Imatges de pàgina
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Prefence in that place; Speaking out after the Minifter, and likewife making Refponfes with an audible voice, and faying Amen; where our Rubrick orders thefe; This primitive Priviledge being not only allow'd by the Church of England to her Sons, but Commanded: aud furely none will forbear to answer out of Laziness, that confider the Honor and Benefit thereof; nor ought any to be filent out of Modefty or shame, it being no shame that Men fhould hear us Pray in the House of Prayer, for we came on purpose to pray, and th'only fhame is to be mute and filent.

§. 22. Secondly, WHILST the Text is reading we fund np, (as even the heathen King did when Ehud brought him a mef fage from God, Fud. 3. 20.) and whilft the Minifter is Prea ching we must be very attentive, applying every fpeech as fpoken to our felves, rather by God than Man; and labor to remember, How many things he taught which we knew not before, and be thankful; What fins he reprov'd whereof our Confciences tell us we are guilty, and amend; What vertues he exhorted unto which are not very perfect in us, and indeavor to practife 'em,with more zeal and diligence. Rom. 10, 17. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by [the preaching of] the word of God.

S.23. Thirdly, WHEN Sermon is ended; we must not depart without the Minister's after-prayer, and Bleffing,) which we ought to receive upon our knees as the Bleffing of our fpiritual Father, not only Begging, but also Imparting it to the duly qualified.) and onr own private Prayer afterwards, in thefe or the like words.

§. 24. Before we rife from our knees. any

time.

O Lord, I befeech Thee to give fuch a blessing to those things which I have heard, that they may be a direction to my Life, anda Confolation to my foul, for Jefus Chrift his fake. Amen.

§. 25. Fourthly, If there be any Collection for the Poor, we muft freely, without grudging, tow our Alms as God has blessed us with Ability. See Appendix §. 45.

§. 26. Fifthly, WHEN Baptism is to be adminiftred, we muft ftay, and behold it with all reverent attention: 1 In reverence of God's Ordinance.2, To confider our own Ingraft ing into the Vifible body of Chrift's Church, and how we per form the Vows of our New Covenant, and be humbled for our wants, and thankful for his Grace. 3, Tho fhew our felves to be Freemen of Chrift's Corporation, having a Voice or Confent

in th' Admission of others into that holy Society. 4, To pray for the Infant, as other Christians did in the like cafe for us. # §.27.Sixthly, WHEN it is a Communion day, we must draw near to the Lord's Table in the Wedding-garment of a faithful and penitent heart, to be Partakers of fo holy a Banquet. Ill. After the Publick Exercises of the Church. § 28. Returning Home, and entred into House. always. WE muft Meditate a while upon those things which we have heard in the Church,bringing them again to our Remem brance, and Read over the Chapter,or Pfalm out of which the Text was taken, and fome more portions of Sripture, or other good book. And to write the Text always in a book for that purpofe, if can; and to read th' Annotations upon it, if have 'em, is very advise able: and to be like the noble Bereans, who fearched the Scriptures daily, whether thofe things were jo. Alts.

17.11.

IN th' Afternoon we may Meditate-Going to Church, and Eatring in, as §. 18, 19.

$.29. Afsoon as Seated, as §. 20, or, any time.

ALMÍGHTY God, the fountain of all Wisdom, who knoweft my necessities before Lask.and my Ignorance in asking; I befeech Thee to have compaffion upon my Infirmities; and thofe things which for my Unworthiness I dare not, and for my Blindness I cannot ask, vouchsafe to give me for the Worthiness of thy fon, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

S.30. Before we leave our Place, as §. 24, or, any time. Gaane, Ibefeech Thee, Almighty God, that the Words which I have heard this Day with my ontward ears may, thro thy grace, be lo grafted inwardly in my heart,that they may bring forth in me the fruit of good Living, to th' honor and praife of thy Name, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

§. 31. WHEN returning Home and in House we may Meditate and Read&c.as §.28 and then read the 92.or fome part of the 119 Palm: by which Taft holy David commends the ferious and diligent study, stedfaft Belief, and conftant Practice, of God's Word, as incomparably the best Counfeller, and Comforter in the World, and as th'only Way to true Blessednefs; confirming it by his own Experience and Example. And because it was a hard thing rightly to understand this Word in all its parts, and harder to put it in practice, he therefore intermixeth many prayers to God for his help therein, thereby Directing and Incouraging others to take the fame courfe.

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And it is obfervable that in all this Palm, which confifts of 22 parts with the 22 Hebrew letters, each containing 8 verses, there are but 3 of the 176 verfes (Viz.th'84, 121, and 122 v. Part 11, v.4.and part 16, v.1, 2.) wherein the nature,and great perfection, and manifold parts and ufes of God's Word is not exprefs'd under one or otherof the following Titles, The Law of the Lord, Way, Teftimonies, Commandments, or Precepts, Statutes, Judgments, Ceremonies, Word, Truth, or Faithfulness. Ordinances, Health, Righteousness, Name, Loving kindness

or Mercy.

An Evening Prayer for Sunday in the Closet.

§. 32. Preface. any time.

LET the Words of my mouth, and the Meditations of heart be now and evermore acceptable in thy fight, O Lord God, my ftrength and my Redeemer.

my

§. 33. The Prayer.

O Moft holy and ever-blessed Jefu, who by thy greater In ftauce of Love and Good-will to Mankind in the Redemption of us, than in our Original Creation, and by thine and thy Apostles Authorizing Examples haft changed the Jewish into the Chriftian Sabbath, pardon, pardon, I befeech Thee, my not having been prepared according to the preparation of thy holy Sanctuary; my not having been fufficiently in the fpirit on this thine own Day; Pardon that I have prayed without the Spirit of prayer, afsurance of Faith, and fervenсу of Affection; pardon that I have heard without due Attention, Conviction, and inkinuling my Refolution to Practice. [Pardon that I have Communicated without a Worthiness futable to the Dignity of fo holy and venerable a Sacrament: ] Othe Soil of Imper fections which has cleav'd to the perform ance of my pureft Religious Actions! Omy want of a due fenfe of having beenin shy more immediate and efpecial Prefence! Let not, I befeech Thee, my unworthy Partaking ofthy hoiy Ordinances hinder their renewing and faving Efficacy upou my Soul. but grant that, by the Ufe of the Means of Grace, the Kingdom of thy Grace may be brought down more abundantly into my heart. Caufe, bleffed Lord, my religious Obedience to proceed more from a Principle of Love and Ingenuity,of free Choice, and fetled Approbation of thy Divine Commandments; that I may meet Thee in

*When I, ve received the Sacrament.

Sacrament,

every Ordinance with a favory Guft and Relifh of it, with exalted Joy and Delight in the Performance of my Duty: That I may account thy Service, as really it is, my perfect Freedom, my greatest Priviledge and Happiness * [Thou hast, Holy Savior, renewed with me thy Covenant of Grace *WhenI,ve this Day; O feal to me by the Merit: of thy Bloud, and receiv'd the the Perfection of thy Obedience, a full Affurance of I add this, the Forgiveness of my Sins, of th Affiftance of thy Grace, of the light of thy reconciled Countenance, and th' injoyment of thy Love, upon Conditions of my perfevering Faith, Purity, and univerfal Obedience.] I adore, O Lord, and moft fubmiffively praife thy Divine Majefty for thy Grace and wonderful Condefcention in thy Merciful pitying the loft undone Condition of Man, in thine humbling thy felfeven to the Death upon the Crofs for us miferable Sinners, who lay in Darkness, and in the fhadow of Death, that Thou mighteft make us Children of God, and exalt us to everlasting Life. [+Particularly that Thou haft vouchsafed to re-establish thy Gospel Covenant with me, fo vile and undeferving a finner! For ever bleffed be thy Name for fuch an ineftimable favor: I defire, O God, with the most inflamed Affections of a grateful and thanksgiving heart, to praife and magnify thy great Goodnefs for thefe undeferved Mercies which Thou hast

this when I have receiv'd the Sacrament of the Lord's fup

per.

vouchsafed me. Lord, what is Man that Thou Should't fo regard him, as to fend thy Beloved fon + I add to fuffer fuck bitter things on his Behalf? especially what am I, th' unworthiest of all thy Servants, that I shou'd have any part in this Atonement? O the height and depth of this Compaffion of thine, that I, who am unworthy of that daily Bread which fuftains the Body, Shou'd be made Partaker of this Bread of Life which nourishes the fou!! that the God of all Purity and Holinefs fhou'd vouchsafe to unite Himfelf to fo polluted a Creature! O my Redeemer, fuffer me no more, I beseech Thee, to defile this Temple which Thou, by thy entrance thereinto, baft confecrated.] Suffer me no more to turn thy Grace into wantonnefs; but caufe this unfpeakable Love of thine to conftrain me to Obedience; that, fince Thou, my Lord and Mafter, haft died for me, I may no lon ger live unto my felf, bnt unto Thee, who waft facrificed on my behalf; to Whom, with Thee O Father, and thy Holy and ever-bleffed Spirit, be afcribed as is moft due, all

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honor

honor and glory, praise and Adoration world without end.

Amen. Amen.

§ 34, un Father day by day S. Luke 11.3. The Bleffing, as $ 13. §. 35. A Conclufion any time, ALMIGHTY God, who haft promiled to hear the Pe titious of them that ask in thy Sons Name, I befeech Thee mercifully to incline thine ears to me who have made now my Prayers and Supplications unto Thee, and grant that thofe things which I have faithfully asked, according to thy Will, may effectually be obtained, to the relief of my neceffity, and to the fetting forth of thy Glory, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

§. 36. BEFORE fupper all the Houshold must be exa mined about what they have beard; and how they have fpent that Day; and the Children and Prentices, and ig norant fervants be Catechifed; commending and incouraging thofe that do well, and reproving and exhorting the others. And after fupper one muft Read a while in fome good Book, the reft giving good Attention; and a Pfalm, or part of one may be fung; and, after that, the Head of the Family muft Pray with them, all devoutly joyning in Mind and Heart therein.See further Appendix §. 21, 23, and 43.

An Evening Prayer on the Lord's Day for a Family.

The Preface as §. 15. or as §. 10, or 32. turning the Singu lar number into the Plural.

§. 37. The Prayer.

O Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabbath fuffer us, who are but cut and afhes, to fpeak to thy moft glorious Majefty. We know that Thou art a confuming fire, and acknowledge that we are but withered ftubble. Our fins are in thy fight, and fatan ftands at our right hand t'accufe us for'em; we come not t'excufe, but to judge our felves worthy of all thofe judgments which thy Juftice might moft july inflict upon us wretched creatures for our fins and transgreffions; the number of 'em is So great, the na ture of 'em is So grievous that they make us feem vile in our own eyes, how much more loathfom in thy fight! We confefs they make us fo far from being worthy to be called thy fons, that we are altogether unworthy to have the name of thy meaneft fervants: and if Thou fhou'dft but recompenfe us according to our deferts, th'earth (as weary of fuch a burden) wou'd open her mouth and swallow us up.

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