Scala sancta: or The exaltation of the soul. Being a train of pious thoughts, compleating the whole duty of man: or, Devotions compiled by R.A. Gent. in his solitudes.

A Private Evening Prayer for the Sabbath Day.

O Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sab∣bath, suffer me who am but dust and ashes, to speak unto thy glorious Ma∣jesty; I know that thou art a consuming fire, I acknowledge that I am but wretch∣ed stubble, my sins are in thy sight, and Satan stands at my right hand to accuse me for them; I come not to excuse, but to judge my self worthy of all those judgments which thy justice might most justly inflict upon me, a wretched crea∣ture, for my sins and my transgressions, the number of them is so great, and the nature of them is so grievous, that they make me seem vile in mine own eyes, how

much more loathsom in thy sight. I con∣fess they make me so far from being wor∣thy to be called thy Son, that I am altoge∣ther unworthy to have the name of thy meanest servant; and if thou shouldest but recompence me according to my deserts, the Earth, as weary of such a sinful burden, should open her mouth, and swallow me up like one of Dathans Family, into the bottomless pit of Hell; for if thou didst not spare the natural branches, those An∣gels of glorious excellency, but hurledst them down from thy heavenly habitation in the pains of hellish darkness, to be kept unto damnation, when they sinned but once against thy Majesty, and didst expel our first Parents out of Paradise, when they did but transgress one of thy Laws: Alas, what a vengeance may I expect, who have not offended in one sin only, but heaping sin upon sin, without any true Repentance, drinking in iniquity as it were water, ever pouring in, but never pouring out any filthiness; and transgressed all thy Laws and Commandments; yea this present day thou hast straightly com∣manded me to keep holy to thy praise and worship, I have not so religiously kept and observed, nor prepared my soul in that holiness and chastity of heart as was

fit to meet thy blessed Majesty in the holy Assembly of thy Saints: I have not at∣tended to the Preaching of thy Word, nor to the administration of thy Sacrament, with that humility, reverence and devo∣tion that I should; for though I was pre∣sent at those exercises in my body, yet Lord, I was overtaken with much drow∣siness, that when I was awake, my mind was so distracted and carried away with vain and worldly thoughts, that my soul seemed to be absent, and out of the Church. I have not so duly as I should meditated with my self, nor conferred with my Family upon those good instru∣ctions which I have heard and received out of thy holy Word, by the publick Mi∣nister, for default whereof, Satan hath stollen the most part of those instructions out of my heart, and I wretched creature, have forgotten them, as though they had never been heard; and my family doth not thrive in knowledge and satisfaction under my government, as they should, though I know that many of my poor Brethren live in want and necessity; some in pain, and comfortless, yet I have not remembred to relieve the one with my alms, nor the other with my consolations, but have feasted my self, and satisfied

mine own lust; I have spent most part of the day in idle talk, vain sports and exer∣cises; yea, Lord, I have, &c. here confess what faults thou hast done that day, by omis∣sion or commission, and then fetching a deep sigh from thy heart, and for all these my sins, my conscience cries guilty, thy Laws condemns me, and I am in thy hand to receive the sentence and curse that is due to the wilful breach of so holy a Com∣mandment: but what if I am by the Law condemned, yet Lord, thy Gospel assures me that thy mercy is above all thy works, and that thy grace transcends thy Law, and thy goodness delights there to raign, where sinners do most abound. In the multitude of the mercies and merits of Je∣sus Christ my Saviour, I beseech thee, O Lord, who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner, to pardon and forgive unto me all these my sins, and all the errours of that day, and of my whole life, and free my soul from that curse and judg∣ment which is due unto me for them. Thou that didst justifie the contrite Publi∣can for four words of confession, and re∣ceivedst the prodigal Child when he had spent all the stock of grace, into favour, upon his repentance, pardon all my sins

likewise, O Lord, and suffer me not to perish for my transgressions. O spare me for thy mercy sake, and receive me unto favour again. Wilt thou, O Lord, reject me, who hast received all Publicans and sinners, that upon repentance sued unto thee for grace. Shall I alone be excluded from thy mercy? far be it from me to think so, for thou art the same God of mercy unto me that thou wast unto them, and thy compassion never fails; where∣fore, O Lord, deal not with me after my merits, but according to thy great mercy, execute not thy severe justice against me a sinner, but execute thy long-sufferance in forbearing thine own creature. I have nothing to present unto thee for a satis∣faction, but only those bloody wounds, bitter death and passion which thy blessed Son, my only Saviour, hath suffered for me, him, in whom only thou art well pleased, I offer up unto thee, for all my sins wherewith thou art displeased; he my Mediator, the request of whose blood speaking better things than that of Abel, thy mercy can never gainsay, illuminate my understanding▪ and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit, that it may bring to my remembrance all those good and profi∣table lessons which this day, or at any

other time hath been taught unto me out of thy holy Word, that I may remember them; thy Commandments to keep them, thy Judgments to avoid them, and thy sweet promises to rely upon them in time of misery and distress; and now, O Lord, I resign my self to thy most holy Will, O receive me into thy favour, and so draw me by thy grace unto thy self, that I may as well be thine by Love and Implanta∣tion, as by Calling and Creation, and give me grace so to keep holy thy Sabbath in this life, as that when this life is ended, I may with all thy Saints and Angels, cele∣brate an eternal rest of joy and praise to the honour of thy most holy Name in thy heavenly Kingdom for ever more. Amen.