The Right Way to Heaven, Title page 1 – Table of contents
Ap: 21
New Ieruſalem
The prayers of the Saints Reuel. 8 4.
Prayer breakes through all Act. 12.7.
The prayer of faith ſhall ſaue the ſicke: Iam: 5.15.
Wiſedome cryeth in the ſtreetes Proue. 1.20.
THE RIGHT WAY to Heauen Prayers and Meditations of the Faithfull Soule with the Spirituall morning Sacrifice and Conſolations for the Sicke By Peter D. M…lin
Theſe were ſtrangers and pilgrimes in the earth. Act. 1….13
London Printed for George Edwardes, and are ſold in the Old Baily, in Greene Arbor, at the Angell. 1630.
TO THE RIGHT Worſhipfull, truly religious, and vertuous Lady, Mary Crooke, wife to the Right Worſhipfull Sir George Crooke Knight, one of His Majeſties reverend and learned Iudges of the Kings Bench.
Madame,
AS Speech is the Character of man: that is, the image of his heart and mind, and be the Image of God, ſo ſilence, whilſt it is a ſeaſonable and diſcreet ſuſpenſion thereof, becomes a man in its time and place: unſeaſonable uſe of either, offenſive and obnoxious to cenſure. The exceſſe is branded for a nullifier of Religion, whilſt it makes it vaine: The ſeeming defect finds ſome approbation in moralitie.
Nam nulli racuiſſe nocet: nocet eſſe locurum.
I was dumbe, and opened not my mouth, becauſe thou didſt it, this untun'd not this ſweete ſinger, yet made him fall upon a large reſt, which it ſerved not to impeach, but rather to improve his ſpirituall melodie. Often ſuddaine and unexpected accidents produce ſemblable effects: Zacharias ſilenc't for his want of faith, yet after Ward enabled both with his heart and tongue to praiſe God, and to ſing a Benedictus. That;
Saepe tacc…s vocem verbaque vultu… habet.
Who holds his peace, hath yet a voice, that bewrayes him, and his countenance beares words with it. Yea a delinquent in the one, or an offendor in the other, as farre as either are exempt from the mixture of the leaven of malice, deſerves an indulgent conſtruction, and exemption from all imputation, either of ſurquedrie, or ſullenneſſe, as different circumſtances may accordingly induce diſsimilitude, as of affect in one, ſo of affection in another.
Hac ego ſi compellar imagine.
This plaine; yet true verſion of theſe ſacred expreſsions, Holy Prayers, and Meditations of a faithfull ſoule, ſo truly ſtiled by their Author, ſo well knowne to all, to be a reverend and worthy Divine of the French reformed Church. I preſent and dedicate to your Ladiſhip. The end herein propoſed to my ſelfe, being the ſame with that of my Authors; which none can justly either queſtion, or quarrel at to wit, the advancement of this part of Gods worſhip, ſo' much languiſhing in the cold if not frozen deuotions of many, and oppoſed by the giddie practice of mothen a good many, that ſo farre nauzeate Prayer, publike eſpecially, that in their unkindly and miſguided zeale, they endeavour by one Ordinance of God to ſhoulder out another, Prayer by Preaching. God hath ſtiled his Houſe the Houſe of Prayer. Now, what my well meant paines herein cals mine, I wiſh may finde acceptance with you, as I do humbly tender & reſigne the ſame unto you, not ſo much for ſupply of a ſuppoſed want in your own particular, of theſe Spirituall helps to devotion, as for a teſtimony of obſervance and due reſpect Where my obligation is ſo great. When I plowed with mine own heifer, a ſmiling autumn failed not to crown thoſe weaker performances with a plenteous & laſting crop for after-uſe. But to uſher in theſe Holy Prayers and ſacred expreſsions of a faithfull Soule, into the approbation and uſe, of all that know their Author or his works. His name (as I ſuppoſe) will ſuffice. And hence is it Madame: that I preſume of your good allowance for them to beare your name in their Frontiſpice, that thereby others may be excited and induced to the peruſall and uſe of them in the frequent practice both of this ſacred duty, and of the works of mercy, whereunto the other ſubſequent Tractates annex't do invite. The peruſall of which as in order they ſtand rankt, with like good affection I commend to thoſe your Olive branches, that ſtand about your table, to whom any tie of precedent relation may iuſtly claime my reſpect. All which I ſhall not faile to ſecond with continuance of my daily prayers for your Ladiſhips health and happineſſe, both in your ſtemme and branches, and will ever reſt
At your Ladiſhips ſervice and command, RICHARD BAILY.
A Table of the Matters contained in this preſent Book, in order as they ſtand.
A 1. A Prayer and Meditation of the faithfull Soule,
2, A Prayer for the Morning.
3 A …ra…er f… the Evening.
4 A Prayer of Thankſgiving for the accompl…ſhme…t of his Anſ…er made to Mounſieur the Cardinall of Perroun.
5. A …rayer in …orme of a Confeſſion.
6. Another …ra…er
7 A Prayer f…r he Communion.
8. A Thank…giving after the Communion.
9 A …onfeſſion.
10. A Prayer f…r the Morning.
11. A …rayer for the Evening
12. Another Prayer for the Morning,
13. Another Prayer for the Evening.
14. A Prayer in the time of the Plague.
15 A Prayer touching the Creation.
16. A Morning Prayer.
17 An Evening Prayer.
18. A Prayer for the obtaining of victorie.
19. A Prayer for the Preſervation of the Church.
20. Another Prayer for the Church.
21. A Prayer to have our hearts ſet on Spirituall things, and to renounce the world.
22. A Thankſgiving and a Prayer on the ſame Subject.
23. A Prayer to be filled with charitie.
24. The Kings Prayer.
25. Another Prayer of the Kings. Chron. 1.
26. The Peoples Prayer for the King.
27. A Prayer of the faithfull, who fervently deſireth to be made partaker of the publ…ke exerciſes, whereof he was deprived.
28. Another Prayer out of the 2 Epiſtle of S John,
29. The Holy Spirituall Morning Song.
30. A Conſolation for the Sicke.
31. A Prayer for the Sicke in whom there is no appearance of death
32. A Prayer for the ſicke in whom there ſhalbe a likelihood of death.
33. Another Prayer for the ſicke.
34. A ſingular Prayer for a perſon greatly afflicted with ſicknes, which ſeemeth to approach nea…er unto death, then to life.
35. A Prayer againſt the apprehenſion of death
36. A Continued Sequell, or an Vnintermitted Courſe of Comforts, and Prayers for the ſicke: and therein theſe Prayers.
37. A Prayer when the ſicke is in perplexitie.
38. A Prayer when the ſicke is neare unto death
39. Another Prayer in diſtreſſe.
40. Another Prayer when the ſicke i… in ſome grievous perplexitie.
41. A Prayer the ſicke being in extremitie.
42. Another Prayer unto Ieſus Chriſt, the Great & Soveraigne Shepheard of our Soules, for the ſicke in his extremitie.
43. A Prayer for Divine aſſiſtance to the ſicke.
44. A Prayer after the ſicke hath given up the Ghoſt, for the comfort of the by ſtanders.
Whereunto is added:
A Morning Prayer.
An Evening Prayer.
A ſhort Catechiſme, to prepare People for the receiving of the Lords Supper.