Holy living in which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every virute, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations : together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion occasians [sic], and furnished for all necessities / by Jer. Taylor.

CHAP. IV. Of Christian Religion. (Book 4)

REligion ••n a large sense doth signi∣fie the whole duty of Man, com∣prehending in it Justice, Cha∣rity, and Sobriety: because all these being commanded by God they become a part of that honour and wor∣ship

which we are bound to pay to him. And thus the word is used in S. James, Pure Reli∣gion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,* 1.1 To visit the fatherlesse and Widows in their ••ffliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. But in a more restrained sense it is taken for that part of duty which particularly relates to God in our worship∣pings and adoration of him, in confessing his excellencies, loving his person, admitting his goodness, believing his Word, and doing all that which may in a proper and direct man∣ner doe him honour. It contains the duties of the first Table only, and so it is called Godliness,* 1.2 and is by S. Paul, distinguished from Justice and Sobriety. In this sense I am now to explicate the parts of it.

Of the internal actions of Religion.

Those I call the internal actions of Reli∣gion, in which the soul only is imployed, and ministers to God in the special actions of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Faith believes the rev••lations of God: Hope expects his pro∣mises: and Charity loves his excellencies and mercies. Faith gives our understanding to God: Hope gives up all the passions and affections to Heaven and heavenly things: and Charity gives the will to the service of God. Faith is opposed to infidelity: Hope to Despair: Charity to Enmity and Hostility; and these three sanctifie the whole Man, and make our duty to God and obedience to his Commandments to be chosen, reasonable, and delightful, and therefore to be intire, perse∣vering, and universal.

SECT. IV. Of Faith.

The Acts and Offices of Faith, are

1. TO believe every thing which God hath revealed to us:* 1.3 and when once we are convinced that God hath spoken it, to make no further enquiry, but humbly to submit, ever remembring that there are some things which ou•• understanding cannot fathom nor search out their depth.

2. To believe nothing concerning God but what is honourable and excellent, as know∣ing that belief to be no honouring of God which entertains of him any dishonourable thoughts. Faith is the parent of Charity, and whatsoever Faith entertains must be apt to produce love to God: but he that believes God to be cruel or unmerciful, or a rejoicer in the unavoidable damnation of the greatest part of mankinde, or that he speaks one thing and privately means another; thinks evil thoughts concerning God, and such, as for which we should hate a man, and therefore are great enemies of Faith, being apt to de∣stroy Charity. Our Faith concerning God must be as himself hath revealed and descri∣bed his own excellencies: and in our dis∣courses we must remove from him all imper∣fection; and attribute to him all excellence.

3. To give our selves wholly up to Christ in heart and desire to become Disciples of his doctrine with choice (besides conviction) be∣ing in the presence of God, but as Ideots, that is, without any principles of our own to hin∣der the truth of God; but sucking in greedily

all that God hath taught us, believing it in∣finitely, and loving to believe it. For this is an act of Love reflected upon Faith, or an act of Faith leaning upon Love.

4. To believe all Gods promises, and that whatsoever is promised in Scripture shall on Gods part be as surely performed as if we had it in possession. This act makes us to relie upon God with the same confidence as we did on our Parents when we were chil∣dren, when we made no doubt, but whatso∣ever we needed we should have it if it were in their power.

5. To believe also the conditions of the promise, or that part of the revelation which concerns our duty. Many are apt to believe the Article of remission of sins, but they be∣lieve it without the condition of repentance, of the fruits of holy life: and that is to be∣lieve the Article otherwise then God inten∣ded it. For the Covenant of the Gospel is the great object of Faith, and that supposes our duty to answer his grace; that God will be our God, so long as we are his people: The other is not Faith, but Flattery.

6. To professe publickly the doctrine of Jesus Christ, openly owning whatsoever he hath revealed and commanded, not being ashamed of the Word of God, or of any pra∣ctices enjoyned by it; and this, without com∣plying with any mans interest, not regarding favour, nor being moved with good words, not fearing disgrace, or losse, or inconveni∣ence, or death it self.

7. To pray without doubting, without weariness, without faintness, entertaining no

jealousies, or suspicions of God, but being confident of Gods hearing us, and of his re∣turns to us, whatsoever the manner or the in∣stance be, that if we doe our duty, it will be gracious and merciful.

These acts of Faith are in several degrees in the servants of Jesus: some have it but as a grain of mustard-seed, some grow up to a plant, some have the fulness of faith: but the least faith that is must be a perswasion so strong as to make us undertake the doing of all that duty which Christ built upon the foundation of believing: but we shall best discern the truth of our faith by these fol∣lowing signes. S. Hierome reckons three.* 1.4

Signes of true Faith.

1. An earnest and vehement prayer: for it is impossible we should heartily believe the things of God and the glories of the Gospel, and not most importunately desire them. For every thing is desired according to our be∣lief of its excellency and possibility.

2. To doe nothing for vain-glory, but wholly for the interests of religion, and these Articles we believe; valuing not at all the rumours of men, but the praise of God, to whom by faith, we have given up all our in∣tellectual faculties.

3. To be content with God for our Judge, for our Patron for our Lord, for our friend, desiring God to be all in all to us, as we are in our understanding and affections wholly his,

Adde to these:

4. To be a stranger upon earth in our af∣fections, and to have all our thoughts and

principal desires fixed upon the matters of Faith, the things of Heaven. For if a man were adopted heir to Caesar, he would (if he believed it real and effective) despise the pre∣sent, and wholly be at court in his Fathers eye; and his desires would outrun his swiftest speed, and all his thoughts would spend themselves in creating Idea's, and little phan∣tastick images of his future condition. Now God hath made us Heirs of his Kingdome, and Coheirs with Jesus: if we believed this, we would think and affect, and study accor∣dingly. But he that rejoices in gain, and his ••eart dwels in the world, and is espoused to a fair estate, and transported with a light mo∣mentany joy, and is afflicted with losses, and amazed with temporal persequutions, and e∣steems disgrace, or poverty in a good cause to be intolerable, this man either hath no inhe∣ritance in Heaven, or believes none; and be∣lieves not that he is adopted to be the Son of God, the Heir of eternal Glory.

5. S James's signe is the best: [Shew me thy faith by thy works] Faith makes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Mer∣chant diligent and venturous, and that makes him rich. Ferdinando of Ar••agon believed the story told him by Columbus, and there∣fore he furnished him with ships, and got the west Indies by his Faith in the undertaker. But Henry the seventh of England believed him not, and therefore trusted him not with shipping, and lost all the purchase of that Faith. It is told us by Christ [He that forgives shall be forgiven] if we believe this, it is cer∣tain we shall forgive our enemies; for none of us all but need and desire to be forgiven.

No man can possibly despise or ref••se to de∣sire such excellent glories as are revealed to them that are servants of Christ: and yet we doe nothing that is commanded us as a con¦dition to obtain them. No man could work a daies labour without ••aith: but because he believes he shall have his wages at the daies or weeks end, he does his duty. But he only believes who does that thing which other men in the like cases doe, when they doe be∣lieve. He that believes, money gotten with danger is better then poverty with safety, will venture for it in unknown lands or seas: and so will he that believes it better to get Heaven with labour, then to go to Hell with pleasure.

6. He that believes does not make haste, but waits patiently till the times of refreshment come, and dares trust God for the morrow, and is no more s••llicitous for next year, then he is for that which is past: and it is certain, that man wants faith who dares be more confident of being supplied when he hath money in his purse, then when he hath it only in bils of exchange from God: or that relies more upon his own industry then up∣on Gods providence, when his own industry fails him. If you dare trust to God when the case to humane reason seems impossible, and trust to God then also out of choice, not be∣cause you have nothing else to trust to, but because he is the only support of a just con∣fidence, then you give a good testimony of your faith.

7. True Faith is confident, and will venture all the world upon the strength of its per∣swasion.

Will you lay your life on it, your esta••e your reputation, that the doctrine of JESUS CHRIST is true in every Article? Then you have true Faith. But he t••a•• fears men more then God, believes men more then he believes in God.

8. Faith if it be true, living and justifying, cannot be separated from a good life: it w••••ks miracles, makes a drunkard become sober, a lascivious person bec••me chaste, a covetous man become liberal: it overcomes the world, it works righteousness, and makes us diligently to doe,* 1.5 and cheerfully to suffer whatsoever God hath placed in our way to Heaven.

The Means and Instruments to obtain Faith, are

1. An humble, willing, and docible minde, or desire t•• be instructed in the way of God: for perswasion enters like a sun-beam, gent∣ly, and without violence, and open but the window, and draw the curtain, and the Sun of righteousness will enlighten your darkness.

2. Remove all prejudice and love to every thing which may be contradicted by Faith: How can ye believe, (said Christ) that receive praise one of another? An uncha••te man can∣not easily be brought to believe that without purity he shall never see God. He that loves riches can hardly believe the doctrine of po∣verty & renunciation of the world: and alms & Martyrdom, and the doctrine of the cross is folly to him that loves his ease and plea∣sures. He that hath within him any principle contrary to the doctrines of Faith, cannot easily become a Disciple.

3. Prayer which is instrumental to every thing hath a particular promise in this thing. He that lacks wisdome let him ask it of God: and, if you give good things to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that ask him?

4. The consideration of the Divine omni∣potence, and infinite wisdom, and our own ignorance, are great instruments of curing all doubting, and silencing the murmures of in∣fidelity.

5. Avoid all curiosity of inquiry into par∣ticulars,* 1.6 and circumstances and myste••i••s: for true faith is full 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ing••nuity, and ••e••rty sim∣plicity, free from suspicion, wise and confi∣dent, trusting upon generals without watch∣ing and pry••ng into unnecessary or undi••cer∣nible particulars. No Man carries his bed in∣to his fi••ld to watch how his corn grows; but believes upon the general order of Pro∣vidence and Nature; and at Harvest findes himself not deceived.

6. In time of temptation be not busie to dispute, but relic upon the conclusion, and throw your self upon God, and contend nor with him but in prayer, and in the presence and with the help of a prudent untempted guide: and be sure to esteem all changes of belief which offer themselves in the time of your greatest weakness (contrary to the per∣swasions of your best understanding) to be temptations, and reject them accordingly.

7. It is a prudent course that in our health and best advantages we lay up particular ar∣guments and instruments of perswasion and confidence, to be brought forth and used in

the great day of expence; and that especially in such things in which we use to be most tempted, and in which we are least confi∣dent, and which are most necessary, and which commonly the Devil uses to assault us withall in the daies of our visitation.

8. The wisdom of the Church of God is very remarkable in appointing Festivals or Holidaies, whose solemnity and Offices have no other special business but to record the Article of the day; such as, Trinity Sunday, Ascension, Easter, Christmas-day: and to those persons who can only believe, not prove or dispute, there is no better instru∣ment to cause the remembrance, and plain notion, and to endear the affection and hear∣ty assent to the Article, then the proclaiming and recommending it by the festivity and joy of a Holy-day.

SECT. II. Of the Hope of a Christian.

FAith differs from Hope in the extension of its object, and in the intension of degree. S Austin thus accounts their differences:* 1.7 Faith is of all things revealed, good and bad, rewards and punishments, of things past, pre∣sent, and to come, of things that concern us, and of things that concern us not: But Hope hath for its Object things only that are good and fit to be hoped for, future, and concern∣ing our selves: and because these things are offered to us upon conditions of which we may so fail as we may change our will; there∣fore our certainty is lesse then the adheren∣ces of faith; which (because Faith relies only

upon one proposition, that is, the truth of the Word of God) cannot be made uncertain in themselves, though the object of ou•• H••pe may become uncertain to ••s, and to our pos∣session: for it is infallibly certain 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there is Heaven for all the godly, and 〈…〉〈…〉 a∣mongst them all, it 〈…〉〈…〉 my 〈◊〉〈◊〉. But that I shall enter into Heaven is the object of my Hope, not of my Faith, and is to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as it is certain I shall persevere in the waies of God.

The Acts of Hope, are

1. To relie upon God with a confident ex∣pectation of his promises; ever esteeming that every promise of God is a magazine of all the grace and relief which we can need in that instance for which the promise is made. Every degree of hope is a degree of confidence.

2. To esteeme all the danger of an action and the possibilities of miscarriage, and every crosse accident that can intervene, to be no detect on gods part but, either a mercy on his part, or a fault on ••u••s: for then we shall be sure to trust in God when we see him to be our confidence, and our selves the cause of all mischances. The hope of a Christian is prudent and religious.

3. To rejoyce in the midst of a misfortune or seeming sadness, knowing that this may work for good and will, if we be not want∣ing to our souls. This is a direct act of Hope to look through the cloud, and look for a beam of the light from God, and this is cal∣led in Scripture, Rejoycing in tribulation, when the God of Hope fills us with all joy in

believing. Every degree if hope brings a de∣gree of ••oy.

4. To desire, to pray, and to long for the great object o•• our hope, the mighty price of our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 calling; and to desir•• the other things of this life, as ••••ey are promised, that is, so fa••••e as they are made necessary and useful to us ••n 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to Gods glory, and the 〈…〉〈…〉 of souls. Hope and Fasting are said to be the two wings of Prayer. Fasting is but as the wing of a Bird, but Hope is like the wing of an Angel soring up to Heaven, and bears our prayers to the throne of Grace. Without Hope it is impossible to pray; but Hope makes our prayers reasonable, passi∣onate, and religious; for it relies upon Gods promise, or experience, or providence, and story. Prayer is alwaies in proportion to our Hope, zealous and Affectionate.

5. Perseverance is the perfection of the duty of Hope, and its last act: and so long as our hope continues, so long we go on in duty and diligence: but he that is to raise a Castle in an h••ur, sits down and does nothing to∣wards it: and Herod the Sophister left off to teach his son, when he saw 24 Pages appointed to wait on him, and called by the several Letters of the Alphabet, could never make him to understand his letters per∣fectly.

Rules to govern our Hope.

1. Let your Hope be moderate, proportioned to your state, person and condition whether it be for gifts or graces, or temporal favours. It is an ambitious hope for a person whose diligence is like them that are least in the

Kingdome of Heaven, to believe themselves endeared to God as the greatest Saints, or that they shall have a throne equal to S. Paul, or the blessed Virgin Mary. A Stammerer cannot with moderation hope for the gift of Tongues, or a Peasant to become learned as Origen: or if a Begger desires or hopes to become a King, or asks for a thousand pound a year, we call him impudent, not passionate, much lesse ••easonable. Hope that God will crown your endeavours with equal measures of that reward which he indeed ••••eely gives, but yet gives according to our proportions. Hope for good successe according to, or not much beyond the efficacy of the causes and the instrument, and let the Husbandman hope for a good Harvest not for a rich King∣dome, or a victorious Army.

2. Let your hope be well founded, relying up must confidences, that is, upon God ac∣cording to his revelations and promises. For it is possible for a Man to have a vain hope upon God: and in matters of Religion it is presumption to hope that Gods mercies will be powred forth upon lazy persons that doe nothing towards holy and strict walk∣ing nothing (I say) but trust, and long for an event besides and against all disposition of the mean••. Every false principle in Re∣ligion is a Read o•• Egypt, false and dange∣rous. * Relie not in temporal things upon uncertain prophecies, and Astrology not up∣on our own wit or industry, not upon gold or friends, not upon Armies and Princes, expect not health from Physicians that can∣not cure their own breath, much lesse their

mortality: use all lawfull instruments, but expect nothing from them above their natu∣rall or ordinary efficacy, and in the use of them from God expect a blessing. A hope that is easie and credulous is an arm of flesh, an ill supporter without a bone.* 1.8

3. Let your hope be without vanity, or garishness of spirit, but sober, grave and si∣lent, fixed in the heart, not born upon the lip, apt to support our spirits within, but not to provoke envy abroad.

4. Let your hope be of things possible, safe and useful.* 1.9 He that hopes for an opportuni∣ty of acting his revenge, or lust, or rapine, watches to doe himself a mischief. All evils of our selves or brethren are objects of our fear, not hope: and when it is truly under∣stood, things uselesse and unsafe can no more be wished for, then things impossible can be obtained.

5. Let your Hope be patient, without tedi∣ousness of spirit, or hastiness of prefixing time. Make no limits or prescriptions to God, but let your prayers and endeavours go on still with a constant attendance on the pe∣riods of Gods providence. The men of Be∣thulia resolved to wait upon God but five daies longer. But deliverance stayed seven daies, and yet came at last: and take not every accident for an argument of despair▪ but go on still in hoping, and begin again to work if any ill accident have interrupted you.

Means of Hope, and remedies against Despair.

The means to cu••e Despair, and to con∣tinue

or increase Hope, are partly by consi∣deration, partly by exercise.,

1. Apply your minde to the cure of all the proper causes of Despair: and they are weak∣ness of Spirit, or violence of passion.* 1.10 He that greedily covets, is impatient of delay, and desperate in contrary accidents; and he that is little of heart, is also little of hope, and apt to sorrow and suspicion.

2. Despise the things of the World, and be indifferent to all changes and events of providence; and for the things of God the promises are certain to be performed in kinde; and where there is lesse variety of chance, there is lesse possibility of being (a) 1.11 mocked: but he that creates to himself thou∣sands of little hopes, uncertain in the pro∣mise, fallible in the event and depending up∣on ten thousand circumstances (as are all his things of this World) shall often fail in the expectations, and be used to arguments of distrust in such hopes.

3. So long as your hopes are regular and reasonable, though in temporal affairs, such as are deliverance from enemies, escaping a storm or ship wrak, recovery from a sick∣ness, ability to pay your debts, &c. remem∣ber that there are some things ordinary, and some things extraordinary to prevent de∣spaire. In ordinary, Remember that the very

hoping in God is an endearment of him and a mea••s to obtain the blessing [I will deliver him because he hath put his trust in me.] 2. There are in GOD all those glo∣rious Attributes and excellencies which in the nature of things can possibly create or confirme Hope. GOD is 1. Strong. 2. Wise. 3. True. 4. Loving. There cannot be added another capacity to create a confidence, for upon these premises we cannot fail of recei∣ving what is fit for us. 3. GOD hath oblig••d himselfe by promise that wee shall have the good of every thing we desire: or even l••sses and denials shall work for the good of them that fear God. And if we will trust the truth of GOD for performance of the gene••al▪ we may well trust his wisdome to choose for us the particular. * But the extraordinaries of GOD are apt to supply the de••ect of all natu∣ral & humane possibilities. 1. GOD hath in ma∣ny instances give extraordinary virtue to the active causes and instruments: to a jaw∣bone to kill a multitude; to 300 Men to de∣stroy a great Army; to Jonathan and his Ar∣mour-bearer to rout a w••ole Garrison. 2. He hath given excellent sufferance and vigorousness to the sufferers, arming them with strange courage, heroical fortitude, in∣vincible resolution, and glorious patience: and thus, he laies no more upon us then we are able to bear: for when he increa∣ses our sufferings, he lessens them by in∣creasing our patience. 3. His providence is extraregular and produces strange things beyond common rules: and he that lead Israel through a ••ea, and made a Rock powre

forth waters, and the Heavens to give them bread and flesh, and whole Armies to be destroyed with phantastick noi••••s, and the fortune of all France to ••e recovered and in∣tirely revolved by the arms and conduct of a Girle against the ••orrent of the English for∣tune & Ch••val••y; can doe what ••e please, and still retains the same affections to his people, and the same providence over man∣kinde as ever: and it is impossible for that Man to despair,* 1.12 who remembers that his Hel∣per is Omnipotent, and can doe what he please: let us rest th••••e a while▪ he can if he please: And ••e is infinitely loving; willing enough: and he is infinitely wise, choosing better for us then we can doe for our selves. This in all ages and chances hath supported the af∣flicted people of GOD, and carried them on drie ground through the Red Sea. GOD in∣vites and cherishes the hopes of Men by all the variety of his providence.

4. If your case be brought to the last ex∣tremity, and that you are at the pits brink, even the very Margent of the Grave, yet then despair not; at least put it off a little longer: and remember that whatsoever fi∣nal accident takes away all hope from you, if you stay a little longer, and in the mean while bear it sweetly, it will also take away all despair too. For when you enter into the regions of death, you rest from all your la∣bours and your fears.

5. Let them who are tempted to despair of their salvation, consider how much Christ suffered to redeem us from sin and its eter∣nal punishment: and he that considers this

must needs believe, that the desires which God had to save us were not lesse then infi∣nite, and therefore not easily to be satisfied without it.

6. Let no man despaire of Gods mercies to forgive him, unlesse he be sure that his sins are greater then Gods mercies. If they be not, we have much reason to hope that the stronger ingredient will prevail so long as we are in the time and state of repentance, and within the possibilities and latitute of the Covenant; and as long as any promise can but reflect upon him with an oblique beam of comfort. Possibly the Man may e••re in his judgment of circumstances, and there∣fore let him fear: but because it is not cer∣tain he is mistaken, let him not despair.

7. Consider that God who knows all the events of Men, and what their final condition shall be, who shall be saved, and who will perish, yet he treateth them as his own, calls them to be his own, offers fair conditions as to his own, gives them blessings, arguments of mercy, and instances of fear to call them off from death, and to call them home to life, and in all this shows no despaire of hap∣piness to them, and therefore much lesse should any Man despaire for himself, since he never was able to read the Scroles of the eternal predestination.

8. Remember that despair belongs only to passionate Fools or Villains, (such as were Achitophel and ••udas) or else to Devils and damned persons: and as the hope of salva∣tion is a good disposition towards it; so is despair a certain consignation to eternal

ruine. A Man may be damned for despairing to be saved. Despair is the proper passion of damnation. God hath placed truth and fe∣licity in Heaven:* 1.13 Curiosity and repentance upon Faith: but misery and despaire are the portions of Hell.

9. Gather together into your spirit, and its treasure-house [the Memory] not only all the promises of GOD but also the remembran∣ces of experience, and the former senses of the Divine favours▪ that from thence you may argue from times past to the present, and enl••••g•• to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and to greater bles∣sings. For although the co••j••ct•••••••• and ex∣pectations of Hope are not like the conclu∣sions of Faith, yet they are a Helmet against the scorchings of Despair in temporal things, and an anchor of the soul sure and stedfast against the fluctuations of the Spirit in mat∣ters of the soul. S. Bernard reckons divers principles of Hope by enumerating the in∣stances of the Divine Mercy; and we may by them reduce this rule to practise in the fol∣lowing manner: 1. GOD hath preserved me from many sins; his mercies are infinite; I hope he will still preserve me from more, and for ever. * 2. I have sinned and GOD smote me not: his mercies are still over the penitent; I hope he will deliver me from all the evils I have deserved. He hath forgiven me many sins of malice, and therefore surely he will pity my infirmities. * 3. God visited my heart and changed it: he loves the work of his own hands, and so my heart is now become: I hope he will love this t••o. * 4. When I repented he received me graci∣ously;

and therefore I Hope if I doe my en∣devour he will totally forgive me. * 5. He helped my slow and beginning endevours, and therefore I hope he will lead me to per∣fection. * 6. When he had given me some∣thing first, then he gave me more. I hope therefore he will keep me from falling, and give me the grace of perseverance. * 7. He hath chosen me to be a Disciple of Christs institution; he hath elected me to his King∣dom of grace, and therefore I hope also to the Kingdom of his glory. * 8. He died for me when I was his enemy, and therefore I hope he will save me when he hath reconci∣led me to him, and is become my friend. * 9. God hath given us his Son, how should not he with him give us all things else? All these S. Bernard reduces to these three Heads, as the instruments of all our hopes: 1. The charity of GOD adopting us. 2. The truth of his promises. 3. The power of his per∣formance: which if any truly weighs, no infirmity or accident can breake his ••••pes into undiscernible fragments, but some good pl••••ks will remain after the greatest storm and shipwrack. This was Saint Pauls in∣strument: Experience begets hope, and hope maketh not ashamed.

10. Doe thou take care only of thy duty, of the means and proper instruments of thy purpose, and leave the end to GOD: lay that up with him, and he will take care of all that is intrusted to him: and this being an act of confidence in God, is also a means of security to thee.

11. By special arts of spiritual prudence &

arguments secure the confident belief of the Resurrection, and thou canst not but hope for every thing the which you may reason∣ably expect, or lawfully desire upon the stock of the Divine mercies and promises.

12. If •• despair seises you in a particular temporal instance, let it not defile thy spirit with impute mixture, or mingle in spiritual considerations; but rather let it make thee fortifie thy soul in matters of Religion, that by being thrown out of your Earthly dwel∣ling and confidence, you may retire into the strengths of grace, and hope the more strong∣ly in that, by how much you are the more defeated in this, that despair of a fortune or a success, may become the necessity of all virtue.

SECT. III. Of Charity or the love of God.

LOve is the greatest thing that God can give us, for himself is love; and it is the greatest thing we can give to God, for it will also give our selves, and carry with it all that is ours. The Apostle calls it the band of perfection; it is the Old, and it is the New, and it is the great Commandement, and it is all the Commandements, for it is the fulfil∣ling of the Law. It does the work of all other graces, without any instrument but its own immediate virtue. For is the love to sin makes a Man sin against all his own rea∣son, and all the discourses of wisdom, and all the advices of his friends, and without temptation, and without opportunity: so does the love of God; it makes a man chaste

without the laborious arts of fasting and ex∣teriour disciplines, temperate in the midst of feasts, and is active enough to choose it with∣out any intermedial appetites, and reaches at Glory through the very heart of Grace, without any other arms but those of Love. It is a grace that loves God for himself, and our Neighbours for God. The consideration of Gods goodness and bounty, the experience of those profitable and excellent emanations from him, may be, and most commonly are the first motive of our love: but when we are once entred, and have tasted the goodness of God, we love the spring for its own ex∣cellency, passing from passion to reason from thanking to adoring, from sense to spirit, from considering our selves to an union with God and this is the image and little repre∣sentation of Heaven; it is beatitude in pi∣cture, or rather the infancy and beginnings of glory.

We need no incentives by way of special enumeration to move us to the love of God, for we cannot love any thing for any reason reall or imaginary, but that excellence is in∣finitely more eminent in God. There can but two things create love, Perfection and Use∣fulness: to which answer on our part, 1. ad∣miration, and 2. Desire: and both these are centred in love. For the entertainment of the first, there is in God an infinite nature, im∣mensity or vastness without extension or li∣mit, Immutability, Eternity, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Holiness, Dominion, Provi∣dence, Bounty, Mercy, Justice, Perfection in himself, and the end to which all things and

all actions must be directed, and will at last arrive. The consideration of which may be heightned, if we consider our distance from all these glories. Our smallness and limited nature, our nothing, our inconstancy, our age like a span, our weakness and ignorance, our poverty, our inadvertency and inconsidera∣tion, our disabilities and disaffections to doe good our harsh natures and unmerciful in∣clinations, our universal iniquity, and our necessities and dependencies, not only on God originally, and essentially, but even our need of the meanest of Gods creatures, and our being obnoxious to the weakest and the most contemptible. But for the entertain∣ment of the second we may consider that in him is a torrent of pleasure for the voluptu∣ous, he is the fountain of honour for the am∣bitious, an inexhaustible treasure for the co∣vetous: our vices are in love with phanta∣stick pleasures and images of perfection, which are truly and really to be found no where but in God. And therefore our vir∣tues have such proper objects, that it is but reasonable they should all turn into love: for certain it is that this love will turn all into virtue.* 1.14 For in the scrutinies for righte∣ousness and judgment, when it is inquired whether such a person be a good man or no, the meaning is not, what does he believe, or what does he hope, but what he loves?

The acts of Love to God, are

1. Love does all things which may please the beloved person; it performs all his com∣mandments: and this is one of the greatest

instances and arguments of our love that God requires of us. [This is love that we keep his commandments.] Love is obedient.

2. It does all the intimations and secret significations of his pleasure whom we love; and this is an argument of a great degree of it. The first instance is it that makes the love accepted: but this gives a greatness and sin∣gularity to it. The first is the least, and lesse then it cannot doe our duty; but without this second, we cannot come to perfection. Great love is also plyant and inquisitive in the in∣stances of its expression.

3. Love gives away all things that so he may advance the interest of the beloved per∣son: it relieves all that he would have re∣lieved, and spends it self in such real signifi∣cations as it is enabled withall. He never loved God that will quit any thing of his Religion, to save his money. Love is alwaies liberal and communicative.

4. It suffers all things that are imposed by its beloved, or that can happen for his sake, or that intervenes in his service, cheerfully, sweetly, willingly, expecting that God should turn them into good, and instruments of fe∣licity.* 1.15 Charity hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love is patient and content with any thing so it be together with its beloved.

5. Love is also impatient of any thing that may displease the beloved person, hating all sin as the enemy of its friend; for love con∣tracts all the same relations and marries the same friendships, and the same hatreds; and all affection to a sin is perfectly inconsistent with the love of God. Love is not divided

between God and Gods enemy: we must love God with all our heart, that is, give him a whole and undivided affection, having love for nothing else but such things which he allows, and which he commands, or loves himself.

6. Love endeavours for ever to be present, to converse with, to enjoy, to be united with its object, loves to be talking of him, reciting his praises, telling his stories, repeating his words, imitating his gestures, transcribing his copie in every thing; and every degree of union and every degree of likeness is a de∣gree of love; and it can endure any thing but the displeasure and the absence of its be∣loved. For we are not to use God and Reli∣gion, as men use perfumes, with which they are delighted when they have them, but can very well be without them. True charity is restlesse till it enjoyes God in such instances in which it wants him: it is like hunger and thirst, it must be fed or it cannot be answered,* 1.16 and nothing can supply the presence, or make recompense for the absence of God, or of the effects of his favour, and the light of his countenance.

7. True love in all accidents looks upon the beloved person, and observes his countenance, and how he approves or disproves it, and accordingly looks sad or cheerful. He that loves God is not displeased at those accidents which God chooses, nor murmures at those changes which he makes in his family, nor envies at those gifts he bestows, but chooses as he likes, and is ruled by his judgment, and is perfectly of his perswasion, loving to learn

where God is the Teacher, and being content to be ignorant or silent where he is not plea∣sed to open himself.

8. Love is curious of little things: of cir∣cumstances and measures, and little acci∣dents, not allowing to it self any infirmity, which it strives not to master: aiming at what it cannot yet reach at,* 1.17 desiring to be of an Angelical purity and of a perfect inno∣cence, and a Seraphical fervour, and fears every image of offence, is as much afflicted at an idle word, as some at an act of adultery, and will not allow to it self so much anger as will disturbe a childe; nor endure the im∣purity of a dream; and this is the curiosity and niceness of divine Love; this is the fear of God, and is the daughter and production of Love.

The Measures and Rules of Divine Love.

But because this passion is pure as the brightest and smoothest mirrour, and there∣fore is apt to be sullyed with every impurer breath, we must be careful that our love to God be governed by these measures.

1. That our love be sweet, even, and full of tranquillity, having in it no violences or transportations, but going on in a course of holy actions and duties which are proporti∣onable to our condition, and present state; not to satisfie al the desire, but all the pro∣babilities and measures of our strength. A new beginner in religion hath passionate and violent desires, but they must not be the measure of his actions: But he must consider his strength, his late sickness and state of

death, the proper temptations of his condi∣tion, and stand at first upon his defence, not go to storm a strong Fort, or attaque a po∣tent enimie, or doe heroical actions and fit∣ter for gyants in Religion. Indiscreet violen∣ces, and untimely forwardness are the rocks of religion, against which tender spirits often suffer shipwrack.

2. Let our love be prudent and without il∣lusion: that is, that it expresse it self in such instances which God hath chosen, or which we choose our selves by proportion to his rules and measures. Love turns into doting when religion turns into superstition. No degree of love can be imprudent, but the expressions may: we cannot love God too much, but we may proclaim it in undecent manners.

3. Let our love be firm, constant and in∣separable, not coming and returning like the tide, but descending like a never failing river, ever running into the Ocean of Divine ex∣cellency, passing on in the chanels of duty and a constant obedience, and never ceasing to be what it is, till it comes to be what it desires to be; still being a river till it be tur∣ned into sea and vastness, even the immensity of a blessed Eternity.

Although the consideration of the Divine excellencies and mercies be infinitely suffi∣cient to produce in us love to God (who is in∣visible and yet not distant from us, but we feel him in his blessings, he dwells in our hearts by faith, wee feed on him in the Sa∣crament, and are made all one with him in the incarnation and glorifications of Jesus)

yet that we may the better enkindle and encrease our love to God, the following ad∣vices are not uselesse.

Helps to increase our love to God; by way of exercise.

1. Cut off all earthly and sensual loves, for they pollute and unhallow the pure and Spi∣ritual love. Every degree of inordinate af∣fection to the things of this world, and every act of love to a sin is a perfect enemy to the love of God: and it is a great shame to take any part of our affection from the eternal God to bestow it upon his creature in defi∣ance of the Creator, or to give it to the De∣vil, our open enemy, in disparagement of him who is the fountain of all excellencies and Celestial amities.

2. Lay fetters and restraints upon the ima∣ginative and phantastick part: because our fancie being an imperfect and higher faculty is usually pleased with the entertainment of shadows and gauds; and because the things of the world fill it with such beauties and phantastick imagery, the fancy presents such objects as amiable to the affections, and ele∣ctive powers. Persons of fancy, such as are women and children, have alwaies the most violent loves; but therefore if we be care∣full with what representments we fill our fancy, we may the sooner rectifie our loves. To this purpose, it is good that we transplant the instruments of fancy into religion: and for this reason musick was brought into Churches, and ornaments, and perfumes, and comely garments, and solemnities, and

decent ceremonies, that the busie and lesse discerning fancy being bribed with its pro∣per objects may be instrumentall to a more celestial and spiritual love.

3. Remove solicitude or wordly cares, and multitudes of secular businesses; for if these take up the intention and actual appli∣cation of our thoughts and our imployments, they will also possesse our passions; which if they be filled with one object though ig∣noble, cannot attend another though more excellent. We alwaies contract a friendship and relation with those with whom we con∣verse: our very Countrey is dear to us for our being in it: and the Neighbours of the same Village, and those that buy and sell with us have seised upon some portions of our love, and therefore if we dwel in the affairs of the World, we shall also grow in love with them; and all our love, or all our hatred, all our hopes, or all our fears, which the eternal God would willingly secure to himself, and esteem amongst his treasures and precious things, shall be spent upon trifles and va∣nities.

4. Doe not only choose the things of God, but secure your inclinations and aptnesses for God and for Religion. For it will be a hard thing for a Man to doe such a personal violence to his first desires, as to choose what∣soever he hath no minde to. A Man will ma∣ny times satisfie the importunity and daily solicitations of his first longings: and there∣fore there is nothing can secure our loves to God, but stopping the natural Fountains, and making Religion to grow neer the first desires of the soul.

5. Converse with God by frequent prayer. In particular desire that your desires may be right, and love to have your affections regu∣lar and holy: To which purpose make very frequent addresses to God by ejaculations and communions, and an assiduous daily de∣votion: Discover to him all your wants, complain to him of all your affronts, doe as Hezekiah did, lay your misfortunes and your ill news before him, spread them before the Lord, call to him for health, run to him for counsel, beg of him for pardon: and it is as natural to love him to whom we make such addresses, and of whom we have such dependencies, as it is for children to love their parents.

6. Consider the immensity and vastness of the Divine love to us, expressed in all the e∣manations of his providence. 1. In his Crea∣tion. 2. In his conservation of us. For it is not my Prince, or my Patron, or my Friend that supports me, or relieves my needs, but God, who made the Corn that my friend sends me, who created the Grapes, and sup∣ported him, who hath as many dependences, and as many natural necessities, and as per∣fect disabilities as my self. God indeed made him the instrument of his providence to me, as he hath made his own Land or his own Cattel to him: with this only difference, that God by his ministration to me intends to doe him a favour and a reward, which to natural instruments he does not. 3. In giving his Son. 4. In forgiving our sins. 5. In adopt∣ing us to glory: and ten thousand times ten thousand little accidents and instances hap∣ning

in the doing every of these; and it is not possible but for so great love we should give love again, for God we should give Man, for felicity we should part with our misery. Nay, so great is the love of the holy Jesus,* 1.18 God incarnate, that he would leave all his trium∣phant glories, and die once more for Man, if it were necessary for procuring felicity to him.

In the use of these instruments love will grow in several knots and steps like the Su∣gar-canes of India according to a thousand varieties in the person loving, and it will be great or lesse in several persons, and in the same, according to his growth in Christiani∣ty: but in general discoursing there are but two states of love, and those are Labour of love, and the Zeal of love: the first is duty, the second is perfection.

The two states of love to God.

The least love that is must be obedient, pure, simple, and communicative: that is, it must exclude all affection to sin, and all in∣ordinate affection to the World; and must be expressive according to our power, in the instances of duty, and must be love for loves sake; and of this love Martyrdome is the highest instance; that is, a readiness of minde rather to suffer any evil then to doe any. Of this our blessed Saviour affirmed, That no man had greater love then this: that is, this is the highest point of duty, the greatest love that God requires of Man. And yet he that is the most imperfect must have this love also in preparation of minde, and must differ

from another in nothing, except in the de∣grees of promptness and alacrity. And in this sense, he that loves God truly (though but with a beginning and tender love) yet he loves God with all his heart, that is, with that degree of love which is the highest point of duty, and of Gods charge upon us; and he that loves God with all his heart, may yet increase with the increase of God, just as there are degrees of love to God among the Saints, and yet each of them love him with all their powers and capacities.

2. But the greater state of love is the zeal of love, which runs out into excrescencies, and suckers like a fruitfull and pleasant tree, or bursting into gums, and producing fruits, not of a monstrous, but of an extraordinary and heroicall greatness. Concerning which, these cautions are to be observed.

Cautions and Rules concerning. zeal.

* 1.191. If zeal be in the beginnings of our spi∣ritual birth, or be short, sudden and transi∣ent, or be a consequent of a mans natural temper, or come upon any cause, but after a long growth of a temperate and well regu∣lated love, it is to be suspected for passion, and forwardness, rather then the verticall point of love.

2. That zeal only is good which in a fer∣vent love hath temperate expressions. For let the affection boyl as high as it can, yet if it boyl over into irregular and strange actions, it will have but few, but will need many ex∣cuses. Elijah was zealous for the Lord of

Hosts, and yet he was so transported with it, that he could not receive answer from God, till by musick he was recomposed and ta∣med: and Moses broke both the Tables of the Law by being passionately zealous a∣gainst them that brake the first.

3. Zeal must spend its greatest heat princi∣pally in those things that concern our selves; but with great care and restraint in those that concern others.

4. Remember that zeal being an excre∣scence of Divine love, must in no sense contra∣dict any action of love: Love to God includes love to our Neighbour, and therefore no pre∣tence of zeal for Gods glory must make us uncharitable to our brother,* 1.20 for that is just so pleasing to God, as hatred is an act of love.

5. That Zeal that concerns others, can spend it self in nothing but arts, and actions and charitable instruments for their good: and when it concerns the good of many that one should suffer, it must be done by persons of a competent authority, and in great ne∣cessity, in seldom instances, according to the Law of God or Man; but never by private right, or for trifling accidents, of in mistaken propositions. The Zealots in the Old Law had authority to transfix and stab some cer∣tain persons; but God gave them warrant; it was in the case of Idolatry, or such notorious huge crimes; the danger of which was insup∣portable, and the cognizance of which was infallible: and yet that warrant expired with the Synagogue.

6. Zeal in the instances of our own duty, and personal deportment is more safe then in matters of counsel, and actions besides our just duty, and tending towards perfection, Though in these instances there is not a direct sin, even where the zeal is lesse wary, yet there is much trouble and some danger: (as, if it be spent in the too forward vows of Chastity, and restraints of natural and inno∣cent liberties.)

7. Zeal may be let loose in the instances of internal, personal, and spiritual actions, that are matters of direct duty: as in pray∣ers, and acts of adoration, and thanksgiving, and frequent addresses: provided that no indirect act passe upon them to defile them; such as complacency, and opinions of sancti∣ty, censuring others, scruples and opinions of necessity, unnecessary fears, superstitious numbrings of times and hours; but let the zeal be as forward as it will, as devout as it will, as Seraphicall as it will, in the direct ad∣dresse and entercourse with God, there is no danger,* 1.21 no transgression. Do all the parts of your duty as earnestly as if the salvation of all the world, and the whole glory of God, and the confusion of all Devils, and all that you hope or desire did depend upon every one action.

8. Let zeal be seated in the will and choice, and regulated with prudence and a sober un∣derstanding, not in the fancies & affecti∣ons; for these will make it full of noise and empty of profit,* 1.22 but that will make it deep and smooth, material and devout.

The summe is this: That, Zeal is not a di∣rect

duty, no where commanded for it self, and is nothing but a forwardness & circum∣stance of another duty,* 1.23 and therefore is then only acceptable when it advances the love of God and our Neighbours, whose circum∣stance it is: That zeal is only safe, only acce∣ptable which increases charity directly; and because love to our Neighbour, and obedi∣ence to God are the two great portions of charity, we must never account our zeal to be good, but as it advances both these, if it be in a matter that relates to both; or seve∣rally, if it relates severally. S. Pauls zeal was expressed in preaching without any offerings or stipend, in travelling, in spending and be∣ing spent for his flock, in suffering, in being willing to be accursed for love of the people of God and his country-men: Let our Zeal be as great as his was, so it be in affections to others, but not at all in angers against them: In the first then is no danger; in the second there is no safety. In brief; let your zeal (if it must be expressed in anger) be al∣waies more severe against thy self,* 1.24 then a∣gainst others.

¶The other part of Love to God is Love to our Neighbour, for which I have reserved the Paragraph of Alms.

Of the external actions of Religion.

Religion teaches us to present to God our bodies as well as our souls; for God is the Lord of both; and if the body serves the soul in actions natural and civil, and intellectual, It must not be eased in the only offices of

Religion, unlesse the body shall expect no portion of the rewards of Religion, such as are resurrection,* 1.25 reunion, and glorification. Our bodys are to God a living sacrifice, and to present them to God is holy and accept∣able.

The actions of the body as it serves to Re∣ligion, and as it is distinguished from Sobrie∣ty and Justice; either relate to the word of God, or to prayer, or to repentance, and make these kindes of external actions of Re∣ligion. 1 Reading and hearing the Word of God; 2. Fasting and corporal austerities, called by S Paul, bodily exercise; 3. Feast∣ing or keeping daies of publick joy and thanksgiving.

SECT. IV. Of Reading, or Hearing the Word of God.

REading and Hearing the Word of God are but the several circumstances of the same duty; instrumental especially to faith, but consequently to all other graces of the Spirit. It is all one to us whether by the eye or by the ear the Spirit conveys his precepts to us. If we hear Saint Paul saying to us, that [Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge:] or read it in one of his Epistles; in either of them we are equally and sufficiently instructed. The Scriptures read are the same thing to us, which the same doctrine was, when it was preached by the Disciples of our blessed Lord; and we are to learn of either with the same dispositions. There are many that cannot read the Word, and they must

take it in by the ear; and they that can read, finde the same Word of God by the eye. It is necessary that all men learn it in some way or other, and it is sufficient in order to their practise that they learn it any way. The Word of God is all those Commandments and Re∣velations, those promises and threatnings, the stories and sermons recorded in the Bible: nothing else is the Word of God, that we know of, by any certain instrument. The good books and spiritual discourses, the ser∣mons or homilies written or spoken by men are but the Word of men, or rather explicati∣ons of, and exhortations according to the Word of God: but of themselves they are not the Word of God. In a sermon, the Text only is in a proper sense to be called Gods Word: and yet good Sermons are of great use and convenience for the advantages of Religion. He that preaches an hour together against drunkenness with the tongue of men or Angels, hath spoke no other word of God but this [Be not drunk with wine wherein there is excesse:] and he that writes that Ser∣mon in a book, and publishes that book, hath preached to all that read it, a louder Sermon then could be spoken in a Church. This I say to this purpose, that we may sepa∣rate truth from error, popular opinions from substantial Truths. For God preaches to us in the Scripture, and by his secret assistances and spiritual thoughts and holy motions: Good men preach to us when they by popu∣lar arguments, and humane arts and com∣plyances expound and presse any of those doctrines which God hath preached unto us in his holy Word. But

1. The Holy Ghost is certainly the best Preacher in the world, and the worst of Scri∣pture the best Sermons.

2. All the doctrine of salvation is plainly set down there, that the most unlearned per∣son by hearing it read, may understand all his duty. What can be plainer spoken then this [Thou shalt not kill. Be not drunk with wine. Husbands love your Wives. Whatso∣ever ye would that men should doe to you, doe ye so to them?] The wit of man cannot more plainly tell us our duty, or more fully, then the Holy Ghost hath done already.

3. Good Sermons, and good books are of excellent use: but yet they can serve no o∣ther end but that we practise the plaine do∣ctrines of Scripture.

4. What Abraham in the parable said con∣cerning the brethren of the rich man, is here very proper: They have Moses and the Pro∣phets,* 1.26 let them hear them: But if they refuse to hear these, neither will they believe though one should arise from the dead to preach un∣to them.

5. Reading the holy Scriptures is a duty expresly * 1.27 commanded us, and is called in Scripture [Preaching:] all other preaching is the effect of humane skill and industry, and although of great benefit, yet it is but an Ec∣clesiastical ordinance; the Law of God con∣cerning Preaching, being expressed in the matter of reading the Scriptures, and hear∣ing that Word of God, which is, and as it is there described.

But this duty is reduced to practise in the following Rules.

Rules for Hearing or Reading the Word of God.

1. Set apart some portion of thy time ac∣cording to the opportunities of thy calling and necessary imployment, for the reading of holy Scripture; and if it be possible, every day read or hear some of it read: you are sure that book teaches all truth, commands all holiness, and promises all happiness.

2. When it is in your power to choose, ac∣custome your self to such portions which are most plaine and certain duty, and which con∣tain the story of the Life and Death of our blessed Saviour. Read the Gospels, the Psalms of David; and especially those portions of Scripture which by the wisdome of the Church are appointed to be publickly read upon Sundaies and holy-daies, viz: the E∣pistles and Gospels, in the choice of any o∣ther portions, you may advise with a Spiri∣tual Guide, that you may spend your time with most profit.

3. Fail not diligently to attend to the rea∣ding of the holy Scriptures upon those daies wherein it is most publickly and solemnly read in Churches: for at such times, besides the learning our duty, we obtaine a blessing along with it, it becoming to us upon those daies a part of solemn Divine worship.

4. When the Word of God is read or preached to you, be sure you be of a ready heart and minde, free from worldly cares and thoughts, diligent to hear, carefull to mark, studious to remember, and desirous to practise all that is commanded, and to live

according to it: Doe not hear for any other end but to become better in your life, and to be instructed in every good work, and to increase in the love and service of God.

5. Beg of God by prayer that he would give you the spirit of obedience and profit, and that he would by his Spirit write the Word in your heart, and that you describe it in your life. To which purpose serve your self of some affectionate ejaculations to that purpose, before and after this duty.

Concerning spiritual books and ordinary Ser∣mons take in these advices also.

6. Let not a prejudice to any mans person hinder thee from receiving good by his do∣ctrine, if it be according to godliness: but (if occasion offer it, or espcially if duty pre∣sent it to thee; that is, if it be preached in that assembly where thou art bound to be present) accept the word preached as a mes∣sage from God, and the Minister as his Angel in that ministration.

7. Consider and remark the doctrine that is represented to thee in any discourse; and if the Preacher adds any accidental advan∣tages, any thing to comply with thy weak∣nesse, or to put thy spirit into action, or holy resolution, remember it, and make use of it; but if the Preacher be a weak person, yet the Text is the doctrine thou art to remember; that containes all thy duty, it is worth thy at∣tendance to hear that spoken often, and re∣newed upon thy thoughts, and though thou beest a learned man, yet the same thing which thou knowest already, if spoken by

another may be made active by that appli∣cation. I can better be comforted by my own considerations, if another hand applies them, then if I doe it my self; because the word of God does not work as a natural agent, but as a Divine instrument: it does not prevail by the force of deduction, and artificial dis∣coursings only, but chiefly by way of blessing in the ordinance, and in the ministery of an appointed person. At least obey the publick order, and reverence the constitution, and give good example of humility, charity and obedience.

8. When scriptures are read, you are only to enquire with diligence and modesty into the meaning of the Spirit: but if Homilies or Sermons be made upon the words of Scri∣pture, you are to consider, whether all that be spoken be conformable to the Scriptures. For although you may practise for humane reasons, and humane arguments ministred from the Preachers art, yet you must practise nothing but the command of God, nothing but the Doctrine of Scripture, that is, the Text.

9. Use the advice of some spiritual or o∣ther prudent man for the choice of such spi∣ritual books which may be of use and benefit for the edification of thy spirit in the waies of holy living; and esteem that time well ac∣counted for, that is prudently and affecti∣onately imployed, in hearing or reading good books and pious discourses: ever remem∣bring that God by hearing us speak to him in prayer, obliges us to hear him speak to us in his word, by what instrument soever it be conveyed.

SECT. V. Of Fasting.

FAsting, if it be considered in it self with∣out relation to spiritual ends, is a duty no where enjoyned, or counselled. But Christi∣anity hath to doe with it, as it may be made an instrument of the Spirit by subduing the lusts of the flesh, or removing any hindrances of religion; And it hath been practised by all ages of the Church, and advised in order to three ministeries: 1. To Prayer; 2. To Mortification of bodily lusts; 3. To Repen∣tance: and is to be practised according to the following measures.

Rules for Christian Fasting.

1. Fasting in order to prayer is to be mea∣sured by the proportions of the times of prayer: that is, it ought to be a totall fast from all things during the solemnity (unlesse a probable necessity intervene.) Thus the Jews eat nothing upon the Sabbath-daies till their great offices were performed, that is, about the sixth hour: and S. Peter used it as an argument that the Apostles in Pentecost were not drunk, because it was but the third hour of the day, of such a day, in which it was not lawful to eat or drink till the sixth hour: and the Jews were offended at the Disciples for plucking the ears of corn upon the Sab∣bath early in the morning, because it was be∣fore the time in which by their customs they esteemed it lawfull to break their fast. In imitation of this custom, and in prosecution of the reason of it, the Christian Church hath

religiously observed fasting before the holy Communion: and the more devout persons (though without any obligation at all) refu∣sed to eat or drink till they had finished their morning devotions: and further yet upon daies of publick humiliation, which are de∣signed to be spent wholly in Devotion, and for the averting Gods judgments (if they were imminent) fasting is commanded to∣gether with prayer, commanded (I say) by the Church to this end, that the Spirit might be clearer and more Angelical when it is quitted in some proportions from the loads of flesh.

2. Fasting, when it is in order to Prayer, must be a total abstinence from all meat, or else an abatement of the quantity: for the help which fasting does to prayer cannot be served by changing flesh into flesh, or milk-meats into dry diet, but by turning much into little, or little into none at all during the time of solemn and extraordinary prayer.

3. Fasting as it is instrumental to Prayer, must be attended with other aids of the like virtue and efficacy, such as are removing for the time all worldly care and secular busi∣nesses; and therefore our blessed Saviour en∣folds these parts within the same caution: [Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this world, and that day overtake you una∣wares.] To which add alms;* 1.28 for upon the wings of fasting and alms, holy prayer infal∣libly mounts up to Heaven.

4. When Fasting is intended to serve the duty of Repentance, it is then best chosen

when it is short, sharp and afflictive; that is, either a total abstinence from all nourishment (according as we shall appoint, or be ap∣pointed) during such a time as is separate for the solemnity and attendance upon the im∣ployment: or if we shall extend our feverity beyond the solemn daies, and keep our an∣ger against our sin as we are to keep our sor∣row, that is, alwaies in a readiness, and often to be called upon; then, to refuse a pleasant morsel, to abstain from the bread of our de∣sires, and only to take wholsome and lesse pleasing nourishment, vexing our appetite by the refusing a lawful satisfaction, since in its petulancy and luxury it preyed upon an un∣lawfull.

5. Fasting designed for repentance must be ever joyned with an extreme care that we fast from sin: for there is no greater folly or undecency in the world, then to commit that for which I am now judging and condemning my self. This is the best fast, and the other may serve to promote the interest of this, by increasing the disaffection to it, and multi∣plying arguments against it.

6. He that fasts for repentance, must, du∣ring that solemnity, abstain from all bodily delights, and the sensuality of all his senses, and his appetites; for a man must not when he mourns in his fast, be merry in his sport; weep at dinner, and laugh all day after; haue a silence in his kitchin, and musick in his chamber; judge the stomack, and feast the other senses. I deny not but a man may in a single instance punish a particular sin with a proper instrument: If a man have offended

in his palate, he may choose to fast only; if he have sinned in so••tness and in his touch, he may choose to lie hard, or work hard, and use sharp inflictions: but although this Dis∣cipline be proper and particular, yet because the sorrow is of the whole man, no sense must rejoice, or be with any study or purpose fea∣sted and entertained softly. This rule is in∣tended to relate to the solemn daies appoin∣ted for repentance publickly or privately: besides which in the whole course of our life, even in the midst of our most festival and freer joyes we may sprincle some single in∣stances, and acts of self-condemning, or pu∣nishing: as to refuse a pleasant morsel, or a delicious draught with a tacit remembrance of the sin that now returns to displease my spirit: and though these actions be single, there is no undecency in them, because a man may abate of his ordinary liberty and bold freedom with great prudence, so he does it without singularity in himself, or trouble to others: but he may not abate of his solemn sorrow: that may be caution; but this would be softness, effeminacy, and undecency.

7. When fasting is an act of mortification, that is, is intended to subdue a bodily lust; as the spirit of fornication, or the fondness of strong and impatient appetites, it must not be a sudden, sharp, and violent fast, but a state of fasting, a dyet of fasting, a daily lesse∣ning our portion of meat and drink, and a choosing such a course dyet which may make the least preparation for the lusts of the bo∣dy. He that fasts three daies without food,* 1.29 will weaken other parts more then the mini∣sters

of fornication: and when the meals re∣turn as usually, they also will be served as∣soon as any. In the mean time they will be supplied and made active by the accidental heat that comes with such violent fastings: for this is a kind of aerial Devil; the Prince that rules in the air is the Devil of fornicati∣on; and he will be as tempting with the windiness of a violent fast, as with the flesh of an ordinary meal. But a daily substraction of the nourishment will introduce a lesse bu∣sie habit of body, and that will prove the more effectual remedy.

* 1.308. fasting alone will not cure this Devil, though it helps much towards it; but it must not therefore be neglected, but assisted by all the proper instruments of remedy against this unclean spirit; and what it is unable to doe alone, in company with other instruments, and Gods blessing upon them it may effect.

9. All fasting for whatsoever end it be un∣dertaken, must be done without any opinion of the necessity of the thing it self, without censuring others, with all humility, in order to the proper end; and just as a man takes physick, of which no man hath reason to be proud, and no man thinks it necessary, but because he is in sickness, or in danger and disposition to it.

10. All fasts ordained by lawful authority are to be observed in order to the same pur∣poses to which they are enjoyned; and to be accompanied with actions of the same na∣ture, just as it is in private fasts; for there is no other difference, but that in publick our Superiours choose for us, what in private we doe for our selves.

11. Fasts ordained by lawful authority are not to be neglected because alone they can∣not doe the thing in order to which they were enjoyned. It may be one day of Humi∣liation will not obtain the blessing, or alone kill the lust, yet it must not be despised if it can doe any thing towards it. An act of Fasting is an act of self-denial, and though it doe not produce the habi••, yet it is a good act.

12. When a principal end why a Fast is publickly prescribed, is obtained by some o∣ther instrument in a particular person; as if the spirit of Fornication be cured by the rite of Marriage, or by a gift of chastity, yet that person so eased is not freed from the Fasts of the Church by that alone, if those fasts can prudently serve any other end of Religion, as that of prayer, or repentance, or mortificati∣on of some other appetite: for when it is in∣strumental to any and of the Spirit, it is freed from superstition, and then we must have some other reason to quit us from the Obli∣gation, or that alone will not doe it.

13. When the Fast publickly commanded by reason of some indisposition in the parti∣cular person cannot operate to the end of the Commandment, yet the avoiding offence, and the complying with publick order is rea∣son enough to make the obedience to be ne∣cessary. For he that is otherwise disobliged (as when the reason of the Law ceases, as to his particular, yet) remains still obliged if he cannot doe otherwise without scandal: but this is an obligation of charity, not of justice.

14. All fasting is to be used with prudence and charity: for there is no end to which fast∣ing serves, but may be obtained by other in∣struments, and therefore it must at no hand be made an instrument of scruple, or become an enemy to our health, or be imposed upon persons that are sick or aged, or to whom it is in any sense uncharitable; such as are wea∣ried Travellers; or to whom in the wh••le kinde of it, it is uselesse, such as are Women with childe, poor people, and little children. But in these cases the Church hath made pro∣vision, and inserted caution into her Laws, and they are to be reduced to practise accor∣ding to custome, and the sentence of prudent persons, with great latitude, and without niceness and curiosity: having this in our first care, that we secure our virtue, and next that we secure our health, that we may the beter exercise the labours of virtue, lest out of too much austerity we bring our selves to that condition, * 1.31 that it be necessary to be indul∣gent to softnesse, ease and extreme tender∣nesse.

15. Let not intemperance be the Prologue or the Epilogue to your fast, lest the fast be so farre from taking off any thing of the sin, that it be an occasion to increase it; and therefore when the fast is done,* 1.32 be carefull that no supervening act of gluttony, or ex∣cessive drinking unhallow the religion of the passed day; but eat temperately according to the proportion of other meals, lest gluttony keep either of the gates to abstinence.

The benefits of Fasting.

He that undertakes to enumerate the be∣nefits of fasting, may in the next page also reckon all the benefits of physick: for fast∣ing is not to be commended as a duty, b••t as an instrument; and in that sense no Man can reprove it, or undervalue it; but he that knows neither spiritual arts, nor spiritual ne∣cessities: but by the doctors of the Church it is called, the nourishment of prayer, the restraint of lust, the wings of the soul, the diet of Angels, the instrument of humility, and self-denial, the purification of the Spi∣rit: and the paleness and maig••enesse of visage which is consequent to the daily fast of great mortifiers, is by Saint Basil said to be the mark in the Forehead which the An∣gel observed, when he signed the Saint•• in the forehead to escape the wrath of God. [The soul that is greatly vexed, which goeth stooping and feeble, and the eyes that fail,* 1.33 and the hungry soul shall give thee praise and righteousness, O Lord.

SECT. VI. O keeping Festivals, and daies holy to the Lord: particularly, the Lords day.

TRue naturall Religion, that which was common to all Nations and Ages did principally relye upon four great propositi∣ons: 1. That there is one God. 2. That God is nothing of those things which we see. 3. That God takes care of all things below & governs all the World. 4. That he is the

Great Creator of all things without himself: and according to these were fram'd the four first precepts of the Decalogue. In the first, the Unitie of the Godhead is expres∣ly affirmed. In the second, his invisibility and immate••iality. In the third is affirmed God's government and providence, by aven∣ging them that swear falsly by his Name, by which also his Omniscience is declared. In the fourth Commandement, he proclaims himself the Maker of Heaven and Earth: for in memorie of God's rest from the work of six daies, the seventh was hallowed into a Sabbath: and the keeping it was a con∣fessing GOD to bee the great Maker of Heaven and Earth; and consequently to this, it al••o was a conf••ssion of his goodness, his Omnipotence and his Wisdom, all which were written with a Sun-beam in the great book of the Creature.

So long as the Law of the Sabbath was bound upon God's people, so long GOD would have that to be the solemn manner of confessing these attributes; but when the Priesthood being changed there was a change also of the Law, the great dutie remain'd un∣alterable in changed circumstances. We are eternally bound to confess God Almightie to bee the Maker of Heaven and Earth; but the manner of confessing it is chang'd from a rest or a doing nothing, to a speaking somthing, from a day to a symbol, from a ceremonie to a substance, from a Jewish rite to a Christian dutie: wee profess it in our Creed, wee con∣fess it in our lives, wee describe it by every line of our life, by every action of dutie, by

faith, and trust, and obedience: and wee do also upon great reason complie with the Jewish manner of c••nfessing the Creation, so far as it is instrumental to a real dutie. Wee keep one day in seven, and so con∣fess the manner and circumstance of the Creation: and wee rest also that wee may tend holie duties; so imitating God's rest bet∣ter then the Jew in Synesius, who lay upon his face from evening to evening, and could not by stripes or wounds bee raised up to steer the ship in a great storm: God's rest was not a natural cessation: hee who could not labor could not bee said to rest; but God's rest is to bee understood to bee a beholding and a rejoicing in his work finished: and therefore wee truly represent God's rest, when wee confess and rejoice in God's Works and God's glorie.

This the Christian Church does upon every day, but especially upon the Lord's day which she hath set apart for this and all other Offices of Religion, being determi∣ned to this day, by the Resurrection of her dearest Lord, it beeing the first day of joy the Church ever had. And now upon the Lord's day wee are not tied to the rest of the Sabbath, but to all the work of the Sab∣bath: & wee are to abstain from bodily la∣bour, not because it is a direct dutie to us as it was to the Jews, but because it is necessa∣rie in order to our dutie, that wee attend to the Offices of Religion.

The observatio•• of the Lord's daie differs nothing from the observation of the Sabbath in the matter of Religion, but in the manner.

They differ in the ceremony and external rite. Rest with them was the principal: with us it is the accessory. They differ in the office or forms of worship: For they were then to worship God as a Creator and a gentle Fa∣ther: we are to adde to that, Our Redeemer, and all his other excellencies and mercies: and though we have more natural and pro∣per reason to keep the Lords day then the Sabbath, yet the Jews had a divine Com∣mandement for their day, which we have not for ours: but we have many Comman∣dements to do all that honour to GOD which was intended in the fourth Com∣mandement: and the Apostles appointed the first day of the week for doing it in so∣lemn Assemblies; and the manner of wor∣shipping God, and doing him solemn ho∣nour and service upon this day, we may best observe in the following measures.

Rules for keeping the Lords day ••nd other Christian festivals.

1. When you go about to distinguish Fe∣stival daies from common, do it not by lesse∣ning the devotions of ordinary daies, that the common devotion may seem bigger up∣on Festivals, but on every day keep your ordinary devotions intire, and enlarge upon the Holy day.

2. Upon the Lords day wee must abstain from all servile and laborous works, except such which are matters of necessity, of com∣mon life, or of great charity: for these are permitted by that authoritie which hath se∣parated the day for holy uses. The Sabbath

of the Jewes though consisting principally in rest, and established by God, did yeeld to these. The labour of Love and the labours of Religion were not against the reason and the spirit of the Commandement, for which the Letter was decreed, and to which it ought to minister: And therefore much more is it so on the Lords day, where the Letter is wholly turned into Spirit, and there is no Commandement of God, but of spiritual and holy actions The Priests might kill their beasts and dress them for sacrifice: and Ch••ist though born under the Law, might heal a sick man, and the sick man might car∣ry his bed to witness his recovery, and con∣fess the mercy, and leap and dance to God for joy: and an Ox might be led to water, and an Ass be haled out of a ditch, & a man may take physick, and he may eat meat, and therefore there were of necessity some to prepare and minister it: and the performing these labours did not consist in minutes, and just determined stages, but they had, even then, a reasonable latitude: so onely as to exclude unnecessary labour, or such as did not minister to charity or religion. And therefore this is to be enlarged in the Gospel, whose Sabbath or rest is but a circumstance, and accessory to the principal and spiritual duties: Upon the Christian Sabbath, neces∣sity is to be served first, then charity, & then religion; for this is to give place to charity in great instances; and the second to the fi••st in all; and in all cases God is to be worship∣ped in spirit and in truth.

3. The Lords day being the rememb••ance

of a great blessing, must be a day of joy, festivitie, spiritual ••ej••icing and thanksgiving, and therefore it is a proper work of the day to let your devotions spend themselves in sing∣ing or reading Psalms, in recounting the great works of God, in remembring his mer∣cies in worshipping his excellenc••es▪ in cele∣brating his attributes, in admi••ing his person, in sending portions of pleasant meat to them for whom nothing is provided, and in all the arts and instruments of advancing God's glo∣rie, and the reputation of Religion: in which it were a great decencie that a memorial of the resurrection should be inserted, that the particular religion of the day bee not swal∣lowed up in the general: And of this wee may the more easily serve our selvs by rising seasonably in the morning to private devoti∣on, and by retiring at the leisures and spaces of the day not imploied in publick offices.

4. Fail not to be present at the publick hours and places of praier, entring early and cheerfully, attending reverently and devout∣ly, abiding patiently during the whole office, piously assisting at the praiers, and gladly also hearing the Sermon, and at no hand omitting to receive the holy Communion when it is offered (unless some great reason excuse it) this being the great solemnitie of thanks∣giving, and a proper work of the day.

5. After the solemnities are past, and in the intervalls between the morning and evening devotion (as you shall finde oppor∣tunitie) visit sick persons, reconcile differen∣ces, do offices of neighb••u••h••od, ••nquire into the needs of the poor, especially house keep∣ers,

relieve them as they shall need, and as you are able: for then wee truly rejoice in God, when we make our neighbours, the poor members of Christ, rejoice together with us.

6. Whatsoever you are to do your self as necessarie, you are to take care that others also, who are under your charge, do in their sta••ion and manner. Let your servants bee called to Church, and all your familie that can be spared from necessarie and great houshold ministeries: those that cannot, let them go by turns, and be supplied other∣wise as well as they may: and provide on these daies especially that they be instructed in the articles of faith, and necessary parts of their dutie.

7. Those who labour hard in the week, must bee eased upon the Lord's day; such ease beeing a great charity & alms: but at no hand must they be permitted to use any unlawful games, any thing forbidden by the Laws, any thing that is scandalous, or any thing that is dangerous, and apt to mingle sin with it; no games prompting to wan∣tonness, to drunkenness to quarrelling, to ri∣diculous and superstitious customs; but let their refreshments bee innocent, and chari∣table, and of good report, and not exclusive of the duties of Religion.

8. Beyond these bounds because neither God nor man hath passed any obligation up∣on us, wee must preserv our Christian libertie, and not suffer our selvs to be intangled with a yoke of bondage: for even a good action may become a ••••are to us, if we make it an occasion of scruple by a pretence of necessity

binding loads upon the conscience not with the bands of God, but of men, and of fancy, or of opinion, or of tyranny. Whatsoever is laid upon us by the hands of man, must be acted and accounted of by the measures of a man; but our best measure is this: He keeps the Lords day best that keeps it with most religion, and with most charitie.

9. What the Church hath done in the ar∣ticle of the resurrection, she hath in som mea∣sure done in the other articles of the Nativity, of the Ascention, and of the Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost: and so great bles∣sings deserve an anniversary solemnity, since he is a very unthankful person that does not often record them in the whole year, and esteem them the ground of his hopes, the ob∣ject of his faith, the comfort of his troubles, and the great effluxes of the divine mercy, greater then all the victories over our tem∣poral enemies, for which all glad persons usually give thanks. And if with great reason the memory of the resurrection does return solemnly every week, it is but reason the o∣ther should return once a year. * To which I adde, that the commemoration of the ar∣ticles of our Creed in solemn daies and offi∣ces is a very excellent instrument to convey and imprint the sense and memory of it up∣on the spirits of the most ignorant person. For as a picture may with more fancie con∣vey a story to a man, then a plain narrative either in word or writing: so a real represent∣ment, and an office of remembrance, and a day to declare it, is far more impressive then a picture, or any other art of making and fixing imagery.

10. The memories of the Saints are preci∣ous to God, and therefore they ought also to be so to us; and such persons who served God by holy living, industrious preaching, and religiou•• dying, ought to have their names preserved in honour, and God be glorified in them, and their holy doctrines and lives published and imitated; and we by so doing give testimony to the article of the communion of Saints. But in these cases as every Church is to be sparing in the number of daies, so also should she be temperate in her injunctions, not imposing them but up∣on voluntary and unbusied persons, without snare or burden. But the Holy day is best kept by giving God thanks for the excellent persons, Apostles or Martyrs we then re∣member, and by imitating their lives: this all may do: and they that can also keep the solemnity, must doe that too when it is pub∣likly enjoyned.

The mixt actions of Religion are, 1. Prayer. 2. Alms. 3. Repentance. 4. Receiving the blessed Sacrament.

SECT. VII. Of Prayer.

THere is no greater argument in the world of our spiritual danger and unwillingness to religion, then the backwardness which most men have alwaies, and all men have sometimes to say their praiers: so weary

of their length, so glad when they are done, so wittie to ••xcuse and frustrate an opportu∣nitie: and yet all is nothing but a desiring of God to give us the greatest and the best things wee can need, and which can make us happie: it is a work so easie, so honorable, and to so great purpose, that in all the instan∣ces of religion and providence except onely the incarnation of his Son) God hath not given us a greater argument of his willing∣ness to have us saved, and of our unwilling∣ness to accept it, his goodness and our grace∣lesness, his infinite condescention, and our carelesness and follie, then by rewarding so easie a duty with so great blessings.

Motives t•• Praier.

I cannot say any thing beyond this very consideration and its appendages to invite Christian people to pray often. But wee may consider: That first it is a duty commanded by God & his holie Son. 2. It is an act of grace and highest honour that wee dust and ashes are admitted to speak to the Eternal God, to run to him as to a Father, to laie open our wants, to complain of our burdens, to explicate our scruples, to beg remedie and ease, support and counsel, health and safety, deliverance and salvation: and 3. God hath invited us to it by many gracious promises of hearing us. 4. Hee hath appointed his most glorious Son to bee the President of Praier, and to make continual intercession for us to the throne of Grace. 5. Hee hath appointed an Angel to present the Praiers of his ser∣vants:

and 6. Christ unites them to his own, and sanctifies them and makes them effective and prevalent: and 7. Hath put it into the hands of men to rescind or alter all the de∣crees of God, which are of one kinde (that is, conditional, and concerning our selvs and our final estate, and many instances of our in∣termedial or temporal) by the power of praiers. 8. And the praiers of m••n have saved c••ties and kingdoms from ruine; praier hath raise•• dead men to life, hath stopped the violence of fire, shut the mouths of wilde beasts, hath altered the course of nature, cau∣sed rain in Egypt, and drought in the sea, it made the Sun to go from West to East, and the Moon to stand still, and rocks and mountains to walk, & it cures diseases with∣out physick, and makes physick to do the work of nature, and nature to do the work of grace, and grace to do the work of God, and it does miracles of accident and event: and yet praier that does all this, is of it self nothing but an ascent of the minde to God, a desiring things fit to bee desired, and an expression of this desire to God as wee can, and as becomes us: And our unwillingness to pray, is nothing else but a not desiring what wee ought passionately to long for; or if wee do desire it, it is a choosing rather to miss our satisfaction and felicitie, then to ask for it.

There is no moe to bee said in this affair, but that wee reduce it to practise according to the following Rules.

Rules for the practice of Prayer.

1. Wee must bee careful that wee never ask any thing of God that is sinful, or that directly ministers to sin: for that is to ask of God to dishonour himself, and to undoe us: we had need consider what we pray▪ for be∣fore it returns in blessing it must be join'd with Christs intercession, and presented to God: Let us principally ask of God power and assistances to doe our duty, to glorifie God, to do good works, to live a good life, to die in the fear and favour of God, and eternal life: these things God delights to g••ve, and commands that we shall ask, and wee may with confidence exspect to be an∣swered graciously; for these things are pro∣mised without any reservation of a secret condition: if we ask them, and do our duty towards the obtaining them, we are sure ne∣ver to miss them.

2. Wee may lawfully pray to God for the gifts of the Spirit that minister to holy ends, such as are the gift of preaching, the spirit of praier, good expression, a ready and un∣loosed tongue▪ good understanding, learning, opportunities to publish them, &c. with these onely restraints. 1. That wee cannot be so confident of the event of those praiers, as of the former. 2. That we must be curious to secure our intention in these desires, that we may not ask them to serve our own ends, but onely for Gods glorie, and then we shall have them, or a blessing for desiring them. In order to such purposes our intentions in the first desires cannot bee amiss; because

they are able to sanctifie other things, and therefore cannot be unhallowed themselves. 3. Wee must submit to Gods Will, desiring him to choose our imployment, and to furnish our persons as hee shall see ex∣pedient.

3. Whatsoever we may lawfully desire of temporal things, wee may lawfully ask of God in praier, and we may expect them as they are promised. 1. Whatsoever is necessary to our life and beeing is pro∣mised to us; and therefore wee may with certainty expect food and raiment; food to keep us alive; clothing to keep us from nakedness and shame; so long as our life is permitted to us, so long all things necessary to our life shall be mi∣nistred: wee may be secure of mainte∣nance, but not secure of life, for that is promised, not this: onely concerning food and raiment we are not to make ac∣counts by the measure of our desires, but by the measure of our needs. 2. Whatsoever is convenient for us, pleasant, and modest∣ly delectable, we may pray for; so we do it. 1. with submission to Gods will. 2. With∣out impatient desires. 3. That it be not a trifle and inconsiderable, but a matter so grave and concerning, as to bee a fit mat∣ter to bee treated on between God and our souls. 4. That we ask it not to spend up∣on our lusts, but for ends of justice, or charitie, or religion, and that they be im∣ploied with sobriety.

4. Hee that would pray with effect must live with care and piety. For although

God gives to sinners and evil persons the common blessings of life and chance,* 1.34 yet ei∣ther they want the comfort and blessing of those blessings, or they become occasions of sadder accidents to them, or serve to upbraid them in their ingratitude or irreligion: and in all cases, they are not the effects of praier, or the fruits of promise, or instances of a fa∣thers love; for they cannot bee expected with confidence, or received without dan∣ger, or used without a cu••se and mischief in their company. * But as all sin is an impe∣diment to praier, so some have a special in∣disposition towards acceptation; such are Uncharitableness and wrath, Hypocrisie in the present action, Pride and Lust: because these by defiling the bodie or the spirit, or by contradicting some necessarie ingredient in praier (such as are Mercie, Humilitie, Pu∣ritie, and Sinceritie) do defile the praier, and make it a direct sin in the circumstan∣ces, or formalitie of the action.

5. All praier must bee made with Faith and Hope: that is, wee must certainly be∣lieve wee shall receive the grace which GOD hath commanded us to ask: and wee must hope for such things which he hath permit∣ted us to ask;* 1.35 and our Hope shall not bee vain, though wee miss what is not absolute∣ly promised, because wee shall at least have an equal blessing in the denial, as in the grant. And therefore the former conditi∣ons must first bee secured; that is, that wee ask things necessarie, or at least good and innocent and profitable; and that our per∣sons bee gracious in the eies of God; or

else what God hath promised to our natural need••, hee may in many degrees denie to our personal incapacitie; but the thing bring secur'd, and the person dispos'd, th••••e can bee no fault at all: for whatsoever 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••e∣mains is on God's part, and that cannot possibly f••••l. But because the things which are not commanded cannot possibly bee se∣cured (for wee are not sure they are good in all circumstances) wee can but hope for such things even after wee have secur'd our good intentions. Wee are sure of a blessing, but in what instance we are not yet assured.

6. Our praiers must bee fervent, intense, earnest and importunate when wee praie for things of high concernment and necessitie.* 1.36 [Continuing instant in praier: striving in praier: labouring fervently in praier: night and day praying exceedingly: praying alwaies with all praier] ••o S. Paul calls it [watch∣ing unto praier] so S. Peter: praying ear∣nestly] so S. James: and this is not at all to bee abated in matters spiritual, and of dutie: for according as our desires are, so are our praiers; and as our praiers are, so shall bee the grace; and as that is, so shall bee the measure of glorie. But this admitts of de∣grees according to the perfection or imperfe∣ction of our state of life: but it hath no other measures, but ought to bee as great as it can, the bigger the better; wee must make no positive restraints upon it our selvs. In other things we are to use a bridle: and as wee must limit our desires with submission to Gods will: so also we must limit the impor∣tunitie of our praiers by the moderation and

term of our desires. Pray for it as earnestly as you may desire it.

7. Our desires must be lasting, and our praiers frequent, assiduous and continual: not asking for a blessing once and then leav∣ing it; but daily renewing our snits, and ex∣ercising our hope, and faith, and patience, and long-suffering, and Religion, and resignati∣on, and self-denial in all the degrees we shall be put to. This circumstance of duty our blessed Saviour taught, saying, [That men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint] Al∣waies to pray signifies the frequent doing of the duty in general:* 1.37 but because we cannot alwaies ask several things, and we also have frequent need of the same things, and those are such as concern our great interest, the precept comes home to this very circum∣stance; and S. Paul calls it, [praying without ceasing] and himself in his own case gave a precedent:* 1.38 [For this cause I besought the Lord thrice.] And so did our blessed Lord, he went thrice to God on the same errand, with the same words in a short space, about half a night; for his time to sollicite his suit was but short:* 1.39 and the Philippians were remem∣bred by the Apostle, their spiritual Father al∣waies in every prayer of his. And thus we must alwaies pray for the pardon of our sins, for the assistance of Gods grace, for charity, for life eternal, never giving over till we dye: and thus also we pray for supply of great temporal needs in their several proportions: in all cases being curious we do not give o∣ver out of weariness, or impatience: For God oftentimes defers to grant our suit, because

he loves to hear us beg it, & hath a design to give us more then we ask, even a satisfaction of our desires, and a blessing for the very importunity.

8. Let the words of our prayers be pertinent, grave, material, not studiously many, but ac∣cording to our need, sufficient to express our wants, and to signifie our importunity. God hears us not the sooner for our many words, but much the sooner for an earnest desire, to which let apt and sufficient words minister, be they few, or many, according as it happens. A long praier and a short, differ not in their capacities of being accepted; for both of them take their value according to the fervency of spirit, and the charity of the praier. That prai∣er which is short by reason of an impatient spirit, or dulness, or despite of holy things, or in differency of desires, is very often criminal, alwaies imperfect; and that praier which is long out of ostentation, or superstition, or a trifling spirit, is as criminal and imperfect as the other in their several instances. This rule relates to private praier. In publick, our de∣votion is to be measured by the appointed office, and we are to support our spirit with spiritual arts, that our private spirit may be a part of the publick spirit, and be adopt∣ed into the society and blessings of the com∣munion of Saints.

9. In all forms of praier mingle peti∣tion with thanksgiving, that you may endear the present praier, and the future blessing by returning praise and thanks for what we have already received. This is Saint Pauls advice, [Bee careful for nothing,

but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests bee made known unto God.]

10. Whatever we beg of God, let us al∣so work for it; if the thing be matter of du∣ty, or a consequent to industry. For God loves to bless labour and to reward it,* 1.40 but not to support idleness. And therefore our blessed Saviour in his Sermons joins watchfulness with praier: for Gods gra∣ces are but assistances, not new creations of the whole habit in every instant, or period of our life. Read Scriptures, and then pray to GOD for understanding: pray against temptation, but you must also resist the Devil, and then he will flee from you. Ask of GOD competency of living, but you must also work with your hands, the things that are honest, that ye may have to supplie in time of need: We can but do our endea∣vour, and pray for blessing, and then leave the success with GOD: and beyond this we cannot deliberate, wee cannot take care; but so far we must.

To this purpose let every man studie his praiers, and read his dutie in his petitions. For the bodie of our praier is the summe of our dutie; and as wee ask of God what∣soever we need; so we must labour for all that we ask. Because it is our dutie, there∣fore wee must pray for Gods grace: but be∣cause Gods grace is necessarie, and without it we can do nothing, we are sufficiently taught, that in the proper matter of our re∣ligious

praiers, is the just matter of our du∣ty: and if wee shall turn our praiers into precepts, we shall ••he easier turn our hearty desires into effective practices.

12. In all our praiers we must be careful to attend our present work,* 1.41 having a pre∣sent minde, not wandring upon imperti∣nent things, not distant from our words, much less contrary to them: and if our thoughts do at any time wander, and divert upon other objects, bring them back again with prudent and severe a••ts; by all means stri∣ving to obtain a diligent, a sober, an untrou∣bled and a composed spirit.

13. Let your posture and gesture of bo∣die in praiers bee reverent, grave, and humble; according to publick order, or the best examples, if it be in publick; if it be in private, either stand or kneel, or lie flat upon the ground on your face, in your ordi∣nary and more solemn praiers; but in extra∣ordinary, casual, and ejaculatory praiers, the reverence and devotion of the soul, and the lifting up the eies and hands to God with any other posture not undecent, is usual and com∣mendable; for we may pray in bed, on horse∣back, every where and at all times,* 1.42 and in all circumstances: and it is well if we do so; and some servants have not opportunity to pray so often as they would, unless they supply the appetites of Religion by such accidental de∣votions.

14. [Let prayers and supplications▪* 1.43 and gi∣ving of thanks be made for all men: for Kings and all that are in authoritie: For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savi∣our.]

We who must love our Neighbours as our selves, must also pray for them as for our selves: with this onely difference; that we may enlarge in our temporal desires for Kings, and pray for secular prosperity to them with more importunity then for our selves; because they need more to enable their duty and government, and for the interests of Religion and Justice. This part of praier is by the Apostle called [Intercession] in which with special care we are to remember our Relatives, our Family, our Charge, our Bene∣factours, our creditours; not forgetting to beg pardon and charity for our Enemies, and protection against them.

14. Relye not on a single praier in matters of great concernment: but make it as pub∣lick as you can by obtaining of others to pray for you: this being the great blessing of the communion of Saints, that a praier united is strong, like a well ordered Army; and God loves to be tied fast with such cords of love, and constrained by a holy violence.

15. Every time that is not seaz'd upon by some other duty, is seasonable enough for praier; but let it be performed as a solemn duty morning and evening, that God may be∣gin and end all our business, and the out∣goings of the morning and evening may praise him; for so we bless God, and God blesses us. And yet sail not to finde or make opportu∣nities to worship God at some other times of the day; at least by ejaculations and short addresses: more or less, longer or shorter, solemnly or without solemnity, privately or publickly, as you can, or are permitted: al∣waies

remembring, that as every sin is a degree of danger and unsafety; so every pious praier and well-imploied oppor∣tunity is a degree of return to hope and pardon.

Cautions for making Vows.

16. A vow to God is an act of praier, and a great degree and instance of opportunity, and an increase of du••y by some new un∣commanded instance, or some more emi∣nent degree of duty or frequency of action, or earnestness of spirit in the same. And be∣cause it hath pleased God in all Ages of the World to admit of entercourse with his ser∣vants in the matter of vows, it is not ill advice, that we make vows to God in such cases in which we have great need, or great danger. But let it be done according to these rules and by these cautions.

1. That the matter of the Vow be law∣full. 2. That it be useful in order to Reli∣gion or Charity. 3. That it be grave, not trifling and impertinent, but great in our proportion of duty towards the blessing. 4. That it be in an uncommanded instance, that is, that it be of something, or in some manner, or in some degree to which formerly wee were not formerly obli∣ged, or which we might have omitted without sinne. 5. That it be done with prudence, that is, that it be safe in all the circumstances of person, lest we beg a bles∣sing and fall into a snare. 6. That every vow of a new action bee also accompanied

with a new degree and enforcement of our essential and unalterable duty: such as was Jacobs vow; that (besides the paiment of a tithe) God should be his God: that so hee might strengthen his duty to him first in es∣sentials and precepts; and then in additio∣nals and accidentals. For it is but an ill Tree that spends more in leavs and ••••ckers and gummes then in fruit: and that thankful∣ness and Religion is best, that first secures duty, and then enlarges in counsels. There∣fore let every great praier, and great need, and great danger draw us to GOD nearer by the approach of a pious purpose to live more strictly, and let every mercy of GOD answering that praier,* 1.44 produce a real perfor∣mance of it. 7. Let not young beginners in Religion enlarge their hearts and straight∣en their libertie by vows of long continu∣ance: nor (indeed) any one else, without a great experience of himself, and of all accidental dangers. Vows of single actions are safest and proportionable to those sin∣gle blessings ever begg'd in such cases of sudden and transient importunities.* 1.45 8. Let no action which is matter of question and dispute in Religion, ever become the matter of a vow. He vows foolishly that promises to God to live and die in such an opinion, in an article not necessary, nor certain; or that upon confidence of his present guide, bindes himself for ever to the profession of what he may afterwards more reasonably contradict, or may finde not to bee useful, or not profitable, but of some danger, or of no necessitie.

If we observe the former rules, we shall pray piously and effectually; but because even this duty hath in it some especial temptati∣ons, it is necessarie that we be armed by spe∣cial remedies against them. The dangers are 1. Wandring thoughts. 2. Tediousness of spirit. Against the first these advices are profitable.

Remedies against wandring thoughts in Praier.

If we feel our spirits apt to wander in our praiers, and to retire into the World, or to things unprofitable, or vain and impertinent;

1. Use praier to bee assisted in praier: pray for the spirit of supplication, for a so∣ber, fixed, and recollected spirit: and when to this you adde a moral industry to be stea∣dy in your thoughts, whatsoever wandrings after this do return irremediably, are a mi∣serie of Nature and an imperfection, but no sin while it is not ch••rished and indulged to.

2. In private it is not amiss to attempt the cure by reducing your praiers into Collects and short forms of praier, making volunta∣ry interruptions, and beginning again, that the want of spirit and breath may bee sup∣plied by the short stages and periods.

3. When you have observed any conside∣rable wandring of your thoughts, binde your self to repeat that praier again with actual attention, or else revolve the full sense of it in your spirit, and repeat it in all the effect and desires of it: and pos∣sibly the tempter may bee driven away with

his own art, and may cease to interpose his trifles, when he perceives they doe but vex the person into carefulness, and piety: and yet he loses nothing of his devotion, but doubles the earnestness of his care.

4. If this be not seasonable or opportune, or apt to any Mans circumstances, yet be sure with actual attention to say a hearty A∣men to the whole prayer, with one united desire, earnestly begging the graces mentio∣ned in the prayer: for that desire does the great work of the prayer, and secures the blessing, if the wandring thoughts were a∣gainst our will, and disclaimed by contending against them.

5. Avoid multiplicity of businesses of the World; and in those that are unavoydable, labour for an evennesse and tranquillity of spirit, that you may be untroubled & smooth in all tempests of fortune: for so we shall better tend Religion, when we are not torn in pieces with the cares of the World, and seased upon with low affections, passions and interest.

6. It helps much to attention and actual advertisement in our prayers, if w•• say our prayers silently without the voice, only by the spirit. For in mental prayer, if our thoughts wander, we only stand still; when our minde returns, we go on again, there is none of the prayer lost, as it is, if our mouths speak and our hearts wander.

7. To incite you to the use of these or any other counsels you shall meet with, re∣member that it is a great und••c••ncy to de∣sire of God to hear those prayers, a great part

whereof we doe not hear our selves. If they be not worthy of our attention, they are farre more unworthy of Gods.

Signes of tediousnesse of spirit in our prayers and all actions of religion.

The second temptation in our prayer is a tediousness of spirit, or a weariness of the imployment: like that of the Jews, who complained that they were weary of the new moons, and their souls loathed the fre∣quent return of their Sabbaths: so doe ve∣ry many Christians, who first pray without servour and earnestness of spirit: and se∣condly meditate but seldom, and that with∣out fruit, or sense, or affection: or thirdly who seldom examine their consciences, and when they doe it, they doe i•• but sleepily, slightly, without compunction, or hearty pur∣pose, or fruits of amendment. 4. They en∣large themselves in the thoughts and fruition of temporal things, running for comfort to them only in any sadness and misfortune. 5. They love not to frequent the Sacraments, nor any the instruments of religion, as ser∣mons, confessions, prayers in publick fastings, but love ease, and a loose undiscipli'nd life. 6. They obey not their superiours, but follow their own judgment, when their judgment follows their affections, and their affections follow sense and worldly pleasures. 7. They neglect or dissemble, or deferre, or doe not attend to the motions and inclinations to virtue which the Spirit of God puts into their soul. 8. They repent them of their vows and holy purposes, not because they discover any

indiscretion in them, or intolerable incon∣venience, but because they have within them labor, (as the case now stands to them) dis∣pleasure. 9. They content themselves, with the first degrees and necessary parts of virtue, and when they are arrived thither, they sit down, as if they were come to the mountain of the Lord, and ca••e not to proceed on to∣ward perfection. 10. They enquire into all cases in which it may be lawful to omit a du∣ty, and though they will not do less then they are bound to, yet they will do no more then needs must; for they do out of fear, and self-love, not out of the love of God, or the spirit of holyness and zeal. The event of which will be this. He that will do no more then needs must, will soon be brought to omit something of his duty, and will be apt to believe less to be necessary then is.

Remedies against tediousness of spirit.

The Remedies against this temptation are these.

1. Order your privat devotions so, that they become not arguments & causes of tedi∣ousness by their indiscreet length; but reduce your words into a narrower compass, still keeping all the matter, and what is cut off in the length of your praiers, supply in the ear∣nestness of your spirit; for so nothing is lost while the words are changed into matter, and length of time into servencie of devotion. The forms are made not the less perfect, and the spirit is more, and the scruple is remov'd.

2. It is not imprudent if we provide va∣riety of forms of Praier to the same purpo∣ses,

that the change by consulting with the appetites of fancy, may better entertain the Spirit: and possibly we may be pleased to recite a hymn, when a collect seems flat to us and unpleasant, and we are willing to sing rather then to say, or to sing this rather then that: we are certain that variety is de∣lightful, and whether that be natural to us, or an imperfection, yet if it be complied with, it may remove some part of the tem∣ptation.

3. Break your office and devotion into fragments, and make frequent returnings by ejaculations and abrupt entercourses with God; for so, no length can oppress your ten¦derness and sickliness of spirit; and by often praying in such manner and in all circum∣stances, we shall habituate our souls to prai∣er, by making it the business of many lesser portions of our time: and by thrusting in between all our other imploiments, it will make every thing relish of religion, and by degrees tu••n all into its nature.

4. Learn to abstract your thoughts and desires from pleasures and things of the world. For nothing is a direct cure to this evil, but cutting off all others loves and adherences. Order your affairs so, that re∣ligion may be propounded to you as a re∣ward, and praier as your defence, and holy actions as your security, and charity and good works as your treasure: consider that all things else are satisfactions but to the bru∣tish part of a man, and that these are the re∣freshments and relishes of that noble part of us by which we are better then beasts: and

whatsoever other instrumēt, exercise or con∣sideration is of use to take our loves from the world, the same is apt to place them up∣on God.

5. Doe not seek for deliciousness and sen∣sible consolations in the actions of religion, but only regard the duty and the conscience of it. For although in the beginning of reli∣gion most frequently, and at ••••me other tim's irregularly, God complies with our infirmity, and encourages our duty with little over∣flowings of spiritual joy, and sensible plea∣sure, and delicacies in prayer, so as we seem to feel some little beam of Heaven and great refreshments from the Spirit of consolation; yet this is not alwaies safe for us to have, neither safe for us to expect and look for: and when we doe, it is apt to make us cool in our enquiries and waitings upon Christ when we want them: It is a running after him, nor for the miracles, but for the loaves; not for the wonderfull things of God, and the desires of pleasing him, but for the pleasures of plea∣sing our selves. And as we must not judge our devotion to be barren or unfruitful when we want the overflowings of joy running over: so neither must we cease for want of them. If our spirits can serve God choosingly and greedily out of pure conscience of our duty, it is better in it self, and more safe to us.

6. Let him use to soften his spirit with frequent meditation upon s••d and dolorous objects, as of death, the terrours of the day of judgment; fearful judgments upon sin∣ners, strange horrid accidents, fear of Gods wrath, the pains of Hell, the unspeakable

amazements of the damned, the intolerable load of a sad eternity. For whatsoever crea••es fear, or makes the spirit to dwell in a religious sadness, is apt to entender the spirit, and make it devout and plyant to any part of duty. For a great fear, when it is ill managed, is the parent of superstition; but a discreet & well guided fear produces religion.

7. Pray often and you shall pray oftner, and when you are accustomed to a frequent devotion, it will so insensibly unite to your nature and affections, that it will become trouble to omit your usual or appointed prayers: and what you obtain at first by do∣ing violence to your inclinations, at last will not be le••t without as great unwillingness as that by which at first it entred. This rule re∣lies not only upon reason derived from the nature of habits, which turn into a second nature, and make their actions easie, frequent and delightful: but it relies upon a reason depending upon the nature & constitution of grace, whose productions are of the same nature with the p••••ent, and increases it self, naturally growing from g••anes to huge trees, from minutes to vast proportions, and from moments to Eternity. But be sure not to o∣mit your usual prayers without great reason, though without sin it may be done; because after you have omitted something, in a little while you will be past the scruple of that, and begin to be tempted to leave out more: keep your self up to your usu••l forms; you may enlarge when you will; but doe not contract or lessen them without a very pro∣bable reason.

8 Let a man frequently and seriously by imagination place himself upon his death-bed and consider what great joyes he shall have for the remembrance of every day well spent: and what then he would give that he had so spent all his dayes: He may g••esse at it by proportions: for it is certain he shall have a joyfull and prosperous night, who hath spent his day ••olily: and he resignes his soul with peace into the hands of God, who hath lived in the peace of God, and the works of re∣ligion in his life time. This consideration is of a real event, it is of a thing that will cer∣tainly come to pass. It is appointed for all men once to die, and after death comes ••udgment; the apprehension of which is dreadful, and the presence of it is intolerable, unlesse by religion and sanctity we are dispos'd for so venerable an appearance.

9. To this may be useful that we consider the easinesse of Christs yoke,* 1.46 the excellences and sweetnesses that are in religion, the peace of conscience, the joy of the Holy Ghost, the rejoycing in God, the simplicity & plea∣sure of virtue, the intricacy, trouble and bu∣sinesse of sin; the blessings and health and reward of that, the cu••s••s, the sicknesses and sad consequences of this; and that, if we are weary of the labours of religion, we must eternally sit still and do nothing: for whatsoever we do contrary to it, is in∣finitely more full of labour, care, difficulty, and vexation.

10. Consider this also, that tediousnesse of spirit, is the beginning of the most dan∣gerous condition and estate in the whole

World. For it is a great disposition to the sin against the holy Ghost: it is apt to bring a man to backsliding, and the state of unre∣generation, to make him return to his vomit and his sink, and either to make the man im∣patient, or his condition scrupulous, unsatis∣fied, ••••k••ome and ••••sper••t••: ••nd it is better that he had never known the way of godliness, then after the knowledge of it that he should fall away. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 no•• in the world a great∣er signe that the spirit of Reprobation is be∣ginning upon a man, then when he is habi∣tually and constantly, or very frequently, weary, and slights, or loaths holy Offices.

11. The last remedy that preservs the hope of such a man, and can reduce him to the state of zeal and the love of God, is a pun∣gent, sad, and a heavy affliction; not despe∣rate, but recreated with some intervals of kindnesse, or little comforts, or entertained with hopes of deliverance: which condition, if a man shall fall into, by the grace of God he is likely to recover: but if this help him not it is infinite odds but he will quench the Spirit.

SECT. VIII. Of Alms.

LOve is as communicative as fire, as busie, and as active, and it hath four twin Daughters, extreme like each other; and but that the Docters of the School have done as Thamars Midwife did, who bound a Scarlet threed, something to distinguish them, it

would be very hard to call them asunder. Their names are: 1. Mercy. 2. Benefi∣cence, or well-doing. 3. Liberality. And 4. Almes; which by a special priviledge hath ob∣tained to be called after the Mothers name, and is commonly called, Charity. The first or eldest is seated in the affection, and it is that which all the other must attend. For mercy without Almes is acceptable, when the per∣son is disabled to express outwardly, what he heartily desires. But Almes without Mer∣cy, are like prayers without devotion, or Religion without Humility. 2. Beneficence, or well-doing, is a promptness and noble∣ness of minde, making us to doe offices of curtefie, and humanity to all sorts of per∣sons in their need, or out of their need. 3. Li∣berality is a disposition of minde opposite to covetousness, and consists in the despite and neglect of money upon just occasions, and relates to our friends, children, kindred, ser∣vants and other relatives. 4. But Almes is a relieving the poor and needy. The first and the last only are duties of Christiani∣ty. The second and third are circumstan∣ces and adjuncts of these duties: for Libe∣rality increases the degree of Almes, ma∣king our gift greater; and Beneficence ex∣tends it to more persons and orders of Men, spreading it wider. The former makes us sometimes to give more then we are able; and the latter gives to more then need by the necessity of Beggers, and serves the needs and conveniencies of p••rsons, and supplies circumstances: whereas properly. Almes are doles and largesses to the necessitous, and

calamitous people; supplying the necessities of Nature, and giving remedies to their mi∣series.

Me••cy and Almes are the body and soul of that charity which we must pay to our Neigh∣bours need: and it is a precept which God therefore enjoyned to the World, that the great inequality which he was pleased to suf∣fer in the possessions and accidents of Men, might be reduced to some temper and even∣ness; and the most miserable person might be reconciled to some sense and participa∣tion of felicity.

Works of mercy, or the several kinds of corporal Almes.

The works of Mercy are so many as the affections of Mercy have objects, or as the World hath kindes of misery. Men want meat or drink, or clothes, or a house, or li∣berty, or attendance, or a grave. In propor∣tion to thes••, seven works are usually assigned to Mercy; and there are seven kindes of cor∣poral almes reckoned.* 1.47 1. To feed the hun∣gry. 2. To give drink to the thirsty. 3. Or clothes to the naked. 4. To redeem Cap∣tives. 5. To visit the sick. 6. To enter∣tain strangers. 7. To bury the dead. * 1.48 But many more may be added. Such as are. 8. To give physick to sick persons. 9. To bring cold and starved people to warm••h and to the fire: for sometimes clothing will not doe it: or this may be done when we cannot doe the other. 10. To lead the blinde in right waies. 11. To lend money. 12. To forgive debts. 13. To remit forfeitures. 14. To mend

high-wayes and bridges. 15. To reduce or guide wandring travellers. 16. To ease th••••r labors by accōmodating their work with a••t instruments; or their j••urney with beast•• of carriage. 17. To deliver the poor from their oppressors. 18. To dye for my b••other••. 19. To pay maidens dowries, and to pro∣cure for them honest and chast marriages.* 1.49

* 1.50Works of spiritual A••mes and mercy, are

1. To teach the ignorant. 2. To counsell doubting persons 3. To admon••sh sinners diligently, prudently, seasonably, and chari∣tably: To which also may be reduced, pro∣voking and encouraging to good works. 4. To comfort the afflicted. 5. To pardon offenders. 6. To suffer and support the weak. 7. To pray for all estates of men, and for re∣lief to all their necessities. To which may be added. 8. To punish or correct re••ractori∣n••sse. 9. To be gentle and charitable in censuring the actions of others. 1••. To e∣stablish the scrupulous wave••ing, and incon∣stant spirits. 11. To confirm the strong. 12. Not to give scandal. 13. To quit a man of his fear. 14. * 1.51 To ••edeem maydens from prostitution and publication of their bodies.

To both these kinds, a third also may be added of a mixt nature, partly corporal, and partly spr••ritual: such are. 1. Reconciling enemies. * 1.52 2. E••ecting publick Schools of Learning. 3. Maintaining Lectures of Di∣vinity.

4. Erecting Colledges for Religion, and retirement from the noyses and more frequent temptations of the World. 5. ••ind∣ing imployment for unbusied p••rsons, and putting children to hone••t Trad••s. For the particulars of Mercy or Almes cannot be na••••ower then Me••s needs are: and the old method of Almes is too narrow to comprize them all; and yet the kinds are too many to be discoursed of particularly: only ou•• •• l••st••d Saviour in the precept of Almes, use•• the instances of relieving the poor, and for∣givenesse of injuri••••▪ and by pr••portion to these, ••he rest whose duty is plain simple easi•• and necessary, may be determin'd But Almes in general are to be dispos'd of according to the following Rules.

Rules for giving Almes.

1. Let no man do ••lmes of that which is none of his own 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of that he is to make ••estitu••••••n; that is due to the owners,* 1.53 n••t to the poor: for ev••ry m••n hath need of his own, and this is fi••st to be provided for▪ and then you must 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the needs of the poor. He that giv••s the poor what is not his own, makes himself a ••••••ef, and the poo•• to be the r••c••ive••s. This is not to be un∣derstood as if it were unlawful for a man that is not able to pay his debts, to giv•• smaller almes to the poor. He may not give such portions as can in any sense more dis∣able him to do justice: but su••h, which if they were saved could not advance the other duty, may ••e••ire to this, and

doe here what they may,* 1.54 since in the other duty they cannot doe what they should. But g••nera••ly Cheaters and Robbers cannot give alms of what they have cheated and robbed, unlesse they cannot tell the persons whom they have injured, or the proportions; and in such cases th••y are to give those unknown portions to the poor by way of restitution, for it is no almes: only God is the supreme Lord to whom those escheats devolve, and the poor are his Receivers.

2. Of mon••y unjustly taken and yet vo∣luntarily parted with, we may and are bound to give almes: such as is money given and taken for false witnesse, bribes, simoniacall contracts, because the Receiver hath no right to keep it, nor the Giver a∣ny right to recall it, it is unjust money, and yet payable to none but the supreme Lord (who is the person injured) and to his Delegates, that is, the poor. To which I insert these cautions. 1. If the person in••••red by the unjust sentence of a bribed Judge, or by false witnesse, be poor, he is the proper object and bosome to whom the resti••ution is to be made. 2. In case of ••imony,* 1.55 the Church to whom the Si∣mony was injurious, is the lap into which the restitution is to be powred; and if it be poor and out of repair, the Almes or, Restitution (shall I call it) are to be paid to it.

3. There is some sort of gain that hath in it no injustice properly so called; but it is unlawful and filthy l••cre: such as is money taken for work done unlawfully upon the

Lords day, hire taken for disfiguring ones self, and for being professed jesters, the wa∣ges of such as make unjust bargains, and of harlots: of this money there is some prepa∣ration to be made before it be given in Almes. The money is infected with the plague, and must passe through the fire or the water before it be fit for Almes: the person must repent and leave the crime, and then minister to the poor.

4. He that gives Almes must do it in mer∣cy, that is,* 1.56 out of a true sense of the cala∣mity of his brother, first feeling it in himself in some proportion, and then endeavoring to ease himself and the other of their com∣mon calamity. Against this rule they offend who give Almes out of custome, or to up∣braid the poverty of the ••ther, or to make him mercenary and obliged, or with any un∣handsome circumstances.

5. He that gives Almes must do it with a single eye and he••rt; ••hat is,* 1.57 without de∣signes to get the praise of men: and if he secures that, he may either give them pub∣lickly, or privately: for Ch••ist intended only to provide against pride and hypocrisie, when he bade Almes to be g••ven in secret; it b••ing otherwise one of hi•• commande∣ments, th••t our light should shine before men: this is more ex••ellent, that is more safe.

6. To this also appertaines, that he who hath done a good turn should so forget it as not to speak o•• it: but he t••at b••asts it or upbraids it, hai••h paid himself, and lost the noblenesse of the charity.

7. Give Almes with a cheerful heart and

countenance,* 1.58 not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth the cheerful giver; and there∣fore give quickly when the power is in thy hand, and the need is in thy Neighbour, and thy Neighbour at thy door. He gives twice that relieves speedily.

* 1.598. According to thy ability give to all men that need; and in equal needs give first to good men, rather then to bad men; and if the needs be unequal do so too; provided that the need of the poorest be not violent or extreme:* 1.60 but if an evil man be in extreme necessity, he is to be releived rather then a good man who can tarry longer, and may subsist without it; and if he be a good man, he will desire it should be so: because him∣self is bound to save the life of his brother with doing some inconvenience to himself: and no difference of virtue or vice, can make the ease of one begger equal with the li••e of another.

9. Give no Alms to vicious persons, if such Almes will support their sin: as if they will continue in idlenesse [if they will not work,* 1.61 neither let them eat] or if they w••ll spend it in * 1.62 drunkennesse, or wantonnesse: such persons when they are reduced to very great want, must be releived in such propor∣tions, as may not relieve their dying lust, but may refresh their faint or dying bodies.

10. The best objects of charity are poor hous-keepers that labour hard, and are bur∣dened with many children; or Gentlemen fallen into sad poverty, especially if by in∣nocent

mi••fo••tune (and if their crimes b••ought them i••to it, y••t th••y not be re∣lived according to the former rule), pe••••e∣cuted p••••sons, 〈…〉〈…〉, and father 〈◊〉〈◊〉 chi••••••en, put••ing th••m to ••on••••t trades or sc••••ols of learning:* 1.63 and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a••d 〈◊〉〈◊〉 into the needs of 〈…〉〈…〉 a••d me••••er families: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 t••ere are in ••y 〈…〉〈…〉 that h••ve no∣thing left 〈…〉〈…〉 and 〈…〉〈…〉 and towards such 〈◊〉〈◊〉 adde two c••••cumsta••∣ces of charity. 1. To enq••ire them out.* 1.64 2. ••o convey our relief unto them so as we do not make them ashamed.

11. Give, looking fo•• nothing again••t at is, without consideration of future advanta∣ges: give to children, to old men, to the un∣thankful, and the dying, and to those you shall never see again: for else your Alms or cu••t••sy is ••ot charity, but traffi••k and mer∣chandise: and be sure that you omit not to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the n••eds ••f your en••mie a••d the inju•••••••• is for to p••ssibly you m••y wi•• hi•• to your se••f; but do you intend the winning him to God.

12. Trust not your Almes to in••••rmedial, u••••••••tain and under disp••nsers: by which 〈…〉〈…〉 not only intended the securing your Alms in the right channel; but the humi∣li••y of your person, and that which the A∣p••stle calls the labour of love: and if you converse in Hospitals, and Alms-houses, and minister with your own hand what your heart hath first decreed, you will find your hearts endeared and made familiar with the needs and with the persons of the poor, those excellent images of Christ.

13. Whatsoever is superflous in thy estate is to be dispensed in Almes. * 1.65 He that hath two coats must give to him that hath none; that is, he that hath beyond his need must give that which is beyond it: Only among needs we are to reckon not only what will support our life, but also what will maintain the de∣cency of our estate and person; not only in present needs, but in all future necessities, and very probable contingences, but no further: we are not obliged beyond this, unless we see very great, publick and calami∣tous necessities: but yet, if we do extend beyond our measures, and give more then we are able, we have the Philippians and many holy persons for our precedent, we have S. Paul for our encouragement, we have Christ for our Councellour, we have God for our rewarder, and a great treasure in Heaven for our recompence and restitution. B••t I propound it to the consideration of all Christian people, that they be not nice and curious, fond and indulgent to themselves in taking accounts of their personal conveni∣ences, and that they make their p••oportions moderate and easy, according to the order and manner of Christianity; and the con∣sequent will be this, that the poor will more plentifully be relieved, themselves will be more able to do it, and the duty will be lesse chargeable, and the owners of estates char∣ged with fewer accounts in the spending them. It cannot be denied, but in the expen∣ces of all liberal and great personages many

things might be spared: some superfluous servants, some idle meetings, some unneces∣sary and imprudent feasts, some garments too costly, some unnecessary Law-suits, some vain journeys: and when we are tempted to such needless expences, if we shall de∣scend to moderation, and lay aside the sur∣plusage, we shall finde it with more profit to be laid out upon the poor members of C••rist, then upon our own with vanity. But this is only intended to be an advice in the manner of doing Almes: for I am not ig∣norant that great variety of cloathes alwayes have been permitted to Princes and Nobili∣ty, and others in their proportion; and they usually give those cloathes as rewards to ser∣vants, and other persons needful enough, and then they may serve their own fancy and their duty too: but it is but reason and re∣ligion to be careful, that they be given to such only where duty, or prudent liberality, or almes determine them: but in no sense let them do it so as to minister to vanity, to luxury, to prodigality. The like also is to be observed in other instances. And if we once give our minds to the study and arts of Almes, we shall find wayes enough to make this duty easy▪ p••ofitable, and useful.

1. He that plaies at any game must resolve before hand to be indifferent to win or lose: but if he gives to the poor all that he wins it is better then to keep it to himself: but it were better yet, that he lay by so much as he is wil••i••g to lose, and let the game alone, and by giving so much Almes, traffick for eter∣nity. That is one way.

2. Another is, keeping the fasting dayes of the Church••▪ which if our condition be such as to be able to cast our accounts▪ and make abatements for our wanting so many meals in the whole year, (which by the old ap∣pointment did amount to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and since most of them are fallen into de••u••tude, we may make up as many of them as we please by voluntary fasts) we may from hence find a considerable relief for the poor. But if we be not willing sometimes to fast that our brother may e••t, we should ill die for him. S. Martin had given all that he had in the world to the poor, save one coate▪ and that also he divided between two beggers. A Father in the mount of Nitria was reduced at last to the Inventory of one Testament, and that book also was tempted from him by the needs of one whom he thought poorer then himself. Greater yet: S. Paulinus sold himself to slavery to redeem a yong man for whose captivity his Mother wept sadly; & it is said that S. Katherine suck't the envenom'd wounds of a villain who had injured her most impudently: And I shall tell you of a greater charity then all these put together: Christ gave himself to shame and death to redeem his enemies from bondage, and death, and Hell.

3. Learn of the frugal man, and only avoid sordid actions, and turn good husband and change your arts of getting into providence for the poor, and we shall soon become rich in good works: and why should we not do ••s much for charity, as for covetousness; for Heaven, as for the fading world; for God and

the Holy Jesus, as for the needless superflui∣ties of back and belly?

14. In giving 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to beggers and per∣sons of that low ••ank, it is better to give little to each that we may give to the more, so extending our almes to many persons: but in charities of religion, as building Ho∣spitals, Colleges, and houses for devotion, and in supplying the accidental wants of de∣cayed persons, fallen from great plenty to great necessity, it is better to u••ite our almes then to dis••erse them, to make a noble re∣lief or maintenance to one, and to restore him to comfort, then to support only his natural needs, and keep him alive only, unrescued from sad discomforts.

15. The Precept of almes or charity bindes not indefinitely to all the instances and kindes of charity: for he that delights to feed the poor, and spends all his por∣tion that way, is not bound to enter into prisons and redeem captives: but we are obliged by the presence of circumstances, and the special disposition of providence, and the pityablenesse of an object, to this or that particular act of charity. The eye is the sense of mercy, and the bowels are its organ, and that enkindles pity, and pity pro∣duces almes: when the eye sees what it never saw, the heart will think what it never thought: but when we have an object present to our eye, then we must ••i••y, for the••e the providence of God hath fi••ted our charity with circumstances. He that is in thy sight or in thy Neit•••••• who 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is fallen into the lot of thy charity.

* 1.6616. If thou hast no money yet thou must have mercy, and art bound to pity the poor, and pray for them, and throw thy holy desires and devotions into the treasure of the Church: and if thou doest what thou art able, be it little or great, corporal or spi∣ritual, the charity of almes, or the charity of prayers, a cup of wine or a cup of water, if it be but love to the brethren, or a desire to help all, or any of Christs poor, it shall be accepted according to what a man hath, not according to what he hath not. For Love is all this, and all the other Commandments: and it will expresse it self where it can, and where it cannot, yet it is love still, and it is also sorrow that it cannot.

Motives to Charity.

* 1.67The motives to this duty are such as holy Scripture hath propounded to us by way of consideration and proposition of its excel∣lencies, and consequent reward. 1. There is no one duty which our blessed Saviour did recommend to his Disciples with so re∣peated an injunction as this of charity and Almes.* 1.68 To which add the words spoken by our Lord, It is bet••er to give then to re∣ceive; and when we consider how great a blessing it is that we beg not from door to door, it is a ready instance of our thankful∣nesse to God, for his sake to relieve them that do. 2. This duty is that alone whereby the future day of judgment shall be transa∣cted. For nothing but charity and almes is that whereby C••rist shall declare the ju∣stice and mercy of the eternal sentence. Mar∣tyrdome

it self is not there expressed, and no otherwise involved, but as it is the great∣est charity. 3. C••rist made himself the greatest and daily example of almes or cha∣rity. He went up and down doing good, preaching the Gospel, and healing all dis∣eases: and God the Father is imitable by us in nothing but in pu••i••y and in mercy.* 1.69 4. Almes given to the poor redound to the emolument of the Giver both temporal and eternal.* 1.70 5. They are instrumental to the re∣mission of si••s. Our forgiveness and mercy to others being made the very rule and pro∣portion 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ur confidence and hope, and our prayer to be forgive•• our selves. 6. It is a treasure in Heaven, it procures friends when we dye. It is reckoned a•• done to Christ whatsoever we doe to our poor bro∣ther; and therefore when a poor man begs for Christ his sake, if he have reas••n to ask for Christ his sake, give it him if thou canst. Now every man hath title to ask for Christs sake, whose need is great, and himselfe unable to cure it, and if the man be a Christian. Whatsoever charity Christ will reward, all that is given for Christs sake, and therefore it may be asked in his name: but every man that uses that sacred name for an endear∣ment, hath not a title to it, either he nor his need. 7. It is one of the wings of prayer, by which it flyes to the throne of grace. 8. It crowns all the works of piety. 9. It causes thanksgiving to God on our behalf. 10. And the bowels of the poor blesse us, and they pray for us. 11. And that portion of our estate, out of which a tenth, or a fifth

or a twentieth, or some offering to God for religion and the poor goes forth, certainly returns with a greater blessing upon all the rest. It is like the effusion of oyl by the Si∣donian woman; as long as she poures into empty vessels,* 1.71 it could never cease running: or like the Widows barrel of meal, it con∣sumes not as long as she fed the Prophet. 12. The summe of all is contained in the words of our blessed Saviour: Give almes of such things as you have, and behold all things are clean unto you. 13. To which may be added, that charity or mercy is the pecu∣liar character of Gods Elect, and a signe of predestination; which advantage we are taught by S. Paul: [Put on therefore as the elect of God,* 1.72 holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindnesse &c. forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel against any. The result of all which we may read in the words of S. Chry∣sostome: To know the art of almes, is greater then to be crowned with the Diadem of Kings. And yet to convert one soul is greater then to poure out ten thousand talents into the bas∣kets of the poor.

But because giving almes is an act of the virtue of mercifulnesse, our endevour must be by proper arts to mortifie the parents of unmercifulnesse, which are 1. Envy, 2. An∣ger, 3. Covetousnesse, in which we may be helped by the following rules or in∣struments.

Remedies against unmercifulnesse, and uncharitablenesse.

1. Against Envy: by way of consideration.

Against Envy I shall use the same argu∣ment I would use to perswade a man from the Fever or the dropsie. 1. Because it is a disease, it is so far from having pleasure in it, or a temptation to it, that it is full of pain, a great instrument of vexation; it eats the flesh, and d••••es up the marrow, and makes hollow eyes, and lean cheeks, and a paleface. 2. It is nothing but a direct resolution never to enter into Heaven by the way of noble pleasure taken in the good of others. 3. It is most contrary to God. 4. And a just con∣trary state to the felicities and actions of Heaven, where every star increases the light of the other, and the multitude of guests at the supper of the Lamb makes the eternal meal more festival. 5. It is perfectly the state of Hell, and the passion of Devils: for they do nothing but desp••ire in themselves, * 1.73 and envy others quiet or safety, and yet cannot rejoyce either in their good, or in their evil, although they endeavour to hin∣der that, and procure this, with all the devi∣ces and arts of malice and of a great un∣derstanding. 6. Envy can serve no end in the world; it cannot please any thing, nor do any thing, nor hinder any thing, but the content and felicity of him that hath it. 7. Envy can never pretend to justice, as hatred and uncharitablenesse sometimes may: for there may be causes of hatred,

and I may have wrong done me, and then hatred hath some pretence, though no just ar∣gument: But no man is unjust or injurious▪ for being prosperous or wise. 8. And there∣fore many men professe to hate another, but no man owns envy, as being an enmity and displeasure for no cause but goodnesse or feli∣licity:* 1.74 Envious men being like Cantharides and Caterpillars, that delight most to devour ripe & most excellent fruits. 9. It is of all crimes the basest: for malice and anger are appeased with benefits, but envy is ex∣asperated, as envying too fortunate persons both their power and their will to doe good: and never leaves murmuring till the envied person be levelled, and then only the Vultur leaves to eat the liver: for if his Neighbour be made miserable the envious man is apt to be troubled: like him that is so long un∣building the turrets till all the roof is low or flat, or that the stones fall upon the lower buildings, and doe a mischief that the man repents of.

2. Remedies against anger by way of exercise.

The next enemy to mercifulness and the grace of Almes is anger, against which there are proper instruments both in prudence and religion.

1. Prayer is the great remedy against an∣ger: for it must suppose it in some degree re∣moved before we pray, and then it is the more likely it will be finished when the pray∣er is done: We must lay aside the act of an∣ger, as a preparatory to prayer, and the cu∣ring

the habit will be the effect and blessing of prayer: so that if a man to cure his anger, resolves to addresse himself to God by pray∣er, it is first necessary that by his own obser∣vation and diligence he lay the anger aside, before his prayer can be fit to be presented; and when we so pray, & so endevour, we have all the blessings of prayer which God hath promised to it, to be our security for successe.

2. If Anger arises in thy breast, instantly seal up thy lips,* 1.75 and let it not go forth: for like fire when it wants vent, it will suppresse it self. It is good in a fever to have a tender and a smooth tongue; but it is better that it be so in anger; for if it be tough and distempered, there it is an ill sign, but here it is an ill cause. An∣gry passion is a fire, and angry words are like breath to fan them; together they are like steel and flint sending out fire by mutuall col∣lision: some men will discourse themselves into passion, and if their neighbour be en∣kindled too, together they flame with rage and violence.

3. Humility is the most excellent naturall cure for anger in the world: for he that by daily considering his own infirmites and fail∣ings makes the errour of his neighbour or servant to be his own case, and remembers that he daily needs Gods pardon and his brothers charity, will not be apt to rage at the levities, or misfortunes, or indiscretions of another; greater then which he considers that he is very frequently, and more inex∣cusably guilty of.

4 Consider the example of the ever bles∣sed Jesus, who suffered all the contradictions of sinners, and received all affronts and re∣proaches of malicious, rash and foolish per∣sons, and yet in all them was as dispassionate and gentle as the morning Sun in Autumn: and in this also he propounded himself imi∣table by us. For if innocence it self did suffer so great injuries and disgraces, it is no great matter for us quietly to receive all the cala∣mities of fortune and indiscretion of ser∣vants, and mistakes of friends, and unkind∣nesses of kindred, and rudenesses of enemies, since we have deserved those and worse, even Hell it self.

5. If we be tempted to anger in the actions of Government and Discipline to our inferi∣ours (in which case anger is permitted so far as it is prudently instrumentall to Government, and onely is a sin when it is excessive and un∣reasonable, and apt to disturbe our own dis∣course, or to expresse it self in imprudent words or violent actions) let us propound to our selves the example of God the Father, who at the same time, and with the same tranquillity decreed Heaven & Hell, the joyes of blessed Angels and souls, and the torments of devils and accursed spirits: and at the day of judgment when all the World shall burn under his feet, God shall not be at all in∣flam'd, or shaken in his essential seat and cen∣tre of tranquillity and joy. And if at first the cause seems reasonable, yet defer to execute thy anger till thou mayest better judge. For as Phocion told the Athenians, who upon the first news of the death of Alexander were rea∣dy

to revolt, Stay a while, for if the King be not dead, your haste will ruine you; but if he be dead, your stay cannot prejudice your af∣fairs, for he wil be dead to morrow as well as to day: so if thy servant or inferiour deserve punishment, staying till to morrow will not make him innocent; but it may possibly pre∣serve thee so, by preventing thy striking a guiltlesse person, or being furious for a trifle.

6. Remove from thy selfe all provocations and incentives to anger; especially 1. Games of chance, and great wager. * 1.76 Patroclus kil∣led his friend, the son of Amphida∣mas in his rage and sudden fury, rising upon a crosse game at ta∣bles. Such also are petty curio∣sities and wordly businesse and carefulnesse about it; but manage thy self with indifferency, or contempt of those ex∣ternall things, and do not spend a passion up∣on them; for it is more then they are worth. But they that desire but few things can be crossed but in a few.* 1.77 2. In not heaping up with an ambitious or curious prodigality, any very curious or choice Utensils, Seals, Jewels, Glasses, precious stones, because those very many accidents which happen in the spoiling or losse of these rarities, is in event, an irre∣sistible cause of violent anger. 3. Do not en∣tertain nor suffer talebearers: for they abuse our ears first, and then our credulity▪ and then steal our patience, and it may be for a lye, and if it be true, the matter is not considerable; or if it be, yet it is pardonable: and we may alwayes escape with patience at one of these out-lets: either. 1 By not hearing slanders or.

2. By not believing them, or; By not regard∣ing the thing, or 4 By forgiving the person. 4. To this purpose also it may serve well if we choose (as much as we can) to live with peaceable persons, for that prevents the oc∣casions of confusion: and if we live with prudent persons, that will not easily occasion our disturbance. But because these things are not in many mens power, therefore I propound this rather as a felicity then a remedy or a duty; and an art of prevention rather then of cure.

7. Be not inquisitive into the affairs of o∣ther men, nor the faults of thy servants, nor the mistakes of thy friends; but what is offer∣ed to you, use according to the former rules, but do thou not go out to gather sticks to kindle a fire to burn thine owne house. And add this; if my friend said or did well in that for which I am angry, I am in the fault, not he: But if he did amisse, he is in the mise∣ry, not I: for either he was deceived, or he was malitious, and either of them both is all one with a miserable person; and that is an object of pity, not of anger.

8. Use all reasonable discourses to excuse the faults of others, considering that there are many circumstances of time, of person, of ac∣cident, of inadvertency, of infrequency, of aptnesse to amend, of sorrow for doing it; and it is well that we take any good in ex∣change for the evil is done or suffered.

9. Upon the arising of anger instantly enter into a deep consideration of the joyes of Heaven, or the pains of Hell: for fear and joy are naturally apt to appease this violence.* 1.78

10. In contentions be alwayes passive, ne∣ver active, upon the defensive, not the assault∣ing part; and then also give a gentle answer, receiving the furies and indiscretions of the other like a stone into a bed of Mosse and soft compliance; and you shall find it sit down quietly; whereas anger and violence makes the contention loud and long and in∣jurious to both the parties.

11. In the actions of Religion be carefull to temper all thy instances with meeknesse, and the proper instruments of it: and if thou beest apt to be angry, neither fast violently, nor en∣tertain the too forward heats of zeal: but se∣cure thy duty, with constant and regular acti∣ons, and a good temper of body with conve∣nient refreshments and recreations.

12. If anger rises suddenly and violently, first restrain it with consideration, and then let it end in a hearty prayer for him that did the real or seeming injury: The former of the two stops its growth, and the latter quite kils it? and makes amends for its monstrous and involuntary birth.

Remedies against Angel by way of consideration.

1. Consider that Anger is a professed ene∣my to Counsel, it is a direct storm, in which no man can be heard to speak, or call from with∣out: for if you counsel gently, you are despi∣sed, if you urge it and be vehement, you pro∣voke it more:* 1.79 be carefull therefore to lay up before-hand a great stock of reason and prudent consideration

that like a besieged Town you may be pro∣vided for, and be defensible from within, since you are not likely to be reliev'd from without. Anger is not to be suppressed but by something that is as inward as it self, and more habituall: To which purpose adde, that 2. Of all passions it endevours most to make reason useless. 3. That it is an universal poy∣son, of an infinite object; for no man was e∣ver so amorous as to love a Toad, none so envious as to repine at the condition of the miserable, no Man so timorous as to fear a dead Bee, but anger is troubled at every thing and every Man, and every accident, and therefore unlesse it be suppressed it wil make a Mans condition restlesse. 4. If it proceeds from a great cause,* 1.80 it turns to fury; if from a small cause, it is peevish∣nesse, and so is alwayes either ter∣rible or ridiculous. 5. It makes a Mans body monstrous, deformed, and contemptible, the voice horrid, the eyes cruel, the face pale or fiery, the gate fierce, the speech clamorous and loud. 6. It is nei∣ther manly nor ingenuous. 7. It proceeds from softnesse of spirit and pusillanimity, which makes that Women are more angry then Men, sick persons more then the health∣full, old Men more then yong, unprosperous and calamitous people then the blessed and fortunate. 8. It is a passion fitter for Flies and Insects then for persons professing noble∣nesse and bounty. 9. It is troublesome not onely to those that suffer it, but to them that behold it; there being no greater incivility * 1.81 of entertainment then for the Cooks fault,

or the negligence of the servants, to be cruel, or outragious, or unpleasant in the presence of the guests. 10. It makes marriage to be a necessary and unavoidable trouble, friend∣ships, and societies, and familiarities to be in∣tolerable. 11. It multiplies the evils of drunkennesse and makes the levities of Wine to run into madnesse. 12. It makes innocent jesting to be the beginning of Tragedies. 13. It turns friendship into hatreds; * it makes a Man lose himself, and his reason and his ar∣gument in disputation. It turns the desires of knowledge into an itch of wrangling. It addes insolency to power. * It turns justice into cruelty, and judgement into oppression. * It changes discipline into tediousnesse and hatred of liberal institution. * It makes a prosperous Man to be envyed, and the un∣fortunate to be unpitied. * It is a confluence of all the irregular passions: there is in it en∣vy and sorrow, fear and scorn, pride and pre∣judice, rashnesse and inconsideration, re∣joycing in evill and a desire to inflict it, self-love, impatience and curiosity. * And lastly, though it be very troublesome to others, yet it is most troublesome to him that hath it.

In the use of these arguments and the for∣mer exercises be diligent to observe,* 1.82 lest in your desires to suppresse anger you be passio∣nate and angry at your self for being angry; like Physicians who give a bitter potion when they intend to eject the bitternesse of choler; for this will provoke the person and increase the passion: But placidly and quietly set upon the mortification of it; and attempt it first for a day; resolving that day not at all to be an∣gry;

and to be watchfull and observant, for a day is no great trouble: but then, after one dayes watchfulnesse it will be as easy to watch two dayes, as at first it was to watch one day; and so you may increase till it be∣comes easie and habituall.

Only observe that such an anger alone is criminal which is against charity to my self or my neighbour; but anger against sin is a holy zeal, and an effect of love to God & my brother, for whose interest I am passionate, like a concerned person: and if I take care that my anger makes no reflection of scorn or cruelty upon the offender, or of pride and violence and transportation to my self, anger becomes charity and duty: And when one commended Charilaus the King of Sparta, for a gentle, a Good and a meek Prince, his col∣league said well,* 1.83 How can he be good who is not an enemy even to vitious persons?

3. Remedies against Covetousnesse, the third enemy of mercy.

Covetousnesse is also an enemy to Almes, though not to all the effects of mercifulnesse: but this is to be cured by the proper motives to charity before mentioned, and by the pro∣per rules of justice; which being secured, the arts of getting money are not easily made criminal. To which also we may adde.

1. Covetousnesse makes a man miserable; because riches are not means to make a man happy: and unlesse felicity were to be bought with money, he is a vain person who admires heaps of gold and rich possessions; for what Hippomachus said to some person, who

commended a tall man as fit to be a Champion in the Olympick games:* 1.84 it is true (said he) if the crown hang so high that the longest arme could reach it: The same we may say concerning riches, they were excellent things, if the richest man were certainly the wisest and the best: but as they are, they are nothing to be wondered at, because they con¦tribute nothing towards felicity: which appeares because some men choose to be miserable that they may be rich, rather then be happy with the expence of mo∣ney and doing noble things.

2. Riches are uselesse and unprofitable; for beyond our needs and conveniences nature knows no use of riches; and they say that the Princes of Italy when they slip alone, eat out of a single dish, and drink in a plain glasse, and the wise eats without purple: for nothing is more frugal then the back and belly▪ if they be used as they should; but when they would entertain the eyes of strangers, when they are vain and would make a noise, then riches cōe forth to set forth the spectacle, & furnish out the Come∣die of wealth of vanity.* 1.85 No man can withal the wealth in the world buy so much skil as to be a good Lutenist; he must go the same way that poor people do, he must learn and take pains; much lesse can he buy constancy, or chastity, or courage: nay not so much as the contempt of riches: and by possessing more then we need, we cannot obtain so much power over our souls, as not to require more: And

certainly riches must deliver me from no evill, if the possession of them cannot take away the longing for them. If any man be thirsty, drink cools him. If he be hungry, eating meat satisfies him; and when a man is cold and calls for a warm cloak, he is pleased if you give it him; but you trouble him, if you load him with six or eight cloaks. Nature rests and sits still when she hath her portion; but that which exceeds it, is a trouble and a burden: and therefore in true Philosophy, No man is rich but he that is poor according to the common account: for when God hath satisfied those needs which he made; that is, all that is naturall, whatsoever is beyond it is thirst & a disease, and unlesse it be sent back again in charity or religion, can serve no end but vice or vanity; it can encrease the appe∣tite to represent the man poorer, and full of a new and artificiall, unnaturall need; but it never satisfies the need it makes, or makes the man richer. No wealth can satisfie the covetous desire of wealth.

3. Riches are troublesom: but the satisfaction of those appetites which God and Nature hath made are cheap and easie:* 1.86 for who ever paid use mo∣ney for bread and onions and water to keep him alive? but when we covet after house of the frame and design of Italy, or long for jewels, or for my next neighbours field, or horses from Barbary, or the richest perfumes of Arabia, or Galatian mules, or fat Eunuchs for our slaves from Tunis, or rich coaches from Naples, then we can never be satisfied till we have the best

thing that is fancied, and all that can be had and all that can be desired, and that we can lust no more: but before we come to the one half of our first wilde desires, we are the bond men of Usurers, and of our worse tyrant appetites, and the tortures of envy and impatience. But I consider that those who drink on still when their thirst is quenched, or eat after they well dined are forced to vomit, not onely their superfluity, but even that which at first was necessary: so those that co∣vet more then they can temperately use, are oftentimes forced to part even with that pa∣trimony which would have supported their persons in freedom and honour, and have satisfied all their reasonable desire.

4. Contentednesse is therefore health be∣cause covetousnesse is a direct sicknesse: & it was wel said of Aristippus (as Plutarch reports him) if any man after much eating and drink∣ing be full ūsatsfied, he hath no need of more meat or more drink, but of a Physitian; he more needs to be purged then to be filled; and therefore since covetousnesse cannot be satisfied, it must be cured by emptinesse, and evacuation; The man is without reme∣dy, unlesse he be reduced to the scantling of nature, and the measures of his personall necessity. Give to a poor man a house, and a few cowes, pay his little debt, and set him on work, and he is provided for, and qui∣et; but when a man enlarges beyond a fair possession and desires another Lordship, you spite him if you let him have it; for by that he is one degree the further off from rest in his desires and satisfaction: and now he

sees himself in a bigger capacity to a larger for∣tune; & he shall never find his period, till you begin to take away somthing of what he hath: for then he will begin to be glad to keep that which is left; but reduce him to natures mea∣sures, and there he shall be sure to finde rest: for there noman can desire beyond his belly full, and when he wants that, any one friend or charitable man can cure his poverty; but all the world cannot satisfie his covetousnesse.

5. Covetousnesse is the most phantasticall and contradictory disease in the whole world, and it must therefore be incurable, because it strives against its own cure. Noman therefore abstains from meat because he is hungry, nor from wine because he loves it and needs it: but the covetous man does so: for he desires it passionately because he sayes he needs it, and when he hath it, he will need it still, be∣cause he dares not use it. He gets cloaths be∣cause he cannot be without them; but when he hath them, then he can••: as if he needed corn for his granary, and cloaths for his ward∣robe, more then for his back and belly. For covetousness pretends to heap much together for fear of want, and yet after all his pains and purchase, he suffers that really which at first he feared vainly; and by not using what he gets he makes that suffering to be actuall, present, & necessary, which in his lowest con∣dition was but future, contingent & possible. It stirs up the desire, and takes away the plea∣sure of being satisfied. It increases the appetite and will not content it, it swels the principal to no purpose, and lessens the use to all purposes; desturbing the order of nature,

and the designes of God; making money not to be the instrument of exchange or charity, nor corn to feed himself or the poor, nor wool to cloath himself or his brother, nor wine to refresh the sadnesse of the afflicted, nor his oyl▪ to make his own countenance cheerfull: but all these to look upon, and to tell over, & to take accounts by & make him∣self considerable, and wondered at by fools, that while he lives he may be called Rich, and when he dyes may be accounted Miserable, & like the Dish-makers of China, may leave a greater heap of dirt for his Nephews, while he himself hath a new lot fallen to him in the portion of Dives: But thus the Asse carried wood and sweet herbs to the Baths, but was never washed or perfumed himself the heaped up sweets for others, while himself was filthy with smoak and ashes. And yet it is conside∣rable; If the man can be content to feed hardly, and labour extremely, and watch carefully, and suffer affronts and disgrace, that he may get money more then he uses in his temperate and just needs, with how much ease might this man be happy? and with how great uneasinesse and trouble does he make himself miserable? For he takes pains to get content, and when he might have it, he lets it go. He might better be content with a vertuous and quiet poverty, then with an ar∣tificial, troublesome and vitious: The same diet and a lesse labour would at first make him happy, and for ever after rewardable.

6. The sum of all is that which the Apo∣stle sayes; Covetousnesse is Idolatry; that is, it is an admiring money for it self, not for its

use; it relyes upon money, and loves it more then it loves God and religion: and it is the root of all evil: it teaches men to be cruel and crafty, industrious in evil, full of care and ma∣lice: it devours young heirs, and grindes the face of the poor, and undoes those who spe∣cially belong to Gods protection, helplesse, craftlesse and innocent people; it inquires into our parents age, and longs for the death of our friends: it makes friendship an art of rapine, and changes a partner into a Vultur, and a companion into a thief; and after all this it is for no good to it self, for it dare not spend those heaps of treasure which it snatch∣ed: and men hate Serpents and Basilisks worse then Lyons and Bears; for these kill because they need the prey, but they sting to death and eat not. * 1.87 And if they pretend all this care and heap for their Heirs, (like the Mice of Africa hiding the golden ore in their bowels and refusing to give back the indige∣sted gold till their guts be out) they may re∣member, that what was ūnecessary for them∣selves, is as unnecessary for their sons; and why cannot they be without it as wel as their Fathers who did not use it? and it often hap∣pens, that to the sons it becomes an instru∣ment to serve some lust or other; that as the gold was uselesse to their Fathers, so may the sons be to the publick; fools or prodigals, loads to their Countrey, and the curse & pu∣nishmēt of their fathers avarice; & yet all that

wealth is short of one blessing; but it is a load coming with a curse, & descending from the same of a long derived sin. However the rather transmits it to the son, and it may be the son to one more, till a Tyrant, or an Op∣pressour, or a War, or change of govern∣ment, or the Usurer, or folly, or an expensive vice makes holes in the bottom of the bag, and the wealth runs out like water, and flies away like a Bird from the hand of a childe.

7. Adde to these the consideration of the advantages of poverty; that it is a state freer from temptation; secure in dan∣gers: but of one trouble;* 1.88 safe un∣der the Divine Providence: cared for in Heaven by a daily minis∣tration, & for whose support God makes every day a new decree: a state of which Christ was pleased to make open pro∣fession, and many wise Men daily make vows: that a rich Man is but like a pool to whom the poor run, and first trouble it, and then draw it dry: that he enjoyes no more of it then according to the few and limited needs of a man; he cannot eat like a Wolf or an Elephant: that variety of dainty fare minis∣ters but to sin and sicknesses: that the poor Man feasts oftner then the rich, because eve∣ry little enlargment is a feast to the poor;

— sed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉 est in noluit 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sen••ct••••, 〈…〉〈…〉 brevis nec 〈◊〉〈◊〉 m••vendas; In 〈…〉〈…〉 facili d••••funditur ••austu 〈…〉〈…〉 amans & culti villicus h••••i, ••••de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 p••s••t•• 〈…〉〈…〉 Pythago••as. Est aliquid puecunque lico, quocunque necessu, Vnius dominum sese fecisse lace••tae, Iuven. Sat. 3.

but he that feasts every day fea•••••• no day, there being nothing left to which he may be∣yond his Ordinary extend his appetite that the rich man sleeps not so soundly as the poor labourer; that his feares are more, and his needs are greater (for who is poorer; he that needs 5 l or he that needs 5000?) the poor man hath enough to fill his belly, and the rich hath not enough to fill his eye: that the poor mans wants are easy to be relieved by a common charity, but the needs of rich men cannot be supplied but by Princes; and they are left to the temptation of great vices to make reparation of their needs: and the ambitious labours of men to get great estates is but like the selling of a Fountian to buy a Fever, a parting with content to buy necessi∣ty, a purchase of an unhandsome condition at the price of infelicity: that Princes and they that enjoy most of the world, have most of it but in title and supreme rights and reserved priviledges, pepper corns, homages, trifling services and acknowledgements, the real use descending to others to more sub∣stantial purposes: These considerations may be useful to the curing of covetousnesse, that the grace of mercifulness enlarging the heart of a man, his hand may not be con∣tracted, but reached out to the poor in almes.

SECT. IX. Of Repentance.

Repentance of all things in the World makes the greatest change: it changes things in Heaven and Earth; for it changes

the whole man from sin to grace, from vitious habits to holy customes, from unchast bodies to Angelical soules, from Swine to Philoso∣phers, from drunkenness to sober counsels; and God himself, with whom is no variable∣nesse or shadow of change, is pleased by de∣scending to our weak understandings, to say, that he changes also upon mans repentance, that he alters his decrees, revokes his sen∣tence, cancels the bils of accusation, throwes the Records of shame and sorrow from the Court of Heaven, and lifts up the sinner from the grave to life, from his prison to a throne, from Hell and the guilt of eternal torture, to Heaven and to a title to never ceasing fe∣licities. If we be bound on earth, we shall be bound in Heaven; if we be absolved here, we shall be loosed there; if we repent, God will repent, and not send the evil upon us which we have deserved.

But repentance is a conjugation and so∣ciety of many duties; and it contains in it all the parts of a holy life, from the time of our returne to the day of our death inclusive∣ly; and it hath in it some things specially relating to the sins of our former dayes, which are now to be abolished by special arts, and have obliged us to special labours, and brought in many new necessities, and put us into a very great deal of danger; and because it is a duty consisting of so many parts and so much imployment, it also re∣quires much time, and leaves a man in the same degree of hope of pardon, as is his re∣stitution to the state of righteousness & holy living, for which we covenanted in Baptism.

For we must know that there is but one re∣pentance in a mans whole life, if repent∣ance be taken in the proper, and strict E∣vangelicall Covenant sense, and not after the ordinary understanding of the word: That is, we are but once to change our whole state of life, from the power of the Devil and his intire possession, from the state of sin and death, from the body of corruption, to the life of grace, to the possession of Jesus, to the kingdome of the Gospel; and this is done in the baptisme of water, or in the baptisme, of the spirit when the first right comes to be verified by Gods grace coming upon us, and by our obedience to the heavenly calling, we working together with God. After this change, if ever wee fall into the contrary state, and be wholly estranged from God and Religion, and profess our selves servants of unrighteousness, God hath made no more covenant of restitution to us, there is no place left for any more repentance, or intire change of condition, or new birth: a man can be regenerated but once: and such are voluntary, malicious Apostates, Witches, ob∣stinate impenitent persons, and the like: But if we be overtaken by infirmity, or enter in∣to the marches or borders of this estate, and commit a grievous sin, or ten, or twenty, so we be not in the intire possession of the De∣vil, we are for the present in a damnable con∣dition, if we dye; but if we live we are in a recoverable condition; for so we may re∣pent often: we repent or rise from death but once, but from sickness many times; and by the grace of God we shall be pardoned if

so we repent. But our hopes of pardon are just as is the repentance, which if it be time∣ly, hearty, industrious and effective, God ac∣cepts: not by weighing graues or scruples, but by estimating the great proportions of our life; a hearty endevour & an effectual ge∣neral change shall get the pardon; the un∣avoidable infirmities, and past evils, and pre∣sent imperfections, and short interruptions, against which we watch, and pray, and strive, being put upon the accounts of the crosse, and payed for by the holy Jesus. This is the state and condition of repentance; its parts and actions must be valued according to the following rules.

Acts and parts of Repentance.

1. He that repents truly is greatly sor∣rowful for his past sins; not with a superfi∣cial sigh or tear, but a pungent afflictive sor∣row; such a sorrow as hates the sin so much, that the man would choose to dye rather then act it any more: This sorrow is called in Scripture [a weeping sorely,* 1.89 a weeping with bitternesse of heart, a weeping day and night, a sorrow of heart, a breaking of the spirit, mourning like a dove, and chattering like a swallow:] and we may read the de∣gree and manner of it by the lamentations and sad accents of the Prophet Jeremy, when he wept for the sins of the nati∣on; by the heart breaking of David, when he mourned for his murder and adul∣tery: and the bitter weeping of S. Peter, after the shameful denying of his Master. * The expression of this sorrow differs

according to the temper of the body, the sex, the age, and circumstance of action, and the motive of sorrow, and by many accidental tendernesses, or masculine hardnesses; and the repentance is not to be estimated by the tears, but by the grief; and the grief is to be valued not by the sensitive trouble, but by the cordial hatred of the sin and ready actual dereliction of it, and a resolution and real re∣sisting its consequent temptations. Some peo∣ple can shed tears for nothing, some for any thing; but the proper and true effects of a godly sorrow are; fear of the divine judge∣ments, apprehension of Gods displeasure, watchings amd strivings against sin, patiently enduring the cross of sorrow (which God sends as their punishment) in accusation of our selves in perpetually begging pardon, in mean and base opinions of our selves, and in all the natural productions from these ac∣cording to our temper and constitution: for if we be apt to weep in other accidents, it is ill if we weep not also in the sorrows of re∣pentance: not, that weeping is of it self a duty, but that sorrow, if it be as great, will be still expressed in as great a manner.

2. Our sorrow for sins must retain the pro∣portion of our sins, though not the equality; we have no particular measures of sins: we know not which is greater, of sacrilege or Superstition, Idolatry or Covetousness, Re∣bellion or Witchcraft; and therefore God ties us not to nice measures of sorrow, but onely that wee keep the general Rules of pro∣portion; that is, that a great sin have a great grief; a smaller crime being to be washed off with a lesser shower.

3. Our sorrow for sins is then best ac∣counted of for its degree,* 1.90 when it together with all the penal and afflictive duties of re∣pentance, shall have equalled or exceeded the pleasure we had in commission of the sin.

4. True repentance is a punishing du∣ty, and acts its sorrow, and judges and con∣demns the sin by voluntary submitting to such sadnesses as God sends on us, or (to pre∣vent the judgement of God) by judging our selves, and punishing our bodies and our spi∣rits by such instruments of piety as are trou∣blesome to the body: such as are, fasting, watching, long prayers, troublesome postures in our prayers, expensive almes, and all out∣ward acts of humiliation. For he that must judge himself, must condemn himself if he be guilty; and if he be condemned he must be punished; and if he be so judged, it will help to prevent the judgement of the Lord,* 1.91 S. Paul instructing us in this particular. But I before intimated that the punishing actions of repentance are onely actions of sorrow, and therefore are to make up the proporti∣ons of it. For our grief may be so full of trouble as to outweigh all the burdens of fasts and bodily afflictions, and then the other are the less necessary; and when they are used, the benefit of them is to obtain of God a remission or a lessening of such temporal judgments which God hath decreed a∣gainst the sins, as it was in the case of Ahab: but the sinner is not by any thing of this reconciled to the eternal favour of God; for as yet, this is but the Intro∣duction to Repentance.

5. Every true penitent is obliged to con∣fess his sins, and to humble himself before God for ever: Confession of sins hath a special promise. If we confesse our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins: mean∣ing that God hath bound himself to forgive us if we duly confess our sins,* 1.92 and do all that for which confession was appointed; that is, be ashamed of them, and own them no more. For, confession of our sins to God can signify nothing of it self in its direct na∣ture: He sees us when we act them, and keeps a record of them; and we forget them unless he reminds us of them by his grace: so that to confess them to God does not funish us, or make us asham'd, but confession to him, if it proceeds from shame and sorrow, and is an act of humility and self condemnation, and is a laying open our wounds for cure, then it is a duty God delights in: in all which circumstances, because we may very much be helped if we take in the assistance of a spi∣ritual Guide; therefore the church of God in all ages hath commended, and in most ages enjoyn'd * 1.93 that we confess our sins, and discover the state and condition of our souls to such a person whom we or our superiours judge fit to help us in such needs. For so [if we confesse our sins one to another] as S. James advises, we shall obtain the prayers of the holy man whom God and the Church hath appointed solemnly to pray for us: and when he knows our needs he can best mi∣nister

comfort, or reproof, oyl, or Causticks, he can more opportunely recommend your particular state to God, he can determine your cases of conscience, and judge better for you then you do for your self; and the shame of opening such Ulcers may restrain your forwardness to contract them; and all these circumstances of advantage will do very much towards the forgiveness. And this course was taken by the new Converts in the dayes of the Apostles [For many that believed,* 1.94 came and confessed and shewed their deeds.] And it were well if this duty were practised prudently and innocently in order to publick discipline; or private comfort and instruction: but that it be done to God is a duty, not directly for it self, but for its ad∣juncts, and the duties that goe with it, or be∣fore it, or after it: which duties because they are all to be helped and guided by our Pa∣stors and Curates of souls, he is careful of his eternal interest that will not lose the advan∣tage of using a private guide and judge. He that bideth his sins shall not prosper [Non dirigetur,* 1.95 saith the Vulgar Latin] he shall want a guide but who confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. And to this purpose Climacus reports that diverse holy persons in that age did use to carry Table-books with them, and in them describ'd an account of all their determinate thoughts, purposes, words and actions, in which they had suffe∣red infirmity, that by communicating the e∣state of their souls they might be instructed and guided, and corrected, or incouraged.

6. True repentance must reduce to act all

its holy purposes, and enter into and run through the state of holy * 1.96 living, which is contrary to that state of darknesse in which in times past we walked. * 1.97 For to resolve to do it, & yet not to do it, is to break our resolution & our faith, to mock God, to falsi∣fie and evacuate all the preceding acts of repentance, & to make our pardō hopeles, & our hope fruitles He that resolves to live well when a danger is upon him, or a violent fear, or when the appetites of Lust are newly satisfied, or newly serv∣ed, and yet when the temptation comes again, sins again, and then is sorrow∣full, and resolves once more against it, and yet fals when the temptation returns, is a vain man, but no true penitent, nor in the state of grace; and if he chance to dye in one of these good moods, is very far from salva∣tion: for if it be necessary that we resolve to live well, it is necessary we should do so. For resolution is an imperfect act, a term of rela∣tion, & signifies nothing but in order to the actions: it is as a faculty is to the act, as Spring is to the Harvest, as Egges are to Birds, as a Relative to its Correspondent, nothing with∣out it. No man therefore can be in the state of grace and actual favour by resolutions & holy purposes; these are but the gate and portal towards pardon: a holy life is the one∣ly perfection of Repentance, and the firm ground upon which we can cast the anchor

of hope in the mercies of God through Jesus Christ.

7. No man is to reckon his pardon im∣mediately upon his returns from sin to the beginnings of good life, but is to begin hi•• hopes and degrees of confidence according as sin dyes in him, and grace lives; as the habits of sin lessen, and righteousness grows; ac∣cording as sin returns but seldom in smaller instances and without choice, and by sur∣prize without deliberation, and is highly disrelished and presently dashed against the Rock Christ Jesus by a holy sorrow and renewed care, and more strict watch∣fulness. For a holy life being the con∣dition of the Covenant on our part, as we return to God, so God returns to us, and our state returns to the probabilities of pardon.

8. Every man is to work out his salvation with fear and trembling; and after the com∣mission of sins his feares must multiply, because every new sin, and every great de∣clining from the wayes of God is still a de∣gree of new danger, and hath increased Gods anger, and hath made him more uneasie to grant pardon: and when he does grant it, it is upon harder terms both for doing and suf∣fering; that is, we must do more for par∣don, and it may be, suffer much more. For we must know that God pardons our sins by parts: as our duty increases, and our care is more prudent and active, so Gods anger decreases: and yet it may be the last sin you committed, made God un∣alterably resolved to send upon you some

sad judgment. Of the particulars in all ca∣ses we are uncertain; and therefore we have reason alwaies to mourn for our sins that have so provoked GOD, and made our conditi∣on so full of danger, that it may be, no pray∣ers or tears or duty can alter his sentence concerning some sad judgment upon us. Thus GOD irrevocably decreed to punish the Israelites for Idolatry, although Moses prayed for them, and God forgave them in some degree; that is, so that he would not cut them off from being a people; yet he would not forgive them so, but he would visit that their sin upon them: and he did so.

* 1.989. A true penitent must all the days of his life pray for pardon, and never think the work completed till he dyes; not by any act of his own, by no act of the Church, by no forgiveness by the party injured, by no resti∣tution: these are all instruments of great use and efficacy, & the means by which it is to be done at length; but still the sin lyes at the door ready to return upon us in judgment, and damnation, if we return to it in choice or action: And whether God hath forgiven us or no, we know not, (a) 1.99 and how far, we know not; and all that we have done is not of sufficient work to obtain pardon: therefore still pray, and still be sorrowfull for ever ha∣ving done it, and for ever watch against it; and then those beginnings of pardon which are working all the way, will at last be per∣fected in the day of the Lord.

10. Defer not at all to repent; much lesse mayest thou out it off to thy death-bed: It is

not an easie thing to root out the habits 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sin,* 1.100 which a mans whole life hath gathered and confirmed. We find work enough to mortifie one beloved lust, in our very best advantage of strength and time, and before it is so deeply rooted as it must needs be sup∣posed to be at the end of a wicked life: ••nd therefore it will prove impossible when the work is so great, and the strength's so little, when sin is so strong and grace so weak: for they alwayes keep the same proportion of in∣crease and decrease, and as sin growes grace decayes: so that the more need we have of grace, the lesse at that time we shall have: because the greatness of our sins which makes the need, hath lessened the grace of GOD (which should help us) into nothing. To which adde this consideration; that on a Mans death bed, the day of repentance is past; for repentance being the renewing of a holy life, a living the life of grace,* 1.101 it is a contra∣diction to say, that a man can live a holy life upon his death-bed: especially, if we con∣sider, that for a sinner to live a holy life must first suppose him to have overcome all his evill habits, and then to have made a pur∣chase of the contrary graces, by the labours of great prudence, watchfulness, self-denyall and severity. Nothing that is excellent can be wrought suddenly.

11. After the beginnings of thy recovery, be infinitely fearfull of a relapse, and there∣fore upon the stock of thy sad experience, ob∣serve where thy failings were, and by especi∣all arts fortifie that faculty, and arm against that temptation. For if all those argum••••••

which God uses to us to preserve out inno∣cence, and thy late danger, and thy fears, and the goodness of God making thee once to escape, and the shame of thy fall, and the sense of thy own weaknesses will not make thee watchfull against a fall, especially know∣ing how much it costs a man to be restored, it will be infinitely more dangerous if ever thou fallest again, not onely for fear God should no more accept thee to pardon; but even thy own hopes will be made more desperate, and thy impatience greater; and thy shame turn to impudence, and thy own will be ••ore estranged, violent, and refracto∣ry, and t••y latter end will be worse then thy beginning. To which adde this consideration: That thy sin which was formerly in a good way of being pardoned, wil not onely re∣turn upon thee with all its own loads, but with the baseness of unthankfulnesse, and thou wilt be set as far back from Heaven as ever; and all thy former labours and fears, and watchings and agonies will be reckoned for nothing, but as arguments to upbraid thy folly, who when thou hadst set one foot in Heaven, didst pull that back and carry both to Hell.

Motives to Repentance.

I shall use no other arguments to move a sinner to repentance, but to tell him unless he does he shall certainly perish; and if he does repent timely and intirely, that is, live a holy life, he shall be forgiven and be saved: But yet I desire that this consideration be en∣larged with some great circumstances; and let us remember;

1. That to admit mankind to repentance and pardon was a favour greater then ever God gave to the angels and devils: for they were never admitted to the condition of se∣cond thoughts: Christ never groaned one groan for them; He never suffered one stripe, nor one affront, nor shed one drop of blood to restore them to hopes of blessedness after their first failings. But this he did for us, he paid the score of our sins, only that we might be admitted to repent, and that this repen∣tance might be effectuall to the great purpo∣ses of felicity and salvation.

2. Consider that as it cost Christ many mili∣ons of prayers and groans, and sighs, so he is now at this instant and hath been for these 1600 years night & day incessantly praying for grace to us that we may repent, and for pardon when we doe, and for degrees of par∣don beyond the capacities of our infirmities, and the merit of our sorrows & amendment, and this prayer he will continue till his se∣cond coming;* 1.102 for he ever liveth to make inter∣cession for us, and that we may know what it is in behalf of which he intercedes,* 1.103 S. Paul tels us his designe [we are Embassadours for Christ, as though he did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God; & what Christ prayes us to do, he prayes to God that we may do; that which he de∣sires of us as his servants, he desires of God who is the fountain of the grace and powers unto us, and without whose assistance we can do nothing.

3. That ever we should repent, was so cost∣ly a purchase, and so great a concernment, &

so high a favour, & the event is esteemed by God himself so great an excellency, that our blessed Saviour tels us, there shall be joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth:* 1.104 mean∣ing that when Christ shall be glorified, and at the right hand of his Father make intercessi∣on for us, praying for our repentance; the conversion and repentance of every sinner is part of Christs glorification; it is the answer∣ing of his prayers, it is a portion of his re∣ward in which he does essentially glory by the joyes of his glorified humanity. This is the joy of our Lord himself directly, not of the Angels, save only by reflexion: The joy (said our blessed Saviour) shall be in the presence of the Angels; they shall see the glo∣ry of the Lord, the answering of his prayers, the satisfaction of his desires, and the reward of his sufferings, in the repentance and con∣sequent pardon of a sinner. For therefore he once suffered, and for that reason he rejoyces for ever: and therefore when a penitent sin∣ner comes to receive the effect and full con∣summation of his pardon, it is called [an en∣tring into the joy of our Lord] that is, a par∣taking of that joy which Christ received at our conversion and enjoyned ever since.

4. Adde to this that the rewards of Hea∣ven are so great and glorious, & Christs bur∣den is so light, his yoke is so easie, that it is a shameless impudence to expect so great glo∣ries at a less rate then so little a service; at a lower rate then a holy life. It cost the heart-blood of the Son of God to obtain Heaven for us upon that condition; and who shall dye again to get Heaven for us upon easier

terms? what would you do, if God should command you to kill your eldest son, or to work in the mines for a thousand years toge∣ther, or to fast all thy life time with bread & water; were not Heaven a very great bar∣gain even after all this? And when God re∣quires nothing of us, but to live soberly, just∣ly and godly which things in themselves are to a man a very great felicity, and necessary to our present well being) shall we think this to be an intolerable burden, and that Hea∣ven is too litle a purchase a•• that price? and that God in meer justice will take a death-bed sigh or groan, and a few unprofitable teares and promises in exchange for all our duty?

If these motives joyned together with our own interest, even as much as felicity, and the sight of God, & the avoyding the intolerable pains of Hell, and many intermedial judge∣ments comes to, will not move us to ••o 〈◊〉〈◊〉 1. The filthinesse, and 2. The trouble, and 3. The uneasiness, and 4. The unreasonable∣ness of sin, and turn to God, there is no more to be said, we must perish in our folly.

SECT. X. Of Preparation to, and the manner how to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper.

THe celebration of the holy Sacrament is the great mysteriousness of the Christi∣an religion, and succeeds to the most solemn rite of naturall and Judaicall religion, the Law of sacrificing. For God spared mankinde, and took the sacrifice of beasts together with our

solemn prayers for an instrument of expiation But these could not purifie the soul from sin, but were typical of the sacrifice of something that could. But nothing could do this, but ei∣ther the offering of all that sinned, that every man should be the anathema or devoted thing, or else by some one of the same capacity, who by some super added excellency might in his own personal sufferings have a value great enough to satisfie for all the whole kinde of sinning persons. This the Son of God JESUS CHRIST, God and man under∣took, and finished by a Sacrifice of himself upon the Altar of the Cross.

2. This Sacrifice, because it was perfect, could be but one, and that once; but because the needs of the world should last as long as the world it self, it was necessary that there should be a perpetuall ministery established, whereby this one sufficient sacrifice should 〈◊〉〈◊〉 eternally effectuall to the severall new arising needs of all the world who should desire it, or in any sense be capa∣ble of it.

3. To this end Christ was made a Priest for ever: he was initiated or consecrated on the cross, and there began his Priesthood, which was to last till his coming to judgment. It began on earth, but was to last and be offi∣ciated in Heaven, where he sits perpetually, representing and exhibiting to the Father that great effective sacrifice (which he of∣fered on the cross) to eternall and never fail∣ing purposes.

4. As Christ is pleased to represent to his Father that great Sacrifice as a means of a∣tonement

and expiation for all mankinde, & with speciall purposes and intendment for all the elect, all that serve him in holiness: so he hath appointed that the same ministery shall be done upon earth too, in our man∣ner, and according to our proportion; and therefore hath constituted and separated an order of men who by shewing forth the Lords death by Sacramentall representation may pray unto God after the same manner that our Lord and high-Priest does, that is, offer to God and represent in this so∣lemn prayer ad Sacrament, Christ as already offered, so sending up a gracious instrument whereby our prayers may for his sake and in the same manner of intercession be offered up to God in our behalf, and for all them for whom we pray to all these purposes for which Christ dyed.

5. As the ministers of the Sacrament do in a Sacramental manner present to God the sacrifice of the cross, by being imitators of Christs intercession; so the people are sacrifi∣cers too in their manner; for besides that, by saying Amen, they joyn in the act of him that ministers, and make it also to be their own: so when they eat and drink the consecrated and blessed Elements worthily, they receive Christ within them, and therefore may also offer him to God, while in their sa∣crifice of obedience and thanksgiving they present themselves to God with Christ whom they have spiritually received, that is, themselves with that which will make them gracious and acceptable. The offering their bodies and souls and services to God in

him, and by him, and with him, who is his Fa∣thers wel-beloved, and in whom he is well pleased, cannot but be accepted to all the purposes of blessing, grace, and glory.* 1.105

6. This is the sum of the greatest mystery of our Religion: it is the copy of the passion and the ministration of the great mystery of our Redemption; and therefore whatsoever in∣titles ••s to the general priviledges of Christs passion all this is necessary by way of dispo∣sition to the celebration of the Sacrament of his passion: because this celebration is our manner of applying or using it. The particu∣lars of which preparation are represented in the following rules.

* 1.1061. No man must dare to approach to the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper if he be in a state of any one sin, that is, unless he have entred into the state of repentance, that is, of sorrow and amendment; least it be said con∣cerning him, as it was concerning Judas, the hand of him that betraid me is with me on the Table: and he that receiveth Christ into an impure soul or body, first turns his most excellent nourishment into poyson, and then feeds upon it.

2. Every communicant must first have exa∣mined himself, that is, tried the condition & state of his soul, searched out the secret ulcers, enquired out its weaknesses and indiscreti∣ons, and all those aptnesses where it is expo∣sed to temptation, that by finding out its diseases he may finde a cure, and by discove∣ring

its aptnesses he may secure his present purposes of future amendment, and may be armed against dangers and temptations.

3. This examination must be a mans own act, and inquisition into his life; but then al∣so it should lead a man on to ••un to those whom the Great Physician of our souls Christ Jesus hath appointed to minister phisick to our diseases; ••••at in all dangers and great ac∣cidents we may be assisted for comfort and remedy, for medicine and caution,

4. In this affair let no man deceive himself and against such a time which publick Autho∣rity hath appointed for us to receive the Sa∣crament, weep for his sins by way of so∣lemnity and ceremony, and still retain the affection: but he that comes to this feast must have on the wedding garment, that is, he must have, put on Jesus Christ, and he must have▪ put off the old man with his affections and lusts; and he must be wholly conformed to Christ in the image of his minde: For then we have put on Christ, when our souls are cloth∣ed with his righteousness, when every facul∣ty of our soul is proportioned and vested ac∣cording to the pattern of Christs life. And therefore a man must not leap from his last nights Su••fet, and Bath, and then communi∣cate: but when he hath begun the work of God effectually, and made some progress in repentance, and hath walked some stages & periods in the wayes of godlinesse, then let him come to him that is to minister it, and having made known the state of his soul, he is to be admitted: but to receive it into an unhallowed soul and body, is to receive the

dust of the Tabernacle in the waters of jea∣lousie; it will make the belly to swell, and the thigh to rot: it will not convey Christ to us, but the Devill will enter and dwell there, till with it he returns to his dwelling of torment. Remember alwaies that after a great sin or after a habit of sins, a man is not soon made clean; and no unclean thing must come to this Feast. It is not the prepara∣tion of two or three dayes that can render a person capable of this banquet: For in this feast, all Christ, and Christs passion, and all his graces, the blessings and ef∣fects of his sufferings are conveyed: nothing can fit us for this, but what can unite us to Christ, and obtain of him to present our needs to his heavenly Father: this Sacrament can no otherwise be celebrated but upon the same terms on which we may hope for par∣don and Heaven it self.

5. When we have this generall and indis∣pensably necessary preparation, we are to make our souls more adorn'd and trimm'd up with circumstances of pious actions, and speciall devotions, setting apart some porti∣on of our time immediately before the day of solemnity according as our great oc∣casions will permit; and this time is special∣ly to be spent in actions of repentance, con∣fession of our sins, renewing our purposes of holy living, praying for pardon of our fail∣ings, and for those graces which may pre∣vent the like sadnesses for the time to come; meditation upon the passion, upon the infi∣nite love of God expressed in so great my∣sterious manners of redemption; and indefi∣finitely

in all acts of virtue which may build our souls up into a Temple fit for the recep∣tion of Christ himself and the inhabitation of the holy Spirit.

6. The celebration of the holy Sacrament being the most solemn prayer, joyned with the most effectuall instrument of its accept∣ance, must suppose us in the love of God and in charity with all the World: and therefore we must before every Communion especially, remember what differences or jealousies are between us and any one else; and recompose all disunions, and cause right understandings between each other; offering to satisfie whom we have injur'd and to forgive them who have injur'd us, without thoughts of resuming the quarrel when the solemnity is over; for that is but to rake the embers in light and phan∣tastick ashes: it must be quenched, and a holy flame enkindled: no fires must be at all, but the fires of love and zeal: and the al∣tar of incense will send up a sweet perfume, and make atonement for us.

7. When the day of the feast is come, lay aside all cares and impertinencies of the World, and remember that this is thy Souls day; a day of traffique and enter∣course with Heaven. Arise early in the morn∣ing. 1. Give God thanks for the approach of so great a blessing. 2. Confess thy own unworthiness to admit so Divine a Guest. 3 Then remember and deplore thy sins which have made thee so unworthy. 4. Then confess Gods goodness and take sanctuary there, and upon him place thy

hopes, 5. And invite him to thee with re∣newed acts of love, of holy desire, of hatred of his enemy, sin. 6. Make oblation of thy self wholy to be disposed by him, to the obe∣dience of him, to his providence and posses∣sion, and pray him to enter, and dwell there for ever: And after this with joy and holy fear, and the forwardness of love, ad∣dress thy self to the receiving of him, to whom & by whom, and for whom, all faiths and all hope, and all love in the whole Ca∣tholick Church, both in Heaven and Earth is designed; him, whom Kings and Queens, and whole Kingdomes are inlove with, and count it the greatest honour in the World, that their Crowns and Scepters are laid at his holy feet.

8. When the holy man stands at the Table of blessing and ministers the rite of consecra∣tion, then do as the Angels do, who behold and love, and wonder, that the Son of God should become food to the souls of his ser∣vants; that he who cannot suffer any change of ••essening, should be broken into pieces, & enter into the body to support and nourish the spirit, and yet at the same time remain in Heaven while he descends to thee upon Earth; that he who hath essential felicity should become miserable and dye for thee and then give himself to thee for ever to re∣deem thee from sin and misery; that by his wounds he should procure health to thee, by his affronts he should entitle thee to glory, by his death he should bring thee to life, and by becoming a man he should make thee par∣taker of the Divine nature. These are such

glories that although they are made so obvi∣ous that each eye may behold them, yet they are also so deep, that no thought can fathome them: But so it hath pleased him to make these mysteries to be sensible, because the ex∣cellency and depth of the mercy is not intel∣ligible; that while we are ravished and com∣prehended within the infiniteness of so vast and mysterious a mercy, yet we may be as sure of it, as of that thing we see and feel, & smell and taste; but yet is so great, that we cannot understand it.

9. These holy mysteries are offered to our senses, but not to be placed under our feet; they are sensible, but not common: and therefore as the weakness of the Elements adds wonder to the excellency of the Sacra∣ment: so let our reverence and venerable u∣sages of them adde honour to the Elements, and acknowledge the glory of he mysterie, and the Divinity of the mercy. Let us receive the consecrated Elements with all devotion, and humility of body and spirits; and do this honour to it, that it be the first food we eat, and the first beverage we drink that day, un∣less it be in case of sickness, or other great necessity: and that your body and soul both be prepared to its reception with abstinence from secular pleasures,* 1.107 that you may better have attended fastings and preparatory prayers. For if ever it be seasonable to ob∣serve the counsell of Saint Paul, that mar∣ried person by consent should abstain fo•• a time that they may attend to solemn Religi∣on, it is now. It was not by Saint Paul nor the after ages of the Church called a duty so

to do, but it is most reasonable, that the more solemn actions of Religion should be attend∣ed to without the mixture of any thing that may discompose the minde, and make it more secular, or less religious.

10. In the act of receiving, exercise acts of Faith with much confidence and resignati∣on, believing it not to be common bread and wine, but holy in their use, holy in their signi∣fication, holy in their change, and holy in their effect, and believe if thou art a worthy Communicant thou dost as verily receive Christs body and blood to all effects and purposes of the spirit,* 1.108 as thou doest receive the blessed elements into thy mouth; that thou puttest thy finger to his hand, and thy hand into his side, and thy lips into his fon∣tinel of blood, sucking life from his heart: and yet if thou doest communicate unwor∣thily, thou eatest and drinkest Christ to thy danger, and death and destruction. Dispute not concerning the secret of the mystery, and the nicety of the manner of Christs pre∣sence: it is sufficient to thee that Christ shall be present to thy soul, as an instrument of grace, a pledge of the resurrection, as the earnest of glory and immortality, and a meanes of many intermediall blessings, even all such as are necessary for thee, and are in order to thy salvation: and to make all this good to thee, there is nothing necessa∣ry on thy part but a holy life, and a true belief of all the sayings of Christ; amongst which, indefinitely assent to the words of institution, and beleive that Christ in the ho∣ly Sacrament gives thee his body and his

blood. He that believes not this is not a Christian; He that believes so much, needs not to enquire further, nor to intangle his faith by disbelieving his sense.

11. Fail not this solemnity according to the custom of pious & devout people to make an offering to God for the uses of religion & the poor, according to thy ability. For when Christ feasts his body, let us also feast our fellow members who have right to the same promi∣ses, and are partakers of the same Sacrament, and partners of the same hope, and cared for under the same providence, and descended from the same common parents, and whose Father God is, and Christ is their Elder bro∣ther. If thou chancest to communicate where this holy custom is not observed publickly, supply that want by thy private charity, but offer it to God at his holy Table, at least by thy private designing it there.

11. When you have received, pray and give thanks. Pray for all estates of men: for they also have an interest in the body of Christ whereof they are members: and you in con∣junction with Christ (whom then you have received) are more fit to pray for them in that advantage, and in the celebration of that ho∣ly sacrifice which then is Sacramentally re∣presented to GOD, * Give thanks for the passion of our dearest Lord: remember all its parts, and all the instruments of your Redemption; and beg of GOD that by a holy perseverance in well doing you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from shadows passe on to substances, from eating his body to seeing his face, from the Typicall, Sacramentall, and Transient,

to the Reall, and Eternall Supper of the Lambe.

13. After the solemnity is done, let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith, and love, and obedience, and conformity to his life and death; as you have taken CHRIST into you, so put CHRIST on you, and conform every faculty of your soul & body to his holy image and perfection. Remember that now Christ is all one with you; and therefore when you are to do an action, consider how Christ did, or would do the like, and do you imitate his example, and transcribe his copy, and understand all his commandments, and choose all that he propounded, and de∣sire his promises, & fear his threatnings, and marry his loves and hatreds, and contract all friendships; for then you do every day com∣municate; especially when Christ thus dwels in you, and you in Christ, growing up to∣wards a perfect man in Christ Jesus.

14. Do not instantly upon your return from Church, return also to the world, and secular thoughts and imployments; but let the remaining parts of that day be like a post-Communion or an after-office, entertaining your blessed Lord with all the caresses and sweetness of love and colloquies, and enter∣courses of duty and affection, acquainting him with all your needs, and revealing to him all your secrets, and opening all your infirmi∣ties; and as the affairs of your person or im∣ployment call you off, so retire again with often ejaculations and acts of entertainment to your beloved Guest.

The effects and benefits of worthy communicating.

When I said that the sacrifice of the cross which Christ offered for all the sins and all the needs of the world is represented to God by the minister in the Sacrament, and offer∣ed up in prayer and Sacramental memory, after the maner that Christ himself intercedes for us in Heaven (so far as his glorious Priesthood is imitable by his Ministers on earth) I must of necessity also mean, that all the benefits of that sacrifice are then convey∣ed to all that communicate worthily: But if we descend to particulars; Then and there the Church is nourished in her faith, strengthned in her hope, enlarged in her bowels with an increasing charity: there all the members of Christ are joyned with each other, and all to Christ their head; and we a∣gain renew the covenant with God in Jesus Christ, and God seals his part, and we pro∣mise for ours, and Christ unites both, and the holy Ghost signes both in the collation of those graces which we then pray for, and ex∣ercise and receive all at once: there our bo∣dies are nourished with the signes, and our souls with the mystery: our bodies receive into them the seed of an immortall nature, & our souls are joyned with him who is the first fruits of the resurrection and never can dye: and if we desire any thing else and need it, here it is to be prayed for, here to be hoped for, here to be received: Long life and health, and recovery from sickness, and competent support and maintenance, and peace, and de∣liverance from our enemies, and content, and

patience, and joy, and sanctified riches, or a cheerfull poverty & liberty, and whatsoever else is a blessing, was purchased for us by Christ in his death and resurrection, and in his intercession in Heaven: and this Sacra∣ment being that to our particulars, which the great mysteries are in themselves, and by designe to all the world, if we receive worthily we shall receive any of those bles∣sings, according as God shall choose for us; and he will not onely choose with more wis∣dom, but also with more affection then we can for our selves.

After all this, it is advised by the Guides of souls wise men and pious, that all persons should commūicate very often, even as often as they can without excuses or delayes: Every thing that puts us from so holy an imploy∣ment when we are moved to it, being either a sin or an imperfection; an infirmity or inde∣votion, and an unactiveness of Spirit. All Christian people must come: They indeed that are in the state of sin must not come so, but yet they must come: First they must quit their state of death, and then partake of the bread of life. They that are at enmity with their neighbours must come, that is no ex∣cuse for their not coming; onely they must not bring their enmity along with them, but leave it▪ and then come. They that have va∣riety of secular imployments must come; only they must leave their secular thoughts and affections behind them,* 1.109 and then come and converse with God.

If any man be well grown in grace he must needs come, because he is excellently disposed to so holy a feast:

but he that is but in the infancy of piety had need to come that so he may g••ow in grace. The strong must come lest they become weak, and the weak that they may become strong. The sick must come to be cured; the healthfull to be preserved. They that have leisure must come because they have no excuse: They that have no leisure must come ••ither, that by so excellent religion they may sanctifie their business.

The penitent sinners must come, that they may be justified: and they that are justified, that they may be justified still. They that have fears and great reverence to these mysteries, and think no preparation to be sufficient must receive, that they may learn how to receive thee more worthily: and they that have a less degree of reverence,

must come often to have it heightned: that as those Creatures that live amongst the snowes of the Mountains turn white with their food and conversation with such perpetual whitenesses:

so our souls may be transformed into the similitude and union with Christ by our perpetual feed∣ing on him, and conversation, not onely in his Courts, but in his very heart, and most se∣cret affections, and incomparable purities.

Prayers for all sorts of Men and all necessi∣ties; relating to the severall parts of the vertue of Religion.

A Prayer for the Graces of Faith, Hope, Charity.

O Lord God of infinite mercy, of infinite excellency, who hast sent thy holy Son

into the world to redeem us from an intole∣rable misery, and to teach us a holy religion, and to forgive us an infinite debt: give me thy holy Spirit, that my understanding and all my faculties may be so resigned to the discipline and doctrine of my Lord, that I may be prepared in mind and will to dye for the testimony of Jesus, and to suffer any af∣fliction or calamity that shall offer to hinder my duty, or tempt me to shame or sin, or a∣postasie: and let my faith be the parent of a good life, a strong shield to repell the fiery darts of the Devil, and the Author of a holy hope, of modest desires, of confidence in God, and of a never failing charity to thee my God, and to all the world, that I may never have my portion with the unbelievers, or uncharitable, and desperate persons; but may be supported by the strengths of faith in all temptations, and may be refreshed with the comforts of a holy hope in all my sor∣rows, and may bear the burden of the Lord, and the infirmities of my neighbour by the support of charity, that the yoak of Jesus may become easie to me, and my love may do all the miracles of grace, till from grace it swell to glory, from earth to heaven, from duty to reward, from the imperfections of a begin∣ning and little growing love, it may arrive to the consummation of an enternall & never ceasing charity, through Jesus Christ the Son of thy love, the Anchor of our hope, and the Author and finisher of our faith, to whom with thee, O Lord God, Father of Heaven and Earth, and with thy holy Spirit be all glory, and love, and obedience, and domini∣on now and for ever. Amen.

Acts of love by way of prayer and ejacula∣tion: to be used in private.

O God thou art my God, ea••ly will I seek [ 1] thee: my soul t••i••ste••h for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is, to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary: because thy loving kindness is better then life, my lips shall praise thee. Psal. 63.

I am ready not only to be bound, but to [ 2] dye for the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts. 23. How amiable are thy tabernacles thou Lord [ 3] of Hosts: my soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God: Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will still be praising thee. Psal. 84.

O blessed Jesu, thou art worthy of all ado∣ration, [ 4] and all honour, and all love: Thou art the Wonderfull, the Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, of thy goverment and peace there shall be no end, thou art the brightness of thy Fathers glory, the express image of his person, the appointed Heir of all things: Thou upholdest all things by the word of thy power: Thou didst by thy self purg our sins: Thou art set on the right hand of the Majesty on high: Thou art made better then the An∣gels, thou hast by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they. Thou, O dearest Jesus, art the head of the Church, the beginning and the first-born from the 〈◊〉〈◊〉: in all things thou hast the preheminence, and it pleased the Father that in thee should all fulness dwell. Kingdomes are in love with

thee: Kings lay their Crowns and Scepters at thy feet, and Queens are thy handmaids, and wash the feet of thy servants.

A Prayer to be said in any affliction, as death of children, of husband or wife, in great po∣verty, in imprisonment, in a sad and dis∣consolate spirit and in temptati∣ons to despair.

O Eternall God, Father of Mercies and God of all comfort, with much mercy look upon the sadnesses and sorrows of thy servant. My sins lye heavy upon me, and press me sore, and there is no health in my bones by reason of thy displeasure and my sin. The waters are gone over me, and I stick fast in the deep mire, and my miseries are without comfort, because they are punish∣ments of my sin: and I am so evill and un∣worthy a person, that though I have great de∣sires, yet I have no dispositions or worthiness towards receiving comfort. My sins have caused my sorrow, and my sorrow does not cure my sins: and unless for thy own sake, and meerly because thou art good, thou shalt pi∣ty me and relieve me, I am as much without remedy, as now I am without comfort. Lord pity me; Lord let thy grace refresh my spirit. Let thy comforts support me, thy mercy par∣don me, and never let my portion be amongst hopeless and accursed spirits; for thou art good and gracious; and I throw my self up∣on thy mercy. Let me never let my hold go, and do thou with me what seems good in thy own eyes: I cannot suffer more then I have deserved: and yet I can need no relief so

great as thy mercy is: for thou art infinitely more mercifull then I can be miserable: and thy mercy which is above all thy own works must needs be far above all my sin and al my misery. Dearest Jesus, let me trust in thee for ever, and let me never be confounded, Amen.

Ejaculations and ••ort meditations to be used in time of sickness and sorrow, or danger of Death.

HEar my Prayer, O Lord, and let my cry∣ing come unto thee. * Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble, incline thine ear unto me when I call: O ••e••r me & that right soon. For my dayes are consumed like smoak, and my bones are burnt up as it were a fire brand. My heart is smitten down and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread: and that because of t••ine in∣dignation and wrath: for thou hast taken me up and cast me down. * Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is ••o health in my flesh because of thy displeasure: neither is there any rest in my bon••s by reason of my sin. * My wicked es∣ses are gone over my head, and are a sore bur∣den too heavy for me to bear. But I will confess my wickedness, and be sorry for my sin. O Lord rebuke me not in thy indigna∣tion, neither chasten me in thy displeasure.

Lord be mercifull unto me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.

Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness, according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. O remember not the sins and offences of my youth: but according to thy mercy think

thou upon me, O Lord for thy goodness. * Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin. * Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. * Cast me not away from thy pre∣sence, from thy all-hallowing and life-giving presence: and take not thy holy Spirit, thy sanctifying, thy guiding, thy comforting, thy supporting, and confirming Spirit from me.

O God, thou art my God for ever and ever: thou shalt be my guide unto death. [ 3] * Lord comfort me now that I lye sick upon my bed: make thou my bed in all my sick∣ness. * O deliver my soul from the place of Hell: and do thou receive me. * My heart is disquieted within me, and the fear of death is fallen upon me. * behold thou hast made my dayes as it were a span long, and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee, and verily every man living is altogether vanity. * When thou with rebukes doest chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume a∣way like a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity. And now Lord what is my hope? truly my hope is even in thee. * Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling, hold not thy peace at my tears. * Take this plague away from me: I am consumed by the means of thy heavy hand. * I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. * O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen. * My soul cleaveth unto the dust: O quicken me according to thy word. * And when the snares of death compass me round

about: let not the pains of hell take hold upon me.

An Act of Faith concerning resurrection and the day of judgment, to be said by sick per∣sons or meditated.

I Know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms de∣stroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for my self, and mine eyes shall behold, though my reins be con∣sumed within me. Job. 19.

God shall come and shall not keep silence: there shall go before him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him: he shall call the heaven from above, and the earth, that he may judge his people. * O blessed Jesu, thou art my judge and thou art my Advocate: have mer∣cy upon me in the houre of my death, and in the day of judgment.

See John 5.28. and 1 Thessal. 4.15.

Short Prayers to be said by sick persons.

O Holy Jesus, thou art a mercifull High-Priest and touched with the sense of our infirmities; thou knowest the sharpness of my sickness, and the weakness of my person. The clouds are gathered about me, and thou hast covered me with thy storm: My under∣standing hath not such apprehension of things as formerly: Lord let thy mercy support me, thy spirit guide me, and lead me through the valley of this death safely; that I may pass it patiently, holily, with perfect resignation, and

let me rejoyce in the Lord, in the hopes of pardon, in the expectation of glory, in the sense of thy mercies, in the refreshments of thy spirit, in a victory over all temptations.

Thou hast promised to be with us in tribu∣lation. Lord, my soul is troubled, and my bo∣dy is weak, and my hope is in thee, and my enemies are busie and mighty, now make good thy holy promise. Now O holy Jesus, now let thy hand of grace be upon me: re∣strain my ghostly enemies, and give me all sorts of spirituall assistances: Lord remem∣ber thy servant in the day when thou bindest up thy Jewels.

O take from me all tediousness of Spirit, all impatience and unquietness: let me possesse my soul in patience, and resign my soul and body into thy hands, as into the hands of a faithfull Creator, and a blessed Redeemer.

O holy Jesu••, thou didst dye for us; by thy sad, pungent and intollerable pains which thou enduredst for me, have pity on me, and ease my pain, or increase my patience. Lay on me no more then thou shalt enable me to bear. I have deserv'd it all and more, and in∣finitely more. Lord I am weak and ignorant, timerous and inconstant, and I fear lest some∣thing should happen that may discompose the state of my soul, that may displease thee: Do what thou wilt with me, so thou doest but preserve me in thy fear and favour. Thou knowest that it is my great fear, but let thy spirit secure, that nothing may be able to sepa∣rate me from the love of God in Jesus Christ; ••hen smite me here, that thou mayest spare

me for ever: and yet O Lord smite me friendly: for thou knowest my infirmi∣ties. Into thy hands I commend my spi∣rit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. * Come holy Spirit, help me in this conflict. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Let the Sick man often meditate upon these following promises and gracious words of God.

My help ••••meth of the Lord who preserv∣eth them that are true of heart. Psal 7.11.

And all they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee: for thou Lord hast never failed them that seek thee, Psal. 9.10.

O how plentifull is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee, even before the sons of men! Psal. 31.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him, and upon them that put their trust in his mercy, to deliver their souls from death, Psal. 33.

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart; and will save such as are of an humble spirit, Psal. 34.17.

Thou Lord shalt save both man and beast: how excellent is thy mercy, O God! and the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings, Psal. 36.7.

They shall be satisfied with the plenteous∣ness of thy house: and thou shalt give them to drink of thy pleasures as out of the rivers. v. 8.

For with thee is the well of life: and in thy light we shall see light, v. 9.

Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him, and he shall bring it to passe, Ps. 37.5.

But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord: who is also their strength in the time of trouble, v. 40

So that a man shall say, verily there is a re∣ward for the righteous: doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth, Psal. 58.10.

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and receivest unto thee: he shall dwell in thy court, and shall be satisfied with the plea∣sures of thy house, even of thy holy temple, Psal. 65.4.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy, Psa••. 126.6.

It is written, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, Heb. 13.5.

The Prayer of faith shall save the sick: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven, Jam. 5.15.

Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us, he hath smitten, and he will bind us up, Hos. 6.1.

If we sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, 1 John 2.2.

If we confess our sins he is faithfull and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1.9. He that forgives shall be forgiven, Luke 6.37.

And this is the confidence that we have in him▪ that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us, 1 John 5.14. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, 1 John 3.5.

If ye being evill know to give good things to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matth. 7.11.

This is a faithfull saying and worthy of ••ll accep••ation, that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners. He that hath given us his ••on, how should not he with him give us all things else?

Acts of hope to be used by sick persons, after a pious life.

I Am perswaded that neither death nor life, [ 1] nor Angels, n•••• Principalities, no•• powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Rom. 8.38.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished [ 2] my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous∣ness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me one∣ly, but unto all them also that love his ap∣pearing, 2 Tim. 4.7.

Blessed be the God, even the Father of our [ 3] Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comforts, who comforts us in all tribulation, 2 Cor. 1.3.

A prayer to be said in behalf of a sick or dying person.

O Lord God, there is no number of thy dayes, nor of thy mercies; and the sins and sorrows of thy servant also are multipli∣ed.

Lord look upon him with much mercy and pity, forgive him all his sinnes, com∣fort his sorrows, ease his pain, satisfie his doubts, relieve his fears, instruct his ignorances, strengthen his understanding, take from him all disorders of spirit••, weakness and abuse of fancy: Restrain the malice and power of the spirits of darkness; and suffer him to be injured neither by his ghostly enemies, no•• his own infirmities, and let a holy and a just peace, the peace of God, be within his conscience.

Lord preserve his senses till th•• last of his time, strengthen his faith, confirm his hope, and give him a never ceasing charity to thee our God, and to all the world: stir up in him a great and proportionable contrition for all the evills he hath done, and give him a just measure of patience for all he suffers: give him prudence memory, and considerati∣on, rightly to state the accounts of his soul, and do thou reminde him of all his duty, that when it shall please thee that his soul goes out from the prison of his body, it may be received by Angels, and preserved from the surprize of evil spirits, and from the horrors and amazements of new and stranger Regions; and be laid up in the bo∣som of our Lord, till at the day of thy second coming it shall be reunited to the body, which is now to be layed down in weakness and dishonour, but we humbly beg, may then be raised up with glory and power for ever to live and to behold the face of God in the glories of the Lord Jesus, who is our hope, our resurrection, and our life,

the light of our eyes and the joy of our souls, our blessed and ever glorious Redeemer. Amen.

Hither the sick persons may draw in, and use the acts of several vertues respersed in the several parts of this book, the several Le∣tanies, viz. of repentance, of the passion, and the single prayers, according to his present needs.

A Prayer to be said in a storm a•• Sea.

O My God, thou didst create the Earth and the Sea for thy glory and the use of man, and doest daily shew wonders in the deep: look upon the danger and fear of thy servant: my sins have taken hold upon me, and without the supporting arm of thy mercy I cannot look up; but my trust is in thee. Do thou O Lord, rebuke the Sea, and make it calm; for to thee the windes and the sea obey: let not the waters swal∣low me up, but let thy Spirit, the Spirit of gentleness and mercy move upon the wa∣ters: Be thou reconciled unto thy servants, and then the face of the waters will be smooth. I fear that my sins make me like ••onas the cause of the tempest. Cast out all my sins, and throw not thy servants away from thy presence and from the land of the living into the depths where all things are forgotten: But if it be thy wil that w•• shall go down into the waters, Lord 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my soul into thy holy hands, and preserve it in mercy and safety till the day of ••est••••••∣tion of all things: and be pleased ••o••n. ••e my d••••th to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of thy Son; and ••o

accept of it so united as a punishment for all my sins, that thou mayest forget all thine an∣ger, and blot my sins out of thy book, and write my soul there for Jesus Christ his sake, our dearest Lord and most mighty Redeemer. Amen.

Then make an act of resignation, thus.

TO God pertain the issues of life and death. It is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth good in his own eyes. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.

Recite Psalm 107. and 130.

A form of a vow to be made in this or the like danger.

IF the Lord will be gracious and hear the Prayer of his servant, and bring me safe to shore, then I will praise him secretly and publickly, and pay unto the uses of charity [or Religion] [then name the sum you de∣signe for holy uses] O my God my goods are nothing unto thee: I will also be thy ser∣vant all the dayes of my life, and remember this mercy and my present purposes and live more to Gods glory, and with a stricter duty: And do thou please to accept this vow as an instance of my importunity, and the greatness of my needs, and be thou graciously moved to pity and deliver me. Amen.

This form also may be used in praying for a blessing on an enterprize; and may be in∣stanced in actions of devotion as well as of charity.

A Prayer before a journey.

O Almighty God who fillest all things with thy presence, and art a God afar off as

well as neer at hand: thou didst send thy Angel to bless Jacob in his journey, and didst lead the children of Israel through the Red Sea, making it a wall on the right hand and on the left: be pleased to let thy Angel go out before me and guide me in my journey, preserving me from dangers of robbers, from violence of enemies, and sudden and sad ac∣cidents, from fals and errours: and prosper my journey to thy glory, and to all my in∣nocent purposes: and preserve me from all sin, that I may return in peace and holyness, with thy favour and thy blessing, and may serve thee in thankfulness and obedience all the dayes of my pilgrimage, and a•• last bring me to thy country, to the celestial Jerusa∣lem, there to dwell in thy house and to sing praises to thee for ever. Amen.

Ad. Sect. 4.] A prayer to be said before hear∣ing or reading the word of God.

O Holy and Eternal Jesus who hast begot∣ten us by thy word, renewed us by thy Spirit, fed us by thy Sacraments, and by the daily ministery of thy word: still go on to build us up to life eternall. Let thy most ho∣ly Spirit be present with me and rest upon me in the reading [or hearing] thy sacred word; that I may do it humbly, reverently, without prejudice, with a minde ready and desirous to learn and to obey; that I may be readily furnished and instructed to every good work, and may practise all thy holy laws and commandments, to the glory of thy holy name, O holy and eternall Jesus. Amen.

Ad Act. 5.9.10.] A form of confession of sins, and repentance to be used upon fasting dayes, or dayes of humiliation; especially in Lent, and before the Holy Sacrament.

HAve mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness, according to the multi∣tude of thy mercies do away mine offences. For I will confess my wickedness & be sorry for my sin. * O my dearest Lord, I am not worthy to be accounted amongst the meanest of thy servants: not worthy to be sustained by the least fragments of thy mercy, but to be shut out of thy presence for ever with dogs and unbelievers. But for thy names sake, O Lord, be mercifull unto my sin, for it is great.

I am the vilest of sinners, and the worst of men: proud and vain-glorious, impatient of scorn or of just reproof: not enduring to be slighted, and yet extremely deserving it: I have been cousened by the colours of humili∣ty, and when I have truly called my self viti∣ous, I could not endure any man else should say or think so. I have been disobedient to my superiours, churlish and ungentle in my behaviour, unchristian and unmanly. But for thy names sake, &c.

O Just and dear God, how can I expect pi∣ty or pardon, who am so angry & peevish, with and without cause, envious at good re∣joycing in the evil of my neighbours, neg∣ligent of my charge, idle and useless, ti∣merous and base, jealous and impudent, ambitious and hard-hearted, soft, unmortifi∣ed and effeminate in my life, indevout in my prayers, without fancie or affection,

without attendance to them or perseverance in them; but passionate and curious in plea∣sing my appetite of meat and drink and plea∣sures, making matter both for sin and sick∣ness? and I have reaped the cursed fruits of such improvidence, entertaining undecent and impure thoughts; and I have brought them forth in undecent and impure actions, and the spirit of uncleanness hath entered in, and unhallowed the temple which thou didst consecrate for the habitation of thy Spirit of love and holiness. But for thy names sake, O Lord, be mercifull unto my sin, for it is great.

Thou hast given me a whole life to serve thee in, and to advance my hopes of heaven: and this precious time I have thrown away upon my sins and vanities, being improvi∣dent of my time and of my talent, and of thy grace and my own advantages; resisting thy Spirit and quenching him. I have been a great lover of my self, and yet used many wayes to destroy my self; I have pursued my temporall ends with greediness and in∣direct means: I am revengfull and unthank∣full, forgetting benefits, but not so soon for∣getting injuries: curious and murmuring: a great breaker of promises: I have not loved my neighbours good nor advanced it in all things where I could; I have been un∣like thee in all things, I am unmercifull and unjust; a sottish admirer of things below, and careless of heaven and the wayes that lead thither.

But for thy names sake, O Lord, be merciful unto my sin, for it is great.

All my senses have been windows to let sin in, and death by sin. Mine eyes have been adulterous and covetous; mine eares open to slander and detraction: my tongue and pa∣lat loose and wanton, intemperate, and of foul language, talkative and lying, rash and malicious, false and flattering, irreligious and irreverent, detracting and censorious: My hands have been injurious and unclean: my passions violent and rebellious: my desires impatient and unreasonable: all my mem∣bers and all my faculties have been servants of sin: and my very best actions have more matter of pity, then of confidence; being im∣perfect in my best, and intolerable in most. But for thy names sake O Lord, &c.

Unto this and a far bigger heap of sin, I have added also the faults of others to my own score by neglecting to hinder them to sin in all that I could and ought: but I also have encouraged them in sin, have taken off their feares and hardened their consciences and tempted them directly, and prevailed in it to my own ruine and theirs, unless thy glo∣rious and unspeakable mercy hath prevented so intolerable a calamity.

Lord I have abused thy mercy, despised thy judgments, turned thy grace into wanton∣ness; I have been unthankfull for thy infinite loving kindness. I have sinned and repented▪ and then sinned again, and resolved against it, and presently broke it; and then I tyed my self up with vows, and then was temp∣ted, & then I yeelded by little and little till I was willingly lost again, and my vows fell off like cords of vanity.

Miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin?

And yet O Lord, I have another heap of sins to be unloaded. My secrets sins O Lord, are innumerable; sins I noted not, sins that I willingly neglected, sins that I acted upon wilfull ignorance and voluntary mispersuasi∣on; sins that I have forgot; and sins which a diligent and a watchful spirit might have prevented, but I would not. Lord I am con∣founded with the multitude of them, and the horrour of their remembrance, though I consider them nakedly in their direct appea∣rance, without the deformity of their un∣handsome and aggravating circumstances: but so dressed they are a sight too ugly; an instance of amazement, infinite in degrees, and insufferable in their load.

And yet thou hast spared me all this while, and hast not throwne me into Hell, where I have deserved to have been long since, and even now to have been shut up to an eternity of torments with insupportable amazement, fearing the revelation of thy day.

Miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin?

Thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God; Thou that prayest for me shalt be my Judge.

The Prayer.

THou hast prepared for me a more health∣full sorrow. O deny not thy servant when he begs sorrow of thee: Give me a deep contrition for my sins, a hearty detesta∣tion and loathing of them, hating them worse then death with torments. Give me

grace intirely, presently, and for ever to for∣sake them; to walk with care and prudence, with fear and watchfulness all my dayes; to doe all my duty with diligence and chari∣ty, with zeal and a never fainting spirit: to redeem the time, to trust upon thy mercies, to make use of all the instruments of grace, to work out my salvation with fear and trem∣bling, that thou mayest have the glory of pardoning all my sins, and I may reap the fruit of all thy mercies, and all thy graces of thy patience and long-suffering, even to live a holy life here, and to reign with thee for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ad Sect. 6.] Special devotions to be used upon the Lords-day, and the great Festvals of Christians.

In the Morning recite the following form of Thanksgiving: upon the special Festi∣vals adding the commēoration of the spe∣ciall blessings according to the following prayers: adding such prayers as you shall choose out of the foregoing Devotions.

2. Besides the ordinary & publick duties of the day, if you retire into your closet to read and meditate, after you have per∣formed that duty, say the song of Saint Ambrose commonly called the [Te De∣um] or [We praise thee &c.] then adde the prayers for particular graces which are at the end of the former Chapters such and as many of them as shall fit your pre∣sent needs and affections: ending with the Lords prayer. This form of devo∣tion may for variety, be indifferently us∣ed at other times.

A form of thanksgiving with a recital of publick and private blessings: To be used upon Easter-day, Whit-sunday, Ascension day, and all sundayes of the yeare: but the middle part of it may be reserved for the more solemn Festivals: and the other used upon the ordinary; as every mans affecti∣ons or leisure shall determine.

[1.] Ex Liturgia S. Basilii magna ex parte.

O Eternal Essence, Lord God, Father Almighty, maker of all things in Hea∣ven and Earth, it is a good thing to give thanks to thee, O Lord, and to pay to thee all reverence, worship and devotion from a clean and prepared heart; and with an humble spirit to present a living and reason∣able sacrifice to thy holiness and Majesty: for thou hast given unto us the knowledge of thy truth: and who is able to declare thy greatness and to recount all thy mervellous works which thou hast done in all the gene∣rations of the world?

O Great Lord and Governour of all things, Lord and Creator of all things visible and invisible, who sittest upon the throne of thy glory and beholdest the secrets of the lowest abysse and darkness, thou art with∣out beginning, uncircumscribed, incom∣prehensible, unalterable, and seated for ever unmoveable in thy own essentiall happiness and tranquillity: Thou art the Father of our Lord JESUS CHRIST: who is,

Our Deerest and most Gracious Saviour, our hope, the wisdom of the Father, the image of thy goodness, the Word eter∣nal

and the brightness of thy person, the power of God from eternal ages, the true light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the World, the Redemption of Man, and the Sanctification of our Spirits.

By whom the holy Ghost descended upon the Church; the holy Spirit of truth, the seal of adoption, the earnest of the inheri∣tance of the Saints, the first fruits of everla∣sting felicity, the life-giving power, the foun∣tain of sanctification, the comfort of the Church, the ease of the afflicted, the support of the weak, the wealth of the poor, the teacher of the doubtfull, scrupulous and ignorant, the anchor of the fearfull, the infinite reward of all faithfull souls, by whom all reasonable & understanding creatures serve thee, and send up a never-ceasing and a never-rejected sa∣crifice of prayer, and praises, and adoration.

All Angels and Archangels, all thrones and Dominions, all. Principalities and Powers, the Cherubims with many eyes, and the Seraphims covered with wings from the terror and amazement of thy brightest glory: These and all the powers of Heaven do per∣petually sing praises and never-ceasing Hymns, and eternall Anthems to the glory of the eternall God, the Almighty Father of Men and Angels.

Holy is our God: Holy is the Almighty: Holy is the Immortal: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth, Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory. Amen.

With these holy and blessed Spirits I also thy servant, O thou great lover of souls, though I be unworthy to offer praise to such

a Majesty, yet out of my bounden duty hum∣bly offer up my heart and voice to joyn in this blessed quire, and confess the glories of the Lord. * For thou art holy, and of thy greatness there is no end; and in thy justice and goodness thou hast measured out to us all thy works.

Thou madest man out of the earth, and didst form him after thine own image: thou didst place him in a garden of pleasure, and gavest him laws of righteousness to be to him a seed of immortality.

O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men.

For when man sinned and listned to the whispers of a tempting spirit, and refused to hear the voice of God, thou didst throw him out from Paradise, and sentest him to till the Earth; but yet left not his condition without remedy, but didst provide for him the salva∣tion of a new birth, and by the blood of thy Son didst redeem and pay the price to thine own justice for thine own creature, lest the work of thine owne hands should perish.

O that men would therefore praise the Lord; &c.

For thou, O Lord, in every age didst send testimonies from Heaven, blessings and Pro∣phets, and fruitfull seasons, and preachers of righteousness, and miracles of power, and mercy: thou spakest by thy Prophets and saidst, I will help by one that is mighty: and in the fulness of time spakest to us by thy Son, by whom thou didst make both the Worlds: who by the word of his power, sustains all

things in Heaven and Earth: who thought it no robery to be equall to the Father: who being before all time was pleased to be born in time, to converse with men, to be incar∣nate of a holy Virgin: he emptied him∣self of all his glories, took on him the form of a servant, in all things being made like unto us, in a soul of passions and dis∣course, in a body of humility and sorrow, but in all things innocent, and in all things afflicted: and suffered death for us, that we by him might live and be partakers of his nature and his glories, of his body and of his Spirit, of blessings of earth, and of the im∣mortal felicities in Heaven.

O that men would therefore praise the Lord, &c.

For thou O holy and immortal God, O sweetest Saviour Jesus, wert made under the Law to condemn sin in the flesh: thou who knewest no sin wert made sin for us: thou gavest to us righteous Commandements, and madest known to us all thy Fathers will: thou didst redeem us from our vain con∣versation, and from the vanity of Idols, false principles, and foolish confidences, and broughtest us to the knowledge of the true and onely God and our Father, and hast made us to thy self a peculiar people, of thy own purchase, a royall Priest-hood, a ho∣ly Nation: Thou hast washed our soules in the Laver of Regeneration, the Sacrament of Baptisme: Thou hast reconciled us by thy death, justified us by thy Resurrection, sanctified us by thy Spirit [sending him upon thy Church in visible formes, and giving him in powers, and miracles,

and mighty signes, and continuing this in∣comparable favour in gifts and sanctifying graces, and promising that he shall abide with us for ever] thou hast led us with thine own broken body, and given drink to our soules out of thine own heart, and hast ascend∣ed upon high, and hast overcome all the powers of Death and Hell, and redeemed us from the miseries of a sad eternity: and sit∣test at the right hand of God, making inter∣cession for us with a never-ceasing charity.

O that men would therefore praise the Lord, &c.

The grave could not hold thee long, O holy & eternal Jesus, thy body could not see cor∣ruption, neither could thy soul be left in Hel; thou wert fre among the dead, and thou brak∣est the iron gates of Death, and the barrs and chains of the lower prisons: Thou broughtest comfort to the souls of the Pa∣triarchs who waited for thy coming, who long'd for the redemption of Man, and the revelation of thy day. Abraham, Isac, and Jacob saw thy day, and rejoyced: and when thou didst arise from thy bed of dark∣ness, and leftest the grave-clothes behinde thee, and put on a robe of glory (o∣ver which for 40 dayes thou didst wear a veil) and then entred into a cloud, and then into glory, then the powers of Hell were con∣founded, then Death lost its power and was swallowed up into victory; and though death is not quite destroyed, yet it is made harmless and without a sting, and the condi∣tion of Humane Nature is made. an en∣trance to eternal glory; and art become the

Prince of life, the first-fruits of the resurrecti∣on, the first-born from the dead, having made the way plain before our faces, that we may also rise again in the Resurrection of the last day, when thou shalt come again unto us to render to every man according to his works.

O that men would therefore praise the Lord &c.

O give thanks unto the Lord for he is gra∣cious: and his mercy endureth for ever.

O all ye angels of the Lord, praise ye the Lord: praise him and magnifie him for ever.

O ye spirits and souls of the Righteous, praise ye the Lord: praise him and magnifie him for ever.

And now, O Lord God, what shall I ren∣der to thy Divine Majesty for all the benefits thou hast done unto thy servant in my per∣sonall capacity.

Thou art my Creator and my Father, my Protector and my Guardian, thou hast brought me from my Mothers wombe, thou hast told all my Joynts, and in thy book were all my members written: Thou hast given me a comely body, Christian and carefull parents, holy education; Thou hast been my guide and my teacher all my dayes: Thou hast given me ready faculties, an unloosed tongue, a cheerful spirit, straight limbs, a good reputation, and liberty of person, a quiet life, and a tender conscience [a loving wife or husband, and hopefull children] thou wert my hope from my youth, through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born: Thou hast clothed me and fed me, given me friends and blessed them; given me many

dayes of comfort and health, free from those sad infirmities, with which many of thy Saints and dearest servants are afflicted: Thou hast sent thy Angel to snatch me from the violence of fire and water, to prevent prae∣cipices, fracture of bones, to rescue me from thunder and lightning, plague and pestilenti∣all diseases, murder and robbery, violence of chance and enemies, and all the spirits of darkness: and in the dayes of sorrow thou hast refreshed me; in the destitution of pro∣visions thou hast taken care of me, and thou hast said unto me, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart, secretly among the faithfull and in the congregation.

Thou O my dearest Lord and Father hast taken care of my soul, hast pitied my miseries, sustained my infirmities, relieved and in∣structed my ignorances; and though I have broken thy righteous Laws and Commande∣ments, run passionately after vanities, and was in love with Death, and was dead in sin, and was exposed to thousands of temptati∣ons, and fell foully, and continued in it, and lov'd to have it so, and hated to be reformed; yet thou didst call me with the checks of con∣science, with daily Sermons and precepts of holiness, with fear and shame, with benefits and the admonitions of thy most holy Spirit, by the counsell of my friends, by the exam∣ple of good persons, with holy books and thousands of excellent arts, and wouldest not suffer me to perish in my folly, but didst force me to attend to thy gracious calling, and hast

put me into a state of repentance, and possi∣bilities of pardon, being infinitely desirous I should live, and recover, and make use of thy grace, and partake of thy glories.

I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart, secretly among the faithful, and in the congregation. For salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy servant. But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercies, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy tem∣ple. * For of thee, and in thee, and through and for thee are all things. Blessed be the name of God from generation to generation.

Amen.

A short Form of thanksgiving to be said upon any special deliverance, as from Child∣birth from Sickness, from battel, or immi∣nent danger at Sea, or Land, &c.

O most mercifull and gracious God, thou fountain of all mercy and blessing, thou hast opened the hand of thy mercy to fill me with blessings, and the sweet effects of thy loving kindness: thou feedest us like a Shep∣herd, thou governest us as a king, thou bearest us in thy arms like a nurse, thou dost cover us under the shadow of thy wings, and shel∣ter us like a hen; thou (ô Dearest Lord wakest for us as a Watchman, thou providest for us like a Husband, thou lovest us as a friend, and thinkest on us perpetually, as a carefull mo∣ther on her helpless babe, and art exceeding mercifull to all that fear thee: and now, O Lord, thou hast added this great blessing of deliverance from my late danger, (here name

the blessing) it was thy hand and the help of thy mercy that relieved me, the waters of af∣fliction had drowned me, and the stream had gon over my soul, if the spirit of the Lord had not moved upon these waters. Thou O Lord, didst revoke thy angry sentence which I had deserved, and which was gone out against me: Unto thee, O Lord, I ascribe the praise and honour of my redemption: I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy, for thou hast consider∣ed my trouble, and hast known my soul in ad∣versity: As thou hast spred thy hand upon me for a covering, so also enlarg my heart with thankfulness, and fill my mouth with praises, that my duty and returns to thee may be great as my needs of mercy are; and let thy gracious favours, and loving kindness endure for ever and ever upon thy servant: and grant that what thou hast sown in mercy, may spring up in duty: and let thy grace so strengthen my purposes that I may sin no more, lest thy threatning return upon me in anger, and thy anger break me into pieces: but let me walk in the light of thy favour, and in the paths of thy Commandments; that I living here to the glory of thy name, may at last en∣ter into the glory of my Lord, to spend a whole eternity in giving praise to thy exalted and ever glorious name. Amen.

We praise thee, O God: we knowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee the Father Everlasting. To thee all An∣gels cry aloud, the heauens & all the powers therein. To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and Earth

are full of the Majesty of thy glory. * Th•• glorious company of the Apostles praise thee. * The goodly fellowship of the Pro∣phets praise thee. * The noble army of Mar∣tyrs praise thee. * The holy Church through∣out all the world doth knowledg thee, * The Father of an infinite Majesty. * Thy honourable, true and only Son. * Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter. * Thou art the King of glory, O Christ. * Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. * When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgins womb. * Whe•• thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers. * Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father * We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge. * We therefore pray thee help thy servants whom thou hast redeem'd with thy precious blood. * Make them to be num∣ber'd with thy Saints in glory everlasting O Lord save thy people, and bless thine heritage. Govern them and lift them up for ever. Day by day we magnifie thee and we worship thy name ever world without end. Vouchsafe O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. O Lord have mer∣cy upon us: have mercy upon us. O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as or trust is in thee. O Lord in thee have trusted: let me never be confounded Amen.

A Prayer of thanksgiving after the receiving some great blessing, as the birth of an Heir

the success of an honest designe, a victory, a good harvest, &c.

O Lord God, Father of mercies, the foun∣tain of comfort and blessing, of life and peace, o plenty and pardon, who fillest Hea∣ven with thy glory, and earth with thy good∣ness; I give thee the most earnest, most hum∣ble, and most enlarged returns of my glad and thankfull heart, for thou hast refreshed me with thy comforts, and enlarged me with thy blessing, thou hast made my flesh and my bones to rejoyce: for besides the blessings of all mankinde, the blessings of nature, and the blessings of grace, the support of every minute, and the comforts of every day, thou hast opened thy bosom, and at this time hast powred out an excellent expression of thy loving kindness [here name the blessing] What am I, O Lord, and what is my Fathers house, what is the life, and what are the ca∣pacities of thy servant that thou shoul'd do this unto me, * that the great God 〈…〉〈…〉 and Angels should make a speciall decree in Heaven for me, and send out an Angel of blessing, and in stead of condemning and ruining me as I miserably have deserved, to distinguish me from many my equals and my betters, by this and many other speciall acts of Grace and favour.

Praised be the Lord daily, even the Lord that helpeth us, and powreth his bene∣fits upon us. He is our God, even the God of whom cometh salvation: God is the Lord by whom we escape death. Thou hast brought me to great honour. and comforted me on every side.

Thou Lord hast made me glad through thy works, I will rejoyce in giving praise for the operation of thy hands.

O give thanks unto the Lord, and call upon his name: tell the people what things he hath done.

As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord, & praise him among the multitude.

Blessed be the Lord God, even the Lord God of Israel: which only doth wondrous and gracious things.

And blessed be the name of his Majesty for ever: and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty. Amen. Amen. Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

A prayer to be said on the Feast of Christmas, or the birth of our blessed Saviour Jesus; the same also may be said upon the feast of the Annunciation, and Purification of the B. Virgin Mary.

O Holy and Almighty God Father of mer∣cies, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of thy love and Eternal mercies, I adore and praise and glorifie thy infinite and un∣speakable love, and wisdom, who hast sent thy Son from the bosom of felicities to take upon him our nature and our misery, and our guilt, and hast made the Son of God to be∣come the Son of Man, that we might become the Sons of God, and partakers of the divine nature: since thou hast so exalted humane na∣ture, be pleased also to sanctifie my per∣son, that by a conformity to the humility and laws and sufferings of my dearest Saviour I

may be united to his spirit, and be made all one with the most Holy Jesus. Amen.

O holy and Eternal Jesus, who didst pity mankinde lying in his blood, and sin and mi∣sery, and didst choose our sadnesses and sor∣rows, that thou mightest make us to partake of thy felicities: Let thine eyes pity me, thy hands support me, thy holy ••eet tread down all the difficulties in my way to Heaven; let me dwell in thy heart, be instructed with thy wisdom, moved by thy affections, choose with thy will, and be clothed with thy righteous∣ness that in the day of Judgment I may be found having on thy garments, sealed with thy impression; and that bearing upon every faculty and member the character of my el∣der brother, I may not be cast out with strangers and unbleivers. Amen.

O Holy and ever blessed spirit, who didst overshadow the holy Virgin Mother of our Lord and causedst her to conceive by a mi∣raculous and mysterious manner: be pleased to overshadow my soul, and en∣lighten my spirit, that I may conceive the holy Jesus in my heart, and may bear him in my minde, and may grow up to the fulness of the stature of Christ, to be a per∣fect man in Christ Jesus. Amen,

To God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To the eternall Son that was incar∣nate and born of a virgin. To the spirit of the Father and the Son be all honour and glory, worship and adoration, now and for ever. Amen.

The same Form of Prayer may be used up∣on our own Birth day, or day of our Baptism: adding the following prayer.

A Prayer to be said upon our Birth∣day, or day of Baptisme.

O Blessed and Eternall God, I give thee praie and glory for thy great mercy to me in causing me to be born of Christian pa∣rents, and didst not allot to me a portion with Misbelievers and Heathen that have not known thee; thou didst not suffer me to be strangled at the gate of the womb, but thy hand sustained & brought me to the light of the world, and the illumination of baptisme, with thy grace preventing my election, and by an artificiall necessity, and holy preventi∣on engaging me to the profession and practi∣ses of Christianity: Lord since that, I have broken the promises made in my behalf, and which I confirmed by my after act; I went back from them by an evil life; and yet thou hast still continued to me life and time of repentance; and didst not cut me off in the beginning of my dayes, and the progress of my sins: O Dearest God, pardon the er∣rours and ignorances, the vices and vanities of my youth, and the faults of my more for∣ward years, and let me never more stain the whiteness of my baptismal robe: and now that by thy grace, I still persist in the purpo∣ses of obedience, and do give up my name to Christ, and glory to be a Disciple of thy insti∣tution, and a servant of Jesus, let me never fail of thy grace; let no root of bitterness spring up and disorder my purposes, and de∣file

my spirit. O let my years be so many degrees of neerer approach to thee; and for∣sake me not O God, in my old age, when I am gray-headed; and when my strength fail∣eth me, be thou my strength and my guide unto death, that I may reckon my years and apply my heart unto wisdom, and at last after the spending a holy and a blessed life, I may be brought unto a glorious eternity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then adde the form of thanksgiving formerly described. A prayer to be said upon the dayes of the memory of Apostles, Mar∣tyrs, &c,

O Eternal God to whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and in whom the souls of them that be elected after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh be in peace and rest from their la∣bours, and their works follow them, and their memory is blessed: I blesse and mag∣nifie thy holy and ever glorious name, for the great grace and blessing manifested to thy Apostles and Martyrs, and other holy per∣sons who have glorified thy name in the dayes of their flesh, and have served the in∣terest of religion, and of thy service, and this day we have thy servant [name the Apostle or Martyr, &c.] in remembrance, whom thou hast lead through the troubles and tempta∣tions of this World, and now hast lodged in the bosome of a certain hope and great bea∣titude until the day of restitution of all things. Blessed be the mercy and eternal goodness of God; and the memory of all thy Saints is

blessed: Teach me to practise their doctrine, to imitate their lives following their example, and being united as a part of the same mysti∣call body, by the band of the same faith, and a holy hope, and a never ceasing charity: and may it please thee of thy gracious good∣ness shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy Kingdom, that we with thy servant [*] and all others de∣parted in the true faith and fear of thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss in body and soul in thy eternall and everlasting kingdom. Amen.

A form of prayer recording all the parts and mysteries of Christs passion; being a short history of it: to be used especially in the week of the passion, and before the receiving the blessed Sacrament.

ALl praise, honour, and glory be to the holy and eternal Jesus. I adore thee O blessed Redeemer, eternall God, the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel; for thou hast done and suffered for me more then I could wish, more then I could think of, even all that a lost and a miserable perishing sin∣ner could possibly need.

Thou wert afflicted with thirst and hun∣ger, with heat and cold, with labours and sorrows, with hard journeys and restless nights; and when thou wert contriving all the mysterious and admirable wayes of pay∣ing our scores, thou didst suffer thy self to be designed to slaughter by those for whom in love thou were ready to dye.

What is man that thou art mindfull of him, & the Son of man that thou thus visitest him?

Blessed be thy Name, O holy Jesus; for thou wentest about doing good, working miracles of mercy, healing the sick, comfort∣ing the distressed, instructing the ignorant, raising the dead, inlightning the blinde, stren∣gthning the lame, streightening the crook∣ed, relieving the poor, preaching the Gospel, and reconciling sinners by the mightiness of thy power, by the wisdom of thy Spirit, by the Word of God, and the merits of thy Passion, thy healthfull and bitter passion.

Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him, &c.

Blessed be thy Name, O holy Jesus, who wert content to be conspired against by the Jews, to be sold by thy servant, for a vile price, & to wash the feet of him that took money for thy life, and to give to him and to all thy A∣postles thy most holy Body and Blood o be∣come a Sacrifice for their sins, even for their betraying and denying thee; and for all my sins, even for my crucifying thee a fresh; and for such sins which I am ashamed to think; but that the greatness of my sins magnifie the infiniteness of thy mercies, who didst so great things for so vile a person.

Lord what is man, &c.

Blessed be thy Name, O holy Jesus, who be∣ing to depart the world didst comfort thy A∣postles, powring out into their ears & hearts treasures of admirable discourses; who didst recommend them to thy Father with a migh∣ty charity, and then didst enter into the Gar∣den set with nothing but Bryers & ••orrows,

where thou didst suffer a most unspeakable agony, untill the sweat strain'd through thy pure skin like drops of blood; and there didst sigh and groan, and fall flat upon the earth, and pray and submit to the intolerable bur∣den of thy fathers wrath which I had de∣served and thou sufferedst.

Lord what is man &c.

Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus, who hast sanctified to us all our natural infirmities and passions by vouchsafing to be in fear and trembling, and sore amazement, by being bound and imprisoned, by being harrassed and drag'd with cords of violence and rude hands; by being quench'd in the brook in the way, by being sought after like a theif, and us'd like a sinner, who wert the most holy and the most innocent, cleaner then an An∣gel and brighter then the Morning-Star.

Lord what is man, &c.

Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus, and blessed be that loving kindness and pity, by which thou didst neglect thy own sorrows and go to comfort the sadness of thy Disci∣ples, quickning their dulness, incouraging their duty, arming their weakness with ex∣cellent precepts against the day of triall. Blessed be that humility and sorrow of thine, who being Lord of the Angels, yet wouldest need, and receive comfort from thy servant the Angel; who didst offer thy self to thy persecutors and madest them able to seise thee; and didst receive the Traytors kiss, and sufferedst a veil to be thrown over thy holy face, that thy enemies might not presently be confounded by so bright a lustre; and

wouldest do a miracle to cure a wound of one of thy spitefull enemies; and didst re∣prove a zealous servant in behalf of a mali∣cious adversary; and then didst go like a Lamb to the slaughter without noise or vio∣lence or resistance, when thou couldest have commanded millions of Angels for thy guard and rescue.

Lord what is man &c.

Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus, and blessed be that holy sorrow thou didst suffer when thy Disciples fled, and thou wert left alone in the hands of cruel men, who like evening Wolves thirsted for a draught of thy best blood: and thou wert led to the house of Annas, and there asked insnaring questions, and smitten on the face by him whose ear thou hadst but lately healed: and from thence wert dragged to the house of Caiaphas and there all night didst endure spittings, affronts, scorn, contumelies, blows, and intolerable insolencies, and all this for man who was thy enemy and the cause of all thy sorrows:

Lord what is man &c.

Blessed be thy Name O holy Jesus, and blessed be thy mercy, who when thy servant Peter denied thee, and forsooke thee, & for∣swore thee, didst look back upon him, and by that gracious and chiding look didst call him back to himself and thee: who were accused before the High Priest, and rail'd upon, and examined to evill pur∣poses, and with designes of blood: who wert declar'd guilty of death for speaking a most necessary and most profitable truth: who wert sent to Pilate and found innocent,

and sent to Herod and still found innocent, and wert arayed in white both to declare thy innocence and yet to deride thy person, and wert sent back to Pilate and examined again, and yet nothing but innocence found in thee and malice round about thee to devour thy life, which yet thou wert more desirous to lay down for them, then they were to take it from thee.

Lord what is man, &c.

Blessed be thy Name, O holy Jesus, and blessed be that patience & charity by which for our sakes thou wert content to be smitten with canes, and have that holy face which Angels with joy and wonder do behold, be spit upon, and be despised when compared with Barabbas, and scourg'd most rudely with unhallowed hands, till the pavement was purpled with that holy blood; and condem∣ned to a sad and shamefull, a publick and painfull death, and arayed in Scarlet, and crown'd with thorns, and strip'd naked, and then cloathed, & loaden with the crosse, and tormented with a tablet stuck with nails at the fringes of thy garment, and bound hard with cords and dragg'd most vilely and most piteously till the load was too great, and did sink thy tender and virginal body to the earth; and yet didst comfort the weeping women, and didst more pity thy per∣secutors then thy self, and wert grieved for the miseries of Jerusalem to come forty yeares after more then for thy pre∣sent passion.

Lord what is man &c.

Blessed be thy Name, O holy Jesus, and

blessed be that incomparable sweetness and holy sorrow which thou sufferedst, when thy holy hands and feet were nailed upon the crosse, and the crosse being set in a hol∣lowness of the earth did in the fall rend the wounds wider, and there naked & bleeding, sick and faint, wounded and despised, didst hang upon the weight of thy wounds three long hours, praying for thy persecutors, satis∣fying thy Fathers wrath, reconciling the pe∣nitent thief, providing for thy holy and af∣flicted mother, tasting vineger and gall, and when the fulness of thy suffering was accom∣plished, didst give thy soul into the hands of God, & didst descend to the regions of long∣ing souls who waited for the revelatiō of this thy day in their prisons of hope: and then thy body was transfixed with a spear, and issued forth two Sacraments, Water and blood, and thy body was compos'd to buriall, and dwelt in darkness three dayes and three nights.

Lord, what is man that thou art mindfull of him, and the Son of man that thou thus visitest him?

The Prayer.

THus O blessed Jesu thou didst finish thy holy passion with pain & anguish so great, that nothing could be greater then it, except thy self and thy own infinite mercy, and all this for man, even for me, then whom no∣thing could be more miserable, thy self one∣ly excepted who becamest so by undertaking our guilt and our punishment. And now Lord who hast done so much for me, be pleased onely to make it effectuall to me that it may not be useless and lost as to my

particular, lest I become etenally miserable' and lost to all hopes and possibilities of com∣fort. All this deserves more love then I have to give: but Lord do thou turn me all into love, and all my love into obedience, and let my obedience be without interrupti∣on, and then I hope thou wilt accept such a return as I can make: make me to be some∣thing that thou delightest in, and thou shalt have all that I am or have from thee, even whatsoever thou makest fit for thy self. Teach me to live wholly for my Saviour Jesus, and to be ready to dye for Jesus, and to be con∣formable to his life and sufferings, and to be united to him by inseparable unions, and to own no passions but what may be servants to Jesus and Disciples of his institution. O sweetest Saviour clothe my soul with thy ho∣ly robe: hide my sins in thy wounds, and bury them in thy grave, and let me rise in the life of grace, and abide and grow in it till I arrive at the Kingdome of Glory. Amen Our Father &c.

Ad. Sect. 7.8, 10. A form of prayer or inter∣cession for all estates of people in the Christi∣an Church. The parts of which may be added to any other formes: and the whole office in∣tirely as it lyes is proper to be said in our preparation to the holy Sacrament, or on the day of celebration.

1. For our selves.

O Thou gracious Father of mercy, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy up∣on thy servants who bow our heads, and our knees, and our hearts to thee: pardon and

forgive us all our sins, give us the grace of holy repentance and a strict obedience to thy holy word; strengthen us in the inner man with the power of the holy Ghost for all the parts and duties of our calling and holy living: preserve us for ever in the unity of the holy Catholick Church, and in the inte∣grity of the Christian faith, and in the love of God, and of our neighbours, and in hope of life Eternal. Amen.

2. For the whole Catholick Church.

O holy Jesus King of the Saints, and Prince of the Catholick Church, preserve thy spouse whom thou hast purchased with thy right hand and redeemed and cleansed with thy blood; the whole Catholick Church from one end of the Earth to the other; she is founded upon a rock, but planted in the sea. O preserve her safe from schisme, heresie, and sacrilege. Unite all her members with the bands of Faith, Hope and Charity, and an externall communion, when it shall seem good in thine eyes: let the daily sacrifice of prayer and Sacramental thanksgiving never cease, but be for ever presented to thee, and for ever united to the intercession of her dearest Lord, and for ever prevaile for the obtaining for every of its membres grace and blessing, pardon and salvation. Amen.

3. For all Christian Kings, Princes and Governours.

O King of Kings, and Prince of all the Ru∣lers of the Earth, give thy grace and Spirit to all Christian Princes, the spirit of wisdom

and counsell, the spirit of government and godly fear: Grant unto them to live in peace and honour, that their people may love and fear them, and they may love and fear God: speak good unto their hearts con∣cerning the Church, that they may be nursing Fathers to it, Fathers of the Fatherless, Judges and Avengers of the cause of Widowes, that they may be compassionate to the wants of the poor, and the groans of the oppressed, that they may not vex or kill the Lords peo∣ple with unjust or ambitious wars, but may feed the flock of God, and may inquire after and do all things which may promote peace, publick honesty and holy religion, so admi∣nistring things present, that they may not fail of the everlasting glories of the world to come where all thy faithfull people shall reign Kings for ever. Amen.

4. For all the orders of them that minister about H. things.

O thou great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Holy and Eternall Jesus, give unto thy servants the Ministers of the Mysteries of Christian religion the Spirit of prudence & sanctity, faith and charity, confidence and zeal, diligence & watchfulnes, that they may declare thy will unto the people faithfully & dispense thy Sacraments rightly, and inter∣cede with thee graciously & acceptably for thy servants. Grant O Lord, that by a holy life and a true belief, by well doing and pa∣tient suffering (when thou shalt call them to it) they may glorifie thee the great lover of souls, and after a plentifull conversion of

sinners from the errour of their wayes they may shine like the stars in glory. Amen.

Give unto thy servants the Bishops a dis∣cerning Spirit that they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but may depute such persons to the Ministeries of religion, who may adorn the Gospel of God, and whose lips may preserve knowledge, and such who by their good preaching and holy living, may advance the service of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

5. For our neerest relatives, as Husband Wife, Children, Family, &c.

O God of infinite mercy, let thy loving mercy and compassion descend upon the head of thy servants [my wife, or husband; chil∣dren and family:] be pleased to give them health of body and of spirit, a competent portion of temporals, so as may with comfort support them in their journey to Heaven: preserve them from all evill and sad acci∣dents, defend them in all assaults of their ene∣mies, direct their persons and their actions, sanctifie their hearts and words, and purpo∣ses, that we all may by the bands of obedience and charity be united to our Lord Jesus, and alwayes feeling thee our mercifull and gra∣cious Father, may become a holy family, dis∣charging our whole duty in all our relations, that we in this life being thy children by a∣doption and grace, may be admitted into thy holy family hereafter for ever to sing praises to thee in the Church of the first-born, in the family of thy redeemed ones. Amen.

6. For our Parents, our Kindred in the flesh, our Friends and Benefactors.

O God merciful and gracious, who hast made [my Parents.] my friends and my Benefactors ministers of thy mercy & instru∣ments of providence to thy servant, I hum∣bly beg a blessing to descend upon the heads of [name the persons, or the relations] Depute thy holy Angels to guard their persons, thy holy spirit to guide their souls, thy providence to minister to their necessities: and let thy grace and mercy preserve them from the bit∣ter pains of eternal death, and bring them to everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Amen.

7. For all that lye under the rod of war▪ fa∣mine, pestilence: to be said in the time of plague, or war, &c.

O Lord God almighty, thou art our Fa∣ther, we are thy children, thou art our Re∣deemer, we thy people purchased with the price of thy most precious blood, be pleased to moderate thy anger towards thy servants, let not thy whole displeasure arise, lest we be consumed and brought to nothing. Let health and peace be within our dwellings, let righteousness and holiness dwell for ever in our hearts and be express'd in all our acti∣ons, and the light of thy countenance be up∣on us in all sufferings, that we may de∣light in the service and in the mercies of God for ever. Amen.

O gracious Father and mercifull God, if it be thy will, say unto the destroying Angel, it is enough, and though we are not better

then our brethren who are smitten with the rod of God, but much worse, yet may it please thee, even because thou art good, and because we are timerous and sinfull, not yet fitted for our appearance, to set thy mark upon our foreheads, that thy Angel the Mi∣nister of thy justice may pass over us & hurt us not: let thy hand cover thy servants and hide us in the clefts of the rock in the wounds of the holy Jesus, from the present anger that is gone out against us: that though we walk thorough the valley of the shadow of death we may fear no evill, and suffer none: and those whom thou hast smitten with thy rod, support with thy staff, and visit them with thy mercies and salvation, through Je∣sus Christ. Amen.

8. For all women with childe and for un∣born children.

O Lord God who art the Father of them that trust in thee, and shewest mercy to a thousand generations of them that fear thee, have mercy upon all women great with childe [*] be pleased to give them a joyfull and a safe deliverance; and let thy grace pre∣serve the fruit of their wombs, and conduct them to the holy Sacrament of Baptisme, that they being regenerated by thy spirit, and adopted into thy family and the portion and duty of Sons, may live to the glory of God, to the comfort of their parents and friends, to the edification of the Christian Common-wealth, and the salvation of their own souls through Jesus Christ. Amen.

9. For all estates of Men and Women in the Christian Church.

O Holy God, King Eternal, out of the infi∣nite store-houses of thy grace and mercy give unto all Virgins chastity, and a religious spi∣rit; to all persons dedicated to thee and to re∣ligion, continence and meekness, an active zeal, and an unwearied spirit: to all married paires faith and holiness: to widows and fa∣therless, an all that are oppressed, thy patro∣nage, comfort and defence: to all Christi∣an women simplicity and modesty, humility and chastity, patience and charity: give unto the poor, to all that are robbed and spoiled of their goods, a competent support, and a contented spirit, and a treasure in heaven hereafter: give unto prisoners and captives, to them that toil in the mines, and row in the gallies strength of body and of spirit, liberty and redemption, comfort and restitution: to all that travell by land thy Angel for their guide and a holy and prosperous return: to all that travel by sea freedom from Pyrates and shipwrack, and bring them to the Ha∣ven where they would be: to distressed and scrupulous consciences, to melancholy and disconsolate persons, to all that are afflicted with evill and unclean spirits, give a light from heaven, great grace and proportiona∣ble comforts, and timely deliverance; give them patience and resignation; let their sor∣rows be changed into grace and comfort, and let the storm wast them certainly to the re∣gions of rest and glory.

Lord God of mercy give to thy Martyrs

Confessors and all thy persecuted, constancy and prudence, boldness and hope, a full faith and a never failing charity: To all who are condemned to death do thou minister com∣fort, a strong, a quiet, and a resigned spirit: take from them the fear of death, and all re∣maining affections to sin, and all imperfecti∣ons of duty, and cause them to die full of grace, full of hope: and give to all faithfull, & particularly to them who have recommē∣ded themselves to the prayers of thy unwor∣thy servant, a supply of all their needs tem∣porall and spirituall, and according to their severall states and necessities, rest and peace, pardon and refreshment: and shew us all a mercy in the day of judgment. Amen.

Give O Lord, to the magistrates equity, sinceritie, courage and prudence, that they may protect the good, defend religion, and punish the wrong doers: Give to the Nobi∣litie wisdom, valour, and loyaltie: To Mer∣chants justice and faithfulness: to all Artifi∣cers and Labourers truth and honesty: to our enemies forgiveness and brotherly kindness.

Preserve to us the heavens and the Ayre in healthful influence and disposition, the Earth in plentie, the kingdom in peace and good government, our marriages in peace, and sweetness and innocence of societie, thy people from famine and pestilence, our hou∣ses from burning and robbery, our persons from being burnt alive, from banishment & prison, from Widowhood & destitution, from violence of pains and passions, from tempests and earth-quakes, from inundation of wa∣ters, from rebellion or invasion, from im∣patience

and inordinate cares, from tedious∣ness of spirit and despair, from murder, and all violent accursed and unusual deaths, from the surprise of sudden and violent acci∣dents, from passionate and unreasonable fears, from all thy wrath, and from all our sins, good Lord deliver and preserve thy ser∣vants for ever. Amen.

Repress the violence of all implacable war∣ring and tyrant Nations: bring home unto thy fold all that are gone astray: call into the Church all strangers: increase the number and holyness of thy own people: bring infants to ripeness of age and reason; confirm all baptized people with thy grace and with thy Spirit: instruct the novices and new Christi∣ans: let a great grace and mercifull provi∣dence bring youthfull persons safely and ho∣lily through the indiscretions and passions and temptations of their younger years: and those whom thou hast or shalt permit to live to the age of a man, give competent strength and wisdom, take from them covetousness and churlishness, pride and impatience: fill them full of devotion and charity repentance and sobriety, holy thoughts and longing de∣sires after Heaven and heavenly things: give them a holy and a blessed death, and to us all a joyfull resurrection through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ad Sect. 10. The manner of using these de∣votions by way of preparation to the re∣ceiving the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper.

The just preparation to this holy Feast con∣sisting

principally in a holy life, and conse∣quently in the repetation of the acts of all ver∣tues and especially of Faith Repentance Cha∣rity and thanksgiving to the exercise of these four graces let the person that intends to com∣municate in the times set apart for his prepa∣ration and devotion▪ for the exercise of his Faith recite the prayer or Letany of the passi∣on. For the exercise of Repentance the form of confession of sins with the prayer annexed: And for the graces of thanksgiving & chari∣ty, let him use the speciall forms of prayer a∣bove described; or if a less time can be allot∣ted for preparatory devotion the two first will be the more proper as containing in them all the personal duty of the communicant. To which upon the morning of that holy solemni∣ty, let him adde.

A prayer of preparation or address to the holy Sacrament.

An act of Love.

O Most gracious and eternall God, the hel∣per of the helpless, the comforter of the comfortless, the hope of the afflicted, the bread of the hungry, the drink of the thirsty, and the Saviour of all them that wait upon thee, I blesse and glorifie thy Name, & adore thy goodness, and delight in thy love, that thou hast once more given me the opportu∣nity of receiving the greatest favour which I can receive in this World, even the body and blood of my dearest Saviour. O take from me all affection to sin or vanity: let not my affections dwell below, but soar

upwards to the element of love, to the seat of God, to the Regions of Glory, and the inhe∣ritance of Jesus, that I may hunger and thirst for the bread of life, and the wine of elect soules, and may know no loves but the love of God, and the most mercifull Jesus, Amen.

An act of Desire.

O Blessed Jesus, thou hast used many arts to save me, thou hast given thy life to redeem me, thy holy Spirit to sanctifie me, thy self for my example, thy Word for my Rule, thy grace for my guide, the fruit of thy body hanging on the tree of the cross, for the sin of my soul: and after all this thou hast sent thy Apostles & Ministers of salvation to call me, to importune me, to constrain me to holiness and peace and felicity. O now come Lord Jesus, come quicly: my heart is desirous of thy presence, and thirsty of thy grace, and would fain entertain thee, not as a guest, but as an inhabitant, as the Lord of all my facul∣ties. Enter in and take possession, and dwell with me for ever, that I also may dwell in the heart of my dearest Lord, which was opened for me with a spear and love.

An act of contrition.

Lord thou shalt finde my heartfull of cares and worldly desires, cheated with love of riches, and neglect of holy things, proud and unmortified false and crafty to deceive it self, intricated and intāgled with difficult cases of conscience, with knots which my own wild∣ness and inconsideration and impatience have tied and shuffled together: O my dear∣est

Lord, if thou canst behold such an impure seat, behold the place to which thou art in∣vited is full of passion and prejudice, evill principles and evill habits, peevish and diso∣bedient, lustfull and intemperate, and full of sad remembrances that I have often provo∣ked to jealousie and to anger thee my God, my dearest Saviour, him that dyed for me, him that suffered torments for me, that is in∣finitely good to me, and infinitely good and perfect in himself. This, O dearest Saviour, is a sad truth and I am heartily ashamed, and truly sorrowfull for it, and do deeply hate all my sins, and am full of indignation against my self for so unworthy, so careless, so con∣tinued, so great a folly: and humbly beg of thee to increase my sorrow and my care, and my hatred against sin; and make my love to thee swell up to a great grace, and then to glory, and immensity.

An act of Faith.

This indeed is my condition: But I know, O blessed Jesus, that thou didst take upon thee my nature, that thou mightest suffer for my sins, and thou didst suffer to deliver me from them and from thy Fathers, wrath: and I was delivered from this wrath that I might serve thee in holiness & righteousness all my daies, Lord I am sure thou didst the great work of Redemption for me and all man∣kinde, as that I am alive: This is my hope, the strength of my spirit, my joy and my con∣fidence: and do thou never let the spirit of unbelief enter into me and take me from this Rock: Here I will dwell, for I have a delight therein: Here I will live, and here I desire to die.

The Petition.

Therefore, O blessed Jesu, who art my Sa∣viour and my God, whose body is my food, and thy righteousness is my robe, thou art the Priest and the Sacrifice, the Master of the feast, and the feast it self, the Physician of my soul, the light of my eyes, the purifier of my stains: enter into my heart, and cast out from thence all impurities, all the remains of the Old man; and grant I may partake of this ho∣ly Sacrament with much reverence and holy relish, and great effect, receiving hence the communication of thy holy body and blood, for the establishment of an unreproveable faith, of an unfained love, for the fulness of wisdom, for the healing my soul, for the blessing and preservation of my body, for the taking out the sting of temporall death, and for the assurance of a holy resurrection, for the ejection of all evill from within me, and the fulfilling all thy righteous Comman∣dements, and to procure for me a mercy and a fair reception at the day of judgement, through thy mercies, O holy and ever bles∣sed Saviour Jesus. Amen.

Here also may be added the prayer after re∣ceiving the cup. * Ejaculations to be said be∣fore or at the receiving the holy Sacrament.

Like as the Hart desireth the water brooks: so longeth my soul after thee, O God. My soul is a thirst for God, yea even for the living God, when shall I come before the presence of God?

O Lord my God, great are thy wonderous works which thou hast done: like as be also thy thoughts which are to us-ward, and yet

there is no man that ordereth them unto thee.

O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me, and bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy dwelling: And that I may go unto the Altar of God, even unto the God of my joy and gladness: and with my heart will I give thanks to thee, O God my God.

I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord: and so will I go to thine altar: that I may shew the voice of thanks-giving, and tell of all thy wonderous works.

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me, try out my reins and my heart: For thy loving kindness is now and ever before my eyes: and I will walk in thy truth.

Thou shalt prepare a table before me a∣gainst them that trouble me; thou hast a∣nointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full. But thy loving loving kindness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

This is the bread that cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die.

Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him: and hath eternall life abiding in him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Lord whether shall we go but to thee? thou hast the words of eternall life.

If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink.

The bread which we break, is it not the communication of the body of Christ? and

the cup which we drink, is it not the commu∣nication of the blood of Christ? What are those wounds in thy hands? They are those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends, Zech 13.6.

Immediately before the receiving, say

Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. But do thou speak the word onely and thy servant shall be he led.

Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew thy praise. O God make speed to save me, O Lord make hast to help me.

Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.

After receiving the consecrated and blessed bread, say,

O tast and see how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. * The beasts do lack and suffer hunger; but they which seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good. Lord what am I, that my Saviour should become my food, that the Son of God should be the meat of Worms, of dust and ashes, of a sinner, of him that was his enemy? But this thou hast done to me, because thou art infinitely good & wonder∣fully gracious, and lovest to bless every one of us, in turning us from the evill of our wayes. Enter into me blessed Jesus, let no root of bitterness spring up in my heart; but be thou Lord of all my faculties. O let me feed on thee by faith and grow up by the in∣crease of God to a perfect man in Christ Je∣sus. Amen. Lord I believe, help mine un∣belief. Glory be to God the Father, Son, &c.

After the receiving the cup of blessing.

It is finished. Blessed be the mercies of

God revealed to us in Jesus Christ. O bles∣sed and eternall high Priest, let the sacrifice of the Cross which thou didst once offer for the sins of the whole World, and which thou doest now and always represent in Heaven to thy Father by thy never ceasing intercession, and which this day hath been exhibited on thy holy Table Sacramentally, obtain mercy and peace, faith and charity, safety and esta∣blishment to thy holy Church which thou hast founded upon a Rock, the Rock of a ho∣ly Faith; and let not the gates of Hell pre∣vail against her, nor the enemy of mankinde take any soul out of thy hand, whom thou hast purchased with thy blood, and sanctifi∣ed by thy Spirit. Preserve all thy people from Heresie, and division of spirit, from scan∣dal and the spirit of delusion, from sacriledge and hurtfull persecutions. Thou O blessed Jesus didst die for us: keep me for ever in holy living, from sin and sinfull shame, in the com∣munion of thy Church, and thy Church in safety and grace, in truth and peace unto thy second coming. Amen.

Dearest Jesu since thou art pleased to enter into me, O be jealous of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth: suffer no unclean spirit, or unholy thought to come near thy dwelling, lest it defile the ground where thy holy feet have trod. O teach me so to walk, that I may never disrepute the ho∣nour of my Religion, nor stain the holy Robe which thou hast now put upon my soul, nor break my holy Vows, which I have made, and thou hast sealed, nor lose my right of inheri∣tance, my privilege of being coheir with Je∣sus,

into the hope of which I have now fur∣ther entred: but be thou pleased to love me with the love of a Father, and a Brother, and a husband, and a Lord; and make me to serve thee in the communion of Saints, in re∣ceiving the Sacrament, in the practise of all holy vertues, in the imitation of thy life, and conformity to thy sufferings; that I having now put on the Lord Jesus, may marry his love and his enmities, may desire his glory, may obey his laws, and be united to his Spirit; and in the day of the LORD I may be found having on the Wedding Garment, and bear∣ing in my body and soul the marks of the LORD JESUS, that I may enter into the joy of my LORD, and partake of his glo∣ries for ever and ever. Amen.

Ejaculations to be used any time that day, after the solemnity is ended.

LOrd, if I had lived innocently, I could not have deserved to receive the crums that fall from thy Table: How great is thy mercy who hast feasted me with the Bread of Virgins, with the Wine of Angels, with Man∣na from Heaven!

O when shall I pass from this dark glass, from this veil of Sacraments, to the vision of thy eternal clarity, from eating thy body, to beholding thy face in thy eternal Kingdom!

Let not my sins crucifie the Lord of life a∣gain: Let it never be said concerning me, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the Table.

O that I might love thee, as well as ever

any creature lov'd thee! Let me think no∣thing but thee, desire nothing but thee, en∣joy nothing but thee!

O Jesus be a Jesus unto me. Thou art all things unto me. Let nothing ever please me but what savors of thee, and thy miraculous sweetness.

Blessed be the mercies of our Lord, who of God is made unto me Wisdom and Righte∣ousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption.

He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Amen.

THE END.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iam. 1.27.
• * 1.2

  Tit. 2.12.
• * 1.3

  Demus Deie aliqu••d posse quod no•• fa∣teamu•• inve∣st••gare no•• poss••. S. Aug. l. 21. c 7. de Civitat.
• * 1.4

  D••a•••• adver: Lucif.
• * 1.5

  2 Cor. 13 5. ••om. 8 10.
• * 1.6

  In rebus mi∣ris summa •• ••dendi ra∣tio est omni∣potentia crea∣to••is S. Aug.
• * 1.7

  〈…〉〈…〉 8.
• * 1.8

  Ier. 17.5.
• * 1.9

  Di cose fuo••i di credenza non voler far s••eranza.
• * 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (a) 1.11

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Homer.
• * 1.12

  Heb. 2.18.
• * 1.13

  V. ••ea••
• * 1.14

  S. Aug l. 2. Confes. ••.6
• * 1.15

  1 Cor. 13.
• * 1.16

  Amoris in m••rsunt qui esse suit.
• * 1.17

  Plutarchus citans carmen de suo Apol∣line, adjicit ex Herodoto quasi de suo, de eo os meū continens esto.
• * 1.18

  Sic J••sus divit S. Car∣po apud Dio∣nysium epist. ad Demi∣phi••m.
• * 1.19

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Gal. 4.18.
• * 1.20

  Phil. 3 6
• * 1.21

  Lavora cente 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••avesti a compar•• og∣ni horat ado∣ra come

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 tu havesii •• mo••ir al∣••ore.
• * 1.22

  Rom. 10.2.
• * 1.23

  Tit. 2.14. Rev 3.16.
• * 1.24

  2 Cor. 7.11.
• * 1.25

  Rom. 12.1.
• * 1.26

  Luk. 16 29, 31.
• * 1.27

  Deut. 31.13. Luke 24 45. Mat 22.29. Acts 15.21. Rev 1.3. 2 Tim. 3.16.
• * 1.28

  Je••unium si∣ne eleem••sy∣na, lampas sine oleo. S. August.
• * 1.29

  Digiuna as∣sat chi mal mangia.
• * 1.30

  Chi digiuna & altro ben non fa•• sp••∣ragna il pa∣ne, & al in∣fernova. See Chap. 2. Sect. 2, & 3.
• * 1.31

  S. Basil: Monast: Constit. cap. 5. Cassian: coll. 21. cap. 22

  Nè per causā necessitatis eò imping••mus, ut voluptati∣bus servia∣mus.
• * 1.32

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Na••,
• * 1.33

  Baruch ••. v. 18.
• * 1.34

  1 Iohn. 3.31 Iohn 9.31. Isa 1.15. & 58.7. Mal. 3 10. 1 Tim 2 8. Psal •• 16. & 66 8.
• * 1.35

  Mark 11.24. Iam. 5.6, 7.
• * 1.36

  Rom 12.18 & 15.30. Col. 4.12. 1 ••he••. 3.10 Ephes 6 18. ••am 5.16. 1 Pet. 1.7.
• * 1.37

  Luke 18 1.22.1, 36.
• * 1.38

  1 ••hes. 5.17.
• * 1.39

  ••••il. 1.4.
• * 1.40

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Arrian l. 2. c. 36.
• * 1.41

  Inter sac••a & v••t•• ve••∣••is etiam pro∣fanis a•• stine∣r•• me. Tacit.
• * 1.42

  1 Tim. 2.8.
• * 1.43

  1 Tim. 1.••.
• * 1.44

  Augustum annulum non g••sta: dixit Pythag. id est, vitaegenus li∣berum secta∣re nec vinculo temetipsum ••bstringe. Plutarch.
• * 1.45

  Sic Novatus ••••vitios suos compulit ad jurandum n•• ••nquam ad Catholicos E¦piscopos redi∣rent: Euseb l. 2. Eccl hist.
• * 1.46

  See the G••eat Ex∣emplar, Part. 3. Disc. 14. of the ea••iness of Christian Religion.
• * 1.47

  Mat. 25.35.
• * 1.48

  Mat. 25. 2 S••m. 2.
• * 1.49

  N••bi••is hae•• esset ••••••tatis rir•• du••••us, Q••••d pro ••••atre m••r•• ve••. 〈…〉〈…〉. Matt.
• * 1.50

  1 Thes. 5.14. H••b. 10.24.
• * 1.51

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.52

  〈…〉〈…〉. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.53

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.54

  Praebe••u•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lia∣•• 〈…〉〈…〉 S Aug. Prov. 3 ••
• * 1.55

  D••c••••t: ep. tit de Simo∣nia.
• * 1.56

  Donu•• nu∣dum est n••si c••ns••nsu ve∣stiatu••. ••••. C. de pactis.
• * 1.57

  Q••i dedit be∣•••••••• um ••a∣ce 〈…〉〈…〉 qui accepit. Senec.
• * 1.58

  2 Cor. 9.7.
• * 1.59

  Luke 6.30.
• * 1.60

  Galat. 6.10.
• * 1.61

  2 Thes. 3.10. A Ca•• all∣chi••n••n ••••ia sella ••iada non si cr••∣vella.
• * 1.62

  De Mendico ma••è me••etur, qui ei dat quod edat, aut 〈…〉〈…〉 N••m & illud quod dat perdit, & illi prodite••i vitam ad mis••••tam. T••••n.
• * 1.63

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.64

  A d••na 〈…〉〈…〉 ••ing g•••• 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.65

  — Praemonst•••• tibi Vt itae te aliorum mis••rescat, nè tui alio•• miser••at. Trinummus.
• * 1.66

  Luk ••1.2. Acts. 3.6 Chi ti da un ossa non ti vorrebbe mor¦t••

  2 Cor 8 12 1 P. 1.1, 22.
• * 1.67

  Math. 6.4. & Math. 13.12.33. & ••5.30. Luk. 11.41,
• * 1.68

  1 Tim 1.
• * 1.69

  ••hilip. ••.17.
• * 1.70

  Acts. 10.4. Heb. 13.6. Eccles. 3.1. Dan 4.27.
• * 1.71

  Nunquam memini me l••gisse ma à morte mort••∣um qui liben¦ter ••yera cha∣rita•••••• exer∣cuit. S. Hie∣ron. Ep. ad Nepot.
• * 1.72

  Coloss 3 12.
• * 1.73

  Nem•• ali∣en••e vt ••••ti m••••d••t qui sat•••• c••nfidit suae. C••c. co••t••a M. Anth.
• * 1.74

  Hemerus Thersitis m••les mores descrilens, malitiae summam apposuit.

  P••lidae imp••intis e••at at{que} immicus V••ys••i
• * 1.75

  Ira cùm pectus rapid•• oc∣c••pit itFu••iles linguae ju••eo ca∣vereVana latratus jaculantit-Sappl••o.Tu••batus sum & non sum l••cutus.Psal 7••.
• * 1.76

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Iliad. ••.
• * 1.77

  Qui paue•• requi••unt, non multis excidunt. Plut.
• * 1.78

  ••omer.
• * 1.79

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.80

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Aristot.
• * 1.81

  Discere quid coenâ posses ingra∣tius istâ.
• * 1.82

  Ama••a ••a•• amaro li••em pha••mac. qu••. c••ani.
• * 1.83

  Plutari de odio & invi∣dia.
• * 1.84

  Quid refert igitur quami•• samenta fatigetPerticibus, quanta nem••∣rum vectetur in u••••bra,Jigua quot vie••na fere, quas emerit aedes?Ne••o malu•• saelo.Iur. Sat. ••.
• * 1.85

  H••r.
• * 1.86

  P••ge 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tu causa pe∣nia vitae ••s,••er. te 〈…〉〈…〉••••opert.
• * 1.87

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Phocylid.
• * 1.88

  Provocat ut segnes animos rerúmque remotasIngeniesa vias paulatum ex••l••••••t egestas.Claudian.
• * 1.89

  Ier. 13 17. Ioel 2.13. Ezek. 27 31. Iames 4.9.
• * 1.90

  Hugo de S. Victor.
• * 1.91

  1 Cor. 11.31.
• * 1.92

  1 Iohn 1.9.
• * 1.93

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. S. Basil. reg brev. 228. Concil. La••d c. 2. Concil. Quinise••t. c. 102. Tertul. de poenit.
• * 1.94

  Acts. 1••.28.
• * 1.95

  Prov. 28.13.
• * 1.96

  • Rom.
    • 6 3.4.7. verses
    • 8. 10.
    • 13. 13.14.
    • 11. 22.27.
  • Gal
    • 5. 6.24.
    • 6. 15.
  • 1 Cor 7. 19.
  • 2 Cor. 13. 5.
  • Colos. 1 21.22.23.
  • Heb.
    • 12. 1.14.16.
    • 10 16.22.
  • 1 Pet. 1 15.
  • 2 Pet.
    • 1 4.9.10.
    • 3. 11.
  • 1 Iohn.
    • 1. 6.
    • 3. 3.9.
    • 5. 16.
• * 1.97

  Nequam illud verbum, bene vult, nisi qui benè facit Trinummus.
• * 1.98

  D••ndam interstitium poenitentiae. Tacit.
• (a) 1.99

  I ••ec••ati 〈◊〉〈◊〉 debiti s••u sempre ••in di qu••l ••••e fi••••••de.
• * 1.100

  〈…〉〈…〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Arria.
• * 1.101

  Mortem 〈◊〉〈◊〉 nemo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 excip•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 qui ad 〈◊〉〈◊〉 s•• d•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 postitas 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.102

  Hebr. 7.25.
• * 1.103

  2 Cor. 5.20.
• * 1.104

  Luk. 15.7.
• * 1.105

  Nosti tempora tu Jovis sereni. Cùm sulget placidus, s••èque vultu Quo nil supplicibus sole•• negare. Martial: Ep: l, 5 6.
• * 1.106

  Vasa pura ad rem Divin••m. Plaut. in cap. Act. 4. ••c. 1.
• * 1.107

  Dis••••di••e alia is, Qums tu∣li•• h••stemā gaudia nec••e Venu••.
• * 1.108

  Cruci hare∣mus, sangui∣nem sugi∣mus, & in∣••er ipsa Re∣demptori•• nostri vul∣nera figimus lin∣guam. Cy∣prian. de caena Dom.
• * 1.109

  L'Evesque de Geneve introd: a la vie d••vote.