Opening
A Companion for the Sincere Penitent: or, A Treatise on the Compunction of the Heart. In Two Books. Faithfully translated from the Greek of St. Chrysostom. By John Veneer (London, 1728). Internet Archive bim_eighteenth-century_a-companion-for-the-sinc_john-chrysostom-saint_1728.
Public domain (1728). OCR from scanned PDF (pdftotext); long-s normalized to s; decorative noise lines dropped. Book I to Demetrius; Book II to Stelechius (CPG 4308–4309 / PG 47). Veneer's appended "suitable Devotions" (not Chrysostom) omitted. OCR quality is imperfect (18th-c. type); prefer Greek companion text for critical use.
B O OK I.
DEMETRIUS.
Of the Comruncrion of the HEAAr.
G HA
HEN
1 consider,
blessed
74 a) DEMETRIUS, how frequently 'v | you desire, and how vehemently
you importune me to write some— thing on the Compunction of the heart, I cannot but admire that blessed purity of heart and soul, which I believe you 1 to beendued with: Feor it could neyer enter
into
ACouranton for the Bangs of man to defire a diss subje&, except he had first course u
latsthe
chan“ R PF. allfodings of 2 it, andattait's to a_generous@
contempt of this present. world. This we may be easily -convigg'd of by the beha-
viour of those who have but a little of this good disposition in them, which you desire me to treat of; by the- change which hath been suddenly wrought in them ; by their bending their course, without delay,
towards heaven, and having freed them-
selves from worldly cares, ·asfrom so many
trdudlesome chains and fetters, taking their
full flight towards such things as are the
proper objects of their desires and delight,
and returning with the utmost speed to their
First lane, and to their father's house.
Such
instances as these are not inderd very com-
mon; but tis certain that you, my reverend
and worthy friend, never suffer this divine flame to be extinguish'd, but keep it always alive and burning within you, Witness your
sleepless nights, those fountains of tears, your eyes, and your constant and inereasing ve of solitude and retirement. What ule therefore — any discourse of i
you? For since you reckon
of do
your felf am
the number of those who 2
upon ihe
ground, tho” you are arrived at the highest
itch of virtue, and compare your fout to a one, how much soever it soars om high;
Stncerst PNIT EN
to me, Make this obdurate heartof mine
and since rr
hand, and bathe it with your tears,
and contrite; I want words to expr progress which you have made un in eigen, and those divine ardours which 1 ve to
be kindled in your breast. If therefore your intent be to rouze us from sleep and slumber, and to entice and draw us on to the same
degree of virtue that you yourself are already arrived at, I cannot but admire and highly applaud the prudence and wisdom of
it. But if you are really of opinion that you
shall reap any advantage by my writing, I
cannot but say, that you have put me upon enquiring into such things, as I have much greater occasion-to be acquainted with than
you have.
But let your reasons for setting
me about a work of this kind, be what they will, I shall comply with your request, out of reverence and obedience to God, that I
may not decline any thing which hisgood providence seems to require of me; and on the account of the very greatrregard and
friendship which 1 am satisfied you have for me. Let me, however, desire you to res com far as to let me have your prayers, that I and may from henceforth lead a righteous blameless life, and that I may produce something worthy of so excellent a subject, and
may 3
the
A Cour Adlon for the
the negligent and careless part of the world, and withal, to lift up the hands that hang down, and the feeble knees. But where fhall
I take my first rise, and on what shall I found my discourse? I think I cannot ground it better than on those words of our blessed Saviour, in which he laments those that laugh, and pronounces such as mourn blessed for he tells us, Matth. v. 4. that, blessed are they
that mourn, for they shall be comforted : And, Luke vi. 25. he hath these words oe
unto
you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep.
And indeed we have a great deal of
reason truly to hewail the time which we
spend in this world, in which every attentive and serious obseryer, must needs be a witness to such a load of fin, and to such scenes of
the most profligate wickedness, that rivers of tears cannot but incessantly run down his eyes, because men keep not, but on the contrary, so daringly and so outragiously violate
the law of God. To such a state of disorder and confusion are things now brought, that we can hardly perceive the least footsteps of virtue; and, what 1s still more lamentable
and unhappy, we do not scem to be sensible ourselves of the danger hanging 'oyer our heads, and by consequence do not warn and advertise others of it : But weare like a body that looks wellto the eye, but is inwardly declining, by reason of some desperate dis-
temper, or like those that are under the disorders
Sincere PENTTENT:
orders of a phrenzyor madness, who are not
to be prevailed upon to be ashamed, or to repent of whatever they sayor do amiss; but, on the other hand, applaud themselves
for it, and look upon themselves to be wiser
than such as are in their right senses. © So we, when all our actions are contrary to
sense and reason, will not be made sensible of the disorder we are under, of that madness
and folly, by which we are prevailed upon to act in this manner. If the body be never so little in fault, we immediately have recourse
to physicians, and spare neither cost nor pains
till the malady which we labour under is removed. But tho” the soul be every day
wounded, by our carnal lusts and appetites, set on fire, and hurried; hither and thither into
dangers of all kinds, and ready to,perish every Way that can be thought on, yet we are not under the least care or concern about
it. The reason is, because we are all in-
fected with this distemper: And as when all are Janguishing under the fame disorder, and nobody iis present that is free from it, to administer such remedies as are proper, and to hinder the use of any thing that is prejudicial; the consequence must be, that all will
suffer MS: =for want of being taken due care of; so since thereis nobody amongst us that is truly sound in the faith, but all of us are disorder'd more or less, the consequenee
is, that we are all careless and yncopgern'd
about
A Couranton for the
about the good and welfareof others.
For
shonld a man that is no christian, compare
the unaccountable and inconsistent lives that we lead, with the preceptsof the gospel, I question whetheror no he would not look
upon us as enemies to the cross of Christ, and
such as make it their chief studyto act direaly contraryto what our blessed Saviour hath commanded ; and in this mannerwo
pals away the time of our lives,
CHAP. I.
UT left I should be thought 10
vate things
too much, I shall
uce
ne proofs of what I say from the commands of Chrift himself, It was said, saith he, 111 time, 7 hon shalt not kill;
but T say unto you, 7 hat whosoever is angry opyou — thout a Cause shall be in er of the
75 his —
judgment; and
whosoever
shall
2 Racha, shall be in N of
the council; bia whosoever shal say, 7 hou fool, shallbe in danger of hell fire x. These things hath our blessed Saviour commanded, but we
trample this law of his under our feet more
than even infidels and unbelievers, and daily Erd. . Deut.v. Marth.v.
attack
Six oERE PEWIINr.
attack our brethren with an infinite number of reproaches ; and, which is still more ridie gulous, whilft we make use of some caution in our discourse, and abuse no man by eals
ling him fool, we think our selves safe, how frequently soever we assault him With more bitter reproaches in another manner; as if our blessed Saviour had only threstned 10 punish the use of this particular werd.
Buy
we are very much mistaken if we imagine
that he intended any thing lels than to rae
strain us from all reproachful language whate soeyer; as appears very pleiply from what
St. Paul faith 1 Cor. vi. g, 10. Be noi dicgived;
neither fornicatory, nor igdelaters, nor adlearers nor effeminats, nor abysers of themselves wit
mankind, nor tbiauss, nor couetous, nor Arunks
ards, nor revilers, nor artortioners, shell inherit
the kingdom of God. And if he that calls
his brother fool shall be esteemed worthyof
damnation, to how hat a part of hell thell he be condemned that calls him an eviledoer,
an envious, in/ignificent and vainglorious pers sen, or loads him with 8 multitudeof rg» proaches ofthe like nature? Bus be tha only calls his brother fool or rachs shall come off with a lighter punishment, The Reason why our blessed Lord takes notice of this in»
A Comranion for the
to hell, much more shall sich as are more grievous and more intolerable, do the fame. But if any man shall imagine that there is a figure called hyperbole made use of in this
place, by which 'we express things with
greater vehemence than the nature of them doth in strictness require; forI have known
some, who have heen of opinion, that fuch
persons as call their brother fool or racha are only threatned to be punished in terrorem, as . we ule to speak,or for no other end than to keep people in awe; I answer, that they hereby open a gap for adalterers, abusers of themselves with -mankind, effeminate persons
and idolaters," to escape at, and to avoid the
punishment which it hath pleased God to de-
nounce against them. For if he hath threat-
ned evil-speakers with no other defign'than to keep them in awe, how will it be made appear that he hath threatned those other sinners for any other end? so that if this reasoning be pursued close, it will prove, that God will make no difference betwixt one sort of men and another, and so the kingdom of God, or dur obligation to obey his laws,is entirely at an end. But - you'll object, perhaps, against this way ofarguing, by asking
me, Whether the evil- speaker shall be condem-
ned with the adulterer, the covetous and the idolater? Whether he shall be forced to undergo the same sort of= unishment, as
to the quantity and qualityof it, I shall not
SinctxE
PENIT ENI. 9
at this time enquire, but that he shall be banished the kingdom of heaven as well as
they, is plain from what St. Paul, or rather Christ himself, by him, hath- told us, Viz,
That neither he nor they shall inherit 'the kingdom of God, 2 Coy. xiii. 22. But this is not the only rock on which men have been
cast away: they have made a shift to serve
_ other commandments in the same manner, and have at length believed that every thing
which, 'tis said, will come to pass hereafter, is nothing but hyperbole, or what is threatned with no other design than to keep us to our _ - wang the least ner to inflict 1it.
25 BUT the persacding us, that these things are only written to awe and territy us, and
that there is no truth or realityin them, is 4
delusion of the devil's, in order to harden
such of us against the fear of God's Judgments, and future punishments, as are inclinable to love him, and are touched with com-
punction for our sins. He possesses idle and slothful souls with such strong delusions, :'as will serve to flacken' their diligence for the present, but will certainl wp confuted at the day of judgment, w tance will be to no purpose. For * will it signify to him that is now seduced from the performance of his duty, to understand his error, when” the time for repentance is ex3 Let us not therefore vainly deceive ourselves,
A Couranton for the
ourselves, nor be decoycd into fin, nor fuf3 us. For we must expect to be punish+ ed, in the most tertible manner imaginable, sor pl.Thias well as for —
ineredulity we are peaking
from a defire of freeing ourselves
obeythe
certain
and withal to get rid of the fear of future punishments, and the trouble»
some reproofs of our consciences, we endea-
your to work oursclyes up to a belief, that what we are afraid of suffering hereafter, is
nothing but delusion, and fo in essect plunge
durselves headlong into hell, whilst we are Kriving to disbelieve its torments; like men
fever who plunge themselves in-
to cold water, but are so far from getting rid
of their distemper n
cause it to redouble its yiolence, 80 We,
when stung with remorse —
he for
our fins, are obliged to throw ourselves into
this gulf of error and delusion, vis. to he-
lieveher Gickthings as are denounced against
finners will not be execnted upon them, that
uncasiness orcontroul.
« paß, .
eee
Sinc EXE
of our brethren
= but
also with those that iu
gents
r angry
least
z Sun
thefear-of
man influence us mere than the fear of God,
And isthere any room for to hope for fa
vation, —
naglect and despise the
commands of God? Wi 'hath our blessed Saviour ed of us thats cithar grievous
nme
CHAP gy
ND surely ee
to bear the causcless unger of another. or in the last instanee, thequarrel is hatched
in theformer, the flame i
: 14. 2 Ae the substantial proof of his very great prudence and wisdom; but tis no great matter to do the other, that is, to abstain from causeless,
kedanger. |
TT AND when the fear ofman hath so great us,as to make us do a great deal, but the fear of God is not ftrong to make us do the least thing imaginable, consider how great a degree of punishment we have render d ourselves obnoxi-
ous to. Vou are therefore not only to esteem as your brother, but alsoyour very servant; — according to the ner" wrIn„Chri Jesus there is neither bond nor free; so that if we are angry even with our servants withouta cause, we shall
transgress this rule. Our servant is our brother, and is honoured with the same liberty, and madea partaker of the same spirit of truth with ourselves. Let me now. enquire after that man that can shew us a life untaint-
ed with the vices of evil-speaking, unreasonable and causeless anger; nay, let me
have the man produced, I do not say that is
long
seldom guilty of these sins, but such.an one as-is, not constantly addicted to them. As
asthisisthe case,as long as we are
guilty of these sins, how can e expect to pe the punishment that is denounced
— them, tho it should appear that we do not commit them? So likewise if
Sinctxs
PENIT ENT.
a thief or a fornicator shall steal, or commit
fornication but once; and tho' they'are not audacious enough to repeat their fin often; yet they shall not be forgiven upon this account, but shall be punish'd eternally, because they dared to be guilty of it at all. As to what follows in the chapter before referr'd
to, viz. Matth. v. what unbelicyer is there
that would not look upon it as a fable, when
he sees what care we take to negle& and trample it under foot? For God himself hath
instructed us in the following manner; If thou bring thy gift to the 7575 and there remember that thy brother
thee ; leave there thy
hath ought agains#
gift before the altar,
and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy bro=
ther, and then come and offer thy gift, ver.
But we approach God's altars at the
same time that we are inflamed against each other, and with deceit and dissimulation in our hearts and behaviour; and tho' it hath pleased God to be so desirous of our reconciliation, as to suffer his own sacrifice and service to remain unfinish'd, and to be deferr'd 'till our hatred and anger against one another is appeased, yet we run on in a headlong manner, we despise the work of reconciliation, and continue our animosities for a
long time together. For our Saviour hath not only threatned to punish those that retain their anger a great while, but also those that
neglect
ande
for the
thisangryandinjur'd
brethren.
"RESENTMENT
undoubted! be-
longs to those that are whur'd, but tis not ealily to be imagind howehe that does the
can be ca of;it, inasmuch as he hath nothing to complain of. For this reason, . therefore, he, brings the that is free
from anger to him that is injurd, thereby
intimating, tnat the former is more liable to ent than the latter, because twas he that first laid the foundation of the quarrel,
and of the fin. But we have not so learnt Christ, as to proceed in this method; but on
the contrary, we grieve our brethren for the fake of the merest trifles in nature, and then,
as if we had done no harm, weneglect and forget those that we have made sotrowful, and take no care to put an end to thediffe-
done
renceswe have occasiond, tho' they are of very long continuance, not considering that
the longer we suffer the injuries we have
to cur neighbours to go without satisfaction, and the longer we delay to remove the grief that we haveoccasioned, the greater in proportion will the punishment”be which we shall fuffer for it hereafter, and that a reconciliation will hereby be renderd much more
difficult than it would have otherwise been.
For where we have friendship, tis no casy matter for any thing that tends to make breaches
Sinctts PENIT ENT. 15 dreaches and divisions, to have any influence
over us, or indeed to obtain the least credit
with us; so likewise when we are in broils and quarrels, every thing is done
with the greatest easei— 4— that is for the purpose of such men as are bent upon
provoking and injuring one another; all the
good that is said of an adversary we commonly disbelieve, but the evil that we hear of him we as readily admit to be true. For
these reasons our blessed Saviour hath com-
manded us to leave our gift before the altar, and to be reconciled to our brother before we offer it, that we may from hence learn that if a reconciliationis not to be neglected gat
this time, much less is it at others. We
have indeed a form of godliness, but we di-
stinguish away the power of it. We salme
one another at the time that we offer our gist, but we do this for the most part with our lips and mouth only. But thisis not what
our blessed Saviour intended; no, tis fach a friendstup, and such a satutation, as from the very heart and son! that be hath
commanded us to have for, and to give to our acighbour. This is the true falutation, but the other way of being reconciled to our brethren, is only acting a part; tis hypocrisy, and doubtless offensive to Almighty God. For the love that he ires of us 31 firm and hearty, and not that which we generally haye for our neighbour, the shadow
A Couranion for the
or snew of it without any substanee, power
or efficacy, which is an indication of the iniquities we are corrupted with. For because iniguity shall abound, saith our blessed Lord, the love of many shall wax cold.
this we do, even we who are com-
manded not to be angry, and to have no enemiesat all, or at least to put an end to our anger before the setting of the sun ; Let not the stun go down upon your wrath, saith St. Paul, Ephel. iv. 26. But we stop not here, we lay traps and snares for one another, and by our words and actions bite and devour those that are members of our own body, which deserves no better character than that of downright madness. For tis by such symptoms as these, that we distin-
guish those that are possessed by the devil, and mad, from other men.
I say nothing
of those other precepts, which relate to our
behaviour towards our enemies, to unlawful lust, lascivious or wanton looks or
glarices, or such a sort of love or friendship
as is unwarrantable, and of eyil consequence. For a right eye, and a right hand, signify nothing else but such things as please us
indeed, but please us to our hurt. But as to those 'precepts which relate to conjugal duties, how shamefully do too many of us
transgress them, and trample them under our feet?
CHAP.
SIXVCERE PEnITENTS
CHAP.IV. UCH precepts as forbid swearing I am ashamedto speak of, not onlyon the account of oaths, but alfo on the account of perjury. For if it be a crime and a breach of a commandment
to swear, what
shall we say of perjury ? What classor sort of sins shall we place it in? If what is more than yea and nay cometh of evil, from whence can whatis worse than even that, be derived? What shall we say to those other commands
of our blessed Saviour, Matt. v. 29, &c. W hosoever shall smite thee on ar right cheek,
turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away t coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whoso-
ever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with
twain.
him
Give to him that asketh thee, and
from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away ? On the account of eyery one of these we have reasoͤn to let. rivers of tears run down our eyes, and to cover ourselves with confusion as with a garment, 10 directly con-
trary is our behaviour to all of them.
WE spend all our time in law-suits, in fighting, quarrelling and brawling, anddo not bear the slightest injury, howsoever we receive it,
whether by words or actions.
But the leaft
provocation
AComranion for the
yocation stirs us up to revenge, as if we — so many wild ads in the shape of men. If you can produce some that have
given a great deal to the poor, and have af-
terwards fallen into contempt because of their
poverty, and have endured a great many in-
conveniencies, such inftances are very rarely to be met with, and very easily number'd. Now if you produce some few that have done this, will you shew me thereby such a
philosopher as the gospel requires. The life of such an one must be yet more spiritual : For he that gives what he hath, is by no means to be put upon a level with those who
are plundered of all they have, and yet bear it patiently. But why do I say bear it tiently ? For Christ hath required something
of us of a higher, and more exalted nature ;
faris he from permitting those that are
injured, to be angry with such as injure them,
that he not only forbids us to be disturbed at
the taking away of our goods, but commands us to give them what they have not taken; that our long-suffering and disposition to hear whateyer mischief they can do us, may appear to be greater than their madness and propensity to do it. For when he that endeavours to do an injury finds the person, for whom it is intended, more ready to suffer it than he is to infli& it, and more willing to part with what he hath, than he
himselfis to take it; when he hath ny I
SINCERE
PENIT ENT.
say, the baseness of his own temper, and the virtue and magnanimity of his abused neighbour in one view, such a virtue and magnanimity as induces him to glory in suffering injuries of this kind, how barbarous and inhuman soeyer he may be, he'll be ashamed and blush at his neighbour's goodness and patience; he'll abhor himself, and repent of Wwe he hath done.
BUT I am now talking of a man, whose character I see described in the holy seriptures, but I cannot find the man whose pra-
ice comes up to it. 1 — wher a man that hath received an injury, and born it with patience, because he could not perhaps revenge it, but such an one as is patient towards such injuriouspersons as he is upon a level with, and such as he could oblige to give him satisfaction, and patient to such a degree as not to oppose the greediness of an injurious person, and to give him more than he desires. They that give willingly, I say,
must extend their patience and long- suffering
to those that deprive them of =o they have, tho' they have it in their power to re-
dress or avenge themselves: But our blessed Saviour hath been pleased to require something of us that is yet of a more exalted na-
ture, and bordering upon perfection. He hath commanded us to place such as use us a this manner, and injure us in our goods,
OUT
A Cour Axio
our bodies, and every
for the
thing else, among the
number of our friends, and our truest friends
too. For he not only saith, Give to him that plunders and depri ves thee of what thou hast, but love him with a hearty and fincere affection. And to shew how willing he was that we should do good to such an one, he
adds this, even this, Pray for those that despitefully use you and persecute you; to teach
us, that we are to do them good in such a
manner, as we use to do for none besides
such as we have the tenderest regard, and the most hearty affection for. And left we should imagine these words are not to be understood in a strict and literal sense, and ; mg
by permit the devil to lead us into a mpst icious and fatal error, he assigns a reason for this doQrine, in the 46th verse of this
chapter, via. Mat. v. For if ye love them
which love you, what reward have ye © Do not even publicans the same ? And if you salute
your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so ? * Since
therefore we differ nothing as to this parti-
the greek testaments I have by de danalopiry vuds, such a;
THA\wrai, publicans, he puts 78
cular
Sinctrs PENITENT:
ticular from the publicans and heathens, how great reason have we to be sorrowful, and to
fall flat upon our faces ? And would to God that this were all that we have to complain
of; for we are now so far from loving our enemies, that we are averse to, and hate our
very friends. For to detract from, or take away any man's character or reputation by
actions or by words, is playing the part of such as are his bitter enemies, and restless adversaries. So that I do not say we don't differ from heathens, but that in this respect we are much worse than they are. Christ hath commanded us to pray for those that despitefully use us and persecute us, but we
surround them with traps and snares ;' and
tho' we are commanded to bless those that curse us, yet we requite them with an infinite number of curses in lieu of those which we' have received of them,
What greater
opposition can we make against our great Law-giver, and all his commandments ?
to the prevalence of vain-glory,
which our blessed Saviour hath endeavoured by his precepts to root out and to destroy, and we on the other hand to nourtsh and preserve, submitting ourselves to its government and direction, not only in our pray ers,
our fasts, and relief of the poor, but in every
thing else, and choosing above all things to
be captivated by its trifling and gaudy outC 3 side,
A Cour Anion for the
fide, to comply with all its fooleries : as fo this, I say, since tis so manifest to all men, I forhear to enlarge upon it, and content my self with having mentioned fo copious and extensive a subject of discourse: only thus far I shall observe in general, that men have given themselves up to the last degree of disobedience to the laws of God, and that
they do notsomuch as obey one of them. And they that are in some measure willing to obey some of his commandments, turn
what they do into sin, as long as they are unwilling to free themselves from the chains and fetters of eee THAT
a man cnnnot be said to have
done a real act of charity, purely because he
gives to such as desire to be relieved by him, and that if he does it out of ostentation, he's
no better than one that hath given nothing. Thus doth that wicked one get us all, and in every manner that can be thought on, into his net; and if any be so happy as to escape this dreadful snare, so as to be restrained for some time within the compass of his duty, he's in danger of falling into this sin of vyain-glory, which is the greater and worse fall of the two.
For this fin, what-
ever the effects of it may be, is not only of dangerous consequence to us in itself, but
leads us into * Fe tidy
Sincere
PENIT ENT.
I have also known those who have had no
other motives to induce them to relieve the
poor, than these :they have done it because they have had a kindness for the person. they
have given to, or to get rid of his importunity, or the lhe 3 but without being influenced by the fear of God, or having any regard to his commandment.
THERE
being therefore somany,
to corrupt our best actions, how can it be otherwise than difficult to be saved, when we
have so many obstacles and oma in our way?
n > Bo
to that petition in the Lord's 8
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive m that trespass against us ; who. is there 8 can say this with that freedom that he ought ? For tho we do not hurt, or injure
our enemies, yet the breach that our enmity
hath made betwixt us, remains, and there's no healing of .it. For our blessed Saviour not only expects that we should forgive them, but also that we should reckon you 20g
the number of our chief friends, And 'tis for thisreason that he hath eyen commanded
A Comranion for the
us to pray for them. Forif we do them no injury, yet if we turn away our eyes, and
do not care to see them, tis a certain sign that the old grudge is rankling within us, and we are far from having performed the commandment which our blefsed Saviour hath laid upon us. With what face therefore dost thou pray to God to forgive thee, when thou art not as yet reconciled to those who
have offended thee.
According to that of the
wise man, Ecclesjafticus xxviii. 3, 4, 5. One
man beareth hatred against another, and doth be seek pardon from th a ? He sbeweth no
mercy to a man which is like himself ; and doth he ask forgiveness of his own fins ? If he that is but flesh nourish
hatred, who
will entreat for
pardon of his sins ? I could willingly break
off here, and forbear to add what I am going
to say, I am fo much ashamed, and blush to
proceed further.
For the continuation of
this discourse will more fully lay open the
war which we wage, and the enmity which we proclaim against the commandments of Christ. But what will my filence signify, whilst our actions so loudly proclaim our rebellion against Him that will judge us for
them, and from whom no secrets are hid.
For as to that precept — Lay not up for your
selves treasures upon earth, but lay up for your sebves treasures in heaven, there are but v few that observe it as they ought. The ge-
neralify” of the world, as if they had been,
Sincrtrt PENIT ENT.
instructed in a quite contrary manner, and commanded to lay up treasures upon earth, have, as it were, given over all pursuits aster heavenly things, and are clung fast to the thingsof this world, and are even
madly intent upon heaping up riches.
They
hate God, and are in love with Mammon.
AS to that precept which forbids us t0 take thought for the morrow, so little is our faith, our trust, and confidence in God, that
I know of no- body that listens to, or it, and therefore I shall pass it hy, like 2
man that hides his face, and is ashamed- to
speak.
For tis our duty to rely upon what
our blessed Saviour tells us, tho we have no-
thing but his bare word for it. But we are now so far from doing this, that we cannot be brought to it by the most: convincing and unexceptionable reasons which he hath been pleased to offer, and those examples of the fowls of the air, and the grass of the feld, which he hath produced, in order to a more easy reception for his doctrine. But like the gentiles, or perhaps with less faith, and less dependance upon God's Providence than they had, we are pierced through, and
indeed quite eaten up with the cares of this world,
Nay, we lay out all our care and di-
ligence-upon such things as we are not so
much as commanded to pray for.
BUT,
A CouraN iO for the
BUT, as I said before, I am ashamed. to
say any thing more of this commandment.
I proceed therefore to what our blessed Saviour saith immediately after, viz. Mat. vii. 1.
if so be that Imay find a little comfort there.
And what are the words which follow this commandment, and are contained in the chapter and verse now referrd to? Why *
words are these, Fudge not, that qe be no judged. I was in hopes, as I faid, to —
found some comfort, after having been so
grievously put to the blush, But, alas! I find
a great addition to the shame which I have
been already obliged to undergo.
For if
we had no —
be suf-
sin, this alone —
ficient to condemn us to the lowes? hell.
bitter are we when we fit as judges upon
other mens sins. But the beams which are in our own eyes we take care to avoid the
fight of, and spend our whole livesinsearch-
ing critically: after, and into the faults and actions of others, and in g censures upon them. And so very much does this practice prevail, that there isnot a man to be found, either among the laity, monks, or clergy, that is freefrom it, notwithst the punishment which God hath threatned to inflict on us for it. For with what judgment ye judge, faith he,ye shall be judged :and with
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to m _ And as this panishment 1is 10 or”
SINCERE PENITENT.. so it is to be observed that this sin hath no pleasure attending it, and that all of us run
after. and court it, as if we laboured and
strove to go to hell, not by one way, =
by many; and that we fail of perform
not only that part of our duty which 1s most difficult, but also that which is most easy,
transgressing the one as much as we do the
other, and shewing manifestly that our disobedience is not owing to the difficulty of obeying the commandments of God, but to our own refractory disposition and habitual contempt of his authority. For I would fain know what difficulty there is in abstaining from being busy in other mens matters, and fling — upon the fins of our neighbours?
On the other hand, what trouble do
we give ourselves in meddling with, and judging others? And who would believe, when he is told it, that tis mere sloth and obstinacy that is the occasion of our disobedience; that when it hath pleased God to command such things as are casy and agree»
able to such as are willing to obey him; but
hath forbidden such things as are full of dif»
ficulty, labour and trouble, we reject those which he hath commanded, and do those
which he hath forbidden ? And will not our enemies, do we think, say, that we fin out of downright position to him ? Especially fince he himself
hath been pleased to declare
that his commandments haye nothing _—
A Cour Axl
for the
chat is grievous or troublesome.
Take
yoke upon you, saith he, for my yoke is easy,
andmy burden is light. But we, by an unaccountable flothfulness of temper, make such things as are easy, seem difficult and burdensome. For 'tis jooked upon by a very slothful and lazy person to be a burden to him to take the pains to eat and drink what nature requires for the support of life. But on the other hand, the diligent and industrious do wonders, so far are they from being discouraged by byfancied and imaginary difficulties,
Tis likewise as true, that such as we are complaining of apply themselves with too much resolution to some things that are difficult, tho' they are very negligent and remiss with relation to such things as are very easy. For there's nothing, ah ! nothing, which a very sluggish disposition will not represent as ex y grievous and troublesome,
how eafy and practicable soever it may be in
reality.
80 diligence, and inclination to do
a thing, make that very easy, which is in its nature difficult and laborious. For I would fain know what can be more grievous than to be daily exposed to dangers, and to such too as threatenus with death? But even this St. Paul hath declared to be light and easy, 2 Cor. iv. 17. where he tells us,
T hat our light afflition, which is but fora
moment, worketh for us a more exceeding —
weight of glory, For if a thing be naturally
Stncerxt
PENWIT ENT.
naturally grievous, yet tis made easy by the hopes of a future reward. Which is the reason assign'd by the apostle for the of what he saysin the beginning of the next verse in these words W hile we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:
CHAP,
UT to proceed to some other of our blefled Saviour's precepts ; Give not, taith he, that which is 5 unto the dogs,
neither caffye your pearls
before fewine, Mat. vii.
6. This is what our Saviour hath delivered among the rest of his commandments. But we have been so unaccountably vain, as to transgress it, by carelessly admitting such
men as are enemies to all that is good, infi-
dels, and the most profligate of mankind, to partake of the sacred mysteries of our reli
gion, laying open to them the whole of chri-
/tianity, before we have made them give us any reasonable proof of their being furnished with the most easy and common parts of knowledge, and admitting such to the most awful and inmost recesses, which are hardly
fit to be suffered to enter the very porches
of our temples.
And by this means some
A Comranion for the of these imperfe& christians presently fall away, and commit all manner of wickedness.
shut our eyes likewise against this commandment (which will one day or other be the occasion of the utmost horror to us,
as well as. others) when we partake of the eternal mysteries of our religion (as we often do) without either purity or modesty. But to proceed ; Any man that hath his eyes open, may see, that not only the commandments already mentioned, but also those which fol-
low in this discourse of our blessed Saviour's
before referr'd to, are transgressed, and trampled upon daily by every one of us.
Whatsoever je would that men should do to
you, faith he, do ye even so to them;
but
we don't care to suffer any of those things which we do to others. He hath commanded us to enter in at the firait gate, but all of us seek for the wide one.
'That the men of
this world should do this, is no wonder:
But tis very strange and amazing, that such
as seem to be crucify'd to the world, should do it more than they. But tis even yet more strange, that such as have betaken themselves
to a monastick way of living, should almost
to a man do the same, that as soon as they are called upon to undertake some particular ministry, they ask an hundred questions, in order to be satisfied whether it is like to- be,
| or whether it may be, made easy and agreeable
Sinetxt PEMIT ENT.
to them? And whether the person that re-
quires them to undertake it, believes that he could make it so to himself? Let me ask
thee,
O man ! when thou art commandedto
walk in the narrow way, dost thou enquire
after ref} and ease * And when thou art ordered to enter in at the frait gate, dost thou look out for the wide one ©What can be worse than such perverseness as this is? But that I may not be looked upon as an accuser
of other men only, I will say something of my self, and confess that when I began to
dislike living in the city, I had thoughts of
entering into a monastery ; I was exceeding] folicitous and anxious on the account of things as I judged necessary for my subsistence. Mycare was to know how I should be supphed ? And whether it would be posfible for me to eat my daily bread ? And whether I should have it re and agreeable to my taste and palate © Or whether I should meet
with one that would compel me to make use of the same oil, both for my lamp and for my
food © Whether I should not be obliged to live upon pul/e or pease ? And finally, whether I should not be confined to hard labour,
to digging, to carrying of wood and water, and
the like? Thus my chief, and, in a manner,
my only care, was formy ease, The ministers or chief officers of
princes, and such
as are entrusted with publick employments, neyer trouble themselyes about any *
A Comnranion for the
this nature, if so be that the business they are employed inbe, likely to bring them some tem-
225advantage. And for the sake of this, they
ve courage to endure any thing, and are daunted neither by labours nor dangers, neither by indignities nor difficulties, neither by long— nor by a long continuance in a strange land, neither by injuries or calumnies, neither by the change of time, nor
the frequent hazard of miiling their expecta-
tions, nor untimely deaths, nor being separated from their friends, their wives and children, nor indeed by any thing else, how
difficult, how laborious, how hazardous and erous soever it may be, but being hur-
ried on by the love and desire of wealth, they patiently endure whatsoever they think leads towards it, and is a means to procure it. But we who are not in quest of the earth un-
der our feet, but of heaven, and the good things which are there, which neither eye hath seen,
nor ear heard, neither have enterd into the heart of man to conceive, are solicitous about
our case. Sowretchedly soft and effeminate are we in comparison of these men. What dost thou say, O man? Dost thou endeavour after heaven, and hope to receive a kingdom there? And dost thou enquire whether there be any thing difficult in the way? And art thou not ashamed,
dost thou not blush at
this, and hide thy self in the dust? Dost thou
not
at, and despise all the difficulties that
SWS EA
PENIT EN
that ever happened to mankind from the beginning of the world, to this present time, revilings, injuries, indignities, calumnies, the sword, fire, war, wild beasts, drowning, fa-
mine,
ess, Ne.
But, on
the
contrary,
constantly trouble thyself about these things? What can be more womanisb, more mean, more despicable, than such a sneaking spiritas this is? For I not only say, dost
that a man that is animated with the desire
of heavenly things, should not enquire and seek after ease, but likewise, that he should
not accept of it, when it is in his power to obtainit. And is it not absurd, that whilst
such as place their affections on improper ob-
jects, are so much
devoted to them, that
they give themselves up entirely to them, and place their whole delight in them, and
_ esteem nothing besides,
pleasant and agreea-
ble; yet we who have set ours on such objets as we ought, and are influenced by a more sublime and heavenly sort of love,
should be so far from slighting our ease when
we have it, as to search after, and be solicitous about it, when we haye it not ?
A Couranion for the
CHAP,
VII.
ONE of us, my dearly beloved bro-
ther, have daily thirsted after the joys and happiness of heaven; for if we had,
those things which we look upon as difficulties, would be esteemed as nothing, and
unworthy, of any thing but contempt.
therefore, that sets his heart upon the things of this present world, is thought unworthy
of a prospe of what shall be hereafter ; but
he that despises them, and esteems them as nothing better than a shadow or dream, shall easily obtain those good, those spiritual things, which shall be hereafter. And when we .are, indeed, endued with such a degree of goodness, tis like fire among thorns; tis of such efficacy, that if it find a man beset with never so many evils, and encompassed by never so many fins, and with his lusts kindled and flaming within him, and hurried
hither and thither by an immoderate pursuit
of worldly business, it immediately drives them away from the soul, as it were, with a scourge, as our blessed Saviour drove the and them that sold doves, out the temple : And as light dust cannot stand fore the force of a violent wind, so a mul-
titude of unreasonable lusts and appetites,
cannot keep off the force of compunction
when
SiNCERE
PENIT ENTE
when it begins its attacks; but they disappear, and are scattered before it sooner than dust or smoke before the wind: for if that love which is not of a spiritual, but carnal nature, so far enslaves the mind, as to draw
it off from all other objects, and subject it to
the dominion and tyranny of one, how much more shall the love of Christ, and the fear of being alienated from him, have an influence and power over us? For as tis difficult, or rather impossible, for fire and water to mix together, so neither, in my opinion, can luxury and compunction of heart: for these
are contrary to, and naturally destructive of one another. The one is the mother oftears and sobriety, the other of laughter, of madness, and folly. The one gives lightness and wings to the soul, the other weighs it down, and renders it more heavy than kad. I do not defire to have my own word taken for this, but shall endeayour to prove it from him who was possessed with this holy dispo-
fition or affection of mind.
I mean, from
that warm and fervent lover of Christ St. Paul,
who was so full of it, as even to grieve and
languish on the account of his remaini here, and because the time of his was not come.
He that are in this tabernacle
faith he,dogroan, 2 Cor. v. 4.
For his de-
fire was to depart, and to be with Christ. Ne-
verthelese, continues he, to abide in the fles aus
A Comranion for the
is far better for you, Phil. i. 23, 24.
That
is, that their faith in Christ might be increased.
For the sake of this, he endured
hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and bonds, and deaths, and voyages,
and shipwrecks,
and every thing else that he overcame ; and
was so far from being borne down by them, or thinking them to be grievous, that he rejoiced
and gloned in them. The cause of this reJoycing, was the love of Christ ; and there-
fore he faith, Rom. viii. 37. In all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that
loved us. For if the love of men hath frequently prevailed upon us to suffer death, what wonder 1s it if the love of Christ may have done every thing; if it hath made all difficulties easy, as it did to St. Paul whilst
he kept his eye fixed on him whom he de-
fired to be with, and looked upon the suffering of .all things for his sake, to be, as it
really is, above all the pleasure and enjoy-
ment in the world. For he did not think himself to be on earth, or in this life, or to be conversant among men, but looked on
himself as one that had already taken possesfion of his inheritance in the kingdom of hea-
ven, as a fellow-citizen with the holy angels,
and as one that knew the Almighty face to face. So much does he despise the pleasures and _ troubles of this life, that he says not a word
about that case and indolence which we are
so constantly: and anxiously solicitous about.
But
SINCERE
PENIT ENT.
But his cry is, Even. unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are er and have no certain dwelling place, and labour, working with owt own hands : being reviled, we bless - being perse-
cuted, we suffer it :being defamed, we entreat; And again, We are made at the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day. For having fixed his eyes up-
on heaven, and being ravished with the beauties and delights of it, he would by no means suffer them to return to worldly or earthly objects. But as a poor and necessi-
tous man, that hath lived all his life in an
obscure and mean cottage, if he chance to see a king adorned, and glittering with gold and jewels, no longer employs his thoughts about his own little house of poverty, but sets his heart upon that which he hath fo
lately had a sight of; so this blessed apostle
having obtained a prospect of heavenly joys, despised those poor and 'triffing enjoyments that are to be met with eHewhere ; and tho he conversed with men, because he was
obliged so to do, as being yet in the body, yet he suffered not his affections to incline to any of those things, hm kept them entirely
fixed on that continuing city of God which was to come.
But why do I mention the suffer-
ings of this life? For fo great, so ardent was his love of Christ, that had he been condem-
ned to endure those torments, which are to
A Couranion for the
be eternal, he would not have shrunk from
them for his sake. For he was not of sucha mercenary and self- interested temper, as we are who serve God, because we are afraid of hell, and are in hopes of heaven. He was
not a servant of Christ upon any such terms.
He was influenced by a better and more
noble principle, and did, and suffered all things, for no other reason, than that he might have the satisfaction of shewing that
love which he had to Christ, which had so
entirely engrossed his thoughts, and was so firmly riveted within him, that for his sake he would voluntarily have parted with what was dearer to him than any thing besides;
that ii.
To be with Christ; in compa-
rison of which, he had despised not only those pleasures and satisfactions which lead to hell, but also whatever else, even the
kingdom of heaven itself, could afford, esteeming it the most eligible thing in the world to embrace, and even to desire earnestly, the
most inconceivable misery for the sake of
i».7Wt
RSS
Sincers PENWIT ENT
CHAP,
HAT
VIII.
I have been saying, will, per⸗
haps, seem difficult to a great many,
but when I have endeayoured to explain it to them, they will certainly look upon it as
incredible.
Nor do I wonder at it; for this
blessed apostle himself, of whom I have been speaking, foresaw- as much, and' therefore
begins his discourse with a suitable precaution: I say the truth in Christ; I he not, my
2 ce also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, Rom. ix. 1. And notwithstanding his expressing himself in this manner, and his appealing to Christ and the Holy Ghost, as well as to his own conscience, for the truth of it, it is now disbelieved. Let us therefore examine what it is that he says, and we shall find it to be even so.
Having treated of the
troubles and afflictions of this world, he goes on, and says, W ho shall separate us from the. love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, or diftress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or favor? And having run through the seve-
ral trials which may be met with in this world, he ascends into heaven, and intending
to shew that there was no great matter in despising the troubles of this life, for the
lake of Christ, he adds, I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life,” nor angels, nor princi© palities,
A Comnranian for the
lities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor
Things to come, nor height, — fl nor any
other creature, sball be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Fesus our
Lord, Rom. viii. 35, 38, 39. As if he had said, "Tis not only out of the power of men
to separate me from this loye, but also be-
yond the power of angels; and, indeed, if all the powers of heayen were to combine in order to effect it, tis more than they are able to do, What do I say! could they not effect it? I answer, No. Nor should I be afraid to be driven out of heaven, and to be cast into hell, for the sake of Christ ; For the words, height and depth, and hfe and death,
imply nothing else.
T HIS he said, not because he thought that angels would endeavour to separate him from Christ ; but, for argument's sake, he sup-
poses {i things as were impossible, that he might shew and explain to every body, that
exceeding great love which he bore to his
Lord and Saviour,
THIS is the way or custom of lovers; not to conceal their loye, but to discover it
to all such as they think fit to place confidence in, to declare the greatness of their
passion, thereby easing and refreshing, as.
well as disburthening their minds,as this
blessed apostle hath done; in doing —_— |
SinNCERE
PENIT ENI.
mention of every thing; of things resent, and things to come; things which hure come to pass, and things which never will; visible, and invisible;every degree ofpunish. ment, and every
degree of happiness ;and,as
these were 12
ness of his affeftion, he supposcs and mentions things which never had a being, in
these words; Nor any other creature.
IN this manner he led the way, 8 demonstrating, that it is not in the power of all those things which he spoke of, to sepa= rate us from the love ofGod, which is in Chrif
Fesas our Lord. To sohigh a pitch was his
own affection raised :but #2
are com-
manded to be imitatars of him, do not bear the afflidtions of this life with common decency ; but we are as restless and uncafy un-
der them, as men that are in a burning fever.
And this disorder hath been so longin pos-
session of our minds, that length of time hath rendered it incurable, and so we may pronounce it; nor can we so much as entertain
the least hopes ofits being fully and truly removed from us; but our recovery from it,
is looked upon to be actually impossible: and when the apostles, and those noble explons
which they perfor are mentioned te us, we ought to lament ourselves for falling fo
far short of them, without so much as ima gining that we are to blame; for, indeed;
A Couranion for the
we are distanced by our own consent, because we look upon it as impossible to arrive at the same pitch of christian perfection that they did. If the reason of this be enquired into, we presently have recourse to this senseless excuse : Such an one was St. Paul; such an one was St. Peter; and such an one was
St. John. What, I pray, were St. Paul and St. Peter? Were they not partakers of the same nature with ourselves ? Did they not OOO
come into the world in the same manner that
we did? Were they not nourished with the same food ? Did they not breathe the same air? Were they not conversant in affairs of the same kind with ours? Had not some of them wives and children? Some of them applied themselves to ordinary callings or professions? And were not others of them plunged into the very depth of misery and YOU wilt say, perhaps, that they were endued with a great degree of the grace of God: But if we were called upon to raise the dead, to open the eyes of the blind, to cleanse lepers, to make the lame walk firmly and uprightly, to cast out devils, or to remove any other maladies of the like nature;
this sort of reasoning would be pertinent and
proper.
But if our good behaviour, and our
obedience to the commands and will of God,
be the subject of our discourse, this excuse.
nothing
Sincrxt PeniTenT.
nothing to the purpose : for even thou thyself that makest it, hast received the grace
of God in baptism, and hast been a partaker of the Holy Ghost ; not, indeed, for the work-
ing of miracles, but as much as is necessary
to enable thee to order thy life and conversation aright; so that our being perverted from the ways of righteousness, is entirely owing to our sloth and negligence.
And when the
great day of accounts shall come, our blessed
Saviour will reward not sach as haye worked miracles, but such as have done what he hath commanded. Come, ye blessed of my father,
faith he, inherit the 15hi ee 2 you from the beginning of the world. Not because ye have done wonders : but because I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger, and ye took me in naked, and ye clathed me: I
was sick, and ye visited me. I was in Prison, and
ye came umto me.
So that he pronounces
blessed, not those that have done miracles, but such as live uprightly ; and though the extraordinary grace of God be now withdrawn, yet this shall'not skreen us, nor be looked upon as a sufficient excuse, when we come to receive the due reward of our iniquity.
CHAP,
A Conranion for the
CHAP.
ND therefore let us not esteem those
men happy that have performed miracles; for in this, the power of God alone
was concerned : but in doing the will of God, as it is done in heayen, there's a necessity not only for divine grace, but also for a good inclination, and for application
and diligence in ourselves. This is not my opinion or doctrine, but St.Paul's, that blessed
imitator of Christ, whom we have been al-
ready speaking of,
For when he set himself
to oppose the falfe apostles of his time, and
writ to his disciples about them, and endeavoured to exhibit some test or mark, by which the true pretenders to the ministry, and the false, may be distinguished from each other, he thought fit to leave out miracles, and to pitch upon the virtues and excellencies of a good life. Are they mh ofChrist ?
{I speak. as a fool) IT am more in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews foe times received I forty firipes, save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods; once was I
foned; thrice Isuffered shipwreck; a night and a day I have been in the deep : In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in —
SINCERE PENITENT.
the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. ages those things that are without ; that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak ?
Who is offended, and I burn not ? * For such things as these do I admire the apostles;
whereas such as have been without them,
and yet, by virtue of a dispensation committed to them, have been able to do miracles, are not only unworthy of our esteem, but
also reprobates, as Christ himself hath told us in these words ;Many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name; and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name have done many wonderful
works © And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. F And for this reason doth he admonish his disciples, saying; Rejoice not that
the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
For
a good life, without such a power as his dis-
ciples rejoiced at, shall receive the crown of righteousness : nor shall it be rewarded the
* See 2 Cor.
+ Mart, vii. 22, 23.
less
Ax oN for the
A Cour
less for want of it.
But a wicked life, how-
ever attended with this power, shall not escape condign punishment. And therefore the notion which I have been endeayouring to confute, is trifling, and not only trifling, but of dangerous consequence, as tending to give countenance to the opinions of several hereticks : for if our Lord's first disciples were entirely beholden to the grace of God for their virtue, and if their own endeavours had no share in it, what reason can there be assigned, why every body else should not be equal to them ? Because the grace of God, if it requires nothing to be done on our rt, is conferred on all persons alike; for
Godis no respecter ofpersons.
The reason why
it follows and ftays with us is, because some-
thing is required on our part. Some it forsakes, and others it makes no stay with at all. God had first examined into the frame and disposition of St. Paul's mind, and then bestowed his grace on him, before he performed
any of those remarkable things which are said of him.
Let us hear what he saith of him:
Adds ix. 15. He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. This testimony did the Searcher of hearts bear to him before his grace was conferred on him. LET
us not therefore, my beloved bre-
thren, deceiye ourselves with saying, that 'tis
SINCERE PENITENT.
tis impossible for any body to be like St.
Paul. With respect indeed to the extraordi_ gifts and powers which were bestowed
him, tis in vain to expect another St.
Paul; but with respect to the exactness and circumspectness of his life, every body that will, may come up to him. And the reason why any man does —_ because he will not.
BUT I know not howI came to be guilty of so much folly and absurdity, as to look out for such as are upon a level with St. Paul at this time of day, when there are so few to be found, who endeavour even in any degree, toa proach that excellent pattern. For this —
we ought to mourn and weep, and to be full of indignation against oursel ves, not only for a day or two, but as long as we live. For if a man accustom himself to it, it will be difficult for any sort of wickedness to fasten upon him for the future. If you do not believe what I say, cast your eye upon such as mourn upon a worldly account.
I do not
mean those whole lifeis one continued scene of labour and toil, but such as live in soft-
ness and luxury, and have been bred up in nothing else.
FOR
such as these, even these, who
take care to be drunk, and to fill their bel-
hes, to make an end of their dinner about
evening,
AComnranton for the
evening, and to sup about midnight, to prey upon others, sparing neither the widow, the
poor, nor the helpless, exercising almost all mannerof cruelty; if any great and violent
grief seizes on tim thoroughly, their very fouls are in the greatest agonies imaginable: all those sost and idle pleasures and inclinations are thrown aside, and the very life of
a philosopher succeeds in their room. THEY
use themselves with severity,
but little, lie upon the ground, accustom themselves to patience, fasting, and filence, and behave themselves towards others with moderation, and in a very gentle and friendly manner; and even they that plunder others, at this time take no delight in what is really their own. Nay, if you were to set fire to whatever they have in the
house, there's hardly any such thing as diverting them from their sorrow, so far as to
preserve it. I myself have known some, that
after the loss of such as have been very dear to
them, have left the city with all its pleasures, and have been contented
with what the
country, and indeed with what the fields could afford them; and others that have taken
up their habitation, and spent the remainder
of their days among tombs and monuments.
BUT of this hereafter :Whilst their grief
is at its height, they have nothing to say about
Sincere PENITENT.
about the things of this world. But that madness and eagerness after wealth, power, and honour, is by many ef them looked up-
on as it is, and the things themselves which
they before delighesd 2 rass, and as the
er of
esteemed as
grass, and hav-
them E gowfire ofAden, they
cast them off, leaving them not the least room
in their affections, and apply their hearts unto wisdom so entirely, that they do not so much
as mention any of the
pleasures of this world,
but have thrown off whatsoever they for-
merly delighted in; and indeed nothing in
nature can appear so. nauseous and disagreeable to them.
.NONE of their servants, none of their
friends may so much as speak a word concerning the things of this life, and those affairs which we busy ourselves so much about. All these are trampled under foot, and the
foul. being. disciplined. by its troubles, as ef-
fectually as if it had received instruction in
some holy place, they are forced to give way to serious and grave discourses on the vanity of human nature, and the changeable
and transitory condition of this world, the
corruptibleness and instability of every thing
relating to this life, together with their de-
ceitful appearances, resembling what we see on a:stage, where the actors reptesent othets,
and whatever is said, and whatsoever 5
ents
Comranion for the
sents itself to our view, is feign'd and imaginary.
At this time they have a great con-
tempt of wealth, and are free from anger. At this time ambition is despised and neglected, and, in a word, envy cannot lurk, nor priderage in that man that truly afflidts
his soul with mourning. No intemperance is made use of to inflame his lust, but all these things being entirely banished, his thoughts are, in a manner, confined to the
person whose decease he laments, whom he has, as it were, constantly before his eyes.
This is his meat and drink, his /leep, his plea-
sure, his reft, his comfort, his glory, his wn, his power, and his light.
wats,
ens veg
EROS
like manner, at least, ought we to be-
Such
as have lost their children or wiyes,
wail the loss of our salvation: with the same degree of languishing and concern, should the eyes of our minds be fixed upon it, our discourse run, and our fancy dwell upon it. their minds about nothing, but imprinting upon them the idea of those they have parted with:
but we that have for-
feited the kingdom of heaven, exercise our thoughts upon nothing less. Such mourners as we have been speaking of, tho' they are of princely extraction, are none of them above submitting to the method we have been
describing 3; they fit upon the ground and
.mourn bitterly, and change their dress, .and very
SIN
CERB PENITENT.
very readily submit to every thing which this melancholick occasion requires of them. They regard not the manner they have been brought up in, nor the constitution of their bodies, nor whatever distempers may be sup-
posed to follow their using themselves with so much severity, but bear it with a great deal of ease. And not only men, but even
women, and such as are very weakly and
tender, will undergo a great deal of this.
But we, when we are to lament, not the loss
of children and wives, but the ruin of souls; not the souls of others, but our own, excuse
ourselyes by pretending the weakness of our
bodies, and the tender manner in which we have been educated.
AND
would to God this were all we had
to complain of; for we do not even those things in which the strength and faculties of the body are no way concerned. For what occasion is there, I would fain know, for bodily strength, when we would make our hearts soft and contrite, when we desire to
pray with sobriety and wt: ges f.to confess
our sins, to dismiss our pride and vanity, and to pull dun the too high opinion which we
have entertained of our own merits and qualifications ? These are things which please God
and reconcile him to us, and require us to put ourselyes to no great pains in order to
perform
A*Couranion fbr the
Fedt.le them. "And her eren thise we de
FOR the true nature of religious mourn-
1I'sdoth not altogether consist in putting on
of sack-cloth, nor in shutting up one's selfin 5 cell or closet, or sitting in a dark room; but In a constant reflecting on what we have done amiss; in searching out consciences to the very bottom to find out our iniquities,
and. never failing to consider how much
We are distanced in our christian race, and how great a way we are from the” kingdom of heaven. And in order hereunto, let us
*have'coristantly before our eyes the torments
of another world, and the angels at the end 10, of this, running up and down the earth, and . gathering together such as are to he castin-
[to hell.
If we consider the forfeiture of
"heaven, wirhout taking in the torments of
Bell, "how gricyous a, calamity will it be ? Tf we were not threaten'd* with hell-fire if no eternal Punishments awaited us; yet to be 0 Christ, from the 'meek and "separated from
[merciful Jefus, who loved mankind so very much, that he delivered himself up to die
for us, and to suffer every thing, that he might rescue us from' those punishments, and reconcile us to his Father, ng Were enemies
to him by wicked works tho
we do not
forfeit these unspeakable; ese eternal Joys
Whictt are proposed tous besides ; yet this Vould
ANT
wenn yhꝛ
Wes
SINCERE PENITENT.
would be greater than any other. punishment,
and should, prevail on us, one would think,
to rouse up our sleepy fouls, and. id 0
uswereto only be always upon our guard,of theFortwelve if We to read the example virgins, who were shut, out of the bride-
groom's chamber for lack of oil, we should,
certainly grieve and be. tioubled like them, the performance of our Duty wilk bring us to the same pass. AND, to conclude, let me ask whether it be possible for any man to be fo obdurate, as to turn this pareof the "mt; VIS. the moral or application of it constantly in his thoughts, and yet make light of it if we confider that floth and i
I could have spun out my discourse into a
greater length,
but inasmuch as 1 haye faid
thus much in obedience to your commands,
rather than for any good that Icould expect
to do by it, I fear 1 haye transgressed my.
bounds already.
For I know very well that
you have every virtue relating to the Compunction of the Heart in perfection, and that you may, if you please, communicate them to others without writing or saying any thing about them, if you will but permit them to be a little while spectators of that
caution and circumfpeftion with which you
lead your life, and to see how effectually the
world
_ Comranion for,
world is crucify'd unto you, and you unto the world: So that if it be necessary to in-
struct those of the present generation upon this head, and to teach them the Compun-
ction of the Heart, we ought to direct them to your place of habitation. Is it our duty to
instruct posterity in like manner? The hi-
story of your life will be fully sufficient for
this purpose. And now I desire and beseech you, that you would give me the reward which I defired in the heginning of this discourse, and that I may have
your
prayers ; that I may not only talk about Compunction, but shew it in my life and conyersation, inasmuch as teaching of others without doing one's self, is not only unprofi-
table, but is attended with %, and the condemnation of such a man
as orders his
life in so careless and negligent a manner,
For not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, faith our blessed Saviour, but whoso-
ever shall do and teach the commandments of God, thesame shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. T he END of the FIRST Book.
COMPANION
FOR
SINCERE
THE
PENITENT.
BOOK
To STELECHIUS.
Of the Comruncrtion of the HEazr.
CHAT
1554 N D how is it possible, O holy man of God, Stelechius,
that I
| should obey your commands, and
chat a discourse on Compunction
I should. proceed from a soul so void of life and warmth as mine is? For in my opinion, he that would say any thing
worthy of so excellent a subject, should be
_ warmed
A Couranion for the
warmed and enlivened with'this divine flame a
greatdeal more than other men are, so that his
may affect the souls of his hearers, in
ee and vehement a manner, as a 160hot iron45 the body. But, alas ! this heavenly fire is not in me; but all that is
within me, is nothing but cinders and ashes. By what means therefore, by what means I
say, shall I kindle this holy flame, having not so much as a spark of So left, no fuel
for it if I had, Frey beingdestitute of that
spirit, who alone can blow it up, by reason; of that cloud of fins which have overspread
me about, may hetand end as it 8 ng do, I shall readily afford the assistance of my
tongue; but do you, at the fame time, be
instant in prayer to him that healeth the broken| hearted, and comforteth those that are caff down, , and lifteth the poor out of the mire, that he would kindle this divine fire within
me: for he is the God of power and wisdom;
anf knows how to take off the weakness that accompanies human nature, together with all
drowsiness, carelessness, and heaviness of the
flesh,
He puts the soul upon the wing to-
wards — very h
from Whende; as from some
place ot eminence, he shews her
"_erake40 —
ppearatices of this life,
life.
SINOERE PENTTENT
For lie that cannot sbar, and take a
in this manner, cannot / see tlie world, andi what is done in · it; a he ougit:
THERE
are many things that obstruct
the siglit, that hinder! us from hearing distinctly, and that occasionub to speak unad visedly with our lips, and therefore he that would view thingsas he ought, musthe freed from this hurry; he mustbe separated: froni froth, and noise, and emptiness, and enjoy
the solitude I am speaking; of, in which he will be calm, serene, and a perfect master of his own thoughts. HE RE he wilt find the air clear and tranfparent, here he will meet with nothing to disturb him, nothing that will hinder him from fixing his eyes constantly upon God,
and from making him the sole object, both of his contemplation and defrre. His ears have here no other employment than a fixed and immoveable attention to the spiritual and divine harmony of the oracles of God, which have so much power and tnftnerice ovet that man, whose soul is onee ravished with their
melody, that he can delight in nothing else, and cannot,
comparatively speaking,
take
any pleasure even in his necessary food and rest; atid neither the noisè of worldly busi-
ness, nor the masly occaflots, pleasures; and inclinations of the body arc of force suffici,
ent
A Cour ANON for the ent to destroy this good disposition of his mind. So on the other hand is the troublesome noise of worldly businefs inconsistent
with this sublime flight of the soul.
PPP —7 {ies*
per PTS
ayfern 4ao*»4No
—vyLF
ers. hes - tha.
BUT as they that betake themselves to the top of some high mountain, cannot hear or see any thing that is done or said in the
city distinctly, but only hear a confused and
disagreeable noise, like the buzzing of wasps; so they that retire from the world, and arrive at the height of spiritual wisdom, are unaffected with those things that are done among us, or at best have but a very faint perception of them. For the body and its affections load the soul, whilst it is conver-
sant here upon earth, with chains and fetters, and encompass it on every fide with a cloud of pernicious and destructive pleasures. For hither the hearing, the sight, the senses of fecling and smelling, and likewise the tongue, bring all the filth which they meet with abroad in the world. But when she soars on high, and hath betaken herself to her proper
discipline and retirement, she cuts off all the avenues or passes by which eyil thoughts and
1maginations used to approach her ; not by destroying the affections and inclinations of the body, but by consecrating them to the | service of God; that is, by raising them to
the same height with herself,
FOR
SINCERE
PENIT ENT.
FOR as a grave and stern mistress of a family, that intends to make a precious and costly ointment, composed of a great many different ingredients, in the Bates together of which, sne hath occasion for several hands to assist her, summons her maid-seryants to attend her, and commands one of them to pass the ingredients, she is to use, through a
sieve; another to take the scales and weights, and to take a great deal of care that there may be neither less nor more of any thing than there should be, lest the exactness of the composition should be thereby spoiled; as she commands
another to
another to diffotve, and
poundin a mortar such things as
are hard ofsabstance; and another to mix'
several things together; another to bring her an alabaster box; and another yet to bring her some other vessel, and to carry something else to one or other of her fellow-ser-
vants; as she confines their thoughts and their hands to the work she is about, not
_ suffering them to slacken their diligence in the leaft, but being intent upon her business, will not permit them to gaze and stare about upon any thing else: SO the soul that is preparing the precious ointment of Compunction, calls the senses of the body to her assistance, and purges them from all that indolence and sflothfuiness that
A Conrantion for the
that is so apt to attend them.
For as soon
as ever she begins to meditate on the duties of those that pray, and love God, she immediately 7 the senses of all their power, and
suffers nothing, how
excellent
Sn in its kind, to dilturdthat tranquillity and calmness which she hath within.
And
therefore noises escape the ears, and Aghts
are not seen by the eyes, whilst nothing is within, the whole strength *. energy of these members being bent inward-
lytowards the soul.
BUT why do I talk of noises and sights? Since there have been many of those that have been endued with this blessed frame and disposition of mind, that have not only pasby such as haye been near them without
percaving them, but also such as have been
making towards them. For so great is the virtue, power and efficacy of the soul, that he that will, may live, as it were, in heaven,
whilst he remains on earth, having no
per-
ception of what is transacted here below.
Such a man was St. Payl, who was as really
absent from all those he was among in the
cities where he sojourned, as we are from — dead bodies of our departed friends and
ighbours. For when he faith, I am cruGhed to the world, he plainly insinuates this — of notice and perception that I am talk-
ingof, and not only so, but to pe t.
SInCErxE PENTTENr. For he doth not break off here, ' but makes
this sentence introduce or usherin another,
and adds, And I umo the world.
ATIs indeed a great piece of christian philosophy, to be of opinion that the world is dead, but tis a much greater to be so dispo-— sed, as if we were dead” to the world, And therefore tis that St. Saul hath taken care to \ teach us the importance of it. For he doth
not lay such great stress upon being separa-
ted fromthe things of this world, in the fame manner that the living are from the dead, but as the dead arc separated from each
other.
FOR tho a living man does not dsire the
company of a dead one, yet he may in some -measure' be affected with him; he _ admire the beautifulness of his corpse; h e may pity his being taken out of the land: of the living, and perhaps weep over him. But the
dead have no such perception of those that come among them as this is. This, as I said
before, is St. Paul's meaning, when hesaith,
7 he world is crucified unto me, and then add, And T unto the world.
DO you observe how much he had bid adieu to theworld?
And that he had got
even to the top of heaven at the same time
that he was here upon
earth? But I would
A Courax oN for the
not have you think that the tops of moun-
tains, or caves, or dens of the earth, or unfre-
quented desarts are of themselves sufficient
to free the soul from hurry and confusion,
and to settle her in this state of calmness and quiet; but there's a neceisity of having that divine fire, which our blessed Saviour kindled in the soul of St. Paul, which the
blessed apostle increased by spiritual consideration and contemplation, 'till he had raised his soul from earth, to a prospe& of the third heaven. For we read, 2 Cor. xii. 2.
T hat be was caught up to the third heaven.
BUT his desire and love of Chrift went
beyond, not only three, but all the heavens. His bodily presence was but weak, and in this respect he was endued with nothing more than ourselyes ; but as to the. spiritual disposition of his mind, he highly excelled all men that are now upon the earth. It may not be amiss to compare this holy apostle to a fire ascending from the earth even to hea-
ven, and from thence passing through the air, or whatever else is there, and filling two heavens, and not abating of its fierceness even then, but ascending to the third; and turning all things into one great conflagration
or burning, and extending, as to its breadth, as far as the utmost bounds of the earth, and
in height as far as it is from us to the third
heaven; yet I do not think that this would
express
PTE:
Ties
Pie
Fat
SIN EXE PENITENT. express more than one half of the apostle's love to Christ. AND to shew thatI say nothing in this place rhetorically, or by way of flourish, let the readerbe so kind as to look back, and
see what I haye said upon this argument in the first book of this treatise, inscribed to Demetrius. In this manner ought we to loye
Christ ; in this manner should we withdraw ourselyes from the affairs of this world. Thus qualified and disposed were the souls of the holy prophets, for which it pleased God to give them other eyes, besides those of the flesh. To withdraw themselyes from the business and things of this life, was the effect of their own diligence; but the opening the eyes of their understanding, and
shewing them things to come, was the effect of Divine Grace.
who because he forsook and despised all for
Such an one was Elizeus,
the kingdom of heaven's sake, was vouchsafed an honour above other men, that is,
a sight of the heavenly kingdom, of its power
and
glory, when he saw the mountain full
of frery horses and chariots, and covered with the hostof heaven, 2 Kings vi. 17. FOR he that sets his heart on things present, cannot be thought worthy to haye a prospect of things to come; but he that
overlooks them, csteeming them no better than
Ai'Comranion for the
than a shadow, or a dream, hall quickly obtain this great and spiritual happiness. Thus
when our children are become men, we / them the wealth which weintend to leave
7gmy
them; hen they are become men, I say, and have entirely bid. adieu to childish things; for vhilst they were in love with these, Me reckoned them unit ·to be entrusted with the other: So the soul, till she hath learnt to
despise the little trifling affairs of this life,
cannot have a due relish and regard for those
of a better. In like manner he that sets his affections on things abuve, cannot but laugh -at and despise such chingsas are here below. _ "THUS much is assertedby St. Paul, 1 Cor. ii. 14. And tho' this place of scripture, strictly speaking, relates to the ꝓrecepts of the gospel uw 4 yet by-parity of reason it maybe properly enough applicd to all moral and practical rules and graces. The words I am hinting; at are these, But the na« tural man receiveth not the things of the. spirit
F God. nns.
had
ALE
CHAP.II. NP therefore, as I faid before, let us retire from the world; I do not mean
"that we should only look out for some retired place,
SIN cEAE PENIT EMT.
place, but that we should enter into ur-
selves, and that above all things we should be certain to have our souls with us in our solitudes.
IN this manner lived holy David in a
city, incumbered with the government of a
great nation, and surrounded with cares innumerable; and yet his desire to enjoy Christ was stronger than that of those who live in the most private places. For tis exceeding difficult to find a man or two, even among those that are now crucified unto the world, that can shew us the tears, the sighs, and the lamentations, which proceed from him hoth by day and night.
Nay, I que-
ston whether one such can any where be found at this time of day. BUT let us not only confider his lamentations, but let us likewise take strict notice of the person they came from. Because a man that is placed in so high a degree of dignity, attended upon by every body, and that hath no-body that dares to brow-beat him, that can bend him this way or that, or
that dares to bite, worry, and attempt to deyour him, is not upon equal terms with other men, nor is his lamenting, in the manner before- mentioned, to be put upon a level with that of those who imitate him herein ;
but are placed in different circumstances.
For
A Cour Au ion for the For the life of a king is attended with a great many temptations to profuseness and irregu-
larity, and with as many things that are apt
to hinder him from having that due guard and command over his Soul that he ought, and which other men are strangers to. A constant living in affluence and splendor,
makes him soft and effeminate; his power and authority puffs him up with pride and
insolence; the love of glory inflames him, as likewise doth the lust of carnal or bodily
pleasure, begotten and brought forth by power, and nounshed and nursed up by luxury, TO these we may add a multitude of cares, Which encompass him on all sides, and distract his soul no less than those restless and unruly passions: So that tis next to an
impossibility that Compun#4ion should make
its way, and make an entrance through so many walls and batteries erected to keep it off. For it must have a place in our affections, and be freed from all these obstacles, before any good is to be expected from it. BUT
all these inconveniencies
and di-
stractions a private man is free from, if he be not so very perverse as to draw them up-
on himself; so that 'tis in his power to set about the work of compunction, with much
greater gale than he can, that is surrounded
with
SINCERE
PENIT ENT.
with greatness and empire, and ministerdunto, and waited on by every body. AND as tis difficult, or rather impossible, to mix fire and water together, so is it likewise to join luxury and compunction. For these things are contrary to, and destructive of each other. For compunction is the mother of tears and sobriety; luxury is the pa-
rent of laughter and madness. Compunction gives lightness and wings to the soul ; luxury makes her heayier than lead. But the greatest thing we have to say in commendation of David, is, that he order'd his life and conversation aright, \at a time, and under a dispensation, that did not require its being done with such a great deal of exaQnels.
BUT
other things are required of us un-
der the gospel, which hath likewise threa-
en'd to punish laughter, but speaks of forrow and mourning with applause.
BUT this holy man, throwing all these im-
pediments aside, practised the duty of compun-
Qion ina very extraordinary and singular man-
ner, and without regarding that dream or sha-
dow of greatness, his kingdom, or the wealth,
or other adyantages which attended his royalty, gaye himself up to it, notwithstanding his purple, crown, and thwne, as much as ifns
A Cour Auto for the
had fat in sack-cloth and ashes, and retired
to a desart,or a cloyster.
For where it gets
root, and operates kindly, it prevails like fire among thorns ; and how many fins and iniquities soeyer it finds a man bound, fetter dand encompassed by, how hot soever the fire of his lusts may be, and how much soever his time may be engrosled by the tumult and hurry of worldly business, it presently and effectually drives them all away, as it were, with a seourge, and forces them to keep ata distance from the soul.
FOR
as the /ight dust cannot stand before
the force of a strong wind, so neither can a
multitude of finful lusts and defires bear the force of compunction; but are scatter d and vanish before it, sooner than dust or smoak
before the wind. For if bodily or natural love haye fo great an influence on the soul, as to be able to withdraw it from every thing else, and to confine itself entirely to the beloved object, how much greater power must the love of Christ, and the fear of being alienated from him, be supposed to have over us? Both of these affected the soul of the holy Pfalmift, so as to make him cry out as he does in P/alm xhi. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth 2 after thee, O God. And Psal. cxliii. 6 My foil thirfteth after thee, as a thirfly land.
And
P/al. Ixiii. 8. My foul followeth hard oo thee,
SINCERE PENIT ENT. thee, And again, Ysal. vi. 1. O Lord, reBuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. If any man supposes that this Psalm was occasioned by David's
sorrow, on the account of his sin * he is mistaken, for the title of the psalm will not warrant any such supposition. When the title of a psalm does not let us know the occasion of its being composed, we must be guided by the facts and circumstances mentioned or referred to therein, But as the
psalm, relating to this /in, is by these means very clearly disti it follows that the 6th psalm must be written upon another subLet us not, I beseech you, confound the holy seriptures, nor let us look upon our
own reasonings upon them, as if they were from God. The title of this psalm is, when interpreted, on the eighth; and by the eighth is meant the great day of the Lord, the ont of the revelation of his righteous judgment; which shall burn like an oven, at which the
powers of heaven shall tremble, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken ;; a day which shall produce the fire that is to be the prelude or introduction to the kingdom of God. Tis called the octave, or eighth,
to denote the change or alteration of things,
I conceive that St.
is speaking in this
Nene
which
A Cour Axio for the
which will ensue upon our entrance on the
bise to come.
FOR our present life is nothing, as it were, but a round of seyen days, beginning
on the first, and ending on the seventh day
of the week ; and then beginning afresh, and ending as before, without the least alteration.
And therefore we do not call the
Lord's-day the Eighth, but the First day. For the cycle of the week does not extend to the eighth day. But when this world shall be at an end, and the things that are in it shall be dissolved, then shall the eighth day be reckoned, without being made the
beginning of a week, but in its proper place and order, according to its number,
THE holy psalmist therefore being full bf compunction, had the remembrance of _ the day of judgment continually imprinted on his mind, and meditated constantly u it, and upon those terrors of the Lord, amidst
the grandeur and pleasures of his court, which we are hardly preyail'd to think u even in time of affliction,
And this was the
occasion of his writing this psalm.
And
what does he say in it? Why he says, 0 Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither
chasten me in thy hot displeasure ; where, by anger and hot displeasure, he means the tontinance of punishment, For1 he
SINCERE
PENIT ENT?
that the Divine Nature is free from passions of all kinds. He was likewise conscious to himself, that he was entitled, not to punishment and vengeance, but to honour and a crown of righteousness. For that faith, by which he beat down the tower of the Gen-
tiles, and rescued the Fewish nation from the
very jaws of death, his doing good to his enemy, not once or twice, but very often ; and above all, the testimony which God himself was pleased to give of him, are 2
sufficient proof of his virtue and holiness,
true, that there's no objection to be
raised against the good actions of a righteous man, considered as such ; but yet there may
be room to suspe&t the most plausible and most heroick actions of this or that particular man, as being tinctured with something or other that is sinful. But when God himself is a witness to a man's character, his testimo-
ny puts it beyond suspicion. For if he had not exhibited a most exquisite proof of his virtue and goodness, he would not have obtained such an encomium or commendation
as he did from heaven. What is it then that God faith of him? I have found David, the
son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart.— As xili. 22. But after God Almighty's giving
Judgment of him in this manner, and after his having behaved himself so well, he speaks
the language of those that are inwardly conF 4 scious
A Cour Axion
for the
scious to themselves, that they have done
amiss, and have little or no confid ence towards God, according to that evangelical precept of our blessed Saviour, Luke xvii. 10.
A ben ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say we are unprofi table servants. WHAT
Fig
was it more than this that was
said by the publican, who was really laden
with a great many sins, who could not so much as look towards heaven, nor say a great deal, and did not dare to stand near the pharisee? The pharisee reproached him, saying,
I am not as other men are, extortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican,
chap. xviil. ver. 10.
But the publican, as
if he had heard no reviling, takes to him-
_ self what the pharisee said, and was so far from being angry with this reviling and boasting adversary ; that he honoured him
to that degree, that he thought himself unworthy to tread upon the same ground, and uttered not a word over and above what
was necessary for the confession of his sins ; but after he had smitten his breast with a
great deal of compunction and concern, he beseeches God to be merciful to him a sinner.
But tis not at all strange that the publican should do this.
For the multitude of his
{ins compelled him to look downward wheflierhe would or no, But for a righteous.
EEE
man,
SINCERE PENITENT.. man, that was not conscious of any thing of
this kind, to accuse himself in the same manner that the publican did, is indeed wonderful, and a certain sign ofa truly humble and contrite spirit. FOR what difference is there betwixt the words of the publican ——Be merciful to me a fanner, and those of the psalmist, O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chaoften
me in thy hot dsphalure”? Why, there's a great deal more in the latter, than there 1s
in the former.
The publican did not fo
much as dare to look up towards heaven. But the psalmist, as holy and righteous as he was, went further than this. The publican said, Be merciful to me But the psalmist did not presume to say thus much; borhe doth not say, Rebuke me. not, but res buke me not in thine anger. HE doth not desire to escape punishment, but only such punishment as was very grievous and terrible.
Tis worth our while to
consider this humility of the holy pfalmist fully and particularly, viz. His looking upon himself as one that deserved such great punishment, and not presuming to pray to God for a full pardon, which is the behaviour of those that vehemently accuse themselves, and reckon themseives among the role of sinners, * *
AND
A Cour Ax
for the
AND what exceeds all that we have taken notice of already, he desires that God would, out of his tender mercy and lo ving-
kindness, forbear to inflict any very sore pu-
nisnments on him, because his strength and spirits were not strong enough to bear up under them, Have mercy upon me, O Lord, faith he, for I am weak. Is it so then? Did
he, that had received such a testimony from
God, and that had not forgotten his laws, for
he faith, P/al. cxix. 61. I have not forgotten thy law ; did he, that shone forth with greater lustre than the sun, utter such words
as these ? I answer, that he did, FOR
tis this that we wonder at, that he
who did so many great things, both spoke and thought of himself in so humble a manner, that he looked on himself as the
meanest and most inconsiderable person in the world, and prays for salvation upon no other terms, than because God was merciful
and full of pity and compassion; as if he had faid, I am worthy of such torments and punishments as shall neyer be remitted, never cease, neyertheless I beseech thee, O Lord, to remove those evils which I at pre-
sent labour
under, because I am not strong
enough to bear them. So the servants of a family, when they have committed an infinite number of faults, and do not dare to
plead
SIN ERBE PENIT ENT. plead not guilty, when they have felt some of the stripes, which they were sentenc'd to
undergo, and find that the punishment allotted them is intolerable, beg to have the
rest of it remitted.
I AM likewise of opinion, that he hints at another sort of weakness, such an one as
procceded from a dejection of spirit, and from the mourning and lamentation which he had accustomed himself to.
For 'tis usual
for an excess of grief to enervate or destroy the strength of the mind. And this, I believe, that good man endured, when he called himself to fo severe an account for his fins, that he would not suffer the refresh-
ments of hope to dawn in upon him; and would admit of nothing but accusations
against himself,
And this is manifest from
what he faith in the following verses, Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed :
soul also is fore vexed.
And if he, who had
so clear a conscience, prays, that God would not be exact to mark what he had done amiss, what will become of us who are surrounded with the guilt of fo many fins, who have fo much less foundation for confidence towards God, and do not confess our fins to him half
so much as he did? But what was the reason that prevailed upon holy David to confess
his fins in this manner ? Why he had learnt,
that
Lon
A Comranion for the
that in the /ight of God no man living shall be
and that the righteous are scarcely
And therefore 'tis"tha he beseeches — that he would not enter into judgment
with his servant ; and that he saith, Have mercy upon me,O Lord, for I am weak.
CHAP.
Fa. tis worth while to take particular notice, that he no-where mentions any
hiis good deeds, but hopes for salvation
through the
els and mercy of God,
upon which alone he places his whole depen-
dance and expectation. | HER E we have the example of a soul truly contrite, of a spirit truly humble, of one that did his duty, and that too in a very
exemplary manner, and yet behaved himself
ear and trembling, as if he had been the greatest of sinners.
That he fear-
ern trembled to this degree, we may learn
from himself, P/al. cxxx. 3. If thou, Lord,
shouldf mark iniquities,
O Lord, who shall
fand? For he knew, alas! very well, that we are obnoxious to the wrath of God, on the account of the many offences that we are
continually committing, and that the least of em deseryes to be seyerely punish'd. He foresaw
SINCERE
PENMI TEN.
foresaw those things which our blessed Sa-
viour was to establisn afterwards, and bethat not only murder, but injuries of all kinds, evil-speaking, evil thoughts, un-
scasonable laughter, idle and scurrilous words, and even the leaft degrees of them, would
meet with a yery 8
and terrible pu-
nishment.
F 0 R this reason St. Paul,
tho' he was
not conscious to himself of having done any thing amiss, saith, 1 Cor. iv. 4. — know
nothin
elf,
yet am I not
hereby
fusti-
fred. 2 a7{al44 not know of — An that he had done amiss, yet he — that he had not paid God the honour that was
due to him. For if we were to die a thousand deaths, and to practise every virtue, we
could not make a suitable return to God for
those instances of kindness and respect, which we have received from him.
LET it he observed, that he wants nothing of us; that he is all-sufficientin and of himself, and that he gave us our being, and breathed into us such a soul, as he hath not vouchsafed to beftow on any other part of the creation. Twas he that planted paradise; that stretched out the heavens; that made the earth under our feet, and spread it out, and kindled those shining lights which adorn the firmament, and serye to give light
A Cour ax oN for the
to us below ; that adorned the earth witf
pools, with fountains, and with rivers, with
flowers and plants. Tas he that bespangled
the heavens with a very great number of stars, and made the night as usefulto us as the day; that made rest and strength the consequence of sleep, so that it nourishes us no lefs than our food, or rather more; as appears from *mens being able to fast for several days tohen, whereas they cannot _ even a very few days without sleep.
the help of this, the heat, which we
have contracted in the day-time, either from
the rays of the sun, or our daily labour,is cooled and dissolved, and we are raised up fresh and lively, and qualified for succeeding labour. THE A dernch of the winter shortens the space of the day, and affords a longer time for rest, and supplies us with warmth, compelling us to keep within doors. |
Darkness doth likewise very fitly accompany
this season, to induce us to rest a longer time than we do in summer. As therefore kind and tender mothers, when they are willing
to hush their crying children to sleep, hold them 1n their arms, and throw a mantle,
some garment or other over their eyes; so God in like manner, by spreading a veil over
the
SINCERE PENITENT. the face of the earth, composes the laborious part of the world to rest,
AND if it were not for this our being too intent upon business, worldly profit and labour would quite unravel us. But as he hath been pleased to alter the seasons of the year as he hath done, he takes us off from too much labour and toil whether we will or not!
and not only gives relief thereby to the body, but also to the mind.
FOR I need not say much, in order to shew that the night is a time of quietness and filence, a time when all things are still and free from hurry and noise ; when none of those cries, which we meet wirh in the
day-time, disturb our cars; when we meet not with those that bewail their poverty, that complain of injuries, that lament their bodily infirmities, and loss of limbs, the death of their relations, and the loss of their goods or substance ; together with many other calamities which are incident to human nature.
FOR
from all these, as from a troubled
quietness.
So many advantages accrue to us
sea, doth the night deliver mankind, and bring them to its own haven of rest and from the night; and what those of the day
are, we need not be informed.
Fat
MIGHT
OMPANION
here discourse to you on the
conveniencies that are afforded us for trade and commerce,
and shew, that God hath
opened to us the great and wide sea, that the distance, which we are at from one another, might not make all intercourse with each other grievous or impracticable, and thereby made our way, from one part of the world to the other, much shorter than it would
otherwise have been : So that the inhabitants of the earth are as if they lived in the same house, so frequently do we travel to and from each other, carrying to our neighbours such things as we have, and exchanging them for what we meet with amo them ; infomuch, that he that hath but a very {mall share of the earth, 1s, as it were, a lord of the universe, and enjoys those good
things which eyery part of it produces. IN short, the world may be compared to 2 rich and plentiful table, where the guests that fit down at it, and those that are at a
distance, convey what they please to each other, by being at no other pains, than
stretching out their hands to give to and receive from one another.
IF ve undertake to discourse on all the
other instances of God's providence and
goodness toward us, we shall enter upon a
{ubje&
SINCEAE
PENIT ENT.
subject which we shall never finish, nor so
much as exhaust the most inconsiderable part of. For how can man pretend to fathom the boundless and infinite wisdom of God?
LET us ftand ftill and reflect for a while on the wonderful variety of plants:' which
bear fruit, and which do not; which grow
in desarts, and every where else, on the mountains and in the fields, of seeds in herbs, and flowers, and animals, whether
they belong to the land or water, or are of an amphibious nature, that is, can live either in the water or by land.
LE T us consider those things which we see around us, the heavens, the earth, the
sea, and all things that are therein. For as
a man may erect for himself a stately palace,
glittering with gold and precious stones; fo God, when he had made the world, appointed man to be king and governor of all things that are therein. And what's much more wonderful than such a palace as we have been speaking of, he composed not his building of stones, but of materials that are infinitely more precious, nor did he hang up golden candlesticks for the sake of giving light to those that live in it, but hath ordered such lights to be placed, and to run to and fro in the roof oft as are not only use-
ful but delightful, and hath made the *
A Couvranion for the
all this he did of it like a costly carpet. And for one that had not done a good action. And when, notwithstanding this exceeding great bounty ofthe Almighty, he became unmindful of and u ngrateful to his benefaQor, he did not
deprive him of his honour and sovereignty.
HE expelled him from paradise how-
ever, that he might, by infliing some punishment on him, give a check to his proceeding to fresh instances of obstinacy and ingratitude, that he might lay tome restraint
upon his inclination to do evil.
THESE things, and more than these, being, by the influence of God's holy spirit, — by the a ; and those proofs and tokens of God's goodnefs, which were
from the beginning, and which happen dai-
ly to particular „or to mankind in general 5 which are of a publick, and that greater number of them which are of a private nature; together with the coming of N the Messias, and the good things to come; all which he weighed with due deliberation; the inexpressiible love of God to mankmd be- 1 ing likewise duly reflected on, he was, as it were, lost in wonder and astonishment, and from thence learnt the nature of sin, and to
what and how great punishment he had made himself obnoxious, which he had not the
least notionof before. Nor had he, by I
Sincere PEXITENT- 83
his endeavours, in the least fathomed the depth of God's goodness, and so by consequence could descant on no more of it than he had discoyered.
FOR this reason it is, that he speaks of God's goodness and loving-kindness to mankind ; that he searched and examined after the very smallest of his transgressions with the utmost care and diligence, and that he passed by his good deeds as if he had forgot them. But we, alas! are very far from imitating him herein; for let our fins be never so many, never so great, we say not a word of them, we make not the least mention of them.
Whereas on the other hand, if we
do a little good, we make the most of it in
the worst of senses, and never cease to be
swelled and puffed up with it, till our boast-
ing and vain-glory have render'd: that of no
effect, which was inconsiderable enough for E.
T HIS holy David was aware of, when he said, Z/al. viii. 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visttesi him?
ů -ris.
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were,
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TIT
And, P/al. xlix. 20. he
chides him for his stupidity, and faith, Mar that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. This was performing the part of an ingenuous and faithful
seryant, of one that was daily sensible of the good»
A Comranton for the
goodness of God, to look upon the common benefits, which are conferr'd on mankind in
q CI
general, as done to himself, and to be care-
ful to reflect and meditate upon them ac-a#4
bay
cordingly.
.wAl.
a. AC.
C H A P.
AINT Paul likewise, of whom it may not be amiss to take further notice, does
the fame, Gal. ii. 20. — The life which TI now live in the flesh, T live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. He said this, not with a design to contract or lessen the gift of Christ, but to shew that he looked on himself as much bound to
acknowledge it, as if he alone had been in-
terested in it, and because he was desirous to
have every body else affected in the same manner. FOR if our blessed Saviour came into the world for the sake of one man alone, it does
not lessen, but rather inhance his bounty
and goodness. To make this out, we may compare so much care and solicitude for the welfare of one, to the diligence of him that
left his ninety and nine sheep to look after that which was lost.
FOR
SINCERE PENITENT.
FOR these reasons were the holy psalmist and this blessed apostle troubled ; for these reasons did they lament, and bewail themselves for their sins. For as they that have spent their substance, and have not wherewith to satisfy their creditors, but are quite overwhelmed by their debts, have such a quick sense of their unhappy circumstances, that they can neither eat nor fleep; so a righteous man, when he sees how much he's indebted to God another way, I mean, with relation to his obedience to his laws, to how
great a degree must he be troubled ? Bur as for us, we take no care about things of this kind, or if we wipe off
a few of our scores,
we imagine that we have discharged all, -
NAY, when we are thus distanced, we
do not that little good, which we take care to do, with that readiness that becomes an ingenuous temper. But we first enquire, whether we shall be rewarded for it? Whether we shall be greatly rewarded ? Whether
it shall be imputed to us? Which is the language of mercenaries and hirelings. What dost thou fay, thou wretched groveling creature? Is there something enjoined thee, whereby thou mayft please God, and dost
thou cnquire after a reward? What if thou
shouldst be caft into hell, whilst thou art about what thou art commanded to do? It
might
A Cour Axion for the
might be urged that thou didst not set about it
with that readiness that thou oughtst to have done. Dost thou imitate those that love Gd and endeavour to please him, and dost thou enquire aster any other reward? Verily thou knowest not how great a good it is to please him. For if thou didst, thou wouldst not look upon any other reward as equal to it. DOST thou not know that thy reward mall be increased in proportion to thy serving Ged, and doing thy duty without hopes of any 1 And dost thou not perceive that those servants are most esteemed among men, who do not so much study what will be an
advantage to themselves, as what will please their masters ? And tho” men behave them-
selves thus frankly and generously towards
such, as may in one sense be stiled their fellow-servants ; yet thou, who art under so many obligations to God, and art in hopes to receive so many more good things at his hands, when thou art commanded to do something, in order to secure thy eternal happiness; enquirest after thy reward before thou settest about thy work. So miserably cold and backward are we to "IT
thing thatis rages and brave
AND for this reason we are such ftrangers to the Compunction of the heart, and do
= Kong * the soul a little from her wild
tos!
S1ncERE PENIT ENT.
and unreasonable excursions, and confine her
to her proper bounds ; that we do not re-
collect our sins, and call to mind the mercies
of God, with that care and diligence that we ought. We withdraw our eyes from the most shining examples of piety. We turn our backs upongood works, and can hardly so much as bear with an heroick infance of obedience to the laws of God, and are very
far from speaking from our hearts, when, according to custom, we call ourselyes sinners.
THIS is manifest from our being exceedingly exasperated and enraged, and imagining that we have a great wrong done us, when we hear of our fins from others. So much hypocrisy are we guilty of. $0 little do we imitate the publican, who, when another was upbraiding him with the multitude of his fins, received his taunts, and
reaped adyantage by the ill usage which he met with, and went his way 225 rather
than the Pbariscr.
BUT
we know not what true confession
signifies, tho' we are laden with an infinite
number of fins. For we ought not only to be senfible that we have been guilty of a multitude of fins, but we ought to have
them all, if possible, whether small or ir,Ta Written in our hearts as in a book,
ACowranion for the
ment them now and then, as if they were but newly committed.
BY this method we shall subdue the pride and vanity of the soul, I mean, by continually reminding her of what she hath
done amiss. So great is the benefit of remembring our sins, and, like St. Paul, to have those transgressions always fresh in our minds, which were committed a great while ago, and have, perhaps, been long since forgiven, For when he had washed away all his former offences by baptism, he afterwards'lived
a sober, righteous, . and godly life, and had
no new ones to trouble him ; but yet he calls to mind, and laments those which he had de-
filed himself with before he was baptized, in these words, —- Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief, 1 Tim. i. 15. And ver. 12, &c. He counted
me faithful, putting me into the ministry ; who was before a ee,
injurious.
and a fersecutor, and
And again, Gal. i. 13. — Beyond
measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it. And, 1 Cor. xv. 9. I am not meet to be called an apostle.”
FOR tho' we may be no longer liable to be punished for such sins ag we have repented of, and obtained a Pardon for; yet they will serye to put us to the blush, to humble
gur souls, = to str us up to love that 750
SINc EXE PENWIT EXT. 389 who hath been so merciful and gracious towards us. For when our blessed Saviour asked Simon, Which of the two debtors, that
he had been speaking of, would most love
the creditor that had forgiven them what
they owed him? he answered and said, I suppose he to whom he forgave mosi, and was told, that he judged rightly, Luke vii. 41, 425, 43ED
FEY
HA. v. OR when we recolle& the many iniquities, which we have formerly been guilty of, we shall then be sensible of the exceeding greatness of God's mercy and loving kindness. We shall begin to look down-
wards, and to behave ourselves with fear and trembling.
And the greater the crimes arc
which we have committed, and were once
liable to be punished for, the more shall we
be ashamed and confounded.
St. Paul in-
deed remember d such sins as these.
BUT as for us, we are unwilling to call to mind even those that we haye been guilty of since our baptism, which we are in dan-
ger of being eternally ruined for ; and when
wehave called them to mind, let them re-
main 2 to be agcqunted for, Or if we chance
A Couranion for the to enter upon this disagreeable task, we im-
mediately desist from it, being unwilling to give our souls the least uneasiness, by the {ad remembrance of an ill-spent life. And
'tis an infinite number of evils that proceeds from this false and mischieyous sort of selfloye.
FOR whilst we feel no sorrow for what we have done; whilst we say Peace, peace to
oursetves, when there is no peace, tis impossi-
ble we should confess our fins. For how can we confess what we never think of, and what we are so prone and eager to repeat ? For whensoever the remembrance of our
transgressions begins to prevail within us, and fear proceeds to disturb our minds, we love to root them out, and to hinder them from
entering so far as to soften or to take possession of them.
AND when this check is taken away, what is there to restrain them from rocks and
precipices, and from that pit of destruction
which they so eagerly pursue ? For these
reasons this holy apostle hath described to us the punishment of wicked men in the world to come. For these reasons he mourned and lamented himself exceedingly. ©
NOW ' to beget compunition of heart, in those that haye made such a progress in religion,
SinceRE
PENIT ENT.
religion, as you have, * tis suffictent for you to reflect upon the goodness and bene. ficence of God, to pass over the good that you have done, and to search — — whether there may not be some little trans gression or other that may poisibly have escaped you, to fix your eyes on the most
shining examples of holiness and virtue, on such as make it their chief, their only business to please God; and after all this, to consider the uncertainty of what may be hereafter together with the dangerous and infectious nature of fin, which St. Paul himself was
afraid of, as appears by what he faith, 1 Cor. ix. 27. — I keep under my body, and bring it into subjeftion; left that, by any means, when ] have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway, 1 Cor. ix. 27. F And again, chap. x. ver. 12. -—Let him, that thinketh he slandeth, take heed left he fall.
SO holy David, after he had been meditating upon God's goodness, as displayed to us in the works of the creation, breaks forth
in the following manner, hat is man, that thou art mindful of him ? and the son of man,
that thou visiteft him? For thou hast
made
here addresses himselfto Stelechius, to whom this book
is inscribed,
+ The literal translation of St. Chrysoffom's words would run thus, ——- I fear lest whilst I have preached, &c. The sense is
the fame,
him
A Comranton for the
him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour, Psal. viii. 4, 5- And so far is he from remembring what good things he had done, that he faith in another place, according to that infinite
wisdom with which he was inspired,
am I, O Lord God? And what is my house,
that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy fight, O Lord, God ; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's
house for a great while to come; and is this the manner of man, O Lord God? And what
can David say more unto thee ? 2 Sam. vil. 18, 19, 20. * And whenever he made mention of the virtue of his ancestors, he always {poke of himself as coming short of them.
For after he had said, P/al. xxii. 4. Our fathers trusted in thee ; he added, with relation to himself, But I am a worm, and no man, ver. 6.
And was so aware of the uncertain-
ty of what might happen to him, that he
prays to God, P/al. xiii. 3, That he would lighten his eyes, left he /lept the sleep of death.
And so great a sinner did he esteem himself,
Chrysostom's words are, Tis ei i dens ju, xd;
Tis 46 „
rareie wou; Jr. ia nous ur bag av ah,
Kal xartopirgw]es TadT b os nen wv. Kel indaxous mg Tv eius Ts get 07 dis ju. O I 6 viu@r Tu arIgo mu Kuple 1400, vgn apds cd. Kat Ti apodiou AdBIS ir TH AaAnoas mpds of. The learned reader will here observe amall verbal, but no material, difference betwixt these words and our translation.
SINCERE PENITENT-.
that he saith, P/al. xxv. 11. ——Pardon mine iniquity, forit is great. THESE methods, as I said before, are sufficient for such as have arrived to so exalted a pitch of holiness, as you have ; but as for us, we have a necessity for strong and
powerful medicines, to allay the wickedness and pride of our hearts. I mean, a due fight of the innumerable fins which we have been guilty of, and that our consciences, which have been so long asleep, should awake and return to their duty ; which, when they seize upon us as they ought, will certainly hum-
ble us whether we will or not. And therefore I pray and bescech you, that, by virtue of that interest in the Divine favour, which
your piety and obedience to the will of God have procured you, you would continually assist us with your prayers, that we may duly lament that load of iniquity which we labour under, and then betake ogrselyes to
some good way which is pleasing to God, and which leads to heaven; that we may
avoid the road which leads to hell, where confession of fins will be to no purpose,
where we shall suffer the pains of those whom God hath condemned and banished
from his presence, and where no intercessor
will be ever able to do us any service.
For
whilst we are in this life, we may reap a great deal of advantage from you, and tis
AA Cour Axio
for, &c.
in your power to do us a great deal of good.
But when we depart thither, neither friend,
nor brother, nor father, will be able to suc-
cour us, or to save us from punishment ; but
we shall be forced to live for ever in a place,
where we shall have none to advise us, in
profound darkness, and void of all comforts and comforters, where we shall be obliged
to suffer the wrath of God eternally, and be made the everlasting fuel of that devouring
fire which shall neyer be extinguished.
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eyes than to behold 2 chargest thy angels with
© folly, and 'swywhom the heavens themselves
© are not clean; who art terrible in thy doings « towards the children of men, and hast pre© pared the everlasting torments of another * world for the wicked and ungodly, who © live and die without reconciling themselves
PRE
AEIMIME
Sol; 1OED iOE A4 OY
DIP ads
A Couranton for the
© to thee by a sincere and hearty 2 J, sinfu 4
prostrate my
self before
© thee, beseeching thee to have mercy upon
me, and to give me that unfeigned sorrow, © which may work in me a thorough refor© mation of my past life, which I am persuad«ed will otherwise end in my utter and
eternal destruction.
O let thy holy spirit
© awaken my sleepy and harden'd conscience, © that it may attend faithfully and diligently © to its duty; that it may not be content « with a little ineffectual dread of thy threats and punishments, such as the least tempta© tion almost will at any time baffle and oyer© come, with such a righteousness as is like the
* morning cloud, and early dew which passeth
away, and with a presumptuous and ungrounded confidence in thy mercies; create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right
* spirit within me, give me a heart offlesh in© Bead of this heart offlone, that I may sadly © and in earnest lament those many, those re-
* peated and heinous provocations, which I
have dared to offer to thy Divine Majesty.
O thou that searchesi the heart, and tryeff the reins, and requirest truth in the imward © parts ; let me no longer abuse thy good© nefs, patience, and long-suffering, and de© lude my poor, sinful, and unhappy self
© with feigned pretences, and going on in a _ © perpetual round of sinning and repenting, « *till
ate.
StycERE PENITENr. 97 till I have entirely hardened myself against © the fear of thy name, or till thou snatch. © me away with a terrible destruction, and there © be none to deliver me. Tis sorrow, O my
God, that I desire of thee, O grant me * this, and I shall live;
an unfeigned,
£ ftrong and piercing sorrow; such an one
© as is sharper than a two-edged fword ; such © an one as may make mine eyes gush out
« with tears, and make my heart and my joints
© tremble; such an one as may scorn. all the dangerous allurements of interest or sensual ure, and ttiumph over the vain and © insolent scoffs of my former debauched and
profligate com panions; that I may so mourn © for my fins in this world, that I may be © comforted in the other; that I may not be
© of the number of those who spend their time © in rioting and drunkenness, in chambering and
« wwantonness, in blaspheming thy moft holy name, in ridiculing thy word, thine ordi-
© nances, and thy ministers, and all other in-
© stances of a licentions and outrageous mirth, < whilst they are in this world, but shall exchange it, alas! hereafter, for eternal weep-
* ing and gnasbing of teeth AND
when thou shalt have sastned this
© flinty heart of mine, and
purged me from
© that hypocrisy and deceitfulness which lurks
* within me; preserve me, O my God, from
L being swallowed up with over-much forrow 5
4 and
A Courax ion for the
and grant that neither the greatnefs of my guilt, nor the artifices and devices of my « spiritual enemies, may prevail upon me to dishonour thy mercy, and the all-sufficient « merits of my Saviour, by a faithless despair. THESE things, O blessed Lord God, and whatever thou, of thy infinite wisdom,
© knowest to be convenient for me, in order
« to reclaim and rescue me from fin and folly, and from eternal death and destruction, I
« humbly beg, in the name, and for the sake of
« Jesus Christ, my dear Redeemer, Mediator, « and Adyocate. Amen. Amen.
A PRAYER for Pardon of Sin. THA E sinned, what shall I do unto © thee, O thou preserver of men Whi© ther, ah! whither shall I go to hide my « self from thine all- seeing eyes? And who
© shall I procure to skreen me from thy almighty power and terrible yengeance ? I am not worthy, O Lord, so much as to take
thy name into my mouth, so much have I * dishonoured thee, and debased my self by
ca life of the most profligate wickedness, and © the most daring impieties.
O Lord, I was
©shapen_ in iniquity, and in sin did my mother ©conceive me. I haye gone astray even from
Sincere PENITENF.
© the womb; I have neglected whatever thou © hast commanded ; I have done every thing © that thou hast 3
: I have —
© guity, as it were, with
@ cart-rope; rusbin
into wickedness of all Tos, as 1
© horse rusheth into the battle ; and all this
© have I done with mine eyes open, against the reproofs of thy holy spirit; the checks © of my own conscience, and the admoni© tions of serious and deyout people to the © contrary ; so that I have wanted no aggra-
vation, which might help to make my fin
© exceeding sinful. Nor can I help admi © thy patience and loyg-suffering towards me,
© that after so many heinous and repeated © provocations, thou hast forborn to cut me © off, and to give me my portion in the /akt « which burns with fire and brimfione: O © Lord, I blush and am confounded, when 1 © look inward upon my self, and tremble, © when I consider that thou thy self; a God © of infinite purity and holiness, art a wit© ness of my filthy and dissolute, my unjust
and dishonest; my profane and impious life; © that thou searchest and ransaekest every
© corner of my heart, and under stundest my « thoughts long before their conception. But, O gracious and merciful Father, whose © mercy and compassion are equal to thy tran© scendant greatness and majesty, who hast © declared this, and a great deal more to the
* same purpose in thy holy word, that even
ficli
AConration for the
such very wicked and abominable creatures
© as Lam, might, upon our return to thee, © and to our duty, have the blessed encou© ragement and comfort of a well- grounded hope of our regaining thy favour, of esca ing a miserable, and obtaining a blessed
© eternity : O thou that sentest thy only begotten son into the world to seek that which was * lost, to call the greatest of finners to repen© tance, to give rest even to such as are wearied
© and heavy laden with their —
© thou, that by the several great and glorious examples of thy mercy, hast sufficĩent© ly declared that no fins are too , none © too-great, how heinous, how notorious and « proyoking soever, and how often soever repeated, and how long soever continued in,
to be forgiven to those 0h truly repent, and * unfeignedly believe | thy holy' gospel ; look © down with pity and compassion on me, thy « finful and miserable servant.
I do _—
* repent, and am heartily sorry for what J
© done: amiss, the remembrance of it is grievous * unto me, 'the burden f it is intolerable;for
© #hy Son, our Lord Yesus Christ's fake, forgive © me all that is past, and grant that I may
© hereafter serve and please thee in newness of ise, to the honour and glory of thy name,
through Jesus Chrift our Lord.
Amen.
SINCERE
Petra vr.
zu uhich may be added, in Time of Aion RIGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord, aud
© just are th judements,. I know that of
© very Tawbfulrefs thou hast caused me to be
for thou dosk net willingly affii® © troubled,
© and grieue be children of men; 1 know that
© thoubal wise and good reasons for inshäon ing worldly or temporal punishments, « such as are not designed to be made the ob-
« jects of thy eternal displeasure. If there-
fore, O my God, thou intendest to mortify © the remainsof the old man, which, alas !
still find struggling within me, against the
© laws of righteousness and holiness ; and if
© thou intendest to wean me more effectually
from the world, by the calamities which I * now labour under, or by any other, which thou of thine infinite wisdom shale see to © be fit and convenient for me, in will, not © mine, be done. I confess likewise, O Lord,
that by my great and scandalous enormi© ties, I have given too great an occasion for © thine enemies to hlaspheme that most holy ,shag of which I am a very unworthy
professor; and if thou visitest me, as thou thy "fervans David, with afflictions, to
convince them that there is a God that judg© eth in the earth; yet, I heseech thee, raþuke
me not in thine anger, neither chasien me in
02 hot displeasure ; let not all thy wrath be - © flirred
1602 A Comranion for the © flirred up against thy
servant, but remember
ha I nd but 2 Ulnd that passeth away
© and cometh not again. If it be thy blessed © will, let neither the continuance of my « present sufferings, or any additions which «© thon shalt think fit to make to them, be
too great for me to bear with a christian « decency, patience, and submission. When thou with rebukes dost corre man for ini-
« quity, thou makest his beauty to consume
© away like a moth : surely every man isvanity. © Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto
« my cry, bolu not thy peace at my tears : for I am a stranger here, and a sojourner, as all
«© my fathers were. O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence and be no © more. And however thou shalt think fit to © dispose of me, with relation to this world;
yet lead me in the way everlasiing, and grant © that I may so pass through things temporal, « that Ifinally loss not the things eternal. Grant { this, O heavenly Father, for Fesus Christ his
ale.
Amen.
A PRAYERfor those who mourn for the
Sins of others.
*TJELS®,
Lord,
for the godly mar coast
| H for thefaithful fail from among the
\ ehildren of men.
hey speak
vanity every. one
with
SINCERE
PENITE NT“
© with his neighbour - with flattering lips, and
© with a double heart do they speak ; deceit and
© ovile depart not from their streets.
They do
© evil with both hands, the best of them is as a © brier : the mos} upright is sharper than a
© thorn hedge.
They regard not the tears,
© nor the desolate condition of the poor, the © widow, or the fatherless, their de/ires are
© enlarged like hell, and cannot be fatisfied, © They have hardened their hearts against
«© sach as are in misery and want, and hide
© themselves from their own flesh. T hey assemble
© themselves by ar *in the harlots houses ; they
© rise up early in the morning that they may fol* low 7radrink; they continue until night, © *till wine inflame them. Strife and contention,
© malice and envy, mischief and disorder are © amongstthem,and inthe midst of them. They © neither fear God, nor reyerence man. They
© despise 'those that have the rule over them.
They dishonour both their spiritual and na-
© tural parents.
T hey speak against their bro-
© ther, and slander their own mother's son ; yea, * their talking is again the Most High. O my © God, they not only take thy sacred name in vain, but they corrupt each other with © the most abominable and shocking blasphemies. They adulterate and deny thy truths © they renounce and openly ridicule thy gospel,
and have faid, not only in their hearts, but © with their mouths, that there is no God;
« so that thy yineyard, which once brought forth
AConranion for the
forth grapes, is nowd oyerspread| withwild
grapes; and tares instead of wheat do every
© where. over-run thine inheritance; neither © do men abhor any
thing that is evil, From
© the sole of the foot, even to the head, there is © ma soundness in them, but wounds and bruises, . a puttifying sores. But, O God of the.spi-
© rits of al5flesh, who defires# not the death of a
inner, but rathet that he should tuin from his «ins and besaved ; permit me, tho' the most
unworthy of thy servants, to offer up my
© prayer, in behalf of such of my sinful and
* unhappy brethren, who are too busy in heaping one wickedness upon another, to pray © for themselves.
O thou that turneft the
« hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the ©just, have mercy upon a /inful people, laden
© with iniquity.
Turn thou us unto. thee, and
* soshall we be turned.
hearts,
© men.
Put 1
fear into our
that we may know that we are but
Open the eyes of our understandings,
that we may see through those mists and clouds, with which our fins, and lusts, and evil consctences, have obscured what thou
© hast reyealed to us in thy holy scriptures; that unbelieyers may again embrace oatfave ing faith which their wickedness hath caused them to make shipwreck of, and to perse-
cute with fo much malice and insolence;
* and grant, that such as profess thy most holy $ religion with their mouths, may na longer
i deny it by their lives and conyersations;
that
SINCERE, PENLTENT, that they,
e God is their belly, whass
*gloryii intheir/ io whoming earthly things, * mey beno longer enemies to the crafs Cn, © by wicked works; but that every
© nometh the name Christ may © iniquity, and present his body @ living 2
*fire holy and accetable unto thee: Remember,
thee, jor whom it was that thou
© dehveredstupthine only begotten and dearly © beloved fon, and what he did and suffered © to rescue us from fin and damnation; and © let not, ah let not those fouls be for ever © cast away, who have been redeemed, not * with earthly and corruptible things, but ne 9 © the precious blood of thy dear Son. I 1 * judgments are in the earth, O Lora,
«childrenof men will learn righteousness ; ww *pour out a prayer when thy chastening is up© on them.
Chuse for us, I beseech theo
© the most effectual means of securing our © eternal welfare; and if a multitude of af© flitions be necessary for this end, let us, * tho' it be through many tribula 2 or in-
© to the kingdom of heaven.
* possible thethis —— cup mey7 — without our squeezing out, _ 4 — the very dregs of it; instead 'of forcing us by
* sharp correction, let thy mercy and gentle-* nels shame us into repentance and amend* ment of life. Let our shameless and scan»
* dalous divisions cease, if it be thy blessed will, and let brotherly love and unity 5 cee
A Cour AN
© ceed in the place of © work.
for the confusion
and every evil
Thy hand, 8
Derr lat
© upon man and beast throughout the land; * fay therefore, I pray thee, to thy destroy-
© ing angel, It is enough ; and let not our former ingratitude, for fruitful seasons, and
© plenty of all things necessary for our bodily
«£ subsistence, prevail upon thee to increase © the scarceness which we now groan under; © but preserve to our use the kindly fruits of © the earth, so that we may enjoy them in due © time, and according to thy usual bounty © and liberality towards us. O God, who © hast made no man for nought, who 1 75
© nothing that thou hast made, whose tender
© mercies are over all thy 2 J hear the c prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, od "ksfa to shine upon thy dada. © O my God, incline thine ear, and hear, open
© thine eyes, and behold our defolations, for we
© do not present our supplications before thee for
© our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O
Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord hearken
© and do, defer not for thine own sake, O my « God, and for the sake of Yesus Christ, our * most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
SiNcErE PENIT ENT. 107
A PRAYER against Causeless and Immo0
derate Anger.
LMIGHTY and most merciful Fa-
ther, who sparest when we deserve © pumshment, who art slow to anger, and in © thy wrath thinkest upon mercy, who hast de-
© clared in thy holy word, that such as are of * a froward heart, are an abomination unto
© thee; that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, is in danger of the judgment; that he that hateth himis a mur* derer, and that the wrath ofman worketh not
* the righteousness of God
Possess my foul
« with such a spirit of meekness and humili« ty, as may enable me to behave my self, 6 upon all occasions, as becometh a reason© able creature, and a disciple of the blessed” © Jesus, that great pattern of patience and « gentleness, even to the most provoking of © his enemies; that I may not firive with my
© brethren without a cause, and with sach as
have done me no injury ; that I may not, © upon the slightest provocations, or none at
© all, suffer my self to be hurried away into
a brutal, unmanly, and unchristian rage © and passion, to the disgrace of that nature
thou has been pleased to honour me with,
© and the scandal of that holy name by * which I am called, and to the disquiet of © those among whom I converse.
Lord,
let
t not
108 4 Couranton for the © not any vain and emptynotions of superio« rity puff me up so pas me like g
lion in my house, and frantick among my c servants, or peevish, abusive, and infolent « to those whom thy
Providence hath
« been pleased to place in an inferiar station.
Lord, let me never so far forget my self, as
not to consider. that I am — Quitand « ashes, that I have a Superior
c heaven; that the fasbionib .
c away 5 "and that notwi
« distinctions which thou hast— pleased c establish, for the sake of peace — =o c all men are my brethren, especially all © christians who are heirs of the
promi
« ses, and partakers of the same hope and hea© veuly calling with my self. And even in < such cascs as I may, or ought to be angry in, grant, O Lord, that I may be angry without
fn, and that I maynotsofargive place to the « devil, as to let the sun go down upon my © wrath; and that after a life spent in practi-
„fing that wisdom which is from above, which 6 is peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, * I may be translated to a perpetual practice and enjoyment of it in heaven, where anger * and clamour, all bitter and passionate befia© viour shall know no place. Grant this, O
* heavenly Father, for the sake ofJelusChat Cwur gms. .
Sincere
PEWMIT ENT. 109
A PRAYER Again Reviling and Reproachful Language.
LORD, who hast assured us, that
© notwithstanding the many and in-
< tolerable liberties which the beft of us are
© too apt to take in speaking to, and con© cerning one another, that we shall be fufti-
ed or condemned in the day of final en-
© quiry and sentence, by our words, as well as
by our actions, V6.4 watch, I beseech thee,
© before my mouth, and keep the door of my * lips, that no sinful and abusive language
© may issue thence, to the hurt and danger of my own foul, the grief or prejudice of my * neighbour, or the distarbance of the pub© lick peace; but instead of it, let me imi© tate the blessed example of Chrift, wha, when © he "was reviled, reviled not qguin, and when
© be /affered, threatned nut, but committed * himself to thy righteous and juft judgment.
T me be so far from hy
railing
© for railing, or cursing forcursing, that I may | 4 5 whenT am th and 2 when I am . rx and highly injured and misused.
* Lord, let me duly consider the great guilt
© and danger of eyil-speaking in all its kinds, © and that eyen the calling my brother fool is
AConrantion: for the
© enough to fink me into hell; and let me © seriously reflect on the many great and ex-
© cellent ends for which thou hast given me © my speech, which thou hast not bestowed © on any creature upon earth besides man; and in ee hereof, let the rommuc „ication Which proceeds out of my mouth,
© constantly tend to the glory of thy name,
and to the benefit and edification of others,
through Jesus Christ out Lord. Amen.
4A PRAYER both for our Enemies and Friends, composed by St. Basil, an intimate Friend of St. Chrytostom's. Tran/lated out
of a Greek Manuscript in the University Library of Oxford.
Long ·suffering and eternal King, who
or the condemnation that came by © the tree, wert lifted up on a tree, and taken « from the earth by a painful and shameful
death, and hast shewed forth thy self, to all that chuse to follow thy steps, a pattern
© and copy
of long-sufferance. and patience ;
© who offered up thy intercession to thy co-
_ © eternal Father, for those very fighters © againft God which crucified thee : Do thou, Lord,
thou the same lover of mankind,
afford thy mercy and pardon to all that are enemies to us, which either by treachery or
_ © reproach,
aut
SINCERE
PENITENT.
© reproach, or contumely, or enyy, or by any other means through the treachery or
© calumny of the devil, that lover of hatred, © have expressed their malice or madness © against us; change their counsels from that © mischicyous, to a sweet christian temper of
© gentleness ; infuse into their hearts sincere © unfeigned love; bind them fast to us in
© the inviolable bands of spiritual friendship; © and by what means thou knowest most fit, © make them partakers of thy pure and un© corrupt and eternal life. As for those that © love us, or for thy holy name's sake, do
© administer to our bodily necessities, repay
© them with the riches and abundance of thy gifts, and vouchsafe them the lot and portion of faithful and wise stewards ; and fot
© those that out of good affection have re© membred our infirmities, or have prayed © for us, reward them with thy plenteous © grace, To those who have required us, mi© serable unworthy creatures, to pray for them, grant those things that be ble for them, and yield them those requests of © theirs which tend to their salvation, and « send them from thy holy place thy rich © mercies, and extend to them thy bowels of © compassion. And, O thou Father of com-
© passions, pity all those that trust in thee,
draw all to the divine love of thee. Be © thou, in all things, the governor, director, © and assister of all men, together with us C thy
nit
deg
the
*<y sinful and unproficable ser vants, and * make us all heirs of thy kingdom; for to
© thee it belongs to shew/ mercy, and to fave
© us, O out God, nn
the power os
A PRAYER
againf/ Sensuality.
MOLLY and eternal Father, who art
© by nature at an infinite distance
from allfilthine/s both of the fiesb andypirit, and altogether as irreconcileable to the leaf
«©degree or tincture of either, and hast com-
© manded me to avoid and renounce all finful © Iusts and appetites, tho” the parting from them be as disagreeable and irk some to me, * as the pluokin — eye out of my head, © or cutting|of of my right hand; assist me
« with thy grace, that I may fo mortify my
< members which are upon the earth, that '
© inordinate_ asfections may be effectually
* dued, and every thought and desire © heart may be brought into .captivity to the
obedience of Christ, and that my whole
spirit, and soul, and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant this, I beseech thee, for the sake of the am n our
Amen.
" 2 act
SINCERE Prei zx
4 PRAYER foo one that hath been guilty
of Adultery.
HO LY, Holy, Holy Lord
God,
before whom the Cherubims them-
6 scives, dazled with thy infinite purity and © brightness, veil their faces, who forbiddest not only the grossest acts of uncleanness, but even the first motions and tendencies towards them; all wanton and lascivious © thoughts: and words, glances or gestures;
* who, hast declared that whosoever looketh on © a woman to lust after her, hath committed © adultery with her already in his heart; that © as marriage is honourable in all, and the bed
© unde my 6 whoremongers and adulterers shall * undergo thymost righteous and terrible judg-
ment, 75 be a
to eternal
flames,
© with those unclean spirits which stirt'd them © up to gratify their beastly and impure de© fires; and that with relation to this world,
« their sin is a fire that consumeth to deflruc© tion, and is sufficient to root out all their * increase': What shall I say unto thee, who
have been so far from po//essing my vessel in * fanttification and honour, that J have been
„actually guilty of the horrid and detestable e sin of adultery, with all its aggravations, * and have made y body, the temple of the * Holy Ghost, to bold the temple of an harlot. © When I consider, O Lord, of how many destructive
114 4 ComPanion for the destructive ingredients this abominable crime © is made up; and when I reflect upon that © terrible expostulation of thine with the
© adulterous I/raelites—— How
shall J pardon
© thee for this? I am troubled, I am bowed © down greatly, I go mourning all the day long; I am weaty with
my groaning, all 7 night
male I my bed to fevim - T water my couch
© with my tears Mine eye is consumed because
* of grief. But, O blessed Lord, who hast
* caused thy holy scriptures to be written for © our learning, that we, thro' patience and
* comfortof the same, might have hope; who
© hast been pleased to declare, that there is © more joy in heaven over one sinner that re-
* penteth, than over ninety and nine just per* sons that need no repentance ; and by what © thou didft in the case of David and several
© others, hast shewn that thy mercy. will extend to greater and worse complicated © crimes than mine, if duly and fincerely © prayed for, O deny it not to me thy mi© serable and disconsolate servant, who sue © and seek for it so bitterly and with tears.
And of thy great goodness bestow thy
converting
and pardoning grace on the
© partner of my guilt and shame.
O grant
© that I may not have led her into such a © course: of fin, as she may never find her way out of; but as I have acted the devil's © part, and have been so uncharitable as to
© seduce her into the commission of so much
© wickedness,
Sincere
PENIT ENT?
© wickedness, let my prayers and exhortations be effectual to the restoring her to her former sense of her duty, and to thy fa© your. Be pleased likewise, O Lord, to en-
due my dear wife with such a sweetness of © temper, as may enable her to pass over © and forget my former coldnesses and unkind behaviour, and to accept of my renewing
and future observing those sacred yows, © which I made before thee and thy congre-
« pation, when we were joined together in © holy matrimony.
And
as my servants,
© children and neighbours, may haye been
cscandaliz d and offended by my former lewd and vicious practices, grant that for the © time to come, they may be as much or more
« edified by seeing an orderly and prudent government in my family, and a chast con© versation coupled with the fear of thy holy
name, so that adultery, fornication, and all
© uncleanness, may be treated among us, as © they are by those who are duly senfible,
© that for these things thy wrath cometh upon © the children of disobedience.
Grant this, O
© heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus © Christ our Lord. Amen.
ACouranton for the
A PRAYER for one that is accuffom'd to common and rash Sweating and Curling. | \' THOU high and lofty One, who in© habitest eternity, who art King of © kings, and Lord of lords, and hast threat© ned that thou wilt not hold him guiltless that © taketh thy name in vain,forgive me, I beseech thee, those impious and impudent freedoms © which I have long accustom d myself to take with thy tremendous Majesty, by taking © thy sacred name into my mouth upon every : trifling and frivolous occasion, and perhaps
© when the discourse I haye been engaged 1n © hath consisted of obscene, filthy, and ahu-
« five ribaldry; and let my foul be affected
© with such a serious and solemn degree of
© piety and fear of thee, that I may never
« presume to think or speak of thee, without * lifting up my heart to thee in some pious « ejaculations, or, at least, without putting it
into the frame and posture of adoration. To this end assist me with thy grace, that I * may not rashly speak and wnadvi/edly with my
© lips; and that I may watch over my words
© so carefully, that my communication may be no more than yea yea, and nay nay, and therefore may not only restrain and curb
© the first motions and tendencies to passion © and eagerness in myself, but also avoid, as much as I can, all intercourse with hasty
SINVCERE PENITENT. * and turbulent people, and especially with © those who have habituated themselves to
the profane custom of belching out oaths © and curses.
Grant this, O heavenly Fa-
© ther, for Jefus Chrift his sake. Amen.
A PRAYER for one that hath been guilty
of the horrible Sin e Perjury. GOD
of infinite truth and justice,
© whose power no creature is able « to resist, who art resolved to be a swift « witness against him that sweareth falsly by thy name, and is so daringly and beyond
* measure wicked, as to call upon thy great © and terrible Majesty for the attestation of a © known, and perhaps hurtful lye: I am full © of terror and amazement, and am ready to
« fink under the consciousness of my gullt, and the dread of that fiery indignation and © exemplary
vengeance which
I have too
© much reason to expect. But, O blessed and © most merciful Jesu ! who rejectedst not the tears and bitter repentance of thy blessed © apostle St. Peter, after his denying thee with repeated oaths and imprecations, grant © that I may in like manner repent, and in © like manner be forgiven. And fince I am * not the only unhappy wretch that hath
© bound
A Comranton for the
© bound his soul in this abominable sinful © manner, but because of swearing the land © mourneth, I beseech thee to pelle those « great numbers of profligate offenders, who © have so hardned themselves against - fear © of thee and thy judgments, as to swear
« falsly by the God of truth, with a due no-
tion of their miscrable condition, and right « apprehensions of that God who is a consuming fire, and so able to deftroy them in © a moment. And grant that we may all of © us raise our souls to a generous contempt of < all base and dishonest gain, and an abhor© rence of all dishonourable and unjust acti© ons, and to such a love for truth and upright* ness, that no temptation of any kind may prevail on us to give the least interruption © to the regular and orderly. course of the © laws; and that when we are required to —_ our testimony upon oath, or to swear or the satisfaction of those who have © power to require so solemn an obligation to, and confirmation of our fidelity, at our © hands, we may do it as we are commanded,
in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; © and that in all our words and actions, we
may behave oursel ves with that /mplicity © and godly sincerity, which are strictly re< quired to be practised by all such as are true followers and disciples of thee, our 8 REY Saviour and Redecmer, who livest and
SINCERE PENITENT,
« and reignest with the Father and the Holy © Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.
A PRAYER for Pity and Compassion on the Poor.
"MOST gracious and bountiful Lord © God, to whose goodness and libe-
© rality I am indebted for my very being, and
for whatever I enjoy, either of the neces-
saries or comforts of life, and above all
© things for the redemption from fin and eter© nal misery, which thou hast vouchsafed me by the incarnation, sufferings and death * of thy only begotten Son Jesus Christ, my © blessed Redeemer and Saviour, who made
« himself poor, that I might be made ich;
* who made himself of no reputation, that J might be exalted, and be made meet to be © a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in © light Grant, I beseech thee, that I may © never be so ungrateful as to forget the se© yeral great and surprizing instances of thy © goodness and loving-kindness towards me, FTis true, O Lord God, that thou art Lord
© of all things, that the earth 1s thine, and © the fullness thereof, and that thou art above
receiving any benefit, in return for the
© many mercies which I have received at thy hands: but since thou hast been pleased
A Coup
AN ION for the
« to make the poor, the afflicted, and the
© miserable, thy representatives upon eatth, and to accept of any act of kindness, and
© to resent any act of cruelty or negle& done
© to them, as much as if they were done to © thy self; I besecch thee to let my heart be
"eos touched with a brotherly sense of © the miseries of all those who are under
any kind of affliction or distress, either in mind, body or eftate,,rcspecially of fuch as . belong to the houshold of faith, and are joined to me by a spiritual, as well as natu© ral relation. Let no sordid desire of wealth, © no profane distrust of thy providence, or © disbelief of thy promises, prevail upon me * to think that what I dispose of for the re© lief of the poor and needy is thrown away
to no purpose, and that I impoverish my © {elf and family in proportion to all disburse* ments of this kind; but let me always be© heve firmly, that giving to the poor 18 lend< ing to thee, and a means to secure thy bles© {ing in this life, and a never- failing treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
© corrupt, nor thieves break through and
steal.
And grant, I beseech thee, O Lord, that
« whatever acts of kindness I may at any
time do, it may be my aim not to seem, < but really to be, pitiful and tender-hearted,
and influenced by a true christian temper; and that I may have no sinister or by-ends, © no yain hankezing after popular or worldly © applause,
SincerE PENITENT.
© applause, which may serve to feed my va© nity, but shall deprive me of that reward * which thou hast promised to bestow here< after on such as open their hands wide unto
© their poor bret hren; because thou hast com-
© manded them so to do, and believe that \ © thou wilt afluredly recompence them openly for whatever good they shall do in private. And as I desire of thee, O blessed Lord © God, that I may never be guilty of a pre-
« tended, pharisaical charity, so I beseech © thee that the like spirit of vain- glory may never mix itself with any other of my religious performances, but that I may always © serve thee in the integrity of my heart, and
that I may be found at the last day among
© the number of those who have /oved our
Lord Fesus Christ in sincerity: to whom with © thee and the Holy Ghost, he all honour and
© glory, world without end. Amen.
APRAY ER against Anxiety,
or inordi-
nate Care for the things of this Life.
GOD
heavenly Father, whose gift it
is that the rain doth fall, the earth
is - fruitful, beasts increase, and fishes: do multiply; by whom the very hairs of our < head are all numbered, and without whose © consent
lo for the AJCoax
© consent notso much as a single sparrow falls © to theground; who hast commanded us firft
the kingdom of God, and its righteous-
5, and then to expect from thee a supply ofal such things as the needs and occaC« foneof the body have made neceflary : en© due me, I beseech thee, with such a faith in, and religious dependance on thy pro© mises, that after having done my duty in © that state of life, unto which thou hast
© been pleased to call me, I may not doubt of receiving whatever is requisite and con© yenient for me; that in all difficulties and « straits, wherewith thou shalt be pleased to © chastise me, in order to exercise my pa£ tience, to teach me humility, or to correct © my folly, I may cat my care upon thee, who © carest for me, and never dishonour thy most © holy religion, by distrusting thy goodness, © by taking that thought for the morrow which © thou hast forbidden, and instead of endea-
* youring to lay up treasures in heaven, lay © out all my time and care in pursuit of those things which the Gentiles, and those that © know thee not, make it their business to « seek after. And whatever temptations or * trials I may meet with, grant that I may © neyer be so in love with the Mammon
* unrighteousness, as to do any thing that is 6 Gnfal unbecoming a christian, for its © sake; but that among * the changes and
« chances of this mortal life, my heart may
SIN
EAEB PENITENT.
© be fixed surely and constantly on the trye © riches, and that as there is nothing upen © earth worthy to be compared with thee, fo © T may faithfully look upon thee as the * ftrength of my heart, and my portion for ever, ©through Jesus Chrift our Lord. Amen.
A PRAYER
against rash Judging and
Censuring of other Men.
LORD, who hast taught us that all
© our doings, without charity,
are
© nothing worth, restrain me, I beseech thee, from my usuat uncharitable way of censuring others, both in my thoughts and words, © and grant that I may have so much candour,
© humanity, and christianity, as to think, and © hope, and speak the best of every man that © his character will posstbly bear. Nor lee © me presume at any time to limit thy mer© cies, or to determine peremptorily with re© lation to the final: estate of any, Who have
© not died in a notorious: condition of hard© ness and impenitency. But grant that I © may turn my eyes inwardly upon my: self, and examine into my own faults, and that © not lightly, and after the mannen of such © as dissemble with thee, but in such a man-
© ner as may makeme perceive, and caff_
A Cour Axio for the
" the beam out ofmy own eye, before I pre© tend to find fault with the mote which is in * my brother's; and instead of meddling with
© things which thou hast been pleated to keep secret, I may carefully attend to, and
diligently practise those which thou hast
revealed, lest after a life spent in judging and censuring such as are, perhaps, better
christians than my self, Iappear to be a cast* away, when thou shaltjudge the world in
© righteousness, and true holiness; through sesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
.A PRAYER for a due. Reverence for Holy Things.
MOST holy Lord God, who hast © taught us by thy precepts, by thy * threatnings, and by thy judgments, the
great guilt and danger of polluting and © profaning such things as are consecrated and © set apart for thy honour and service, give © us all grace, I beseech thee, to use all per-
© sons and things thus dedicated to thee, with * that reverence, which thou hast been plea-
sed to require of us. Let the bishops and © pastors of thy flock /ay hands suddenly on no © nan, but faithfully and wisely make choice of * fitpersons to serye in the sacred ministry of thy
SINCERE PENITENT.
© thy church, and to those who shall be or< dained to any holy function give thy grace © and heavenly henediction, that they may © not permit the wicked and dissolute to be © partakers of thy holy ordinances, but may drive them from some by the wholsome se© yerities of the law, and restrain them from
© others by virtue of the authority committed © to them, when gentle and brotherly admoni© tions have proved ineffectual. And grant * that none of us may presume to approach thy table, in order to shew forth the death © and sufferings of our blessed Saviour, till © we are duly instructed in the nature, end, © and design of the blessed sacrament of the
© Lord's-supper, and 'till we have examined into the state: and condition of our souls,
© and endeavoured to make ourselves meet © partakers of those holy mysteries which are © there exhibited to us, by a hearty. and sin© cere repentance ; so that we may- come hoy and clean to tuch a heavenly feast, in the marriage garment, which thou hast required < in the holy scripture. Which, as it is thy
word, as it contains thy Holy oracles, the © revelation of thy will, and the glad tidings © of salvation to mankind, grant that we may © receive it with all gladness, read it and
© hear it with attention and seriousness, and
speak of it, and treat it with adue and aw-
ful reyerence, never presuming to ndicule, profane, or burlesque it, as the custom of Aang
too
AComnranion for the
too many is, even of those who profess to believe in it, and expect to be saved by it; that we may /o account of such as are lawfully appointed to preach it as the ministers * of Chrift, and flewards of thy sacred my© fieries. And that we may never forget to
« observe the difference which thou hast been « pleased to put betwixt those things which
© are holy, and of common use, let us never
© forget the terrible deaths and overthrow of © Nadab and Abihu, and of Corah, Dathan,
© and Abiram, and their company; the judg-
© ments inflited on the Phihftines of Ashdod, © Gath and Bkron,
whilst the ark of thy
«©firength was among them; and afterwards on
G— men of Bethshemesh, forpresuming to look
imo it; and on Uzzah for Faking hold of it ;
on the children that —— Elisha ; on king « Uzziah, for "offering incense ; ow' Ananias © and Sa and on Elymas the false proc phet; — with the dreadful tlireat de6 nounced against Simon the
sorcerer; —
removal of the candleflicks
from the
© churches Fg : and finally the 722
8ty ky dspe fo theyancient people the Fews, 1are* opposition to the gos-
<5 of thy Son, — the -figns and wonders * which wore wrought by him and his aposftkes* fo that instead of making a /acrilegious en* croachment upon what thou hast fet apart © for holy purposes, or using it with irreverence
© contempt, or negli, we *
SINCERE PENITENT. * thankfully improve thy gracious intention
© in appointing it, by usingit to thy glory,
© and our own comfort and happiness here, © and falyation hereafter, through Jesus Christ © our Lord. Amen.
A PRAYER for doing as we would be done by.
MOST
holy and righteous Lord,
} © who art no respecter of persons, and
© art infinitely above the least temptation to, © or practice of any degree of iniquity or ©partiality, and hast declared that tis the © sum both of the law and the prophets,
© that we should do to others whatsoever we © would that men
should do unto us; give me
grace, I beseech thee, so to watch over
my self, that I may never have fuch a fond© ness for, and vain opinion of my self, as © may induce me to give my brethren such © treatment, as I should esteem barbarous, un-
ust, unkind, and unchristian, if T were to
receive it from their hands in the fame cir© cumstances, and upon the like occasions.
© But let this golden, this divine rule ofequity, © be, as it were, engraven upon my heart, so © that I may use all that I converse among,
© with all due tenderness md gentleness, and
A Comranion for the
© by no means suffer my self to be guilty of cany thing towards them, which either huc* manity or christianity have protested against;
< lest I meet with a terrible return of seve* rity, when I come to appear before thy © Tighteous tribunal, and with judgment with-
out mercy, because I have shewn no mercy, ©temper nor moderation to my fellow crea© tures. And whatever state of life thy good * praridence shall think fit to place me in, grant that I may discharge the trust which is reposed in me, with impartiality, and that neither the frowns nor the favour of
men may prevail upon me to turn asidle from the paths of uprightness, either to the «right hand or to the left ; that I may prefer a little which 1s gotten by. honest and re« putable methods, before 25 riches of the © ungodly,
which are heaped together by
« craft, treachery or violence; that I. may 6live, if possible, without scandal, and withg out reproach, and without affording any just matter of triumph to the enemies of
© christianity, and at peace with all men, if ©such a thing can be, and that I may ©live and die in peace with my 'own concscience, but above all things in peace
©with thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
SincERE PENITENT:
A PRAYER for Zeal and Diligence in the
Service of God.
Blessed Lord, who hast been pleased
© to promise eternal life as a gift, not © on sloth, negligence or idleness, but on our © pious, diligent and zealous endeayours to do © our duty, and to please thee, and that we © might have an opportunity of shewing our © fincetity towards thee, hast been pleased to make the way and the gate, that lead to * heaven, narrow and sirait, and those that lead to destruction, broad and wide; so that
© there is no such thing as finding the one, *. or avoiding the other, except we are truly and earnestly intent upon it; O Lord, © who hast taught us that the securing our
© eternal salvation is the one thing needful, © and
that the gaining of the whole world
© is not a sufficient recompence for the 6 loss of one soul; make me, I beseech thee, vas duly sensible what it is to be saved; and © what it is to be lost and undone for eyer, © as in my present condition I am capable of
© being made.
Let me nevet forget to me-
© ditate on that fulness of joy, which is in
© thy presence, and on those pleasures, which
© are at thy right hand for evermore ; on
that inexpteihble, unconceivable misery © and anguish of those who are irrecoverably
© banish'd from thy presence, the smbke 0
twwhose
A Cour
AN TON for the
« whose torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.
© And let me be always mindful of the trea© chery, weaknesses and infirmities of the « flesh, the temptations and allurements of © the world, and the malice and restlessness
© of my spiritual enemies, and in consequence of all this, let me be very well satisfyd, if I can but secure my last and important 6 stake, whatever difficulties, hazards or dangers Imay be obliged to undergo for this
-« purpose.
Let me never, like Esau, for-
« feit my eternal inheritance, for any present © ease, pleasure or satisfaction whatsoever. © Let a frequent reflecting on the glorious © company of the apostles, and the whole no-
© ble army of mattyrs, inspire me with cou-
© rage and resolution to lay a/ide every weight, © and the fin which doth so easily beset me, and © to run with patience the race that is set before
© me. Looking unto Fesus, the author and f© nisher of our faith; who, for the joy that © was
set before
him,
endured
the
cross,
© despi/ang the shame, and is set down at the © right hand of the throne of God. And since
© my blessed Saviour thought nothing too © much, or too great to suffer for me, let © me never be so ungrateful as to think any < thing too much to be done or suffered in © obedience to his commands, especially since © I alone am to reap the benefit of it. Lord, © if neither hunger, nor thirst, nor cold, nor * nakedness, nor perils, nor hardships, nor © the
SINCERE
PENIT ENT.
© the most bitter sufferings of all kinds, could * discourage thy blessed apostle St. Saul from attending resolutely and chearfully on what thou hast required of him; O let it never be said that I am vanquished by almost the
© least shew of a temptation, in what shape
* soeyer it appears. And if the children of * this world fear no dangers, decline no la-
* bour, no toil either by sea or land, if they have but a prospect of obtaining wealth, ho* nour, or their prince's favour; O let not me, « who am desirous to be reckoned among the children of light, be so foolish in my gene© ration, as to neglect the methods and opportunities of obtaining a treasure that is incor-
« ruptible, and a crown of glory which fadeth not away, and of thy loving-kindness which is better than life itself ; but whatever be* comes of my worldly affairs, or temporal
© happiness, grant me to make the best of © this short and uncertain life, in /riving hear« tily to enter in at 1 gate, in faghting
the goodfight offaith, in subduing the whole
- * body offin, and in obeying all thy righteous © commandments, that I may obtain thy gra-
« cious and glorious promises, through Jesus * Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Comranion for the
APRAYER for the Love of God. C O Merciful and gracious Lord, I cannot © but admire thy transcendent goodness, in shewing thyself so desirous of our salvation, as to endeavour, not only to restrain « us with the most terrible threatnings from « the transgression of thy laws, but also to invite us to obedience, by the most en« couraging and engaging promises ; and in
accepting of our sincere tho' imperfe& con-
formity to thy laws, whether it proceed from fear or love. But since the latter of « these is the more noble and generous prin-
« ciple of the two, tho' thou wilt by no
means reject the services of those who trem6 ble at the thoughts of thy greatness, ma« jesty, and justice, yet since thou hast pre-
_ © pared for them that love thee such good things « as pass man's understanding, sush as eye hath © not seen, nor ear hath not heard, neither
© have they entered into the heart of man to
© conceive; grant, I beseech thee, that my
« stupid and groveling soul may duly me-
« ditate on those many cndearing and ravish-
ing excellencies, which thou hast been « pleased to reveal to us, and the numberless
« obligations which thou hast been pleased to
lay upon us; and let my afflictions be so £ firmly, so thoroughly fixed upon thee, that
Lit may not be in the power of any of those
« false
SINCERE PENITENT. « false deceitful objects, which have formerly « captivated them, to insnare them any, more, And because I have many and great fins to be forgiven, grant that I may love thes much, that I may love thee above all things, with
* all my heart, with all my mind, with all
« foul, and with all my strength. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, so let my
* soul pant after thee, O God; let my heart * and my flesh cry out fonthe living God. But
let not my love of thee, O my God, be * such a love as spends itself in empty noise, and a few disorderly extravagant sallies of
conceited and overheated fancy;
but let
it be a strong, a steady, and a lasting flame, * such an one as may warm and influence my * heart, not by fits and starts, but constantly and effeQually, so that it may produce in me, not only a greater admiration of thy divine *sense
excellencies, a true and, grateful and thankful acknowledgement
* of thy mercies, a delight in thee, and * a restless desire to enjoy thee; but also a * ready, chearful, and uniform obedience to * thy whole gospel in this world, and an * eyerlasting blessed life of love and holt© ness with thee in the other; that I may
© praise thee, bless thee, worship thee, glo-
« rify thee, and give thanks to thee, for thy
great glory, O Lord God, heavenly
King,
God the Father Almighty, O blessed and
« adorable
A Comranton
for the
. © adorable Jesu, O holy and EG 6for ever and ever. Amen.
4 SOLILOQUY, HAT meanest thou, O my soul, by _ © this negligent and careles) temper, 0 this stupidity, this lethargy which thou art fallen into? Why art thou so unconcerned © whilft thou art not altogether ignorant thou 6 art in the gall f bitterness, and the bond of © iniquity * Why am I 1o uncasy whenever I 6 retire. to consider 'of my eternal welfare, © and so eager to break forth into the business, © noise, bustle, hurry, and pleasures of the
© world, in order to divert myself from se-
©'rjous thoughts, and to put off the great
« work of repentance, till the night cometh
© in which no man can work, till my feet stumgie upon the dark mountains,
and when I
© book for light it be turned into darkness and
© the 2
of death; till God shall with-
* draw his grace fromme, and leave me to © myself, or till death shallput an end to my * 5 uncertain life, my vain projects of re< penting hereafter, and my resolute and in* corrigible impiety together? When we lose a parent, a wife, a child, a brother or a
© sister, how passionate, how violent are our
© lamentations? we fill heaven and carth with Our
SINCERE
PENIT ENT.
* our cries; our sorrow, our mourning, our a weeping, are very often beyond measure; © we refuse to be comforted because they are © not, The pains, the restlessness, the loath« someness of a sick person, the grimness © and horror which death hath afterwards © left upon that face, which had formerly « been very pleasing and delightful, have pre« vailed upon me, and upon many others, to enter a little into our selves, to bewail the « yanity and emptiness of this world, and all things in it; to refrain for a while almost « all intercourse with our friends and neigh« bours, and to live as it were in a fort of « aversion to all the short-liv'd pleasures which « we were before so eager in the pursuit of. Nature hath required, and God hath allow'd « a great deal of this, and to negle& what is
« thus required and permitted, would be bru« tish and unbecoming a reasonable creature « or a christian.
But, alas! why do I talk
« of reason and religion |in one case, and not « obserye them in another, I cannot say of equal, but of infinitely greater consequence? « My neareft relations, 'tis true, are and ought to be dear to me; but what are these when * compared to my soul, which 1s for the pre« sent dead in tresp alles and fins, and without sorrow and Satish of life will be
* lost and undone for ever? Such of them as
* died the death of the righteous, are eternally :happy, and are not, when my passion hath
«spent
A Comranion for the
* spent itself, proper objects of my grief, * because they are number d among the children * of God, and their lot is among the saints, Such of them as died as a fool dieth, 1 shall * lament and weep in vain for; their doom is
* fixed, and my sorrow will not alter it. But * my soul ought to be infinitely more dear
to me, because it is my self, tis my all. Whatever may be said of the soul of man tin general, may be said of mine; tis made + after the image of God, which nothing in
4 the world besides the soul of man is, and
« consequently it ought to be valued above
every thing else, as approaching
nearer to
the great and divine standard of all excel-
« lency and perfection; and tho' all other « things here below shall wax old, as doth a a .« garment, decay, perish and fade away, FE
'« the soul is as immortal
as God himself.
And besides all this, whatsoever happiness
amy nearest and dearest relations may enjoy + in this world, or a better, if I am so far
from partaking with them, that I am con« demned to everlasting misery, what com-
« fort or satisfaction will this afford me? To be for ever miserable with them, will lessen
neither their misery nor mine. And if I take care betimes to mourn for my fins, for my soul, as I onght, I may be happy, t eternally happy, tho' no methods were f -
* ficient to deter them from plunging them-
: selyes headlong into that place of *
from
SINCERE PENIT ENT. * from whence there is no redemption. Let me therefore now in the presence of the great God of heaven and earth, resolve to © retire often from the world, to commune
* with my own heart, and let my spirit make * diligent search into the dismal and lamenta-
ble condition of my soul; and that I may
© truly, and to very good purpose, lament © my fins and transgressions, let me
$ meditate seriously and often;
vow to
1. Upon the time when I shall lie faint 5 and languishing upon my dying bed, with © my friends all sad about me, and my blood and spirits waxing cold and flow within; * when I begin to reckon my life, not by the * striking oftheclock, but by the throbbings of my pulse, every stroke of which beats a
* surrender to the pale conqueror; when those things which promised me a heaven upon earth, shall be neither able to quench my
* raging thirst, nor to quiet my convulsed * and tormenting bowels, but shall prove, in
* all respe&s, miserable comforters and phy-
* ficians of na value; when they will be as © infipid as my meat or drink, and when nothing will afford me the least satisfaction, * besides
good conscience,
or a well.
* grounded aff urance that I haye made m
peace with God.
* IT.Upon
A Couranion for the
III. Upon that great and terrible day of * the Lord, when we shall see the Son of Man
© coming in the c of heaven; when we * must all stand before the judgment-seat of * Christ, that every one may receive the things
© done in his body, according to what he hath
© done, whether it be good or bad; and not on6 Iy what he hath done openly, and in the face of the sun, but also whatsoever he
* hath done in private.
For then shall be
* brought to light the hidden things of dark-
« ness, and the counsels of the heart shall be
* made manifest.
III. Upon the joys of heaven, joys that are without example, above experience, and * beyond imagination, for which the whole © creation wants a comparison, we an appre© henfion, and even the word of God a revelation. * IV. Upon that eternal punishment which © ts prepared 2 the devil and his angels, and + for all those who die in their sins; on that
f terrible place of torment, where the worm
* dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, where
© theyshall be tormented day * night for ever * and ever, in the lake that burns with fire and
© brimftone.
LET
SINCERE
PENIT ENT.
LET me likewise resolve to mortify my s* members, which are upon the earth, by fre* quent abstinence and fasting; for this, ac* cording to that memorable and sublime expression of St. Chrysostom, is the food of * the soul; it supplies it with wings, whereby it e
to God,
and exercises itself in
the contemplation of things that are invisible. And let no vain pretences of business, *neceslity, or the like, prevail upon me. to * omit or negle& these holy meditations and * exercises, much less let the glittering of * worldly pomp. and pleasure entice me to © bestow the whole of my affections and time upon them; but let me consider the great of the man after God's own heart, * who, amidst the toils and fatigues of go* yernment, the wealth, grandeur and temp* tations of a court, hath taught me, both
his instructions and practice, the great
aduties of religious retirement, self-examination, and holy contemplation, in such a
manner, that I am ashamed and confounded
* when I reflect upon
the frivolous excuses
* which I have so frequently made to my self for living at random, at least for being so far outdone by one, who had fo many great
and pressing avocations or calls another way,
;towhich I am, by the circumstances * *
"ls an entire stranger,
A Comnranion for the
IF by the grace of God I can have so © much power over myself as to put these « serious and pious resolutions in practice, I © shall be truly, and in earnest, convinced © that this world is vanity and vexation of
« spirit, and that the fashion of it passeth
away. That its enjoyments do not perform < what they promise, that they are hard to be © got, easily lost, and must be parted with, and how soon God only knows; and that therefore I should use it, and all its advan-
tages and pleasures, without abusing either. © By numbering of my days, as I ought, I © shall be taught to apply my heart unto wisdom, © and by a constant and lively remembrance © that I have no continuing city here, I shall © be preyailed upon to make it my chief bu-
© finess to seek one to come, to have my conver* sation in heaven, so far as to be concerned
© no more, in a manner, with this world, than © a ghost is, that only comes to do a message © of Providence, and when his errand is over © yanishes and disappears. Or if I do at any
© time condescend to interest my self in the
affairs or lawful entertainments of this life, © it will be only transiently and by the bye,
as the hungry disciples plucked the ears of . © corn, just to serve a present necessity, or as the T/raehites ate the passover, in haste, with
© my loins girt, my shoes on my feet, and © my staff in my hand. And when I *
* der
SIN cEAE PENIT ENT.
der that how much soever I may rejoyce in © my youth, or at any other time, how © much or how long soever I may walk as
«©my own heart, or my own eyes shall direct © me, yet God will rech bring me into judgment; I must surely be harder than a roc if such thoughts and considerations do not © pierce and affect me; if they do not strike © me with dread and horror, and make m
© afraid to go on in my wicked courses any longer; if they do not compel me to look
© beyond the momentary pleasure and flatter-
© ing outside of any sin that entices me to « close with it; if I do not immediately ere& © a tribunal in my own breast; if I do not © examine and try myself and take an impar© tial survey of all my actions, and consider © them with all those aggravating circum© stances wherewith they have been heightend; if I do not accuse, arraign and con« demn myself for them, and with a truly « penitent heart confess them to Almighty © God; unfeignedly bewailing my miscar-
© riages, highly displeased with my self fort © having so grievously offended so good and © gracious a God, humbly imploring his
© mercy, beseeching him not to lay these sins
© to my charge, nor to enter at the last day into judgment with me for them: but to put them upon the account of the cross;
to accept of that complete satisfaction which
© our blessed Redeemer made for the fins of © the
3 P nn
1412 A Cour ANION
for the
the world, so that my fins may not rise up against me, and condemn me in that day;
©fo- that living in a constant preparation for
Judgment, I may joyfully expect the glo-
© rious appearance of the great God, of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AND
surely when I lift up my eyes to
the crown of glory, and meditate on the
© eternal enjoyment of God, the judge of all, © the fountain of all happiness, of Jesus the
© mediator of the new covenant, who suffered, © bled, and died for me, of an innumerable
© company of angels, the spirits of just men
made
perfect, and whatever else even
© heaven itself can afford, if I am capable of © being moved by objects of the greatest va© lue, it will infuse new vigour into me, it vill make me all life, and spirit, and wing. For tho' my way lies up the hill, and leads me along through thorns and precipices, so © that I am fain to sweat at every step, and every ascent is a new toil to me, yet I shall be comforted with recollecting that when I am up, I shall be sure to be entertained © with such rewards and pleasures as will fully recompence all my labour, and make me © bless the difficulties I have gone through, © my bitterest agonies, my sharpest conflicts, © my importunate prayers, and well-spent tears. Surely such thoughts as these will
© conyert the most sneaking coward into a
© bold
sine ERE= Penner r. © bold and ma
ous hero; much more
* will they influence me fo far as to have
© my fruit unto holiness, especially fince the © end of it is nothing short of everlasting © life, and everlasting felicity. AND when I add to this the considera* tion of eternal damnation, and dress it up in all the images of terror that God and
« reason have taught me, and dwell upon this dreadful argument for repentance, as I * ought, I shall endeavour, I hope, with all my might, to 3 my falling under so grievous and so insupportable a calamity; da calamity which shall never abate, either
in the whole or in part. Surely I shall no © longer look upon a lake burning with fire and brimstone, upon an everlasting fire, © as things that ought to be made light of, © nor shall I dread this heart-amazing, soul© confounding punishment, and run into it. © Can I believe it feriously and firmly; can © I think of it soberly and often, and yet court and pursue it, by clinging fast to « those sins which will infallibly bringit © upon me? Oh no, I hope I shall not.
© up therefore,
Get
O my soul, lose no time,
„look not behind thee, save thy soul in
© Zoar, betake thy self to the city of refuge. * Flee, flee into a state of grace and pardon;
let a Tease of thy danger give thee wings, * warm thy affections, fiir up thy will, make
5 thy
A Coutanion for the
© thy prayers fervent, and thy industry great, « fincere and eminent, Make peace with * God, accept of the terms of reconciliation,
© resume thy courage, and return with the
« prodigal in the gospel to thy father's house,
and to thy duty. Let atheists and epi© cures. look upon the divine life but as a © zealous frenzy, such as hath no real object, © nor solid fruits, and scorn or pity the fri © professors of it, as men soberly and gravely
© belide themselves, Yet thou knowest (ah! improve thy knowledge to the best advan-
© found to be the only wise and happy men, * when hell shall be no longer a painted fire, © orheaven a fool's paradise, but weeping and « wailing shall put scoffing out of counte-
© tage) that these fools for Christ will be
© nance, and those that now fit in the /eat of
© the corner shall gnash with their teeth; * whilft such as were derided and despised by © them are cloathed and crowned with glory, * majesty and honour,
© AND lastly, if I frequently endeavour © to humble my soul with fasting, I shall cru817 flesh with its afsections and 4 I
© shall keep under or beat down my body, and
Bring it into subjection to sobriety, reason,
© will not let us listen, for it kicks against
© and religion, to which a pam per d body
© them, and resists them:
and therefore its
food is tobe sometimes withdrawn, .as pro© yender gWH|
SiN EAI PENITENT:
vender is from a wanton beast, that being < tamed, it may become more pliable to our minds; and being subdued to the spirit,ĩt may be always klposed to obey bis godly © motions in righteousness and true boliness: * according to what the author of the book * ascribed to Baruch, in the Apocrypha, faith, ©*chap. ii. ver. 1 2.7 he 2 that is greatly 0vexed, which goeth flooping and feeble, and c the eyes that fail, and = 1 en Theproije and rene 5 Lord.
A PRAYER
for Caution and Circum-
spection. Grams and merciful Lord God, we
* are taught by thy holy word, "and convinced by woful experience, chat it is
© not in man that walketh to direct his steps© I beseech thee to let thy holy spirit always © accompany and assist me that my Joorfreps
lip not. And if by thy grace and mercyI © shall escape the pollutions of the world, * grant that I may not grow confident of my * own strength, but exceeding fearful, lest I
* should be again shamefully foiled and en* tangled by the cunning craftiness of those
© malicious spirits. of darkness, who lie in
andwatch for my halting, 72
A Cour au ion for the
© are continually seeking whom they may _ © Lord, let not the vain conceit of fi
« attainments in virtue and religion, puff= Cup at any time with any the least degree * of spiritual pride, or cause me to look © down upon others with a pharifaical, su-
percilious, and disdainful contempt; but
© let me always remember the grie vous crimes
© which even the greatest saints have been seduced into the commission of, but much © more Jet me constantly call to mind the © many great and crying sins which I have
« formerly been guilty of my self, which
© tho' they have been long since forsaken, and © I hope repented of and forgiven; yet, alas! I know not now how soon I may provoke « thee so far, as to suffer me to relapse into them again. And altho' it should please © thee, of thy infinite mercy,to and protect me from the assaults of my ghostly enemies, so that they shall not be able to © draw me into the commission of any hei-
nous, wilful and presumptuous sins for the © future; yet let the afflicting sense of what <ispast incline me to be tender and com-
passionate to those who are out of'the' way, 2 are at any time overtaken in a fault, and
© endeavour to reftore them in the spirit of © meeknes7, to a due sense of their unhappy
© condition, and also of their duty. And 3 let it please thee, O Lord, fo far to bless WP en and compassionate endeavours, IMchat
SINCEAE PENTITENT.
* that such as I shall apply to, upon this oc© calion, may be prevailed upon to think it
high tune for us allto awake out of sleep, © to redeem the time we have mispent, to pass © the rest of the tigie of our sojourning here in © fear and wisdom, in watehfulness and prayer; © so that being faithful members of the * church militant here upon earth, we may © at last be tranflated to the church trium© phant in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
ELLA
LEE —
A PRAYER forà Sick Person.
A LMIGHTY
and most merciful Fa-
ther, I cannot but acknowledge
© that I have highly deserved to be made an
< eternal object of thy wrath and indignation,
and that if thou hadst been pleased to
© hurry me out of this world into the other, in the midst of any of those provoking sins < which I have been guilty of, without giving
the least warning;
yet righteous, O
Lord, hadsi thou been, and just would have © been thy judgments.
And therefore, O bles-
< sed Lord God, instead of murmuring at © thy chastisement, which thou hast at this
© time been pleased to compel me to under-
© go, grant that I may improve it to my spi: © ritual
A Courantion for the
© ritual and everlasting advantage, that I may
© look npon it as a gracious notice-of my
« approaching dissolution, which this sickness © may, for ought I know to the contrary, be <'{ent to hasten, and as a callto fo much of © the 'great duty of repentance, as can be
©praatsed upon this sad and melancholick © occafion. Assist me, O my God, whilst ©these days of my forrow shall continue, in
© trimming my lamp, in lamenting what I have
© done amiss, and in making what amends T can for the imperfection of my repentance, and that faint obedience to thy laws which © hath followed it; and however thou shalt
be pleased to deal with my body, which I © hope will be according to thy usual good© ness and loving-kindness, grant, I beseech '< thee, that my soul, when thou shalt require them to he separated from each other, may
©pafs from a state of fin and sorrow, of fear and trembling, to that place of true and „ unmix'd happiness, where all tears shall be -« wiped from our eyes, and where all those
"© that fleep in the Lord Jesus, enjoy perpe'© tual rest and felicity, through the same our Lord jesus Christ. ' Amen.
TFT
Als
FILM ih...
bins.
MOST
again/t Procrastination, or : holy and righteous Lord
© God, who hast ordained, that with-
© out holiness no man shall sec thy face, enter
© into thy kingdom, or escape thy sad and © terrible sentence of eternal condemnation ; and hast been pleased to allow us no longer
time than this short and uncertain life to < secure thy favour, or to "iefrom the wrath
© to come; grant, I beseech thee, that I may © no longer harden my heart against thy
© threats and promises ; but since I know not
© the day, nor the hour of my master's coming, when I shall be summoned to leave © this world, and to go into eternity, I may
© now hear thy voice, and set my self about * the one thing needful;that I may unfeigned© ly bewail and immediately forsake every © evil way
that I have walked in; and that
© from this time forward I may practise all © the virtues and graces of a good life, and
© that Imay continue in well-doing to the very day and moment of my death,
Othis end let me constantly remember,
© that there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, © nor wisdom in the grave, whither we are all © going.
What
numbers of all ages and
£ sexes are daily soatch'd away by sudden, unexpected agate creed
SESwe.
P ENIT ENT, 249 |%
putting off our Repentance.
A PRAYER
Sincere
AComranion for the
unexpected and untimely deaths ; how ©many are deprived of their reason and
© health together, and how many
have lived
their consciences have
as itwere,
* fo long in all manner of wickedness, that
©seared with a red-hot iron; so that they have made a jest of religion and repentance, © and have died as stupidly and profligately
© as they lived; and that if thou shouldst © afford me time and grace to repent and re© concile myself hereafter, yet the longer I
© persist in my rebellion against thee, the © more difficult and grie vous will my task be.
Lord,letme never entertain any loose notions © concerning the great duty of repentance,
© such as are unworthy of thee, contrary to
© the nature and design of thy most holy re© ligion, and such as will surely deceive me in the end. Let me never imagine that
©thou wilt prostitute heaven, and open its gates to such as purposely defer their repentance, till they are just going to leave © the world, as if thou hadst required nothing © at our hands, but a few good words and « prayers when we can relish or commit our © fins no longer. Let me reflect seriously
© and fadly on the great probability that such
* a sorrow, and such a religion, as is extorted © by a sudden and violent fear, will not be * of any longer continuance than the sickness
© that occasions it; because I have so often broken my faith with thee, and because, I © have
have seen so many others do the lame,
© when we have thought ourselyes in danger of death. O let me no longer hazard my precious and immortal soul for days and years together, in such a foolish manner, as © the men of this world will not hazard an
affair of the least consequenee. Let me * not trifle and play the fool on the very « brink of hell, till I fall into it: But let mg © remember my Creator in the days of my youth, «©at least in the days of my « strength,
health and
that I may not sue for mercy
© whert the door is shut ; but that when
© thou shalt dissolve this earthly tabernacle of
© my body, my soul may enter into the rest © and securitiesofthy children, that I may
© be among the redeemed ones, who shall come
© to Zion with singing, and when everlasting
© joy shall be upon their heads : who shall ob-
* tain gladness and joy for sorrow and mourning, © out of whose hands thou has} taken the cup
© of trembling, so that they shall drink it no
© more. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for © the sake of him, who endured sorrows and « agonies on the account of my sins, not to © be parallel'd, or compar'd with, thy only
© begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Couranron for 'the
Brief Heads of e
etüng
the Order of the TEX COMMANDMENTS,
for the Use of such as are desirous, Days of Humiliation, or at any other
Time, to enquire into the State and Condinon of coralSouls,
COMMANDMENT
ES YT: AVE I novsaidin my bear there
God 7
HAVE I not profefsed to3 6 believe in him with my mouth, and denied 04 him by @ wicked |ife and conpersationW tb. Hark 1 fearedhimsomuch as. to idly c kim2...
«6HAVE I feared him sofar as to be more
© ready to obey him than man, where I could not with a safene obey both ?
HAV E
$Sincerr PENITEN I
HAVE 1 feared him so far as to
for 9.
worldly 12
or to endure the.
e hardships, rather than diPhase him FP.
«©HAVE I loved him with all my Jive: © with all my mind, with a my 8 s⸗ul, and with
s all my frrength ?
* HAVE T loved him fofat as to 7 his * nnn
Fit
© HAVE Iconflanty defiedisenjoy bin
© in his ordinances here, and in his presence F hereafter F
<DOTI cenflanth and regularlylyworshiip him * in my closet, in my.family, and in the church?
«ö rrifling and vain pretences
O I endeavour to prepare and7
8.* heart, so as to perform the severa aun of * my religious duty as I ought ?
£DOT 3
to pray with©feryency,
Pio without suffering my thoughts to wan© der, and employ themselves upon objects no way
yas Fg 6 pertinent fot b inefs'Tam
rie
154 4 Couranion for the ..* DO. I receive. the blessed sacramentof the Lord Supper frequently
and devoutly ?
1 carefully and diligently examine -
©felf before- band)?
© DO I praise God for all his mercies, both
* spiritual and temporal?
I do this thankfully, and with a full |
© sense of his goodness, and my own umworthi-
nefs ?
Sam
© DO I repent of my
/ins, and call myself
© to a daily, at leastfiri account for them ?
< DO I trust in God's mercies for pardon
© of my fins, and a supply of what is necessary for my bodily sub/iftence, after I have done * my part by honest labour and induftry ?
© DO I repent of my fins that I have com-
* mitted by thought, word and deed ?
*DO I hope that he will be merciful to © me, upon the performance ofsuch conditions © as he hath been pleased to requirt of me, and no otherwise ? *DO I not, from his gracious promises of * forgiveness upon true repentance, encourage
StNMCEAE PENITER T.
© myself in wickedness, and heap up wrath to 2 against the dayof, wrath ?.
„Do I not presume so far as to hops,
© where God hat
* rather the contrary
|Aa no grounds, but
© DO Town any more than one God, or do
© I give the honour, due to him, to another?
i 0 0 Iseek after those who are supposed to
* have familiar spirits, to be witches, or Wir
* zards, or to use divination, enchantments, or
any such like abominations ; or do T put my * trust in any creature that is in heaven. ar © earth ?
COMMANDMENT
TO I worship any image, or living creature,
D © with any degree of religious worship ?
*DO I presume to make any image or piHure of God, or to form any bodily similitudt * of him in my thoughts ?
COMMAND=
ACourantion for the why
III.
COMMANDMENT
LIVE I been guilt
rjury, or fwegrin
H © falsely, 2
swearing, f
© blasphemy, or speaking reproachfully of God,
© nour and service
religion, or ay thing set apart for his ho|
* DO I use the name of God with reverence
23 oaths, vows, promises, discourse and
© in my
*DO I forbear sevearing in my ordinary
© conversation, if not by God, yet by any of his
© creatures ?
DO I use my utmost endeavour, upon all © occasions, to keep up the reputation of religion; and the respect which is due to holy
© things for the sake of God, and as they have © a relation to him ?
-— COMMANDMENT
IO 7 take care to observe the Lord's-day * as the word of God, and the laws of
* my country, have diretfed and required me?
Sincere PENITEMNT.
0 I consecrate it to a religious reft, fürBearing all servile and ordinary employments, © and attending upon the publick service of the * church, hearing the word of God read and _« preachd, joining in prayers with the cungre-
* gation, and participating of the blessed Jos: © ment of the Lord's-supper ? * DO I spend part of it in private prayer © meditation and reading, and in works * 2
© rity and mercy ?
O I, to the utmost of my power © deauour to make all that belong to me 1 do
© the like?
© DO I take what care I can to help other 6er, in enlivening their lieh, as well as to © improve my on? D0, in sbort,serve se God truly all the
© of my lfe, whichis the sum of the 6 Commandments F ;
Coma
pads
o I love, honour 1
© and note ?
A Counranion for the
Do I obey their commands, bear with their * infirmities, andsubmit to their correction? 1:6, D@T
to requite the care and
pains
6 which 43"Aa taken upon my r. 6 promoting their comfort and welfare by all © proper means, and by reheving their necessities * according to my ability and circumstances ?
= DO Ibreed up my children carefully whil/} © they are young, and virtuoufly and religiously
© when _ are capable of discerning between
* goodand evil?
© DO Ive them, and provide for them ac= * cording to my ability ®
bring them up 10 some honest ant
I encourage them when'they
© useful employment?
do well,
and correct them when they do amiss.? ©
AM I genile and courteous towards them,
© and do I not by passion, perverseness and ty© rannical usage
provoke them to anger, and
© alienate their ofhtions from me?
D0 ] honour and obey the king, and all that are putinauthority under him?
StNWCEXE PENITENT.
DO TI submit to their laws, and obey all
* their just commands ?
CIR?
ARAM, ?
© 4MI faithful to their interest? Do I
© live quietly under their government? And am
* [cientiously endeavour to order all things for
© the pubiick good f
vis 1 a
*DO I govern such as are under my care
© with gentleness and moderation, with justice
* andequity, notseeking to ver, oppress or en* flave any man ?
above all things, take care that tht
© service of God, and true religion, be main© tained, protected, countenanced and encouraged,
© and that vice, profaneness and irreligion be © discouraged and suppressed, as bei 2 at once © both odious to God, and destructive 'of the « publick peace and welsarei⁵
© AM I sabject to all my tutors, masters or © guardians, to whom” the care, \insirution
© and government of me is committed by my
© parents,” my own choice, or the laus of my © country Y
eee
© Minn
4 Couranton for tht
J, when entrusted withthe care of
0 7holars, pupils or orphans, discharge the
* reposed in me with all Josthfulness and dii-
* DO Lum myself to my spiritualalen CD 0 I efleem them very highy in| love
8fortheirVasJake P wan, 1
I attend upon their infirufions care-
* fully and constantly ?
DO Tae no sbifts or comrivances to4. £* fraud them ofany part of their maintenance? ©DO I, on the contrary, reward them ac*cording to their3 and the work
* which they have to do, where the provision « made by law is not fatfficient to,n the fend,it was defign'dfor ?
« D 0 1forbear allfree a scurrilous af: «© course concerning them, both to their faces or 0 e their backs ? 90 1forbear to dual pu "their * « merit, and. to expose and ridicule them for « frailties and failings common to the "et.as * well as the wors} *
Sincers PENIT ENTE
J the most unworthy of God's ferfe
© pants, whom he hath been pleased to put into
© the ministry, attend upon he nl bush
function with JO
and di8 4
AM TI careful toinfru# every one commit=
ted to my charge, insuch a manner, as is likely
© t0 be most profitable to him ?
© DO I admonish men 700 of the dong 0 © their faults SEE Do 1 reprove and hls wheregentler
© methods prove e,
8 D O I endeavour to frengthen the 1 weak, , oy & 006 the broken-hearted ?
C D 0 Iendeavour to go before my Lin « the way of ee as well © it them?
1 countenance, or seem to countenance/
© anye doctrines or opinions, either out of or Fon oe
fear
for
Jn dem-
© AMT true to my isos bed, and 4 Lindand "GTO INOS
162 ACouANiO for the
I communicate
to her out of my
©substance, and look after her in all her fick-
* nesses, or other diftresses ?
* DO I protect her from injuries and in-
*fults, and cherish het as my own flesb f
© DO Iprayfor her and inflrat# her, and
© take all proper methods to promote her spiri© tual ang eternal welfare ?
© DO I rejett, with disdain and horror, all ©. thoughts of withdrawing my affetions from © her, and placing them on another, as 220 as
* we both
shall live?
'© and© DOcovenant Ifaithfully dene the mairinge vow which hath been made betwixt
nne and my husbund ?
© DO I love,. honour and obey him? ©rerns f ;
true ani just to him in all his cone
een AMA
© DO I order his house with prolence #hd
* discretion
Tendeavour to bring up is children * in the nurture and sear of the Lord, to w_
SINCERE
PENITENT.
good principles betimes into them, and root out * bad ones?
© DO I flick to him in all troubles and ad-
ver suies that befall him ?
* AM I instant to God in prayer for bim,
and am 1firmly resolved to be united to him in
« person, interest and affetion to my life's end ?
diligent, true, juff, thrifty and
< Gn in my master's business, and
what-
© management
© ever he thinks fit to commit to my care and
AMI as careful to order his affairs to © the beft advantage, as if they were my own © DO I avoid the great and disingenuous {in © of being an eye-servant, and do I use the fam © industry and integrity in my master's absence,
© as I would if he were present with me?
' © DO IT behave myself towards my servants © with kindness and gentleness ? DO IT provide for them such things as are © necessary and convenient?
I forbear laying too much work upon © them, or too rigorously eracting what I exfect from them ?
HAVE
A Cour AN oN for the
E T a due regard for their souls as
* well as bodies :
ar DO I allow them a. sufficient time
the service of God? at DO
for
I take care that they employ the time
© /o allowed them to his glory, and the promoting
* of their souls welfare?
I fay them their hire when it be-
comes due, without detaining it, or defrauding © them of any part of it?
.. © DO, give a seemly respect and honour to
* such persons. as are older than my self, for-
« bearing to _ or affront them for any in« farmities, which their age may chance to have * brought upon them ©
I advise younger persons in their af© fairs, encourage them in their duty, set them 6:good example, and mildly and prudently re© prove them when they do amiss © - © DO I give to all men the honour that is
© due to their several ranks and stations in the
world?
I forbear to envoy, or speak agains}
© them, to wish, or do them any evil, out of
any
© any malice or enmity against them, for what * they enjoy in character or estate beyond me?
DOI]
take care not to behave myself
proudly and arrogantly to my inferiors, not to * de hissthem for their poverty or meanness in the world? DO TI consider that they are men and © christians, and upon both these accounts as © high in God's favour as myself, and that all titles and distinctions will shortly be at an end,
and that nothing but piety and virtue will fand us in any flead at the lass day?
AM I charitable and liberal to the poor,
according to my ability, and the necessities of * my brethren f
CoMMANDMENT
AVE
I been guilty of taking away any
H © man's life wilfully and unlawfully, either © direly or indirefly ; of maiming or hurting * him in his body, goods, or good name?
IT forbear all anger, hatred and ma-
© lice, all reproachful and provoking language,
* ftrife and contention, pride, ill-nagure and
revenge?
A Companion for the
AMI
having and charitable to all men,
© and even to my enemies?
AM I ready to forgive the injuries and
* affronts which they have done and offered me, and to do such good offices of christianity and
* humanity, as their circumstances shall require,
© and my capacity shall permit me 5
© AM I willing to make what satisfaction I can for any injuries that I may have done, and do I endeavour, to the __ of my. © power, to promote love, peace, and good-will among men ©
MAN DMENT
VII.
TJAVE I been guilty of defaling my neighH pour s wife, or any other woman, hilt
] have been in a married state?
c HAVE
1 been guilty ofsimple whoredom
© or fornication ?
HAVE
I. conflantly abstained fon all
© carnal pollutions whatsoever, from all the mosi * diftant approaches to it, or incitements to-
© wards it, from all unclean actions and ge-
SINCERE
PENIT ENT. 167
* lures, all sensual defires and inclinations, all
© kwd, effeminate and wanton conversation and | #* behaviour, all indecenty of dress, pa eating and drinking, all such places and exer* cises, looks or glances, as may be likely to flir
© up or inflame any 4mpure and unlawful pas«*fron in myself or any other?
* DO I endeavour, not only by temperance,
£ but also byfasting and prayer, to keep my body
in such 6 flit degree ofsobernesi and chastity,
© as is truly conformable to the gravity, mo* defly and purity of the gospel of Christ ?
COoMMANDMENT
VIII.
0 H AVE I taken away,' or detained from * another byforce or deceit, that which * is his right ?
© HAVE
I done this, if not by what is
* commonly called theft or robbery, yet by any
« unlawful or indirect ways, whereby it it po * sible for one man to come at that which God © bath given to another, whether it be by for© gery, perjury, or suborning wi mes in court: © of judicature ; by hing, dissembling
or con-
© cealing the truth ; by false 40 false © weights, or false lights; by extortion, 9
« preson
A CourAx io for the
apression, or false accusation ; by defrauding,
'* cheating, or over-reaching in any contract or bargain, or any otherwise than such as © God
allows and approves of for the trans-
« ferring the things of this world from one
6 man to another?
HAVE I assisted, advised, encouraged,
* or otherwise communicated with others in
* any of these crimes, by receiving, buying or
* concealmg what is slollen; by helping any * one to cheat or over reach another; by.serv-
ing any great and violent oppressor, in crush-
ing and ruining, or injuring a poor man?
HAVE
I been guilty of prodigality in
* spending my substance, and beggaring my
* self or family? or have I neglected the pro* per means and opportunities of making such *.@ provision for myself and them, as my rank
and station in the world requires? HAVE
I taken advantage of mens
* wants and necessities, or have LI endeauour-
* ed to live upon their vices and extrava|
* gances f
* HAVE I been fair and upright in all * my dealings, not willing to wrong any man,
or if I bave chanced 19 do any injury un-
« willingly, have I been ready to make him *full satisfaction? Have I always refused
SINncEAE PEXIT ENT.
e bture ary 10 the doing any wrong ? * Have I been basta to the poor, and di* ligent and industrious to do my duty in that late of life unto which it hath ge God to . me 2
= INOS
YORI
COMMANDMENT
Tom
FAVE 1 accused _ man felt upon
HAVE
* oath, or otherwise?
I len 6 Jay'switness in any
? cause, by testifying moreor less than the
7 HAVE I suffered any man to be very * much injured for want & my testimony, * when it was in my power to do bim justice, and was defired or required so io do? HAV
I been guilty of fuborning false
* witnesses, or giving them any credit or coun* tenance, of counterfeiting any man's hand
vr seal, or any otherwritings to hispre: 6 jndice 2
AMI guilty of1
tale be
8 rr or slander, evil.ney? or
jRE
A Couranion: for the
, Jong i e, er am I as oncourgrer of thosa .
AMI candid, ehaitalis and campassios nate in believing and judging 1with relation to otber mens faults, and forward to vindi* cate their reputations, or to soften what is * laid to their charge, or to conceal what I
* know they have done amiss, as far as I pos* sib'y can or ought, that is when I am not called upn by law, my own necessary vindis cation, or the publick guad to do otherwise ?
guilty ofscoffing, jesting or jear-
AMI
does not de-
nei
* language; which my
ferve, or is too hard and severe, to the lessening of bis credit, or the disturbing
* of bis mind?
COMMANDMENT
the
peace
L covetedordefied whotbelongs © io another man, withou t bis free con
s sent and approbation, in opposition to the rules of justice and equity?
mduemnnd. frend «force, or any other indirect methods, to de* prive
SINCERE PENITENT.
priue him of any thing that belongs to
« him?
HAVE
I uisted for any man's death,
in order ta inberit his estate or substance, or
© fo lake any thing that is his into my pose
* AM I contented with what it hath
© pleased God ta bless me ? DO [faithfully
endeavour to ke
* felf from the ——
tation to thefonof
* coveting the property of others, by doing my
part towards getting what is sufficient to maintain me, and by praying to Gad 10 bless * all my lawful undertakings in order theres* wito?. DO I empy my neighbour any advantage © of any kind that he enjoys above me, or as
* well as myself ? "Done? « DO Itake « deightinseinother men « prosper, and live comfortabl happilyin
4 Courani on forthe
I shall .
ih a e
found
among the papers of my Lord Bacon, of Which a very | otifiderable writer faith, —That for the elevation of thought, and greatness of expression, it seems rather the deyotion of an angel, than a man. * OST
gracious Lord God, my mer-
ciful Father; from my youth up
< my Creator, my Redeemer, my Comforter. Thou, O Lord, soundest and searchest the
depths and secrets of all hearts; thou acknow ledgest the upright of heart, thou
* zudgest the hypocrite. Thou
ponderest
mens thoughts and doings as in a ballance;
thou measurest their intentions as with a © line; vanity and crooked ways cannot be hid from thee. Remember, O Lord! how © thy servant hath walked before thee;remember what I have first sought, and what
© hath been principal in my intentions. I © have loved thy assemblies, I have mourn© ed for the divisions of thy church. I have
©debghted in the brightness of thy sanctuary. This
vine, which
thy right hand hath
* planted in this nation, I have ever prayed * unto thee, that it might have the first and the latter rain, and thatit might stretch her Sir Tichapd=$50e!c.
© branches
81 NCERE Pai
©branches unto, the seas, andto the floods: | The state and bread: of the poor tiave been c precious in mine eyes; I have hated alk
« cruelty and hardness. of heart; I have tho
< in a despised weed) —— the good of « all men. If any have been my enemies; I thought not of them, neither hath the < sun almost set upon my Ufpleatare but
© I have been as a dove, free from super-
« fluity of maliciousness. Thy creatures have been my books, but thy scriptures much more.
1 have ou;ght thee! in the
« courts, fields and gardens, but L have found « thee in thy temples. ,- Thousands have been my sins, and ten thousands, my transgres« sions, but thy sanctifications Have remainced with me, and my heart (through thy
« grace) hath been an unquenched coal up-
« on thine altar. OLord, my strength ! have since my youth met with thee; in all c my ways, by thy fatherly compassions, by
thy comfortable farts as and by thy © most visible providence. As thy favours © have increased upon me,sohave thy cor« rections; so as thou hast been always near « me, O Lord!! and ever as my worldly 6 bleslings were'cxalted, so secret darts from « thee have pierced. me; and When I haye « ascended before men, I have descended in
« humiliation before thee. And ndw when I thought most of peace and honour, thy hand is heavy wa me, and! ath humbled
Was t-.
enen
for, &c.
* © me According to thy former loving -kind-
«nesa, —
A me still in thy fatherly
© school, not as a bastard, but as a child. are thy judgments upon me for m sins, which are more in — than the
c — of the sea, hut have no proportion
© to thy mercies; for what are the sands of © the sea? earth, heavens, and all these are
ing tothy mercies. Besides my innu© merable sins Iconfess before thee, that 1
am a debtor to thee for the gracious ta-
© lent of thy pistsand graces, which I have © neither put a napkin, nor put it (as I
« ought) to
ers, where it might have
© made best profit, but mispent it in things « for which I was least fit: fo I may truly © saymy soul hath been a stranger in the © course of my pilgrimage. Be merciful un© to me, O Lord, for my Saviour's fake, and © receive me unto thy bosom, or owe me © in thy ways. Amen.
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Lbion Quan,
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