I Believe.

Faith wor­king by love.My Lord and my God, with a full, free and firm assent, I believe all the Articles of my Creed, be­cause thou hast revealed them; I know thou art infallible Truth, and canst not Deut. 32.4. Heb. 6.18., thou art infinite Love Psal. 25.8., and wilt not deceive me: Glory be to thee.

With all my heart, O my God, do I love and praise thee, who art so infinitely amiable in thy self, and so full of love to us, that all I can know, or believe of thee, excites me to love thee.

Lord, daily increase my Faith; make it active and fruitfull Iam. 2.20., that I may believe and love thee as entirely, as becomes one entirely devoted to thee.

In God.

Its Objects.I believe, O my God, that thou art One Deut. 4.35. Isa. 44.6.45.5, 6., and that there is no other God besides thee; thou art that One infinite and independent Being, The Vnity of God. that One one­ly true God, whom all Men, and all Angels are to Adore: All glory be to thee.

O Lord God, help me to love and to praise thee with God-like affections, and a sutable Devo­tion.

The Trinity in Vnity.I believe, O my God, that in the Unity of thy Godhead, there is a Trinity of Persons Mat. 3.17.28.19. Ioh. 1.5, 7., I be­lieve in thee, O Father, Son and Holy Ghost, in whose Name I was baptized, to whose Service I am religiously devoted: All glory be to thee.

I believe, I admire, I love, I praise, I adore thee, O most blessed and glorious Trinity, God the Fa­ther, [Page 12] God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, for being the joint Authours of our Salvation: All glory be to thee.

O sacred, and dreadfull, and mysterious Trinity, though I cannot conceive thee, yet let me daily experiment thy goodness; Let thy Grace, O Lord Iesus; let thy Love, O God the Father 2 Cor. 13.14.; let thy Com­munications, O Holy Spirit, be ever with me.

The Father.

The first Person of the Trinity.I believe, and love, and praise thee, O my God, the first Person in the most Adorable Trinity; the Fountain of the Godhead; the Eternal Father of thy coeternal Son Ioh. 1.18.5.18., Jesus my Saviour.

His distinc­tive Proper­ty, Father.Glory be to thee, O God the Father, for so loving the world Ioh. 3.16., as to give thy onely begotten Son to re­deem us.

Glory be to thee, O Heavenly Father, for first loving us, and giving the dearest thing thou hadst for us; O help me to love again, and to think no­thing too dear for thee.

Almighty.

His Attri­butes.I believe, O my God, that thou art a Spirit Ioh. 4.23, 24. most pure, and holy 1 Pet. 1.16., and infinite in all perfecti­ons Ps. 145.3., in Power Ps. 115.3., and Knowledge Isai. 40.28., and Good­ness Mat. 19.17.; that thou art Eternal Ps. 90.2., Immutable Iames 1.17., and Omnipresent Psal. 139.1, &c.; all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O Lord, that thou art most wise Ps. 147.5. and just Rom. 2.6., most happy Psal. 16.11. and glorious 1 Tim. 6.16., and all-sufficient 2 Cor. 12.9., most gratious and mercifull, and ten­der, and benign, and liberal, and beneficent Tit. 3.4. Eph. 2.4. Psal. 51.1.; all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe thy Divine Nature, O my God, to be in all respects amiable, to be Amiableness it self, to be Love Cant. 5.16. 1 Ioh. 4.8, 16. it self; and therefore I love, I admire, I praise, and fear, and adore thee.

Thou, Lord, art my Hope, my Trust, my Life, my Joy, my Glory, my God, my All, my Love.

Maker of Heaven and Earth.

His Works.I believe that thou, O Father Almighty, didst create Heaven and Earth, the whole World, and all things in it, visible and invisible, out of no­thing, and by thy Word onely Gen. 1.1. Heb. 11.3. Psal. 33.6.: All glory be to thee.

I believe, O thou great Creatour, that thy Di­vine Love made thee communicate Being to thy Creatures; that thou lovest all things, and hatest nothing thou hast made: Glory be to thee.

I believe, O God, that thou art the sole Lord, and Proprietour of all things thou hast made Deut. 10.14. Psal. 89.11.; that all things do necessarily depend on thee; that 'tis in thee onely we live Acts 17.28., and move, and have our Being: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

I believe, O thou Communicative Goodness, that thou dost preserve, and sustain, and protect, and bless all things thou hast made, sutably to the Natures thou hast given them Reade the 145 Psalm.: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

I believe, O mighty Wisedom, that thou dost most sweetly order and govern, and dispose all things Psal. 104.24.; even the most minute Mat. 6.26, 28.10.30.; even the very sins of men Gen. 50.20., to conspire in thy Glory; O do thou conduct my whole life, steer every motion of my soul, towards the great End of our Creation; to love, and to glorifie thee.

I believe, O Lord, that thy Love was more il­lustrious in the Creation of Man, than in all the rest of the visible World; thou wert pleased to make him Gen. 1.26. in thy own Image, and after thy own divine likeness: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

Thou, Lord, didst make Man for thy self, and all things visible for Man; Thou designedst all crea­tures for his use Psal. 8., and didst subject them to his Dominion; the very Angels thou didst charge Ps. 91.11. to keep him in all his ways: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

Thy Works, O Lord, are wonderfull and amia­ble Psal. 111.2, 3, 4.; I love, and admire, and praise thy Universal Providence over the whole World; the perpetual flux of thy Goodness on every Creature: All glory be to thee.

[Page 14]I love and praise thee, O my God, for all the particular vouchsafements of thy love to me Ps. 68.19., for all thy deliverances and blessings, either to my body or to my soul, known or unknown Reade the 103 Psalm.; for all that I do not remember, or did not consider: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

The longer I live, O my God, the more reason I have to love thee, because every day supplies me with fresh experiments and new motives of thy manifold love to me; and therefore all Love, all Glory be to thee.

And in Iesus.

The second Person in the Trinity, God the Son. His Offices.I believe in thee, O Jesus, and I rejoice in that dear Name which is so full and expressive of thy Love.

Thou art Iesus our Saviour, because thou camest into the World on purpose to save us from our sins Mat. 1.21.: All Love, all Glory be to thee,

O be thou ever Jesus to me; O let me feel the kind force of that sweet name, in which I and all sinners do reade our danger, and our deliverance, our guilt, and our salvation.

O most benign Jesu! He well deserves to be ac­cursed that does not love thee 1 Cor. 16.22.: Who, Lord, can e­ver hope to share in thy Salvation, who does not love thee his Saviour?

Christ.

I believe, O mercifull Jesus, that thou art Christ the true Messias Ioh. 1.41. Dan. 9.26., the Anointed of the Lord, the promised seed which was to bruise the Serpent's head Gen. 3.15., long expected by the Fathers Luk. 2.25., foretold by the Prophets Acts 10.43., represented by Types Col 2.17., which were all fulfilled in thee, O thou the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7.: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

I believe that thou, O Jesus, wert Anointed with the Holy Spirit Acts 10.38. Heb. 1.9., that all his Gifts and Graces were poured out, and diffused like a sweet ointment on thy soul, without measure Ioh. 3.34.; thou art altogether lovely, O Christ, and of thy fulness we all receive 1.16.: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

[Page 15]I believe, O thou Anointed of God, that as Kings 1 Sam. 15.1., and Priests Lev. 4.3.5.16., and 1 Kings 19.16. Prophets, were here­tofore anointed with Material oil; so by thy Hea­venly Anointing Mat. 3.16., thou wast Consecrated to be our Prophet, our King, and our Priest, and in all those three Offices, to manifest thy love to us; and therefore all Love, all Glory be to thee.

Glory be to thee, O Christ, our Prophet Ioh. 4.25. Acts 7.37. Luk. 4.18., who didst teach, and reveal, and interpret thy Father's Will, and all sa [...]ing truth to the World.

Glory be to thee, O Christ, our King Luk. 1.33., who dost give Laws to thy People, dost govern and protect us, and hast subdued all our Ghostly Ene­mies.

Glory be to thee, O Christ, our Priest, who dost bless us Act. 3.26., who didst offer thy self a sacrifice Isa. 53.10. Eph. 5.2. Heb. 9.14., and dost still make intercession for us Rom. 8.34. Heb. 7.25..

Our Redemption, our Illumination, our Support is wholly from thy Love, O thou Anointed of God: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

His onely Son.

His two Natures. 1. Of God. His Eternal generation.I believe that thou, O most Adorable Jesus, art the Son of God by ineffable generation Heb. 1.5. Isa. 53.8. Iohn 1.1.; thou didst from Eternity derive thy Godhead from the Father; thou art the brightness Heb. 1.3. of his Glory, and the express Image of his Person: All Love, all Glo­ry be to thee.

Thou, O blessed Jesu, art the onely Son of God, the onely begotten Son, full of Grace and Truth Ioh. 1.14.18.5.18. Rom. 8.32. Mat. 3.17.; Thou art the onely beloved Son, in whom thy Father is well pleased; 'tis onely in thee, and for thee, that Sinners have Hope; and therefore all Love, all Glo­ry be to thee.

Thou art equal Phil. 2.6. to thy Father, O Jesu, in amia­bleness and in love to us, and art equally to be lo­ved by us; and therefore all Love and Praise be to the Father that eternally begat 1 Io. 5.1., and to the Son eternally begotten.

Our Lord.

His Deity.I believe, O thou eternal Son of the Father, that thou art the great Tit. 2.13. and true 1 Io. 5.20. God, Iehovah our Righteousness Ier. 23.6., God above all blessed for ever Rom. 9.5., and [Page 16] mighty to save Isa. 63.1.: All love, all Glory be to thee.

I believe, O Lord Jesus, that thou didst make Iohn 1.3., and dost sustain all things by thy Power Heb. 1.3, 10., and that thou art to be honoured by Men, and by Angels, as thy Father is honoured Heb. 1.6. Phil. 2.10. Ioh. 5.23.: All Love, all Glory be to thee.

I believe, O thou King of Kings, and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16., that thou art the Lord, and the Authour of the new Creation Eph. 1.21, 22.2.10., as well as of the old, that thou art more peculiarly Lord of us Sinners by pur­chase 1 Cor. 6.20.; O that I, and all that own thy Dominion, may for ever love, and revere, and obey Luk. 6.46. so pow­erfull and gratious a Lord!

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost.

Of Man in his state of Humili­ation. His Concep­tion.I believe, O most condescending Majesty, that when thou didst stoop so low as to assume our frail Nature, the Holy Ghost came on thy sacred Mother. and that the Power of the Highest did overshadow her Luk. 1.31, 34, 35, 42., and that she did conceive, and lodge thee in her Womb, where thou, who fillest Heaven and Earth, wert about nine months for our sakes impri­son'd; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

Born of the Uirgin Mary.

His Birth.I believe, O most adorable Humility, that thou wast at last born into the World Luk. 2.6, 7., that thou having onely God for thy Father, and Mary, a pure Vir­gin, for thy Mother, whom all Generations do call Blessed Luke 1.48., both thy Conception and Birth were perfectly immaculate, that being without sin thy self 1 Iohn 2.1, 2., thou mightest be a fit sacrifice to attone for us Sinners, who being born of unclean Parents, were all by nature unclean Iob 14.4.; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee, O immaculate Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the World Ioh. 1.29..

I believe, O blessed Saviour, that the two Na­tures of God, and of Man, were in thee so myste­riously united, without either change, or confusion, that they made in thee but one Person, but one Me­diatour 1 Tim. 2.5., one Lord Eph. 4.5.: Thou, O Eternal Word, didst become flesh, and didst dwell among us Ioh. 1.14., on purpose to save us; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

Suffered.

His Life of sorrow.I believe, O adorable Love, that thy whole life was made up of sufferings, and that for sinfull men, and in particular for me; O let me never cease to adore and love thee.

It was for us Sinners, O tenderest Love, that in thy very infancy thou wast circumcis'd Luke 2.21., and design'd by Herod for slaughter, and forc't to fly into Egypt Mat. 2.13, 16., and therefore I praise and love thee.

It was for us Sinners that thou, O afflicted Love, wert all thy life-long, a man of sorrows, and acquain­ted with grief Isa. 53.3.; that thou wast persecuted and re­vil'd, despis'd and rejected, and hadst not where to lay thy head Mat. 8.20., and therefore I am bound to praise, and love thee.

It was for us Sinners, that thou, O compassionate Love, when thou tookest on thee our nature, wast toucht with a feeling of our infirmities, and wast in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin Heb. 4.15., that thou mightest the more affectionately pity the weak, and succour the tempted; and therefore I praise and love thee.

It was for us Sinners, that thou, O beneficent Love, didst go about doing good Acts 10.38., preaching repen­tance, publishing the glad tidings of salvation Mat. 4.17. Luke 4.18., sen­ding thy Disciples Mat. 10.1, 5., confirming thy heavenly Doc­trine by many glorious Miracles 11.5., and illustrating it by a God-like example; all thy life is full of at­tractives of sweetest love and pity to us Sinners, which 2 Cor. 5.14. kindly and forcibly constrain us to praise and love thee.

O most exuberant Love, how amiable are all thy Graces, O fill my heart with thy love, and trans­form me into thy likeness Rom. 8.29. Phil. 2.5., that I may all my life-long imitate thy perfect obedience, unspotted Ho­liness, unchangeable Resolution, universal Charity, uninterrupted Devotion, contempt of the World, Heavenly-mindedness, gratious Condescention, ar­dent Zeal for thy Father's Glory, and unbounded Love, and that for the sake of that dearest Love, which inclined thee to become incarnate for me.

Under Pontius Pilate.

His Suffe­rings pre­vious to his Crucifixion.I believe, O my Lord, and my God, that though thou didst suffer all thy life long, yet thy greatest sufferings were under the Roman Governour of Iu­dea, Pontius Pilate; I believe all those mighty suffe­rings, but am as little able to express the greatness of them, as I am the greatness of thy love which mov'd thee to suffer: All I can doe is to love, and to praise thee.

How great were thy sufferings, O Saviour of the World, when the very apprehension of them made thy Soul very heavy, exceeding sorrowfull even to death, made thee offer up prayers, with strong crying and tears, that if it were thy Father's will the Cup might pass from thee, Heb. 5.7. threw thee into an agony and bloudy sweat Mat. 26.38. Luke 22.43, 44., insomuch that there was an Angel sent from Heaven on purpose to strengthen thee! O thou agonising Love, impress on my heart so tender a sense of thy sufferings for me, that I may ago­nise with thee, that I may feel all thy sorrows, that though I cannot sweat bloud like thee, I may dis­solve into tears for thee, that I may love and suffer with thee throughout every part of thy Passion.

O suffering Jesus, when my Meditations follow thee from the Garden to Mount Calvary, I grieve and I love all the way.

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O Incar­nate God, who couldst command more than twelve legions of Angels for thy rescue; out of love to Sin­ners, and in particular to me, one of the vilest of all that number, humbling thy self to be apprehen­ded, and bound by the rude Souldiers, as a Male­factour Mat. 26.47.52.57. Iohn 18.4..

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O gra­tious Lord, for my sake, betray'd by the treacherous kiss of Iudas Mat. 26.49, 56, 70., deny'd by Peter, and forsaken of all thy Disciples.

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O spotless innocence, out of love to me, dragg'd to Annas Iohn 18.12. and Caiaphas Mat. 26.57, 59. Luke 22.66. the High-priest, when I see thee ac­cus'd by [...]alse Witnesses, arraign'd and condemn'd.

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O divine Majesty, out of love to me, spit upon, and blind­folded, and buffeted, and mockt Mat. 26.67. Luke 22.63., sent to Pilate [Page 19] an Infidel Judge Mat. 27.2., then to wicked Herod Luke 23.6.11.12., who with his men of war set thee at naught, array'd thee in a white Robe of Mockery, and sent thee again to Pilate.

I grieve, and I love, O injur'd Goodness, when I see thee, though declar'd innocent by the very Traytour Iudas, who out of horrour for his Crime, went and hang'd himself, though declar'd innocent by Pilate himself, the Judge to whom thine Ene­mies appeal'd, yet worried to death by the clamours of the Rabble, that cry'd out Crucify, Crucify, when I see Barabbas a Traytour and a Murtherer preferr'd before thee Luke 23.14, 18, 19, 21. Mat. 27.3, 4.5..

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O lover of Souls, for my sake most unjustly given up into the hands of infidel Souldiers, to be stript naked, and tied to a Pillar, and scourg'd Iohn 19.1. Psal. 129.3.; to see the Plowers plowing on thy back, and making long fur­rows.

I grieve, and I love, O King of Heaven, when I see thee out of love to me, humbling thy self to be array'd in Purple Mat. 27.28, 29., with a Reed in thy hand, when I see thee crown'd with Thorns, to multiply thy torments; when I see thee mockt by barbarous Wretches, with their bended knee, and with hail King of the Iews.

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O Lord God, whom the Angels worship, spit upon again, and buffeted Mar. 15.19., and for my sake, made the ex­ [...]treme scorn, and contempt, and sport, of thy in­solent and insulting Enemies; and though still de­clar'd innocent by Pilate Mat. 27.24, 26., yet surrender'd to the unrelenting Cruelty of the multitude, to be cru­cified.

My Lord, my God, my Saviour, with all my heart, I love and adore thy infinite love and be­nignity to Sinners; with all my heart, I lament and detest the hatred, and outrage of Sinners to thee.

Was crucifyed.

His Cruci­fixion.I grieve, and I love, O sorrowfull Jesus, when I see thee for my sake opprest with the weight of thy own Cross Iohn 19.17., till thy tender Body, quite spent with sufferings, sank under it Mat. 27.32..

[Page 20]I grieve, and I love, O thou great Martyr of Love, when for my sake I see thy virgin Body stript naked, thy Hands and thy Feet nail'd to the Cross; when I see thee crucified between two Thieves Mat. 27.38., and numbred with the Transgressours, when I see Gall gi­ven thee to eat, and Vinegar to drink Psal. 69.21..

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O incar­nate Deity hanging on the Cross, and for my sake, by thy own People, in the height of thy anguish, derided, reproacht and blasphem'd, with wagging of their heads, mockt by the Souldiers, and by the im­penitent Thief Mat. 27.39. Luke 23.39..

I grieve, and I love, when I see thee, O God blessed for evermore, O Fountain of all blessing, hang blee­ding on the Cross, and made a curse for me Gal. 3.13.; How does my indignation swell against the injustice, and ingratitude, and inhumanity of the Iews, who could thus cruelly treat so unreproachable an Inno­cence, so amiable a Charity, so compassionate a Sa­viour!

Alas, alas, it was the Sinner, O Love incarnate, rather than the Jew, that betray'd, and derided, and blasphemed and tortur'd and crucify'd thee; the sins of lapst mankind Isa. 53.6., and particularly my sins, they were thy Tormentours; and therefore from my heart I bewail, detest and abjure them.

My Lord, and my God, instill penitential love into my Soul, that I may grieve for my sins, which griev'd thee, that I may love thee for suffering for us Sinners, who occasion'd all thy griefs; O may I always love thee, O may I never grieve thee more!

Dead.

His Death.I grieve, and I love, O bleeding Love, when I see thee on the Cross, quite spent with pain and anguish, when I see thee in thy dying pangs com­mending thy Spirit into the hands of thy heavenly Fa­ther Luke 23.46., bowing thy head Iohn 19.30., and giving up the Ghost. Thou, O Lord of life, didst for us Sinners humble thy self to death, even to the death of the Cross, a death of utmost shame and ignominy, and of tor­ment insupportable; all love, all glory be to thee.

Was ever any sorrow, O crucify'd Lord, like that sorrow my sins created thee?

[Page 21]Was ever any love, O outrag'd Mercy, like that love thou didst shew, in dying for Sinners!

All the frame of Nature, O dying Saviour, fell into convulsions at the crucifixion of their great Creatour; The Sun was darkned Mat. 27.51., the veil of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom, the Earth quak't, the Rocks clave asunder, the Bodies of dead Saints rose out of their Graves, insomuch that the Centurion and infidel Souldiers acknowledg'd thee to be the Son of God; thou wast lovely, and glo­rious, and adorable in thy lowest humiliation; all love, all praise be to thee.

His un­known Suf­ferings.Thy bodily Sufferings, O almighty Love, were intolerable, but yet thy inward were far greater.

I grieve, I love, I melt all o'er, when I hear thee on the Cross crying out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46.. Ah sinfull Wretch that I am, how infinite and unconceivable were the inward Dolours and Agonies thou didst undergo for us Sinners, when thou didst tread the Winepress of thy Father's wrath alone Isa. 63.3., when it pleas'd thy own most beloved Father to bruise thee, and to put thee to grief, when the iniquities of the whole World were laid on thee Isa. 53.6, 10., and my numerous sins increast thy load, and heightned thy torment, when thy own Deity with­drew all consolation from thee, when God, offen­ded by our sins, did afflict thee in the day of his fierce anger Lam. 1.12.; no sufferings, no love was ever like unto thine for me; no grief, no love but thy own should exceed mine for thee.

For whom, O unutterable goodness, didst thou suffer the extreme bitterness o [...] sorrow, but for the vilest of all thy Creatures, sinfull man, and for me one of the worst of Sinners? and therefore I praise and love thee.

For what end didst thou suffer, O most ardent Charity, but to save Sinners from all things that were destructive, the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.13., the Ter­rours of Death Heb. 2.14, 15., the Tyranny of Sin Rom. 6.14., the Pow­ers of Darkness, and Torments Eternal 1 Thess. 1.10., to pur­chase for us all things conducible to our Happiness Eph. 1.7. Heb. 9.12, 15., Pardon and Grace, Consolation and Acceptance, and the everlasting Joys and Glories of the King­dom of Heaven; and therefore I praise and love thee.

[Page 22]Out of what motive didst thou suffer, O boundless Benignity, but out of thy own pre­venting love 1 Iohn 4.19., free mercy, and pure compassion, and therefore I praise and love thee.

When no other Sacrifice could attone thy Fa­ther's Anger, O thou the beloved Son of God, and reconcile Divine Justice and Mercy together, but the Sacrifice of God incarnate, who as man was to die Heb. 9.28., and to suffer in our stead, as God was to merit and make satisfaction for our sins; 'twas then that thou, O God the Son, didst become Man, the very meanest of Men, didst take upon thee the form of a Servant Phil. 2.7., and didst on the Cross shew us the my­stery and the Miracle of Love, God crucified for Sin­ners, and Sinners redeem'd by the bloud of God Acts 20.28..

O thou propitious Wonder, God incarnate on the Cross, by what Names shall I adore thee, all are too short, too scanty to express thee, Love onely, nothing but Love will reach thee, thou art Love 1 Iohn 4.8., O Jesu, thou art all love, O tenderest, O sweetest, O purest, O dearest Love, soften, swee­ten, refine, love me into all Love like thee!

By the love of thy Cross, O Jesu, I live Gal. 2.20.6.14., in that I will onely glory, that above all things will I study 1 Cor. 2.2., that before all things will I value Phil. 3.8.; by the love of thy Cross I will take up my Cross daily Luke 9.23., and follow thee, I will persecute and torment, and crucify Rom. 6.6. Gal. 5.24. my sinfull Affections and Lusts, which per­secuted, tormented and crucify'd thee; and if thy love calls me to it, I will suffer on the Cross for thee, as thou hast done for me Acts 21.13..

How illustrious and amiable were thy Graces a­midst all thy Sufferings, O thou afflicted Jesu; I ad­mire, and I love thy profound Humility, unwearied Patience, Lamb-like Meekness, immaculate Inno­cence, invincible Courage, absolute Resignation, compassionate love of Souls, and perfect Charity to thy Enemies. O my Love, I cannot love thee, but I must desire above all things to be like my Beloved; O give me grace to tread in thy steps 1 Pet. 2.21., and conform me to thy Divine Image, that the more I grow like thee, the more I may love thee, and the more I may be lov'd by thee.

And Buried, He descended into Hell.

His Burial and de­scent.I believe, O crucified Lord, that thou wast real­ly dead, and that there was a separation of thy Body and Soul: That thy side was mortally woun­ded, and pierced with a Spear on the Cross Ioh. 19.34., and thy sacred Body was buried Mat. 27.57, 60., to assure us of thy death: All love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O pierced, O wounded Love, that thy Soul in the state of separation did descend into Hell Eph. 4.9., to vanquish Death and all the Spirits of darkness in their own Dominions, and therefore I adore and love thee.

Glory be to thee, O thou great Champion of Love, who didst for our sakes singly encounter all our ghostly Enemies, who didst thy self taste of death Heb. 2.9., that thou mightst take away the sting of death 1 Cor. 15.55, 56, 57., who didst wrestle with principalities and powers Col. 2.15., and all the force of Hell that we might share in thy Victory; for which wonderfull Salva­tion I will always praise and love thee.

In his state of Exalta­tion.The third day he rose again from the dead.

His Resur­rection.I believe, O Almighty Love, that, according to the Types and Prophecies which went before of thee Luke 24.26, 27. Mat. 12.40., and according to thy own infallible predic­tions, thou didst by thy own power Ioh. 2.19. rise from the dead the third day: All love, all glory be to thee.

Glory be to thee, who didst lie so long in the Grave to undergo the full condition of the dead, and to convince all the world thou wert dead; and didst rise so soon that thou mightst not see cor­ruption Acts 2.31. or retard our joy Ioh. 16.22.; All love, all glory be to thee.

He ascended into Heaven.

His Ascen­sion.I believe, O Victorious Love, that thou, after thy conquest over Death and Hell, didst ascend in triumph to Heaven Luk. 24.51. Acts 1.9, 10., that thou mightst prepare Mansions for us Ioh. 14.2., and from thenc [...] as Conquerour bestow the gifts of thy conquest on us Eph. 4.8., and above all the gift of thy Holy Spirit Ioh 10.7.; that thou mightst [Page 24] enter into the Holy of Holies, as our great High-priest Heb. 6.19, 20.10.20, 21., to present to thy Father the sweet-smel­ling Sacrifice of his crucified Son, the sole propi­tiation for Sinners; and therefore all Love, all glory be to thee.

Glory be to thee, O Jesu, who didst leave the world and ascend to Heaven about the 33 ^d year of thy age, to teach us in the prime of our years to despise this world, when we are best able to enjoy it, and to reserve our full vigour for Heaven and for thy Love.

O thou whom my Soul loveth, since thou hast left the world, what was there ever in it worthy of our Love! O let all my affections ascend after thee, and never return to the earth more; for whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none [...]pon earth that I desire in comparison of thee Psal. 73.25..

And sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

His Session.I believe, O Triumphant Love, that thou now sittest in full and peacefull possession of bliss 1 Pet. 3.22., and at the right hand of God, that thy humane Nature is exalted to the most honourable place in Heaven, where thou sittest on thy throne of glory, ador'd by Angels Rev. 5.8, 9, 12., and interceding for Sinners Rom. 8.34.; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

Glory be to thee, O Love enthron'd, thy Resur­rection, Ascension and Session, are all signal in­stances of thy love, and earnests of our future feli­city, the entire purchase of thy love: All our hopes of Heaven, our Resurrection, Ascension and Glori­fication depend on, and are derived from thine, and are all the trophies of thy love to us; and therefore I will ever praise and love thee.

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

His coming to Iudg­ment.I believe, O Glorified Love, that from thy Throne at God's right hand, where thou now sit­test, thou wilt come again Acts 1.11. Phil. 3.20▪ to judge the world, attended with thy holy Angels 2 Thess. 1.7.. All glory be to thee.

I believe, O thou adorable Judge, that all man­kind shall be summon'd before thy awfull Tribunal. [Page 25] All the D [...]ad, who shall be wak'd out of their Graves when the Angel shall blow the last Trump 1 Cor. 15.52., and all that are then Quick, and alive, shall then appear before thee. All glory be to thee.

I believe, Lord, that I and all the world shall give a strict account of all our thoughts, and words, and actions; that the Books will be then opened, that out of those dreadfull Registers we shall be judged Rom. 14.10. Matt. 12.36. Rev. 20.12.; that Satan and our own Consciences will be our accusers. O let the last Trump be ever sounding in my ears, that I may ever be mindfull of my great accounts Eccles. 12.13, 14., and that I may neither speak, nor doe, nor think any thing that may wound my own Conscience, or provoke thy Anger, or make me tremble at the awfull day.

I know, O thou adorable Judge, that Love one­ly shall then endure that terrible Test, that Love onely shall be acquitted, that love onely shall be eternally blest; and therefore I will ever praise and love thee.

Glory be to thee, O thou beloved Son of God, to whom the Father has committed all Iudgment Ioh. 5.22..

How can they that love thee, O Jesu, ever de­spond, though their love in this life is always im­perfect, when at last they shall have love for their Judge, Love that hath felt and will compassionate all their infirmities; and therefore all love, all glo­ry be to thee.

I believe in the Holy Ghost.

The Third Person in the Trinity.I believe in thee, O thou Spirit of God, the third Person in the most adorable Trinity; I be­lieve, O blessed Spirit, that thou art the Lord 2 Cor. 3-17, 18., that thou art God Ioh. 4.24. Acts 5.3. eternal Heb. 9.14. and omniscient 1 Cor. 2.10., a Person distinct from both the Father and the Son, eternally proceeding from both Matt. 10.20. Rom. 8.9., and equal­ly sent by both Ioh. 14.26.16.7., and joint-authour with both of our Salvation; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O blessed Spirit, that thou art Holy, essentially Holy 1 Pet. 1.15., in respect of thy own Divine Na­ture, and being essentially Holy, art infinitely Ami­able; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O blessed Spirit, that thou art perso­nally Holy, that thou art the Authour of all inter­nal [Page 26] Holiness, and all internal and sanctifying Grace Gal. 5.22., that thou art the principle of all spiritual life in us Ioh. 3.5.; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

Glory be to thee, O Love Incarnate, for sending the Spirit in thy stead, and for promising it to our Prayers Luk. 11.13.; all love, all glory be to thee.

Glory be to thee, O Spirit of Love, for shed­ding the love of God abroad in our hearts Rom. 5.5▪, for filling all that love thee with exuberance of joy and consolation; all love, all glory be to thee.

O thou blessed Spirit the Comforter, purifie my Soul, and infuse thy love into it, and consecrate it to be thy Temple 1 Cor. 6.19., and fix thy Throne immova­bly there, and set all my affections on fire, that my heart may be a continual Sacrifice of Love offer'd up to thee, and the flame may be ever aspiring to­wards thee.

The Holy Catholick Church.

Our Belief of the Church 1. Militant. Its Nature.I believe, O blessed and adorable Mediatour, that the Church is a Society of persons, founded by thy love to Sinners Matt. 16.18. Eph. 5.25., united into one Body of which thou art the Head Col. 1.18., initiated by Baptism Matt. 28.19., nou­rish't by the Eucharist 26.26., govern'd by Pastours commission'd by thee, and endow'd with the pow­er of the Keys Matt. 18.18. Ioh. 20.22, 23., professing the Doctrine taught by thee Acts 2.41, 42—, and deliver'd to the Saints Iude 3., and devoted to praise and to love thee.

I believe, O holy Jesus, that thy Church is holy like thee its authour; holy by the original design of its Institution 2 Tim. 1.9., holy by baptismal dedication, holy in all its administrations which tend to pro­duce holiness 2 Tim. 2.19.; and though there will be always a mixture of good and bad in it in this world Matt. 13.24., yet that it has always many real Saints in it; and there­fore all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, Lord, this Church to be Catholick, or Universal, made up of the collection of all par­ticular Churches; I believe it to be Catholick in re­spect of time, comprehending all ages to the worlds end, to which it is to endure Matt. 16.18. Matt. 28.20.; Catholick in re­spect of all places, out of which Believers are to be gather'd Matt. 28.19.; Catholick in respect of all saving Faith, of which this Creed contains the substance, which shall in it always be taught Ioh. 16.13▪; Catholick in respect [Page 27] of all Graces, which shall in it be practised, and Catholick in respect of that Catholick War it is to wage against all its ghostly enemies, for which it is called Militant: O preserve me always a true Mem­ber of thy Catholick Church, that I may always inseparably adhere to thee, that I may always de­voutly praise and love thee.

Glory be to thee, O Lord my God, who hast made me a member of the particular Church of England, whose Faith, and Government, and Wor­ship are Holy, and Catholick, and Apostolick, and free from the extremes of Irreverence or Supersti­tion, and which I firmly believe to be a sound part of thy Church Universal, and which teaches me Charity to those who dissent from me; and there­fore all love, all glory be to thee.

O my God, give me grace to continue stedfast in her bosome, to improve all those helps to true Piety, all those means of Grace, all those incentives of thy Love, thou hast mercifully indulged me in her Communion, that I may with primitive affecti­ons and fervour praise and love thee.

The Communion of Saints.

Commu­nion.I believe, O King of Saints, that among the Saints on Earth, whether real or in outward pro­fession onely, there ought to be a mutual catholick participation▪ of all good things 1 Ioh. 1.7., which is the immediate effect of catholick Love. Thou, O God of Love restore it to thy Church.

I believe, O thou God of Love, that all the Saints on Earth by profession ought to communicate one with another, in evangelical Worship, and the same holy Sacraments, in the same Divine and A­postolical Faith Acts 2.42, 46., in all Offices of corporal Gal. 6.10. and spiritual Charity Rom. 12— 9, &c. 1 Thess. 5.14. Heb. 10.25., in reciprocal delight in each others Salvation, and in tender sympathy as mem­bers of one and the same Body 1 Cor. 12.13.26.: O God of Peace, restore in thy good time this catholick Communi­on, that with one heart and one mouth we may all praise and love thee.

O my God, amidst the deplorable divisions of thy Church, O let me never widen its breaches, but give me catholick Charity to all that are bap­tis'd in thy Name, and catholick Communion with [Page 28] all Christians in desire. O deliver me from the Sins and Errours, from the Schisms and Heresies of the Age. O give me grace to pray daily for the peace of thy Church Psal. 122.6., and earnestly to seek it, and to excite all I can to praise and to love thee.

I believe, O most holy Jesu, that thy Saints here below have communion with thy Saints above Heb. 12.22., that they pray for us, while we celebrate their memories, congratulate their bliss, give thanks for their labours of love, and imitate their examples, for which all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O gratious Redeemer, that thy Saints here on Earth have Communion with the holy Angels above; that they are ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14. sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation, and watch over us Psal. 34.7., and we give thanks to thee for their protection, and emulate their in­cessant praises and ready obedience; for which all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O my Lord and my God, that the Saints in this life have Communion with the three Persons of the most adorable Trinity 1 Ioh. 1.3. Phil. 2.1., in the same most benign influences of love in which all three conspire; for which all love, all glory be to thee, O Father, Son and Holy Ghost, world with­out end.

Glory be to thee O Goodness infinitely diffusive, for all the Graces, and blessings in which the Saints communicate, for breathing thy love, as the very Soul into thy mystical Body, that all that believe in thee may love one another, and all join in loving thee.

The Forgiveness of Sins.

Reconcilia­tion with God.I believe, O my God, that none can forgive Sins but thou alone Mar. 2.7., and that in thy Church for­giveness is always to be had; and for so inestimable a blessing all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O thou lover of Souls, that without true repentance we cannot hope for pardon 1 Ioh. 1.9., that our repentance is at the best imperfect, that it is out of thy mere mercy, O heavenly Father 3 Tit. 4.5., and for the merits and passion of thy crucified Son 1 Pet. 1— 18. that thou dost accept our imperfect repentance, and art pleas'd to forgive us; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

[Page 29]Glory be to thee, O most adorable Trinity, for thy infinite love in our forgiveness Rom. 5.8, 10.; Glory be to thee, O Father forgiving, O Son propitiating, O Holy Ghost purifying, I miserable sinner, who sigh, and pant, and languish for thy forgiveness, and to be at peace with thee Rom. 5. [...]., praise, and adore, and love that most sweet, and liberal, and tender, and ami­able mercy, that delights in forgiving sinners.

The Resurrection of the Body.

Trium­phant. Resurrec­tion.I believe, O victorious Jesu, that by the virtue of thy Resurrection all the dead shall rise 1 Cor. 15.20. Iohn 5.28, 29., bad as well as good; all love, all glory be to thee, by whom death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15.54..

I believe, O Almighty Jesu, that by thy power all shall rise with the same bodies they had on earth Iob. 19.26.; that thou wilt recollect their scattered dust into the same form again, that our Souls shall be re-united to our Bodies, that we shall be judged both in Body and Soul, for the sins committed by both, that the Bodies of the wicked shall be fitted for torment, and the Bodies of the Saints chang'd in quality, and made glorify'd Bodies 1 Cor. 15.53. Phil. 3.21., immortal and incorruptible, fitted for heaven and eternally to love and enjoy thee; for which glorious vouch­safement I will always praise and love thee.

And the Life everlasting.

Happiness eternal.I believe, O great Judge of Heaven and Earth, that after all the Quick and Dead have appear'd before thy Judgment-seat, then the most just and unrepealable Sentence shall pass, and be exe­cuted to all eternity, joyfull onely to those that love thee; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O righteous Jesu, that the wicked shall be set on thy left hand, and be damn'd to Hell, to be tormented with everlasting and unconceivable anguish and despair, by the Devil and his Angels Matt. 25.41. and their own Conscience, both in Soul and Body, in the lake of fire and brimstone Rev. 14.10, 11—, from which there never can be any redemption; O just reward of those that do not love thee.

O mercifull Jesu, how desirous art thou that we should be happy in loving thee, when thou hast [Page 30] created Hell on purpose to deter us from hating thee, and Heaven to compell us to love thee; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O my Lord and my God, that the righteous shall be rewarded with joys unspeakable and full of glory, with the beatifick Vision and love of thy self in Heaven 1 Ioh. 3.2. 1 Cor. 13.12., with a happiness of Body and Soul, which shall be in all respects most per­fect, eternal and unchangeable 1 Pet. 1.4., that they shall never sorrow nor sin more Rev. 21.4., which is all the free gift of thy infinite love Mat. 29.34., O heavenly Father, and the purchase of thy bloud, O God incarnate; for which I will ever, to the utmost of my power, adore and love thee.

O boundless love, when shall I love thee in hea­ven without either coldness or interruption, which alas too often seise me here below.

When, O my God, O when shall I have the trans­porting vision of thy most amiable goodness, that I may unalterably love thee, that I may never more offend thee.

O thou whom my Soul loveth, I would not de­sire heaven but because thou art there, for thou makest heaven wherever thou art.

I would not, O Jesu, desire life everlasting, but that I may there everlastingly love thee.

O inexhaustible love, do thou eternally breath love into me, that my love to thee may be eternally increasing, and tending towards infinity, since a love less than infinite is not worthy of thee.

Amen.

O thou great authour and finisher of our Faith, do thou daily increase my Faith and heighten my love; O grant that in holy ardours of love, to love crucify'd, my love may at last ascend to the region of love, that I may have nothing to doe, to all eternity, but to praise and to love thee. Amen. O infinite Love, Amen, Amen.

This Office may be divided into several parts, and used on the Lord's days, or on Holy-days, espe­cially on the great Festivals of Christmas, Ea­ster, Pentecost, in Lent also, and particularly on Good-friday, and before the reception of the [Page 31] blessed Sacrament, as is most sutable to the oc­casion, or to the state, temper and disposition of every devout Soul.

The First Commandment.

[...]ies com­ [...]nded.O thou who onely art Iehovah, if thou be my God, and if I truly love thee, I can never suffer any creature to be thy Rival, or to share my heart with thee; I can have no other God, no other Love but onely thee Mat. 6.24.

O infinite Goodness, thou onely art amiable, whatever is amiable besides thee, is no farther ami­able, than it bears some impressions on it of thy amiableness; and therefore all Love, all Glory be to thee alone.

O my God, O my Love, instill into my Soul so entire reverential a Love of thee Deut. 1 [...].12., that I may love nothing but for thy sake, or in subordination to thy Love.

O Love, give me grace to study thy Knowledge Ioh. 17.3▪, that the more I know thee, the more I may love thee.

O my God, O my Love, do thou create in me a stedfast Faith Heb. 11.1.6. in the veracity, a lively Hope 1 Pet. 1.4. in the Promises, a firm trust Ps. 9.10. in the Power, a confi­dent reliance Psal. 34.8. on the Goodness, and a satisfactory acquiescence Ps. 62.1.2, 5. in the All-sufficiency of thee my Be­loved.

O my God, O my Love, do thou create in me an ardent desire of the presence Psal. 42.1▪ an heavenly de­light in the fruition 37.4. of thee my Beloved.

O my God, O my Love, fill my heart with Thanksgiving 34.1. for the Blessings, Praise 147.1. of the Excellence, Adoration of the Majesty 99.5., Zeal 1 Cor. 10.31. for the Glory of thee my Beloved.

O my God, O my Love, fill my heart with a true Repentance Ezek. 18.20. for offending, with a constant fear Ps. 112.2. of provoking thee my Beloved.

O my God, O my Love, fill my heart with an affective Devotion Iam. 5.16. in Prayer, and with a profound Humility Ps. 115.1▪, in ascribing all Honour to thee my Be­loved.

O my God, O my Love, create in me a sincere Obedience Mat. 7.2 [...] ▪ to all the commands, a submissive Patience Ps. 39.9. under all the chastisements, an absolute Resignation Mat. 26.39. to all the disposals of thee my Be­loved.

[Page 39]O my God, O my Love, let thy All-powerfull Love abound Phil. 1.9. in my heart, and in the hearts of all that profess thy name, that in all these, and in all other possible instances of thy Love, our Souls may be continually employed to praise and to love thee.

O my God, O my Love, let me ever be seeking occasions to excite all I can Ps. 34.3.107.8. to adore and love thee.

Sins forbid­den.O my God, O my Love, I renounce, and detest, and bewail, as odious and offensive to thee, as di­rectly opposite to thy Love, and to thy Glory,

All self-love 2 Tim. 3.2., and inordinate love of things below 1 Iohn 2.15..

All wilfull and affected ignorance 2 Thes. 1.8..

All Atheism Ps. 14.1., or having no God, and Polythe­ism Ier. 16.11., or having more Gods than one.

All Heresie 2 Pet. 2.1., Apostasie Heb. 10.39., and Infidelity 2 Thess. 2.12..

All presumption Ps. 50.21. and despair Mat. 27.5., distrust Ps. 78.22. and carnal security Eccl. 8.11..

All voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels Col. 2.18.; Reliance on the creature Ps. 52.7., or recourse to evil spirits Lev. 20.6..

All unthankfulness 2 Tim. 3.2. and irreligion Ps. 10.4., lukewarm­ness Rev. 3.15, 16. and indifference Zeph. 1.12..

All impenitence Luke 19.41. and disregard of divine wrath Isa. 5.12..

All indevotion Isa. 29.13. and pride Pro. 8.13., disobedience Rom. 2.8., impatience and murmuring 1 Cor. 10.10..

All the least tendencies Ps. 141.4. to any of these Impie­ties.

From all these and the like hatefull violations of thy love, and from that vengeance they justly de­serve; O my God, O my Love, deliver me, and deliver all faithfull people.

O my God, O my Love, I earnestly pray, that thy love may so prevail over our hearts, that we may sadly lament and abhor all these abominati­ons, and may never more provoke thee.

The Second Commandment.

Sins for­bidden.O my God, O my Love, I know the true Love of thee is incommunicable to any but thee; and therefore I renounce, and detest, and bewail, as o­dious and offensive to thee, as directly opposite to thy love, and to thy glory,

All making of Idols or false Gods, or of graven Images, with intent of worshipping and bow­ing down before them Deut. 7.25, 26.27.15..

All representations and picturing of thee, O my God, by visible likenesses of things in Heaven or in Earth.

All corporeal shapes, which are infinitely unsu­table to thy invisible and spiritual nature, and de­rogatory from thy adorableness Deut. 4.15. Isa. 40.18▪ Act. 17.29▪.

All Idolatry Isa. 2.8, 9▪ and Religious invocation of Crea­tures Rev. 19▪10.14.9▪10..

All sacrilege Prov. 2 [...].25. and prophanations of thy House, and of things sacred Mat. 21.13..

All abuse or disesteem, or carelesness of thy Word Mat. 13▪15. Iam. 1.22▪, and contempt of thy Ministers Luke 1 [...] ▪16..

All superstitious or unlawfull rites Ier. 10. [...]3., superfluities or mutilations Deut. 4. [...] ▪ Ps. 106.3 [...], irreverence or indecencies Eccles. 5. [...] Mal. 1.7, [...] ▪ 14. in thy publick worship, by which thou art any way dishonoured.

All resting in mere outward observances Mat. 1 [...] ▪9, 11., or refusing to give thee bodily worship, and to fall down before thee Isa. 45.23..

All the least tendencies to any of these impie­ties.

From all these and the like violations of thy incommunicable Love, and from that vengeance they justly deserve; O my God, O my Love, deliver me, and deliver all faithfull people, &c. as p. 39.

Duties com­manded.O my God, O my Love, imprint on my soul an Awfull Love of thy Majesty Isa. 8.1 [...], that I may worship thee in spirit and in truth Ioh. 4.2 [...] ▪, and in a manner wor­thy of thee.

O my God, O my Love, make me so tender of the Honour of thee my Beloved, that I may shew a due regard to all the parts of thy worship.

That with lowest humiliation of soul and body Ps. 95. [...] ▪ Mat. 26.3▪, whenever I appear in the presence of infinite-Love, I may fall down and adore thee.

[Page 41]O my God, O my Love, O may I always enter thy house, the habitation of unbounded Love, with recollected thoughts, compos'd behaviour, becom­ing reverence, and sincere intentions of Love Gen. 28.17. Iohn 2.17..

O my God, O my Love, O may I ever frequent the publick Prayers, and approach thine Altar with fervent and heavenly affections, with holy impati­ence for the blessings of thy Love Psal. 84.1, &c. 48.9.36.8.63.1, 2, 5..

O my God, O my Love, O may I always reade and hear thy Word, the heavenly register of thy Love, with a serious attention, an inflamable heart, and a particular application, and ever learn from it some lesson of thy Love Luk. 8.15. 1 Thess. 2.13..

O my God, O my Love, for thy dearest sake, give me grace to pay a religious veneration Mat. 10.40. to all sa­cred persons, or places Lev. 19.30., or things Ezek. 22.8, 26., which are thine by solemn dedication, and separated for the uses of Divine Love, and the communications of thy grace, or which may promote the decency and order of thy worship, or the edification of faithfull people 1 Cor. 14.4.26.40..

O my God, O my Love, let thy All-powerfull Love abound in my heart, and in the hearts of all that profess thy Name, that in all these, and in all other possible instances of thy love, our souls may be continually employed to praise and to love thee, &c. as p. 39.

The reason of the Com­mandment.Thou, O my God, O my Love, art a jealous God, jealous of thy own Honour Deut. 4.24. Isa. 42.8. Exod. 34.14, 15., and of the chastness of my Love; O let me never run after o­ther Loves, or commit spiritual Adultery against thee, to provoke thee to anger.

Thou, O my God, O my Love, dost visit the iniquities of the Fathers upon the children; Thou when thy jealousie burns like fire Ps. 79.5. against Ido­laters, and those that rob thee of thy worship, art wont to punish them in their very posterity, with temporal evils, and with spiritual too, when their children tread in their steps; for then thou makest their Father's sins occasions of hastning, or of in­creasing thy judgments, though thou always sparest the children that repent Isa. 65.6, 7. Ezek. 18.17, 20. Ier. 31.30.; O let thy just indigna­tion against violating thy Worship, deter me, and all that profess thy Name, from such violations.

Thy jealousie, O my God, O my Love, falls heavy upon them that hate thee; but how is it possi­ble [Page 42] for any one to hate thee, who art infinite love? and yet, alas! all that are enemies to thy Divine Worship; all that exalt any lust, any creature into thy Throne, to ascribe their happiness, to sacrifice their esteem, and zeal, and affections, and to offer up Sovereign Honours to it; what do they doe but love false Gods, and hate thee, and are there­fore hated by thee Deut. 7.10..

O Lord God, to hate thee is the proper charac­ter of Devils, and Lucifer himself cannot sin be­yond that utmost extremity of evil, the hatred of thee; and my heart is full of horrour and grief, to think, that ever those that bear thy Image, and daily subsist by thy love, should turn themselves into Devils, and this World into a Hell, by hating thee 1 Iohn 3.8. Rom. 1.30. Ioh. 15.18.: O boundless Love, turn them, O turn them into men again, and then they cannot chuse but love thee.

Glory be to thee, O my God, who shewest mercy to them that love thee, and keep thy Commandments: Love and Obedience always go together, and entail a blessing on the posterity of thy Lovers Deut. 4.40.; O keep me always one of that happy number; O let me ever love and obey thee.

Glory be to thee, O Lord God, whose Love is more diffusive than thy Anger; they vengeance ex­tends but to the third, or, at most, the fourth ge­neration, thy mercy unto thousands; and the more diffused thy Love is, the more powerfully it moves us, to praise and to love thee.

The Third Commandment.

Duties comman­ded.O my God, O my Love, thy Name is thy own glorious and amiable self Psal. 83.18., thy Divine Nature, and Perfections, and Works, most worthy to be ador'd, most worthy to be lov'd Psal. 5.11. Psal. 29.2.72, 19. Ezek. 36.23. Neh. 9.5., and therefore I will al­ways adore and love thy Name.

O my God, O my Love, may I ever have awfull thoughts of thee Psal. 111▪9., may I never mention thy vene­rable Name, unless on solemn, and just, and devout occasions; may I never mention it on those occa­sions without acts of love and adoration Isa. 12.4. [...]8.1▪.

O my God, O my Love, to love, and to glorify thy Name is the great end of our Creation, which is still more enforced by our Redemption; O [Page 43] let it be the greatest busine [...] of my whole life to love, and to glorifie it all the possible ways I can, by my mouth Psal. 51.15., by my conversation Mat. 5.16., by my pub­lick confession of thee before men, even to death Mat. 10.32. 1 Pet. 3.15., whenever thou art pleas'd to call me to it, by enga­ging all I can to glorify and love thee; O happy life, O blessed death, which is spent, and expires in glorifying, in loving thee!

O my God, O my Love, my heart shall ever be jealous of thy Name 1 Kings 19.10., I can have no true love, no real concern for thee if I do not, to the utmost of my power, assert and vindicate the Name of my Be­loved whenever I hear it dishonour'd.

O my God, O my Love, fix in my Soul an habitual pure intention of thy glory in all my actions, that whether I eat or drink, or whatever I doe, I may doe all to the glory 1 Cor. 10.31. of my Beloved.

The Fourth Commandment.

Duties com­manded.Glory be to thee, O my God, O my Love, who in compassion to humane weakness, which is not capable of an uninterrupted contemplation of thee, such as the Saints have above, hast appointed a so­lemn day on purpose for thy remembrance.

Glory be to thee, O my God, my Love, for propor­tioning a seventh part of our time to thy self, and liberally indulging the remainder to our own use.

O my God, O my Love, let me ever esteem it my privilege, and my happiness to have a day of rest set apart for thy service Isa. 58.13., and the concerns of my own Soul, to have a day free from distractions, dis­engaged from the World, wherein I have nothing to doe, but to praise, and to love thee.

[Page 46]Lord, grant that I may not onely on thy day give thee due worship my self, but may give rest and lei­sure also to my Family, to all under my charge, to serve thee also Iosh. 24.15., to indulge ease to my very Beasts, since good men are mercifull even to them Prov. 12.10..

Glory be to thee, O blessed Spirit, who on the first day of the week didst descend in miraculous gifts and graces on the Apostles 2 Acts 1.; O descend upon me, that I may be always in the spirit on the Lord's day.

O my God, O my Love, give me grace on thy day to worship thee in my Closet, and in the Con­gregation, to spend it in doing good Mar. 3.4., in works of necessity, devotion and charity, in prayer, and praise, and meditation; O let it ever be to me a day sacred to Divine Love, a day of heavenly rest and refreshment.

Thou, O my God, O my Love, didst ordain the Jewdaical Sabbath as a shadow of the true Gospel-sabbath Col. 2▪16.17.; O may I every day keep an Evangelical Sabbath, and rest from my sins, which are my own works, while I live here, and may I celebrate an eternal Sabbath with thee Heb. 4.9. in Heaven hereafter.

O my God, O my Love, for the like purposes of Piety, and of thy Glory, give me grace to sanctify the Feasts and Fasts of thy Church Ps. 42.4. Isa. 58.6, 7.8.10., as in the num­ber of those happy days set apart for the remem­brance of thy love.

Reason of the Com­mandment.Glory be to thee, O Lord God, who didst com­mand the Sabbath or seventh day to be kept holy, and strictly observed by the Jews as thy Sab­bath, in memory of the Creation Gen. 2.2.; of thy ma­king Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and of thy resting the seventh day; of thy blessing the seventh day, and hal­lowing it.

We Christians, O Lord God, following the mo­ral equity of thy Command, and authorised by Apo­stolical Practice Acts 20.7. 1 Cor. 16.2., celebrate the Lord's day Rev. 1.10., the first day of the week, in memory of our Redemption, in memory of thy Resurrection from the dead, O most beloved Jesu, when thou didst rest from the labours and sorrows of the New Creation Luke 24.1., O may I ever remember thy day, and thee.

Glory be to thee, O my God, my Love, who hast under the Gospel delivered us from the Rigours, but not from the Piety of the Jewish Sabbath.

[Page 47]Lord, since the blessing of everlasting Salvation, which we Christians on thy day commemorate, does wonderfully exceed the Creation commemorated by the Jews; O let our love, and praise, and devotion, and zeal, proportionably exceed theirs also Mat. 5.20..

O my God, O my Love, let thy All-powerfull Love abound Phil. 1.9. in my heart, and in the hearts of all that profess thy Name, that in all these, and all other possible instances of thy love, our Souls may be continually employ'd to praise, and to love thee.

Sins for­bidden.O my God, O my Love, I renounce and de­test, &c. as p. 39.

All profanations of thy hallow'd Day, and of all other holy Times Ezek. 20.13, 16, 24. dedicated to thy praise, and thy love.

All Jewdaizing Severities Mark 2.24. Luke 6.7., all Worldly-minded­ness, and unnecessary business Neh. 13.15., or not allowing those under my care liberty and leisure for thy ser­vice Deut. 12.7. on thy day.

All unmercifulness to my very Beasts Luke 13.15..

All indevotion, or forgetfulness of thee Deut. 6.12.8.14..

All the least tendencies—

From all these and the like, &c. as p. 39.

The Second Table.Next to thy glorious self, O my God, O my Love, and for the sake of thy supreme, independent Love, thou hast commanded me to love my Neighbour, allied to me by nature, or by grace, all Strangers and Enemies as well as Friends Luke 10.29, 30.. To honour all men, as being made after thy likeness, and the grea­ter likeness they retain to thee, to honour them the more 1 Pet. 2.17.; Glory be to thee.

Thou, O my God, O my Love, hast commanded me to love my Neighbour as my self, O for the sake of thy love, give me love to relieve and assist him in all instances wherein he may need my help, as freely, as fully, as affectionately as I my self would desire to be treated, were I in his condition Mat. 7.12..

O my God, O my Love, for the sake of thy dearest Love, give me grace to love my Neigh­bour, not in word, and in tongue onely, but in deed, and in truth 1 Ioh. 3.18.; to wish well to all men, and to con­tribute my hearty prayers and endeavours, and to give them for thy sake all lawfull, and reasonable, and necessary succours Col. 3.12..

[Page 48]Glory be to thee, O my God, O my Love, who by commanding me to love my Neighbour as my self, dost imply the regular love of my self Eph. 5.29.; that I should doe all I can to preserve my self free and vigorous to glorify thee in my station: 'Tis for thy sake onely I can love my self, and he does not wish or endeavour his own happiness, he really hates himself, that does not love thee.

Thou Lord by enjoining me to love my Neigh­bour as my self, hast intimated my duty of loving those best, which either in bloud are nearest my natural self, or in grace nearest my Christian self; O let thy love teach me to observe the true order of Charity in loving others.

O thou eternal source of Goodness, give me grace to imitate that boundless Goodness, let thy love work in me an universal propension to love, and to doe good to all men, to be mercifull to others, as thou Lord art mercifull Luke 6.36..

Q. Shew me how the love of your Neighbour is in the Second Table divided.

A. The love of my Neighbour, which is the ful­filling of the Law, of all the Commands of the Se­cond Table is divided according to those different conditions of our Neighbour, wherein we most ex­ercise our love or hatred to him.

Q. In how many ruling Instances may we exer­cise that love or hatred?

A. Either in outward acts, or inward disposition.

Q. How in outward acts?

A. Five several ways, in respect of his superio­rity, in the Fifth Commandment.

His Safety in the Sixth.

His Bed in the Seventh.

His Propriety in the Eighth; or,

His good Name in the Ninth.

Q. How in our inward disposition?

A. By regulating our very Desires in relation to him, as the Tenth obliges us to doe?

Q. Let me hear how Divine Love moves in each of these Commands.

A. It moves in such acts as follow.

The Fifth Commandment.

Duties com­manded in general.Let thy reverential Love, O my God, teach and incline me, to shew respectfull Love to all my su­periours, [Page 49] in my inward esteem, in my outward speech and behaviour 1 Pet. 2.17..

Glory be to thee, O Lord, who hast compre­hended all that are above me, under the tender and venerable Names of Father and Mother, that I looking on them as Resemblances and Instruments of thy Sovereign Power and Paternal Providence to me, may be the more effectually engaged for thy sake to reverence and love them.

In particu­lar, Of Na­tural Pa­rents.O my God, give me grace to imitate thy Pater­nal Goodness, and for the sake of thy Love; to love and cherish, and provide for; to educate and in­struct, and pray for my Children Deut. 6.6, 7. Ephes. 6.4. Col. 3.21. 2 Cor. 12.14.; to take con­scientious care to give them medicinal correction and good example, and to make them thy chil­dren, that they may truly love thee.

Of Children.O my God, give me grace for the sake of thy love, to Honour my Father and Mother, to render them all love, and reverence, and thankfulness▪ and all that regard which is due from a Child Ephes. 6.1▪ 2, 3. Col. 3.20., that I may pay obedience to their commands, submission to their corrections, attention to their instructions, and succour to their necessities Matt. 16.4, &c., and may daily pray for their welfare.

Of Political Parents. The King.Thou, O Lord, hast set our most Gratious King over us Prov. 8.15., as our Political Parent, as thy Supreme Minister, to govern and protect us, and to be a terrour to those that doe ill: O grant Him a long and happy Reign, that we may all live a peaceable and quiet life under Him, in all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1, 2.. Defend Him from all His Enemies; let Him be ever beloved by thee, and let Him ever love thee, and ever promote thy love.

The Queen and Royal Family.Multiply, O Lord God, the blessings of thy love on our most Gratious Queen Mary, Catharine the Queen Dowager, their Royal Highnesses Mary Prin­cess of Orange, and the Princess Anne of Denmark, and on all the Royal Family: Give them grace to exceed others, as much in Goodness as in Great­ness, and make them signal instruments of thy Glo­ry, and examples of thy Love.

Of Subjects.O my God, give grace to me and all my fellow-subjects, next to thy own infinite self, to love and honour, to fear and obey our Sovereign Lord the King, thy own Vicegerent, for Conscience sake Rom. 13.1, &c. 1 Pet. 2.13. Tit. 3.1., and for thy own sake, who hast placed Him over us; [Page 50] O may we ever faithfully render Him his due tri­bute; O may we ever pray for His prosperity, sa­crifice our fortunes and our lives in His defence, and be always ready rather to suffer than resist.

Of Ecclesia­stical Pa­rents.Glory be to thee, O Lord, who hast ordained Pastours, and hast given them the Power of the Keys; to be our Ecclesiastical Parents; to watch over our Souls; to instruct us in saving Know­ledge Mal. 2.7.; to guide us by their Examples; to pray for, and to bless us; to administer spiritual disci­pline in thy Church, and to manage all the conveyan­ces of thy Divine Love.

Of the Peo­ple under their care.O my God, for thy Love's sake, let me ever ho­nour and love the Ministers of thy Love, the Am­bassadours thou dost send in thy stead, to beseech us sinners to be reconciled to thee 2 Cor. 5.20., to offer thy Enemies conditions of Love, of love eternal; O may I ever hear them attentively, practise their heavenly doc­trine, imitate their holy examples, pay them their dues, and revere their censures Heb. 13.7, 17. 1 Tim. 5.17..

Of Oecono­mical Pa­rents, Ma­ster and Mi­stress.O my God, for the sake of thy love, grant I may ever love, and provide for my Servants [ser­vant,] and may treat them like Brethren; let me never exact from them immoderate work; O may I always give them just wages, and equitable com­mands, and good example, and mercifull correcti­on: Grant, Lord, I may daily allow them time for their prayers, indulge them due refreshments, and may take care of their souls, and persuade them to love thee; remembring, that I also have a Ma­ster in Heaven Col. 4.1. Ephes. 6.9..

Of Ser­vants.Give me grace, O my God, for the sake of thy Love, to honour, and love, and obey my Master [and Mistress] and to serve him [her] with dili­gence and faithfulness, and readiness to please 1 Tim. 6.1, 2. Col. 3.22, 23, 24. Eph. 6.5, 6, 7, 8., and to pray for him [her] them; and whatever I doe, to doe heartily as to thee, O Lord, and not to him, [her] them▪]

Of other Su­periours.O my God, let thy love incline me to love, and to honour all whom thou hast any way made my superiours, sutably to their quality, Lev. 19.32. 1 Tim. 5.1, 2, 3. 1 Pet. 5.5. or age, or gifts, or learning, or wisedom, or gravity, or goodness.

O my God, grant that for thy sake, I may ever love and honour all that are, or have been, instru­ments of thy love to me, in doing me good; O [Page 51] may I reverence my teachers Gal. 6.6., be gratefull to my benefactours, and may I have always a peculiar re­spect to my particular Pastour.

Of Equals and Inferi­ours.O my God, let thy love engage me to love those whom thou hast obliged to love me; to shew con­stancy, and fidelity, and sympathy, and love, and communicativeness to my Friend; to be affectionate to my Brethren and Sisters; to be kind and affable to my Equals; condescending to my Inferiours; to be all the possible ways I can, universally help­full and obliging, and loving to all Rom. 14.10. 1 Pet. 3.8.

O my God, O my Love, let thy All-powerfull Love abound in my heart, and in the hearts of all that profess thy Name, that in all these, and in all other possible instances of duty, our lives may be continually employed to love thee, and for thy sake to love our Neighbour, and to excite our Neigh­bour to love thee.

The several Forms which contain the Duties of Pa­rent and Child, of Master and Servant, &c. are to be used by every one, according as may sute with his Circumstances, or as he stands in any of those Relations.

Sins forbid­den.O my God, O my Love, I renounce, and derest, and bewa [...]l, as odious and offensive to thee, as di­rectly opposite to thy love, and the love of my neighbour, for thy sake,

All dishonour to our Superiours, in either de­spising them, speaking evil of them, or in irreve­rent behaviour.

All unnaturalness to Children.

All undutifulness, or stubbornness, or disobedi­ence, or disrespect to Parents 2 Tim. 3.2, 3, 4..

All rebelling, or reviling, or murmuring against the King, or against his Ministers 1 Sam. 26.9 Eccl. 10.20. Act. 23.5..

All defrauding, undervaluing or rejecting law­full Pastours Mat. 10.14..

All Schism 1 Cor. 1.10. 3 Epist. Iohn 9., and contempt of their regular cen­sures.

All falseness or negligence, or refractariness to Masters or Mistresses 2 Tit. 9.10. Mal. 2.10..

All rudeness, ingratitude, treachery, want of brotherly love and unfaithfulness.

All the least tendencies to any of these impie­ties.

[Page 52]From all these and the like hatefull violatious of thy love, and of the love of my neighbour, and from the vengeance they justly deserve, O my God, O my Love, deliver me and all faithfull people.

O my God, O my Love, I earnestly pray, that thy love, and the love of our neighbour may so prevail over our hearts, that we may sadly lament and abhor all these abominations, and may never more provoke thee.

Glory be to thee, O Lord, who to teach us the importance of this duty of subjection, hast placed it the first of all the second Table, of all that re­late to our neighbour, Promise an­nex'd to the Command­ment. and hast made it the first Commandment with a promise Ephes. 6.2. to every soul that conscientiously keeps it, that thy days shall be [...]ng in the [...]and which the Lord thy God gi­veth thee.

Who would not love and obey thee, O my God, and for thy sake his Superiours, when thou hast promised to reward our Duty with a long happy life here, or if thou seest it best for us, and to take us away from the evil to come Isa. 57.1. by living a long tract of Holiness in a little time, and at last by prolonging our bliss to all eternity in Heaven; for which gratious promise, all love, all glory be to thee.

The Sixth Commandment.

Sins forbid­den.O my God, O my Love, I renounce, and detest, and bewail, as odious and offensive to thee, as di­rectly opposite to thy love, and to the love of my neighbour▪ for thy sake,

All duels and unlawfull War Iam. 4.1, 2. Gen. 4.10, 11..

All doing hurt to the body and life of my neigh­bour, directly by wounding or murthering him Gal. 5.21..

Indirectly by contriving or employing others to harm him Luk. 22.2..

All the ways of procuring Abortion Exod. 21.22, 23..

All malice and envy, hatred Tit. 3.3. and revenge, con­tention and cruelty.

All injury and violence, all rash, causeless, im­moderate or implacable anger Eph. 4.26. Rom. 1.30, 31., or contumelious speaking and reviling Matth. 5.22..

All wilfull vexing, grieving or disquieting him.

All threatning, ill-wishes or curses Ephes. 4.29, 31..

All needless endangering our selves, and self-murther 1 Tim. 5.23. Eph. 5.29..

[Page 53]All murthering of Souls 1 Tim. 5.22., by encouraging, en­suaring, tempting, commanding them to sin.

All the least tendencies to any of these impieties.

From all these and the like, &c.

Duties com­manded.O my God, O my Love, let thy unwearied and tender love to me, make my love unwearied and tender to my neighbour, and zealous to procure, promote, and preserve his health, and safety, and happiness, and life, that he may be the better able to serve and to love thee.

O my God, O my Love, make me like thy own self, all meekness and benignity 2 Cor. 10.1. Gal. 5.22., all goodness and sweetness, all gentleness and long-suffering.

Fill me full of good wishes and compassion, of liberality in Alms-giving according to my abilities 1 Iohn 3.17., and of readiness to succour, and relieve, and com­fort, and rescue, and pray for all, whom thy love or their own necessities, or miseries, or dangers, re­commend to my charity 1 Cor. 13.4..

O let thy love, thou God of Love, make me peacefull and reconcilable, always ready to return good for evil, to repay injuries with kindness Mat. 5.44. Rom. 12.20., and easie to forgive, unless in those instances, where the impunity of the criminal would be injustice or cru­elty to the publick.

O thou lover of Souls, let thy love raise in me a compassionate zeal to save the life, the eternal life of Souls Dan. 12.3. Iam. 5.20., and by fraternal, and affectionate, and seasonable advice, or exhortation, or correptions, to reclaim the wicked, and to win them to love thee.

O my God, O my Love, let thy All-powerfull love, &c. as p. 51.

The Seventh Commandment.

Sins forbid­den.O my God, O my Love, I renounce, &c. as p. 52.

All adultery and violations of my neighbour's bed, in the gross act, robbing him of that he loves best.

All adultery and unchastity of the eye or the hand Mat. 5.29..

All the kinds and degrees of lust, fornication, pol­lution of our own bodies, and works of darkness, which it is a shame to mention Ephes. 5.11, 12.4.19..

All things that provoke, or feed lust, impure company, discourse, songs, books or pictures Eph. 4.29..

All lascivious dresses 5.3, 4, 5. 1 Tim. 2.9. 1 Pet. 3.3., or dances, or plays; all idleness or luxurious diet Rom. 13.13, 14. 1 Pet. 4.3..

[Page 54]All the excesses or abuses of lawfull Marriage, all unreasonable jealousies, and all things that lessen the mutual kindness, or alienate the affections of those that are married 1 Tim. 2.12. Mat. 19.6..

All the least tendencies to any of these impurities.

From all these, &c. as p. 52.

Duties comman­ded.O my God, my Love, let thy purest love, who art Purity it self, create in me a perfect abhor­rence of all impurity, that I may purifie my self as thou Lord art pure 1 Ioh. 3.3..

I know, O Lord, that I can never be partaker of the Divine Nature, unless I escape the pollution that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1.4., O do thou therefore cleanse me from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, that I may perfect holiness in thy fear 2 Con. 7.1.: Give me grace to possess my vessel in sanctification and honour 1 Thess. 4.4. and to keep thy Temple holy, that thy Spirit of Love may always there inhabit.

O my God, let my love be chast to thee, chast to my self, chast to my neighbour.

O my God, may thy Love set a strict guard on my Senses; turn away mine eyes Iob 31.1.7., stop mine ears, bridle my tongue, and restrain my hand from all uncleanness.

Lord, give me grace to fly 2 Tim. 2.22. all incitements, or opportunities, or instruments of defiling, either my neighbour or my self, To beat down my body, and to bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27..

O my Love, let me live ever watching or pray­ing, or profitably employ'd or busied in thy love, that I may leave no room if possible for any un­clean Spirit to enter into my Soul and tempt me.

O my God, O my Love, let thy all-powerfull love abound in my heart and in the hearts of all that profess thy Name, that in all these and in all other possible instances of duty, our lives may be conti­nually employ'd to love thee, and for thy sake to love our neighbour, and to excite our neighbour to love thee.

Duty of married Persons.O thou God of Love, who hast ordain'd the mar­riage state for the cure of our passion 1 Cor. 7.9., and the comfort of our life Gen. 2.20., and hast made it the em­bleme of that Divine Love and Union thou art pleas'd to bear towards thy Church Eph. 5.22, 23, 24, &c.: Let the force of thy mystical love teach us to love each other, and both of us to love thee.

[Page 55]O thou who hast made us one flesh, make us but one Soul also; let our love be mutual, constant and inviolate Col. 3.18, 19. 1 Pet. 3.1.7. 1 Cor. 7.3, 4, 5., full of compliance, and condescensions, and Sympathy, and forbearance towards each other.

Fill us, O God of Love, with reciprocal care and zeal, and charity for each others happiness tempo­ral and eternal, and with a delight in each other exclusive of all loves but thine.

Lord give us grace to keep our marriage always honourable, and our bed undefiled Heb. 13.4.; let the affectio­nate authority of the one, and the submissive sweet­ness of the other, produce an entire friendship and harmony of dispositions, and fervent intercessions for each other; Give us, O Lord, an unafflicting foresight of our parting here, and a passionate lon­ging to be beatified near each other, in neighbou­ring mansions above, that from thenceforth our love to each other and to thee may be coeternal with thine.

The Eighth Commandment.

Sins for­bidden.O my God, O my Love, I renounce, as p. 52.

All kinds of stealing, by open Robbery, Vio­lence, or Invasion E [...]h. 4.28. 1 Pet. 4.15..

All Oppression, or Extortion, or Rapine 1 Cor. 6.9, 10., vex­atious Law-suits, or griping Usury.

All fraud in Trade and Contracts, false Weights, and Measures, and Coin 1 Thess. 4.6. Amos 8.5..

All concealing the defects of our own Goods, or depretiating those of our neighbour Prov. 20.14..

All making haste to be rich, or taking advan­tage of the ignorance or necessity of the persons we deal with.

All withholding our neighbours dues, or detai­ning the hire of the Labourer Iames 5.4..

All borrowing and not paying, injurious keeping the goods of others Psal. 37.21., and refusing to make resti­tution Luk. 19.8.

All b [...]each of Trust, or removing Land-marks Prov. 22.22, 23, 28., wastfull prodigality, avaritious gaming, or idle begging.

All outrages to the Fatherless, the Widow and the Stranger Ier. 7.6..

All the least tendencies to any of the these acts of in­justice.

[Page 56]From all these and the like hatefull violations of thy Love, and of the Love of my neighbour, and from the vengeance they justly deserve, O my God, O my Love, deliver me and all faithfull people.

Duties comman­ded.O my God, O my Love, let the love of thy eter­nal and amiable justice, teach me a steddy justice in giving all men their due, since I cannot love my neighbour if I am unjust to him.

Lord give me grace to use my neighbour as my friend, as my self, to buy and sell by just Weights and Measures, and to be content with moderate gain. Prov. 11.1.20.10.17.21..

To pay debts and wages, and conscientiously to make restitution for injuries or wrongs, or for goods unlawfully gotten Matt. 5.23..

Teach me, O my God, to use this world so as not to abuse it 1 Cor. 7.31.; to receive and manage all thy temporal blessings with thankfulness to thee, sobri­ety to my self, and charity to all besides Luk. 11.41—.

Make me ever, O my God, upright and faithfull in Trusts, and Trade, and Agreements, diligent and honest in my station and Calling 2 Thess. 3.10, 12., and accor­ding to my ability willing to lend, and remit to my poor neighbours Psal. 37.26..

Whenever, O my God, I am forc'd to go to Law, O let me ever contend more for right than victory, and in all prosecutions preserve a charitable and an equitable disposition Luk. 17.3, 4..

O my God, O my Love, let thy all-powerfull love abound in my heart, and in the hearts of all that profess thy Name, that in all these and all other possible instances of duty, our lives may be continually employ'd to love thee, and for thy sake to love our neighbour, and to excite our neighbour to love thee.

The Ninth Commandment.

Sins for­bidden.O my God, O my Love, I renounce, as p. 52.

All manner of bearing false Witness against my Neighbour, All false accusations, or glosses, or pleadings, or testimonies, or sentences in Courts of Judicature Psal. 82.2. Matt. 26.60. Tit. 2.3. Micah 3.9., by concealing or overspeaking, or perverting right and truth.

All things prejudicial or destructive to my neigh­bours good name.

[Page 57]All censoriousness Matt. 7.1. Prov. 26.18, &c. Iames 3.6. 2. Pet. 2.12, 18. and slander, detraction and calumny, forc'd consequences, or invidious reflexi­ons.

All scoffing, or exposing the infirmities of o­thers.

All whispering Rom. 1.29. 1 Tim. 5.13. Exod. 23.1. and tale-bearing, or raising of evil reports, suspicions or jealousies, and all evil-speaking.

All equivocations and dissembling, flattery and lying Eph. 4.25, 31..

All the least tendencies to any of these injurious falshoods.

From all these and the like hatefull violations of thy love, and of the love, &c. as page 52.

Duties comman­ded.O my God, O my Love, who dost love truth, and dost hate a lie, as perfectly Diabolical, instill into my Soul an unalterable love of truth, that no­thing may tempt me to deviate from an intire ve­racity Prov. 23.23. Psal. 119.163. Ioh. 8.44. in my whole conversation, or become a liar, which thy Soul abhors.

O Lord give me grace ever to speak the truth, and let my heart and my tongue always go toge­ther.

O my God, give me grace to be tender of my neighbour's good name Prov. 22.1. Eccles. 7.1., since I cannot love him if I take that from him which I know to be most dear to him.

Grant, O my God, for the sake of thy own love, that I may be always ready to vindicate my neigh­bour's good name on all occasions, that I may judge the best 1 Cor. 13.5, 7., and speak well of him, and conceal or excuse his infirmities, that I may be impatient to hear, slow to believe, and unwilling to propagate evil reports; that I may put candid interpretations on his actions, since the more he is defamed the less able he is to serve thee, the less credit he has to perswade others to love thee.

O my God, O my love, let thy, &c. as page 51.

The Tenth Commandment.

Sins for­bidden.O my God, O my Love, I renounce, as p. 51.

All the inordinate desire of what is my neigh­bour's, All coveting his House, or Wife Matt. 5.28., or Servant, or Maid, or Ox, or Ass, or any thing that is his.

[Page 58]All discontentedness with my worldly condition, and worldly solicitude Mat. 6.24, 25, &c. 13.22..

All covetousness, or repining at the happiness of others 1 King. 21.4, 5..

All taking pleasure in sin, or complacence in past impurities 1 Rom. 32. Iam. 5.5. 2 Pet. 2.13..

All the first motions, all the least tendencies to concupiscence Matt. 15.19..

From all these and the like hatefull, &c. as p. 52.

Duties comman­ded.O my God, O my Love, thou art the great sear­cher of hearts, and dost not onely require out­ward acts of duty but the inward disposition of the heart, the heart is the chief sacrifice Prov. 23.26▪ 4.23. Matt. 15.19. thou requi­rest, the heart is the proper seat of thy love, and my heart I wholly devote to thee.

O my God, create in me a clean heart Psal. 51.10., that the fountain of action being clean, the streams may run clean also.

Give me a heart, O thou who onely canst change the heart, entirely turn'd to thee, that may suppress and resist all the first springings of Lust, before they shoot up into consent 1 Iam. 14.15., approbation and desire, before lust conceiving brings forth sin.

Lord, make me contented Heb. 13.5. Phil. 4.11, 12. 1 Tim. 6.6., and thankfull and well-pleased with that portion thy providential love has allotted me, and to acquiesce in thy choice as best for me.

O great Lord of hearts, lodge my neighbour in my heart next to my self, let all my desires be for his good, and let it be the subject of my joy Rom. 12.15., and praise, and love, to see thy love liberal to him, to see him abounding in thy blessings.

O my God, my love, what can a Soul enamour'd of thee ever desire but thee; O let the world never more have place in my heart, all my affections I withdraw from that to fix on thee.

Forgive me, O my God, if I am unmeasurably ambitious, it is onely of thy favour; forgive me if I am unsatiably covetous, it is onely of thy fruiti­on; forgive me if I am perpetually discontented, it is onely because I cannot love thee more

O unconceivable happiness of Heaven where my Ambition shall rest on a Throne, where my Cove­tousness shall be filled with the [...]eartifick Vision, and where I shall be eternally satisfied with love.

O my God, O my Love, let thy, &c. as page 51.

Father.

The Pre­face teach­es how to pray. To whom? To God only. For Iesus sake. With the affections of a Child.Glory be to Thee O Jesu, who hast taught us to whom to direct our Prayers, to God only, Psal. 65.2. since he only is Omniscient to know, and all­sufficient to succour, all our necessities.

Glory be to thee who hast taught us for whose sake only we can hope to be heard, even for thy own, O blessed Jesus, for it is through thy alone Mediation, Iohn 16.23. Ephes. 1.6.2▪ 18. that we sinners can call God Father, or have access to his Throne.

Glory be to thee, O beloved Jesu, who in teaching us to call God Father, hast taught us to pray with the affections of a Child, with Reverential Love, and Reliance on the Pater­nal care, and benignity, and love of our Heavenly Father. Isa. 63.15, 16. Luke 11.13. Mal. 1.6.

Our Father.

Glory be to thee, O Lord, who in teaching me to call God, Of a Bro­ther. Our Father, has taught me not to confine my Charity to my self, but to pray also with the affections of a Brother, Eph. 4.6. 1 Pet. 3.8. to all man­kind, who are children by Creation, to all Chri­stians, who are children by Adoption, of the same Heavenly Father. O give me that Brotherly kindness, to them all, that I may beg the same blessings for them, as for my self, and earnestly pray that they may all share with me in thy Fatherly Love.

Which art in Heaven.

With the humility of a Sup­plicant.Glory be to thee, O thou beloved of the Fa­ther, who in teaching us to pray to Our Fa­ther in Heaven, hast taught me the infinite di­stance between God and us, and to pray with the Humility of a supplicant Eccl. 5.1. Hebr. 12.28, 29.. with that awe that becomes a frail Creature, a miserable Sinner, be­fore his Creator, and his Judge.

O Father Almighty, though thou fillest all places, yet thy Glory is most manifested in Heaven, and there thy Majesty does most Illustri­ously dwell, and to thy Throne there, Psal. 11.4. Isa 57.15 are we [Page 64] to lift up our hearts when we Pray, O let my soul fly up to thee, when I pray, in Heavenly Thoughts, and Desires, and Love: O let me savour nothing of the earth, whenever I treat with thee in Heaven!

Petitions in general teach us for what to Pray. For things lawful. And in what order.Glory be to thee O Gratious Lord, who in the Petitions of thy most Divine Prayer, hast taught us for what we are to Pray, for all blessings Tem­poral, and Eternal, for all things lawful, and ac­ording to thy will. 1 Iohn 5.14, 15.

Glory be to thee, O Jesu, who in ranking the Petitions for Spiritual blessings first, hast taught us to seek Heaven in the first place, Mat. 6.33. grant Lord that I may always beg thy blessings in their due order, that I may pray for blessings Spiritual with holy violence Mat. 11.12., with importunity, and resolution not to be denyed, as being the proper ingredients of thy Love and absolutely necessary to my eternal welfare, Gen. 32.26. and for Temporal, with Indifference and Resignation to thy will, since I may Love thee, and be eternally happy without them.

In parti­cular for Blessings Spiritual relating to God.Hallowed be thy Name.

O Lord God, may Thy Name, Psal. 8.1.9.111.9. thy own Glorious, and Amiable self have a Love and Honour separate, and incommunicable. May thy infinite Goodness and Greatness be for ever, by all Men and all Angels, Confest, and Admired, and Adored, and Magnified Ps. 148. both in Private and Publick, in our Hearts, our Mouths and our Lives.

All Creatures share in thy Goodness Ps. 145.9, 10. O God, O let all Creatures help us to Glorifie thy Name.

O may every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord.

Thy Kingdom come.

O thou King of Kings, may Thy Kingdom of Grace, Luke. 1.32 Mat. 3.2. 1 Col. 13. the Church Militant, the Catholick Seminary of Divine Love, come to its utmost Evangelical perfection in this life.

O may thy Gospel, Lord, be dayly propa­gated, Unbelieving Nations Converted, Isa. 2.2.3 and the number of thy Saints augmented.

[Page 65]Grant, O Lord God, that thy true Religion, thy Word, thy Conveyances of Grace, all the Holy Institutions, Laws and Governours; fixt by thee in thy Spiritual Kingdom, Ioh. 18.36. may be Loved and Honoured, and Obeyed: and that thy faithful Subjects may be protected against all the malice of wicked men, or the powers of darkness. 1 Pet. 3.13. Mal. 12.28, 29,

O my God, let it be thy good Pleasure to put a period to sin and misery, to infirmity and death; to compleat the number of thine Elect, and to hasten thy Kingdom of Glory: 2 Pet. 1.11. that s, and all that wait for thy Salvation, may in the Church Triumphant eternally Love, and I Praise thee.

Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven.

O my God, thy Will, and thy Commands, are most Holy, Iust, and Good, Rom. 7.12. and conde­scending to our weakness, and by no means grie­vous, 1 Ioh. 5. O give me Grace Conscientiously to ob­serve them.

Thy blessed Angels, O Lord, always behold thy Face in Heaven, Mat. 18.10. They have the Beatifick Vision of thy incomparable Amiableness, they can­not but unalterably choose thee, they must needs to their utmost capacity Praise and Love thee. Mat. 18.10. they cannot possibly offend thee, Ps. 103.20. they ever per­fectly obey thee, and are always upon the Wing at thy Command.

Lord give me Grace, in imitation of the blessed spirits above, to set thee always before me, O six my serious Contemplation on thee. Ravish my soul with a lively sense of thy infinite Am [...]ableness, O vouchsafe me one short glimps of thy Goodness. O may I once tast and see how Gratious Thou art, Psal. 34.8. that all things besides thee may be tastless to me, that my desires may be always flying up towards thee, that I may render thee Love, and Praise, and Obedience, Pure and Chearful, Constant and Zealous, Uni­versal and Uniform, like that the Holy Angels render thee in Heaven.

Give us this day our dayly Bread.

Petitions relating to our selves.Glory be to thee, O Heavenly Benefactor, who openest thy hand, and fillest all things living with plenteousness. Ps. 145.16.

O let it be thy good pleasure to give me, and all the wait on thy Beneficent Love, our food in due season, Give us Bread, and all that is comprehended by it, Health, Food, Raiment, and all the necessaries of Life.

Give us, O Heavenly Father, Dayly Bread, nothing to gratifie our Luxury, but such a compe­tence Prov. 30.8, 9. as thy Divine wisdom sees fittest for us.

Give us, O bountiful Creatour, Dayly Bread this day, Teach us to live without covetous anxi­ety for to morrow, with a fiducial dependance on thy Fatherly Goodness, and to be content and thankful for the present portion, 1 Tim. 4.4. 1 Tim. 6.6. 1 Pet. 5.7. thy Love has indulged us.

O merciful Lord, give us Our Bread, that which is our own Bread, by honest Labour, Gen. 3.19. Deut. 21.17. or a lawful Title, and grant that we may never eat the Bread of Idleness, or of deceit.

Do Thou Lord, Give us our Bread, for un­less thou givest it, we cannot have it, and toge­ther with our Bread give us thy blessing, Eccl. 5.19. Mich. 6.14. other­wise our very Bread will not nourish us.

Above all, O Lord God, give us the Bread of Life, the Bread that came down from Heaven, the Body and Blood of thy most Blessed Son, to feed our Souls to Life eternal.

Blessed Jesus, O that it might be my meat, as it was thine, to do the will of thy Heavenly Fa­ther! Ioh. 4.34.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.

For thy own in [...]inite mercies sake, and for the Merits of the Son of thy Love, Forgive me, and all penitent sinners Our trespasses, our sins Known or Secret, of Omission or Commission, which are the vast debts Mat. 6.12. Luk. 11.4. we owe, to thy vindi­ctive justice.

[Page 67] Forgive us, O Lord, as we forgive all them, even our greatest Enemies that t [...]es [...]ss against us, their trespasses, which are infinitely inconsi­derable in comparison of our trespasses against thee.

Glory be to thee, O Lord, who to teach us Charity, hast made our forgiveness, the condition of obtaining Thine.

O Easie, O Gratious condition of Pardon, who would not forgive his Brother a few pence in this Life, to have ten Thousand Talents, Mat. 18.22, 24, 28. for­given in the next!

O let my love, Lord, learn from thine, not only to forgive my Enemies, but to be Zealous also to do them good.

And lead us not into temptation.

O Lord God, thou seest how our Ghostly Ene­mies, the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, are every moment soliciting, inticing, alluring, or tempting us to evil; O be merciful to us, save, and help, and deliver us.

Thou seest, O my God, how infirm I am, and how ready my own deceitful heart is Ier. 17.9., to surren­der it self to the Tempter; and I know that Sa­tan cannot tempt me without thy permission Mat. 8.31.: O lead me not if it be thy good pleasure, suffer me not to fall into violent or lasting Temptations, that may endanger my perseverance.

I know O heavenly Father, that to be tempted is no sin, for thy own beloved Son, God incarnate, was tempted Mat. 4.1.9. to the most horrid of all Sins, to fall down and worship the very Devil, I know Lord, the Sin lies in yielding to the Temptation.

O my God, if thou for trial of my Love, lead me into any great Temptation, and let me conti­nue under it, thy Will Lord be done, not mine 1 Cor. 10.13. 1 Pet. 5.8. 2 Cor. 12.7, 9. Iam. 4.7.: O let thy paternal tenderness limit and controul the Tempter: O let thy All-sufficient Grace re­strain my consent, and keep me always on my guard, watching and praying, and let me at last be more than Conquerour.

I am content, Lord, to be tried and assaulted, so I be not wicked, though it be grievous for those that Love thee, to be tempted to offend thee.

But deliver us from evil,

O Father of mercy, if thou thinkest fit to lead me into Temptation, deliver me from the Evil to which I am tempted: Deliver me from the Evil of Sin, and the Evil of Punishment, from the evil one 1 Ioh. 2.14., from the evil World, Gal. 1.4. and from my own evil Heart Heb. 3.12., and from all suggestions to Evil, for all that is Evil is most hateful to thee, who art infinite goodness, and most destructive of thy Love. And therefore from all that is Evil, O Almighty Lord defend me.

The Con­clusion teaches to Pray for a right end, Gods Glo­ry.For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever.

I adore, and Love thee, O Jesu, who by conclu­ding, this Prayer with a Doxology, hast taught us, that the right end of our Prayers should be the Glory of God, that we should be ever careful to mix Praise with our Prayers, and to be as zealous to give thanks for what we receive Phil. 4.6. Neh. 9.5, 6., as to Pray for what we want.

To thee, O Lord God, do we pray, on thee only we rely and depend for acceptance, to thee only we offer up our Praises, for thine is the King­dom Psal. 47.2.7. and Sovereign Right to dispose of all things, thine is the Power 135.6. Almighty, to relieve and bless us, thine is the Glory Ps. 96.7, 8.. All, the Communicati­ons of thy Goodness, as they flow from thee, re­turn to thee again in Sacrifices of Love, of Praise, and Adoration.

Amen.

For the sake O Heavenly Father of thy beloved, 2 Cor. 1. Rev. 3.14. in whom all thy Promises are Amen, and who is himself the Amen, the faithful and true Witness of thy Love to us. Hear me, and pardon my wandrings and coldness, and help me to sum up and enforce my whole Prayer; all my own wants, and all the wants of those I pray for, in a hearty and fervent, and comprehensive, Amen.