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Sacred principles, services, and soliloquies or, a manual of devotions made up of three parts: I. The grounds of Christian religion, and the doctrine of the Church of England, as differing from the now-Roman. II. Daily, and weekly formes of prayers fortified with Holy Scriptures, meditations and rules to keep the soule from the common roads of sin, and carry it on in a mortified course. III. Seven charges to conscience, delivering (if not the whole body) the main limbs of divinity, which is the art not of disputing, but living well.

About this Item

Title
Sacred principles, services, and soliloquies or, a manual of devotions made up of three parts: I. The grounds of Christian religion, and the doctrine of the Church of England, as differing from the now-Roman. II. Daily, and weekly formes of prayers fortified with Holy Scriptures, meditations and rules to keep the soule from the common roads of sin, and carry it on in a mortified course. III. Seven charges to conscience, delivering (if not the whole body) the main limbs of divinity, which is the art not of disputing, but living well.
Author
Brough, W. (William), d. 1671.
Publication
London :: Printed by J.G. for John Clark, and are to be sold at his shop under Saint Peters Church in Cornhill,
1650 [i.e. 1649]
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Subject terms
Church of England -- Prayer-books and devotions -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A77634.0001.001
Cite this Item
"Sacred principles, services, and soliloquies or, a manual of devotions made up of three parts: I. The grounds of Christian religion, and the doctrine of the Church of England, as differing from the now-Roman. II. Daily, and weekly formes of prayers fortified with Holy Scriptures, meditations and rules to keep the soule from the common roads of sin, and carry it on in a mortified course. III. Seven charges to conscience, delivering (if not the whole body) the main limbs of divinity, which is the art not of disputing, but living well." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A77634.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 23, 2025.

Pages

Monday-Service. Against Covetousnesse.

  • Morning Prayer. Psal. 4. 34. 49. 52.
  • Lesson, Gen. 14. or Ecc. 2. Hab. 2 Luk. 12. or 16. Mat. 19
  • Evening Prayer. Psae. 37. 62. or 127. 145
  • Lesson, Isa. 15. or Job 1. Psa. 4 or 1 Tim. 6. Heb. 13.

¶ Collect, or Prayer against Covetousnesse.

DEar Saviour! who didst co∣vet nothing of this world, let not me covet much! much, is more then my life needes! Much, makes but my trouble, and * 1.1

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temptation more! Much, makes but my audit, and account greater! But * 1.2 to covet much, makes me check at no sinne, and swallow all temptation. * 1.3 The Devil would have me desire much in this world, to have nothing in ano∣ther: But thou, O Christ, who lovest my blisse, forbidst my avarice! Lord, * 1.4 let me doe, what thou (not he) loves! what will suffice me on earth to bring me to Heaven, doe thou give me; and more then that, let me not covet. Lord, if I must be destitute in one world, (this, or that) let me rath••r be a beg∣gar on Earth, then a bankrupt in Hell; and suffer want for a time, then for ever: But (if it be thy blessed will) let me want and beg in neither, but by the * 1.5 allowance of thy Providence have wherewith both to live, and relieve: and by the grace of thy good Spirit, so * 1.6 enjoy, and dispence what I have on Earth, that I may receive it againe of thee in Heaven. And let me so look * 1.7 after goodnesse, and lay out my goods, that I may gaine a good measure of * 1.8 glory for thee, and from thee, through the purchase of thy merits (O Christ) whose covetousnesse was only to serve God, and save Soules. From that

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which will destroy thy Service, and my * 1.9 Salvation, deliver me dear Jesus, for thy mercies sake. Amen.

Daily Prayers.
Remedies against Covetousnesse.
  • MInd, and Heart, must be rectified, and so fortified against it.
    • 1. The mind must apprehend it aright; that is, for
      • 1. Base, and below Man. Whose foot being set on earth, cryes him a * 1.10 Monster of basenesse, if his heart be there. And, as
      • 2. Banefull and against him. In what he should propound, or doth
        • 1. Project, from God, or the world, It being the bane
          • 1. Of Mans salvation, (his end) * 1.11 being perdition to him. And
          • 2. Of Gods service, (the means) * 1.12 it being impossible to give it to him, and Mammon. Paying one so much duly, as robs the other in all his offices, and himselfe of those abilities. For
            • 1. It deafes the eare to Gods * 1.13

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            • Word. Dumbs the mouth to * 1.14 Prayer. Lames the hand to good works. Stiffes the knees to the holy Sacrament. En∣crease * 1.15 making his Eucharist.
            • 2. It deads the Conscience to * 1.16 all sense, and the Heart to all duty. The Seminary of lust * 1.17 Root of all ill, and Me∣tropolis of all mischief. Turns * 1.18 the heart from Gods testi∣monies, and sets it (as lucre tempts) on all ungodlinesse. To save a penny, it will break a Table, and sooner slight all Gods Ten, then One of the Worlds Commandements. Further then stands with her Thousands for profit, it cares for none of the Ten.
        • 2. And (as impotent for the true end) so, insufficient for his owne aimes, maintenance of his life, and Fami∣ly: For
          • 1. His life is not longer, (care * 1.19 frets his thread) Nor safer, (it makes him grudg'd, if not rob∣bed * 1.20 of life) Nor, better, his mind hath no rest, nor trouble, end for it. And least at his end,

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          • because he hath so much to goe from; and so little to come to. Death takes him from Para∣dise (all the Miser had) and hales him to a prison far worse then his death.
          • 2. And after him (his great pro∣ject) the Family falls, for want of a blessing to keep up the pillars. If the first Heire be not * 1.21 a Scatter-good, the•• third is commonly a Lose-all. The curse * 1.22 of God with one finger, pul∣ling downe, what he with his two hands (of worldlinesse and wickednesse) hath so long bin building up.
  • This, as an Exorcisme, may serve (if Belzebub be not there) to drive co∣vetous desires (though Legions) out of the mind:
    • 1. And then, it will be easie, by adding some more power of Thoughts and graces:
    • 2. To cast them out of the Heart.
      • 1. To that end, it will be of some force, to thinke,
        • 1. At death, all leaves us. Why * 1.23 so much cost on my Inne?
        • 2. Life is short. Why such luggage

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        • for a little journey?
        • 3. Nature needs little. Why clog * 1.24 Conscience and it, with much?
        • 4. My goods, are trusts. Why such * 1.25 care to have what is anothers?
        • 5. I must reckon for all. Why * 1.26 then such reckoning of any?
      • 2. And effectually done, if I have grace,
        • 1. To love the world lesse, (for * 1.27 then I will not covet it much.) And value it low, (for then I will love it lesse.) Did we prize Riches as strawes, we would not seek them as Pearles.
        • 2. To beleeve God better. Then * 1.28 his Providence will moderate our care, and his Promise ba∣nish our Covetousnesse.
        • 3. To serve God more. For then * 1.29 I shall beleeve him better, and challenge maintenance from him upon his Honour and Word.
        • 4. To be content with what I * 1.30 have. For then I will not crave what I have not, and shall bring my mind to my lot, if I * 1.31 cannot, it to my mind.
        • 5. To be thrifty, (with content.)

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        • For he that is a Prodigall to spend, is forced to be a Mi∣ser to get. Avarice never works more then in the service of luxury.
        • 6. To be covetous (with my thirst) * 1.32 to wit, of Heaven. He that loves true riches, scornes earth∣ly. * 1.33 And will so get and use them, as they may encrease * 1.34 the heavenly. So he will be cha∣ritable, not miserable, thinking * 1.35 it happier to be of the Giving than Receiving hand.

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