the great and shameful sins you have com-
mitted.
2. All the excellent or greater acts of piety, which
by God's grace you have performed.
3. All the great blessings you have received.
4. All the dangers and great sicknesses you have
escaped. And upon all the days of your extraordinary
devotions, let them be brought forth, and produce their
acts of virtue :
1. Repentance and prayers for pardon.
2. Resolutions to proceed and increase in good
works.
3. Thanksgiving to God.
4. Fear and watchfulness, lest we fall into worse, as
a punishment for our sin.
30. Keep a little catalogue of these ; and at the foot of
them set down what promises and vows you have made, and
kept or broken, and do according as you are obliged.
40 AGENDA.
31. Receive the blessed sacrament as often as you can :
endeavour to have it once a month, besides the solemn and
great festivals of the year.
32. Confess your sins often, hear the word of God, make
religion the business of your life, your study, and chiefest
care ; and be sijre that in all things a spiritual guide take you
by the hand.
Thou shalt always rejoice in the evening, if thou doest
speud thy day virtuously.
VIA PACIS.
A SHORT METHOD OF PEACE AND HOLINESS,
WITH
A MANUAL OF DAILY PRAYERS FITTED TO THE
DAYS OF THE WEEK.
SUNDAY.
The First Decad.
1. IT is the highest wisdom, by despising the world, to
arrive at heaven : for they are blessed whose daily exercise
it is to converse with God by prayer and obedience, by love
and patience.
2. It is the extremest folly to labour for that which will
bring torment in the end, and no satisfaction in the little en-
joyment of it : to be unwearied in the pursuit of the world,
and to be soon tired in whatsoever we begin to do for Christ.
3. Watch over thyself, counsel thyself, reprove thyself,
censure thyself, and judge thyself impartially : whatever thou
dost to others, do not neglect thyself; for every man profits
so much as he does violence to himself.
4. They that follow their own sensuality stain their con-
sciences, and lose the grace of God : but he that endeavours
to please God, whatever he suffers, is beloved of God. For
it is not a question, Whether we shall or shall not suffer? but,
Whether we shall suffer for God or for the world ? whether
we shall take pains in religion or in sin, to get heaven or
to get riches ?
5. What availeth knowledge without the fear of God ? An
AGENDA. 41
humble ignorant man is better than a proud scholar, who
studies natural things, and knows not himself. The more
thou knowest, the more grievously thou shalt be judged :
many get no profit by their labour, because they contend for
knowledge, rather than for holy life ; and the time shall come,
when it shall more avail thee to have subdued one lust, than
to have known all mysteries.
6. No man truly knows himself, but he groweth daily
more contemptible in his own eyes ; desire, not to be known,
and to be little esteemed of by men.
7. If all be well within, nothing can hurt us from without :
for from inordinate love and vain fear, comes all unquietness
of spirit, and distraction of our senses.
8. He to whom all things are one, who draweth all things
to one, and seeth all things in one, may enjoy true peace and
rest of spirit.
9. It is not much business that distracts any man, but the
want of purity, constancy, and tendency towards God. Who
hinders thee more than the unmortified desires of thine own
heart ? As soon as ever a man desires any thing inordinately,
he is presently disquieted in himself. He that hath not
wholly subdued himself, is quickly tempted and overcome in
small and trifling things. The weak in spirit is he that is in
a manner subject to his appetite, and he quickly falls into
indignation, and contention, and envy.
10. He is truly great, that is great in charity, and little in
himself.
MONDAY.
The Second Decad.
1 1 . WE rather often believe and speak'evil of others, than
good. But they that are truly virtuous, do not easily credit
evil that is told them of their neighbours. For if others
may do amiss, then may these also speak amiss. Man is frail
and prone to evil, and, therefore, may soon fail in words.
12. Be not rash in thy proceedings, nor confident and
pertinacious in thy conceits. But consult with him that is
wise, and seek to be instructed by a better than thyself.
13. The more humble and resigned we are to God, the
42 AGENDA.
more prudent we are in our affairs to men, and peaceable in
ourselves.
14. The proud and the covetous can never rest.
'15. Be not ashamed to be, or to be esteemed, poor in this
world : for he that hears God teaching him, will find that it
is the best wisdom to withdraw all our affections from secular
honour, and troublesome riches, and to place them upon
eternal treasures ; and by patience, by humility, by suffering
scorn and contempt, and all the will of God, to get the true
riches.
16. Be not proud of well-doing ; for the judgment of
God is far differing from the judgment of men.
17. Lay not thine heart open to every one, but with the
wise and them that fear God. Converse not much with
young people and strangers. Flatter not the rich, neither
do thou willingly or lightly appear before great personages.
Never be partaker with the persecutors.
18. It is easier, and safer, and more pleasant to live in
obedience, than to be at our own disposing.
19. Always yield to others when there is cause ; for that
is no shame, but honour : but it is shame to stand stiff in a
foolish or weak argument or resolution.
20. The talk of worldly affairs hindereth much, although
recounted with a fair intention : we speak willingly, but
seldom return to silence.
TUESDAY.
The Third Decad.
21 . WATCH and pray, lest your time pass without profit
or fruit. But devout discourses do greatly further our
spiritual progress, if persons of one mind and spirit be
gathered together in God.
22. We should enjoy more peace, if we did not busy
ourselves with the words and deeds of other men, which
appertain not to our charge.
23. He that esteems his progress in religion to consist in
exterior observances, his devotion will quickly be at an end.
But to free ourselves of passions, is to lay the axe at the root
of the tree, and the true way of peace.
AGENDA. 43
24. It is good that we 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.
25. All the saints have profited by tribulations ; and they
that could not bear temptations, became reprobates, and fell
from God.
26. Think not all is well within, when all is well without ;
or that thy being pleased is a sign that God is pleased : but
suspect every thing that is prosperous, unless it promotes
piety, and charity, and humility.
27. Do no evil, for no interest, and to please no man,
for no friendship, and for no fear.
28. God regards not how much we do, but from how
much it proceeds. He does much that loves much.
29. Patiently suffer that from others which thou canst
not mend in them, until God please to do it for thee ; and
remember that thou mend thyself, since thou art so willing
others should not offend in any thing.
30. Every man's virtue is best seen in adversity and
temptation.
WEDNESDAY.
The Fourth Decad.
31. BEGIN everyday to repent, not that thou shouldstat
all defer it, or stand at the door, but because all that is past
ought to seem little to thee ; because it is so in itself : begin
the next day with the same zeal, and the same fear, and the
same humility, as if thou hadst never begun before.
32. A little omission of any usual exercise of piety,
cannot happen to thee without some loss* and considerable
detriment, even though it be upon a considerable cause.
33. Be not slow in common and usual acts of piety and
devotion, and quick and prompt at singularities : but having
first done what thou art bound to, proceed to counsels and
perfections, and the extraordinaries of religion, as you see
cause.
34. He that desires much to hear news, is never void of
passions, and secular desires, and adherences to the world.
44 AGENDA.
35. Complain not too much of hinderances of devotion :
if thou let men alone, they will let you alone : and if you
desire not to converse with them, let them know it, and they
will not desire to converse with thee.
36. Draw not to thyself the affairs of others, neither
involve thyself in the suits and parties of great personages.
37. Know that if any trouble happen to thee, it is what
thou hast deserved, and therefore brought upon thyself.
But if any comfort come to thee, it is a gift of God, and
what thou didst not deserve. And, remember, that often-
times when thy body complains of trouble, it is not so much
the greatness of trouble, as littleness of thy spirit, that makes
thee to complain.
38. He that knows how to suffer any thing for God,
that desires heartily the will of God may be done in him,
that studies to please others rather than himself, to do the
will of his superior, not his own, that chooses the least
portion, and is not greedy for the biggest, that takes the
lowest place, and does not murmur secretly, he is in the
best condition and state of things.
39. Let no man despair of mercy or success, so long as
he hath life and health.
40. Every man must pass though fire and water before
he can come to refreshment.
THURSDAY.
The Fifth Decad.
41. SOON may a man lose that by negligence, which hath
by much labour, and a long time, and a mighty grace,
scarcely been obtained. And what shall become of us be-
fore night, who are weary so early in the morning ? Wo
be to that man who would be at rest, even when he hath
scarcely a footstep of holiness appearing in his conversation !
42. So think, and so do, as if thou wert to die to-day,
and at night to give an account of thy whole life.
43. Beg not a long life, but a good one: for length of
days oftentimes prolongs the evil, and augments the guilt.
It were well if that little time we live, we would live well.
44. Entertain the same opinions and thoughts of thy sin
AGENDA. 45
and of thy present state, as thou wilt in the days of sorrow.
Thou wilt then think thyself very miserable and very foolish
for neglecting one hour, and one day of thy salvation : think
so now, and thou wilt be more provident of thy time and of
thy talent. For there will a time come, when every careless
man shall desire the respite of one hour for prayer and
repentance, and I know not who will grant it. Happy is
he that so lives, that in the day of death he rejoices, and is
not amazed !
45. He that would die comfortably, may serve his ends
by first procuring to himself a contempt of the world, a
fervent desire of growing in grace, love of discipline, a
laborious repentance, a prompt obedience, self-denial, and
toleration of every cross accident for the love of Christ, and
a tender charity.
46. While thou art well, thou mayest do much good, if
thou wilt ; but when thou art sick, neither thou nor I can tell
what thou shalt be able to do. It is not very much, nor
very good : few men mend with sickness, as there are but
few who, by travel and a wandering life, become devout.
47. Be not troubled, nor faint in the labours of mortifica-
tion, and the austerities of repentance : for in hell one hour
is more intolerable than a hundred years in the house of
repentance: and try: for if thou canst not endure God
punishing thy follies gently, for a while, to amend thee, how
wilt thou endure his vengeance for ever to undo thee?
48. In thy prayers wait for God, and think not every
hearty prayer can procure every thing thou askest. These
things which the saints did not obtain without many prayers,
and much labour, and a shower of tears, and a long pro-
tracted watchfulness and industry, do thou expect also in its
own time, and by its usual measures. Do thou valiantly,
and hope confidently, and wait patiently, and thou shalt find
thou wilt not be deceived.
49. Be careful thou dost not speak a lie in thy prayers,
which, though riot observed, is frequently practised by care-
less persons, especially in the forms of confession, affirming
things which they have not thought, professing sorrow which
is not, making a vow they mean not.
50. If thou meanest to be devout, and to enlarge thy
religion, do it rather by increasing thy ordinary devotions,
46 AGENDA.
than thy extraordinary. For if they be not regular, but
come by chance, they will not last long. But if they be
added to your ordinary offices, or made to be daily, thy
spirit will, by use and custom, be made tender, and not
willing to go less.
FRIDAY.
The Sixth Decad.
51. HE is a truly charitable and good man, who, when he
receives injuries, grieves rather for the malice of him that
injures him, than for his own suffering ; who willingly prays
for him that wrongs him, and from his heart forgives all his
faults ; who stays not, but quickly asks pardon of others for
his errors or mistakes ; who sooner shews mercy than anger ;
who thinks better of others than himself ; who offers violence
to his appetite, and in all things endeavours to subdue the
flesh to the spirit. This is an excellent abbreviature .of the
whole duty of a Christian.
52. No man can have felicity in two states of things ; if
he takes it in God here, in him he shall have it hereafter ; for
God will last for ever. But if he takes felicity in things of
this world, where will his felicity be when this world is
done ? Either here alone, or hereafter, must be thy portion.
53. Avoid those things in thyself which in others do
most displease thee. And remember, that as thine eye
observes .others, so art thou observed by God, by angels, and
by men.
54. He that puts his confidence in God only, is neither
overjoyed in any great good thing of this life, nor sorrowful
for a little thing. Let God be thy love and thy fear, and he
also will be thy salvation and thy refuge.
55. Do not omit thy prayers for want of a good oratory
or place to pray in, nor thy duty for want of temporal en-
couragements. For he that does both upon God's account,
cares not 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.
56. Very often remember and meditate upon the wounds
and stripes, the shame and the pain, the death and the
AGENDA. 47
burial, of our Lord Jesus ; for nothing will more enable us to
bear our cross patiently, injuries charitably, the labour of
religion comfortably, and censuring words and detractions
with meekness and quietness.
57. Esteem not thyself to have profited in religion, unless
thou thinkest well of others and meanly of thyself: there-
fore, never accuse any but thyself; and he that diligently
watches himself, will be willing enough to be silent con-
cerning others.
58. It is no great matter to live lovingly with good-
natured, with humble, and meek persons : but he that can
do so with the froward, with the wilful and the ignorant,
with the peevish and perverse, he only hath true charity :
always remembering, that our true solid peace, the peace of
God, consists rather in complying with others, than in being
complied with, in suffering and forbearing, rather than in
contention and victory.
59. Simplicity in our intentions, and purity of affections,
are the two wings of a soul, investing it with the robes and
resemblances of a seraphim. Intend the honour of God
principally and sincerely, and mingle not thy affections with
any creature, but in just subordination to God, and to
religion ; and thou shalt have joy, if there be any such thing
in this world. For there is no joy but in God, and no sorrow
but in an evil conscience.
60. Take not much care what or who is for thee, or
against thee. The judgment of none is to be regarded, if
God's judgment be otherwise. Thou art neither better nor
worse in thyself, for any account that is made of thee by any
but by God alone : secure that to thee, and he will secure
all the rest.
SATURDAY.
The Seventh Decad.
61. BLESSED is he that understands what it is to love
Jesus, and contends earnestly to be like him. Nothing else
can satisfy or make us perfect. But be thou a bearer of his
cross, as well as a lover of his kingdom. Suffer tribulation
for him, or from him, with the same spirit thou receivest
48 AGENDA.
consolation : follow him as well for the bitter cup of his
passion, as for the loaves ; and remember, that if it be a hard
saying, " Take up my cross and follow me," it is a harder
saying, " Go, ye cursed, into everlasting fire."
62. No man can always have the same spiritual pleasure
in his prayers : for the greatest saints have sometimes
suffered the banishment of the heart; sometimes are fervent,
sometimes they feel a barrenness of devotion : for this spirit
comes and goes. Rest, therefore, only in God, and in doing
thy duty : and know, that if thou beest overjoyed to-day,
this hour will pass away, and temptation and sadness will
succeed .
63. In all afflictions, seek rather for patience than for
comfort. If thou preservest that, this will return. Any man
would serve God, if he felt pleasure in it always ; but the
virtuous does it, when his soul is full of heaviness, and
regards not himself, but God, and hates that consolation
that lessens his compunction ; but loves any thing, whereby
he is made more humble.
64. That which thou dost not understand when thou
readest, thou shalt understand in the day of thy visitation :
for there are many secrets of religion, which are not perceived
till they be felt, and are not felt but in the day of a great
calamity.
Go. He that prays despairs not. But sad is the condition
of him that cannot pray. Happy are they that can, and do,
and love to do it.
66. He that will be blessed in his prayers, must make his
prayers his rule. All our duty is there set down, because in
all our duty we beg the Divine assistance : and remember,
that you are bound to do all those duties, for the doing of
which you have prayed for the Divine assistance.
67. Be doing actions of religion as often as thou canst,
and thy worldly pleasures as seldom ; that if thou beest sur-
prised by sudden death, it may be odds but thou mayest be
taken at thy prayers.
68. Watch, and resist the devil in all his temptations
and snares : his chief designs are these ; to hinder thy desire
in good ; to put thee by from any spiritual employment,
from prayers especially, from the meditation of the passion,
from the remembrance of thy sins, from humble confession
AGENDA. 49
of them, from speedy repentance, from the custody of thy
senses and of thy heart, from firm purposes of growing in
grace, from reading good books, and frequent receiving the
holy sacrament. It is all one to him, if he deceives thee by
a lie or by truth ; whether he amaze or trouble thee, by love
of the present or fear of the future : watch him but in these
things, and there will be no part left unarmed, in which he
can wound thee.
69. Remember how the proud have fallen, and they who
have presumed upon their own strength have been dis-
graced ; and that the boldest and greatest talkers in the
days of peace, have been the most dejected and pusillanimous
in the day of temptation.
70. No man ought to think he hath found peace, when
nothing troubles him ; or that God loves him, because he
hath no enemy ; nor that all is well, because every thing is
according to his mind ; nor that he is a holy person, because
he prays with great sweetness and comfort; but he is at
peace who is reconciled to God ; and God loves him when
he hath overcome himself; and all is well when nothing
pleases him but God, being thankful in the midst of his
afflictions ; and he is holy, who, when he hath lost his com-
fort, loses nothing of his duty, but is still the same, when
God changes his face towards him.
VOL. xv.
POSTULANDA;
OR,
THINGS TO BE PRAYED FOR.
Jubet Deus ut petas, et si non petis displicet, et non negabit quod petis :
et tu non petes ? S, August.
A form of Prayer, by way of Paraphrase, expounding
the Lord's Prayer.
Our Father.
MERCIFUL and gracious ; thou gavest me being, raisedst me
from nothing to be an excellent creation, efforming me after
thy own image, tenderly feeding me, and conducting and
strengthening me all my days : thou art our Father by a
more excellent mercy, adopting us in a new birth, to become
partakers of the inheritance of Jesus ; thou hast given us the
portion and the food of sons ; O make us to do the duty of
sons, that we may never lose 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 endearment of obedience, the principle of a
holy fear to thee, our Father, and of love to thee and to
our brethren, partakers of the same hope and dignity.
Unite every member of the Church to thee in holy bands ;
let there be no more names of division, nor titles and
ensigns of error and partiality ; let not us, who are brethren,
contend, but in giving honour to each other, and glory to
thee, contending earnestly for the faith, but not to the breach
of charity, nor the denying each other's hope : but grant that
we may all join in the promotion of the honour of thee our
POSTULANDA. 51
Father, in celebrating the name, and spreading the family,
and propagating the laws and institutions, the promises and
dignities, of our elder brother; that despising the transitory
entertainments of this world, we may labour for, and long
after, the inheritance to which thou hast given us title, by
adopting us into the dignity of sons. For ever let thy Spirit
witness to our spirit, that we are thy children, and enable us
to cry Abba, Father.
Which art in heaven.
Heaven is thy throne, the earth is thy footstool : from
thy throne thou beholdest all the dwellers upon earth, and
triest out the hearts of men, and nothing is hid from thy
sight. And as thy knowledge is infinite, so is thy power,
uncircumscribed as the utmost orb of heaven, and thou
sittest in thy own essential happiness and tranquillity, im-
movable and eternal. That is our country, and thither thy
servants are travelling ; there is our Father, and that is our
inheritance ; there our hearts are, for there our treasure is
laid up till the day of recompense.
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy name, O God, is glorious, and in thy name is our
hope and confidence : according 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
proclaimed unto thy people, is, " The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in good-
ness 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 worthy, O Lord,
of honour, and praise, and glory, for ever and ever: we con-
fess thy glories, we rejoice in thy mercies ; we hope in thy
name, and thy saints like it well : for thy name is praised
unto the ends 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 sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving.
52 POSTULANDA.
Thou, O God, didst frame our nature by thy own image,
and now thou hast imprinted thy name upon us; we are thy
servants, the relatives and domestics of thy family, and thou
hast honoured us with the gracious appellative of Christians.
O let us never dishonour so excellent a title, nor, by un-
worthy usages, profane thy holy name, but for ever glorify
it. Let our life be answerable to our dignity ; that our body
may be chaste, our thoughts clean, our words gracious, our
manners holy, and our life useful and innocent, that men,
seeing our good works, may glorify thee our Father which
art in heaven.
Thy kingdom come.
Thou reignest in heaven and earth : O do thou rule also
in our hearts ; advance the interest of religion ; let thy
Gospel be placed in all the regions of the earth ; and let all
nations come and worship thee, laying their proud wills at
thy feet, submitting their understandings to the obedience of
Jesus, conforming their affections to thy holy laws. Let thy
kingdom be set up gloriously over us ; and do thou reign in
our spirits, by thy Spirit of Grace ; subdue every lust and
inordinate appetite ; trample upon our pride, mortify all
rebellion within us, and let all thine and our enemies be
brought into captivity, that sin may never reign in our mor-
tal bodies ; but that Christ may reign in our understanding
by faith, in the will, by charity, in the passions, by morti-
fication, in all the members, by a right and chaste use of
them. And when thy kingdom that is within us hath
flourished, and is advanced to that height whither thou hast
designed it, grant thy kingdom of glory may speedily suc-
ceed ; and we thy servants be admitted to the peace and
purity, the holiness and glories, of that state where thou
reignest alone, and art all in all.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Thy will, O God, is the measure of holiness and peace ;
thy providence the great disposer of all things, tying all
events together, in order to thy glory and the good of thy
servants, by a wonderful mysterious chain of wisdom. Let
thy will also be the measure of our desires : for we know,
that whatsoever thou sayest is true, and whatsoever thou
POSTULANDA. 53
doest is good: grant we may submit our wills to thine, being
patient of evils which thou inflictest, lovers of the good which
thou commandest, haters of all evil which thou forbiddest,
pleased with all the accidents thou sendest ; that though our
nature is weaker than angels, yet our obedience may be as
humble, our conformity to thy will may rise up to the de-
grees of unity, and theirs cannot be more ; that as they in
heaven, so we in earth may obey thy will promptly, cheer-
fully, zealously, and with all our faculties; and grant, that
as they there, so all the world here may serve thee with peace
and concord, purity arid love unfeigned, with one heart and
one voice glorifying thee our heavenly Father.
Grant that we may quit all our own affections, and sus-
pect our reasonings, and go out of ourselves, and all our own
confidences; that thou being to us all things, disposing all
events, and guiding all our actions, and directing our inten-
tions, and overruling all things in us and about us, we may
be servants of the Divine will for ever.
Give us, this day, our daily bread.
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 inconveni-
ence, ' Give unto us neither poverty nor riches, but feed us
with food convenient for us,' and clothe us with fitting pro-
visions, according to that state and condition where thou hast
placed thy servants ; that we may not be tempted with want,
nor made contemptible by beggary, 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 tire 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 of temporal things as may enable
us with comfort to do our duty.
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass
against us.
O dear God, unless thou art pleased to pardon us, in vain
54) POSTULANDA.
is it that we should live here: and what good will our life do
us? O look upon us with much mercy, for we have sinned
grievously against thee. Pardon the adherent imperfections
of our life, the weaknesses of our duty, the carelessness of
our spirit, our affected ignorance, our indiligence, our rash-
ness and want of observation, our malice and presumptions.
Turn thine eyes from our impurities, and behold the bright-
ness and purest innocence of the holy Jesus ; and under his
cover we plead our cause, not that thou shouldest 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, re-
proaches without comfort, anguish without patience, dark-
ness without light, * a worm that never dies, and the fire that
never goeth out.'
But be pleased also to give us great charity, that we may
truly forgive all that trouble or injure us, that by that character
thou may discern us to be thy sons and servants, disciples
of the Holy Jesus, lest our * prayer be turned into sin,' and
thy grace be recalled, and thou enter into a final anger
against thy servants.
Lead us not into temptation.
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 busy and crafty, malicious and powerful, watchful and
envious; and we tempt ourselves, running out to mischief,
delighting in the approaches of sin, and love to have neces-
sities put upon us, that sin may be unavoidable. Pity us in
the midst of these disorders ; and give us spiritual strength,
holy resolutions, a watchful spirit, the whole armour of God,
and thy protection, the guard of angels, and the conduct of
thy Holy Spirit, to be our security in the day of danger.
Give us thy grace to fly from all occasions to sin, that we
may never tempt ourselves, nor delight to be tempted ; and
let thy blessed providence so order the accidents of our lives,
that we may not dwell near an enemy ; and when thou shalt
try us, and suffer us to enter into combat, let us always be
on thy side, and fight valiantly, resist the devil, and endure
POSTULANDA. 55
patiently, and persevere constantly unto the end, that thou
mayest crown thy own work in us.
But deliver us from evil.
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 pardoned so fully, that thou mayest not
punish our inventions. And yet, if thou wilt not be en-
treated, but that it be necessary that we suffer, thy will be
done ; smite us here with a father's rod, that thou mayest
spare us hereafter : let the sad accidents of our life be for
good to us, not for evil ; for our amendment, not to exas-
perate or weary us, not to harden or confound us : and what
evil soever it be that shall happen, let -us not sin against
thee. For ever deliver us from that evil, and for ever deliver
us from the power of the evil one, the great enemy of man-
kind, 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.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.
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. Amen.
LITANIES
FOR ALL THINGS AND PERSONS.
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 wis-
dom and our righteousness, our sanctification and redemption,
56 POSTULANDA.
have mercy upon thy servants, refuse not to hear the
prayers of us miserable, sorrowful, and returning sinners.
O holy and divinest Spirit of the Father, help our infir-
mities : for of ourselves we know not what to ask, nor how
to pray, but do thou assist and be present in the desires of
us miserable sinners.
I.
For Pardon of Sins.
Remember not, Lord, the follies of our childhood, nor
the lusts of our youth; the wildness of our head, nor the
wanderings of our heart; the infinite sins of our tongue, and
the inexcusable errors 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 appetite, the inconstancy of our pur-
poses, the peevishness and violence of all our passions
and affections.
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
purchases and vanities of the world, and lazy and dull, slow
and soon weary in the things of God and of religion.
Lord, have mercy, &c.
Remember not, O Lord, our uncharitable behaviour to-
wards those with whom we have conversed, our jealousies
and suspicions, our evil surmisings and evil reportings, the
breach of our promises to men, and the breach of all our holy
vows made to thee our God.
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 omis-
sion are infinite, and we have not sought after the righteous-
ness of God, but have rested in carelessness and forgetful-
ness, in a false peace and a silent conscience.
Lord, have mercy, &c.
O most gracious Lord, enter not into judgment with thy
servants, lest we be consumed in thy wrath and just dis-
pleasure : from which
Good Lord, deliver us, and preserve thy servants for ever.
POSTULANDA. 57
II.
For Deliverance from Evils.
From gross ignorance and stupid negligence, from a
wandering head and a trifling spirit, from the violence and
rule of passion, from a servile will and a commanding lust,
from all intemperance, inordination, and irregularity what-
soever :
Good Lord, deliver and preserve thy servants for ever.
From a covetous mind and greedy desires, from lustful
thoughts and a wanton eye, from rebellious members and
the pride and vanity of spirit ; from false opinions and igno-
rant confidences :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From improvidence and prodigality, from envy and the
spirit of slander, from idleness and sensuality, from presump-
tion and despair, from sinful actions and all vicious habits :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From fierceness of rage and hastiness of spirit, from
clamorous and reproachful language, from peevish anger and
inhuman malice, from the spirit of contention and hasty and
indiscreet zeal :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From a schismatical and heretical spirit, from tyranny
and tumults, from sedition and factions, from envying the
grace of God in our brother, from impenitence and hardness
of heart, from obstinacy and apostasy, from delighting in sin
and hating God and good men :
God Lord, deliver, &c.
From fornication and adultery, from unnatural desires
and unnatural hatreds, from gluttony and drunkenness, from
loving and believing lies, and taking pleasure in the remem-
brances of evil things, from delighting* in our neighbour's
misery and procuring it, from upbraiding others and hating
reproof of ourselves :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From impudence and shame, from contempt and scorn,
from oppression and cruelty, from a pitiless and unrelenting
spirit, from a churlish behaviour arid undecent usages of
ourselves or others :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
58 POSTULANDA.
From famine and pestilence, from noisome and infectious
diseases, from sharp and intolerable pains, from impatience
and tediousness of spirit, from a state of temptation and
hardened spirits :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From banishments and prison, from widowhood and want,
from violence of pains and passions, from tempests and earth-
quakes, from the rage of fire and water, from rebellion and
treason, from fretfulness and inordinate cares, from mur-
muring against God and disobedience to the Divine com-
mandment:
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From delaying our repentance, and persevering in sin,
from false principles and prejudices, from unthankfulness
and irreligion, from seducing others and being abused our-
selves, from the malice and craftiness of the devil and the
deceit and lyings of the world :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From wounds and murder, from precipices and falls, from
fracture of bones and dislocation of joints, from dismem-
bering our bodies and all infatuation of our souls, from folly
and madness, from uncertainty of mind and state, and from
a certainty of sinning :
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 contempt of beggary and
extreme poverty, from being made an example and a warning
to others by suffering sad judgments ourselves :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From condemning others and justifying ourselves, from
mispending our time and abusing thy grace, from calling
good evil and evil good, from consenting to folly and tempt-
ing others :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From excess in speaking and peevish silence, from looser
laughing and immoderate weeping, from giving evil example
to others or following any ourselves, from giving or receiving
scandal, from the horrible sentence of endless death and
damnation :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
POSTULANDA. 59
->
From cursing and swearing, from uncharitable chiding,
and easiness to believe evil ; from the evil spirit that, walketh
at noon, and the arrow that flieth in darkness; from the
angel of wrath, and perishing in popular diseases :
Good Lord, deliver, Sec.
From the want of a spiritual guide, from a famine of the
word and sacraments, from hurtful persecution, and from
taking part with persecutors :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From drowning or being burnt alive, from sleepless nights
and contentious days, from a melancholy and a confused
spirit, from violent fears and the loss of reason, from a vicious
life and a sudden and unprovided death :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From relying upon vain fancies and false foundations,
from an evil and an amazed conscience, from sinning near
the end of our life, and from despairing in the day of our
death :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
From hyprocrisy and wilfulness, from self-love and vain
ambition, from curiosity and carelessness, from being tempted
in the days of our weakness, from the prevailing of the flesh
and grieving the Spirit, from all thy wrath and from all
our sins :
Good Lord, deliver, &c.
III.
For Gifts and Graces.
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 tny servants in dis-
pleasure.
Give unto us the spirit of prayer, frequent and fervent,
holy and persevering, an unreprovable faith, a just and an
humble hope, and a never-failing charity.
Hear our prayers, O Lord, and consider our desire.
Give unto us true humility, a meek and a quiet spirit, a
loving and a friendly, a holy and a useful conversation,
bearing the burdens of our neighbours, denying ourselves,
60 POSTULANDA.
and studying to benefit others, and to please thee in all
things.
Hear our prayers, &c.
Give us a prudent and a sober, a just and a sincere, a
temperate and a religious spirit ; a great contempt of the
world, a love of holy things, and a longing after' heaven and
the instruments and paths that lead thither.
Hear our prayers, &c.
Grant us to be thankful to our benefactors, righteous in
performing promises, loving to our relatives, careful of our
charges, to be gentle and easy to be entreated, slow to anger,
and fully instructed and readily prepared for every good work.
Hear our prayers, &c.
Give us a peaceable spirit and a peaceable life, free from,
debt and deadly sin ; grace to abstain from all appearances of
evil, and to do nothing but what is of good report; to confess
Christ and his holy religion, by a holy and obedient life, and
a mind ready to die for him when he shall call us and
assist us.
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 purposes, and thy grace to perform
faithfully what we have promised in the day of our duty, or
in the day of our calamity.
Hear our prayers, &c.
O teach us to despise all vanity, to fight the battles 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.
Give us a holy and a perfect repentance, a well-instructed
understanding, regular affections, a constant and a wise
heart, a good name, a fear of thy majesty, and a love of all
thy glories above all the things in the world for ever.
Hear our prayers, &c.
Give us a healthful body and a clear understanding, the
love of our neighbours and the peace of the Church, the
POSTULANDA. 61
public use and comfort of thy holy world and sacraments, a
great love to all Christians, and obedience to our superiors,
ecclesiastical and civil, all the days of our life.
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 redeem the time mispent in vanity ; for
thy pity sake take not vengeance of us for our sins, but
sanctify our souls and bodies in this life, and glorify them
hereafter.
Hear our prayers, &c.
Our Father, &c.
IV.
TO BE ADDED TO THE FORMER LITANIES, ACCORDING AS
OUR DEVOTIONS AND TIME WILL SUFFER.
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 wings shall be our help,
until this tyranny be overpast.
Have mercy upon us, O God, and hide not thyself from
our petition.
Preserve, O God, the catholic 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 her
Lord Jesus, for ever represent his sacrifice, and glorify his
person, and advance his religion, and be accepted of thee in
her blessed Lord, that, being filled with his Spirit, she may
partake of his glory.
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give the spirit of government and holiness to all Christian
kings, princes, and governors ; grant that their people may
62 POSTULANDA.
obey them, and they may obey thee, and live in honesty and
peace, justice and holy religion; being nursing fathers to
the Church, advocates for the oppressed, patrons for the
widows, and a sanctuary for the miserable and the father-
less, that they may reign with thee for ever in the kingdom
of the Lord Jesus.
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give to thy servants the bishops, and all the clergy, the
spirit of holiness and courage, of patience and humility,
of prudence and diligence, to preach and declare thy will by
a holy life and wise discourses, that they may minister to
the good of souls, and find a glorious reward in the day of the
Lord Jesus.
Have mercy upon 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 sorrows, strength in all their
temptations, the guard of angels to preserve them from evil,
and the conduct of thy Holy Spirit to lead them into all
good ; that they, doing their duty, may feel thy mercies here,
and partake of thy glories hereafter.
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give to all Christian kingdoms and commonwealths
peace and plenty, health and holy religion ; to all families of
religion and nurseries of piety, zeal and holiness, prudence and
unity, peace and contentedness ; to all schools of learning,
quietness and industry, freedom from wars and violence,
factions and envy.
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give to all married pairs faith and love, charitable and
wise compliances, sweetness of society and innocence of
conversation ; to all virgins and widows great love of
religion, a sober and a contented spirit, an unwearied attend-
ance to devotion and the offices of holiness ; protection to
the fatherless, comfort to the disconsolate, patience and
submission, health and spiritual advantages to the sick ;
that they may feel thy comforts for the days wherein they
have suffered adversity.
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
POSTULANDA. 63
and shipwrecks, the strength of them that toil in the mines
and row in the galleys, an instructor to the ignorant ; to them
that are condemned to die be thou a guide unto death ; give
cheerfulness to every sad heart, spiritual strength and pro-
portionable comfort to them that are afflicted by evil spirits ;
pity the lunatics ; give life and salvation to all to whom thou
hast given no understanding; accept the stupid and the
fools to mercy, give liberty to prisoners, redemption to cap-
tives, maintenance to the poor, patronage and defence to
the oppressed ; and put a period to the iniquity and to the
miseries of all mankind.
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give unto our enemies grace and pardon, charity to us,
and love to thee ; take away all anger from them, and all
mistakes from us, all misinterpretations and jealousies; bring
all sinners to repentance and holiness, and to all thy saints
and servants give an increasing love and a persevering duty ;
bring all Turks, Jews, and infidels to the knowledge and
confession of the Lord Jesus, and a participation of all the
promises of the Gospel, all the benefits of his passion ; to all
heretics give humility and ingenuity, repentance of their
errors, and grace and power to make amends to the Church
and truth, and a public acknowledgment of a holy faith, to
the glory of the Lord Jesus.
Have mercy upon us, &c.
Give to all merchants faithfulness and truth ; to the
labouring husbandmen health and fair seasons of the year,
and reward his toil with the dew of heaven and the blessings
of the earth ; to all artizans give diligence in their callings,
and a blessing on their labours and on their families ; to old
men, piety and perfect repentance, a liberal heart and an
open hand, great religion and desires after heaven ; to
young men give sobriety and chastity, health and usefulness,
an early piety arid a persevering duty ; to all families, visited
with the rod of God, give consolation and a holy use of the
affliction, and a speedy deliverance; to us all, pardon, and
holiness, and life eternal, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the communication of the Holy Spirit, be
with us all for ever. Amen.
POSTULANDA.
A short Prayer to be said every Morning.
O ALMIGHTY GOD, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
God of mercy and comfort, with reverence and fear, with
humble confidence and strong desires, I approach to the
throne of grace, begging of thee mercy and protection,
pardon and salvation. O my God, I am a sinner, but sor-
rowful 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 pil-
grimage. Give me a spirit diligent in the works of my
calling, cheerful and zealous in religion, fervent and frequent
in my prayers, charitable and useful in my conversation ;
give me a healthful and a chaste body, a pure and a holy
soul, a sanctified and an humble spirit ; and let my body,
and soul, and spirit, be preserved unblamable to the coming
of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
II.
Blessed be thy name, O God, and blessed be thy mercies,
who hast preserved me this night from sin and sorrow, from
sad chances and a violent death, from the malice of the
devil and the evil effects of my own corrupted nature and
infirmity. The outgoings of the morning and evening shall
praise thee, and thy servants shall rejoice in giving thee
praise for the operation of thy hands. Let thy providence
and care watch over me this day, and all my whole life, that
I may never be against thee by idleness or folly, by evil
company or private sins, by word or deed, by thought or
desire ; and let the employment 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 innocent ; that
when the days of my short abode are done, and the shadow
is departed, I may die in thy fear and favour, and rest in a
holy hope, and at last return to the joys of a blessed resur-
POSTULANDA. 65
rection, through Jesus Christ; in whose name, and in whose
words, in behalf of myself, and all my friends, and all thy
servants, I humbly and heartily pray, Our Father, &c.
A Prayer for the Evening.
ETERNAL GOD, Almighty Father of men and angels, by
whose care and providence I am preserved and blessed, com-
forted and assisted, I humbly beg of thee to pardon the sins
and follies of this day, the weaknesses of my services, and
the strength of my passions, the rashness of my words, and
the vanity and evil of my actions. O just and dear God,
how long shall I confess my sins, and pray against them,
and yet fall under them ! O let it be so no more ; let me
never return to the follies of which I am ashamed, which
bring sorrow, and death, and thy displeasure, worse than
death. Give me a command over my evil inclinations, and
a perfect hatred of sin, and a love to thee above all the
desires of this world. Be pleased to bless and preserve me
this night from all sin, and all violence of chance, and the
malice of the spirits of darkness : watch over me in my
sleep ; and, whether I sleep or wake, let me be thy servant.
Be thou first and last in all my thoughts, and the guide and
continual assistance of all my actions. Preserve my body,
pardon the sin of my soul, and sanctify my spirit ; let me
always live holily, and justly, and soberly ; and, when I die,
receive my soul into thy hands, O holy and ever-blessed
Jesus; That I may lie in thy bosom, and long for thy
coming, and hear thy blessed sentence at doomsday, and
behold thy face, and live in thy kingdom, singing praises to
God for ever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, &c.
FOR SUNDAY.
A Prayer against Pride.
I.
O ETERNAL GOD, merciful, and glorious, thou art exalted
far above all heavens ; thy throne, O God, is glory, and thy
sceptre is righteousness, thy will is holiness, and thy wisdom
VOL. xv. p
66 POSTULANDA.
the great foundation of empire and government : I adore thy
majesty, and rejoice in thy mercy, and revere thy power, and
confess all glory, and dignity, and honour, to be thine alone,
and theirs to whom thou shalt impart any ray of thy majesty,
or reflection of thy honour : but as for me, I am a worm and
no man, vile dust and ashes, the son of corruption, and the
heir of rottenness, seized upon by folly, a lump of ignorance
and sin, and shame, and death. What art thou, O Lord ? the
great God of heaven and earth, the fountain of holiness, and
perfection infinite. But 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.
II.
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 work
of thy hands : my understanding is too confident, my affec-
tions rebellious, my will refractory and disobedient ; and yet
I know thou resistest the proud, and didst cast the morning
stars, the angels, from heaven into chains of darkness, when
they grew giddy and proud, walking upon the battlements of
heaven, beholding the glorious regions that were above them.
III.
Thou, O God, who givest grace to the humble, do some-
thing also for the proud man ; make me humble and obe-
dient. Take from me the spirit of pride and haughtiness, am-
bition and self-flattery, confidence and gaiety : teach me to
think well, and to expound all things fairly of my brother, to
love his worthiness, to delight in his praises, to excuse his
errors, to give thee thanks for his graces, to rejoice in all
the good that he receives, and ever to believe and speak
better things of him than of myself.
IV.
O teach me to love to be concealed, and little esteemed ;
let me be truly humbled, and heartily ashamed of my sin
and folly ; teach me to bear reproaches evenly, for I have
POSTULANDA. 67
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 thankfully, to amend all my faults
speedily ; and do thou invest my soul with the humble robe
of my meek Master and Saviour Jesus ; and, when I have
humbly, patiently, charitably, and diligently served thee,
change this robe into the shining garment of immortality,
my confusion into glory, my folly to perfect knowledge, my
weaknesses and dishonours to the strength and beauties of
the sons of God.
V.
In the meantime 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 myself: that I may sit down in the
lowest place ; striving to go before my brother in nothing,
but in doing him and thee honour ; staying for my glory, till
thou shalt please, in the day of recompenses, to reflect light
from thy face, and admit me to behold thy glories. Grant
this 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 Father, be glory and praise for ever
and ever. Amen.
FOR MONDAY.
A Prayer against Covetousness.
I.
O ALMIGHTY GOD, eternal treasure of all good things, thou
fillest all things with plenteousness ; ' thou clothest the lilies
of the field, and feedest the young ravens that call upon
thee :' thou art all-sufficient in thyself, #nd all-sufficient to
us ; let thy providence be my storehouse, thy dispensation of
temporal things the limit of my labour, my own necessity the
measure of my desire : but never let my desires of this world
be greedy, nor my labour immoderate, nor my care vexa-
tious and distracting, but prudent, moderate, holy, subordi-
nate to thy will, the measure thou hast appointed for me.
II.
Teach me, O God, to despise the world, to labour for the
68 POSTULANDA.
true riches, to ' seek the kingdom of heaven and its righ-
teousness,' 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 king-
dom ; but never suffer my affections to dwell below, but
give me a heart compassionate to the poor, liberal to the
needy, open and free in all my communications, without base
ends, or greedy designs, or unworthy arts of gain ; but let
my strife be to gain thy favour, to obtain the 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.
FOR TUESDAY.
A Prayer against Lust.
I.
O ETERNAL PURITY, thou art brighter than the sun, purer
than the angels, and the heavens are not clean in thy sight ;
with mercy behold thy servant, apt to be tempted with every
object, and to be overcome by every enemy. I cannot, O
God, stand in the day of battle and danger; unless thou
coverest me with thy shield, and hidest me under thy wings.
The fiery darts of the devil are ready to consume me, unless
the dew of thy grace for ever descend upon me. Thou didst
make me after thy image : be pleased to preserve me so,
pure and spotless, chaste and clean ; that my body may be a
holy temple, and my soul a sanctuary to entertain thy
divinest Spirit, the Spirit of love and holiness, the Prince of
purities.
II.
Reprove in me the spirit of fornication and uncleanness,
and fill my soul with holy fires, that no strange fire may
come into the temple of my body, where thou hast chosen
to dwell. O cast out all those unclean spirits, which have
unhallowed the place where thy holy feet have trod : pardon
all my hurtful thoughts, all my impurities ; that I, who am a
member of Christ, may not become the member of a harlot,
POSTULANDA. 69
nor the slave of the devil, nor a servant of lust and unworthy
desires : but do thou purify my love, and let me ' seek the
things that are above,' ' hating the garments spotted with the
flesh ;' never any more, ' grieving thy Holy Spirit' by filthy
inclinations, with impure and fantastic thoughts : but let
my thoughts be holy, my soul pure, my body chaste 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.
Amen.
FOR WEDNESDAY.
A Prayer against Gluttony and Drunkenness.
I.
O ALMIGHTY FATHER of men and angels, who hast, of thy
great bounty, provided plentifully for all mankind to support
his state, to relieve his necessities, to refresh his sorrows, to
recreate his labour ; that he may praise thee, and rejoice in
thy mercies and bounty : be thou gracious unto thy servant
yet more, and suffer me not, by my folly, to change thy
bounty into sin, thy grace into wantonness. Give me the
spirit of temperance and sobriety, that I may use thy crea-
tures in the same measures, and to the same purposes which
thou hast designed, so as may best enable me to serve thee,
but 'not to make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts
thereof:' let me not, as Esau, prefer meat before a blessing ;
but subdue my appetite, subjecting it to reason and the
grace of God, being content with what is moderate, and use-
ful, and easy to be obtained ; taking it in due time, receiving
it thankfully, making it to minister to my body, that my
body may be a good instrument of the soul, and the soul a
servant of thy Divine Majesty for ever and ever.
II.
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
70 POSTULANDA.
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 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
refreshments, in the light of thy countenance, and in the
paths of thy commandments, walk before thee all the days
of my life, acceptable to thee in Jesus 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. Amen.
FOR THURSDAY.
A Prayer against Envy.
I.
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 rejoice to honour
him whom thou honourest, to love him whom thou lovest,
to commend the virtuous, to discern the precious from the
vile, giving honour to whom honour belongs, that I may go
to heaven in the noblest way, of rejoicing in the good of
others.
II.
O dear God, never suffer the devil to rub his vilest leprosy
of envy upon me ; never let me have the affections of the
desperate and damned ; let it not be ill with me, when it is
well with others, but let thy Holy Spirit so overrule me for
ever, that I may pity the afflicted and be compassionate, and
have a fellow-feeling of my brother's sorrows, and that I
may, as much as I can, promote his good, and give thee
POSTULANDA. 71
thanks for it, and rejoice with them that do rejoice ; never
censuring his actions cursedly, nor detracting from his praises
spitefully, nor upbraiding his infelicities maliciously, but
pleased in all things which thou doest or givest ; that I may
then triumph in spirit, when thy kingdom is advanced, when
thy Spirit rules, when thy Church is profited, when thy saints
rejoice, when the devil's interest is destroyed ; truly loving
thee, and truly loving my brother ; that we may all together
join in the holy communion of saints, both here and here-
after, in the measures of grace and glory ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
FOR FRIDAY.
A Prayer against Wrath and inordinate Anger.
I.
O ALMIGHTY JUDGE of men and angels, whose anger is
always the minister of justice, slow, but severe, not lightly
arising, but falling heavily when it comes : give to thy servant
a meek and a gentle spirit, that I also may be slow to anger,
and easy to mercy and forgiveness. Give me a wise and a
constant heart, that I may not be moved with every trifling
mistake, and inconsiderable accident, in the conversation
and intercourse of others ; never be moved to an intemperate
anger for any injury that is done or offered ; let my anger
ever be upon a just cause, measured with moderation and
reason, expressed with charity and prudence, lasting but till
it hath done some good, either upon myself or others.
. II.
Lord, let me be ever courteous, and easy to be entreated ;
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 errors, apt to make
amends, and desirous to be reconciled. Let no sickness, or
cross accident, no employment or weariness, make me angry
or ungentle, and discontent or unthankful, or uneasy to
them that minister to me ; but, in all things, make me like
unto the holy Jesus. Give me the spirit of a Christian,
72 POSTULANDA.
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. Amen.
FOR SATURDAY.
A Prayer against Weariness in Well-doing.
I.
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 and listless, my affections wandering after strange
objects, my fancy wild and unfixed, all my senses minister to
folly and vanity ; and though they were all made for religion,
yet they least of all delight in that. O my God, pity me,
and hear me when I pray, and make that I may pray accept-
ably. Give me a love to religion, an unwearied spirit in the
things of God. Let me not relish or delight in the things of
the world, in sensual objects, and -transitory possessions ; but
make my eyes look up to thee, my soul be filled with thee,
my spirit ravished with thy love, my understanding employed
in the meditation of thy law, all my powers and faculties of
soul and body wholly serving thee, and delighting in such
holy ministries.
II.
O most gracious God, what greater favour is there than
that I may, and what easier employment can there be than
to pray thee to be admitted into thy presence, and to repre-
sent our needs, and that we have our needs supplied only
for asking and desiring passionately and humbly ? But we
rather quit our hopes of heaven, than buy it at the cheapest
rate of humble prayer. This, O God, is the greatest
infirmity and infelicity of man, and hath an intolerable
cause, and is an unsufferable evil.
POSTULANDA. 73
III.
O relieve my spirit with thy graciousness, take from me
all tediousness of spirit, and give me a laboriousness that
will not be tired, a hope that shall never fail, a desire of
holiness not to he satisfied till it possesses a charity that will
always increase ; that I, making religion the business of my
whole life, may turn all things into religion, doing all to thy
glory, and by the measures of thy word and of thy Spirit :
that when thou shalt call me from this deliciousness of
employment, and the holy ministries of grace, I may pass
into the employment of saints and angels, whose work it is
with eternal joy and thanksgiving to sing praises to the
mercies of the great Redeemer of men, and Saviour of men
and angels, Jesus Christ our Lord : to whom, with the Father
and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and worship, all service
and thanks, all glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Prayer to be said by a Maiden, before she enters into the
State of Marriage.
I.
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 humble and
hearty thanks, that thou hast hitherto preserved me in my
virgin state with innocence and chastity, in a good name, and
a modest report. It is thy goodness alone, and the blessed
emanation of thy Holy Spirit, by which I have been preserved ;
and to thee I return all praise and tfcfanks, and adore and
love thy goodness infinite.
II.
And now, O Lord, since by thy dispensation and over-
ruling providence I am to change my condition, and enter
into the holy state of marriage, which thou hast sanctified
by thy institution, and blessed by thy word and promises,
and raised up to an excellent mystery, that it might represent
74 POSTULANDA.
the union of Christ and his church : be pleased to go along
with thy servant in my entering into, and passing through,
this state, that it may not be a state of temptation or
sorrow, by occasion of my sins or infirmities, but of holiness
and comfort, as thou hast intended it to all that love and fear
thy holy name.
III.
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 bless-
ing and comfort unto him ; a sharer in all his joys, a refresh-
ment in all his sorrows, a meet helper for him in all accidents
and chances of the world. Make me amiable, for ever, in
his eyes, and very dear to him. Unite his heart to me in the
dearest union of love and holiness ; and mine to him in all
sweetness, and charity, and compliance. Keep from me all
morosity and ungentleness, all sullenness and harshness of
disposition, all pride and vanity, all discontentedness and
unreasonableness of passion and humour : and make me
humble and obedient, charitable and loving, patient and
contented, useful and observant ; that we may delight in
each other according to thy blessed word and ordinance,
and both of us may rejoice in thee, having our portion in the
love and service of God for ever and ever.
IV.
O blessed Father, never suffer any mistakes or discontent,
any distrustfulness or sorrow, any trifling arrests of fancy,
or unhandsome accident, to cause any unkindness between
us : but let us so dearly love, so affectionately observe, so
religiously attend to each other's good and content, that we
may always please thee, and by this learn and practise our
duty and greatest love to thee, and become mutual helps to
each other in the way of godliness ; that when we have
received the blessings of a married life, the comforts of
society, the endearments of a holy and great affection, and
the dowry of blessed children, we may for ever dwell together
in the embraces of thy love and glories, feasting in the
marriage-supper of the Lamb to eternal ages, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.
POSTULANDA. 75
A Pray erf or a holy and happy Death.
O ETERNAL and holy Jesus, who by death hast overcome
death, and by thy passion hast taken out its sting, and made
it to become one of the gates of heaven, and an entrance to
felicity, have mercy upon me now, and at the hour of my
death. Let thy grace accompany me all the days of my life,
that I may, by a holy conversation and a habitual perform-
ance of my duty, wait for the coming of our Lord, and be
ready to enter with thee at whatsoever hour thou shalt come.
Lord, let not my death be in any sense unprovided, nor
untimely, nor hasty, but after the manner of men, having in
it nothing extraordinary, but an extraordinary piety, and the
manifestation of a great and miraculous mercy. Let my
senses and my understanding be preserved entire till the last
of my days ; and grant that I may die the death of the
righteous, free from debt and deadly sin, having first dis-
charged all my obligations of justice, leaving none miserable
and unprovided in my departure; but be thou the portion of
all my friends and relatives, and let thy blessing descend
upon their heads, and abide there, till they shall meet me in
the bosom of our Lord. Preserve me ever in the communion
and peace of the Church ; and bless my death-bed with the
opportunity of a holy and a spiritual guide, with the assist-
ance and guard of angels, with the reception of the holy
sacrament, with patience and dereliction of my own desires,
with a strong faith, and a firm and humbled hope, with just
measures of repentance, and great treasures of charity to
thee, my God, and to all the world ; that my soul, in the
arms of the holy Jesus, may be deposited with safety and
joy, there to expect the revelation of thy day, and then to
partake the glories of thy kingdom, O eternal and holy Jesus.
Amen.
FESTIVAL HYMNS.
I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
HYMNS
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 JOINED TO THEIR OTHER PRAYERS.
Hymns for Advent, or the Weeks immediately before the Birth
of our blessed Saviour.
I.
WHEN, Lord, O when, shall we
Our dear salvation see ?
Arise, arise ;
Our fainting eyes
Have long'd all night : and 'twas a long one too.
Man never yet could say
He saw more than one day,
One day of Eden's seven :
The guilty hours, there blasted with the breath
Of sin and death,
Have, ever since, worn a nocturnal hue.
But thou hast given us hopes, that we,
At length, another day shall see,
Wherein each vile neglected place,
Gilt with the aspect of thy face,
Shall be, like that, the porch and gate of heaven.
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 77
How long, dear God, how long !
See how the nations throng :
All human kind,
Knit and combined
Into one body, look for thee their head.
Pity our multitude ;
Lord, we are vile and rude,
Headless, and senseless, without thee,
Of all things but the want of thy blest face :
O haste apace,
And thy bright self to this our body wed :
That, through the influx of thy power,
Each part, that erst confusion wore,
May put on order, and appear
Spruce, as the childhood of the year,
When thou to it shall so united be. Amen.
The second Hymn for Advent ; or, Christ's coming to
Jerusalem in triumph.
LORD, come away ;
Why dost thou stay ?
Thy road is ready ; and thy paths, made straight,
With longing expectation wait
The consecration of thy beauteous feet
Ride on triumphantly : behold, we lay
Our lusts and proud wills in thy way.
Hosannah ! welcome to our hearts : Lord, here
Thou hast a temple, too, and full as dear
As that of Sion ; and as full of sin ;
Nothing but thieves and robbers dwell therein,
Enter, and chase them forth, and cfeanse the floor ;
Crucify them, that they may never more
Profane that holy place,
Where thou hast chose to set thy face.
And then if our stiff tongues shall be
Mute in the praises of thy deity,
The stones out of the temple-wall
Shall cry aloud and call
Hosannah! and thy glorious footsteps greet. Amen.
78 FESTIVAL HYMNS.
Hymns for Christmas Day.
I.
MYSTERIOUS truth ! that the self-same should be
A Lamb, a Shepherd, and a Lion too !
Yet such was he
Whom first the shepherds knew,
When they themselves became
Sheep to the Shepherd-Lamb.
Shepherd of men and angels, Lamb of God,
Lion of Judah, by these titles keep
The wolf from thy endangered sheep.
Bring all the world into thy fold ;
Let Jews and Gentiles hither come
In numbers great, that can't be told ;
And call thy lambs, that wander, home.
Glory be to God on high ;
All glories be to th' glorious Deity.
The second Hymn ; being a Dialogue between three Shepherds.
1. WHERE is this blessed Babe,
That hath made
All the world so full of joy
And expectation ?
That glorious boy 1 ,
That crowns each nation
With a triumphant wreath of blessedness ?
2. Where should he be but in the throng,
And among
His angel-ministers, that sing
And take wing
Just as may echo to his voice,
And rejoice,
When wing and tongue and all
May so procure their happiness.
3. But he hath other waiters now ;
A poor cow,
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 79
An ox, and inule, stand and behold,
And wonder,
That a stable should enfold
Him, that can thunder.
Chorus. O what a gracious God have we !
How good, how great ! ev'n as our misery.
The third Hymn: of Christ's Birth in an Inn.
THE blessed Virgin travail'd without pain,
And lodged in an inn ;
A glorious star the sign,
But of a greater guest than ever came that way ;
For there He lay,
That is the God of night and day,
And over all the pow'rs of Heaven doth reign.
It was the time of great Augustus' tax,
And then he comes,
That pays all sums,
Ev'n the whole price of lost humanity,
And sets us free
From the ungodly empery
Of sin, and Satan, and of death.
O make our hearts, blest God, thy lodging place ;
And in our breast
Be pleas'd to rest,
For thou lov'st temples better than an inn ;
And cause, that sin
May not profane the Deity within,
And sully o'er the ornaments of grace. Amen.
A Hymn upon St. Johns Day.
THIS day
We sing
The friend of our eternal King,
Who in his bosom lay,
And kept the keys
Of his profound and glorious mysteries ;
80 FESTIVAL HYMNS.
Which, to the world dispensed by his hand,
Made it stand
Fix'd in amazement to behold that light,
Which came
From the throne of the Lamb,
To invite
Our wretched eyes (which nothing else could see,
But fire and sword, hunger and misery)
To anticipate, by their ravish'd sight,
The beauty of celestial delight.
Mysterious God, regard me when I pray,
And, when this load of clay
Shall fall away,
O let thy gracious hand conduct me up,
Where on the Lamb's rich viands I may sup :
And, in this last supper, I
May, with thy friend, in thy sweet bosom lie,
For ever, in eternity. Hallelujah.
Upon the Day of the Holy Innocents.
MOURNFUL Judah shrieks and cries
At the obsequies
Of their babes, that cry
More that they lose their paps, than that they die.
He, that came with life to all,
Brings the babes a funeral,
To redeem from slaughter Him,
Who did redeem us all from sin.
They, like himself, went spotless hence,
A sacrifice to innocence ;
Which now does ride
Trampling upon Herod's pride ;
Passing, from their fontinels of clay,
To heaven a milky and a bloody way.
All their tears and groans are dead,
And they to rest and glory fled ;
Lord, who wert pleas'd so many babes should fall,
Whilst each sword hop'd that ev'ry of the all
Was the desired King : make us to be
In innocence like them, in glory, Thee. Amen.
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 81
Upon the Epiphany, and the three Wise Men of the East
coming to worship Jesus.
A COMET, dangling in the air,
Presag'd the ruin both of death and sin ;
And told the wise men of a king,
The King of glory, and the Sun
Of Righteousness, who then begun
To draw towards that blessed hemisphere.
They, from the furthest east, this new
And unknown light pursue,
Till they appear
In this blest infant king's propitious eye,
And pay their homage to his royalty.
Persia might then the rising sun adore ;
It was idolatry no more.
Great God, they gave to thee
Myrrh, frankincense, and gold ;
But, Lord, with what shall we
Present ourselves before thy majesty,
Whom thou redeem'dst when we were sold ?
We've nothing but ourselves, and scarce that neither,
Vile dirt and clay ;
Yet it is soft, and may
Impression take :
Accept it, Lord, and say, this thou hadst rather ;
Stamp it, and on this sordid metal make
Thy holy image, and it shall outshine
The beauty of the golden mine. Amen.
A MEDITATION OF THE FOUR LAST THINGS,
DEATH, JUDGMENT, HEAVEN", AND HELL;
FOR THE TIME OF LENT ESPECIALLY.
A Meditation of Death.
DEATH, the old serpent's son,
Thou hadst a sting once, like thy sire,
That carried hell, and ever-burning fire :
But those black days are done ;
VOL. xv. G
82 FESTIVAL HYMNS.
Thy foolish spite buried thy sting
In the profound and wide
Wound of our Saviour's side;
And now thou art become a tame and harmless thing,
A thing we dare not fear,
Since we hear,
That our triumphant God, to punish thee
For the affront thou didst him on the tree,
Hath snatch'd the keys of hell out of thy hand,
And made thee stand
A porter to the gate of life, thy mortal enemy.
O Thou, who art that gate, command that he
May, when we die,
And thither fly,
Let us into the courts of heaven through thee !
Hallelujah !
THE PRAYER.
My soul doth pant tow'rds thee,
My God, source of eternal life :
Flesh fights with me ;
O end the strife
And part us, that in peace I may
Unclay
My wearied spirit, and take
My flight to thy eternal spring ;
Where, for his sake
Who is my King,
I may wash all my tears away
That day.
Thou conqueror of death,
Glorious triumpher o'er the grave,
Whose holy breath
Was spent to save
Lost mankind ; make me to be styl'd
Thy Child ;
And take me, when I die,
And go unto my dust, my soul,
Above the sky
With saints enrol,
That in thy arms, for ever, I
May lie. Amen.
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 83
Of the Day of Judgment.
GREAT Judge of all, how we vile wretches quake !
Our guilty bones do ache ;
Our marrow freezes when we think
Of the consuming fire
Of thine ire,
And horrid phials, thou shalt make
The wicked drink ;
When thou the winepress of thy wrath shalt tread
With feet of lead.
Sinful rebellious clay ! what unknown place
Shall hide it from thy face !
When earth shall vanish from thy sight,
The heavens that never err'd,
But observ'd
Thy laws, shall from thy presence take their flight,
And kill'd with glory, their bright eyes stark dead
Start from their head :
Lord, how shall we,
Thy enemies, endure to see
So bright, so killing majesty ?
Mercy, dear Saviour: thy judgment-seat
We dare not, Lord, entreat ;
We are condemn'd already, there.
Mercy ! vouchsafe one look
On thy Book
Of Life ; Lord, we can read the saving Jesus here,
And in his name our own salvation see :
Lord, set us free ;
The book of sin
Is cross'd within ;
Our debts are paid by thee,
Mercy !
Of Heaven.
O BEAUTEOUS God, uncircumscribed treasure
Of an eternal pleasure,
Thy throne is seated far
Above the highest star.
84 FESTIVAL HYMNS.
Where thou prepar'st a glorious place
Within the brightness of thy face
For every spirit
To inherit,
That builds his hopes on thy merit,
And loves thee with a holy charity.
What ravish'd heart, seraphic tongue or eyes,
Clear as the morning's rise,
Can speak, or think, or see,
That bright eternity ?
Where the great King's transparent throne
Is of an entire jasper stone :
There the eye
O' th' chrysolite,
And a sky
Of diamonds, rubies, chrysoprase,
And, above all, thy holy face
Makes an eternal clarity.
When thou thy jewels up dost bind, that day
Remember us, we pray,
That where the beryl lies
And the crystal, 'bove the skies,
There thou may'st appoint us place
Within the brightness of thy face ;
And our soul
In the scroll
Of life and blissfulness enrol,
That we may praise thee to eternity.
Allelujah !
Of Hell
HORRID darkness, sad and sore ;
And an eternal night !
Groans and shrieks, and thousands more
In the want of glorious light !
Every corner hath a snake
In the accursed lake :
Seas of fire, beds of snow,
Are the best delights below ;
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 85
A viper from the fire
Is his hire,
That knows not moments from eternity.
Glorious God of day and night,
Spring of eternal light,
Allelujahs, hymns, and psalms,
And coronets of palms,
Fill thy temple evermore.
O mighty God,
Let not thy bruising rod
Crush our loins with an eternal pressure ;
O let thy mercy be the measure ;
For, if thou keepest wrath in store,
We all shall die ;
And none be left to glorify
Thy name, and tell
How thou hast sav'd our souls from hell.
Mercy !
On the Conversion of St. Paul.
FULL of wrath, his threatening breath
Belching naught but chains and death :
Saul was arrested in his way,
By a voice and a light,
That, if a thousand days
Should join in rays
To beautify one day,
It would not shew so glorious and so bright.
On his amazed eyes it night did fling,
That day might break within ;
And, by those beams* of faith,
Make him of a child of wrath
Become a vessel full of glory.
Lord, curb us in our dark and sinful way ;
We humbly pray ;
When we down horrid precipices run
With feet that thirst to be undone,
That this may be our story.
Allelujah !
86 FESTIVAL HYMNS.
On the Purification of the Blessed Virgin.
PURE and spotless was the maid,
That to the temple came ;
A pair of turtle-doves she paid,
Although she brought the Lamb.
Pure and spotless though she were,
Her body chaste, and her soul fair,
She to the temple went
To be purified
And tried
That she was spotless and obedient.
O make us follow so blest precedent,
And purify our souls, for we
Are clothed with sin and misery.
From our conception,
One imperfection
And a continued state of sin
Hath sullied all our faculties within.
We present our souls to thee
Full of need and misery :
And, for redemption, a Lamb
The purest, whitest, that e'er came
A sacrifice to thee,
Even Him that bled upon the tree.
On Good Friday.
THE Lamb is eaten, and is yet again
Preparing to be slain ;
The cup is full and mix'd,
And must be drunk :
Wormwood and gall
To this, are draughts to beguile care withal,
Yet the decree is fix'd.
Doubled knees, and groans, and cries,
Prayers, and sighs, and flowing eyes,
Could not entreat.
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 87
His sad soul sunk
Under the heavy pressure of our sin :
The pains of death and hell
About him dwell.
His Father's burning wrath did make
His very heart, like melting wax, to sweat
Rivers of blood,
Through the pure strainer of his skin :
His boiling body stood
Bubbling all o'er,
As if the wretched whole were but one door
To let in pain and grief,
And turn out all relief.
O Thou, who for our sake
Didst drink up
This bitter cup,
Remember us, we pray,
In thy day,
When down
The struggling throats of wicked men
The dregs of thy just fury shall be thrown.
Othen
Let thy unbounded mercy think
On us, for whom
Thou underwent'st this heavy doom,
And give us of the well of life to drink.
Amen.
On the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin.
A WINGED harbinger, from bright heav'n flown,
Bespeaks a lodging room
For the mighty King of love,
The spotless structure of a virgin womb,
O'ershadowed with the wings of the blest Dove ;
For he was travelling to earth,
But did desire to lay
By the way,
That he might shift his clothes, and be
A perfect man as well as we.
88 FESTIVAL HYMNS.
How good a God have we, who, for our sake,
To save us from the burning lake,
Did change the order of creation ;
At first he made
Man like himself in his own image ; now
In the more blessed reparation
The heavens bow :
Eternity took the measure of a span,
And said,
" Let us like ourselves make man,
And not from man the woman take,
But from the woman, man."
Allelujah ! We adore
His name, whose goodness hath no store.
Allelujah !
Easter Day.
WHAT glorious light !
How bright a sun, after so sad a night,
Does now begin to dawn ! Blessed were those eyes
That did behold
This sun, when he did first unfold
His glorious beams, and now begin to rise:
It was the holy tender sex,
That saw the first ray :
Saint Peter and the other had the reflex,
The second glimpse o' th' day.
Innocence had the first, and he
That fled, and then did penance, next did see
The glorious Sun of Righteousness,
In his new dress
Of triumph, immortality, and bliss.
O dearest God, preserve our souls
In holy innocence ;
Or, if we do amiss,
Make us to rise again to th' life of grace,
That we may live with thee, and see thy glorious face,
The crown of holy penitence.
Allelujah !
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 89
On the Day of Ascension.
HE is risen higher, not set :
Indeed a cloud
Did, with his leave, make bold to shroud
The Sun of Glory from Mount Olivet.
At Pentecost, he '11 shew himself again ;
\Vhen every ray shall be a tongue
To speak all comforts, and inspire
Our souls with their celestial fire ;
That we, the saints among,
May sing, and love, and reign.
Amen.
On the Feast of Pentecost, or Whitsunday.
TONGUES of fire from heaven descend
With a mighty rushing wind,
To blow it up and make
A living fire
Of heav'nly charity, and pure desire^
Where they their residence should take.
On the apostles' sacred heads they sit ;
Who now, like beacons, do proclaim and tell
Th' invasion of the host of hell ;
And give men warning to defend
Themselves from the enraged brunt of it.
Lord, let the flames of holy charity,
And all her gifts and graces, slide
Into our hearts, and there abide ;
That thus refined, we may soar above
With it unto the element of love,
Even unto thee, dear Spirit,
And there eternal peace and rest inherit.
Amen.
9O FESTIVAL HYMNS.
Penitential Hymns.
I.
LORD, I have sinned : and the black number swells
To such a dismal sum,
That, should my stony heart, and eyes,
And this whole sinful trunk, a flood become,
And run to tears, their drops could not suffice
To count my score,
Much less to pay :
But thou, my God, hast blood in store,
And art the Patron of the poor.
Yet since the balsam of thy blood,
Although it can, will do no good,
Unless the wounds be cleans'd with tears before ;
Thou in whose sweet but pensive face
Laughter could never steal a place,
Teach but my heart and eyes
To melt away,
And then one drop of balsam will suffice.
Amen.
II.
GREAT GOD, and just! how canst thou see,
Dear God, our misery,
And not, in mercy, set us free!
Poor miserable man ! how wert thou born
Weak as the dewy jewels of the morn,
Wrapt up in tender dust,
Guarded with sins and lust,
Who, like court- flatterers, wait
To serve themselves in thy unhappy fate.
Wealth is a snare ; and poverty brings in
Inlets for theft, paving the way for sin :
Each perfum'd vanity doth gently breathe
Sin in thy soul, and whispers it to death.
Our faults, like ulcerated sores, do go
O'er the sound flesh, and do corrupt that too.
FESTIVAL HYMNS. 91
Lord, we are sick, spotted with sin,
Thick as a crusty leper's skin ;
Like Naaman, bid us wash ; yet let it be
In streams of blood that flow from thee :
Then will we sing
Touch 'd by the heav'nly Dove's bright wing,
Hallelujahs, psalms, and praise.
To God, the Lord of night and days ;
Ever good, and ever just,
Ever high, who ever must
Thus be sung ; is still the same ;
Eternal praises crown his name !
Amen .
A Prayer for Charity.
FULL of mercy, full of love,
Look upon us from above ;
Thou, who taught'st the blind man's night
To entertain a double light,
Thine and the day's (and that thine too) ;
The lame away his crutches threw ;
The parched crust of leprosy
Return'd unto its infancy :
The dumb amazed was to hear
His own unchain'd tonsrue strike his ear :
O
Thy powerful mercy did even chase
The devil from his usurped place,
Where thou thyself shouldst dwell, not he.
O let thy love our pattern be ;
Let thy mercy teach one brother
To forgive and love another ;
That, copying thy mercy here,
Thy goodness may hereafter rear
Our souls unto thy glory, when
Our dust shall cease to be with men. Amen.
THE
PSALTER OF DAVID:
WITH
TITLES AND COLLECTS,
ACCORDING TO THE MATTER OF EACH PSALM :
WHEREUNTO ARE ADDED
DEVOTIONS
FOR THE
HELP AND ASSISTANCE OF ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE, IN
ALL OCCASIONS AND NECESSITIES.
THE PREFACE.
IT is natural for all men, when they are straitened
with fears or actual infelicities, to run for succour
to what their fancy, or the next opportunity, pre-
sents, as an instrument of their ease and remedy.
But that which distinguishes men in these cases, is
the choice of their sanctuary ; for to rely upon the
reeds of Egypt, or to snatch at the bulrushes of
Nilus, may weft become a drowning man, whose
reason is so wholly invaded and surprised by fear,
as to be useless to him in that confusion; but he
whose condition (although it be sad) is still under
the mastery of reason, and hath time to deliberate,
unless he places his hopes upon something that is
likely to cure his misery, or at least to ease it, by
making his affliction less, or his patience more, does
deserve that misery he groans under. Stripes and
remediless miseries are the lot of fools; but afflic-
tions, that happen to wise men or good men, repre-
sent indeed the sadnesses of mortality ; but they
become monuments and advantages of their piety
and wisdom.
In this most unnatural war, commenced against
the greatest solemnities of Christianity, and all that
is called God, I have been put to it to run some-
whither to sanctuary; but whither, was so great a
question, that had not Religion been my guide, I
XCV1 PREFACE.
had not known where to have found rest or safety :
when the king and the laws, who, by God and man
respectively, are appointed the protectors of inno-
cence and truth, had themselves the greatest need
of a protector. And when, in the beginning of
these troubles, I hastened to his Majesty, the case
of the king and his good subjects was something
like that of Isaac, ready to be sacrificed ; the wood
was prepared, the fire kindled, the knife was lift up,
and the hand was striking ; that, if we had not been
something like Abraham too, and " against hope
had believed in hope," we had been as much with-
out comfort, as we were, in outward appearance,
without remedy.
It was my custom long since to secure myself
against the violences of discontents abroad, as
Gerson did against temptations, "in angulis et
libellis, in my books and my retirements;" but
now I was deprived of both them, and driven to a
public view and participation of those dangers and
miseries, which threatened the kingdom, and dis-
turbed the evenness of my former life. I was
therefore constrained to amass together all those
arguments of hope and comfort, by which men in
the like condition were supported ; and amongst all
the great examples of trouble and confidence, I
reckoned king David one of the biggest, and of
greatest consideration. For, considering that he
was a king vexed with a civil war, his case had
so much of ours in it, that it was likely the devo-
tions he used, might fit our turn, and his comforts
sustain us.
PREFACE. XCV11
And indeed, when I came to look upon the
Psalter with a nearer observation, and an eye dili-
gent to espy my advantages and remedies there
deposited, I found very many prayers against the
enemies of the king and church, and the miseries of
war. I found so many admirable promises, so
rare variety of expressions of the mercies of God,
so many consolatory hymns, the commemoration
of so many deliverances from dangers, and deaths,
and enemies, so many miracles of mercy and sal-
vation, that I began to be so confident as to believe
there could come no affliction great enough to spend
so great a stock of comfort, as was laid up in the
treasure of the Psalter : the saying of St. Paul was
here verified, " If sin" and misery " did abound,
then did grace superabound :" and as we believe of
the passion of Christ, it was so great as to be able
to satisfy for a thousand worlds ; so it is of the com-
forts of David's Psalms, they are more than suffi-
cient to repair all the breaches of mankind. But
for the particular occasion of creating confidences in
us, that God will defend his church and his anointed,
and all that trust in him, against all their enemies
(which was our case, and contained in it all our
needs for the present), I found so abundant supply,
that of one hundred and fifty psalms, some whereof
are historical, many eucharistical, many prophetical,
and the rest prayers for several occasions ; thirty-
four of them are expressly made against God's and
our enemies, eleven expressly for the Church, four
for the king ; that is, a third part of the Psalms
relate particularly to the present occasion, beside
XCVI1I PREFACE.
many clauses of respersion in the other, which, if
collected in one, would, of themselves, be great
arguments of hope to prevail in so good a cause.
This, which experience taught me now, I was
promised before by a frequent testimony of the
doctors of the Church, who gave the Psalter such a
character, as is due to the best and most useful
book in the whole world : viz. the most profitable
of books, the treasury of holy instructions ; " con-
summationem totius paginae Theologicse, the per-
fection of the whole Scripture ;" so the ordinary
gloss calls it: "arma juvenum, parva Biblia, tribu-
latorum solatia, the young man's armoury, the
little Bible, the comfort of the distressed ;" so others :
to be said by all men, upon all occasions, is the
counsel of the most devout amongst them. But
concerning the Psalter there are good words enough,
and real observation of advantages in the several
prefaces before the commentaries upon the Psalms,
set forth by the fathers and writers of the first and
middle ages. I leave the particular enumeration of
them to the learned divines of our church, to whom
it is more proper : the sum of them is this, which
Tertullian alone hath expressed in his Apology
against the Gentiles, " Omnes bibliothecas et omnia
monumenta unius prophetae scrinium vincit, in quo
videtur thesaurus collocatus esse totius Judaici sacra-
menti, et inde etiam nostri ; This book alone of
the prophet David hath in it some excellences be-
yond all the monuments of learning in any library
whatsoever, and is the storehouse both of the Jewish
and Christian religion."
PREFACE. XC1X
But that which pleases me most is the fancy of
St. Hilary, expounding the Psalter to be meant ' the
key of David/ spoken of by St. John in his Revela-
tion: and properly enough: for if we consider, how
many mysteries of religion are opened to us in the
Psalter, how many things concerning Christ, what
clear vaticinations concerning his birth, his priest-
hood, his kingdom, his death, the very circumstances
of his passion, his resurrection, and all the degrees
of his exaltation, more clearly and explicitly re-
corded in the Psalter than in all the old prophets
besides, we may easily believe that Christ, with the
key of David in his hand, is nothing else but Christ
fully opened and manifested to us in the Psalms in
the whole mystery of our redemption. " Omnes pene
psalmi Christi personam sustinent," saith Tertullian ;
" Almost all the psalms represent the person of
Christ." Now this key of David opens not only
the kingdom of grace, by revelation of the mysteries
of our religion, but the kingdom of heaven too ; it
being such a collection of prayers, eucharist, acts of
hope, of love, of patience, and all other Christian
virtues, that as the everlasting kingdom is given to
the heir of the house of David, so the honour of
opening that kingdom is given to the first prince of
that family; the Psalms of his father David are one
of the best inlets into the kingdom of the Son.
Something to this purpose is that saying of one of
the old doctors, "Vox psalmodiae, si recto corde
dirigatur, in tantum omnipotent! Deo aditum ad
animum aperit, ut intentae animae vel prophetise
mysteria vel compunctionis spiritum infundat ;
C PREFACE.
The saying or singing of psalms opens a way so
wide for God to enter into the heart, that a devout
soul does usually, from such an employment, receive
the grace of compunction and contrition, or of un-
derstanding prophecies."
Upon such premises as these, or better, the
Church of God, in all ages, hath made David's
Psalter the greatest part of her public and private
devotions ; sometimes dividing the Psalter into
seven parts, that every week's devotion might spend
it all.
Sometimes decreeing that ' it should be said day
and night.' Otherwhile enjoining ' the recitation
of the whole Psalter before the celebration of the
blessed sacrament; and, after some time, it was
made 'the public office of the Church.'
It was the general use of Christendom to say the
Psalms ' antiphonatim, by way of verse and an-
swer,' saith Suidas; and so ancient, that the Reli-
gious of St. Mark in Alexandria used it, saith Philo
the Jew; and St. Ignatius, or else Flavianus, and
Diodorus, brought it first into the Church of Antioch.
And for the private devotions, that they chiefly
consisted of the Psalms, we have great probability
from the strict requiring it of the clergy, and parti-
cularly from them who came to be ordained, great
readiness of saying the Psalter by heart. It was
St. Jerome's counsel to Rusticus : and when St.
Gregory was to ordain the bishop of Ancona, his
inquiry concerning his canonical sufficiency was, if
he could say David's Psalms without book ; and for
a disability of doing it, John the priest was rejected
PREFACE. C{
from the bishoprick of Ravenna. But this, I conceive,
more relates to their private than to their public
devotions : for I cannot think but that, in respect of
the public liturgy, it was enough for bishops and
priests to read the psalm ; the requiring ability to
remember them was to engage them to a frequent
use of so admirable devotions in their private
offices.
But the Psalms were not only of use to the
Church, as they lay in their own position and form,
but the devout men of several ages drew them into
collects, antiphonaries, responsories, and all other
parts of their devotions. They made their prayers
out of the Psalms ; their confessions, their doxo-
logies, their ejaculations, for the most part, were
clauses or periods of the Psalter. St. Jerome made
a collection of choice versicles, and put them toge-
ther into their several classes, and that was much of
his devotion ; the collection is still extant under the
name of " St. Jerome's Psalter." St. Athanasius
made an index of the several occasions and matters
of prayer and eucharist, and fitted psalms to each
particular ; that was his devotion ; the psalms entire
as they lay, only he made titles of his own. I have
seen, of later time, a short hymn of some eight
verses, which are, indeed, choice sentences out of
several psalms, set together to make a compendium
of liturgy or breviary of our necessity and devotions,
collected by St. Bernardine : it is a very good copy
to be followed. But if we look into the old liturgies
of the Eastern and Western churches, and, where we
will almost, into the private devotions of the old
Cll PREFACE.
writers, we may say of them in the expression of
the prophet, " Hauriebant aquas e fontibus Salva-
toris, they drew their waters from the fountains
of our blessed Saviour," but through the limbecks of
David.
But the practice of this devotion I derived from
a higher precedent, even of Christ and his apostles :
for before the passion immediately "they sung a
psalm," saith the Scripture; "Hymno dicto," saith
the vulgar Latin, " having recited or said a psalm."
But, however, it was part of David's Psalter that
was sung ; it was the great Allelujah, as the Jews
called it, beginning at the 113th Psalm, to the
119th exclusively; part of that was sung. But this
devotion continued with our blessed Saviour as long
as breath was in him ; for when he was upon the
cross, he recited the 22d Psalm ' ad verbum,' saith
the tradition of the Church ; and that he began it,
saith the Scripture, "My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me?" The whole psalm is rather a
history than a prediction of the passion ; and what
Tertullian saith of the whole Psalter, is particularly
verified of this, " Filium ad Patrem, id est, Chris-
tum ad Deum, verba facientem reprsesentat ; It
represents the Son's address to his Father, that is,
Christ speaking to God." Against the example of
Christ, if we confront the practice of Antichrist,
nothing can be said greater in commendation of
this manner of devotion : for bishop Hippolytus, in
his oration of the end of the world, saith, that in
the days of Antichrist, "Psalmorum decantatio
cessabit, they shall then no more use the singing
PREFACE. CHI
or saying of psalms ;" which when I had observed,
without any further deliberation I fixed upon the
Psalter as the best weapon against him, whose
coming, we have great reason to believe, is not far
off, so great preparation is making for him.
From the example of Christ this grew to be a
practice apostolical, and their devotion came exactly
home to the likeness of the design 'of this very book ;
they turned the Psalms into prayers.
Thus it was said of Paul and Silas, Acts, xvi.
" They prayed a psalm ;" so it is in the Greek ;
and we have a copy left us of one of the prayers
or collects, which they made out of the bowels of
the second Psalm ; it is in the fourth chapter of
the Acts, beginning at the twenty-fourth verse, and
ends at the thirty-first. And now I have shewn
you the reasons of my choice, and the precedents
that I have followed. This last comes home to
every circumstance of my book. I only add this,
that since, according to the instruction of our blessed
Saviour, God is to be worshipped in spirit and in
truth ; no worshipping can be more true or more
spiritual than the Psalter, said with a pure mind
and a hearty devotion. For David was God's
instrument to the Church, " teaching and admonish-
ing us," as our duty is to each other, " in psalms,
and hymns, and spiritual songs ;" and the Spirit of
Truth was the grand Dictator of what David wrote ;
so that we may confidently use this devotion as the
Church of God ever did, making her addresses to
God most frequently by the Psalms : so Prudentius
reports the guise of Christendom.
CIV PREFACE.
Te mente pura simplici,
Te voce, te cantu pio,
Rogare curvato genu,
Flendo et cnnendo discimus.*
The prayers which I have collected out of the
Psalms are nothing else but the matter of the
Psalms put into another mood, and fitted to the
necessities of Christendom, and of ourselves in
particular, according to the first designation or
secondary intention of the blessed Spirit: for the
use of them could not expire in the person of
David, though first occasioned, many of them, by
his personal necessities : for " all Scripture was
written for our learning, upon whom the ends of
the world are come," saith the apostle : and Christ,
and his apostles, and the Church of all ages, *hath
taught us by his example and precepts, that the
purposes of the Holy Ghost were of great extent,
and the profits universal both for times and occa-
sions ; so also were the prayers which the Church
made out of the Psalms, and sung them in her
public offices. St. Austin found great advantages
by such devotions, as himself witnesses : " Cum
reminiscor lacrymas meas, quas fudi ad cantus
Ecclesiae, in primordiis recuperatae fidei meae,
magnam instituti hujus utilitatem agnosco ; When
I call to mind the many tears I shed, when I heard
the hymns and psalms of the Church, I cannot but
acknowledge the great benefit of this institution."
And yet besides the spiritual sense of an actual
devotion which is sooner had in this use of the Psalms
Hymn. 9. Cathem.
PREFACE. CV
than of other prayers, I have had a meditation that
this manner of devotion might be a good symbol
and instrument of communion between Christians
of a different persuasion ; for if we would com-
municate in the same private devotions, it were a
great degree of peace and charity. The Nicene
fathers, in their zeal against heresy, forbade their
people to be present at the prayers of heretics : and
they had great reason, so long as they derived their
heresy into their liturgy, into their very forms of
baptism. But I am much scandalized, when I see
a man refuse to communicate with me in my
prayers, even such as are in his own Breviary
or Manual. For, methinks, it is strange, that the
Lord's Prayer itself should be unhallowed in the
mouth of a protestant, and yet the whole office
from the mouth of one of their priests, though never
so wicked, though a necromancer, a secret Jew,
or any thing, so of their communion, shall lose no
tittle of its sanctity and value. So long as nothing
of controversy is brought into our prayers (and
certainly we may very well pray to God without
disputing), and devotion is not made a party ; he
that refuseth to join with me in what himself con-
fesses true and holy, upon pretence I am a heretic,
will certainly prove himself a' schismatic. For true
it is, a heretic is to be avoided, that is, in his
temptation and in his heresy, just as a notorious
fornicator and adulterer, a sentenced drunkard,
and no more ; the apostles' rule excommunicates
all alike, " with such men no not to eat :" and this
rule cannot, with so much ease and certainty, be
CV1 PREFACE.
put to practice in the case of heresy as in the case
of drunkenness ; because heresy is as much harder
to be judged, as the soul is more invisible than the
body ; especially if we make heresy to be an error,
not in the great articles of faith only, but to consist
in minutes also : as all they do who refuse to com-
municate with persons disagreeing even in the
smallest article.
But he that is ready to join with all the societies
of Christians in the world in those things which
are certainly true, just, and pious, gives great
probation that he hath at least ' animum catholi-
cum, no schismatical soul;' because he would
actually communicate with all Christendom, if
" bona fides in falso articulo," sincere persuasion
(be it true or false) did not disoblige him : since
he clearly distinguishes persons from things, and,
in all good things, communicates with persons bad
enough in others. This is the communion of charity;
and when the communion of belief is interrupted
by mispersuasion on one side, and too much con-
fidence and want of charity on the other, the erring
party hath human infirmity to excuse him ; but
the uncharitable, nothing at all. This, therefore,
is the best and surest way, because we are all apt
to be deceived, to be sincere in our disquisitions,
modest in our determinations, charitable in our
censures, and apt to communicate in things of
evident truth and confessed holiness. And such
is this devotion, the whole matter whereof is the
Psalms of David, and the prayers symbolical, and
alike in substance, and of the same expression
PREFACE. CV11
throughout, where it is not already by circum-
stances.
So that I thought I might not imprudently in-
tend this book as an instrument of public charity to
Christians of different confessions. For I see that
all sorts of people sing or say David's Psalms ; and,
by that use, if they understand the consequences of
their own religion, accept set forms of prayer for
their liturgy, and this form in special is one of their
own choices for devotion : so that if all Christians
that think David's Psalms lawful devotions, and
shall observe the collects from them to be just of
the same religion, would join in this or the like
form, I am something confident the product would
be charity, besides other spiritual advantages. For
my own particular, since all Christendom is so much
divided and subdivided into innumerable sects, I
knew not how to give a better evidence of my own
belief, and love of the communion of saints, and
detestation of schism, than by an act of religion,
whose consequence might be, if men please, the
advancement of a universal communion. For in
that which is most concerning, and is the best
preserver of charity, I mean practical devotion and
active piety, the differences of Christendom are not
so great and many, to make art eternal disunion and
fracture ; and if we instance in prayer, there is none
at all abroad (some indeed we have commenced at
home), but in the great divisions of Christendom
none at all, but concerning the object of our prayers
and adorations. For the Socinian shuts up the
Holy Ghost from his litanies, and places the Son of
CV111 PREFACE.
God in a lower form of address. But concerning
him, I must say as St. Paul said of the unbelievers,
" What have I to do with them that are without ?"
For this very thing, that they disbelieve the
article of the holy Trinity, they make themselves
uncapable of the communion of other Christian
people of the Nicene faith, and we cannot so much
as join with them in good prayers, because we are
not agreed concerning the persons to whom our
devotions must be addressed ; and Christendom
never did so lightly esteem the article of the holy
Trinity as not to glory in it, and confess it publicly,
and express it in all our offices. The Holy Ghost,
together with the Father and the Son, must be
worshipped and glorified.
But since all Christians of any public confessions
and government, that is, all particular and national
churches, agree in the matter of prayers and the
great object, God in the mystery of the Trinity, if
the Church of Rome would make her addresses to
God only, through Jesus Christ our Lord, and leave
the saints in the calendar, without drawing them
into her offices (which they might do without any
prejudice to the suits they ask, unless Christ's inter-
cession without their conjuncture were imperfect),
that we might all once pray together, we might
hope for the blessings of peace and charity to be
upon us all. I am sure they that have commenced
this war against the king and the Church, first fell
out with the liturgy, and refused to join with us in
our prayers : I have, therefore, a strong persuasion,
that if we were joined in our prayers, we should
PREFACE. C1X
quickly be united in affections : and to this purpose
I have some reason to believe this Psalter may do
good service.
For I have seen an essay of this design made by
that prudent and pious moderator of controversies,
George Cassander, who did much for the peace of
Christendom. When disagreeing interests and opi-
nions made the great schism in the Western churches,
he puts forth devotions, and with them collects to each
psalm. But I said it was a mere essay ; they are
short of what he could have done : but when I saw
his name at them, I guessed what every man else
would have guessed concerning him, it was a pursu-
ance of his great design for peace and charity.
I have seen three more : the first by an old Saxon
priest or bishop, in which there is nothing of offence,
nothing but pious and primitive for the matter ; but
the collects so short that the psalm did scarce pass
through the prayer ; so little of the relish is left that
the percolation is scarce discernible.
A second was printed at Lyons 1545, without
the author's name, with a complying design of
avoiding all offence, and a not engaging of God in
our scholastical wranglings, but quite contrary to
the Saxon : the prayers are so full of paraphrase,
that I resolved to go further,* and see if I could
speed better ; and at last met with a Psalter printed
lately at Antwerp by command, very fairly indeed,
with a title and a collect to every psalm, all free
from dispute, and partaking in the questions of
Christendom, not so much as a gust or relish of
his own party till the Psalter be done ; the prayers
CX PREFACE.
all good : and here I had fixed, but that I had found
them very often to be impertinent. But that which
I observed in all these is, that the design seems
alike, and they are a form of devotion made for no
private sect, but for the benefit of all Christian
people ; which the author of the Antwerp Psalter
declines in his additional devotions, where he brings
in litanies to saints as grossly as he had before
avoided it with discretion.
If any man's piety receives advantage by this
intendment, it is what I wish : but I desire that his
charity might increase too, and that he would say a
hearty prayer, when his devotion grows high and
pregnant, for me and my family; for I am more
desirous my posterity should be pious than honour-
able. I have no ends of my own to serve, but to
purchase an interest of prayers ; for I would fain
have these devotions go out into a blessing to all
them that shall use them, and yet return into my
own bosom too ; and if I may but receive the
blessings of the Psalter, " even the sure mercies
of David," it will be like the reward of five cities
for the improvement of a few talents ; I shall ven-
ture again in a greater negotiation, and traffic for
ten talents ; for there is no honour so great as to
serve God in a great capacity ; and, though I wait
not at the altar, yet I will pay there such oblations
of my time and industry, as I can redeem from the
services of his Majesty, and the impertinences of
my own life.
THE
PSALTER OF DAVID,
TITLES AND COLLECTS FITTED TO EACH PSALM, &c.
THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH.
Jtflornfag Draper.
PSALM I.*
A Prayer that we may continually meditate in God's Law y
and have no fellowship with wicked Persons in the Manner
of their living or dying.
O HOLY JESU, Fountain of all blessing, the Word of the
eternal Father, be pleased to sow the good seed of thy word
in our hearts, and water it with the dew of thy divinest
Spirit ; that while we exercise ourselves in it day and night,
we may be like a tree planted by the water-side, bringing
forth, in all times and seasons, the fruits of a holy conversa-
tion ; that we may never walk in the way of sinners, nor
have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ; but
that when this life is ended, we may have our portion in the
congregation of the righteous, and may be able to stand
upright in judgment, through the supporting arm of thy
mercy, O blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesu. Amen.
* To avoid enlarging the volume unnecessarily, the words of the Psalms
have been omitted, as reference can easily be made to the Psalter.
112 THE FIRST DAY.
PSALM II.
A Prayer to promote Christ's Kingdom, and for Grace to
serve him with Fear and Reverence.
O blessed Jesu, into whose hands are committed all domi-
nion and power in the kingdoms and empires of the world,
out of whose mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it thou
mightest smite the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron ;
on whose vesture and on whose thigh a name is written,
King of kings, and Lord of lords ; we adore thee in thy
infinite excellence and most glorious exaltation, beseeching
thee to reveal thy name and the glory of thy kingdom to
the heathen which know thee not, and to the uttermost
parts of the earth, which are given thee for thy possession
and inheritance. And to us give thy grace to serve thee in
fear, and plant the reverence of thy law and of thy name in
our hearts ; lest thy wrath be kindled against us, and thou
break us in pieces like vessels of dishonour. Have mercy
on us, O King of kings, for we have put our trust in thee ;
thou art our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesu. Amen.
PSALM III.
A Prayer for Defence against all our Enemies, bodily and
ghostly.
O Lord, our Defender, have pity upon us : behold, the
armies of the flesh, the world and the devil, fight against our
souls, and multiply against us, every day, temptations and
disadvantages. We are not able of ourselves, as of our-
selves, to think a good thought, much less to put to flight
the armies of them that have set themselves against us round
about. But thou, O Lord, art our Defender; thou art our
worship, and the lifter-up of our heads. Up, Lord, and help
us : arm us with the shield of faith, and the sword of the
Spirit, and, in all times of temptation and battle, cover our
heads with the helmet of salvation : so shall we not be afraid
for ten thousands of our enemies : for salvation belongeth
unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE FIRST DAY. 113
PSALM IV.
A Prayer in which we exercise an Act of Hope in God, and
desire his Providence over us.
O God, who art the Author of all righteousness, from
whom all grace, and safety, and glory, does proceed, hear
the prayers of thy humble servants, whensoever we call upon
thee in our trouble ; for our trust is in thee alone ; and no
creature can shew us any good, unless it derives from thee.
Shew the light of thy countenance upon us, let thy provi-
dence guide all our actions and sufferings to thy glory and
our spiritual benefit, and consign us to the blessedness of
thy kingdom, by the testimony of thy Holy Spirit ; that we
may not place our joys and hopes upon the good things of
this life, which perish and cannot satisfy, but in the eternal
fountain of all true felicities ; that, thou being our treasure,
our hearts may be fixed upon thee by the bands of charity
and obedience ; that thou mayest make us to dwell in safety
here, and when our days are done, we may lay us down in
peace, and take our rest in thy arms, expecting the coming
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM V.
A Prayer for a Blessing upon all pious People, and for
Protection against the Malice of wicked Men.
O most holy and blessed Lord God, who canst take no
pleasure in wickedness, neither can evil come nigh thy
dwelling; defend us and all thy Holy Church from the fraud
and malice of blood-thirsty and deceitful men, and from the
crafty insinuations of all them that work vanity: but let thy
blessings be upon the righteous, and "let thy favourable kind-
ness defend thy whole Church as with a shield; that all those
who put their trust in thy mercy, may be ever giving of
thanks, and may be joyful in thee. O lead us in thy righte-
ousness, that we become not a rejoicing to our enemies ; but
that we may worship thee in fear, and come into thy house
to make our prayers unto thee, and to give thee thanks for
the multitude of thy mercies, which thou hast given us in
our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
VOL. xv. i
114 THE FIRST DAY.
lEbenmg Draper.
PSALM VI.
A Prayer of a Penitent Person for Remission of his Sins.
O MOST merciful God, whose property is always to have
mercy and to forgive, behold, with the eyes of thy pity and
compassion, the state of thy humble servants, made most
miserable by reason of our sins. Hear the voice of our
weeping, pity our groaning; strengthen us, for we are weak;
heal us, for our bones are vexed ; and deliver our souls from
death, that, being saved from the bottomless pit, we may
give thanks to thy holy name. O turn from the severity of
thy displeasure, and visit us with thy mercy and salvation.
For all our sins give us a great sorrow and contrition, and in
our sorrows let thy comforts sustain us; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM VII.
A Prayer for Defence of our Innocence against the unjust
Molestation of our Enemies.
O God, from whom cometh our help, thou art a righteous
Judge, and preservest all that are true of heart: deliver us
from our persecutors, who travail with mischief against us,
and have digged a pit for our destruction. O let their
wickedness and malicious devices against thy servants come
utterly to an end for evermore. Thou, O Lord, art strong,
and able to take vengeance, and yet, being provoked every
day, still art patient towards us, and compassionate. Deliver
us from their wrath, to whom we have done no injustice or
displeasure ; pardon our offences against thee, and protect
our innocence against them ; that we may praise thy name,
and give thanks unto thee for thy righteousness and salva-
tion, who art blessed for evermore. Amen.
PSALM VIII.
A Contemplation of the Divine Beauty and Excellence
manifested in his Creatures.
O Lord God, Father of men and angels, God of all the
creatures, who hast created all things in a wonderful order,
THE SECOND DAY. 115
and hast made them all conveyances of thy mercies to man-
kind ; give us great and dreadful apprehensions of thy glory
and immensity, thy majesty and mercy, that we may adore
thee as our Creator, love thee as our Redeemer, fear thee as
our God, obey thee as our Governor, and praise thee as the
Author and Fountain of all perfections, and all good which
thou hast communicated to thy creatures, that they may all,
in their proportions, do thee service, who hast to that end
made the world, and redeemed us by oar Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE SECOND DAY.
PSALM IX.
A Prayer of poor and oppressed People against their
Persecutors.
O LORD GOD, who art a defence for the oppressed, and a
refuge in due time of trouble, have mercy upon us thy ser-
vants, who are violently assaulted by enemies without, and
weaknesses and temptations within. Thou never failest
them that seek thee, but lovest to hear the poor make their
complaint unto thee in their trouble, and art known to exe-
cute judgment upon them that oppress them. Pity us, and
look upon the trouble we suffer of them that hate us; deliver
us from the strivings of our adversaries, lift us up from the
gates of death ; that being safe under thy mercies and pro-
tection, we may give thanks unto thee with our spirits and
voices, we may embrace thee with a lively faith, fear thee
with all our hearts, serve thee with all our powers and
faculties both of soul and body, all the days of our life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM X.
A Prayer to God in Times of Persecution and War against
the Church.
O Lord God, who behoklest all the actions of men, and
seest all the ungodliness of sinners,, aud the wrong the^ Ho
116 . THE SECOND DAY.
unto thy servants, we fly unto thee for succour and defence,
in this our needful time of trouble. Behold, O Lord, how
the enemies of thy Church have set their eyes against her,
and use all violences and arts, that thy poor servants may
fall under the hands of their captains. Thou seest their
malice, and their confidences : they fear thee not, neither
art thou, O God, in all their thoughts. But thou art our
King for ever and ever, and the helper of the friendless.
We commit ourselves wholly to thy mercy and providence :
take the matter into thine own hand. Let them perish out
of the land, that are exalted against thee, and against thy
Church : that we, being delivered from fear of our enemies,
may serve thee with constant and regular devotions all the
days of our life ; through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XL
An Address to God by way of Hope and Confidence in him,
and a Prayer against our secret Enemies.
O Lord, who art our hope and our refuge, and the ex-
ceeding great, reward of all that trust in thee, have mercy
upon us thy servants, who have no confidences, but upon thy
mercies and infinite loving-kindness. Defend us from all
secret plots and designs, intended against our peace and
securities by them that privily shoot at us, and would over-
throw the foundations of our repose and safety. And, that
we may be better entitled to thy protection and care over us,
make us to love righteousness, and to follow the things that
are just; that, by thy grace, we being defended from taking
delight in wickedness, may also be delivered from the por-
tion of the ungodly, which thou givest them to drink, upon
whom thou rainest snares, fire and brimstone, storm and
tempest. Deliver us, O Lord, from the eternal pressure of
thy wrath; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XII.
A Prayer for Defence against the Dangers of Evil Company.
O MOST blessed Jesu, who, in thy eternal providence, dost
suffer 'the tares and the wheat to grow together until the
THE SECOND DAY. 117
harvest, permitting heretics and vicious persons to commu-
nicate in the external society of thy people ; grant us thy
grace, that we may so believe, and heartily obey, all thy pure
words and dictates which thou hast taught us in thy holy
Gospel, that we may be kept unspotted of the world. And,
although the ungodly walk on every side, yet we may perse-
vere in the ways of righteousness, and increase the number
of the godly, that, at last, we may be admitted into the glo-
rious fellowship of saints and angels, who behold thy face,
and the glories of thy kingdom, where thou livest and
reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, eternal God,
world without end. Amen.
PSALM XIII.
A Prayer in Time of Temptation.
O God, the Giver of all grace, the Author of all ghostly
strength, look with compassion upon our infirmities, and
how unequally we are assaulted by many, by powerful, by
malicious adversaries. How long, O Lord, how long shall
we seek for rest, and find none ? O give us either peace or
victory ; and preserve us, that we sleep not in the death of
sin, lest our grand enemy the devil say ' he hath prevailed
against us.' Our trust is in thy mercy, and thy delight is in
it : strengthen us so with thy grace, that we may fight a
good fight, and conquer, and be crowned with a crown of
righteousness, which, we beg, we may receive from the hands,
and by the mercies, of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
PSALM XIV.
A Prayer against Atheism and Irreligion.
O Eternal God, Creator of the 'world, Conserver of the
creatures, whose essence, and goodness, and perfections, are
infinite, and made so manifest in the creation, order, protec-
tion, and disposition of thy creatures, that, without the
greatest sin and folly in the world, we cannot but acknow-
ledge thee, and adore thee with the lowest adorations of
soul and body, and with the most profound humility : pre-
serve us, O Lord, in great religion, veneration and reverence
of thy Divine perfections. Keep us from all distrust of thy
118 THE THIRD DAY.
providence, all doublings of thy infiniteness, or of any other
article of our faith ; and grant that we, confessing thee
before all the world, may be acknowledged for thy children,
and rewarded among thy servants, not for our righteousness,
but through the merits and mercies of our dearest Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE THIRD DAY.
J&ornfag ^raget.
PSALM XV.
Which is a short Rule of a good Life, and a Desire of Innocence
and Sanctity.
O LORD, let thy mercy preserve us in holiness and inno-
cence; or, if through infirmity we fall, make us to rise again
by penitence : that we may lead an incorrupt life with humi-
lity, and truth, and justice, not slandering our neighbour,
not invading his right, not breaking our trust, not oppressing
the indigent and necessitous, but doing good to all, and
especially making much of them that fear the Lord; that
we may never fall from thy favour, but, at the end of our
weary pilgrimage, we may take our rest upon thy holy hill,
and dwell in thy tabernacle, where thou reignest with
infinite glory and felicities, God eternal, world without end.
Amen.
PSALM XVI.
A. Prayer for the Blessings of God's Providence and Preserva-
tion in this Life, and for Glory hereafter.
O God, who art the portion of our inheritance, our God
and our preserver, preserve and maintain all those good
things, which thou hast wrought in us and for us ; and that
we may never fall, give us thy grace, that we may set thee
always before us, rejoicing in thee, and delighting in the
saints that are upon the earth : that when our flesh shall see
corruption, our souls may not be left in hell, but may walk
THE THIRD DAY. 119
in the paths of life ; and in the day of the restitution of all
things, both bodies and souls may have a goodly heritage,
even the lot of thy right-hand, where there is pleasure for
evermore, and where we may see thy face and the glory of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM XVII.
A Prayer for Protection against the Injuries of our Enemies,
bodily and ghostly.
O most merciful Jesu, thou that art the Saviour of them
that put their trust in thee, defend us and deliver us from the
hands of all our enemies ; and although they are a sword of
thine, and an instrument sent from thee to chastise us for
our sins, yet arise, O Lord, in mercy and strength ; disap-
point them and cast them down, lest they destroy our souls ;
that, when thou hast visited us with thy fatherly correction,
and tried us like as silver is tried, thou mayest find no
wickedness in us. Sanctify our hearts and lips, that we may
not think a thought displeasing unto thee, and that our mouth
may not offend. Keep us as the apple of an eye; hide us
under the shadow of thy wings of mercy and providence ;
keep us from the ways of the destroyer, and hold up our goings
in thy paths, that we may persevere in righteousness, and
our footsteps may not slip ; that, in the day of the resurrec-
tion of the just, we may behold thy presence, and receive
infinite satisfactions in the vision beatifical. Grant this, O
merciful Saviour and Redeemer Jesu. Amen.
Draper.
PSALM XVIII.
A Prayer for Strength and Victory in War, temporal or spi-
ritual, together with an Act of Hope and Confidence in God.
O GOD our Saviour, the rock upon whom all our hopes are
built, our strength and defence, our salvation and our refuge,
hear our voice out of thy holy temple; let our complaint
come before thee and enter even into thy ears. The sor-
rows of death compass us, and we are afraid, because of the
120 THE FOURTH DAY.
overflowings of ungodliness. Our enemies are strong, yea,
they are too mighty for us, and we have no hope to escape,
unless thou preventest them in the day of our trouble, and
deliverest us from the strivings of our enemies. But in thee,
O Lord, is our hope ; do thou teach our hands to fight, and
gird us with strength unto the battle. Make us to have an
eye unto all thy laws, that we may eschew our own wicked-
ness, and be uncorrupt before thee : then shalt thou give us
the defence of thy salvation, and we shall give thanks unto
thee, O Lord, and sing praises unto thy name, who art become
our strong helper, and the God of our salvation, which thou hast
given unto us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE FOURTH DAY.
J&ornmg Draper.
PSALM XIX.
A Prayer for the Preservation from Sin, and for Love of
God's Law.
O MOST blessed Jesu, thou Sun of Righteousness, who earnest
forth from the bosom of thy eternal Father, as a bridegroom
out of his chamber ; be pleased to plant in our hearts the
fear of the Lord, and in our bodies the purity and cleanness
of chastity, and make them to abide there for ever. Lighten
our eyes with the light of thy Gospel, and the bright revela-
tion of thy whole will and pleasure ; that so being guided by
thy grace, we may be cleansed from all our secret sins, and
preserved from presumptuous and great offences : so shall
the thoughts and meditations of our heart, the words of our
mouth, and all our actions, be always acceptable in thy sight,
O Lord our Saviour, our strength and our Redeemer Jesus.
Amen.
PSALM XX.
A Prayer that God would hear our Petitions which we make
to Him in Times of Trouble.
O King of Heaven, who art the health and strength of our
right-hand, have mercy upon us, and hear us when we call
THE FOURTH DAY. 121
upon thee : let our prayers come into thy presence like a
burnt-offering of a sweet savour ; for in all our troubles we
disclaim all confidences in any of thy creatures, and remem-
ber thy name only, O Lord our God. Teach us what to ask,
and how to come into thy presence, that we may never beg of
thee any thing but what is agreeable to thy will, and may then
promote thy glory when thou suppliest our necessities ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XXI.
A Prayer for the King.
O eternal God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, have
mercy upon thy servant the king : as thou hast set a crown
of gold upon his head, and given him power and command
to rule thy people with justice and piety, so do thou hear the
request of his lips, grant him the desire of his heart, and pre-
vent both his desires and requests with the blessing of thy
goodness : give him great honour and reverence in the sight
of his people and of all the nations round about : let all his
enemies feel thine hand, and put them to flight that rise up
against him : that, when thou hast given him the blessings
of a long life and prosperous, and made him glad with the
joy of thy countenance, at last he may be crowned with
everlasting felicity, and reign with thee in thy eternal king-
dom ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Draper.
PSALM XXII.
A Meditation upon the Passion of our blessed Saviour.
O MERCIFUL Jesu, who for our sakes didst suffer thyself to
be betrayed, tormented, spit upon, crucified, and to die, that
thou mightest purchase for us redemption from the sting of
death, the miseries of hell, the malice and power of the devil ;
deliver our souls from the sword of thy vengeance ; cut us
not off by untimely death ; free our darling from the power
of the dog, our souls from being a prey unto the devil ; snatch
us out of the lion's mouth, who goeth up and down, seeking
whom he may devour. O Jesu, be a Jesus unto us, and let
122 THE FIFTH DAY.
those victories which thou hast obtained over Satan, and
hell, and the grave, bring us peace and righteousness, and a
crown of glory in the heavens, where thou livest and reign-
est in the great congregation of saints and angels, one God,
world without end. Amen.
PSALM XXIII.
A Prayer that God would guide, and feed, and support us, as
a Shepherd doth 7ds Flock.
O blessed Jesu, thou great Shepherd and Bishop of our
souls, let thy grace convert us, let thy mercies guide us in
the paths of righteousness ; feed us with thy word and sacra-
ments, refresh us with the comforts of thy Holy Spirit ; and
in the whole course of our life, which is nothing else but a
valley of miseries and a shadow of death, let thy rod correct
us, like a father, when we do amiss, and thy staff support us
in all our troubles and necessities. O let thy loving-kindness
and mercy follow us all our days, that after this life we may
dwell in thy house for ever, where thou hast prepared a table
and a full cup of blessing for thy people, and shalt anoint
their heads with the oil of an eternal gladness in the fruition
of thy glories, O blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesu. Amen.
THE FIFTH DAY.
Jflornfng
PSALM XXIV.
A Meditation upon the Ascension of our blessed Saviour : and
a Prayer for Sanctity, that we may ascend where he is.
O BLESSED Jesu, King of glory, Lord of hosts, and King of
all the creatures, to whom the everlasting doors were opened,
that thou mightest enter into thy kingdom which thou didst
open to all believers, after thou hadst overcome the sharpness
of death ; give us clean hands and a pure heart : teach us to
follow thy innocence, to imitate thy sanctity, that we may
receive from thee our Lord the eternal rewards and blessings
of righteousness, and ascend thither, whither thou, O God of
THE FIFTH DAY. 123
our salvation, art gone before, who livest and reignest with
the Father and the Holy Ghost, eternal God, world without
end. Amen.
PSALM XXV.
A penitential Psalm, or a Prayer for Deliverance from Sin
and Punishment.
O gracious and righteous Lord God, who art the guide of
the meek, and teachest the humble and gentle in thy way,
forgive the sins and offences of our youth : and although by
them we have deserved thy wrath, and that we be put to con-
fusion, yet be pleased to think upon us for thy goodness, and
according to thy mercy ; that when thou hast forgiven us all
our sin, and taken away our adversity and all our misery,
thou mayest keep our souls in perfectness and righteous
dealing, that at last we may dwell at ease, free from trouble,
and safe from all our enemies, even when we shall inherit the
land of everlasting rest, where thou livest and reignest, eter-
nal God, world without end. Amen.
PSALM XXVI.
A Prayer of Preparation to the Holy Sacrament, and
to Death.
O Lord, our Judge, whose loving-kindness is great, and
always before our eyes, manifested in the abundant acts of
thy grace and providence, make us to love and frequent all
the actions, ministries, and conveyances of thy graces to us,
especially thy holy sacraments. O dear God, endue our
souls with faith, and charity, and^ holy penitence ; that our
hands and hearts, our souls and bodies, being washed in
innocence and penance, we may go to thy holy table, and
may, in the whole course of our life, walk righteously and in
obedience to thee ; that, in this world, hating the congrega-
tion of the wicked, and the fellowship of deceitful and vain
persons, at last our souls may not be shut up with sinners,
nor our lives with the blood-thirsty, but we may have our
portion in the eternal habitation of thy house, where thine
honour dwelleth and reigneth, world without end. Amen.
124 THE FIFTH DAY.
C&tonfng
PSALM XXVII.
A Prayer that, being freed from our Enemies, we may attend
the Services of Religion, and serve God in his holy Temple.
O LORD GOD, thou hast been our succour, our light and
salvation : leave us not, neither forsake us when we are
assaulted by enemies without and by temptations from within ;
but lead us in the right way, which thou hast appointed for
us to walk in : and when thou hast lifted up our heads above
our enemies round about us, grant that we may spend our
days in prayer, and giving praises to thee, and in all other
actions of holy religion, visiting thy temple with frequent
addresses of devotion, and contemplating and admiring the
fair beauty of the Lord ; and that, being secure in such em-
ployments, being hid in thy tabernacle, and taking sanctuary
within the secret place of thy dwelling, we may at last come
unto thy heavenly Jerusalem, where the gates of thy temple
are open day and night, there seeing the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living, praising thee to all eternity ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XXVIII.
A Prayer for Deliverance from Death and Damnation.
O Lord, my strength and confidence, my shield and the
defence of all that hope in thee, hear the voice of our humble
petitions. We hold up our hands to thy mercy-seat, praying
thee for pity, and pardon of our sins : reward us not according
to our deeds, nor according to the wickedness of our inven-
tions ; for if thou shouldest deal with us according to the
operation of our hands, we should be like them that go down
into the pit, and our inheritance would be death and destruc-
tion. But our heart hath trusted in thee, and thou hast
helped us : continue thy loving-kindness to us, and pluck us
not away, neither destroy us with the ungodly and wicked
doers, but magnify thy mercies in the salvation of our souls;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE SIXTH DAY. 125
PSALM XXIX.
In which God is adored, and the Mightiness of his Power and
Voice is celebrated.
O most glorious God, who makest the thunder ; thy voice
is mighty in operation, and is a glorious voice: give us
grace that we may hear thy voice, and obey it with reverence
and humility. Thou that breakest the cedar-trees, let thy
word rend our hearts with sorrow and contrition for our sins,
that so we may feel the power and the mercy of thy voice,
and may ascribe unto thee worship and strength, worshipping
thee with a holy worship all the days of our life ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE SIXTH DAY.
Jttornfng
PSALM XXX.
A Prayer for Deliverance from Sickness, and Death, and
Damnation.
O LORD our God, whose mercy is infinite, but thy wrath
endureth but the twinkling of an eye, and even, in this short
time of thy wrath, thou rememberest mercy; we cry unto
thee, and address ourselves unto thee right humbly : O turn
not thy face away from us ; keep our life from them that go
down into the pit, and preserve our souls from hell. And
although thou sometimes sendesf heaviness unto us and
trouble upon our loins, yet let it be but as for a night; let
thy mercy dawn upon us, and shine as in a glorious morning:
for thou art more pleased in demonstrations of thy mercy,
than in shewing thy displeasure. O Lord, heal us, and be
merciful unto us and save us ; turn our heaviness into joy,
and gird us with gladness ; so shall we give thanks unto thee
for ever ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
126 THE SIXTH DAY.
PSALM XXXI.
A Prayer for Protection against our Enemies and all Dangers
of Soul and Body, and specially at the Hour of Death.
O God, our rock and the house of our defence, let us be
glad and rejoice in thy mercies and salvation. Consider,
O Lord, our trouble ; and, in thy pity, know our souls to be
set round about with enemies and adversaries. Shut us not
up into the hands of our enemies, nor our lives within the
grave. Our time, O Lord, is in thy hand, to thee pertain the
issues of life and death : and though our strength hath failed
us because of our iniquity, and our bones are vexed by reason
of our sins, yet our hope is in thee, O Lord ; we have said,
Thou art our God. Deliver us from all our enemies, bodily
and ghostly: turn our sadness into joy and our mourning
into gladness, lest our bodies and souls be consumed for
very heaviness. Let us not be put to confusion nor to
silence in the grave, but let us see thy marvellous loving-
kindness, and partake of thy plentiful goodness which thou
hast laid up for them that fear thee, even before the sons of
men. O let us never be cast out of the sight of thine eyes,
but deal with us in mercy and loving-kindness. Into thy
hands we commend our spirits, resigning ourselves up to thy
providence and disposition, either to life or death, as thou in
thy infinite wisdom shalt find most proportionable to thy
glory and our eternal good, beseeching thee to be our guide
to death, and to lead us for thy name's sake to everlasting
life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XXXII.
A Confession of Sins and a Prayer for Pardon.
O LORD GOD, eternal Judge of men and angels, whose pro-
perty is always to have mercy and to forgive, have mercy
upon us, who confess our sins unto thee to be so great and
THE SIXTH DAY. 127
many, that, were not thy mercy infinite, we might despair of
having our unrighteousness forgiven or our sins covered.
O dear God, preserve us from the great plagues that remain
for the ungodly ; and let thy mercy embrace us on every
side. Impute not unto us the sins we have multiplied against
thee and against all the world ; for we have been like to a
horse and mule without understanding, brutish in our pas-
sions, sensual in our affections, of unbridled heats and dis-
temperatures. But thy mercy is as infinite as thyself. O let
not thy hand be heavy upon us, but forgive the wickedness
of our sin, and compass us about with songs of deliverance :
then shall we be glad and rejoice in thee, O Lord, who art
become our mighty Saviour and most merciful Redeemer
Jesu. Amen.
PSALM XXXIII.
A Prayer to God for the Graces of Fear, Hope, and Religion.
O Lord our God, who lovest righteousness and judgment,
who fillest the earth with thy goodness, and lookest down
from heaven upon the children of men : consider us, O Lord,
and let thy grace fashion our hearts, and produce in our souls
such forms and impresses as may bear thy image, and seem,
beauteous in thine eyes, that thou mayest be our God, and
choose us for thine inheritance. Let thy mercy feed us, thy
hands deliver us from death, and snatch us from the jaws of
hell : teach us to fear thee, to put our trust in thy mercy,
patiently to tarry for thee and the revelation of thy loving-
kindnesses, to hope in thy holy name, and to rejoice in thy
salvation, giving thee thanks and praise with a good courage,
with humble and religious affections, all the days of our life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XXXIV.
A Prayer, that we, being disposed by Holy Living, may receive
and have a Sense and Taste of the Divine Goodness.
O most merciful and gracious Lord, whose eyes are over
the righteous, and thine ears are open unto their prayers,
give us, we beseech thee, a contrite heart and an humble
128 THE SEVENTH DAY.
spirit, a fear of thy name, a watchfulness over our tongue
that we epeak no guile, a care of our actions that we eschew
all evil, and a zeal of thy name that we may do good ; that
being thus prepared with holy dispositions, we may be de-
livered out of all our troubles by the hands of thy mercy,
we may be defended against our enemies by the custody of
angels, we may be provided for, so as to want no manner of
thing that is good, by the ministration of thy providence;
that so, in all the whole course of our life, we may feel the
goodness of the Lord, seeing and tasting the sweetnesses of
thy mercy, which may be to us an antepast of eternity, and
as an earnest of the Spirit to consign us to the fruition of the
glories of thy kingdom, who livest and reignest ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
THE SEVENTH DAY.
Jttorm'ng Draper.
PSALM XXXV.
A Prayer to be delivered from our Enemies.
O LORD our God, who art the shield of the oppressed, and
the buckler of all that trust in thee, deliver us from all the
assaults and intendments of our enemies against us, who
without cause make pits for our souls : let the angel of the
Lord scatter all their mischievous imaginations, lest they
triumph over us, and say, ' We have devoured them ;' strive
thou with them that strive with us, and fight against them
that fight against us. Preserve us in innocence, that we
neither sin against thee, nor do injustice to them : and
restore us to our peace : so shall we talk of thy righteousness
and thy praise all the day long, and give thee thanks in the
great congregation of saints, because thou hast pleasure in
the prosperity of thy servants, and hast redeemed them
from the hands of their enemies; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
THE SEVENTH DAY. 129
PSALM XXXVI.
A Prayer, desiring the Joys of Heaven, the Blessings
of Eternity.
O God, whose mercy reacheth unto the heavens, and thy
righteousness unto the clouds ; teach us to abhor every thing
that is evil, and to set ourselves in every good way ; that
thy fear being always before our eyes, and our trust being
under the shadow of thy wings, thou mayest continue forth
thy loving-kindness to us all the days of our life : that at
last we may be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house,
and may drink down rivers of pleasures, deriving from thee
the eternal fountain and well of life, and, in the light of thy
countenance, may see everlasting light ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
bening
PSALM XXXVII.
A Prayer that we may trust and delight in God, and that our
lot may be amongst the Godly, and not in the seeming
Prosperity of the Wicked.
O GOD ALMIGHTY, who never forsakest the godly, but pre-
servest them for ever, let thy law be in our hearts, fixed and
grounded, that we may keep innocence, and take heed to
the thing that is right : order our goings, and make thy way
acceptable to thyself; that we, delighting in thee alone,
committing our ways wholly to thy providence, and putting
our trust in thy mercies, we may not be confounded in the
perilous times; but may be refreshed in the multitude of
peace, having peace all our days, and peace at the last, in
the inheritance of saints, who have refused the gilded glories
of this world, which is the lot of the wicked and ungodly
people, and are satisfied with the expectation of true joys,
and the reward of innocence ; through the merits of Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
VOL. XY. K
130 THE EIGHTH DAY.
THE EIGHTH DAY.
Jfflorning ^rager.
PSALM XXXVIII.
A Prayer for Remission of Sins.
O LORD, who knowest all our desires, and from whom our
groaning is not hid, we confess before thee our many wicked-
nesses, and are truly sorry for our sins : our wickednesses
are gone over our head, and are a sore burden too heavy for
us to bear: our enemy the devil is malicious and mighty,
our weaknesses many, our temptations strong, our con-
sciences do busily accuse us. Where shall we appear in the
day of judgment.' How shall we stand upright in the eternal
scrutiny ? Our trust is in thy merits. O blessed Jesu, thou
art our judge and our advocate: thou shalt answer for us,
O Lord our God. Put us not to rebuke, O Lord, in thine
anger, for it is insupportable ; neither let thy whole dis-
pleasure arise, for that is vast and mountainous as our sins,
and will break us in pieces. O let not the arrows of thy
vengeance slick fast in us, for our sins are wounds enough,
and make us restless and miserable. Touch our sores gently,
and let not thy hands press us, unless to drive forth our
corruption : then shall we follow the thing that good is, and
rejoice greatly in thy mercies, O Lord God of our salvation,
who hast redeemed us, and saved us through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XXXIX.
A Meditation of the Shortness and Vanity of our Life, and a
Prayer preparatory to Death.
O eternal God, who art without beginning or end of days,
thou hast given us a short portion of time in the generations
of this world ; our condition is vain, unsatisfying, and full of
disquiet, and we have no hope but in thee, O Lord. O teach
us to number our days, to remember and to know our end,
that so we may never sin against thee; and grant that we
may live as always dying, being of mortified souls and bodies,
of bridled tongues and affections, and that, instead of heaping
THE EIGHTH DAY. 131
up riches, we may strive for a treasure of good works, laying
up in store against the time to come, that having recovered
our strength, lost by the commission of sins, when we go
hence and are no more seen, we may have a residence in
those mansions which are prepared for the saints, by our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM XL.
A Thanksgiving to God for his Deliverance, and a Prayer for
Redemption from Sins, and Defence against, our Enemies.
O Lord our God, whose works are wondrous, and thy
thoughts, which are to usward, full of mercy and admirable
in wisdom ; we adore and worship thy infinite perfections,
and thy providence in the disposing of all thy creatures, and
the effects of all causes, which, in an infinite variety, thou
orderest to thy glory and the good of all faithful people.
Thou hast dealt, with us in mercy ; and although our sins
are so multiplied that they are more in number than the
hairs of our head, yet thou hast not suffered us to fall into
the horrible pit of eternal misery and destruction, but hast
set our feet upon the rock Christ Jesus, and by his graces
and holy laws hast ordered our goings. Let it be thy plea-
sure still to deliver us, for we are not able of ourselves to
look up, and our enemies still seek after our souls to destroy
us. Make no long tarrying, O God ; shew thyself our helper
and redeemer; so shall we talk of thy truth and of thy salva-
tion in the assemblies of thy servants in this life, hoping that
we shall hereafter declare thy righteousness in the great con-
gregation of saints and angels, singing eternal praises to God
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
(JBbcning Draper.
PSALM XLI.
A Prayer for the Grace of Charity, for Pardon of Sins, and
for Deliverance from False Friends and Traitors.
O BLESSED JESU, Saviour of the world, be merciful unto us,
and heal our sins, for we have sinned against thee, and are
132 THE EIGHTH DAY.
no more worthy to be called thy children ; but yet make us
thy servants, and give us testimony that we are translated
from death to life, by charity and love to all our brethren.
O make our bowels yearn with pity and compassion over the
necessities of the poor and needy, and give us grace and
power to help them and relieve their miseries ; that we,
being merciful as our heavenly Father is, may receive such
blessings and assistances as thou hast provided for the
charitable ; deliverance from our open enemies, safety from
private treachery and conspiracies, comfort in our sicknesses,
health of body, and pardon of our sins, through thy mercies
and blessed charity, O most merciful Saviour and Redeemer
Jesu. Amen.
PSALM XLII.
A Prayer for Comfort in Spiritual .Desertion and Dryness of
Affection, and that we may long and sigh after God.
O eternal and living God, thou art the help of our coun-
tenance and our God, thou art the thing that we long for,
and our hearts are vexed within us and disquieted when we
feel not the comforts of thy Spirit, and those actual exulta-
tions and that spiritual gust which thou dost often give to
thy people as earnest of a glorious immortality. O Lord,
pity our infirmities, and give us earnest longings for the
fruition of thee our God, in the actions of holy religion.
Grant unto us vivacity of spirit, unweariedness in devotion,
delight and complacency in spiritual exercises ; that when
our souls are vexed with temptations and sadnesses, we may
remember thee concerning the land of promise, and be com-
forted and encouraged in our duties by the expectation of
those glories which thou hast laid up for them that love the
appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM XLIII.
A Prayer for Cheerfulness of Spirit in our Devotions.
O God, our defender and deliverer, thou art the God of
our strength, and our ghostly confidence : let the light of
thy countenance produce the beams of spiritual joy in our
souls, and let thy truth lead us in the way of thy salvation,
that when we go unto thy dwelling-places, where thou
THE NINTH DAY. 13(J
manifestest thy presence, we may approach unto thee with
joy and gladness, rejoicing in nothing more than in doing
thee service, and singing praises to thy name for the help of
thy countenance, which thou givest us in our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE NINTH DAY.
PSALM XLIV.
A Prayer in the Time of War.
O LORD GOD of hosts, who for our sins hast suffered the
sword to take vengeance upon us, and to plead thy cause
against us, O hide not thy face from us, and forget not our
misery and trouble. We are killed all day long, and are
accounted as sheep appointed to be slain ; we are covered
with the shadow of death; and they which hate us spoil our
goods. Deal with us in pity ; and as thou hast done to our
fathers of old time, when they called upon thee in their
trouble, so deal with us: thou overthrewest their enemies,
and didst tread them under that arose up against them.
Arise, and help us, and deliver us also for thy mercy's sake :
our own sword cannot help us, but let thy right-hand and
thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, work deliver-
ance and salvation for us. Go forth with our armies, O
thou God of hosts, do thou fight our battles, that we may
not turn our backs upon our enemies ; but crown us with
victory and peace, that we may make our boast of thee all
day long, and praise thy name for ever, who art holy, and
just, and merciful, the great God of battles and recompenses.
From thee let mercy now and eVer proceed, and to thy
name let honour be for ever ascribed of all the hosts of
heaven and earth, world without end. Amen.
PSALM XLV.
A Prayer for the Conversion of the Heathen, and Prosperity
of the Church.
O blessed Jesu, Prince of the catholic Church, thou art
fairer than the children of men, thy lips are full of grace,
134- THE NINTH DAY.
thine armies mighty, thy head is crowned with majesty, and
clothed with worship and renown : have mercy upon thy
holy Church ; bless her for ever with righteousness, and let
the oil of gladness refresh her amidst the multitude of her
sorrows and afflictions. And because she is the daughter of
a king, and thou takest pleasure in her beauty, let her not
always be clothed in mourning garments, but let her be
decked with exterior ornaments and secular advantages, such
as may truly promote the interests of holy religion. Let
kings and queens be nursing fathers and nursing mothers
unto her; and so let the sound of thy Gospel go into all the
earth, that her children may be princes in all lands, and
ministers of thy kingdom, advancing thy honour, and further-
ing the salvation of all men, for whom thou didst give thy
precious blood, that all people may worship thee, and give
thee thanks for ever; who, together with the Father and the
Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one God, world without
end. Ainen.
PSALM XLVI.
A Prayer for Protection, and for Confidence in God in Times
of public Distractions, and for the Peace of Christendom.
O most merciful Saviour Jesu, Prince of peace, at whose
birth all the kingdoms of the world were in peace and
tranquillity, be thou in the midst of us for our refuge and
present help in times of trouble and public calamities ; when
the kingdom is moved, and the hearts of men shake at the
tempests of the same. Dear God, unite all the parts of
Christendom with the union of faith and chanty, and the
fruits of them, a blessed and universal peace. Break the
bow of the mighty, knap the spear of the warrior in sunder,
and burn the chariots in the fire, that wars may cease in all
the world, and we all may feel the promised blessing of the
Gospel, that our swords may be converted into plough-
shares, and our spears into pruning-hooks : that thy name
and thy kingdom may be exalted among the heathen, and in
all the nations of the earth, who livest and reignest over
all, in the unity of the blessed Trinity, God eternal, world
without end. Amen.
THE NINTH DAY. 135
PSALM XLVII.
A Prayer fur the Exaltation of Christ's Kingdom, and that all
the Princes of the World may jointly adore Jesus reigning
in the Heavens.
O LORD GOD, King of heaven, who reignest a great king in
all the earth ; thou art high above all creatures, and art to be
feared in all the kingdoms of the earth: let the seed of thy
Gospel be disseminated in all the corners of the habitable
world : let thy grace break down all the strongholds of sin
and Satan, subduing all people under thee, and the nations
under thy feet ; that the princes of the nations that have
not known thy name may be joined to thy people, the people
of the God of Abraham, becoming one sheepfold under one
Shepherd, Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord, our Saviour and
Redeemer. Amen.
PSALM XLVIII.
A Prayer for the Prosperity of the Church.
O great God, who art highly to be praised, who hast
manifested thy power and thy mercy in the constitution,
propagation, and defence of thy holy Church, by the
miraculous assistances and effects of thy Holy Spirit, inso-
much that the kings of the earth marvelled to see such
things, and were astonied and suddenly cast down, ac-
knowledging the powers of thy kingdom, and submitting to
thy laws with faith and obedience :* be pleased, according to
thy gracious promise, to uphold the same for ever : let not
the gates of hell prevail against thy Church : be thou known
in her palaces as a sure refuge : make her the joy of the
whole earth, and let her be glad and rejoice because of thy
judgments; so shall we praise thee in the midst of thy
temple, waiting for thy loving-kindness, that according as
thy name is, so may thy praise be, infinite and eternal, world
without end. Amen.
136 THE TENTH DAY.
PSALM XLIX.
A Prayer that we may despise perishing Riches, and put our
Trust in God only.
O blessed Jesu, them only Redeemer of souls, who, by
thy death and passion, hast delivered us from the place of
hell, give us grace to put our whole trust in thee, and in the
riches of thy mercy and loving-kindness, always remembering
our end, the vanity and shortness of our lives, the certainty
of our departure. Teach us to despise the world and worldly
things ; and to lay our treasure up in heaven by charity and
actions of religion ; that while we live here, we may have
our conversation in heaven, by love, by hope, and by desires,
that when our beauty shall consume in the sepulchre out of
our earthly dwellings, we may be received into everlasting
habitations, always to enjoy thee, who livest and reignest
eternal God, world without end. Amen.
THE TENTH DAY.
Jftormng Draper.
PSALM L.
A Prayer that we may lead a holy Life, and find Mercy in
the Day of Judgment.
O MOST mighty God, who art more pleased with the sacrifice
of thanksgiving, and the oblation of our souls in the vows of
obedience and a holy life, than with the burnt-offerings and
sacrifices of bullocks and goats, let thy grace reform our lives
and manners : keep our mouth from slander and obloquy,
from guile and deceit : let us never consent to actions of
injustice or uncleanness, that we partake not with thieves or
with adulterers either in their sin or punishment ; that wheu
thou shalt appear in perfect beauty, with a consuming fire
before thee, and a tempest round about thee, with terrors
and glorious majesty, calling the heavens and the earth
together, that thou mayest judge all thy people, thou mayest
THE TENTH DAY. 137
gather us among thy saints, and give us the mercies and the
portion of thine inheritance, that so we may honour thee by
an eternal oblation of praise and thanksgiving in the heavens,
where thou, O God, declarest thy salvation to all thy elect
people ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LI.
A Prayer for the Pardon of Sins, and the Restitution of
God's Favour.
O most merciful God, whose goodness is great, and the
multitudes of thy mercies are innumerable, have mercy upon
us, for our sins are ever before us, presented by the continual
accusations of a troubled conscience. We have sinned
against thee, and done evil in thy sight: and yet because
thou art the God of mercy, and Fountain of eternal purity,
delighting in the conversion and salvation of a sinner, we
present unto thee the sacrifice of a troubled spirit, of broken
and contrite hearts ; beseeching thee to let the dew of thy
favour, and the fire of thy love, wash away our sins and
purify our souls. Make us clean hearts, O God, and pure
hands ; though our sins be as scarlet, yet make them like
wool ; though they be as purple, yet make them as white as
snow. Restore the voice of joy and gladness to us : let us
not be for ever separate from the sweet refreshings of thy
favour and presence ; but give us the comforts of thy help
again, and let thy free Spirit loose us from the bondage of
sin, and establish us in the freedom and liberty of the sons of
God : so shall we sing of thy righteousness, and our lips
shall give thee praise in the congregation of thy redeemed
ones, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen.
PSALM LII.
A Prayer for Deliverance from Tyranny, Oppression,
and Slander.
Almighty God, whose goodness endureth daily, extend
this thy goodness towards us thy servants, and defend us
from the tyranny and malice of all our enemies, who boast
themselves in mischief: keep us from the obloquy of false
138 THE TENTH DAY.
tongues, and from the slander of lying persons, who talk of
lies more than righteousness ; that we, being nourished by
thy goodness, and watered with the dew of Divine blessings,
may flourish like a green olive in the house of God, bringing
forth the fruits of tender mercy, and abounding in peace, and
that we may, by the suffusion of anointing of the Holy
Ghost, be consigned to thy everlasting kingdom, there to
reign with thee, who reignest eternally, one God, world
without end. Amen.
(Bbem'ng ^
PSALM LIII.
A Prayer for Redemption of the Church from the Persecution
of Atheists and Persons irreligious.
O LORD GOD, who dwellest in heaven, and lookest down
from thence upon the children of men, be pleased to give
salvation to thy people out of Sion, thy holy habitation, and
preserve thy Church from the malice of such persons as have
not called upon thee, but would eat up thy people as they
would eat bread : that we, being delivered from the captivity
of sins and miseries, may serve thee with freedom of spirit,
in joy and spiritual rejoicing, all the days of our life ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LIV.
A Prayer for Deliverance from our Enemies.
O blessed Jesu, our God and our helper, whose name is
comfortable, the hope of all that are miserable, and the relief
of the oppressed, hearken unto our prayers, and, for thy
name's sake, save us from the tyranny of those that are
risen up against us, and seek after our souls. Give us thy
grace that we may set thee always before our eyes, to obey
thy laws, to follow thy example, to trust in thy protection,
to give praises unto thy holy name, who livest and reignest
with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without
end. Amen.
THE ELEVENTH DAY. 139
PSALM LV.
A Prayer for Deliverance from Treachery, and the
Conspiracies of our secret Enemies.
O eternal God, who hast promised to nourish and defend
all them that cast their burden upon thee, deliver the souls
of thy servants in peace from the battle that is against us.
Tearfulness and trembling are come upon us, and the fear of
death is fallen upon us ; for our enemies are maliciously set
against us, and minded to do us mischief; and we know not
whither to flee away and be at rest, for mischief and sorrow
are round about us. O rescue us from the public enmity of
our open adversaries, and from the secret conspiracies of all
our private enemies ; so shall we pray unto thee, and that
instantly, and praise thy name in the evening, in the morn-
ing, and in the noon-day, dedicating to thy honour and
worship the beginning, the growth, and the decrease of our
life, even all our days, because thou hast not suffered us to
fall for ever, but hast brought us from the pit of destruction ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE ELEVENTH DAY.
Jttomtng ^ragcr.
PSALM LVI.
A Prayer that we may trust in God, and have such Carefulness
over our Ways, that we give our Enemy no Advantage.
O LORD GOD, in whom we have trusted, have mercy upon
us who are daily troubled with sadnesses in the world,
temptations of the devil, weaknesses of the flesh, malicious
surmisings and mistakings of our enemies, and whatsoever
may make us miserable, and disturb our peace. Give us
great assistances of thy grace, that we may walk without
scandal, resist and overcome the devil, despise the things of
this world, and be strengthened in our spirits with ghostly
confidence ; that whensoever we call upon thee, we may
have thee on our side, and our enemies be put to flight; that
our souls being delivered from death, and our feet from
140 THE ELEVENTH DAY.
falling, we may at last be admitted into the light of the
living, there to walk eternally before thee our God, who
livest and reignest in the unity of the blessed Trinity, world
without end. Amen.
PSALM LVII.
A Prayer to be delivered from the Power of the Devil,
and Slander of Men, and that we may put our Con-
fidence in God.
O most high and mighty God, who hast set thyself above
the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth, do thou send
from heaven, and save us from the reproof of all our ghostly
enemies, who would eat us ; for our soul is among lions, and
the devil is busy seeking to devour us. O send out thy
mercy and truth, deliver us from the malicious slander of
men, and from the dreadful accusations of the devils at the
day of judgment, who are set on fire against us, and their
teeth are spears and arrows gnashing at us to tear us in
pieces. Let thy mercy sustain us, let thy righteousness be
interposed in answer for us, that as our enemies accuse us,
thy mercies may acquit us ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PSALM LVIII.
A Prayer that God's People may be delivered from the Malice
of wicked Men.
O Almighty Lord, thou God that judgest the earth, who
preparest rewards for the righteous, and executest vengeance
against the ungodly, deliver all thy chosen people from
the peevishness of froward and ungodly men, whose hands
deal with wickedness, and they imagine mischief in their
hearts. And to thy servants give thy grace, that our rnirids
may be set upon righteousness ; that we may judge the thing
that is right, never refusing to hear thy voice, or stopping
our ears, like the deaf adder, against thy holy precepts ;
that we may have no iniquity in our mouths, nor unright-
eousness in our actions ; and at last we may have the reward
of the righteous, the inheritance of thy kingdom ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE ELEVENTH DAY. 141
(Bbening
PSALM LIX.
A Prayer against Heretics, and all other Enemies of the
Church.
O LORD GOD of Israel, visit us with thy salvation, and
deliver us from the malice of wicked doers, and the violences
of blood-thirsty men. Let not them prosper, O Lord, in
their machinations, whose preaching is of cursing and lies,
and who offend of malicious wickedness; shew us thy good-
ness plenteously, that we may never forget thy mercies or thy
laws ; for thou art our defence and refuge, and our merciful
God ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LX.
A Prayer in Time of War or Temptation.
O Lord God, who for our sins hast shewed us heavy
things, and given us a drink of deadly wine, and yet hast
never failed them that fear thee, but hast given them a token
that they may triumph because of thy truth and mercy,
consigning them to redemption and deliverance by the testi-
mony and comforts of thy Holy Spirit : O be thou our help
in trouble, for all our hope is in thee, and we disclaim all
confidence in ourselves, or in the arm of flesh, praying thee
for aid ; that in thy strength we may tread down our enemies,
and give thee thanks, who art the fountain of strength, and
the disposer of victories; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PSALM LXI.
A Prayer for the King, and for Comfort in Sadness.
O blessed Jesu, thou that art the rock higher than all
the world, upon whom thy Church is built, and all our hopes
rely, be merciful unto us, and give ear unto our prayers ;
be unto us a fountain of comfort whensoever our heart is in
heaviness, for under the covering of thy wings there is joy, and
health, and safety. Save all those that fear thy name, and
give thy blessing to thine heritage ; and that the blessings
of thy people may be lasting and perpetual, give unto thy
servant the king long life; let thy loving-kindness and faith-
fulness alway preserve him ; be a strong tower for him against
142 THE TWELFTH DAY.
all his enemies ; and at last bring him to an eternal kingdom,
where no enemies shall assault or disturb his peace ; that
he may dwell before thee for ever, and rejoice in the partici-
pation of the blessings of thy kingdom, who livest and
reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
THE TWELFTH DAY.
Jftornmg Draper.
PSALM LXII.
A Prayer that we may trust in God only, in all our Troubles.
O LORD GOD, of whom cometh our salvation, thou art our
defence and strength, our health and our glory ; give us thy
grace, that we may put our whole trust in thee alway, that
we may pour out our hearts before thee in all our troubles,
that we may wait still upon thee for the performance of our
expectation in all our longings and desires. Be thou our
defence ; uphold us, that we may not fall into those great
sins which lay waste our consciences, or into such mise-
ries as make us without hope or remedy, the miseries of
despair, obstinate malice, or the woes of a sad eternity.
Teach us to despise riches ; to disclaim all trust in the
creatures ; not to delight in lies or vanity ; not to multiply
wrongs and robbery ; that when thou shalt come with power
and great glory, to reward every man according to his work,
thou mayest be merciful unto us, pardoning our sins, and
accepting us to life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PSALM LXIII.
A Prayer for the Deliverance from the Miseries of our Pil-
grimage; with Longing and Desires for God and the Joys
of Heaven.
O merciful and dear God, whose loving-kindness is
better than the life itself, defend us against the malice and
designs of all them that seek the hurt of our souls, and make
us to rejoice in thy help, and under the shadow of thy wings.
O let the day-spring of thy favour visit us from on high, that
we may seek thee with an early devotion, pursue after thee
with a constant and an active industry, and at last possess
THE TWELFTH DAY. 143
thee with the firm comprehensions of love and charity ; that
in this world, we, looking for thee in holiness of living,
longing and thirsting after thee with fervent desires, may for
ever hereafter behold thy power and glory, and our souls be
eternally satisfied, even as with marrow and fatness, when
our lips and hearts shall praise thee to all eternity. Grant
this for the love and honour of Jesus Christ, our only
Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.
PSALM LXIV.
A Prayer for Deliverance from the Slander and Mischiefs of
all wicked Persons.
O Lord God, thou that nearest the voice of our prayers,
and considerest the cries of them that fly unto thee for
succour, deliver us and all thy whole Church from the gather-
ing together of the froward, and from the insurrection of
wicked doers. Disappoint their snares, infatuate their
counsels, distract their consultations, and blast all their
designs ; let the swords and arrows of their tongues be shot
in vain, that they may never hit any of thy servants, nor
wound him that is perfect. Make them to fall, O God, in
their hopes, whereby they encourage themselves in mischief,
and fear not ; and do thou laugh them to scorn ; that we,
who have put our trust in thee, may rejoice in thee, and
confess that it is thy work to give salvation and deliverance
to thy people, whom thou lovest, in our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM LXV.
A Prayer for Spiritual Blessings, 'and for Fruitfulness of
the Earth.
O GOD, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them
that remain in the Broad sea, be thou merciful unto our
sins, and let not our misdeeds prevail against us, so as either
to make us habitually sinful, or endlessly miserable ; but
give us the blessings of thy chosen ; let us receive the influ-
ences of thy graces and benediction, by the participation
of thy word and sacraments in thy holy temple. And as
144 THE TWELFTH DAY.
thou embraces! us with thy right hand, shewing us wonderful
things in thy righteousness and salvation, so let thy left hand
be under our heads, and give us such a portion of temporal
blessings as shall be necessary for us. Make the earth plen-
teous, and bless the increase of it; crown the year with
goodness, and let the clouds drop fatness ; that the valleys
standing thick with corn, may laugh and sing thy praises;
and that we, being refreshed with the multitude of thy
blessings, may praise thee in Sion ; and, at last, be satisfied
with the pleasures of thy house in the celestial Jerusalem,
where thou livest and reignest, one God, world without end.
Amen.
PSALM LXVI.
A Prayer that God would support us in Times of Trouble,
and deliver us.
O Lord God, who art wonderful in thy works, and in thy
doings towards the children of men ; thou chastisest every
one whom thou receivest, proving us and trying us, like as
silver is tried : let thy merciful hands lead us through the
fire of afflictions, and the waters of temporal chastisements,
so as we may not be consumed with the flames of thy
wrath, nor the waters go over our souls ; but that we, being
sustained by the comforts of thy Spirit, and refreshed with
the dew of thy graces, may at last be brought out into a
wealthy place, even the place of eternal treasures. O give
us thy grace, that our hearts incline not to wickedness, and
that our feet slip not ; that so, we regarding thy laws, and
having respect to obey thy holy will and pleasure, thou
mayest hear our prayers, the greatness of thy power may cast
down all our enemies, that they may never be able to exalt
themselves ; that while thou boldest our souls in life, we may
never cease praising thee, who hast never turned thy mercy
from us ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LXVII.
A Prayer that all Men may bless God, and God may bless
all Men.
O Lord our God, thou Governor of all nations, and the
righteous Judge of the whole earth, be merciful unto us, and
bless us. Thou makest the sun to shine upon all the corners
THE THIRTEENTH DAY. 145
of the habitable world, giving his light both to the good and
bad ; let the light of thy countenance diffuse itself to all
nations, and to all men : lighten all our darkness with the
beams of thy Divine favour ; teach thy ways unto all the
people of the earth, and give thy saving health to all nations ;
that while all join with one consent, to fear thee and to
give thee praises, thou rnayest govern us all in peace and
righteousness, and when thou shalt come to judge us, we
may receive thy everlasting mercies. Grant this for Jesus
Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
THE THIRTEENTH DAY.
PSALM LXVIII.
A Prayer for Defence and Propagation of the Catholic
Church.
O LORD GOD, mighty and merciful, thou ridest upon the
heavens as it were upon a horse ; thou art the Father of the
fatherless, and defendest the cause of the widow ; have
mercy upon thy holy Church : and, since her Lord and
Spouse is gone up on high, even to his holy habitation, leave
us not comfortless, but send the Holy Ghost, in assistances
and gifts, to dwell amongst us ; that, by his aid, we may
escape death spiritual, and the bitterness of the temporal.
Send a gracious rain, even the dew of thy Divine favours,
upon thine inheritance, to refresh us in our weariness and
sadnesses. Make thy people innocent and chaste as the
dove; and, besides the beauty of internal sanctity, let thy
Church be covered with silver wings, and her feathers like
gold, decked and assisted with exterior advantages, as may
best promote thy honour, and the services of religion. Let
all the princes and lands of the earth stretch their hands out
unto thee, O God, and confess thy mightiness and thy
honour ; that thy Gospel going forth into all lands, peace,
and all thy blessings, may follow it, and thy praise be multi-
plied from generation to generation ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
VOL. xv. L
14G THE THIRTEENTH DAY.
lEbtnmg $rager.
PSALM LXIX.
A Prayer in Time of Persecution for the Cause of Religion.
O BLESSED Jesn, whose loving-kindness is comfortable,
who, for our sakes, didst taste vinegar and gall, that thou
mightest redeem us from the bitterness of death and sin, and
establish to thyself a church in holy religion, and defend it
with thy favour and power ; have mercy upon thy servants,
who suffer from the hands of their enemies for the testimony
of a good conscience, and the doctrines of a catholic faith.
Let not them that trust in thee, O Lord God of hosts, be
ashamed ; but let them who, for thy sake, have suffered
reproof, be delivered from them that hate them, and from the
deep waters of persecutions and discomforts ; that we, and
all thy faithful people, being saved from our enemies, may
praise thee and thy faithfulness in this world, and may
finally inherit the land of promise, which thou hast made to
all that suffer persecution for a cause of righteousness, even
the possession of thine inheritance, thy kingdom in heaven,
where thou livest and reignest, ever one God, world
without end. Amen.
PSALM LXX.
A Prayer to (rod for Blessings upon faithful People, and
Deliverance from our Enemies.
O Lord God, our Helper and Redeemer, have mercy upon
us and all thy faithful people : make haste and help us, O
God, against all those that seek after our souls to do us
mischief: make us to delight in thee, to wait for thy salva-
tion, to trust in thy mercies, to rejoice in thy excellences
and perfection ; that our feet being directed by thy, guidance,
our weaknesses strengthened by thy power, our sins par-
doned by thy mercies, and our souls justified by thy free
grace, we may always give thee praise with the humble
addresses of devotion and thankfulness; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE FOURTEENTH DAY. 147
THE FOURTEENTH DAY.
Jttormng
PSALM LXXI.
A Prayer for the Continuance of God's Favour to us, even to
our old Age, and a longing for a happy Departure.
O LORD GOD, our house of defence and our castle, who,
by thy mercies and thy loving Spirit, has taught us and led
us in thy ways from our first years until now, thou hast
brought us to great honour, even the honour of being Christ-
ians, the honour of adoption to be thy children and heirs of
thy glorious promises, co-heirs with thy Son Jesus Christ,
and hast comforted us on every side with a continual stream
of thy mercies and refreshments : give us thy grace, that we
may love thee, and long for thee above all the things of this
world. And as thou hast holden us up, ever since we were
born, so let thy mercy go along with us all our days: cast
us not away in the time of age, and give us grace, that we
may never cast thee nor thy laws from us. Let not thy
grace, and the ghostly strength we derive from thee, forsake
us when our natural strength fails us ; but let our spirit grow
upon the disadvantages of the flesh, and begin to receive
the happiness of eternity by an absolute conquest over the
weakened and decaying body ; that after we have, by thy
aid, passed through the great troubles and adversities thou
shewest unto all thy children in this world, we may lie down
in righteousness and with thy favour; that when thou bringest
us out from the deep of the earth again, we may have a joyful
resurrection to the society of saints and angels, and the full
fruition of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM LXXII.
A Prayer for the Exaltation and Propagation of Christ's
Kingdom.
O blessed Jesu, who didst descend from heaven into the
womb of the blessed Virgin, like rain into a fleece of wool,
thou that punishest the wrong-doer, and defendest the
children of the poor, and them that have no helper, have
148 THE FOURTEENTH DAY.
mercy upon thy holy Church ; be pleased, by her ministry,
to extend thy blessings and thy dominion from the one sea
to the other, even unto the world's end, that all kings of the
earth may fall down before thee, and all nations may do thee
service. Make thy righteous people to flourish, and subdue
their enemies under them, delivering them from falsehood
and wrong, that they may be blessed with abundance of
peace, and be satisfied with thy righteousness and salvation
through thy mercies, O blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesu.
Amen.
Draper.
PSALM LXXIII.
A Prayer that we may have our Portion in God, and not in
the good Things of the Men of this World.
O LORD GOD, who art loving unto all thy Church, even
unto all such as are of a clean heart, give us hearts humble
and merciful, that we may never be holden with pride, nor
overwhelmed with cruelty ; and sanctify our words and lips,
that we may never blaspheme thy holiness, nor our talking
be ever against thee or thy honour. O God most highest,
give unto us such religious and mortified affections, that we
may never thirst after the temporal advantages and prosper-
ities of the wicked : set not our feet in slippery places, lest
we be suddenly cast down, and have our portion in the lot
of the wicked, who perish and come to a fearful end : guide
us with thy counsel, that we holding us fast by thee, and
putting our trust in thee, O God, thou mayest be the strength
of our hearts, the hope of our souls, and the ground of all
the confidence and content in this life, and, after this life is
ended, thou mayest receive us with glory, and be our portion
for ever ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LXXIV.
A Prayer against all Sacrilegious Persons, and all the
Enemies of the Church.
O Lord God, blessed Jesu, who with thy precious blood
hast purchased to thyself and redeemed a church, that it
THE FIFTEENTH DAY. 149
should serve thee in holiness and righteousness, being de-
livered from fear of all their adversaries ; forget not the
congregation of thy poor people for ever ; maintain thine
own cause ; deliver thy turtle-dove from the multitude of
her enemies. Preserve with thy right-hand all the places
appointed for thy public service ; let a guard of flaming
cherubims (as at the gate of Paradise) stand sentinel, and
keep from the invasions of sacrilegious persons, and the
pollutions of all impure church -robbers, all thy dwelling-
places, that thou mayest for ever dwell among us, defending
the poor, bringing help to all thy people, and particular
blessings and assistances to the tribe of thine own inherit-
ance, which thou hast sanctified to thy worship and service ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE FIFTEENTH DAY.
Jfltormng Draper.
PSALM LXXV.
A Prayer against the Terrors of the Day of Judgment.
O LORD GOD, the Judge of all the world, from whom cometh
all promotion and all punishment, have mercy upon us now
at the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, when thou
shalt judge all the congregations of men and angels accord-
ing unto right. O give us grace to expect thy coming in
humility and charity, that we be not stiff-necked and exalted
in our own opinion and conceptions, but may submit to thy
yoke with meekness and obedience ; that when thou shalt
pour forth the cup of vengeance upon the ungodly, we may
not drink or taste of the dregs of it, but may sit down at
thy table in the supper of the Lamb, and be satisfied with the
blessings of eternity ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LXXVI.
A Prayer that we may fear God's Judgments, and be freed
from the Terrors of Men.
O Lord God, whose dwelling is in heaven, and thy name
is great in all the world, plant the dread and reverence of
thee and thy power in our hearts : let thy threatenings and
150 THE FIFTEENTH DAY.
thy judgments which are heard from heaven, and executed
upon disobedient and gainsaying people, make us to tremble
at the remembrance of our sins, and in the .consideration of
our weaknesses and demerits : and let thy mercies and the
remembrance of thy infinite loving-kindnesses make our
hearts still, full of evenness and tranquillity, that we may
not fear the fierceness of man, or the wrath of those whose
spirits thou canst refrain, lest we be disturbed in our duties
towards thee ; but let ns so fear thee, that we may never
offend against thee, but may pass from fear to love, from
apprehensions of thy wrath to the sense and comforts of thy
mercies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LXXVII.
A Prayer that the Experience of God's Goodness may pro-
duce Hope in us, and remove from us all Fearfulness and
Doubting.
O God, who doest wonders, and hast declared thy power
amongst all people, let the observation of thy mercies and
loving-kindnesses make such deep impression in our hearts
and memories, that when we are in heaviness, we may re-
member the years of thy right-hand, and call to mind the
wonders of old time : that although thou sometimes with-
drawest the brightness of thy countenance from us, and
shuttest up thy loving-kindness ia a short displeasure, yet
the experience of thy old mercies, which never fail, may
sustain our infirmities, and the expectation of thy loving-
kindnesses may cure all our impatience, till, in thy due time,
the sense of thy favours may actually relieve all our dis-
tresses, and thy right hand lead us like sheep into the folds
of eternal rest and security ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
lEbenmej
PSALM LXXVIII.
A Commemoration of God's Bkssings to his Church of old, of
his Judgments upon Sinners, and his Mercies to the Penitent.
O LORD GOD of our fathers, God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, thou that leddest thy people through the wilderness
THE SIXTEENTH DAY. 151
with a light and with a cloud, and with thy bright angel ;
for their sakes turning rocks into a springing well, and
making the sea and the river become dry land, so making
demonstration of the greatness of thy mercy by the greatness
of thy miracles, and didst still go on to make all thy crea-
tures leave their natures to serve them, even then when they
tempted and provoked thee ten times in the desert : O be
pleased to do unto us as thou didst unto them ; lead us through
the desert of this world with the light of thy Holy Spirit ;
and from the rock, which for our sakes thou didst smite
with the heavy rod, the roek Christ Jesus, let water and
blood stream forth, to cleanse, and to refresh us. Give us
of the bread that came down from heaven, the flesh of thy
dear Son, to eat ; that we being purified by his blood, and
nourished by that celestial manna, our hearts may be set
aright, and our spirits may cleave stedfastly unto thee, O
God ; that we may remember thy works, and trust in thy
mercies, and may keep thy commandments. O never let the
fire of thy wrath be kindled towards us, nor thy heavy dis-
pleasure come up against us. Let us not consume our days
in folly and vanity, lest our years be spent in trouble ; but
when through infirmity we fall, let thy gentle correction call
us home, that we may turn us early, and seek after thee,
our God, who art our strength and our merciful Redeemer ;
that we may never feel the furiousness of thy eternal wrath,
nor have our portion amongst the evil angels, but may be
conducted by thy mercies and providence to the border of
thy sanctuary, and to the mountain where thou reignest over
all the creatures, one God, world without end. Amen.
THE SIXTEENTH DAY.
Jfflorning Draper.
PSALM LXXIX.
A Prayer that God would deliver his Church from the Cruelty
of all her Persecutors.
O LORD GOD of thine inheritance, who conveyest many
blessings to the children of men by the prayer and ministry
152 THE SIXTEENTH DAY.
of thy Church, let our prayers obtain of thee mercies and
deliverances for her. O Lord, thou hast planted thy Church
in the humility, and poverty, and death of thy Son ; thou hast
watered it with the blood of thy apostles and martyrs ; thou
hast made it flourish and spread forth its branches, by the
warmth, and heat, and graces of thy Holy Spirit, and hast,
according to thy promise, still preserved it in the midst of
all enmities and disadvantages. Thy laws and righteous
commandments have been a scorn and derision to Jews and
Gentiles : the flesh of thy servants hath been meat for the
beasts of the land : and still she wears the purple robe of
mockery, and the crown of thorns, which at first she took
from the head and side of her dearest Lord. At last, O Lord,
be gracious unto thine inheritance : help us, O God of our
salvation, for the glory of thy name : let not thine enemies
devour the Church, and lay waste her dwelling-places : be
merciful unto our sins : preserve all those that by malice of
their enemies are appointed to death, or prison, or any other
misery : let us still enjoy the freedom of thy Gospel, the food
of thy word, the sweet refreshings of thy sacraments, public
communion in thy Church, and all the benefits of the society
of saints ; and let not our sins cause thee to remove the
candlestick from us, but make thy people and the sheep of
thy pasture secure and glad in thy salvation, that we may
shew forth thy praise in this world and in the world to
come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LXXX.
A Prayer for the Church,
O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that sittest upon the
cherubims, stir up thy strength, and come and help thy
people, that prayeth unto thee for mercy and protection.
Thou hast made affliction the portion of thy children in this
life; thou feedest them with bread of tears, and givest them
plenteousness of tears to drink : yet be pleased to shew the
light of thy countenance upon us, to lighten our darknesses,
to relieve our miseries, to heal our sicknesses ; and let not
thy Church become a strife unto her neighbours, but reunite
her divisions, and make her not a prey to them that would
devour her, and then laugh her to scorn. O Lord, hedge
THE SIXTEENTH DAY. 153
her about with thy mercies, with the custody of angels, with
the patronage of kings and princes, with the hearts and
hands of nobles, and the defence of the whole secular arm ;
lest the wild beasts of the field pluck off her grapes, destroy
the vintage, and root up the vine itself : but let her so flourish
under the beams of thy favour and providence, that it may
take root, and spread, and fill all lands ; that the name of
the man of thy right-hand, the God and man Christ Jesus,
may be glorified, thy Church enlarged and defended, and we
blessed with thy health and salvation. Grant this, O Lord,
for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Saviour and Redeemer.
Amen.
PSALM LXXXI.
A Festival Song, and a Prayer for the Grace and Blessings
of Obedience to God's Laws.
O Lord God our strength, whose mercies are infinite,
whose majesty is glorious, whose goodness is amiable above
all the excellences in the world ; enlarge our hearts with joy
and rejoicings in thy glories, open our mouths wide, and fill
our lips with thy praises, that upon the solemn feast-days we
may commemorate thy excellences and mercies, and the
great mysteries of our redemption and religion, adoring thee
with thanks and joyfulness, who art mysterious in thy words,
and marvellous and merciful in all thy works. And that we
may, in the best manner, express our thankfulness to thee,
give us thy grace that we may hear thy voice, that we may
obey thee and walk in thy laws, that we follow not our own
imaginations, nor be given to our own hearts' lusts, but that
we resigning ourselves only to thy holy will and pleasure,
thou mayest hear our prayers whenever any storm of trouble
falls upon us, and turn thine hand against our adversaries ;
and that we, being delivered from, the burden of our sins,
may be fed with the choicest of thy viands, and with food
from the rock Christ Jesus, even his most precious body and
blood, nourishing us up to life eternal, through the same
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
154- THE SIXTEENTH DAY.
lEbenfng
PSALM LXXXII.
A Prayer for Princes and Judges of the World, that they
may do right Judgment.
O ALMIGHTY JUDGE of men and angels, thou God of gods,
and Prince of princes, let thy Spirit of anointing rest upon
the princes and rulers within the pale of the universal
Church; and let thy righteousness and judgments guide all
those that sit in the seat of the judges, that they may
minister justice and true judgment unto the people, de-
fending and promoting the interest of true religion, relieving
the oppressed, encouraging virtue, and dishonouring vicious
persons ; delivering the poor, and saving them from the hand
of the ungodly : that men may not walk on still in darkness,
but their evil deeds may be discovered and brought to light ;
that we may all live before thee in righteousness, expecting
the great day of righteous judgment, which we beg we may
all behold with confidence, receiving thy mercies, and be-
holding thy face in glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PSALM LXXXIII.
A Prayer against the Enemies of the Church, particularly
sacrilegious Persons.
O Lord God, who wert known to thy people Israel by thy
name Jehovah, thou only art the Highest over all the earth ;
arise and defend thy people, and deliver thy secret ones
from the murmurings, counsels, and crafty imaginations of
thine enemies against them. Fix the foundations of thy
Church upon a rock, and preserve thine inheritance in peace
and safety. Infatuate the counsels, restrain the sacrilegious
appetites, of all such persons, who would rob all thy houses,
and take them to their own possession ; and make their faces
so ashamed and their hearts afraid, that they may return
from covetousness and impiety, and seek thy name, repenting
of all their sins, and living in justice and religion, that at
last they may come into an everlasting possession of thy
house and of thy temple, where thine honour dwelleth and
reigneth eternally, world without end. Amen.
THE SIXTEENTH DAY. 155
PSALM LXXXIV.
A Prayer of Desire and Longings after the Joys of
Heaven.
O Lord God of hosts, who dwellest in the heavens, seated
in essential and eternal felicities ; fill our hearts with desires
and longings to enter into those courts where thou sittest,
attended with the beauteous orders of angels, and millions
of beatified spirits : and that our desires may receive infinite
satisfactions, give us thy help, that we going through the
vale of misery, the pools may be filled with water, our hearts
and eyes may run over with tears of repentance, and over-
flow with sorrow and contrition for our sins ; that we living
a godly life, going from strength to strength, from virtue to
virtue, at last we may appear in Sion unto the God of gods,
beholding the face of thine Anointed, thy Christ and our
Jesus, and may dwell one day in thy courts, even all the
long day of eternity ; through the same Jesus Christ, our
Lord. Amen.
PSALM LXXXV.
A Thanksgiving for God's free Mercy in the Pardon of our
Sins, and a Prayer for the Continuance and Increase of his
Mercies to us.
O most gracious God, who art reconciled unto us in our
Saviour Jesus, having for his sake forgiven the offences of
thy people, and covered all their sins with the robe of his
most immaculate sanctity and righteousness : let thy grace
convert and quicken us, that we may rejoice in thee and thy
salvation, in faith of thy promises, m the hope of actual com-
munication of thy mercies to us, and in love to thee for so
great blessings and redemption : and when thou hast spoken
peace unto our souls, and reconciled us to thyself in the
blood of thy Son, give us the grace of perseverance, that we
may never turn again to folly, but may follow mercy and
truth all our clays, and at last be satisfied with thy righteous-
ness and peace eternal ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
156 THE SEVENTEENTH DAY.
THE SEVENTEENTH DAY.
Jftoming Draper.
PSALM LXXXVI.
A Prayer for Sanctity and Preservation.
O LORD GOD, good and gracious, and of great mercy unto
all them that call upon thee, give ear unto our prayers, and
ponder the voice of our desires, whenever we call upon thee
in our trouble. Let the souls of thy servants be refreshed
with thy comforts, and defended from the congregations of
proud and naughty men. Turn thee unto us with mercy,
give thy strength unto us, teach us thy laws, make us to
walk in thy truth, give us the fear of thy name, and knit our
hearts unto thee with the indissoluble bands of charity and
obedience ; that our souls being saved from the nethermost
hell, we may worship thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name,
who art full of compassion and mercy, long-suffering, and
plenteous in goodness and truth, which thou hast manifested
to us in our deliverance and redemption ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM LXXXVII.
A Contemplation of the Excellences of Sion, or the celestial
Jerusalem.
O Lord God, who dwellest in Sion, and delightest to have
thy habitation in the hearts of men : thou hast built the
Church as a city upon a hill, and laid the foundation of it
upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief
corner-stone : make us to be a spiritual building fit for thy
habitation, and a residence for thy Holy Spirit, grounding us
in faith, building us up in hope, and perfecting us in charity;
that we, being joined in the communion of saints, in the union
of the holy catholic Church militant on earth, may all partake
of the blessings of thy Church triumphant in the city of thee
our God, in the celestial Jerusalem, where thou livest and
reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
THE SEVENTEENTH DAY. 157
PSALM LXXXVIII.
A Prayer in Time of Sickness and Danger of Death.
O Lord God of our salvation, who for our sakes wert
wounded, and didst die and lie in the grave, but yet alone of
all that ever died, wert free among the dead, and by thine own
power didst rise again with victory and triumph, have mercy
upon thy servant, for thine indignation lieth hard upon me,
and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms. My soul is full
of trouble by reason of my sins, and my life draweth nigh
unto the grave : restore me unto thy favour, and let me not
go down into the dark, nor my life into the place where all
things are forgotten ; but let me shew forth thy loving-kind-
ness amongst thy redeemed ones in the land of the living :
for the living, the living, he shall praise thee, and confess
the holiness and the mercies of thy holy name. O hide not
thou thy face from me, but give me health of body, and re-
store and preserve me in the life of righteousness ; and so
bless me with opportunities of doing thee service, that I may
redeem the time past, and by thy grace may grow rich in
good w*orks, always abounding in the work of the Lord ; that
when thou shalt demand my soul to be rendered up into thy
hands, my soul may not be abhorred of thee, nor suffer thy
terrors, but may feel an eternity of blessings in the resur-
rection of the just ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
35benmg Draper.
PSALM LXXXIX.
A Prayer for the King in Time of Wars or any public
Calamity.'
O LORD GOD of hosts, thou art greatly to be feared in the
council of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all the
world. Let thy strong hand and thy mighty arm bless and
preserve thine anointed the king : as thou hast exalted thy
chosen from among the people, so let the greatness of thy
blessings and assistances distinguish him from all the world :
make his throne as the days of heaven, smite down his
158 THE EIGHTEENTH DAY.
enemies before his face, let thy hand hold him fast, that the
enemy may not be able to do him violence, and let thine arm
strengthen him, that the sons of wickedness may not hurt
him. O do thou never put his glory out, nor cover him with
dishonour, but give him victory in battles, honour and re-
joicing in time of peace, confidence in thee, reverence
amongst his people, and continual defence in thy salvation ;
that when thou hast finished his days in peace and honour,
his seed may be established in his throne, and endure for
ever, like as the sun before thee. Grant this, O King of
kings, for his sake, to whom thou hast given all power and
dominion in heaven and earth, even our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE EIGHTEENTH DAY.
PSALM XC.
A Meditation of Death, and a Prayer preparatory to it.
O ETERNAL GOD, whose being was before the mountains
were brought forth, before the earth and the world were
made, even from everlasting, and world without end, have
mercy upon us weak and impotent people, the children of
men, who fade away suddenly like the grass : remove our
misdeeds from before thee, and our secret sins from the sight
of thy countenance : be not angry with us, neither consume
us in thy displeasure : teach us to number all the days of our
life, and to reckon on still till the day of death ; that when
our days are gone, and our years are brought to an end like
a tale that is told, thou mayest turn unto us at the last, and
be gracious unto us in the pardon of our sins, in restraining
the power and malice of all our ghostly enemies, in giving us
opportunity of all spiritual assistances and advantages ; that
our lamps being trimmed and burning bright with charity
and devotion, we may enter into the bridechamber, there for
ever to behold the glorious majesty of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE EIGHTEENTH DAY. 159
PSALM XCI.
A Prayer for Protection in all Dangers.
O Lord God, our hope and our stronghold, have mercy
upon us, and defend us under the shadow of thy wings, that
we, trusting under thy defence, may, by thy faithfulness and
truth, be covered as with a shield and buckler. Give thy
angels charge concerning us and our habitations, that we
may be preserved and kept in all our ways, that no evil
happen unto us, no plague come nigh our dwelling, no
terrors of the night, no arrows of thy vengeance by day, may
disturb our peace or safety. Let thy ministering spirits bear
us in their hands, and keep us from precipice, from fracture
of bones, from dislocations, noisome or sharp diseases, stu-
pidities and deformities, that we may tread under our feet all
the snares of the roaring lion and the great dragon the devil,
who seeks our bodily and ghostly hurt. Do thou set thy
love upon us, and deliver us from all our troubles ; and at
the end of our days shew us thy salvation, and satisfy us
with long life, even of a blessed eternity in thy kingdom ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XCII.
A Meditation of the great Works of God in the Destruction
of the Wicked, and the Preservation of the Godly.
O Lord God, thou art the Most Highest for evermore ; thy
works are glorious, and thy thoughts are very deep : make
our hearts and tongues loud instruments of thy praises, that
we may tell of thy mercy in the morning; of thy truth, in
the night ; and that we may rejoice in giving thee thanks
for the operations of thy hands all the days and nights of
our life. Let thy merciful kindness descend evermore upon
the righteous, that they may flourish like a palm-tree, being
continually watered with the dew of temporal and spiritual
blessings, and may bring forth fruits of a holy conversation.
And grant that we thy servants being planted in the house
of God, and firmly fixed in the blessed communion of saints,
may flourish in the courts of thy house, thy celestial temple,
to all eternity. O let not our portion be amongst the
160 THE EIGHTEENTH DAY.
ungodly and unrighteous : make us not to communicate in
their wickedness, so much as by consent or approbation, that
we may never perish and be destroyed in the furiousness of
thine anger, which thou treasurest up against the day of
vengeance and righteous judgment, even the day of the
appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
lEbmtng Draper.
PSALM XCIII.
A Prayer that God would preserve his Church against the
Storms and Floods of Persecution.
O LORD our King, who art girded with strength, and hast
prepared thy seat from everlasting, establish thy testimonies
in our hearts as a sure foundation of temporal and eternal
happiness. Preserve thy house, the holy catholic Church, in
peace and holiness, which is its defence and ornament : and
although the floods of persecution and secular disadvantages
have lift up their waves to overthrow it ; yet because it is
built upon a rock, the rock Christ Jesus, make it to stand
firm and sure against all the malice of hell and earth, and all
the powers of them both; for thou, O Lord, art mightier
than all the waves and storms of her enemies. To thee,
O Lord, who dwellest on high, and art mightier, be all
honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
PSALM XCIV.
A Prayer for Patience, Comfort, and Assistance to the Godly,
and that God would disappoint the Designs of the
Wicked.
O Lord God, Judge of the world, to whom vengeance
belongeth, and the execution of righteous judgments ; have
mercy upon us, chasten us with thy gentleness and fatherly
correction when we sin against thee, teach us thy law, be
our refuge and our confidence in our troubles, and give us
patience in times of adversity ; that, in the multitude of sor-
rows, thy comforts may refresh us, thy mercies may relieve
us, thy grace may pardon and confirm us, that our feet slip
not, and our souls be not put to silence. Have pity upon all
THE NINETEENTH DAY. 161
distressed and miserable people : do justice upon all that
murder the widow, that put the fatherless to death, that
grind the face of the poor. Fail not thy people, O Lord,
and forsake not thine inheritance ; but destroy the devices
of all them that imagine mischief as a law, and are confede-
rate against the righteous, to condemn the innocent, to dis-
countenance religion, to disadvantage thy worship and
service : that in the day of eternal vengeance, when thou
shalt reward the proud after their deserving, and the pit be
digged for the ungodly, we may have the lot of thine inhe-
ritance, and reign in the fellowship of saints, who give
honour and praise to thee, O Lord God Almighty, world
without end. Amen."
THE NINETEENTH DAY.
Jftlorm'ng Draper,
PSALM XCV.
A Hymn invitatory to the Worship of God, and a Prayer for
Obedience to his Will.
O GREAT GOD, the Lord our Maker, who art a King above
all gods, give us the graces of humility arid holy religion,
that we may worthily praise and worship thy glories and
perfections infinite. We are the people of thy pasture ; let
thy mercies lead us, and feed and refresh our souls with
the Divine nutriment of thy word and sacraments. We are
the sheep of thy hands : do thou guide us, that we may never
go astray : or if we do, bring us home into the sheepfold of our
great Shepherd, that we, hearing his voice, may not harden
our hearts, neither tempting thy mercies, nor provoking thy
wrath ; that our hearts being preserved from error, and our
ways from obliquity and crookedness, we may at last enter
into thy eternal rest, through the merits and guidance of our
great Shepherd Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer.
Amen.
PSALM XCVI.
A Hymn of Adoration, and Magnifying the Glories of God.
O Lord God, in whose sanctuary is power and honour,
VOL. xv. M
162 THE NINETEENTH DAY.
before whose presence is glory and worship, fill our lips and
souls with great devotion and reverence towards thee our
God ; make us to love thy goodness, to adore thy omnipo-
tence, to reverence thy justice, to fear thy majesty, to admire
and tremble at thy omniscience and omnipresence, and to
contemplate, with the greatest zeal and affections, all those
glories which thou cominunicatest to the sons of men, in the
revelations of thy Gospel, of thy creatures, and of thy mira-
cles ; that we may tell of thy greatness, and declare thy
salvation from day to day ; and when thou comest with
righteousness to judge the earth, and all people with thy
truth, we may rejoice in thee everlastingly, and sing an
eternal hallelujah to thee in thy sanctuary. Grant this for
Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
PSALM XCVII.
A Meditation upon the Day of Judgment, and a Prayer for
Mercy and Salvation.
O Lord our King, Lord of the whole earth, have mercy
upon us, and sanctify us with thy grace, that we may hate
every thing that is evil, that we may love thee, give thanks
unto thy name, and rejoice in remembrance of thy holiness ;
that in the day of judgment and great terrors, when thou
shalt sit in thy seat supported with righteousness and judg-
ment, and a fire shall go forth from thy presence, to burn up
thy enemies on every side, thou mayest preserve our souls in
safety from the hand of our enemies, and a light may spring
up unto us to preserve us from eternal darkness and the
want of the light of thy countenance, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
PSALM XCVIII.
A Thanksgiving for the Redemption of Mankind by
Jesus Christ.
O MOST glorious and powerful Jesu, who with thine own
right hand and with thy holy arm hast gotten to thyself, on
THE NINETEENTH DAY. 163
our behalf, the victory over sin, hell, and the grave ; remem-
ber this thy mercy and truth which thou hast promised to all
that believe on thee : give us pardon of our sins sealed unto
us by the testimony of the Holy Spirit and of a good con-
science : and grant that we by thy strength may fight against
our ghostly enemies, and by thy power may overcome them,
that we may rejoice in a holy peace, and sing and give thee
thanks for our victory and our crown. Extend this mercy,
and enlarge the effect of thy great victories to the heathen,
that all the ends of the world may sing a new song unto
thee, and see the salvation of God : that when thou comest
to judge the earth we may all find mercy, and be joyful to-
gether before thee in the festivity of a blessed eternity,
through thy mercies, O blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesu.
Amen..
PSALM XCIX.
A Prayer for the Virtue of Religion and Devotion in holy
Places.
O great God, and King of heaven and earth, thou that
sittest between the cherubims, unmoved in the centre of
thine own felicity and essential tranquillity, undisturbed in
the great concussions and unquietness of the earth ; give
unto us thy servants venerable and dreadful apprehensions
of the sanctity and perfections of thy name and nature,
which is great, wonderful, and holy. Teach us in all ad-
dresses of our devotion, and in all places appointed for thy
service, by all reverence and holiness of soul and body to
express the greatness of thy power and our weakness, the
majesty of thy glory, and the unworthiness of our persons,
the distance of God and man, of finite and infinite, of Lord
and servant; that the awfulness of thy dread majesty may
check every unreverent gesture and thought in us, and teach
us to make approaches of humility and fear, that we, calling
upon thy name according to our duties, and by the fear of
thee being taught to keep thy testimonies and never to
forget the law thou givest us, may be delivered from thy
wrath and punishment, and at last praise thee upon thy holy
hill in thine everlasting habitation; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
164; THE NINETEENTH DAY.
PSALM C.
A Psalm of Praise to God for his Mercy and Truth.
O Lord our God, who hast created us out of nothing,
and hast redeemed us from misery and death when we were
thine enemies; shewing great expresses of thy loving-kind-
ness, when we were vessels of wrath and inheritors of perdi-
tion; revealing thy truth unto us in the sermons of the
Gospel ; teach us to walk as thou hast commanded us, to
believe as thou hast taught us, that we may inherit what
thou hast promised us : for thou art the way, the truth, and
the life. We are thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture;
thou art our guide and our defence : let thy grace teach us
to serve thee, and thy Holy Spirit assist and promote our
endeavours with the blessings of gladness and cheerfulness
of spirit, that we may love to speak good of thy name, and
at last may go into the courts of thy temple with praise and
a song in our mouths, to thy honour and eternal glory,
whose mercy and truth is everlasting, and revealed unto the
Church in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM CI.
A Prayer for a holy Life.
O Lord God of eternal purity, who art of pure eyes, and
canst behold no unrighteousness or impurity, enlighten our
understandings, that we may have knowledge in the way of
godliness ; make our paths straight and our hearts perfect ;
take from us the sins of unfaithfulness, correct and mortify
in us all froward and peevish dispositions ; let us love the
society of the saints, and hate the fellowship of the wicked,
that we may not be destroyed with the ungodly, nor be
rooted out from the city of the Lord, and banished from
the sweetness of thy presence ; for with thee is light, and
health, and salvation : to thy name be all honour, and glory,
and praise ascribed, world without end. Amen.
THE TWENTIETH DAY. 165
THE TWENTIETH DAY.
.Plorm'ng
PSALM CII.
A Prayer for Comfort in Sadness, Anxiety of Spirit, Sick-
ness, or any other Affliction.
O ETERNAL GOD, who endurest for ever, and thy remem-
brance throughout all generations, have pity upon us ac-
cording to the infinite treasures of thy loving-kindness ; hear
the voice of our groaning, for thy indignation and thy wrath
lieth hard upon us, and our sins have put an edge upon thy
sword, and a thorn into our wounded consciences. O build
up the ruins of our souls, repair the breaches of our comforts
and our hopes, and let thy glory now appear, for that shines
brightest in the beams of thy mercy, and when thou turnest
unto the prayer of poor wretched destitutes, it becomes an
eternal monument and a record of thy honour, and all gene-
rations which shall be born shall praise thee. Look down,
O Lord, from thy sanctuary ; hear the mournings of us and
of all distressed people ; send us health and life so long as it
may be a blessing ; and do not shorten our days in wrath :
but give us grace so to spend all our time in the works of
repentance and holiness, that when our years fail, and our
change is come, we may be translated to the new heavens,
which shall never perish nor wax old, there to continue and
stand fast in thy sight for ever ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
PSALM GUI.
A Thanksgiving to God for all his'Benefits and Mercies.
O most merciful God, whose mercy is as high as the
heavens, as great and many as the moments of eternity ; thou
hast opened thy hand wide to fill us with blessings, and the
sweet effects of thy loving-kindness ; thou art pitiful as a
father, tender as a mother, careful as a guardian, and exceed-
ing merciful to all them that fear thee : we pray thee to fill
our souls with great apprehensions and impresses of thy
unspeakable mercies, that our thankfulness may be as great
166 THE TWENTIETH DAY.
as our needs of mercy are : and let thy merciful loving-kind-
ness endure for ever and ever upon us all. Keep no anger
in store for us, chide us not in thy displeasure, satisfy our
mouths with good things, remove all our sins from us as far
as the east is from the west, heal all our infirmities, and save
our lives from destruction ; for these are mercies thou
delightest in : and because we cannot praise thee according
to thy excellences, take our souls, in thy due time, into the
land of everlasting praises, that we may spend a whole
eternity in ascribing to thy name praise, and honour, and
dominion. Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord
and only Saviour. Amen.
PSALM CIV.
A Contemplation of the Wisdom and Goodness of God
manifested in his Creatures.
O LORD GOD, who art exceeding glorious, who art clothed
with majesty and honour, thou hast created all things with
admirable wisdom, established them with excellent order,
and hast provided for them with mercy and singular provi-
dence ; be pleased to give us grace that we may remember
thou hast created us all for thy glory, that thou hast planted
thine image on us, and hast crowned all our years with thy
mercies and loving-kindness ; let us never disobey thy will,
forget thy mercies, or deface thine image in us ; but when
all thy creatures praise thee in their manner, let not us, whom
thou hast made in dignity next to angels, disturb the blessed
order of creation by our sins and irregular disobedience.
Open thy hand, O Lord, and fill us with good things, both
spiritual and temporal ; that when thou takest away our
breath that we die, and turn again to our dust, thou mayest
not hide thy face away from us, but communicate to us the
light of thy countenance, and the glories of thy kingdom,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY. 167
THE TWENTY-FIRST DAY.
Jfflorning Draper.
PSALM CV.
A Commemoration of God's Care of his Church, and
Blessings to his People.
O LORD GOD, who art alway mindful of thy covenant and
promise to a thousand generations, and didst deliver the
seed of Abraham, the children of Jacob thy chosen, from the
slavery of Egypt, from the waves of the sea, from the rage of
Pharaoh, from the thirst and famine of the wilderness, con-
tinue the like mercies to all Christian people ; deliver us
from the bondage of our sins, preserve us in the ark of the
Church, that we perish not in the waves of this troublesome
world : save us from the fury of all our temporal and ghostly
enemies, feed us from heaven, and give us a competence of
good things on earth, that we may keep thy statutes, and
observe thy laws, and at last receive the promises of a blessed
eternity, which, in the covenant of thy Gospel, thou hast
made unto all that believe in thee, and are obedient to thy
word. Grant this, O blessed Jesu, to whom, with the
Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world
without end. Amen.
PSALM CVI.
A Commemoration of God's frequent Pardons and Mercies
to the Penitent.
O LORD GOD, full of mercy and pity, who didst many times
deliver thy people from their adversity, when thou, for their
rebelling against thee with their inventions, hadst given them
into the hands of the heathen ; remember us, O Lord,
according to the favour thou bearest unto thy people, and
visit us with thy salvation ; and though we have done amiss,
and dealt wickedly against thee and against thy covenant,
yet be pleased to help us for thy name's sake, and make thy
186 THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY.
power to be known in the mighty deliverance and redemp-
tion of us from so great danger and misery. Give us grace
to believe thy words, to abide thy counsels, to walk in thy
laws, to relinquish our own sinful and vain desires, to obey
our governors, ecclesiastical and civil ; that we may not have
the lot of Dathan and Abiram, but at last may receive our
portion in the felicity of thy chosen, giving thee thanks with
thine inheritance, for that thou hast turned from us thy
wrathful indignation, pitying us and saving us according to
the multitude of thy mercies. Thy name be blessed, O Lord
God, everlastingly and world without end, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY.
PSALM CVII.
A Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Miseries and Danger.
O LORD GOD, gracious and good, whose mercy endureth for
ever, have mercy upon us when in our trouble we cry unto
thee ; for when our hearts are brought down through heavi-
ness, there is none to help us up, or to deliver us out of our
distress, but only thou, O Lord. We have sinned, we have
rebelled against thee, and lightly regarded thy counsels ; we
have walked and sat in darkness and in the shadows of death,
being fast bound in the captivity and misery of sin. O bring
us out of darkness, and break our bonds asunder ; guide us
through the desert of this world, in which grows nothing
but sadness and discontent ; still the tempests, and smooth
the floods of misery, which are ready to overwhelm us ; and
in thy due time bring us to eternal rest, and to the haven
where we would fain be ; that in the congregation of thy
holy people we may praise thee for thy goodness, and
declare the wonders thou hast done for us, in delivering us
from sin, and misery, and death, and bringing us to a city
to dwell in, where there is life, and light, and joy eternal,
in the beholding the face of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. Amen.
THE TWENTY-SECOND DAY. 169
lEbenmg
PSALM CVIII.
A Prayer for Victory against our Enemies.
O LORD GOD, whose mercy is greater than the heavens, and
thy glory is above all the earth, be thou exalted in thine own
strength, and magnify thy power and thy mercy, in defending
us, and all thy holy Church, against all our enemies, temporal
and spiritual. Forsake us not, O God our defence, for vain
is the help of man : do thou strengthen us, and go forth
with our hosts to battle ; that we, being defended and armed
by thee, may do acts great and good, fighting thy battles,
and putting our confidence in thy righteousness only, and
thy salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CIX.
A Prayer against God's Enemies, and especially Traitors,
prophetically intended against the Person of Judas.
O God of our praise, who wast contented that thy Son
Jesus Christ should be betrayed into the hands of sinners by
one of his own apostles, the traitor Judas, and in punishment
of so great impiety didst suffer Satan to stand at his right
hand, tempting him to despair, and to give sentence upon
himself to condemn himself, and to execute his own judg-
ment, and gavest his bishopric to another ; let thy righteous
judgments find out all those that are traitors to their prince,
enemies to the Church, apostates from religion, hypocrites
under specious pretences and beauteous titles ; that they
may be clothed with shame, and may cover themselves with
their own confusion, as with a cloak ; that, by thy punish-
ments in this life, they may be driven to a sharp and salutary
repentance, and may be saved in the life to come. Deal thou
with us, O Lord, according to thy mercy ; take away the
curse, and let not thy blessing be far from us ; let not our
wickedness, nor the wickedness of our fathers, be had in
remembrance in thy sight; let our minds be alway to do
good, and our hearts and lips be given unto prayer, and our
prayers so guided by thy assistances, that they be not turned
170 THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY.
into sin ; that when we go hence, like the shadow that de-
parteth, and are driven away like the grashopper, when the
days of our vanity and rejoicing are past, we may stand at
thy right hand, and our souls be saved from the lot and
portion of the unrighteous ; through the righteousness and
passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY.
.Plornmcj Draper.
PSALM CX.
A Hymn in the Honour of Christ's Kingdom, and Priesthood,
and Exaltation.
O ETERNAL GOD, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
when thy Son had drunk of the brook in the way to the
grave, and to our redemption (beginning his passion by the
brook Cedron, and tasting the waters of bitterness till he had
drunk off the whole chalice of thy wrath upon the cross),
didst lift up his head, and set him at thy right hand, till thou
shalt make all his enemies his footstool ; fill pur hearts with
his love and praises, that we may pay him the offerings of
our souls and bodies in a holy worship, and joyful thanks-
giving for all the parts and mysteries of our redemption ; for
his birth in the womb of his holy mother, pure and virginal
like the morning dew ; for his death and passion ; and for his
continual mediation and intercession, by which he doth
officiate in his eternal priesthood, which is after the order of
Melchisedeck. Remember us, blessed Jesu, in the day of
thy power, when thou shalt come to judge the world, and
the places filled with dead bodies shall give up their dead ;
that we may sit at thy right hand to magnify and behold the
glories of thy kingdom for ever and ever. Amen.
PSALM CXI.
An Eucharistical Hymn for the Benefits of the Holy Gospel,
particularly of the Blessed Sacrament.
O blessed Jesu, whose righteousness endureth for ever,
thy work is worthy to be praised and had in honour, for that
THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY. 171
thou hast been merciful and gracious to us, and hast given
meat, even the food of the blessed sacrament, unto them that
fear thee, that by the participation of thy holy communion
we should have thee in remembrance, and ever be mindful
of thy covenant : plant thy fear in our hearts, give us wisdom
and good understanding, and make us to have pleasure in
thee, and all thy works ; that we, obeying the precepts of
thy holy Gospel, and performing the conditions of thy
covenant, which thou hast established for ever in truth and
equity, in verity and judgment, we may worthily praise and
adore thy reverend and holy name among the faithful in this
life, and in the congregation of saints in the life to come,
through thy mercies, O blessed Jesu, to whom, with the
Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now
and for ever. Amen.
PSALM CXII.
A Prayer for the Fear of the Lord, for Charity, and the
Blessings of the Righteous.
O Lord God, who art to be feared in the generations of
the world, teach us the fear of thy name, that we may fear
to offend thee, and that, delighting in thy commandments,
we may serve thee, without fear of our enemies, in holiness
and righteousness all our days. Let thy light arise upon
the darkness of our understandings ; let thy mercies and
gentleness cure all thoughts of unmercifulness in us; and
make us charitable, of tender bowels, yearning with pity over
the needs of the poor. Teach us to guide our words with
discretion, make us never to be moved from our purposes of
holy living, stablish our hearts in thy love, that in the day
of restitution of all things, thou mayest give us the portion of
the charitable, the rewards of thy right hand ; and when the
wicked shall gnash with their teeth, and consume away in a
sad eternity, we may be satisfied with the riches and plen-
teousness of thy house for ever ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
172 THE TWENTY-THIRD DAY.
PSALM CXIII.
A Thanksgiving to God for his Acts of Providence, and
particular Care over the Poor and Humble.
O Lord God, whose dwelling is on high, and yet thou
humblest thyself to behold the things that are in heaven and
earth, have mercy upon us thy humble servants, and lift us
up from the gates of death ; take us out of the mire, that we
sink not into the bottomless pit of misery and infelicity :
and when for our sins thou humblest us as low as the dust,
let thy mercy exalt us, and restore us to the light of thy
countenance and the joy of thy salvation ; that when thou
shalt call all the world to judgment from the rising of the
sun to the going down thereof, we may be set with the
princes of thy people, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in
thine eternal kingdom, to sing praises to thy name from this
time forth for evermore. Amen.
IBbem'ng Draper.
PSALM CXIV.
A Thanksgiving to God for the Deliverance of his People
from Bondage and Misery.
O LORD GOD, at whose presence the earth trembles, who
workest salvation and deliverance for thy Church in all ages,
and didst deliver thy people from the bondage of Egypt with
a mighty hand and an arm stretched out in miraculous effects ;
deliver us from the bondage of sin, from the tyranny of the
devil, from the empire and dominion of the flesh : that our
bodies and souls being mortified, our flesh brought under
subjection of the Spirit, our appetites made subordinate to
reason, and our souls wholly comformable to thy will, our
hard stony hearts may be converted into hearts of flesh, and
into a springing well bringing forth the waters of repentance,
and fruits springing up to life eternal ; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY. 173
PSALM CXV.
A Prayer against Idolatry, and for Confidence in the
true God.
O Lord God Omnipotent, whose seat is in heaven, and
thou hast done whatsoever pleased thee in heaven and earth,
give us thy grace, that in all our troubles we may make thee
our succour and defence, and put our trust in thee only ;
that we, receiving thy mercies and the satisfaction of all
our hopes from thy plenteousness and loving-kindness, may
give praise unto thy name, never ascribing to ourselves any
honour, or the glory and thanks of any good action or pro-
sperous success, but to thee, who art the Author and Giver of
all good things. Preserve us from all dangers of idolatry,
from worshipping or loving any vain imaginations, and
making any thing to be our confidence besides thee, our
God ; that so thou mayest be mindful of us, and bless us in
all our ways, and when we die and go down into silence, we
may have our portion amongst the blessed of the Lord, in
the inheritance of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY.
Jfltornmg ^rajw.
PSALM CXVI.
An Act of Love and Thanksgiving to God for Deliverance
from Sin and Death.
O LORD GOD of eternal mercies,' gracious and righteous,
give unto us hearts filled with love and praise to thy holy
name ; for thou hearest our prayers, thou breakest asunder
the bonds of our sins, thou deliverest our souls from trouble
and heaviness, and snatchest us from the snares of death,
and savest us from the pains of hell. O merciful God, let
our souls rest in thee, and be satisfied in the pleasures of thy
mercy, that we may receive the cup of blessing and salvation,
174 THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY.
and celebrate the eucharist in honour of thy name, and in
remembrance of thy infinite benefits which thou hast done
unto us, and at last may pay our great Hallelujah to the Lord
in the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of the celestial
Jerusalem, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXVII.
An Invitation to all People to praise God's Mercy and Truth.
O blessed Jesu, who art not only the glory of thy people
Israel, but the light of the Gentiles, let thy merciful kindness
be ever more and more towards the sons of men ; that the
nations which have not known thee, may hear thy truth, and
feel thy mercies, and call upon thy name, and thy grace may
be confirmed upon us, till we receive the fulness and perfec-
tion of thy graces, in the full fruition of the glories of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
PSALM CXVIII.
A Psalm of Thanksgiving for the Mercies and Salvation
which are given us in Jesus Christ.
O most gracious Lord, our strength and our song, thou
art become our salvation, and thy mercy endureth for ever :
be thou on our side, take part with them that help us, let the
voice of joy and health be in our dwellings, and when thou
chastenest and correctest us for our sins, give us not over
unto death, but fix our faith and hopes upon the head stone
in the corner, even our Lord Jesus Christ ; that in all the
assaults made against us by our ghostly enemies, the right
hand of the Lord may have the pre-eminence, and bring
mighty things to pass, even victory and deliverance unto thy
servants ; that we, putting no confidence in the best of men,
may trust in thee, O Lord, till at last, when thou openest
the everlasting gates of righteousness, we may enter in and
give thee thanks and praise ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY. 175
PSALM CXIX.
A Prayer for Religion, Zeal, Love of the Law of God,
and Meditation in it.
O BLESSED Lord God, whose words are light and life to the
obedient and believing soul, let thy grace so purify our hearts
and actions, that we may be undefiled in thy way, keeping
thy testimonies, and seeking thee with our whole heart ; that
our ways being made direct without wandering into by-paths,
we may go into our country, the land of eternal and glorious
promises ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
II.
Grant, O Lord, that our affections and endeavours be not
divided between thee and the world, but that we may seek
thee with our whole heart, cleansing our ways from all im-
purity, giving to thy service our youth and more perfect age,
even all our days, and all our powers; taking more delight in
the way of thy testimonies than in all manner of riches and
fading pleasures ; that we, delighting in thee, and the ways
that lead to thee, may be beloved of thee with an eternal
love ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
III.
O Lord God, our Father and our Guardian, we are
strangers upon the earth, far removed from our country, and'
we are in darkness and walk in the shadow of death ; let not
this darkness seize upon our souls, hide not thy command-
ments from us, but open our eyes with the light of thy Holy
Spirit, that we may see the wondrous things of thy law, and
admire thy glories, and adore thy might, and obey all thy
righteous precepts : and although all our hearts be already
enkindled with the love of thy law, yet make our desires to
serve thee more fervent, that our lukewarmness may arise up
to the flames and ardours of a cherubim ; that while we are
busied in thy statutes, making them our delight and our
counsellors, shame and rebuke may always be turned from
us, and we ever rejoice with hope and confidence in thee ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 76 THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY.
IV.
We have chosen the way of thy truth, O Lord, and laid
thy judgments before us ; and yet, through our infirmities
and the disadvantages of the flesh, we are in heaviness, and
drive on slowly, like Pharaoh's chariots with the wheels off;
our souls and our desires cleave unto the dust and to things
below, and we are not active in thy services. O quicken us
according to thy word, refresh our weariness, comfort our
sadness, take from us the way of lying and vanity, set our
hearts at liberty from the bondage of sin, from the fetters of
temptation, from the encumbrances of the world ; and then
we shall run the way of thy commandments, never ceasing
to run till we arrive at the land of eternal rest and righteous-
ness, where thou livest and reignest world without end.
Amen.
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY.
Jftoming $rager.
V.
O LORD GOD, who art of infinite sanctity, and hast given us
thy law/that we, walking in so Divine a rule, may imitate the
perfection of thy holiness ; make us to go all our days in the
paths of thy commandments : take from us all greedy and
inordinate appetite of the creature; let not our hearts be
inclined to covetousness, nor our eyes wander after vanity :
but grant that we, being established in thy law, and walking
in thy fear, may persevere in the ways of righteousness,
keeping the way of thy statutes even unto the end ; that the
rebuke which for our sins we may justly fear, may, by thy
mercies and pardon, be taken away from us, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
VI.
Let thy loving mercy come unto us, O Lord, and thy
salvation ; for thou always keepest promise, and never dis-
appointest the hopes of them that trust in thee. Give us
confidence and boldness in thee, that we may never fear or
THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY. 177
blush to confess thee before men, but may speak of thy
testimonies even before kings, and may never be ashamed of
thy word, which is the ground of our hope ; but that our
hands may be lift up to perform thy law, and our study,
our love, and our delight may be in it, even for ever and ever ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
VII.
Think upon us, O Lord, in all our desires, in all our fears,
in all our troubles ; let thy law give us comfort, redress, and
satisfaction : that in our trouble we may thence derive com-
fort, in our fears we may there fix our anchor of hope, and
from thence we may get defence against the derisions and
insolences of the proud. And grant that thy grace may
reward thy grace in us, and a further degree of sanctity may
crown the first beginnings : and when by thy assistances we
think upon thy name, and keep thy law, we beg this only,
that our reward may be still to keep thy commandments.
Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord and only Saviour.
Amen.
VIII.
O dear God, be thou our portion and the lot of our in-
heritance, and be merciful unto us whenever we make our
humble petition in thy presence, and above all the desires of
our souls let us receive satisfaction in this request : give us
repentance and thy Holy Spirit, that we, calling our own
ways to remembrance, may be truly sorrowful for our past
sins, and may make haste, prolonging not the time, but early
and instantly turn our feet unto thy testimonies ; that we,
being companions of all that fear thee, may be partakers of
all the blessings in the communion of saints, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
IX.
Thou, O Lord, art gracious even in the execution of thy
judgments and displeasure against sinners, and thou sendest
chastisement and correction to us when we go wrong, that
thou mayest chide us into obedience and the blessings of
eternity : let not idleness and sensuality make us remiss in
our duty, nor our own vanity and the sense of thy favour
VOL. xv. N
178 THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY.
make us proud, nor the want of holy discipline make us
impudent and refractory ; but let thy mercies and judgments
learn us thy statutes, and make them dearer to us than
thousands of gold and silver ; that while we make thy
statutes to be our treasure, our heart may be fixed on them
in a continual meditation ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
X.
U LORD our Maker, thy hands have made us and fashioned
us, let thy Holy Spirit regenerate us, and thy grace form us
anew : that the old man being destroyed, the new man may
be produced in righteousness and sanctity : that our hearts
may be sound in thy statutes without hypocrisy and inor-
dinate ends, full of candour and ingenuity ; that thy loving
mercies coming unto us in a full stream, we may live in them,
and be turned unto thee, never to be removed from thy law
and love. Grant this for the love of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
XL
O Lord our Helper, teach us to remember our end, to
consider our years that are past, that we, in consideration
how few the days of thy servants are which are yet to come,
may quicken our industry and affections to thy law ; that by
a double and more active endeavour in the ways of thy com-
mandments, we may redeem the time, and by thy mercy
being delivered from all them that trouble and persecute us,
we may be refreshed in thy eternal comforts, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
XII.
O Lord our Guide, thou hast laid the foundation of the
earth sure, and it abideth, but thy word endureth for ever in
heaven : and though heaven and earth shall pass away, yet
one tittle of thy word shall never pass in vain and unac-
complished : teach us to obey thee with a regular obedience,
THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY. 179
that since all the creatures continue according to thine or-
dinance and serve thee, we only may not disobey thee, and
disturb the order of creation by a rebellion of creatures
against their Maker, lest thy wrath arise upon us, and we
perish in our trouble. Have mercy upon us, and deliver us
from thy wrath ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
XIII.
O Lord our Governor, who art the Fountain of all wisdom
and understanding, and hast commanded that all that lack
wisdom should ask it of thee, who givest liberally ; make us
wise and understanding in the observation of thy command-
ments, that we may refrain our feet from every evil way, and
never shrink from thy judgments, but may delight and study
in all the expresses of thy will, which thou hast revealed to
us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY.
XIV.
O SUN of Righteousness, that earnest to bring light unto the
world by thy word, and example, and illumination of thy
Holy Spirit; let thy Spirit lead us, thy example guide us,
thy word teach us j that we may not love darkness more
than light, but may keep thy righteous judgments according
to our many purposes and our vow of baptism. Keep us
from the snare of the ungodly, and from our ownselves, the
dangers of our own concupiscence, and the miseries of our
infirmity : leave not our souls in our own hands, but keep
them under thy protection and government, lest we swerve
from thy commandments ; but that applying our hearts
always to fulfil thy statutes even unto the end, we may pos-
sess thy law as our portion and inheritance for ever. Grant
this, O blessed Jesu, for thy promise and for thy mercy's
sake, that we may glorify thee in the unity of the most mys-
terious Trinity, now and for evermore. Amen.
180 THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY.
XV.
O God of our defence and shield, thou that treadest down
all them that depart from thy law, and puttest away the
ungodly of the earth like dross, let thy mercies hold us up,
that we may he safe from sin and death eternal : make us to
hate all evil things, all evil imaginations ; that we, being
established with a trust in thee, and building our expecta-
tions upon thy mercies and promises, may not be disap-
pointed of our hope, but may live with thee eternally; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
XVI.
O Lord God, thou seest with what miseries and dangers
we are encompassed, our ghostly enemies seek to do us
wrong, and to oppress our souls: give us not over unto
their malice, but arm us against their pride and insolence by
faith in thy word, by hope of thy mercies, and looking for
thy health, and by love unto thy commandments ; that so in
this world, and in the eternal retribution of the saints, thou
mayest deal with thy servants according to thy loving mercy.
Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord and only Saviour.
Amen.
XVII.
O just and dear God, shew the light of thy countenance
upon thy servants, and let this light give unto us under-
standing in thy law, that our steps being ordered in thy
word, thou mayest deliver us from the wrongful dealings of
men, and from the malicious enmities of our ghostly adver-
saries ; that by their temptations and our own weakness, we
may never be brought under the dominion of sin and wicked-
ness ; that when thy word goeth forth to call to judgment all
people, quick and dead, thou mayest be merciful unto us, and
save us, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.
Grant this for the merits and mercies of our dearest Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
XVIII.
O righteous Lord God, whose judgments are true, and
thy testimonies exceeding righteous, enkindle our souls with
THE TWENTY-SIXTH DAY. 181
a zeal to thy laws and service, that the continual remem-
brance of thy commandments may so enable our souls, as to
give a greatness and reputation to us in thy estimation, even
the greatness of humility and obedience, which are more
honourable in thy eyes than all the pomps and vanities of
this world. Grant this for his sake, who, for our sakes,
humbled himself to the form of a servant, and became obe-
dient to the death of the cross, even Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour
and glory now and for ever. Amen.
XIX.
O LORD GOD of eternal mercy and truth, give us hearts fixed
upon thy Divine beauties, and an actual intention in our
prayers, that we may call upon thee with our whole hearts ;
and do thou hear in heaven when we call upon thee : deliver
us from all them that of malice draw nigh to persecute
and afflict us ; be thou also nigh at hand, and nothing can
disturb our safety. Make us to see thee early in the morn-
ing ; let our eyes and our prayers prevent the night-watches,
that we may be safe in our conversation with thee, and our
daily approaches to thy mercy-seat, where thou sittest
attended with cherubims and seraphims, glorious in thyself,
incomprehensible in thy attributes, and infinitely rejoicing in
thy mercies, which thou shewest unto us in our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
XX.
O Lord, thy mercy is great, thy word is true from ever-
lasting, and in the truth of thy word, and in the mercies of
thy promises and loving-kindness, thou lovest to be known
to the sons of men. O give us thy health and salvation,
that our souls being delivered from the heavy pressure of
sin, and quickened in thy word, thou mayest avenge us of
all oar ghostly enemies, and deliver us in thy righteousness
in the day of thy eternal vengeance upon the ungodly,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
182 THE TWENTY- SEVENTH DAY.
XXI.
All our ways, O God, are before thee ; let all our ways
be directed by thee, and teach us to walk as in thy presence.
Make us to hate and abhor lies and vanity : and give us so
much love and so much zeal of thy name and honour, that
we may make it a business to give praises to thee with a
frequent and daily devotion ; that we, standing in awe of thy
word and holy laws, and doing after thy commandments,
our expectations may be satisfied with thy saving health, and
we may at last enjoy the peace which they have that love
thy law, even the peace of a good conscience here, and of a
blessed eternity hereafter, through Jesus Christ our Lord*
Amen.
XXII.
O Lord God, we have gone astray from thy command-
ments, and been like lost sheep ; thou art our Shepherd
and our merciful Guide : O seek thy servants, let thy hand
help us, let thy care and providence reduce us into the way
of thy statutes ; that we being delivered according to thy
own word from thy wrath, and from our corruptions and
irregularities, may at last be satisfied with thy saving health,
and our lips may speak of thy praise in the choir of saints
and angels, singing glorious anthems to all eternity to the
honour of thee, O Lord God eternal, who livest and reignest
world without end. Amen.
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.
Jftornfag Draper.
PSALM CXX.
A Prayer to be delivered from false Tongues and Cohabitation
with wicked Persons.
O LORD GOD, who nearest the prayers of them that call
upon thee in their calamities and distresses, have mercy
upon us thy servants, who live in the midst of a crooked and
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY. 183
perverse generation, whereof we ourselves make too great a
part ; we beseech thee so to order the circumstances and
opportunities of our life, that we may live in the society of
holy people, whose example and conversation may be a
continual incentive to the ways of peace and righteousness ;
and deliver us from a necessity of conversing with turbulent
spirits, angry and unpeaceful dispositions, who, upon all
occasions, make 'themselves ready to battle. Sanctify our
hearts and lips with a burning coal from thy altar, that our
words may be holy and profitable ; and keep us from all
slander and scandal, and the rewards of both, the sharp
arrows of thy vengeance, the hot burning coals of thy
wrath. Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord and
only Saviour. Amen.
PSALM CXXI.
A Prayer for God's Protection over us.
O Lord God, our Keeper, who dwellest upon the eternal
hills, from whence cometh all our help, .let thy mercies and
thy providence watch over us by day and night, that neither
the vanities of the one nor the terrors of the other may dis-
turb our peace or safety. Let not our feet be moved, but be
fixed upon the rock, Christ Jesus ; and so order our goings,
making us to walk in the way of thy commandments, that
thou mayestgo in and out before us, till at last we come into
thy presence to dwell with thee for evermore ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXXIL
A Prayer for the Peace and Prosperity of the Church.
O blessed Jesu, who didst descend, according to thy
human nature, from the house of thy servant David, and
hast planted a church, and defended it with a mighty hand
and great assistances ; be pleased to preserve peace within
her walls, and send plenteousness within her palaces ; that
all that love her peace may prosper, and receive the blessings
which thou givest to thy faithful people in the communion of
saints. Take from her all schisms and divisions, that she
may be like a city that is at unity with itself, strong in
184 THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.
faith, abounding in hope, and rich in the treasure of charity ;
that at last she may be removed to a fellowship of all those
joys and felicities which are laid up for the inhabitants of
the heavenly Jerusalem, which is from above, and is the
mother of us all. Grant this, O blessed Jesu, our only
Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.
PSALM CXXIII.
An Ejaculation, or a Lifting up our Souls to God for Help in
Trouble.
O Lord God, that dwellest in the heavens, have mercy
upon us in all our troubles, in contempt, in our poverty, and
whenever we are oppressed by any injurious practices of the
proud. Thou art our Lord and Master ; we are thy servants ;
our eyes wait upon thee, till thou have mercy upon us : let us
not be ashamed of our hope, nor unfaithful in our services,
nor distrustful of thy providence ; but make us diligent
labourers in our calling, good husbands of our talents, and
faithful in all thy house ; that we, first serving thee, may at
last sit down at meat with thee at thy table in thy kingdom ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXX1V.
A Thanksgiving for our Deliverance from the Power of all
our Enemies, and a confessing God to be the Author of it.
O Lord God, which hast made heaven and earth, in
whose name our help standeth, we praise and bless thy name,
that in our troubles and temptations thou hast stood on our
side, and pleaded for us against them that rose against us.
It was thy hand, O Lord, and the help of thy mercy, that
relieved us : the waters of affliction had drowned us, and the
stream had gone over our soul, if the Spirit of the Lord had
not moved upon the waters. Thou, O Lord, didst blast the
designs of our enemies with the breath of thy displeasure ;
and to thee, O Lord, we ascribe the praise and honour of our
redemption. Perpetuate thy mercies to us ; let us never be
given over as a prey to our ghostly enemies, but break their
snares, discover and weaken all their temptations by which
they would destroy our souls ; that we, being delivered from
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY. 185
sin, may be preserved from thy wrath, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXXV.
A Prayer for Confidence in God, and for Deliverance from
the Portion of the wicked.
O Lord God, our trust and confidence, in whom who-
soever trusteth shall never be removed, but standeth for
ever ; let thy mercies and the guard of holy angels stand
round about us, and about all thy holy people, like the hills,
for our defence and safety, that we may be inaccessible by
all the intendments of our enemies. O let us not put our
hands to wickedness, neither let our portion be in the lot of
the ungodly, whom thou leadest forth to destruction : but
let us receive the blessing which our Lord Jesus left unto his
Ckurch, even the peace of God the Father, of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost ; to whom be all honour and glory ascribed
of men and angels, now and for ever. Amen.
PSALM CXXVI.
A Contemplation of the Joys and Blessings of them that
depart hence in the Lord.
O LORD GOD, who hast promised salvation to thy people,
and hast done great things for us already, deliver us from
the captivity and bondage of sin and misery. Fill our hearts
with holy sorrrow and compunction, whenever we trespass
against thee; and teach us so to deny ourselves, to mortify
our affections, to crucify our lusts and all the temptations of
the flesh, that we, going on our way mourning and weeping,
despising the pleasures of this life, may, when thy great
harvest shall come, and thy reapers, the angels, shall sepa-
rate the wheat from the tares, come before thee with joy, and
bring our sheaves with us to be laid up in thy granary, that
so we may escape the everlasting burning; through the
mercies of Jesus Christ. Amen.
186 THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.
PSALM CXXVII.
A Prayer for God's Blessings to go along with the temporal
good Things he gives us.
O Lord our God, without whose blessing all our labours
are vain and unprofitable, and our possessions are but bitter
and unpleasant ; let thy blessing be upon our labours and
our substance, our children and our dwelling, that the good
things of this life may be a heritage and gift from the issues
of thy favour, and an earnest of a greater blessing : make
our souls diligent in thy service, not importunate and greedy
for the increase of riches : let our dwellings be safe and
peaceable, and our families increase in thy blessings ; that
we, feeling the comforts of thy favour here, may be stirred
up to great desires after the blessings of eternity ; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXXVIII.
A Prayer for the fear of God, and the Blessings of the Godly.
O Lord God, who hast promised to multiply thy blessings
upon them that fear thee, teach us the fear of the Lord ; and
let thy Spirit so assist us, that we may walk in thy ways with
great observation of all our actions, and much diligence to
perform thy holy will ; that we may receive the blessings of
the righteous, blessings of the right hand and of the left
hand, and may rejoice in the blessing and peace of thy
Church, waiting for the consummation of all blessing and
peace in thy eternal kingdom ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXXIX.
A Prayer against the Enemies of the Church.
O most blessed Jesu, who for our sins didst suffer the
ploughers to plough upon thy back, and make long furrows,
suffering shame and whipping for our sakes, and all the con-
tradictions of sinners, and didst leave sorrows and afflictions
entailed upon thy Church, that by suffering with thee, she
might at last reign with thee in glory : deliver us and all thy
THE TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY. 187
holy Church from all that fight against us ; hew the snares
of the ungodly in pieces ; let the designs of them that have
evil will at thy Church, be like the grass growing upon the
house-tops, withered and blasted before it comes to maturity;
and make us to prosper under thy mercies, and in the good
wishes and devout prayers of holy people ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXXX.
A Penitential Psalm, or a Prayer for Pardon and Redemption
from Sins.
O Lord God, blessed Jesu, with whom is mercy and
plenteous redemption, who didst redeem thy people from all
their sins, paying the ransom of thine own blood to purchase
us freedom and salvation ; let the height of thy mercy take
us up from the deep abyss of sin and misery. O be not
extreme to mark what we have done amiss, for it is im-
possible we should abide the extremity of thy severest judg-
ments. And as thy mercy pardons what is past, so let the
sweetness of it beget thy fear in our hearts, that we may not
dare to offend so gracious, so merciful a God ; but that,
trusting in thy word, and flying unto thee for succour, we
may wait for thee till our change cometh, looking for thee
in holiness and righteousness all our days: grant this for
thy mercies' and compassion sake, O blessed Jesu, our only
Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.
PSALM CXXXI.
A Prayer for the Graces of Humiliation and Mortification.
O Lord God, before whom the humble publican, who
durst not lift up his eyes to heaven, but, with confusion of
face, begged pardon, was justified and acquitted ; give
unto us, thy servants, humility of soul, and modesty in our
behaviour, that our looks be not proud, nor our thoughts
arrogant, nor our designs ambitious : but that our souls
being refrained from all vanity and pride, our affections
weaned from great opinions and love of ourselves, we may
trust in thee, follow the example of our blessed Master, and
receive thy promises, which thou hast made unto us in our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
188 THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.
THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.
PSALM CXXXII.
A Prayer for the Church, for the Promotion of Religion, for
the King, and for the Clergy.
O LORD GOD, who dwellest not in temples made with hands,
and yet hast been pleased to manifest thy presence by special
blessings and assistances in places set apart for thy worship,
be pleased to hear our prayers and accept our services when-
ever we make our addresses to thee in the house of prayer,
and fall down low on our knees before thy footstool : let thy
priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints sing
with joyfulness, and let all those that make their approaches
unto thee, purify their hearts and hands, that they may offer
to thee a pure sacrifice, even the sacrifice of obedience and
holiness, and the expresses of true religion. Bless, O Lord,
thy servant the king, whom thou hast made the patron and
defender of the Church ; make his horn to flourish and be
exalted above all his enemies, and let thy word be as a lantern
for thine anointed, to shew him thy holy will and pleasure ;
that, he seeking thy honour and glory, thy Church may
flourish under the covert of his shield and patronage, her
victuals may be blessed with increase, her poor satisfied with
bread, her priests decked with health, her saints with joy,
and himself with honour, and great renown, and a flourishing
diadem, while his enemies sit clothed in shame and misery.
Grant this, O blessed God, for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord
and only Saviour. Amen.
PSALM CXXXIII.
A Prayer for Unity in the Churchy in a Kingdom, or Family.
O blessed Jesu, in whose garment was variety, but no
rent or seam, have mercy upon thy holy catholic Church and
all Christian kingdoms and families; and so unite all our
hearts and affections by the union of faith and charity, that
we be not torn into factions and schisms, but being anointed
THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY. 189
with the precious ointment, even the anointing of thy Spirit
from above, we may keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond
of peace : and grant that this holy ointment may so knit
together the guides of thy Church, the rulers of kingdoms,
the princes of the nations, that the blessings of it may
descend to the skirts of the people, and that thou mayest
bless us with thy graces here, and hereafter give us life for
evermore in the participation of thy glorious kingdom, where
thou livest and reignest, ever one God, world without end.
Amen.
PSALM CXXXIV.
An Invitation to the Clergy to be diligent in singing God's
Praises publicly.
O Lord, Creator and Governor of all the world, thou that
madest heaven and earth, that all should celebrate thy praise
and the glory of thy name ; give great religion and devout
affections to thy ministers, that, by frequent elevation of their
hands and hearts in thy sanctuary in behalf of themselves
and all the people, thy Honour may be exalted among all thy
servants, religion may be advanced, and the love of thy name
increased, and thy blessings may descend upon us in a plen-
tiful proportion, to supply all our necessities ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
%
PSALM CXXXV.
A Prayer that God would avenge his people of their Enemies,
and an Invitation of them to praise his Name.
O Lord God, in whose sight the death of all the saints is
precious, and to whom the souls of the martyrs from under
the altar call to avenge their blood, that is shed like water
upon the earth; be gracious unto* us thy servants ; avenge
all thy people of their enemies : that all that hate and per-
secute thy Church, being either brought to repentance or
confusion, thy name and thy memorial may be celebrated to
all generations, thy kingdom and thy coming may be has-
tened ; that the saints may receive the consummation of their
glories, by resurrection of their bodies, and receiving the
crown of righteousness which thou hast prepared for all that
put their trust in thee ; and that we all standing in the house
190 THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.
of the Lord, even in the courts of the house of our God, for
ever, may praise thy name, which is gracious and lovely, even
for ever and ever. Amen.
mg Draper.
PSALM CXXXVI.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving to God for his eternal Mercies.
O GOD of heaven and Lord of lords, who by thy excellent
wisdom hast made the heavens, and only doest great wonders
in heaven and earth, making all thy creatures to be expresses
of thy power and of thy loving mercy ; let thy mighty hand
and stretched-out arm lead us through the midst of this
world and the throng of all our enemies, giving us food for the
sustenance of our bodies, the light of the Sun of Righteous-
ness to lead us in our goings, and great apprehensions of thy
mercy to excite in us devotion and^true religion; that we,
praising thy mercies, and being relieved and sustained by thy
loving-kindness, may at last come to the land of promise
which thou givest for a heritage to thy people, and may
receive the mercies of thy kingdom, which endure for ever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXXXVII.
A Prayer for the Redemption of the Church from Captivity
and Persecution.
O Lord our God, thou hast placed us in this world like
pilgrims and strangers far from our country, far from rest ;
give us souls and desires so abstract, so religious and con-
templative, that all our hopes, our joys, and longings, may be
to enjoy thee and thy glories in the celestial Jerusalem : and
let thy comforts refresh us in this our captivity and exile, that
in our heaviness thou mayest be our joy, our songs and me-
lody may be the songs of Sion, the praises of thy name :
that when thou hast delivered us from the wrath and malice
of our enemies, and dashed all their wickedness (which they
have conceived, and would bring forth to our destruction)
THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY. 191
against the rock Christ Jesus, we may be blessed amongst
thy children, and be carried into our country, the land of
glorious promises, there to reign with thee, who livest and
governest all things, world without end. Amen.
PSALM CXXXVIII.
A Prayer and a Thanksgiving for Gods Mercies.
O Lord God, who hast magnified thy name and word
;ibove all things, make good thy loving-kindnesses towards
us, and endue our souls with much strength ; that thine hand
being stretched forth upon the furiousness of all our ghostly
enemies, and we being saved by thy right-hand, may praise
thee and all thy glories, serving thee here with a lowly mind
and a great industry : that at last we may worship thee in
thy holy temple, in the midst of all the myriads of angels,
where thy glory is great and far exalted above all gods.
Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord and only Sa-
viour. Amen.
THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY.
jJWormncj ^prager.
PSALM CXXXIX.
A Meditation of the Omnipresence of God, and a Prayer
that we may always walk as in his Sight.
O LORD our God, who art infinite in wisdom, and present in
all places, filling heaven, and earth, and hell, with the effects
of thy mighty power, and communications of thy glorious
essence ; let thy hand lead us, and thy right-hand hold us in
all our ways, always considering that thou art present, under-
standing our thoughts and words even long before they are,
and seeing our most secret ways as clearly as in the sight of
the sun : print thy fear mightily upon our souls, that we may
be as fearful of committing sins in secret, as in the eyes of
all the world : that we, hating all iniquity, and loving thy
counsels as our dearest treasures and guide, may, by the
paths of a holy life, be conducted into the way everlasting;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
192 THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY.
PSALM CXL.
A Prayer for Deliverance from the Mischief of all wicked
Persons.
O Lord God, thou strength of our health, thou that
avengest the poor, and maintainest the cause of the helpless,
deliver us, O Lord, and preserve us from the evil and wicked
man, that neither his example may corrupt us, nor his coun-
sels mislead us, nor his prosperity scandalize us, nor his strife
disquiet us, nor his mischief disturb our safety : but do thou
cover our heads in the day of battle and contestation against
all our bodily and ghostly enemies; that although they hunt
us to overthrow us, yet we may prosper upon earth under
thy favour and protection, and at last, being removed from
all fears, and sadness, and dangers, may continue in thy sight
amongst the congregation of the just for ever ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXLI.
A Prayer for the Virtue of Religion, for Holiness of Life,
and for Deliverance from the Snares of our Enemies.
O Lord, our trust and confidence, haste thee unto us, and
consider our voice, when we call upon thee in our trouble
and necessity ; let our prayers ascend up unto thee as in-
cense, and be as the savour of the evening and morning
sacrifice. We beg of thee nothing but grace and power to
fulfil thy will : let not our hearts be inclined to any evil. Set
a watch, O Lord, before our mouths, and keep the door of
our lips : let us not be busied in ungodly works, that we may
never offend in our thoughts, or words, or actions ; and when
we do amiss, do thou smite us friendly, and reprove us with
the checks of a tender conscience, that thy fatherly correc-
tion may, like precious balm, cure all the wounds made by
our own infirmities; that we, escaping all the snares of
wickedness, may for ever hear and obey thy sweet words, and
our souls may never be cast out of thy presence, but for ever
may rejoice in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY. J 93
(Bbcnfng
PSALM CXLII.
A Prayer in all Sadness, and in the Hour of Death.
O LORD GOD, thou art our hope, and our portion in the land
of the living ; consider our complaint and misery : thou art
our place to flee unto, thou only art our sanctuary. O hide
us under the covert of thy wings, keep ns from all the
dangers which multiply upon us, when our spirits are in
heaviness, and our bodies pressed with infirmities : be thou
always at our right-hand, and assist us so with the strength
of thy grace, that our temptations and our enemies not being
above our strength derived from thee, our souls may with
confidence go out of prison, and give eternal thanks unto
thy name in the companies of the righteous ; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXL1II.
A Prayer that God would pardon our Sins, and direct us in
the Way of Righteousness.
O Lord our Judge and our Redeemer, hearken unto us
for thy truth and righteousness' sake; deliver us from the
guilt of all our sins, and those great punishments which are
due to us for the same. Enter not into judgment with us,
for in thy sight no man can be justified by any worthiness of
his own. Endue our souls with the righteousness of a holy
faith, living and working by charity. Shew us the way that
we should walk in ; teach us to do whatsoever pleaseth thee ;
quicken our souls in the paths of life ; and so continue the
conduct of thy Spirit to us, that if may never leave us, till
we be brought forth of this world into the land of righteous-
ness, to dwell with thee eternally ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
VOL. xv.
194 THE THIRTIETH DAY.
THE THIRTIETH DAY.
JiTornmg Draper.
PSALM CXLIV.
A Thanksgiving for Victory, and a Prayer for the Blessings
of Peace.
O LORD our strength, our hope and fortress, our castle and
deliverer, our defender in whom we trust ; bow the heavens,
O Lord, come down and save us, send down thy hand from
above, deliver us and take us from the great waters, from
those miseries and afflictions which come upon us by reason
of our sins, and from the condition of mortality, and from the
hand of strange children, whose right-hand is a right-hand of
wickedness. Give us, O Lord, victory and peace, and all
the blessings of thy peace, with which thou usest to adorn
and beautii'y the dwellings of the righteous, that we may be
happy in the continual descent of thy favours ; but above all,
our happiness may consist in being thy people, and thou
being our God, that we may be blessed for ever in so blessed
a relation ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXLV.
A Meditation of the Glory and Majesty of God, and the
Mightiness of his Kingdom.
O God our King, thou art marvellous, worthy to be
praised, and there is no end of thy greatness : give us en-
larged and sanctified hearts and lips, that we may sing of thy
righteousness, and magnify thy glory, thy worship, and won-
drous works. All thy works praise thee, O Lord, and thy
saints give thanks unto thee. Make us holy and righteous
in thy sight ; we are already the works of thine hands : and
then we have a double title to praise thee ; uphold us, O
Lord, that we fall not, and lift us up when we are down.
Give us meat in due season for our souls and for our bodies ;
that we, .being filled with the plenteousness of thy mercies
here, may have our best, and all our desires fulfilled and
satisfied hereafter amongst such as fear thee, and give thanks
unto thy holy name for ever. Grant this for Jesus Christ's
sake; to whom with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, be
all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
THE THIRTIETH DAY. 195
PSALM CXLVI.
A. Prayer that we may trust in God only, and not in an Arm
of Flesh.
O Lord God, who reignest a King for evermore, give us
grace that we may make thee our help, and fix our hopes in
thee, for thou only art able to give deliverance. Feed our
souls, O Lord, and satisfy us with thy salvation, when we
hunger and thirst after righteousness ; help us to right, when
we suffer wrong; heal our backslidings ; raise us when we
are fallen ; enlighten the eyes of our souls, that we walk not
in darkness and the shadow of death ; and do thou take care
for us in all our ways and in all our necessities ; that when
our breath goeth forth, and we turn again to our earth, we
may reign with thee in Sion, thy celestial habitation, for
evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXLVII.
A Celebration of God's Wisdom and Providence in the Mi-
nistration of the 2' kings of this World, and of his Goodness
towards them that fear him.
O LORD GOD, whose power is great, and thy wisdom infinite,
give us broken and contrite hearts, meek spirits, a fear of
thy name, and a trust in thy mercy ; that thou mayest arise
upon us with healing in thy wings, giving us medicine to
heal all our ghostly sicknesses, and thy delight may be in us,
delighting to do us good, to feed us when we call upon thee,
to set us above our enemies, to give us knowledge of thy
laws, to build up Jerusalem, and to repair the breaches of thy
Church, that we may sing praises unto thee, O God, and be
thankful to all eternity ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CXLVIII.
An Invitation of all the Creatures in the World to praise God.
O Lord God, whose name only is excellent, and thy
praise above heaven and earth ; we adore and bless thy
mercy and thy power for creating us after thine own
image; thou spakest the word, and we were made; thou
commandest, and we were created. And as thou hast
196 THE THIRTIETH DAY.
established thy creation with a law for ever, that all should
minister to thy praises in their several proportions ; so give
us grace that the laws of sanctity, of faith and obedience,
which thou hast given to us, may never be broken ; that we,
serving thee not only in the order of thy creatures, but in the
capacity of thy children, may sing thy praises amongst the
angels and the numerous host of saints reigning in thy
kingdom for ever and ever. Amen.
PSALM CXLIX.
A Meditation on the Joys of Heaven -prepared for the Saints.
O Lord our King, in whose honour and salvation all thy
saints rejoice, give unto thy holy Gospel a free passage in all
the world, that kings and nobles may be bound with the
chains of obedience, discipline, and subordination to all thy
holy laws : and grant to us thy servants, that thy laws may
be so fixed in our hearts, and thy praises in our mouths, and
righteousness in all our actions, that we may be written
among the righteous, and have our portion with the saints,
who rejoice in their beds of eternal rest, and are joyful in the
glories of thy kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM CL.
An Invitation to praise God with all our Faculties and Powers.
O eternal God, thy holiness, and power, and excellent
greatness are far above all the praises of man and angels,
and yet thou art pleased in the harmony and consent of a
thankful heart and a thanksgiving tongue ; touch our hearts
with admirable apprehensions of thy Divine perfections, that
our songs of thy honour may be devout and illuminate to
the height of ecstasies, and the devotions of a, seraphim ; for
nothing is proportionable to thy glories, but what is infinitely
beyond our infirmities. Make us to sing thee and thy name
while we have breath ; and when we are breathless, let our
hearts fill up the harmony, and think thy praises so cordially,
till our souls being separated from the harsh sound ofour bodily
organs, we may praise thee when we are all spirit in the state
of separation, and in the reunion when our bodies shall be
made spiritual, singing to thee exalted praises for ever and ever.
To thee, O blessed and glorious God, be praises, and honour,
and glory, ascribed now and to all eternity. Amen, Amen.
DEVOTIONS
THE HELP AND ASSISTANCE
CHRISTIAN PEOPLE
ALL OCCASIONS AND NECESSITIES.
A Prayer against' wandering Thoughts, to be said at the
beginning of our Devotions.
ALMIGHTY GOD, who hast commanded us to pray unto
thee without ceasing, and hast added many glorious promises
for our encouragement, let thy Holy Spirit teach me how to
pray : give me just apprehensions of my want, zeal of thy
glory, great resentment of thy mercies, love of all spiritual
employments that are pleasing unto thee; and do thou help
mine infirmities, that the devil may not abuse my fancy with
illusions, nor distract my mind with cares, nor alienate my
thoughts with impertinencies ; but give me a present mind,
great devotion, a heart fixed upon thy divine beauties, and
an actual intention and perseverance in my prayers, that I
may glorify thy name, do unto thee true and laudable ser-
vice, and obtain relief for all my necessities. Hear me, O
King of heaven, when I call upon thee ; for thou hast pro-
mised mercy to them, that pray in the name of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Ameu.
J98 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
Penitential Prayers, and a Form of Confession of Sins to God,
to be said upon Days of public or private Humiliation.
O LORD GOD of mercy and pardon, give me a just remem-
brance and sad apprehensions of my sins ; teach me to bewail
them with as great indignation and bitterness, as I have
committed them with complacency and delight. Let my
prayers and my confession come into thy presence, and
obtain a mercy for me and a pardon. Let not thy justice
and severity so remember my sins, as to forget thine own
mercy : and though I have committed that for which I
deserve to be condemned, yet thou canst not lose that glo-
rious attribute, whence flows comfort to us and hopes of
being saved. Spare me, therefore, O merciful God ; for, to
give pardon to a sinner that confesseth his sins, and begs
remission, is not impossible to thy power, nor dispropor-
tionate to thy justice, nor unusual to thy mercy and sweetest
clemency. Blessed Jesu, acknowledge in me whatsoever is
thine ; and cleanse me from whatsoever is amiss. Have pity
on me now in the time of mercy, and condemn me not when
thou comest to judgment : for what profit is there in my
blood ? Thou delightest not in the death of a sinner, but in
his conversion there is joy in heaven ; and when thou hast
delivered me from my sins, and saved my soul, I shall praise
and magnify thy name to all eternity. Mercy, sweet Jesu,
mercy.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father which art in heaven, &c.
I am not worthy, O Lord, to look up to heaven, which is
the throne of thy purity ; for my sins are more in number
than the hairs upon my head, and my heart hath failed me.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have not lived according to thy will, but in the vanity of
mine own thoughts, in idle, sinful, and impertinent language,
in foolish actions, in blindness of heart, in contempt of thy
holy word and commandments ; I have not loved thee, my
God, with all my heart, nor feared thee with all my soul, nor
served thee with all my might, according to thy holy precept,
nor loved my neighbour as myself.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 199
I have been unthankful to thy Divine Majesty, forgetting
that thou madest me and preservest me ; to thy Son my
blessed Saviour, forgetting the bitter pains he suffered for
me ; and to the Holy Ghost, forgetting how many gracious
influences I have received from him for my help, comfort,
and promotion in the ways of holy religion : but have re-
belled against thee my Maker, have sold myself to work
wickedness, from whence, by the passion of thy holy Son, I
was redeemed, and have resisted the Holy Ghost.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have offended thee, my God, in an inordinate estimation
of myself, in vain complacencies and desires to be esteemed
as much or more than others ; in not suffering with meek-
ness, indifference, and obedience, the humiliations sent to
me by thy Divine providence ; in haughty deportment to-
ward my superiors, equals, and inferiors; and in accepting
such honours as have been done to me, without returning
them to thee the fountain.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have offended thee, my God, in impatience, in anger,
intemperate in degree, inordinate in the object, growing
peevish and disquieted by trifling inadvertencies of others;
and slight accidents about me.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have offended thee, my God, by being envious at the
prosperous successes and advantages of my neighbours, and
have had resentments of joy at their displeasures and sadnesses.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have been negligent in performance of my charge, idle
in doing my duties, soft and effeminate in my life, indevout
in my prayers, slothful in the exercises of religion, weary of
their length, displeased at their return, without advertency
in the execution of them, and glad at an occasion of their
pretermission.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have been diligent and curious in pleasing my appetite
of meat and drink, and pleasures, losing my time, pampering
my flesh, quenching the Spirit, making matter both for sin and
sicknesses, and have not been sedulous in mortifying my body
for the subduing mine own intemperances and inordination.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have been an improvident steward of the good things
200 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
them hast given me ; I have loved them inordinately, sought
them greedily and unjustly, dispensed them idly, and parted
with them unwillingly : I have not been so charitable to the
poor, or so pitiful to the afflicted, or so compassionate to the
sick, or so apt to succour and give supply to the miseries of
my neighbours, as I ought, but have too much minded things
below ; not setting mine affections upon heaven and heavenly
things, but have been unlike, thee in all things : I have been
unmerciful and unjust.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
Mine eyes, O Lord, have wandered after vanity, behold-
ing and looking after things unseemly without displeasure,
despising my neighbours, prying into their faults ; but have
been blind, not seeing mine own sins and infinite irre-
gularities.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have not with care kept the door of my lips, nor bridled
my tongue, but have been excessive in talking, immoderate
in dissolute and wanton laughter, apt to lie, to deny truth, to
accuse others, to scoff at them, to aggravate their fnults, to
lessen their worth, to give rash judgment, to flatter for
advantage, to speak of thy name irreverently, and without
religious or grave occasions ; our discourses have been allayed
with slander and backbiting, not apt to edify, or minister
grace unto the hearers.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
Mine ears have been greedy after vanity, listening after
things unprofitable, or that might tend to the prejudice of
my neighbours, and have not, with holy appetite, listened
after thy holy words and conveyances of salvation.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
1 have offended thee by the entertainment of evil thoughts,
thoughts of uncleanness and impurity, and have not resisted
their first beginnings, but have given consent to them expli-
citly and implicitly, and have brought them up till they have
grown into idle words and actions.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have made myself guilty of the sins of others, by con-
sent, by approving, by not reproving, by co-operating, by
encouraging their ill actions, so making mine own heap
greater, by pulling their deformities upon mine own head.
Lord, be merciful to me u sinner.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 201
I have employed all my members and faculties both of
soul and body in the ways of unrighteousness ; [ have trans-
gressed my duty in all my relations, and in all my actions
and traverses of my whole life : even where I might have
had most confidence, I find nothing but weakness and
imperfections.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
I have broken my vows and purposes of obedience and
holy life ; I have been inconstant to all good, refractory to
counsels, disobedient to commands, stubborn against admo-
nition, churlish and ungentle in my behaviour, unmindful
and revengeful of injuries, forgetful of benefits, seeking my
own ends, deceiving my own soul.
Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.
My secret sins, O Lord, are innumerable : sins secret to
myself through inadvertency, forgetfulness, wilful ignorance,
or stupid negligence ; secret to the world, committed before
thee only, and under the witness of mine own conscience. I
am confounded with the multitude of them, and the horror
of their remembrance.
O Jesu God, be merciful unto me.
I.
SON of David, blessed Redeemer, Lamb of God, that takest
away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me ; O Jesu, be
a Jesus unto me : thou that sparedst thy servant Peter that
denied thee thrice; thou that didst cast seven devils out of
Mary Magdalene, and forgavest the woman taken in adul-
tery, and didst bear the convert thief from the cross to the
joys of paradise, have mercy upon me also: for although I
have amassed together more sins than all these in conjunc-
tion, yet not their sins, nor mine, nor the sins of all the
world, can equal thy glorious mercy, which is as infinite and
eternal as thyself. 1 acknowledge, O Lord, that I am vile,
but yet redeemed with thy precious blood ; I am blind, but
thou art the light of the world; 1 am weak, but thou art my
strong rock ; I have been dead in trespasses and sins, but
thou art my resurrection and my life. Thou, O Lord, lovest
to shew mercy; and the expressions of thy mercy, the nearer
they come to infinite, the more proportionable they are to
thy essence, and like thyself. Behold then, O Lord, a fit
202 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
object for thy pity : my sins are so great and many, that
to forgive me will be an act of glorious mercy ; and all the
praises which did accrue to thy name by the forgiveness of
David, and Manasses, and Saint Paul, and the adulteress,
and the thief, and the publican, will be multiplied to thy
honour in the forgiveness of me, so vile, so unworthy a
wretch, that I have nothing to say for myself, but that the
greatness of my misery is a fit object for thy miraculous and
infinite mercy. Despise me not, O Lord, for I am thy crea-
ture : despise me not, for thou didst die for me ; cast me not
away in thine anger, for thou earnest to seek me, and to save
me. Say unto my soul, ' I am thy salvation ;' let thy Holy
Spirit lead me from the errors of my ways, into the paths of
righteousness, to great degrees of repentance, and through
all the parts of a holy life, to a godly and a holy death.
Grant this, O blessed Jesu, for thy mercies' and for thy pity
sake. Amen.
II.
O Lord God, blessed Jesu, eternal Judge of quick and
dead, I tremble with horror at the apprehension, when I call
to mind with what terrors and majesty thou shalt appear in
judgment; a fire shall go out from thy presence, and a tern-
pest shall be stirred up round about thee, such a tempest as
shall rend the rocks, level the mountains, shake the earth,
disorder and dissolve the whole fabric of the heavens ; and
where then shall I, vile sinner, appear, when the heavens
are not pure in thy sight ? Lord, I tremble when I remember
that sad truth, * If the righteous scarcely be saved, where then
shall the wicked and the ungodly appear ?' I know, O Lord,
that all my secret impurities shall be laid open before all the
nations of the world, before all the orders and degrees of
angels, in the presence of innumerable millions of beatified
spirits. There shall I see many that have taught me inno-
cence and sanctity, many that have given me pious example,
many that have died for thee, and suffered tortures rather
than they would offend thee. O just and dear God, where
shall I appear? who shall plead for me, that am so laden
with impurities, with vanity, with ingratitude, with malice,
and the terrors of an affrighting conscience ? Lord, what
slmll I do, who am straitened by my own covetousness,
accused by my own pride, consumed with envy, set on fire
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 203
by lust, made dull with gluttony, and stupid by drunkenness,
supplanted by ambition, rent asunder with faction and dis-
cord, made dissolute with lightness and inconstancy, de-
ceived with hypocrisy, abused with flattery, fooled with
presumption, disturbed with anger, and disordered by a
whole body of sin and death? But thou shalt answer for
me, O Lord, my God ; thou art my Judge and my Advocate,
and thou art to pass sentence upon me for those sins for
which thou diedst. O reserve not my sins to be punished in
the life to come, for then I die eternally; but bring me in this
world to a holy, a sharp, and salutary repentance. Behold,
I am in thy hands ; grant I may so weep and be contrite for
my sins, that in the hour of my death I may find mercy, and
in the day of judgment I may be freed from all the terrors of
thy wrath, and the sentence of the wicked, and may behold
thy face with joy and security, being set at thy right-hand,
with all thy saints and angels, to sing an eternal hallelujah to
the honour of thy mercies. Amen, sweet Jesu. Amen.
III.
Most merciful and indulgent Jesus, hear the complaint
of a sad and miserable sinner ; for I have searched into the
secret recesses of my soul, and there I find nothing but
horror, and a barren wilderness, a neglected conscience
overgrown with sins and cares, and beset with fears and sore
amazements. I find that I have not observed due reverence
towards my superiors, nor modesty in my discourse, nor
discipline in my manners ; I have been obstinate in my vain
purposes, cozened in my own semblances of humility, perti-
nacious in hatred, bitter in my jesting, impatient of sub-
jection, ambitious of power, slow to good actions, apt to talk,
ready to supplant my neighbours, full of jealousies and sus-
picion, scornful and censorious, burdensome to my friends,
ungrateful to my benefactors, imperious to my inferiors,
boasting to have ?aid what I said not, to have seen what I
saw not, to have done what I did not, and have both said,
and seen, and done what I ought not, provoking thy Divine
Majesty with a continual course of sin and vanity. And
yet, O Lord, thou hast spared me all this while, and hast
not taken away my life in the midst of my sins ; which is a
mercy so admirable and of so vast a kindness, as no heart or
tongue can think or speak. If thou hadst dealt with me
20 i DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
according as I had deserved, and might justly have expected,
I had heen now, now at this instant, sealed up to an eternity
of torments, hopelessly miserable, fearing the revelation of
thy day with an unsnpportahle amazement : and now, under
the sweet influences of thy mercies, I am praying to thee,
confessing my sins, with shame indeed at my baseness and
ingratitude, but with a full hope and confidence in thy mercy.
O turn the eyes of thy Divine clemency with a gracious
aspect upon a wretched sinner, open the bowels of thy
mercy, and receive me into favour. O my dear God, let
thy grace speedily work that in me, for which thou so
long hast spared me, and to which thou didst design me in
thy holy purposes and mercies of eternity, even a true faith,
and a holy life conformable to thy will, and in order to
eternal blessedness. I remember, O Lord, the many fatherly
expressions and examples of thy mercies to repenting sin-
ners, thy delight in our conversion, thy unwillingness to
destroy us, thy earnest invitation of us to grace and life, thy
displeasure at our danger and miseries, the infinite variety of
means thou usest to bring us from the gates of death, and to
make us happy to eternity. These mercies, O Lord, are so
essential to thee, that thou canst not but be infinitely pleased
in demonstrations of them. Remember not, O Lord, how
we have despised thy mercies, slighted thy judgments, neg-
lected thy commandments ; but now, at length, establish in
us great contrition for our sins, lead us on to humble con-
fession and dereliction of them, and let thy grace make us
bring forth fruits meet for repentance, fruits of justice, of
hope, of charity, ofVeligion and devotion, that we maybe
what thou delightest in, holy, and just, and merciful, vessels
prepared for honour, temples of the Holy Ghost, and instru-
ments of thy praises to all eternity. O blessed Jesu, who
livest and reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
O Lord Jesu Christ, Son of the eternal God, interpose
thy holy death, thy cross, and passion, between thy judgment
and my soul, now and in the hour of my death ; granting
unto me grace and mercy, to all faithful people, pardon and
peace, to the Church, unity and amity, and to all sinners,
repentance and amendment, to us all, life and glory ever-
lasting, who livest and reignest ever one Cod, world without
end. Amen.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 205
A Form of Thanksgiving, with a particular Enumeration of
God's Blessings.
MOST glorious Lord God, infinite in mercy, full of com-
passion, long-suffering, and of great goodness ; I adore, and
praise, and glorify thy holy name, worshipping thee with
the lowliest devotions of my soul and body, and give thee
thanks for all the benefits thou hast done unto me ; for
whatsoever I arn, or have, or know, or desire as I ought, it
is all from thee ; thou art the Fountain of being and blessing,
of sanctity and pardon, of life and glory.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,
praise his holy name.
Thou, O God, of thine infinite goodness, hast created me
of nothing, and hast given me a degree of essence next to
angels, imprinting thine image on me, enduing me with rea-
sonable faculties of will and understanding to know and
choose good, and to refuse evil, and hast put me into a
capacity of a blessed immortality.
O praise the Lord with me, and let us magnify his
name together.
Thou, O God, of thy great mercy, hast given me a comely
body, a good understanding, straight limbs, a ready and
unloosed tongue; whereas, with justice, thou mightest have
made me crooked and deformed, sottish and slow of appre-
hension, imperfect and impedite in all my faculties.
O give thanks unto the God of heaven ; for his mercy
endureth for ever.
Thou, O God, of thy glorious mercies, hast caused me to
be born of Christian parents, and didst not suffer me to
be strangled in the womb, but gavest me opportunity of
holy baptism, and hast ever since blessed me with education
in Christian religion. .*
Thy way, O God, is holy : who is so great a God as
our God?
Thou, O God, out of thine abundant kindness, hast made
admirable variety of creatures to minister to my use, to serve
my necessity, to preserve and restore my health, to be an
ornament to my body, to be representations of thy power
and of thy mercy.
Unto thee, O God, will I pay my vows : unto thee will
I give thanks.
206 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
Thou, God, of thine admirable and glorious mercy,
hast made thine angels ministering spirits for my protection
and defence against all the hostilities of the devil ; thou hast
set a hedge about me, and such a guard as all the power of
hell and earth cannot overcome ; thou hast preserved me
by thy holy providence, and the ministry of angels, from
drowning, from burning, from precipice, from deformities,
from fracture of bones, and all the snares of evil, and the
great violations of health, which many of my betters suffer.
I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole
heart ; even before the gods will I sing praises unto
thee.
Thou, O most merciful God, hast fed me and clothed me,
hast raised me up friends and blessed them, hast preserved
me in dangers, hast rescued me from the fury of the sword,
from the rage of pestilence, from perishing in public dis-
temperatures and diseases epidemical, from terrors and
affrightments of the night, from illusions of the devil and sad
apparitions ; thou hast been my guide in my journeys, my
refreshment in sadnesses, my hope and my confidence in all
my griefs and desolations.
O give thanks unto the Lord of lords ; for his mercy
endureth for ever.
But above all mercies, it was not less than infinite,
whereby thou lovedst me and all mankind, when we were
lost and dead, and rebels against thy Divine Majesty ; thou
gavest thine own begotten Son to seek us when we went
astray, to restore us to life when we were dead in trespasses
and sins, and to reconcile us to thyself by the mercies and
the atonement of an everlasting covenant.
He is our God, even the God of whom conieth salva-
tion : God is the Lord by whom we escape death.
most blessed Jesu, I praise and adore thine infinite
mercies, humility, and condescension, that for rny sake thou
wouklst descend from the bosom of thy heavenly Father into
the pure womb of an humble maid, and take on thee my
nature, and be born, and cry, and suffer cold, and all the
incommodities which the meanness of a stable could minister
to the tenderness of thy infancy.
Lord, what is man that thou art mindful of him ; and
the son of man, that thou so regardest him?
1 adore thee, blessed Jesu, and praise thee for thine
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 207
immaculate sanctity, for all thy holy precepts and counsels,
for thy Divine example, for thy miracles and mysterious
revelations of thy Father's will, for the institution of the holy
sacraments, and all other blessings of thy prophetical office.
O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious : sing praises
unto his name, for it is lovely.
I adore and love thee, most blessed Jesu, for all the
parts of thy most bitter passion, for thy being betrayed and
accused, buffeted and spit upon, blindfolded and mocked,
crowned with thorns and scourged, for thine agony and
bloody sweat, for thy bearing the sad load of the cross and
sadder load of our sins, for thy crucifixion three long hours,
when the weight of thy body was supported with wounds
and nails, for thy death and burial, for thy continual inter-
cession and advocation with thy heavenly Father in behalf
of me and all thy holy Church, and all other acts of mediation
and redemption, the blessings of thy priestly office.
O praise the Lord for his goodness ; and declare the
wonders he hath done for the children of men.
I adore and magnify thy holy name, O most blessed Jesu,
for thy triumph over death, hell, sin, and the grave, for thy
opening thy kingdom of heaven to all believers, for thy
glorious resurrection and ascension, for thy government over
all the creatures, for the advancement of thy holy kingdom,
for thy continual resisting and defeating the intendments of
thy enemies against thy Church by the strength of thine arm,
by the mightiness of thy power, by the glories of thy
wisdom ; for those blessed promises thou hast made and
performest to thy Church of sending the Holy Ghost, of
giving her perpetuity of being, in defiance of all the gates
and powers of hell and darkness, and blessing her with
continual assistances, and all other glories of thy regal office
and power. .
O sing praises, sing praises unto our God ; O sing
praises, sing praises unto our King. For God is
the King of all the earth : sing ye praises with
understanding.
O most Holy Spirit, Love of the Father, Fountain of
grace, Spring of all spiritual blessings, I adore and praise
thy Divine excellences, which are essential to thy glorious
self in the unity of thy most mysterious Trinity, and which
208 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
thou coramunicatest to all faithful people, and to me thy
unworthy servant in the unity of the catholic Church.
magnify the Lord our God, and fall down before his
footstool ; for he is holy.
O blessed Spirit, I praise and magnify thy name for thy
miraculous descent upon the apostles in Pentecost in myste-
rious representments, for those great graces and assistances
coining upon their heads, and falling down upon us all in the
descent of all ages of the Church, for confirmation of our
faith, for propagation of the Gospel, for edification and
ornament of thy family.
Thou, O God, shalt endure for ever, and thy remem-
brance throughout all generations.
most glorious Spirit, I praise and magnify thy name
for the inspiration of the apostles and prophets, for thy pro-
vidence and mercy in causing Holy Scriptures to be written,
arid preserving them from the corruptions of heretics, from
the violences of pagans, and enemies of the cross of Christ.
1 will always give thanks unto the Lord : his praise
shall ever be in my mouth.
1 bless thy name for those holy promises and threaten-
ings, those judgments and mercies, those holy precepts and
admonitions, which thou hast registered in Scriptures, and
in the records and monuments of the Church ; for all those
graces, helps, and comforts, whereby thou prornotest me in
piety and in the ways of true religion ; for baptismal and
penitential grace ; for the opportunities and sweet refreshings
of the sacrament of the eucharist; for all the advantages thou
hast given me of good society, tutors, and governors ; for the
fears thou hast produced in me as diiatories and impediments
of sin, for all my hopes of pardon, and expectation of the
promises made by our Lord Jesus Christ to encourage me in
the paths of life and sanctity ; for all the holy sermons,
spiritual books, and lessons ; for all the good prayers and
meditations ; for those blessed waitings and knockings at
the door of my heart; patiently tarrying for and lovingly
i.iviting me to repentance without ceasing; admonishing and
reproving me with the checks of a tender conscience, with
exterior and interior motives ; and for whatsoever other
means or incentives of holiness thou hast assisted me withal.
I magnify, and praise, and adore thee and thy goodness.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 209
All nations, whom thou hast made and sanctified, shall
come and worship thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name ;
for thou art great and dost wondrous things ; thou art God
alone : and great is thy mercy towards me ; thou hast
delivered my soul from the nethermost hell ; therefore shall
every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing. O my
God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever with cherubims
and seraphims, and all the companies of the heavenly host,
saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth ; holy is our
God, holy is the Immortal, holy is the Almighty, the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to whom be all honour, and
glory, and dominion, and power, ascribed of all spirits, and
all men, and all creatures, now and for evermore. Amen.
I.
Prayers preparatory to the receiving of the blessed Sacrament.
MOST immaculate and glorious Jesu, behold me, miserable
sinner, drawing near to thee with the approaches of humility
and earnest desire to be cleansed from my sins, to be united
to thee by the nearest and most mysterious union of charity
and sacramental participation of thy most holy body and
blood : I presume nothing of mine own worthiness, but I am
most confident of thy mercies and infinite loving-kindness.
1 know, O Lord, I am blind, and sick, and dead, and naked,
but therefore I come the rather: I am sick, and thou art my
physician, thou arisest with healing in thy wings, by thy
wounds I come to be cured, and to be healed by thy stripes:
I am unclean, but thou art the Fountain of purity : I am
blind, and thou art the great Eye of the world, the Sun of
Righteousness ; in thy light I shall see light : I am poor, and
thou art rich unto all, the Lord of all the creatures. I,
therefore, humbly beg of thy mercy that thou wouldst be
pleased to take from me all my sins, to cure my infirmities,
to cleanse my filthiness, to lighten my darkness, to clothe
my nakedness with the robe of thy righteousness, that I
may, with such reverence, and faith, and holy intention,
receive thy blessed body and blood in the mysterious sacra-
ment, that it may be unto me life, and pleasantness, and holy
VOL. xv. P
210 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
nourishment, and that I may be firmly and indissolubly
united to thy mystical body, and may at last see, clearly and
without a veil, thy face in glory everlasting, who livest and
reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
II.
I adore and bless thy glorious Majesty, O blessed Jesu,
for this great dignation and vouchsafing to me, that thou art
pleased, for all the infinite multiplication of my sins, and
innumerable violations of thy holy law, still to give thyself
unto me, to convey health, and grace, and life, and hopes
of glory, in the most blessed sacrament. I adore thee, O
most righteous Redeemer, that thou art pleased under the
visible signs of bread and wine, to convey unto our souls thy
holy body and blood, and all the benefits of thy bitter
passion. O my God, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come
under my roof, hut let thy Holy Spirit, with his purities, pre-
pare for thee a lodging in my soul. Thou hast knocked often,
O blessed Jesu, at the door of my heart, and would st will-
ingly have entered : behold, O Lord, my heart is ready to
receive thee : cast out of it all worldly desires, all lusts and
carnal appetites, and then enter in, and there love to inhabit,
that the devil may never return to a place that is so swept
and garnished, to fill me full of all iniquity. O thou lover of
souls, grant that this holy sacrament may be a light unto
mine eyes, a guide to my understanding, a joy to my soul;
that by its strength I may subdue and mortify the whole
body of sin in me, and that it may produce in me constancy
in faith, fulness of wisdom, perfection and accomplishment
of all thy righteous commandments, and such a blessed union
with thee, that I may never more live unto myself or to the
world, but to thee only ; and by the refreshments of a holy
hope I may be led through the paths of a good life and
persevering piety to the communion and possession of thy
kingdom, O blessed Jesu, who livest and reignest ever one
God, world without end. Amen.
III.
O Lord God, who hast made all things of naught, produc-
ing great degrees of essence out of nothing, make me a new
creature ; and of a sinful man, make me holy, and just, and
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 211
merciful ; that I may receive thy precious body devoutly,
reverently, with meekness, contrition, and great affection,
with spiritual comfort and gladness at thy mystical presence.
Feed my soul with bread from heaven, fill me with charity,
conform me to thy will in all things, save me from all dangers
bodily and ghostly : assist and guide me in all doubts and
fears, prepare and strengthen me against all surreptions and
sudden incursions of temptations, cleanse me from all stains
of sin, and suffer nothing to abide in me but thyself only,
who art the life of souls, the food of the elect, and the joy of
angels. Give me such a gust and a holy relish in this
Divine nutriment, that nothing may ever hereafter please me
but what savours of thee and thy miraculous sweetness.
Teach me to loathe all the pleasures and beauties of this life ;
and let my soul be so inebriated with the pleasures of thy
table, that I may be comprehended and swallowed up with
thy love and sweetness : let me think on nothing but thee,
covet nothing but thee, enjoy nothing but thee, nothing in
comparison with thee, and neither do nor profess any thing
but what leads to thee, and is in order to the performance of
thy will and the fruition of thy glories. Transfix my soul,
O blessed Jesu, with so great love of thee, so great devotion
in receiving the holy sacrament, that I may be transformed
to the fellowship of thy sufferings, and admitted to a partici-
pation of all the benefits of thy passion, and to a communion
of thy graces and thy glories. I desire to be with thee :
dissolve all the chains of my sin, and then come, Lord Jesus,
come quickly. Let my soul feed on thee greedily, for thou
art the Spring of light and life, the Fountain of wisdom and
health, a torrent of Divine pleasure and tranquillity, the
Author of peace and comfort. Enter into me, sweet Jesu,
take thou possession of my soul, an4 be thou Lord over me
and all my faculties, and preserve me with great mercy and
tenderness, that no doubting or infidelity, no impenitence or
remanent affection to a sin, no impurity or irreverence, may
make me unworthy and incapable of thy glorious approach.
Let not my sins crucify the Lord of life again ; let it not be
said concerning me, 'The hand of him that betrayeth me is
witli me on the table:' that this holy communion may not be
unto me an occasion of death, but a blessed peace-offering
for my sins, and a gate of life and glory. Grant this, O
212 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
blessed God, for bis sake, who is botb Sacrifice and Priest,
the Master of the feast and the Feast itself, even Jesus
Christ, to whom with thee, O Father, and thy Holy Spirit,
be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
A Prayer offer the receiving the consecrated Bread.
I GIVE thanks unto thee, almighty and eternal God, that
thou hast not rejected me from thy holy table, but hast
refreshed my soul with the salutary refection of the body of
thy Son Jesus Christ. Lord, if I had lived innocently, and
had kept all thy commandments, I could have had no pro-
portion of merit to so transcendent a mercy : but since I
have lived in all manner of sin, and multiplied provocations
against thy Divine Majesty, thy mercy is so glorious and
infinite, that I am amazed at the consideration of its im-
mensity. Go on, O my dear God, to finish so blessed a
redemption ; and now that thou hast begun to celebrate a
marriage and holy union between thyself and my soul, let me
never throw off the wedding garment, or stain it with
pollution of deadly sin, nor seek after other lovers ; but let
me for ever and ever be united unto thee, being transformed
into thy will in this life, and to the likeness of thy glories in
the life to come, who livest and reignest, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
After receiving the Cup.
O just and dear God, who, out of the unmeasurable
abysses of wisdom and mercy, hast redeemed us, and offered
life, and grace, and salvation to us, by the real exhibition of
thy Son, Jesus Christ, in the sacrifice of his death upon the
altar of the cross, and by commemoration of his bitter
agonies in the holy sacrament ; grant that that great and
venerable sacrifice, which we now commemorate sacrament-
ally, may procure of thee for thy whole Church mercy and
great assistance in all trials, deliverance from all heresies,
schisms, sacrilege, and persecutions ; to all sick people
health and salvation, redemption for captives, competence
of living to the indigent arid necessitous, comfort to the
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 213
afflicted, relief to the oppressed, repentance to all sinners,
softness of spirit and a tender conscience to the obstinate,
conversion to the Jews, Turks, and remedy to all that are
in any trouble or adversity. And grant to us, O Lord, that
this blesssed sacrament and sacrifice of commemoration, in
virtue of that dreadful and proper sacrifice upon the cross,
may obtain for me, and for us all who have communicated
this day, pardon and peace ; and that we may derive from
thee, by this ministry, grace to expel all our sins, to mortify
all our lusts, to exterminate all concupiscence, to crucify
all inordinacy and irregularity, to produce in us humility,
and chastity, and obedience, and meekness of spirit, and
charity, and may become our defence and armour against
the violence and invasions of all our ghostly enemies and
temporal disadvantages: and give us this grace and favour,
that we may not die in the guilt and commission of a sin
without repentance, nor without receiving the blessed sacra-
ment; but that we may so live and die, that we may at last
rest in thy bosom, and be embraced with the comprehensions
of thy eternal charity, who livestand reignest, ever one God,
world without end. Amen.
All blessing, and praise, and honour, be unto thee, O
blessed Redeemer ; and to thee we, the banished and miser-
able sons of Adam, do call for mercy and defence, and to
thee we sigh and cry in this valley of tears. O dearest
Advocate, turn those thy merciful eyes towards us, and shew
us thy glorious face in thy kingdom, where no tears or sighing,
or fears or sadness, can approach. Amen. Sweetest Jesu,
Amen.
PRAYERS PREPARATORY TO DEATH.
I.
A Prayer for a blessed Ending, to be said in Time of Health
or Sickness.
O BLESSED JESU, Fountain of eternal 'mercy, the Life of the
soul, and glorious Conqueror over death and sin, I humbly
beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this transitory
214 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
life in virtuous and holy exercises, that when the day of my
death shall come, in the midst of all my pains I may feel the
sweet refreshings of thy Holy Spirit comforting my soul,
sustaining mine infirmities, and relieving all my spiritual
necessities : and grant that in the unity of the holy catholic
Church, and in the integrity of Christian faith, with con-
fidence and hope of thy mercy, in great love towards thee,
in peace with my neighbours, and in charity with all the
world, I may, through thy grace, depart hence out of this
vale of misery, and go unto that glorious country, where
thou hast purchased an inheritance for us with the price of
thy most precious blood, and reignest in it gloriously in the
unity of thy Father and ours, and thy Holy Spirit and our
ghostly Comforter, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
II.
A Prayer to be said at the Beginning of a Sickness.
O Lord my God, who chastisest every one whom thou
receivest, and, with thy fatherly correction, smitest all those
whom thou consignest to the inheritance of sons, write my
soul in the book of life, and number me amongst thy child-
ren-, whom thou hast smitten with the rod of sickness, and,
by thy chastisements, hast brought me into the lot of the
righteous. Thou, O blessed Jesu, art a helper in the need-
ful time of trouble; lay no more upon me than thou shalt
enable me to bear, and let thy gentle correction in this life
prevent the unsupportable stripes of thy vengeance in the life
to come. Smite me now, that thou mayest spare me to all
eternity : and yet, O blessed High-Priest, who art touched
with a sense of our infirmities, smite me friendly, and reprove
me with such a tenderness as thou bearest unto thy children,
to whom thou conveyest suppletory comforts, greater than
the pains of chastisement ; and in due time restore me to
health and to thy solemn assemblies again, and to the joy of
thy countenance. Give me patience and humility, and the
grace of repentance, and an absolute dereliction of myself,
and a resignation to thy pleasure and providence, with a
power to do thy will in all things, and then do what thou
pleasest to me ; only in health or sickness, in life or death,
let me feel thy comforts refreshing my soul, and let thy grace
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 215
pardon all my sins. Grant this, O blessed Jesu, for my trust
is in thee only: thou art my God, and my merciful Saviour
and Redeemer. Amen.
III.
A Prayer to be said in the Progress of a Sickness.
O Lord my God, blessed Jesu, who, by thy bitter death
and passion, hast sweetened the cup of death to us, taking
away its bitterness and sting, and making it an entrance to
life and glory ; have pity upon me thy servant, who have so
deep a share in sin that I cannot shake off the terrors of
death, but that my nature, with its hereditary corruption,
still would preserve itself in a disunion from the joys of
thy kingdom. Lord, I acknowledge my own infirmities,
and beg thy pity. It is better for me to be with thee : but
the remembrance of my sins doth so depress my growing
confidence, that I am in a great strait between my fears and
hopes, between the infirmities of my nature and the better
desires of conforming to thy holy will and pleasure. O my
dear Redeemer, wean my soul and all my desires from the
flatteries of this world : pardon all my sins, and consign
so great a favour by the comforts and attestation of thy
divinest Spirit, that, my fears being mastered, my sins
pardoned, my desires rectified, as the hart thirsts after the
springs of water, so my soul may long after thee, O God,
and to enter into thy courts. Heavenly Father, if it may be
for thy glory and my ghostly good, to have the days of my
pilgrimage prolonged, I beg of thee health and life ; but if
it be not pleasing to thee to have this cup pass from me,
thy will be done : my Saviour hath drunk off all the bitter-
ness. Behold, O Lord, I am in thy hands, do with me as
seemeth good in thine eyes. Though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou
art with me : thy rod and thy staff comfort me. I will lay
me down in peace, and take my rest ; for it is thou, Lord,
only who shalt make me to dwell in everlasting safety, and
to partake of the joys of thy kingdom who livest and reign-
est, eternal God, world without end. Amen.
216 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
IV.
A Prayer for a Sick Person in Danger of Death.
O Lord Jesus Christ, our health and life, our hope, and
our resurrection from the dead, I resign myself up to thy
holy will and pleasure, either to life, that I may live longer
to thy service and my amendment ; or to death, to the per-
petual enjoyment of thy presence, and of thy glories. Into
thy hands I commend my spirit; for I know, O Lord, that
nothing can perish which is committed to thy mercies. I
believe, O Lord, that I shall receive my body again at the
resurrection of the just. I relinquish all care of that, only
I beg of thee mercy for my soul ; strengthen it with thy
grace against all temptations, let thy loving-kindness defend
it, as with a shield, against all the violences and hostile
assaults of Satan ; let the same mercy be my guard and
defence which protected thy martyrs, crowning them with
victory in the midst of flames, horrid torments, and most
cruel deaths. There is no help in me, O Lord ; I cannot by
my own power give a minute's rest to my wearied body ; but
my trust is in thy sure mercies ; and I call to mind, to
my unspeakable comfort, that thou wert hungry, and thirsty,
and wearied, and whipt, and crowned with thorns, and
mocked, and crucified for me. O let that mercy which
made thee suffer so much, make thee do that for which thou
sufferedst so much, pardon me and save me. Let thy merits
answer for my impieties, let thy righteousness cover my sins,
thy blood wash away my stains, and thy comforts refresh my
soul. As my body grows weak, let thy grace be stronger ;
let not my faith doubt, nor my hope tremble, nor my charity
grow cold, nor my soul be affrighted with the terrors of
death ; but let the light of thy countenance enlighten mine
eyes, that I sleep not in death eternal ; and when my tongue
fails, let thy Spirit teach my heart to pray with strong cry-
ings, and groans that are unutterable. O let not the enemy
do me any violence, but let thy holy mercies and thy angels
repel and defeat his malice and fraud ; that my soul may, by
thy strength, triumph in the joys of eternity, in the fruition
of thee, my life, my joy, my hope, my exceeding great
reward, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
. DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 217
V.
For a Dying Person, in or near the Agonies of Death.
Most merciful and blessed Saviour, have mercy upon
the soul of this thy servant ; remember not his ignorance,
nor the sins of his youth : but according to thy great mercies,
remember him in the mercies and glories of thy kingdom.
Thou, O Lord, hast opened the kingdom of heaven to all
believers; let the everlasting gates be opened, and receive
his soul; let the angels, who rejoice at the conversion of a
sinner, triumph and be exalted in his deliverance and salva-
tion. Make him partaker of the benefits of thy holy incar-
nation, life, and sanctity, passion and death, resurrection and
ascension, and of all the prayers of the Church, of the joy
of the elect, and all the fruits of the blessed communion of
saints ; and daily add to the number of thy beatified servants
such as shall be saved, that thy coming may be hastened,
and the expectation of the saints may be fulfilled, and the
glory of thee, our Lord Jesu, be advanced, all the \vhole
Church singing praises to the honour of thy name who livest
and reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
VI.
O most merciful Jesu, who didst die to redeem us from
death and damnation, have mercy upon this thy servant,
whom thy hand hath visited with sickness : of thy goodness
be pleased to forgive him all his sins, and seal his hopes of
glory with the refreshments of thy Holy Spirit. Lord, give
him strength and confidence in thee, assuage his pain, repel
the assaults of his ghostly enemies. by thy mercies, and a
guard of holy angels ; preserve him in the unity of the
Church, keep his senses entire, his understanding right, give
him great measure of contrition, true faith, a well-grounded
hope, and abundant chanty; give him a quiet and a joyful
departure, let thy ministering spirits convey his soul to the
mansions of peace and rest, there with certainty to expect a
joyful resurrection to the fulness of joy at thy right-hand,
where there is pleasure for evermore. Amen.
218 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
VII.
A Prayer for the Joys of Heaven.
O most glorious Jesu, who art the portion and exceeding
great reward of all faithful people, thou hast beautified
human nature with glorious immortality, and hast carried
the same above all heavens, above the seat of angels, beyond
the cherubims and seraphims, placing it on the right-hand
of thy heavenly Father; grant to us all the issues of thy
abundant charity, that we may live in thy fear, and die in thy
favour. Prepare our souls with heavenly virtue, for hea-
venly joys, making us righteous here, that we may be
beatified hereafter. Amen.
A MORNING PRAYER.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, OF THE SON, AND OF THE
HOLY GHOST.
Our Father which art in Heaven, Sfc.
I.
O ETERNAL Sun of Righteousness, who earnest from the
bosom of thy Father, the Fountain of glorious light, to
enlighten the darknesses of the world, I praise thy name,
that thou hast preserved me from the dangers of this night,
and hast continued to me still the opportunities of serving
thee, and advancing my hopes of a blessed eternity. Let
thy mercies shine brightly upon me, and dissipate the clouds
and darknesses of my spirit and understanding, rectify my
affections, and purify my will, and all my actions ; that
whatsoever I shall do or suffer this day, or in my whole life,
my words and purposes, my thoughts and my intentions,
may be sanctified and be acceptable to thy Divine Majesty.
Amen.
II.
Grant that my understanding may know thee, my heart
may love thee, and all my faculties and powers may give
thee due obedience, and serve thee. Preserve me this day
from all sin and danger, from all violences and snares of mine
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 219
enemies, visible and invisible ; let thy holy fear be as a
bridle to my distemperatures, and thy love so enkindle and
actuate all my endeavours, that no pleasures or allurements
of the world may draw me from thy service, nor any diffi-
culty or temptation may be my hinderance. Let the pro-
found humility and innocence of my blessed Saviour keep
from me all pride and haughtiness of mind, all self-love and
vainglory, all obstinacy and disobedience, all fraudulency
and hurtful dissimulation ; and let the graces of the Holy
Ghost take so absolute possession and seizure of my soul,
and all its faculties, that I may tread down and cast out the
spirit of intemperance and uncleanness, of malice and envy,
idleness and disdain, that I may never despise any of thy
creatures but myself; that so being little in my own sight, I
may be great in thine. Amen.
III.
Clothe my soul with a wedding garment, the habits of
supernatural faith and charity, that I may believe all thy
holy promises and revelations without all wavering, and love
thee, my God, with so great devotions and affections, that
neither life nor death, prosperity nor adversity, temptations
within nor without, may ever disunite me from the love of
thee ; but that I may have the most intimate adhesion to
thy glories and perfections, of which my condition in this
world is capable. Make me to choose virtue with the same
freeness of election, entertain it with as little reluctance,
keep it with as much complacency, actuate it with as many
faculties, serve it with as much industry, as I have, in time
past, my vices and pleasures of the world : and grant that
all inordinate affection to the transitory things of this life
may daily decay in me, and that I may grow in spirit and
ghostly strength, till I come to a* perfect man in Christ
Jesus. Amen.
IV.
Give unto thy servant true humility, great contrition, a
tender conscience, and obedient heart, an understanding
always busied in honest and pious thoughts, a will tractable
and ever prone to do good, affections even and moderate, a
watchful custody over my senses, that by those windows sin
may never enter in, nor death by sin. Make me to watch
220 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
over my tongue, and keep the door of my lips, that no cor-
rupt or unseemly communication proceed out of my mouth ;
that I may never slander, calumniate, or detract from the
reputation of my neighbour ; that I be not busy in the faults
of others, but careful to correct mine own, being gentle and
merciful to others, and severe towards myself; that I may
speak much of thy praises, and what I can for the edification
of my brethren. Amen.
Give me understanding in thy law, that I may know thy
will ; and grace and strength faithfully to fulfil the same.
Give me a fear of thy name, and of thy threatenings, and a
love and hope of thy promise ; let me daily feel thy mercies,
and remove thy judgments far from me. Imprint in my
heart a filial reverence and awfulness towards thy Divine
Majesty, that I may study to please thee with diligence, to
worship thee with much devotion, to submit to the dispo-
sitions of thy providence with thankfulness ; and that in
conscience of my duty towards thee, I may honour the king,
obey magistrates under him, love the saints, and do all acts
of charity according to my opportunity and ability; directing
all my actions and intentions, not according to custom, or
in pursuance of mine own ends, and temporal advantages,
but in thy fear, and in holy religion, to the advancement of
thy honour and glory. Amen.
VI.
Give me a soul watchful in the services of religion, con-
stant in holy purposes, ingenuous and free from sordid ends
or servile flattery ; a modest gravity in my deportment ;
affability and fair courteous demeanour towards all men ;
austerity in condemning my own sins ; sweetness in fraternal
correction, and reprehending others; mature judgment; a
chaste body, and a clean soul ; patience in suffering ; delibe-
ration in my words and actions ; good counsels in all my
purposes: make me just in performing promises, and in all
my duties ; sedulous in my calling ; profitable to the com-
monwealth ; a true son of the Church ; and of a disposition
meek and charitable towards all men. Amen.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 221
VII.
Let this be my portion, arid the comfort of my pilgrimage,
so long as I am detained in the condition of mortality, and
exiled from my heavenly country; that, being free from all
fear of mine enemies, and from vexations, fears, and solici-
tudes of this life, I may be wholly devoted to thy service,
that I may attend thee only, and what tends to thee ; that I
may rejoice only in thee, and my soul may rest in thee ; that
without distractions I may entertain thy heavenly doctrine,
and the blessed motions of thy Holy Spirit, spending my
time in the duties of necessity, in the works of charity, and
the frequent office of religion, with diligence, and patience,
and perseverance, and hope, expecting the accomplishment
of my days in peace ; that when I go unto my dust, I may
be reckoned amongst those blessed souls whose work it is
to give thee praise, and honour, and glory, to all eternity.
Amen.
Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and
for evermore. Amen.
AN EVENING PRAYER.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF
THE HOLY GHOST.
Our Father which art in Heaven, fyc.
I.
O LORD GOD, who art the light and splendour of souls, in
the brightness of thy countenance is eternal day that knows
no night; in thy arms, and in thy protection, is all quietness,
tranquillity, and everlasting repose ; while the darkness
covers the face of the earth, receive my body and soul into
thy custody ; let not the spirits of darkness come near my
dwelling, neither suffer my fancy to be abused with the
illusions of the night. Lord, I am thy servant, and the
sheep of thy pasture : let not the devil, who goeth up and
down seeking whom he may devour, abuse my body, or
make a prey of my soul ; but defend me from all those cala-
mities which I have deserved, and protect my soul, that it
222 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
consent not to any work of darkness, lest mine enemy say,
he hath prevailed over me, or do mischief to a soul redeemed
with thy most precious blood. Amen.
II.
Pardon and forgive me all the sins and offences of my
youth, the errors of mine understanding, the inordination of
mine affections, the irregularity of all mine actions, and par-
ticularly of whatsoever I have transgressed this day, in
thought, word, or deed, Lord, let not thy wrath arise ; for
although I have deserved the extremest pressure of thine
indignation, yet remember my infirmity, and how thou hast
sent thy Son to reveal thy infinite mercies to us, and convey
pardon and salvation to the penitent. I beseech thee also
to accept the heartiest devotion and humblest acknowledg-
ment of a thankful heart for thy blessing and preservation of
me this day ; for unless thy providence and grace had been
my defence and guide, I had committed more and more
grievous sins, and had been swallowed up by thy just wrath
and severest judgments. Mercy, sweet Jesu. Amen.
III.
Lord, let thy grace be so present with me, that though
my body sleep, yet my soul may for ever be watchful, that I
sleep not in sin, or pretermit any opportunity of doing thee
service : let the remembrances of thy goodness and glories
be first and last with me, and so unite my heart unto thee
with habitual charity, that all my actions and sufferings may
be directed to thy glory, and every motion and inclination,
either of soul or body, may, in some capacity or other, re-
ceive a blessing from thee, and do thee service ; that whether
I sleep or wake, travel or rest, eat or drink, live or die, I
may always feel the light of thy countenance shining so upon
me that my labours may be easy, my rest blessed, my food
sanctified, and my whole life spent with so much sanctity
and peace, that, escaping from the darknesses of this world,
I may at last come to the land of everlasting rest, in thy
light to behold light and glory, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity, now and
for evermore.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 223
Another Prayer for Evening.
I.
VISIT, we beseech thee, O Lord, this habitation with thy
mercy, and us thy servants with salvation, and repel far from
us all the snares of the enemy. Let thy holy angels dwell
here to keep us in peace and safety, and thy blessing be upon
us for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
II.
O Lord Jesu Christ, the lively image of thy Father's
mercies and glories, the Saviour of all them that put their
trust in thee ; we offer and present to thee all our strengths,
and powers of our souls and bodies, and whatsoever we are
or have, to be preserved, governed, and possessed by thee.
Preserve us from all vicious, vain, and proud cogitations,
unchaste affections, and from all those things which thou
hatest. Grant us thy holy charity, that we love thee above
all the world, that we may, with sincerity of intention and
zealous affections, seek thee alone, and in thee only take our
rest, inseparably joining ourselves unto thee, who art worthy
to be beloved and adored of all thy creatures with lowest
prostrations and highest affection, now and for evermore.
Amen.
III.
O Father of mercies, and God of all comforts, let thy
blessing be upon us, and upon all the members of thy holy
Church; all health and safety both of body and soul, against
all our enemies, visible and invisible, now and for ever. Send
us a quiet night, and a holy death in the actual communion
of the catholic Church, and in thy charity, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.
Now, and in all dangers and afflictions of soul and
body, in the hour of death, and in the day of judg-
ment, save us and deliver us, O sweet Saviour and
Redeemer Jesu.
224? DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
COLLECTS TO BE ADDED UPON VARIOUS OCCASIONS.
I.
For the Church.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hast revealed thy
glory to Jews and Gentiles in our Lord Jesus Christ, extend
thy hand of mercy over all the world, that thy Church may
spread like a flourishing vine, and enlarge her borders to the
uttermost parts of the earth; that all nations partaking of the
sweet refreshings of thy Gospel, thy name may be glorified,
the honour of our Lord Jesus advanced, his prophecies ful-
filled, and his coming hastened. Bless, O Lord, thy holy
Church with all blessings of comfort, assistance, and preserva-
tion; extirpate heresies, unite her divisions, give her patience
and perseverance in the faith, and confession of thy name in
despite of all enmities, temptations, and disadvantages ; de-
stroy all wicked counsels intended against her or any of her
children by the devil or any of his accursed instruments; let
the hands of thy grace and mercy lead her from this vale of
misery to the triumphant throne of her Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.
II.
For the King.
O Lord our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of
kings, who in thy hands hast the hearts of kings, and canst
turn them as the rivers of water, send the light of thy coun-
tenance and abundance of blessings upon thy servant, our
sovereign lord, king Charles : make him as holy, valiant,
and prosperous as king David, wise and rich like Solomon,
zealous for the honour of thy law and temple as Josiah ; and
give him all sorts of great assistances to enable him to serve
thee, to glorify thy name, to protect thy Church, to promote
true religion, to overcome all his enemies, to make glad all
his liege people : that he serving thee with all diligence, and
the utmost of his possibility, his people may serve him with
honour and obedience, in thee and for thee, according to thy
blessed word and ordinance ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 225
III.
For the Queen.
O God of heaven, Father of mercies, have mercy upon
our most gracious queen, unite her unto thee with the hands
of faith and love, preserve her to her life's end in thy favour,
and make her an instrument of glory to thy name, of refresh-
ment to the Church, of joy to all faithful people of this king-
dom, and crown her with an eternal weight of glory, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
i
IV.
For the Bishops.
O thou great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, most
glorious Jesu, bless all holy and religious prelates, especially
the bishops of our church. O God, let abundance of thy
grace and benediction descend upon their heads, that by a
holy life, by a true and catholic belief, by a confident con-
fession of thy name, and by a fatherly care, great sedulity
and watchfulness over their flock, they may glorify thee our
God, the great lover of souls, and set forward the salvation
of their people, and of others by their example; and at last,
after a plentiful conversion of souls, they may shine like the
stars in glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
V.
For our Parents.
O Almighty God and merciful Father, who from the
loins of our first parents, Adam and Eve, hast produced
mankind, and hast commanded us to honour our parents ;
in pursuance of thy holy commandment, and of our duty to
thee our God, and in thee to them, w*e do, with all humility,
beg a blessing of thee for our parents, who from thy mercy
and plenty have conveyed many to us : pardon and forgive
all their sins and infirmities, increase in them all goodness,
give them blessings of the right hand and blessings of the
left : bless them in their persons, in their posterity, in the
comforts of thy Holy Spirit, in a persevering goodness, and
at last in an eternal weight of glory, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
VOL. XV. Q
226 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
VI.
For our Children.
O Father of heaven, God of all the creatures, by whose
providence mankind is increased, I bless thy name for be-
stowing on me that blessing of the righteous man, the bless-
ing of children. Lord, bless them with health, with life, with
good understanding, with fair opportunities and advantages
of education, society, tutors, and governors ; and, above all,
with the graces of thy Holy Spirit, that they may live and be
blessed under thy protection, grow in grace, and be in favour
with God and man, and at last may make up the number of
thine elect children, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
VII.
For our Patron, our Friends, and Benefactors.
O Almighty God, thou fountain of all good, of all excel-
lence both to men and angels, extend thine abundant favour
and loving-kindnesses to my patron, to all my friends and
benefactors : reward them, and make them plentiful com-
pensation for all the good which, from thy merciful provi-
dence, they have conveyed unto me. Let the light of thy
countenance shine upon them, and let them never come into
any desertion, affliction, or sadness, but such as may be an
instrument of thy glory and their eternal comfort, in our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
VIII.
A Prayer of a Wife for her Husband.
O my God, who hast graciously pleased to call me to the
holy state of matrimony, bless me in it with the grace of
chastity, with loyalty, obedience, and complacency to my
husband ; and bless him with long life, with a healthful
body, with an understanding soul, with abundance of thy
graces, which may make him to be and continue thy servant,
a true son of the Church, a supporter and a guide to me his
wife, a blessing and a comfort to his children, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 227
IX.
Of a Husband for his Wife.
O merciful God, who art a Father to us thy children, a
Spouse to thy holy Church, a Saviour and Redeemer to all
mankind, have mercy upon thy handmaid my wife; endue
her with all the ornaments of thy heavenly grace, make her
to be holy and devout as Esther, loving and amiable as
Rachel, fruitful as Leah, wise as Rebecca, faithful and obe-
dient as Sarah, that being filled with grace and benediction
here, she may be partaker of thy glory hereafter, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
X.
For a Curate to say in behalf of his Parish.
O blessed Jesu, thou that art an eternal Priest, a uni-
versal Bishop, and the fountain of all ghostly good, have
mercy upon this parish which thou hast concredited to my
charge. Lord, I am unfit for so great a burden, but by thy
aid and gracious acceptation I hope for mercy, pardon, and
assistance. O Lord, send thy Holy Spirit to dwell amongst
us : let here be peace and charity, and true catholic religion,
and holy discipline. Comfort the comfortless, heal the sick,
relieve the oppressed, instruct the ignorant, correct the re-
fractory, keep us all from all deadly sin : and make them
obedient to their superiors, friendly to one another, and ser-
vants of thy Divine Majesty ; that so from thy favour they
may obtain blessings in their bodies, in their souls, in their
estates, and a supply to all their necessities, till at last they
be freed from all dangers and necessities in the full fruition
of thy everlasting glories, O blessed Saviour and Redeemer
Jesu. Amen.
XI.
For a Parishioner to say in behalf of his Curate.
O God Almighty, who art pleased to send thy blessings
upon us by the ministration of the bishops and priests of thy
holy Church, have mercy upon thy servant to whom is com-
mitted the care of my soul, that he, by whose means thou
art graciously pleased to advance my spiritual good, may
by thy grace and favour be protected, by thy providence
228 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
assisted, by thy great mercies comforted and relieved in all
his necessities bodily arid ghostly, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
XII.
For safe Childbirth.
O blessed Jesu, Son of the eternal God, who, according
to thy humility, wert born of a holy maid, who conceived
thee without sin, and brought thee forth without pain, have
mercy upon me thy humble servant, and as by thy blessing
I have conceived, so grant that by thy favourable assistance
I may be safely delivered : Lord, grant me patience, and
strength, and confidence in thee, and send thy holy angel to
be my guardian in the hour of my travail. O shut not up
my soul with sinners, nor my life with them that go down
into the pit. I humbly also beg mercy for my child ; grant
it may be born with its right shape, give it a comely body
and an understanding soul, life, and opportunity of baptism,
and thy grace from the cradle to the grave, that it may
increase the number of saints in that holy fellowship of
saints and angels, where thou livest and reignest, eternal
God, world without end. Amen.
XIII.
Before a Journey.
O God, who didst preserve thy servants Abraham and
Jacob, thy people Israel, thy servant Tobias, and the wise
men of the east in their several journeys, by thy providence,
by" a ministry of angels, by a pillar of fire, and by the
guidance of a star; vouchsafe to preserve us thy servants
in the way we are now to go. Be, O Lord, a guide unto us
in our preparation, a shadow in the day, and a covering by
night, a rest to our weariness, and a staff to our weakness, a
patron in adversity, a protection from danger; that by thy
assistance we may perform our journey safely to thy honour,
to our own comfort, and at last bring us to the everlasting
rest of our heavenly country, through him who is the way,
the truth, and the life, our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus,
Amen.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 229
XIV.
For afflicted Persons.
O Lord God, merciful and gracious, whose compassion
extends to all that are in misery and need, that takest delight
in the relieving the distresses of the afflicted, give refresh-
ment to all the comfortless, provide for the poor, give ease
to all them that are tormented with sharp pains, health to
the diseased, liberty and redemption to the captives, cheer-
fulness of spirit to all them that are in great desolations.
Lord, let thy Spirit confirm all them that are strong,
strengthen all that are weak, and speak peace to afflicted
consciences, that the light of thy countenance being restored
to them, they may rejoice in thy salvation, and sing praises
unto thy name, who hast delivered their souls from death,
their eyes from tears, and their feet from falling : grant this
for the honour of thy mercies, and the glory of thy name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
XV.
For our Enemies.
O blessed Jesu, who wert of so infinite mercies, so trans-
cendent a charity, that thou didst descend from heaven to
the bowels of the earth, that thou mightest reconcile us who
were enemies to the mercies of thy heavenly Father; and,
in imitation of so glorious example, hast commanded us to
love them that hate us, and to pray for them that are our
enemies ; I beseech thee, of thine infinite goodness, that
thou wouldst be pleased to keep me with thy grace in so
much meekness, justice, and affable disposition, that I may,
so far as concerns me, live peaceably with all men, giving no
man occasion of offence : and to them who hate me without
a cause, I beseech thee give thy pardon, and fill them with
charity towards thee and all the world ; bless them with all
blessings in order to eternity, that when they are reconciled
to thee, we also may be united with the bands of faith, and
love, and a common hope ; and at last we may be removed
to the glories of thy kingdom, which is full of love and
eternal charity, and where thou livest and reignest, ever one
God, world without end. Amen.
230 DEVOTIONS FO*R SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
XVI.
A Prayer to be said upon Ember Days. 1
O merciful Jesu, who hast promised perpetuity to the
Church, and a permanence in defiance of all the powers of
darkness, and the gates of hell, and to this purpose hast
constituted several orders, leaving a power to his apostles,
and their successors the bishops, to beget fathers of our
souls, and to appoint priests and deacons for the edification
of the Church, the benefit of all Christian people, and the
advancement of thy service ; have mercy upon thy ministers
the bishops, give them for ever great measure of thy Holy
Spirit, and at this time particular assistances, and a power of
discerning and trying the spirits of them who come to be
ordained to the ministry of thy word and sacraments : that
they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but maturely,
prudently, and piously, they may appoint such to thy service
and the ministry of thy kingdom, who by learning, discre-
tion, and a holy life, are apt instruments for the conversion
of souls, to be examples to the people, guides of their
manners, comforters of their sorrows, to sustain their weak-
nesses, and able to promote all the interests of true religion.
Grant this, O great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls,
blessed Jesus, who livest and reignest in the kingdom of
thine eternal Father, one God, world without end. Amen.
Sanctus Deus.
Sanctus Fortis.
Sanctus Immortalis.
XVII.
A Prayer wherewith St. Austin began his Devotions ; ad-
miring the unspeakable Majesty and Attributes of God.
Conf. lib. i. c. 4.
What art thou, O my God? what art thou, I beseech
thee, but the Lord my God ? for who is God besides our
Lord, who is God besides our God ? O thou supreme, most
merciful, most just, most secret, most present, most beautiful,
most mighty, most incomprehensible, most constant, and
yet changing all things ; immutable, never new, and never
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 231
old, and yet renewing all things ; ever in action, and yet ever
quiet ; heaping up, yet needing nothing ; creating, uphold-
ing, filling, protecting, nourishing, and perfecting all things.
Thou lovest, and yet thou art not transported ; thou art
jealous, yet thou art void of fear ; thou dost repent, yet thou
art free from sorrow ; thou art angry, and yet art never
unquiet ; thou takest what thou findest, yet didst thou never
lose any thing ; thou art never poor, and yet thou art glad
of gain; never covetous, and yet thou exactest profit at our
hands. We bestow largely upon thee, that thou mayest
become our debtor ; yet who hath any thing but of thy gift ?
Thou payest debts, when thou owest nothing ; thou forgivest
debts, and yet thou losest nothing. And what shall I say ?
O my God, my life, my joy, my holy dear delight ! or what
can any man say when he speaketh of thee I And wo be
to them that speak not of thee, but are silent in thy praise ;
for even they who speak most of thee, may be accounted to
be but dumb. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, that I may
speak unto thee, and praise thy name. Amen.
XVIII.
A general Confession.
Almighty God, I, a miserable sinner, do humbly confess,
and am truly sorrowful for my many and great, my innume-
rable and intolerable crimes, of which my conscience does
accuse me by night and by day, and by which I have pro-
voked thy severest wrath and indignation against me. I
have broken all thy righteous laws and commandments by
word or deed, by vain thoughts or sinful desires. I have
sinned against thee in all my relations and capacities, in all
places and at all times ; I can neither reckon their number,
nor bear their burden, nor suffer thy anger, which I have
deserved. But thou, O Lord God, art merciful and gracious ;
have mercy upon me ; pardon me for all the evil I have
done ; judge me not for all the good I have omitted ; take
not thy favour from me, but delight thou to sanctify and
save me, and work in me to will and to do of thy good
pleasure all our duty, that being sanctified by thy Spirit,
and delivered from my sin, I may serve thee in a religious
and holy conversation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
232 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
XIX.
A Prayer against Temptations.
O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thy name is
great, thy essence is infinite, thy goodness is eternal, and
thy power hath no limit ; thou art the God and Lord of all,
blessed for evermore : look down in mercy and compassion
from thy dwelling, hear my prayers and supplications, and ,
deliver me from all temptations of the world, the flesh, and
the devil. Take not thy grace from me, let me never want
thy help in my need, nor thy comfort in the day of my
danger or calamity. Never try me beyond my strength, nor
afflict me beyond my patience, nor smite me but with a
father's rod. I have no strength of my own, thou art my
confidence, my rock, and my strong salvation. Save me, O
God, from the miseries of this world, and never let me suffer
the calamities of the next. Rescue me from the evils I have
done, and preserve me from the evils I have deserved ; that,
living before thee with a clean heart, and undefiled body,
and a sanctified spirit, I may, at the day of judgment, be
presented pure and spotless by the blood of the Lamb, that
I may sing eternal hallelujahs in heavenly places to the
honour of God our Saviour, who hath redeemed our souls
from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling.
Grant this in the richness of thy mercy, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
XX.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for any great Deliverance.
O God, my God and Father, thou hast strangely pre-
served and rescued me from evil, and, for the glory of thy
own name, thou hast diverted the arrow that was directed
against me. What am I, O Lord, and what can I do, or
what have I done, that thou shouldest do this forme ? I am,
God, a miserable sinner, and I can do nothing without a
mighty grace ; and I have done nothing by myself but what
1 am ashamed of, and I have received great mercies, and
miracles of providence. I see, O God, I see that thy good-
ness is the cause and measure of all my hopes and all my
good : and upon the confidence and greatness of that good-
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 233
ness, I humbly beg of thy sacred majesty to keep and defend
me from all evil by thy wise providence ; to lead me into all
good by the conduct of thy Divine Spirit, and where I have
clone amiss give me pardon, and where I have been mistaken
give me pity, and where I have been injured give me thy
favour and a gracious exchange : that I may serve thee here
with diligence, and hereafter may rejoice with thee, and love
thee as I desire to love thee, and as thou deserves! to be
loved, even with all the powers and degrees of passion and
essence, to eternal ages, in the inheritance of Jesus, whom
I love, for whom I will not refuse to die, in whom I desire to
live and die : to whom with thee, O gracious Father, and the
Holy Spirit, be all glory and honour, love and obedience, for
ever and ever. Amen.
XXI.
A Prayer to be said by a Prisoner in behalf of himself .
O Almighty God, the merciful Father of all that put their
trust in thee, look down from the beauteous throne of thy
glory with much mercy and compassion upon thy servant,
who is a child of misery, full of sin and full of calamity ;
whose only hope is in the mercies and loving-kindness of the
Lord. O do thou pardon all my trespasses and debts, by
which I am in arrear to thee, put them upon the accounts of
the cross ; for our blessed and most gracious Lord hath paid
our price to redeem us from the eternal prisons : and be thou
pleased to enrich me with thy Holy Spirit, that I may be
strong in faith, abounding in hope, established in a holy
patience, and rich in charity ; expecting with meekness and
submission, when the times of refreshment shall come from
the presence of the Lord, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer
Jesus. Amen.
XXII.
A Prayer to be used by those that are at Sea.
O Almighty God and Father of heaven and earth, who
settest bounds to the sea, and restrainest the waves thereof
by a heap of sand, by mountains and rocks, by thy word and
by thy Spirit, saying, ' Hither shall thy proud waves pass, and
no further ;' look upon thy servant, whose life is in his hands,
and I dwell in the shadows of death night and day : I know,
234 DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
O Lord, and confess, the floods and waves of passion do
frequently overrun me ; and we are drowned in the storms
and overwhelmed with iniquity. The oaths, blasphemies,
impieties, irreligious actions, of which I stand guilty before
thee, are louder than the fiercest winds, and call aloud upon
thee for vengeance ; and many of us in our greatest danger
provoke thee with the greatest unreasonableness and violence
of impiety. But, O God, our God, be gracious unto thy
servant who accuseth himself, and confesseth his guilt, and
acknowledgeth thy justice, and begs thy goodness, and
prays to thee for safety and defence, for deliverance and for
pardon, for thy conduct and thy blessing. Keep us, O God,
from storms and quicksands, from pirates and rocks, from
errors and impieties, from all evil contingencies and all evil
actions ; let this voyage be safe to my person and goods, let
it be blessed by thy providence and thy Holy Spirit, that I
may return with comfort and with advantages of success,
and thy servant may glorify thee in the land of the living,
in the Church of the first-born, the congregation of thy
redeemed ones, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
XXIII.
In a Storm, or Danger of Pirates, or Shipwreck.
O eternal and most holy Saviour Jesus, who, in the days
of thy flesh and thy infirmity, didst command the winds and
rebuke the seas, and they obeyed thee : and thou art exalted
far above all principalities and powers, above all heavens
and all angels, and art the King of the world, and hast com-
manded us to come boldly to the throne of grace, with pro-
mise of help in time of need : look down upon thy servant,
who, in the abyss of the seas, and the more uncomfortable
abyss of our trouble, invocate the abyss of thy mercies. O
refuse not to hear the prayers, and to consider the cries, and
to behold and pity the need of me who call upon thee, who
put my trust in thee, who have laid up all my hopes in thee,
and thy infinite and eternal goodness. I have no strength
of my own, but thou art my confidence ; be thou also my
portion and guide, my defence and shield, a star in the night
and a covering by day.
DEVOTIONS FOR SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 235
XXIV.
Strengthen my faith, O God, and increase my hope, that,
in the greatest danger, I may against hope believe in hope,
and with faith and love expect the salvation of the Lord , and
may find thy goodness rescuing me from this present fear,
and defending me in all our difficulties, and sanctifying every
accident, and sweetening every event of providence, and
consigning me by these blessings to a final delivery from all
my sins, and from the evil which my sins deserve, to the
glory of God, to the salvation of my soul in thy day, in thy
glorious day, eternal and most holy Saviour and Re-
deemer Jesu. Amen.
XXV.
A Prayer wherewith to conclude all our Devotions.
Almighty God, who hast promised to hear the petitions
of them that ask in thy Son's name ; I beseech thee merci-
fully to incline thine ears unto me, who have now made my
prayers and supplications unto thee : and grant that those
things which I have faithfully asked according to thy will,
may be effectually obtained, to the relief of my necessity,
and to the setting forth of thy glory, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing.
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding ; the
blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Ghost; the virtue of Christ's blessed cross and passion ;
be with me now, and at the hour of death. Amen.
COLLECTION OF OFFICES,
OR
FORMS OF PRAYER
IN
CASES ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY;
TAKEN OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND THE ANCIENT LITUR-
GIES OF SEVERAL CHURCHES, ESPECIALLY THE GREEK.
l-ri ro O.VTO i ry ir^fio^n Up* ffinif^tffi fti* linfif Ifra, its tavf.
St. Ignaliut.
AN
ADVERTISEMENT*
TO THEM THAT SHALL USE THESE PRAYERS.
BECAUSE no Prayers are the more pleasing to God
for being long, and they are oftentimes displeasing
even to good men if they be very long ; and yet, on
the other side, if the devotion be long it is the
better : and if that be lasting, it ought to be sup-
plied with materials, like gums to the altar of
incense, and fuel for the holy fires : he that collected
these devotions did design to serve the advantages
both of length and shortness, that the most devout
may be fitted, and the most secular and employed
may not be wearied.
1. Therefore, although every thing is set down
at length, that the trouble of references and turnings
back might be avoided, and, therefore, seem longer
than they are ; and the hymns are sometimes double,
that the variety might be more apt to please and to
* The reason for omitting the Preface to the " Collection of Offices," has been
stated at p. 312 of vol. vii.
240 AN ADVERTISEMENT, &C.
i
instruct, and the offices are made full, that upon the
more solemn days, when people come with a greater
and more active devotion and greater leisure, their
time and their piety might be employed ; yet, on
other days, there is but one lesson appointed, and
one hymn to follow it.
2. The prayers are divided into smaller portions,
that with ease any of them may be omitted by
persons whose occasions force them from their at-
tendance on longer offices; besides that there are
two Forms of Morning and Evening Prayer, the one
shorter, the other longer.
3. In the beginning of Morning and Evening
Prayer, some of the devotions which are set down,
are desired and intended to be used but seldom;
not only to avoid tediousness, but for other reasons
very obvious, that the minister's more solemn power
and office might not be less regarded, by being
daily (and consequently very often without just dis-
positions) offered : I mean it concerning the form of
Absolution. The Confession may be shortened as
there is cause, by making use only of some of the
sections, and leaving out the other.
4. If, upon communion-days, the Morning Prayer
and the Communion Office be not read at one time,
but the Morning Prayer be read at seven or eight
o'clock in the morning ; and the Communion Office
AN ADVERTISEMENT, &C. 241
at the time of celebration ; or if it be convenient that
they be both together, if then the sermon be in the
afternoon, the length will be very tolerable.
5. These Prayers being intended only as a cha-
ritable ministry to them who are not permitted to use
those which were appointed formerly, there is no
necessity upon any one, and he may use as much or
as little as he please ; and therefore no man will have
cause to complain of length or shortness.
VOL. XV.
For the Offices themselves, I pray God bless them to all
those ends whither they are designed, and to which in their
own nature they can minister. And as I humbly recommend
them to God's blessing, so I do submit them to the judgment
of my afflicted mother the Church of England, and particu-
larly to the censure of my spiritual superiors : and I desire
that these Prayers may no longer be used in any public
place, than my lords the bishops, upon prudent inquiries
and grave considerations, shall perceive them apt to minister
to God's glory, and useful to the present or future necessities
of the sons and daughters of the Church of England.
MORNING PRAYER,
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
Say one or more of these Sentences.
HE that covereth his sins, shall not prosper: but he that
confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. Prov.
xxviii. 13.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses,
though we have rebelled against him. Neither have we
obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his laws,
which he hath set before us by his servants the prophets.
Dan. ix. 10.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. 1 John, i. 8, 9.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ; a broken and
a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm li. 17.
Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye
have transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new
spirit. For why will ye die ? I have no pleasure in the
death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God. Wherefore
turn yourselves, and live ye. Ezek. xviii. 31, 32.
After which say,
Draw nigh, therefore, unto God, and he will draw nigh
unto you. Cleanse your hands, and purify your hearts.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and make a
confession of your sins unto him, with a hearty sorrow
and an humble hope, begging for pardon at the throne of
grace.
Let us pray.
The Confession.
I.
O ALMIGHTY GOD, great Lord of heaven and earth, we mi-
serable sinners, with fear and shame, cast ourselves down
244 MORNING PRAYER
before thee, humbly confessing our manifold sins and unsuf-
ferable wickednesses, by which we have deserved thy wrath,
and that we should be separated from the sweetest comforts
of thy presence for ever.
II.
We confess, O great God, we have sinned against thee
by knowledge and by ignorance, by folly and by surprise,
by word and deed, by anger and desires, by night and by
day, in private and in public, by the lusts of the flesh and
the vanity and pride of our spirits : our sins of omission are
infinite, and the sins of our tongue cannot be numbered. O
God, thy words and laws are holy, and thy judgments are
terrible ; but we have broken all thy righteous laws and
commandments, and we have great cause to be afraid of thy
severest judgments : and where shall we appear, when thou
art angry with us ?
III.
But thou shalt answer for us, O Lord our God : thou art
our Judge, but thou art our Redeemer ; we have sinned, but
thou, O blessed Jesus, art our Advocate. Have mercy
upon us ; have mercy upon us, most miserable sinners ; enter
not into judgment with us, lest we die : let not thine anger
arise, lest we be consumed ; but spare us, gracious Lord,
spare thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most
precious blood ; O reserve not evil in store for us against
the day of vengeance, but shew thy goodness in us, and let
thy mercies be magnified upon us : deliver us, O Lord, from
the power of sin ; and preserve us from the punishments of
it, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Deprecation to be used upon solemn Days, or at the Dis-
cretion of him that ministers.
I.
O LORD our God, whose power is infinite, whose glory is
supreme, whose mercy is without measure, whose goodness
is unspeakable, despise not thy returning servants, who
earnestly beg for pardon and to be reconciled to thee : sanc-
tify, O God, our bodies and souls, search out our spirits, and
cast out all iniquity from within us ; all weak principles and
false arguings, every impure lust and filthy desire, all pride
and envy, all hypocrisy and lying, all inordinate love of this
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 245
world, and base covetousness ; all hardness of heart and un-
relenting dispositions, all peevishness and hasty anger, all
mindfulness of injuries and revengefulness, all blasphemy
and irreligion ; and every motion of soul and body, which
can withdraw us from thee, and is against thy will and
commandment.
II.
Gracious Father, give us perfect pardon for what is past,
and a perfect repentance of all our evils, that, for the time to
come, we may, with pure spirits, with broken and contrite
hearts, with sanctified lips and holy desires, serve thee reli-
giously ; walk humbly with our God; converse justly and
charitably with men ; and possess our souls in patience and
holiness, and our bodies in sanctification and honour, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Prayer of A bsolution, to be said by the Minister alone,
according to his Piety and Discretion, when he sees cause,
not frequently.
OUR blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus, the great Shepherd
and Bishop of our souls, that Lamb of God who taketh
away the sins of the world, who promised paradise to the
repenting thief, and gave pardon to the woman taken in
adultery, pardon and forgive all your sins known and
unknown.
O blessed Jesus, in whatsoever thy servants as men
bearing flesh about them, and inhabiting this world, or de-
ceived by the devil, have sinned, whether in word or deed,
whether in thought or desire, whether by omission or com-
mission, let it be forgiven unto them by thy word and by
thy Spirit ; and for ever preserve thy servants from sinning
against thee, and from suffering thine eternal anger, for thy
promise sake, and for thy glorious name's sake, O blessed
Lord and Saviour Jesus. Amen.
Then devoutly and distinctly say 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 trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation : But deliver us from evil.
246 MORNING PRAYER
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.
The Doxology.
GLORY be to the Father of mercies, the Father of men and
angels, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Glory be to the most holy and eternal Son of God, the
blessed Saviour and Redeemer of the world, the Advocate of
sinners, the Prince of Peace, the Head of the Church, and
the mighty Deliverer of all that call upon him.
Glory be to the holy and eternal Spirit of God, the Holy
Ghost the Comforter, the sanctifying and life-giving Spirit.
All glory and thanks, all honour and power, all love and
obedience, be to the blessed and undivided Trinity, one God
eternal.
The heavens declare thy glory, the earth confesses thy
providence, the sea manifests thy power ; and every spirit,
and every understanding creature, celebrates thy greatness,
for ever and ever. All glory and majesty, all praises and
dominion be unto thee, O God, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
Then arising from their knees, let the Psalter be read in order, as shall
be judged convenient : that is to say, the ordinary portions for every
day, Morning and Evening Prayer: and Psalms particularly chosen for
special Days of Festivity, or of Humiliation, respectively.
After the Psalms ending with " Glory be to the Father," &c., read a
chapter in the Old Testament. The chapter out of the Old Testament
is to be read on Sundays and Festivals ; and not omitted without great
occasion : but, on ordinary days, it may suffice, after the Psalms, imme-
diately to read the Lesson out of the New Testament.
A fter which, recite this Hymn to the honour of God; saying the verse*
interchangeably. *
REJOICE in the Lord, ye righteous : for praise is comely for
the upright.
The word of the Lord is true ; and all his works are
faithful.
He loveth righteousness and judgment : the earth is full
of the goodness of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all
the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap :
he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 247
Let all the earth fear the Lord : let all the inhabitants
of the world stand in awe of him.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him ;
upon them that hope in his mercy.
To deliver their souls from death ; and to keep them
alive in the time of famine.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous ; but the Lord
delivereth him out of all.
Evil shall slay the wicked : and they that hate the
righteous shall be desolate.
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise
wicked works with men that work iniquity : and let me
not eat of their dainties.
Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning,
for in thee do I trust : cause me to know the way wherein I
should walk, for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God ; thy
Spirit is good : lead me into the laud of uprightness.
Gather not my soul with sinners; nor my life with
bloody men.
The poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and
saved him out of all his troubles.
O taste and see that the Lord is good : blessed is the
man that trusteth in him.
O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up
for them that fear thee ; which thou hast wrought for them
that trust in thee before the sons of men.
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence
from the pride of man : thou shalt keep them secretly in
a pavilion, from the strife of tongues.
O love the Lord, all ye his saints : for the Lord preserveth
the faithful, and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Or this,
SING praises unto God, sing praises : sing praises unto
our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the
earth : sing ye praises with understanding.
God reigneth over the nations : God sitteth upon the
throne of his holiness.
248 MORNING PRAYER
He is our refuge and strength : a very present help in
trouble.
Many, O Lord our God, are thy wonderful works which
thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are towards us :
they cannot be reckoned in order.
For God is my King of old, working salvation in the
midst of the earth.
Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood ; thou
driest up mighty rivers.
The day is thine, the night also is thine : thou hast
prepared the light and the sun.
Thou hast set all the borders of the earth, thou hast
made summer and winter.
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name :
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters : the God of
glory thundereth, the Lord is upon many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful : the voice of the
Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and
discovereth the forests : and m his temple doth every
man speak of his glory.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous : and
shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
For this God is our God for ever and ever, he will be
our guide unto death.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Then read a Lesson out of one of the four Gospels, or the Acts of the
holy Apostles; in order, or bj choice, upon extraordinary occasions.
After which recite one of these following Psalms.
THE mighty God, even the Lord hath spoken, and called
the earth, from the rising of the sun unto the going down
thereof.
Out of Sion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence : a fire
shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous
round about him.
He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the
earth, that he may judge his people.
And the heavens shall declare his righteousness ; for God
is Judge himself.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 249
His name shall endure for ever : his name shall be con-
tinued as lono- as the sun : and men shall be blessed in him :
O
all nations shall call him blessed.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only
doth wondrous things.
And blessed be his glorious name for ever : and let the
whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.
Or this, to be said especially on Communion Days.
PSALM XXIII.
THE Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He inaketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth
me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul : he leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me ; thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth
over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Then say the Apostles' Creed, or the Nicene Creed, if it be a great
Festival of the Church.
I BELIEVE in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven
and earth :
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord : Which was
conceived by the Holy Ghost : Born* of the Virgin Mary :
Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and
buried : He descended into hell : The third day he rose again
from the dead : He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the
right-hand of God the Father Almighty : From "thence he
shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost : The holy catholic Church :
the communion of saints : The forgiveness of sins : The
resurrection of the body : And the life everlasting. Amen.
250 MORNING PRAYER.
The Nicene Creed, to be said upon the great Solemnities
of the Year.
I BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of
God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of gods,
Light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father ; by whom all things
were made : who for us men and for our salvation came down
from heaven, and was incarnate, by the Holy Ghost, of the
Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for
us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered, and was buried, and
the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and
ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right-hand of the
Father. And he shall come again with glory, to judge both
the quick and the dead : whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life,
who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the
Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
who spake by the prophets. And I believe one catholic and
apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remis-
sion of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
After the Creed.
Minister. The Lord be with you.
People. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
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 trespass against us :
And lead us not into temptation : But deliver us from evil :
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.
I.
O GREAT King of heaven and earth, the Lord and Patron of
all ages, receive thy servants approaching to the throne of
grace in the name of Jesus Christ ; give unto every one of us
what is best for us, cast out all evil from within us, work in
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 251
us a fulness of holiness, of wisdom and spiritual understand-
ing, that we, increasing in the knowledge of God, may be
fruitful in every good work, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Collect for the Morning.
II.
O Almighty Father, great God of all the world, who
dwellest in the light to which no man can approach, in thy
presence there is no night, in the light of thy countenance
there is perpetual day : we thy servants, whom thou hast pre-
served this night, who bless and glorify thee this day, who
live by thy power, who desire to walk by thy laws, to be
blessed by thy providence, to be defended by thy almighty
hand, humbly pray unto thee, that this day and all the days
of our lives may be holy and peaceable ; send thy Holy Spirit,
the Spirit of peace, to be the guide of our way, the guard of
our souls and bodies. Grant that all the chances and acci-
dents of this day may be healthful to our bodies and profit-
able to our souls ; and that we may spend the remaining
portion of our life in blessing, and peace, and holiness. Make
thou the latter end of our days to be Christian, without
shame and without torment ; and when we shall appear be-
fore thy dreadful seat of judgment, grant that we may not be
confounded, but may stand upright in the congregation of
the saints, acquitted by the death of Christ, justified by his
resurrection, pardoned by his sentence, saved by his mercy,
that we may rejoice in his salvation, and sing thy praises for
ever and ever. Amen.
A Prayer against Temptations.
III.
O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thy name is
great, thy essence is infinite, thy g'oodness is eternal, and
thy power hath no limit ; thou art the God and Lord of all,
blessed for evermore. Look down in mercy and compassion
from thy dwelling, hear our prayers and supplications, and
deliver us from all temptations of the world, the flesh, and
the devil. Take not thy grace from us, let us never want
thy help in our needs, nor thy comfort in the day of our
danger and calamity. Never try us beyond our strengths,
nor afflict us beyond our patience, nor smite us but with a
252 MORNING PRAYER
father's rod. We have no strengths of our own, thou art
bur confidence, our rock, and our strong salvation. Save us,
O God, from the miseries of this world, and never let us
suffer the intolerable calamities of the next. Rescue us from
the evils we have done, and preserve us from the evils we
have deserved ; that we, living before thee with clean hearts,
and undefiled bodies, and sanctified spirits, may, at the day
of judgment, be presented pure and spotless by the blood of
the Lamb, that we may sing eternal hellelujahs in heavenly
places to the honour of God our Saviour, who hath redeemed
our souls from death, our eyes from tears, and our feet from
falling. Grant this in the richness of thy mercy, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then shall be added, upon all Sundays and Festivals of the year, this
following Prayer : and upon other days, as opportunity is to be had, all
or some portions.
The Prayers for Kings, &c., and the state Ecclesiastical, are never to be
omitted : but on ordinary days it may suffice to recite them, omitting so
much of either as is included in the columns [*].
The Prayer of Intercession, for all States of Men and Women
in the Catholic Church.
I.
SAVE us, defend and keep us in thy fear and love, O thou
God of mercy and grace ; give unto us the light of thy
countenance, pardon of our sins, health of our body, sancti-
fication of our spirits, peace from heaven, and salvation of
our souls in the day of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
For the Catholic Church.
II.
Hear our prayers for thy holy Church catholic, which thou
hast redeemed with thy blood, sealed and sanctified with thy
Spirit : extirpate all heresies and false doctrines, unite all her
divisions, let her be prosperous under thy favour, and the
protection of kings and princes, and the whole secular arm :
that she may daily celebrate thy name, with strict obedience,
and pure spiritual sacrifices; that she may be accepted, and
prevail in her daily and nightly prayers, and that the gates
of hell may never prevail against her ; let her live in the
Spirit, and reign in thy glory ; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 253
For the supreme Power.
III.
We pray unto thee, O great King of heaven and earth, for
all Christian kings, princes, governors, and states : crown
them with justice and peace, and with the love of God, and
the love of their people ; [*] let holiness be the ornament of
their heads ; invest them with the armour of righteousness,
and let the anointing from above make them sacred and
venerable, wise and holy, [*] that being servants of the King
of kings, friends of religion, ministers of justice, and patrons
of the poor, they may, at last, inherit a portion in the king-
dom of our Lord Jesus..
For the State Ecclesiastical.
IV.
Remember all them that do the Lord's work in the
ministry and conduct of souls. Give them great gifts and
great holiness, [*] that wisely and charitably, diligently and
zealously, prudently and acceptably, they may be guides to
the blind, comforters to the sad and weary, that they may
strengthen the weak and confirm the strong, separate the
vile from the precious, boldly rebuke sin, patiently suffer for
the truth, and be exemplary in their lives, [*] that in all their
actions and sermons, in their discipline and ministrations,
they may advance the good of souls, and the honour of our
Lord Jesus. Amen.
For all Orders and States of Men, &fc.
V.
O blessed God, who art rich in mercy and compassion,
take care of all states of men and women in the Christian
Church, the nobility and gentry, magistrates and judges,
advocates and physicians, merchants and artificers, husband-
men and tradesmen, the labourers and the hirelings : give
them grace in their several callings to glorify thee, and to
keep a good conscience both towards God and towards man,
that they may find eternal comfort in the glorious day of our
Lord Jesus.
For the Miserable and Afflicted.
VI.
In mercy remember the poor and needy, the widows and
254 MORNING PRAYER.
fatherless, the strangers and the friendless, the oppressed
and the grieved, the decrepit and sickly, the young men
and the tempted, the weak of heart and the weak in hody,
them that languish and them that are dying ; relieve their
necessities, comfort their sorrows, sanctify their calamities,
strengthen their weaknesses, and suffer not the devil to pre-
vail over them in the days of their sorrow and disadvantage :
and, in thy due time, deliver them from their sad bondage
into thy glorious liberty of the sons of God, through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
VII.
Be a guide to the travellers, a star and a port to mariners,
the comfort and strength of miners and galley-slaves. Pity,
good God, all gentlemen that are fallen into poverty and
sad misfortunes ; strengthen and deliver all women that are
in sharp and dangerous labour ; all them that roar and groan
with intolerable pains and noisome diseases : have mercy
and compassion upon all that are afflicted with illusion of
the night and frightful apparitions ; that are haunted or pos-
sessed with evil spirits, or troubled with despairing or amazed
consciences, with the stone and with the gout, with vio-
lent colics and grievous ulcers : give them pity and give
them patience, a speedy deliverance from their calamity, and
a sanctified use of the rod of God, through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
VIII.
We pray unto thee, O blessed Father, in behalf of all that
are in banishment and captivity, in fetters or hard services,
n want or extreme poverty, in great fear or in any great
passion. Keep them from sinning against thee, and from
being swallowed by too great a sorrow. Let the accidents
of their lives be under the command of reason, and of thy
Holy Spirit, and end in holiness and comfort, in peace and
joys eternal ; through the mercies of our God, in our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Preservation from Danger and Evil.
IX.
Keep us, O God, from famine and pestilence, from earth-
quakes and inundations, from fire and sword, from invasion
by foreign enemies and from civil wars, from false religion
EVENING PRAYER, &C. 255
and from discountenancing the true : let every Christian soul
find pity at the throne of grace : let all our errors and igno-
rances find pardon by Christ, and remedy by the Holy Spirit
of Christ ; hear all our prayers, relieve all our necessities,
sanctify all the events of thy providence, and the changes of
our life, that we may for ever love and for ever fear thee, and
all things may work together for our good unto thy glory,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communication of the Holy Spirit of God, be with
us, and with all our relatives, and with all the servants of
God, this day, and for evermore. Amen.
EVENING PRAYER,
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
Say one or more of these sentences.
O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be
ashamed, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain
of living waters.
O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, have
mercy upon us for thy name's sake ; for our backslidings
are many, we have sinned against thee.
Seek the Lord, while he may be found : call upon him,
when he is near.
There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,
and passeth by the remnant of the transgression of his
heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he
delighteth in mercy.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he
will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will
abundantly pardon.
256 EVENING PRAYER.
Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity,
whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with
him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive
the spirit of the humble, and to renew the hearts of them
that are contrite.
After which add this short Exhortation.
I beseech you that are present, to join with me in an
humble confession of sins to Almighty God, casting your-
selves down with all humility before the throne of grace.
The Confession.
I.
ALMIGHTY GOD, powerful and merciful, thou art a jealous
God against persevering sinners, but a gracious Father to
the penitent : let thy merciful ears be opened to the peti-
tions of thy servants, who, with sorrow and shame, confess
their sins unto thee.
II.
We have loved the world, not thee: we have obeyed the
desires of our own hearts, not thy holy laws and command-
ments : we have often left our duty undone, but cease not to
please our senses, and to feed greedily upon vanity : thou
hast commanded us to love our brethren, and, instead of
loving them, we have slandered and reproached, injured
and tempted them, envied their good, and rejoiced in their
calamity.
III.
O blessed God, we are ashamed when we remember our
own follies, our violent passions, our peevishness and pride,
our vain thoughts and unprofitable words, our uncharitable
and useless conversation : we spend our days in idleness
and folly, our nights in the images and causes of death ;
and though our sins are so many that we cannot number
them, yet we so little apprehend our own dangers that we
neither leave them utterly nor heartily deplore them.
IV.
But, O God, thou God of pity and compassion, have
mercy upon us : for thou art our Father, merciful and gra-
cious, and thou hast revealed to mankind an infinite mercy
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 257
in Jesus Christ. For his sake be pleased to give us repent-
ance and to give us pardon, and grant that our souls being
washed in the blood of the holy Lamb and the baptism of
repentance, we may live a gracious, a holy, and a blessed
life, in all godliness, and honesty, and sobriety, and may die
in the love of God, in the charity of our neighbours, in the
communion of the Church, and in a sure and certain hope of
life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Prayer of Absolution, to be said by the Minister alone,
according to his Piety and Discretion, when he sees cause.
Our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus, the great Shepherd
and Bishop of our souls, that Lamb of God that taketh away
the sins of the world, who promised Paradise to the repent-
ing thief, and gave pardon to the woman taken in adultery,
pardon and forgive all your sins known and unknown. O
blessed Jesus, in whatsoever thy servants, as men bearing-
flesh about them, and inhabiting this world, or deceived by
the devil, have sinned whether in word or deed, whether in
thought or desire, whether by omission or commission, let it
be forgiven unto them by thy word and by thy Spirit ; and
for ever preserve thy servants from sinning against thee, and
from suffering thine eternal anger, for thy promise sake, and
for thy glorious name's sake, O blessed Lord and Saviour
Jesus. Amen.
Then devoutly and distinctly say 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 trespass against us :
And lead us not into temptation : But deliver us from evil :
For thine is the kingdom, the power,, and the glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.
The Doxology.
Glory be to the Father of mercies, the Father of men and
angels, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Glory be to the most holy and eternal Son of God, the
blessed Saviour and Redeemer of the world, the Advocate of
sinners, the Prince of peace, the Head of the Church, aud the
mighty Deliverer of all them that call upon him.
VOL. xv. s
258 EVENING PRAYER
Glory be to the holy and eternal Spirit of God, the Holy
Ghost the Comforter, the sanctifying and life-giving Spirit.
All glory and thanks, all honour and power, all love
and obedience, be to the blessed and undivided Trinity, one
God eternal.
The heavens declare thy glory ; the earth confesses thy
providence ; the sea manifests thy power ; and every spirit,
and every understanding creature, celebrates thy greatness
for ever and ever. All glory and majesty, all praises and
dominion, be unto thee, O God, Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
Then, arising from their knees, let the Psalms be said in order, unless
some extraordinary occasion do intervene : in which case let Psalms
be selected according to the occasion, or as is afterwards described ,
concluding with, Glory be to the Father, &c.
Then read, upon all Sundays and Festivals of the year, a Chapter in the
Old Testament, either in order or by choice.
After the Lesson recite this Hymn.
I will remember the works of the Lord ; surely I will
remember the wonders of old : I will meditate of all thy
works, and talk of thy doings.
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary : who is so great a
God as our God ?
Thou art the God that doest wonders, thou hast declared
thy strength among the people.
Thou, even thou, art to be feared : and who may stand
in thy sight when thou art angry ?
For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine
is red ; it is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same ;
but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall
wring them out and drink them.
But I will declare for ever : I will sing praises to the
God of Jacob.
For thou art my hope, O Lord God : thou art my trust
from my youth.
By thee have I been holden up from the womb : thou art
he that took me out of my mother's bowels, my praise shall
be continually of thee.
For the Lord is a sun and a shield : the Lord will give
grace and glory : and no good thing will he withhold from
them that live a godly life.
THROUGHOUT TIIK YKAR. 2. r if>
O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that puttcth his trust
in thce.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Or this.
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
and to be had in reverence of all them that arc about him.
Thou rulest the raging of the sea ; when the waves
thereof arise, thou stillest them.
'Hi e heavens are thine, the earth also is thine : as for the
world arid the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne :
mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, lo, thine enemies shall
perish : all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree : he shall
grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall
flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in their old age : they
shall be fat and flourishing.
To shew that the Lord is upright : he is our rock, and
there is no unrighteousness in him.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Then read a Lesson out of the Epistles of St. Paul, or any of the Canon,
ical Epistles ; in order, or selected upon special occasions.
After the Lesson say this Psalm.
Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer, and attend to the
voice of my supplications.
Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger
towards us to cease.
For thou, Lord, art good, and* ready to forgive, and
plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee.
O remember not against us former iniquities : let thy
tender mercies speedily prevent us.
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy
name : deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's
sake.
Teach us thy way, O God, and we will walk in thy
truth : unite our hearts to fear thy name.
260 EVENING PRAYER
O satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice
and be glad all our days.
So we, thy people and sheep of thy pasture, will give
thee thanks for ever : we will shew forth thy praise from
generation to generation.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Or this.
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust, let me never be
ashamed ; deliver me in thy righteousness.
Into thy hand I commend my spirit ; thou hast redeemed
me, O Lord God of truth.
Make thy face to shine upon thy servants : save us for
thy mercies' sake.
For great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for
them that fear thee ; which thou hast wrought for them
that trust in thee before the sons of men.
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that
fear him, and delivereth them.
Thou art my hiding-place ; thou shalt preserve me from
trouble ; thou shalt compass me about with songs of
deliverance.
Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all the
beasts of the forest do creep forth.
Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast
thou made them all : the earth is full of thy riches.
The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever : the Lord
shall rejoice in his works.
He appointed the moon for certain seasons ; and the sun
knoweth his going down.
1 will sing unto the Lord as long as I live : I will sing
praise unto my God while I have my being : my meditation
of him shall be sweet, I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will both lay me down in peace and sleep ; for thou,
Lord, makest me dwell in safety.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
Or else say Psalm 103d, or the 91st, or the 121 ( .
Then shall follow the Apostles' Creed.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven
and earth : And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord ;
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 261
Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin
Mary : Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead,
and buried : He descended into hell : The third day he rose
again from the dead : He ascended into heaven, and sitteth
on the right-hand of God the Father Almighty : From
thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost : the holy catholic Church :
The communion of saints : The forgiveness of sins : The
resurrection of the body: And the life everlasting. Amen.
Minister. The Lord be with you.
People. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
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 trespass against us :
And lead us not into temptation : But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for
ever and ever. Amen.
Then follows the first Collect, as at Morning Prayer.
I.
O great King of heaven and earth, the Lord and Patron
of all ages, receive thy servants approaching to the throne of
grace in the name of Jesus Christ. Give unto every one of
us what is best for us, cast out all evil from within us, work
in us a fulness of holiness, of wisdom and spiritual under-
standing, that we, increasing in the knowledge of God, may
be fruitful in every good work ; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
Or this.
Save us, defend and keep us in thy fear and love, O thou
God of mercy and grace. Give unto us the light of thy
countenance ; pardon of our sins, health of body, sanctifica-
tion of our spirits, peace from heaven, and salvation of our
souls in the day of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
I.
For Repentance and a Holy Life.
Almighty God, the fountain of holiness and felicity, who
262 EVENING PRAYER
by thy word and thy Spirit dost conduct all thy servants hi
the ways of peace and sanctity ; inviting them by promises,
and winning them by love ; endearing them by necessities,
and obliging them by the perpetual testimonies of thy loving-
kindness ; grant unto us so truly to repent us of our sins, so
carefully to reform our errors, so diligently to watch over all
our actions, so industriously to do all our duty, that we may
never transgress thy holy laws willingly ; but that it may be
the work of our lives to obey thee, the joy of our souls to
please thee, the satisfaction of all our hopes, and the perfec-
tion of our desires, to live with thee in the holiness of thy
kingdom of grace and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
II.
For Peace.
O Almighty and most gracious Father, who art the
Fountain of peace, and the Father of unions, we pray unto
thee for peace, for love, and for thy salvation. Let a holy
peace for ever dwell in our consciences. Let peace and
holiness, and God's blessing, for ever adorn, support, and
enlarge this family : [or parish, or church, or commonwealth. ,]
Let there be peace and union of minds in all Christian
assemblies ; one heart and one voice, the same faith and an
eternal charity. Make wars to cease in all the world, that
the peace and the design of the Gospel may be advanced,
the laws of the holy Jesus may be obeyed, and his name be
magnified in all the world, for ever and ever. Amen.
III.
For all Christian Princes, and the Ecclesiastical State.
Almighty God, who rulest in the kingdoms of men, and
in all the events of the world, defend those with thy mercy
whom thou hast adorned with thy power ; lift up the horn,
advance the just interests of all Christian kings, princes, and
states, by the power of thy venerable and life-giving passion.
Give unto all them who serve thee in the ministries of
religion, wisdom and holiness, the blessings of peace, and
great abilities to minister prosperously to the good of souls,
by the power and aids of thy Holy Spirit of wisdom.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 263
IV.
Pardon all our sins ; take away our iniquities from us all,
and preserve us from all danger and trouble, from need and
persecution, from the temptations of the devil, from the
violence and fraud of all our enemies. Keep us, O God,
from sinning against thee, and from suffering thy wrath ;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
V.
The Collect for the Evening.
O Almighty Father, who givest the sun for a light by
day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a
light by night, vouchsafe to receive us, this night and ever,
into thy favour and protection, defending us from all sad
casualties and evil accidents, ruling and governing us with
thy Holy Spirit, that all darkness and hurtful ignorance, all
infidelity and weakness of heart, all inordinate fear and
carnal affections, may be removed far from us ; that we,
being justified by the mercies of God in our Lord Jesus, may
be sanctified by thy Spirit, and glorified by thy infinite
mercies in the day of the glorious appearing of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
VI.
For a blessed Death.
O most gracious and most holy Redeemer, who, by dying
for us, becamest the Author of life unto us, and hast sub-
dued all the powers of hell and the grave, taking away the
sting of death, and breaking in pieces the powers of dark-
ness ; have mercy upon us now and at the hour of death :
let thy Holy Spirit govern all our words and actions, our
thoughts and designs, our civil iptercourse and the duties of
religion ; and grant to us so perfectly to obey his command-
ments, and attend his motions all the days of our life, that
we may, by holy habits and a constant performance of our
duty, wait for the coming of our Lord, and be ready to enter
with him at whatsoever hour he shall come.
VII.
O be merciful unto us in the day of our calamity, and
264 EVENING PRAYER
of thy visitation : strengthen our faith in the day of our
sicknesses and trial, when the cloud is thick and the storm is
great : that we may rely upon thy grace, invocate thy
mercies, hope in thy goodness, and receive the end of our
hopes, the salvation of our souls. O let us never descend
into the dwellings of the wicked, nor into the place of them
that know not God ; but be pleased here to guide us with
thy counsel, and after that receive us with thy glory, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Or this.
O eternal God, thou Fountain of life and pardon, there is
no number of thy days nor of thy mercies ; be merciful unto
us now and at the hour of our death ; let not thy servants
be arrested with sudden death, that we be neither unready in
our accounts, nor snatched hence with an imperfect duty,
nor surprised in an act of sin, nor called upon when our
lamps are untrimmed ; let it be neither violent nor untimely,
hasty nor unblessed, but after the ordinary visitation of men,
having in it an excellent patience and an exemplar piety,
and the greatest senses and demonstrations of thy eternal
mercies. Preserve, O God, our reason and religion, our
faith and our hope, our sense and our speech, perfect and
useful till the last of our days ; and grant that we may die
the death of the righteous, and let our last end be like to
his, free from debt and deadly sin, having first discharged
all our obligations of justice, and made competent provision
for our relatives, that none of ours be left miserable and
unprovided in our departure ; but grant that being blessed
by thy providence, and sanctified with thy Spirit, they may
for ever be servants of the Lord Jesus.
II.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts, shut not
up thy merciful eyes and ears unto our prayers ; but spare
us, O Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and
merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us
not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from thee ;
but strengthen us with a mighty grace, and support us with
an infinite mercy, giving us perfect measures of repentance
and great treasures of charity ; that at the general resurrec-
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. 265
tion in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy
sight, and receive that blessing which thy well-beloved Son
shall then pronounce to all them that love and fear thee,
saying, ' Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive
the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the
world.' This mercy, O most merciful Father, vouchsafe to
give unto us and all thy servants, through Jesus Christ, our
Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.
Here may be inserted any of the portions of the Prayer of Intercession,
which is at the end of Morning Prayer.
The Blessing.
The Lord bless you and keep you : the Lord make his
face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The
Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give
you peace.
The blessing of 'God Almighty, the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost, be amongst you , and abide with you, and be
your portion for ever and ever. Amen.
To be added to the foregoing Offices upon special Occasions, immediately
before the Blessing at Morning or Evening Prayer.
A Prayer before Sermon.
O LORD GOD, Fountain of life, Giver of all good things,
who givest to men the blessed hope of eternal life by our
Lord Jesus Christ, and hast promised thy Holy Spirit to
them that ask him ; be present with us in the dispensation
of thy holy word [and sacraments] ,* grant that we, being
preserved from all evil by thy power, and, among the diver-
sities of opinions and judgments in this world, from all errors
and false doctrines, and led into all truth by the conduct of
thy Holy Spirit, may for ever obey thy heavenly calling :
that we may not be only hearers of the word of life, but
doers also of good works, keeping faith and a good con-
science, living an unblamable life, usefully and charitably,
This clause is to be omitted, if there be no sacrament that day.
266 ADDITIONAL^ TO THE FOREGOING OFFICES.
religiously and prudently, in all godliness and honesty before
thee our] God, and before all the world ; that at the end of
our mortal life we may enter into the light and life of God,
to sing praises and eternal hymns to the glory of thy name,
in eternal ages, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
In whose name let us pray in the words which himself
commanded, saying,
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 trespass against us :
And lead us not into temptation : but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving after Sermon ; if it be convenient
by reason of the Time or other Circumstances.
I,
Almighty God, our glory and our hope, our Lord and
Master, the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort, we
humbly present to thee the sacrifice of a thankful spirit in a
joyful acknowledgment of those infinite favours by which
thou hast supported our state, enriched our spirits, com-
forted our sorrows, relieved our necessities, blessed and
defended our persons, instructed our ignorances, and pro-
moted our eternal interest. We praise thy name for that
portion of thy holy word, of which thou hast made us par-
takers this day. Grant that it may bring forth fruit unto
thee, and unto holiness in our whole life, to the glory of thy
holy name, the edification of our brethren, and the eternal
comfort of our souls in the day of our Lord Jesus.
II.
Have mercy upon all that desire, and upon all that need ,
our prayers. Ease the pains of the sick, support the spirit
of the disconsolate, hear the cries of orphans and widows in
their calamity, and restore all that are oppressed, to their
rights, and sanctify to them all their wrongs ; pity the folly,
and pity the calamities, of poor mankind ; in mercy remember
ADDITIONALS TO THE FOREGOING OFFICES. 267
those that are appointed to die, comfort and support their
spirits, perfect and accept their repentance, and receive the
souls returning unto thee, whom thou hast redeemed with
thy most precious blood.
III.
Lord, pity and pardon, direct and bless, sanctify and save,
us all. Give repentance to all that live in sin, and per-
severance to all thy sons and servants for His sake who is thy
beloved, and the foundation of all our hopes, our blessed Lord
and Saviour Jesus, to whom, with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, be all honour and glory, praise and adoration, love
and obedience, now and for evermore. Amen.
If this whole Office be said at Morning or Evening Prayer respectively,
the Collect before Sermon here put down, may be used instead of
the usual Prayer before Sermon, ending with the Lord's Prayer ;
and the Sermon to begin immediately before the Blessing.
The Sermon being ended, the Prayer of Thanksgiving may be said, and
the Congregation dismissed with the Blessing set down at the end
of Evening Prayer.
A Prayer when a sick Person desires to be publicly
prayed for.
I.
O Almighty and most gracious Father, who art the
Fountain of life, and health, and pardon, hear the prayers of
thy servants in behalf of our brother, the miserable for
the afflicted, of sinners for him whom thou hast smitten.
Lord, lay no more upon him than thou shall enable him to
bear, but give him patience ; and do thou thyself open a door
for his escape, even by a holy and a reformed life, and a
speedy recovery, or else by a blessed death, as thou, in thy
infinite loving-kindness, shalt choose for thy glory and his
eternal interest.
II.
Lord, give unto thy servant a perfect repentance and a
perfect pardon of all his sins. Remember not the errors of
his youth, the weaknesses of his spirit, the surprises of his
life, and the crimes of his choice: but join his present
sufferings to the passion, his prayers to the intercession, and
268 ADDITIONAL^ TO THE FOREGOING OFFICES.
Jiis repentance to the merits of our dearest Saviour Jesus ;
that he may be pardoned and pitied, comforted and sup-
ported, sanctified and saved, in the day of recompenses.
III.
Blessed Jesus, who hast overcome all the powers of sin,
hell, and the grave, take from thy servant all inordinate fear
of death, give him a perfect resignation of his will, and con-
formity to thine ; restrain the power of the enemy, that he
may not prevail against the soul which thou hast redeemed :
if it be thy will, give him a speedy restitution of his health,
and a holy use of the affliction ; or if thou hast otherwise
decreed, preserve him in thy fear and favour, and receive his
soul to mercy, to pardon, and eternal life, through thy
mercies and for thy compassion sake, O blessed Saviour and
Redeemer Jesus. Amen.
I.
For seasonable Weather in Time of Drought, immoderate Rain
or Scarcity, or Death of Cattle, tifc.
O Lord God, whose providence is universal, and suffereth
nothing to happen in vain, have mercy upon thy servants,
who have deserved thy wrath, and to suffer thy indignation
in every expression, by which thou art pleased to signify it.
Thou, O God, coverest the heaven with clouds, and preparest
rain for the earth ; thou makest the grass to grow upon the
mountains, and herb for the use of men : thou givest fodder
unto the cattle, and feedest the young ravens that call upon
thee : hear us, O God, who are thy servants, and the sheep
of thy pasture. We have indeed wandered and gone astray,
but do thou be merciful unto us, and bring us home to thee :
take away thine anger from us ; bless the labours of the
husbandman, and the fruits of the field ; refresh the weary
earth with seasonable showers [or, seasonable weather], a for
thou hast the key of rain, and the key of providence ; thou
didst bind up the heavens with ribs of iron, and thou didst
open again the sluices of water, at the prayer of thy servant
Elijah ; and thy hand is not shortened, and thy mercies have
no limit.
* According to the present need of rain or fair weather respectively.
ADDITIONALS TO THE FOREGOING OFFICES. 269
II.
Open thy hand, O God, and fill us with thy loving-
kindness, that the mower may fill his hand, and he that
bindeth up the sheaves, his bosom, that our garners maybe
full with all manner of store ; that our sheep may bring
forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets : that our
oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no breaking in
or going out, that our hearts may be replenished with food
and gladness, that there be no complaining in our streets.
Give us sufficient for this life; food and raiment, the light of
thy countenance, and contented spirits ; and thy grace to
seek the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof
in the first place, and then we are sure all these things shall
be added unto us. Grant the desires and hear the prayer of
thy servants, for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord and only
Saviour. Amen.
Or this, upon the same Occasion, or in the Time of any other
Judgment.
Almighty Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we have
sinned, and thou hast smitten us ; and all our evils that we
suffer, are drawn upon our heads by our own impious hands ;
let thy threatenings and thy judgments, thy love and thy
fear, thy promises and thy precepts, work in thy servants
an excellent repentance, and our repentance obtain thy
favour, and thy favour remove the present evil [of drought,
of immoderate rain, of murrain, of plague, of war, of sick-
ness] a from us ; sanctify unto us thy rod, and support us
with thy staff, and restore us to those comforts which we
need, and which thou hast promised to give to them that
love and fear thee, that repent of their sins, and beg for
pardon through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
According to the present occasion.
270 MORNING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY.
A SHORTER FORM OF MORNING PRAYER
FOR A FAMILY.
A more private Office for the Family, to be said betimes in the morning
on Sundays, or at any hour of the morning upon the other days of the
week.
IN THE NAME OF OUR BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS,
OUR FATHER, ETC.
The Morning Hymn.
HEARKEN unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God,
for unto thee will I pray.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning. O Lord, in
the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look
up.
Great is our Lord, and greatly to be praised : his eyes
are ever upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto
their cry.
Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens ; and thy faith-
fulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains, thy judg-
ments are a great deep : O Lord, thou preservest both man
and beast.
How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O Lord ; therefore
the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy
wings.
For with thee is the fountain of life : in thy light we
shall see light.
According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise to the
ends of the earth : thy right-hand is full of righteousness.
The Lord, the Lord God is merciful and gracious, long-
suffering 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.
What is man that thou shouldst magnify him, and that
thou shouldst set thy heart upon him ?
And that thou shouldst visit him every morning, and try
him every moment !
If thou wouldst seek unto God betimes, and make thy
supplication to the Almighty ;
MORNING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY. 271
If thou wert pure and upright, surely now he would
awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteous-
ness prosperous.
O Lord, be gracious unto us, we have waited for thee, be
thou our arm every morning ; our salvation also in the time
of trouble.
O send out thy light and thy truth ; let them lead me,-
let them bring me to thy holy hill, unto thy dwelling.
put your trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is
mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption : he shall
redeem his people from their sins.
Then shall their light break forth as the morning, and
their health shall spring forth speedily ; for the glory of the
Lord shall be their rereward.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
If there be time and convenience, let a chapter be read out of the Sapi-
ential books in order, viz. the Proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the
Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus.
Then shall follow the Creed, to be said by all together.
1 believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven
and earth ; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord :
Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin
Mary : Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead,
and buried : He descended into hell : The third day he rose
again from the dead : He ascended into heaven, and sitteth
on the right-hand of God the Father Almighty : From thence
he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in
the Holy Ghost : The holy catholic Church : the communion
of saints : The forgiveness of sins : The resurrection of the
body : And the life everlasting. Amen.
Minister. The Lord be with you.
People. And with thy spirit.
I.
Let us pray.
O eternal and most blessed Saviour Jesus, thou art the
bright Morning-Star, and the Sun of Righteousness ; ,thou
272 MORNING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY.
dost enlighten our eyes with thy beauties, and our hearts
with thy comfort and with the joys of God ; tho*u art the
Fountain of health and life, of peace and truth, of rest and
holiness ; thou givest to them that want, thou comfortest
them that suffer, thou forgivest them that repent, and hearest
the prayers of all them that call upon thee : we adore thee,
and praise thy glories, and rejoice in thy salvation, and give
thee thanks for thy blessing and defending us, this night,
from all the evil which we have deserved every day, and
from all the violences and snares by which the enemy of
mankind would have hurt us, or destroyed us, unless he had
been restrained by thy eternal goodness and thy almighty
power. Blessed be God.
II.
We acknowledge, O God and Father of our life, that we
are less than the least of all thy mercies, and our iniquity
is greater than we can bear: our thoughts are vain, our words
are foolish and useless, injurious and uncharitable, our ac-
tions criminal and hateful ; our devotion cold, our passions
violent and unreasonable ; our duties imperfect, our repent-
ance little, our holiness none at all. O God our Judge, we
confess before thee, that we neither know thee as we ought,
nor have taken care that we might ; we live in the world to
ourselves, but without just regards of thee and of religion ;
we daily receive thy blessings, and yet we provoke thee
every day ; we tremble not at thy judgments, though we
have deserved them, nor fear till the evil day comes upon
us : we are greedy of doing evil, but impatient of suffering
any in prosperity: we forget thy severity and justice : in
afflictions we are timorous and amazed, and dare not rely
upon thy goodness, nor with confidence and love expect the
effects of thy mercies and forgiveness. Every thing can
ternpt us to sin, and we fall infallibly ; but by all the arts
of thy Spirit, and the methods of thy mercy, we are not brought
to obey thee as we ought : our state is sad, our condition is
sinful, our hopes are broken, and we often forget ourselves,
and still neglect and despise our own danger.
III.
But, O God our Father, merciful and gracious, have
mercy upon us. Be pleased to admit thy servants to a full
MORNING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY. 273
pardon of all our sins, let us not persevere in any one sin,
nor pass from one sin to another. Smite us not, O God, in
thine anger, and let not thy wrath descend upon our guilty
heads. Thy anger, O God, is insufferable, thy vengeance is
the portion of accursed souls, and thou hast prepared the
everlasting fire for the devil and his angels for ever. O Lord,
thou Father of our life and lover of souls, let us never have
our portion in the bottomless pit, in the lake that burneth
with fire and brimstone for ever : but let our portion be in
the actions of repentance, in the service of God, in the aids
and comforts of thy Spirit, in duty and holiness, in the light
of thy countenance, and in the likeness and in the inheritance
of our Lord Jesus, O God, let not thine arrows smite us,
nor thy judgments consume us ; keep us from all expressions
of thy wrath, and let us rejoice in thy mercies and loving-
kindnesses for ever and ever. Amen.
IV.
And that thy servants may reasonably and humbly hope
for thy final mercies and deliverance, be pleased to give us
all that we need in order to the performance of our duty, and
work all that in us by which we may please thee. Instruct
us in thy truth, and prepare the means of salvation for us,
providing for the necessities, and complying with the capa-
cities, of every one of us. Take from us all blindness of
heart and carelessness of spirit, all irreligion, and wilful
ignorance. Create in us a love of holy things, and open
our hearts, that we may perceive, and love, and retain the
things of God with diligence, and humility, and industry.
O God our Father, pity our weaknesses and temptations, our
avocations and unavoidable divertisements, the prejudices
and evil contingencies happening in the state of our lives :
enable us with sufficient and activa graces to do whatsoever
thou requirest of us severally. Require no more of any one
of us than thou hast or shalt give unto us, neither do thou
exact all that ; for we all confess our weaknesses and defects,
our strange imperfections and inexcusable wanderings and
omissions : but be pleased to cure all our vicious inclina-
tions ; and take care to remove from us all those temptations,
which without thy mighty grace are not to be avoided, and
if they come, are by our weaknesses not to be overcome.
VOL. xv. T
274 MORNING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY.
Keep us, O God, from flattery and irreligion, from vicious
compliances and evil customs, and let not the reverence of
any man cause us to sin against thee ; keep us upright in our
religion and worshippings of thee, and let no change of the
world engage us in a state of life against our duty ; for Jesus
Christ's sake, our dearest Lord and Saviour.
V.
Keep us, O God, by thy Holy Spirit of grace, from all
the sins of idleness and intemperance, from injustice and
sensuality, from the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes,
from the pride of life and vanity of spirit, from being careless
of our duty or false in our trust, from breach of promise or
reproachful language, from slandering or traducing any man,
from false accusation and false witness, from faction and
envy. Grant us thy grace, that we may be diligent in our
business, just in our charges, provident of our time, watchful
in our duty, careful of every word we speak. O make us to
be pleased in the offices of religion, useful to those that
employ us, dutiful to our superiors, loving to each other, con-
scientious in private, humble in public, patient in adversity,
religious and thankful in prosperity.
VI.
O blessed God, take care of our souls, and of our bodies :
keep us from sharp and tedious sicknesses. Let us never fall
into want or be unprovided for in our age, and forsake us
not, O God, when we are gray-headed. Grant us great
measures of thy Spirit, that we may abstain from all appear-
ances of evil, and from all occasions of it, and that we may
take care to do whatsoever is honest and of good report;
that having laid up a treasure of good works against the day
of thy visitation, we may rejoice in the day of our death, and
find mercy at the day of judgment, through the goodness of
our God, and by the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. Amen.
VII.
Bless and sanctify, defend and save, all Christian kings,
princes, governors, and states ; grant that all powers, civil
and ecclesiastical, may join together in the promoting the
honour of God and the kingdom of the Lord Jesus, and may
MORNING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY. 275
find the blessings of God, and the rewards of the Lord Jesus,
in this world, and in the world to come. Give health and
comfort, peace and holiness, long life and increase of grace,
to the chiefest of this family [here name the relation'] : grant
that their portion may he in religion, and the love of God ;
keep them from all evil by the guard of angels, and lead
them into all good by the conduct of thy good Spirit.
VIII.
In mercy and great compassion remember all them that
are miserable and afflicted, persecuted or poor; that have
lost their estates or lost their liberty, their health or their
peace, their innocence or their hopes ; restore them, O Lord,
to all good, and to all useful comforts ; and let not the enemy
of mankind invade thy portion, or destroy any soul for whom
thou hast paid the price of thy most precious blood. Hear
us, O God, in mercy, and bless all our relations, and prosper
all our labours, and sanctify all our intentions, and forgive
us all our sins, and relieve all our necessities, and defend us
from all dangers, and especially from our ownselves, from
our evil habits and foolish customs, from our weak principles
and sad infirmities, from our evil concupiscence and vicious
inclinations, from the power of the devil and from thy wrath ;
and bring us in mercy and truth, in holiness and comfort, in
labour and certainty, to a fruition of the glories of God, in
the inheritance of our blessed Saviour. Grant this, O God
our Father, for the merits and by the redemption and inter-
cession of our blessed Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communication of the Holy Spirit of God, be with
us, defend and guide, sanctify and save us, and all our rela-
tives, and all the servants of God, this day and for evermore.
Amen.
276 EVENING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY.
A SHORT FORM OF EVENING PRAYER
FOR A FAMILY.
IN THE NAME OF OUR BLESSED LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS.
OUR FATHER, &c.
The Hymn.
O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the
earth, thou hast set thy glory above the heavens !
When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained :
What is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son
of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him little lower than the angels, and
hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of
thy hands : and hast put all things under his feet ;
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the
fowl of the air, and the fishes of the sea.
O Lord, our Governor, how excellent is thy name in all
the world !
The heavens declare the glory of God ; and the firmament
sheweth his handy work.
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night
sheweth knowledge.
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their
words to the end of the world.
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and
not be silent : O Lord, my God, I will give thanks unto thee
for ever.
Shew me thy ways, O Lord, teach me thy paths, lead me
in thy truth, and teach me ; for thou art the God of my sal-
vation : on thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy loving-
kindnesses ; for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgres-
sion : according to thy mercy remember me, for thy goodness'
sake, O Lord.
For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for
EVENING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY. 277
it is very great : O keep my soul and deliver me, let me not
be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee.
That which I see not, teach thou me : I have done iniquity,
but I will do no more : for there is no darkness, nor shadow
of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all
his goings : but none saith, Where is God my Maker, who
giveth songs in the night ?
But I put my trust in thee, O Lord ; I have said, Thou
art my God.
Into thy hand I commend my spirit ; thou hast redeemed
me, O Lord God of truth.
I will lay me down in peace: for thou, Lord, only makest
me dwell in safety.
Glory be to the Father, &a 
