The Whole Duty of Man, Part 14 – Publishers advertisement

The Whole Duty of Man · Part 14 – Publishers advertisement

p. 79PRAYERS for their use who Mourn in secret for the PUBLICK CALAMITIES, &c.

Psalm 74.

O God, wherefore art thou absent from us so long: why is thy wrath so hot against the sheep of thy pasture? &c.

Psal. 79.

O God, the Heathen are come into thine inheritance: thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones, &c.

Psal. 80.

Hear, O thou shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep: shew thy self also, thou that sittest upon the Cherubims, &c.

A Prayer to be used in these times of Calamity.

O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, I desire humbly to confess before thee, both on my own behalf, and that of this Nation, that these many years of calamity we have groaned under, are but the just, (yea mild) returns of those many more years of our provocations against thee, and that thy present which is but the due punishment of thy abused mercy. O Lord, thou hast formerly abounded to us in blessings above all people of the earth. Thy candle shined p. 80upon our heads, and we delighted our selves in thy great goodness, peace was within our walls, and plenteousness within our palaces, there was no decay, no leading into captivity and no complaining in our streets: but we turned this grace into wantonness, we abused our peace to security, our plenty to riot and Luxury, and made those good things which should have endeared our hearts to thee, the occasions of estranging them from thee; Nay, O Lord, thou gavest us yet more precious mercies, thou wert pleased thy self to pitch thy Tabernacle with us, to establish a pure and glorious Church among us, and give us thy word to be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our paths; but O Lord, we have made no other use of that light, then to conduct us to the chambers of death, we have dealt proudly, and not hearkened to thy comandments, and by rebelling against the light, have purchased to our selves so much the heavier portion in the outer darkness. And now, O Lord, had the overflowings of thy vengeance been answerable to that of our sin, we had long since been swept away with a swift destruction, and there had been none of us alive at this day to implore thy mercy. But thou art a gracious God, slow to anger, and hast proceeded with us with much patience and longsuffering, thou hast sent thy judgements to awake us to repentance, and hast also allowed us space for it: But alas we have perverted this mercy of thine beyond all the former, we return not to him that smiteth us, neither do we seek the Lord, we are slidden back by a perpetual backfliding, no p. 81man repenteth him of his wickedness, or …aith what have I done? 'Tis true indeed we fear the rod (we dread every suffering, so that we are ready to buy it off with the foulest sin) but we fear not him that hath appointed it, but by a wretched obstinacy harden our necks against thee, and refuse to return. And now, O God, what balm is there in Gilead that can cure us; who when thou wouldest heal us, will not be healed, we know thou hast pronounced that there is no peace to the wicked, and how shall we then pray for peace, that still retain our wickedness? This this, O Lord, is our sorest disease, O Give us Medicines to heal this sickness, heal our souls, and then we know thou canst soon heal our land. Lord, thou hast long spoken by thy word to our ears, by thy judgments even to all our senses, but unless thou speak by thy Spirit to our hearts, all other calls will still be uneffectual. O send out this voice, and that a mighty voice, such as may awake us out of this Lethargy: thou that didst call Lazarus out of the grave, O be pleased to call us who are dead, yea, putrified in trespasses and sins, and make us to awake to righteousness. And though, O Lord, our frequent resistances even of those inward calls, have justly provoked thee to give us up to the lusts of our own heart; yet, O thou boundless ocean of mercy, who art good not only beyond what we can deserve, but what we can wish, do not withdraw the influence of thy grace, and take not thy holy spirit from us. Thou wert found of those that sought thee not, O let that act of mercy be repeated p. 82to us who are so desperately, yet so insensibly sick, that we cannot so much as look after the Physitian, and by how much our case is the more dangerous, so much the more sovereign remedies do thou apply; Lord help us, and consider not so much our unworthiness of thy aid, as our irremediable ruine if we want it; save Lord, or we perish eternally. To this end dispense to us in our temporal interest what thou seest may best secure our spiritual; if a greater degree of outward misery will tend to the curing our inward, Lord, spare not thy rod, but strike yet more sharply; cast out this devil, though with never so much foaming & tearing. But if thou seest that some return of mercy may be most likely to melt us, O be pleased so far to condescend to our wretchedness as to afford us that, and whether by thy sharper or thy gentler methods, bring us home to thy self. And then, O Lord, we know thy hand is not shortned, that it cannot save, when thou hast delivered us from our sins, thou canst and wilt deliver us from our troubles, O shew us thy mercy and grant us thy salvation, that being redeemed both in our bodies and spirits, we may glorifie thee in both, in a chearful obedience, and praise the Name of our God, that hath dealt wonderfully with us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Prayer for This Church.

O Thou great God of recompences, who turnest a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein; thou hast p. 83most justly executed that fatal sentence on this Church, which having once been the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth, is now become a scorn and derision to all that are round about her. O Lord, what could have been done to thy vineyard that thou hast not done in it, and since it hath brought forth nothing but wilde grapes, it is perfectly just with thee to take away the hedge thereof, and let it be eaten up. But O Lord, though our iniquities testifie against us, yet do thou it for thy Names sake, for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land, as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why shouldst thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy Name, leave us not; deprive us of what outward enjoyment thou pleasest, take from us the opportunities of our luxury and it may be a mercy, but O take not from us the means of our reformation, for that is the most direful expression of thy wrath. And though we have hated the light because our deeds were evil, yet, O Lord, do not by withdrawing it condemn us to walk on still in darkness, but let it continue to shine till it have guided our feet into the way of peace. O Lord, arise, stir up thy strength & come & help us, and deliver not the soul of thy Turtle Dove (this disconsolate Church) unto the multitude of the enemy, but help her, O God, and that right early. But if, O Lord, our rebellions p. 84have so provoked thee, that the Ark must wander in the wilderness till all this murmuring generation be consumed, yet let not that perish with us, but bring it at last into a Canaan, and let our more innocent posterity see that which in thy just judgement thou denrest to us. In the mean time let us not cease to bewail that desolation our sins have wrought, to think upon the stones of Ston, and pity to see her in the dust, nor ever be ashamed or afraid to own her in her lowest and most persecuted condition, but esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of AEgypt, and so approve our constancy to this our afflicted Mother, that her blessed Lord and Head may own us with mercy when he shall come in the glory of thee his father with the holy Angels. Grant this merciful Lord, for the same Jesus Christ his sake.

A Prayer for the Peace of the Church.

LORD Jesus Christ, which of thine Almightiness madest all creatures both visible and invisible, which of thy godly wisdome governest and settest all things in most goodly order, which of thine unspeakable goodness keepest, defendest and furtherest all thing, which of thy deep mercy restorest the decayed, renewest the fallen, raisest the dead; vouchsafe, we pray thee at last, to cast down thy countenance upon thy well beloved Spouse the Church, but let it be that amiable and merciful countenance wherewith thou pacifiest all things in heaven, in earth, and whatsoever is above heaven and under the earth: p. 85vouchsafe to cast upon us those tender and pitiful eyes with which thou didst once behold Peter that great Shepherd of thy Church, and forthwith he remembred himself and repented; with which eyes thou once didst view the scattered multitude and wert moved with compassion, that for lack of a good Shepherd they wandered as sheep dispersed and strayed a sunder. Thou seest (O good Shepherd) what sundry sorts of Wolves have broken into thy sheep cotes: so that if it were possible the very perfect persons should be brought into error: thou seest with what winds, with what waves, with what storms thy silly ship is tosl d, thy ship wherein thy little flock is in peril to be drowned. And what is now left but that it utterly sink and we all perish? Of this tempest and storm we may thank our own wickedness and sinful living, we discern it well and confess it, we discern thy righteousness, and we bewail our unrighteousness: but we appeal to thy Mercy, which surmounteth all thy works; we have now suffered much punishment, being scourged with so many wars, consumed with such losses of goods, shaken with so many floods, and yet appears there no where any Haven or Port unto us, being thus tired and forlorn among so strange evils, but still every day more grievous punishments, and more seem to hang over our heads. We complain not of thy sharpness, most tender Saviour, but we discern here also thy mercy, forasmuch as much grievouser plagues we have deserved. But O most merciful Jesus, we beseech thee that thou wilt not consider nor p. 86weigh what is due for our deservings, but rather what becometh thy mercy, without which neither the Angels in heaven can stand sure before thee, much less we silly vessels of clay. Have mercy on us, O Redeemer, which art easie to be intreated, not that we be worthy of thy mercy, but give thou this glory unto thine own Name. Suffer not those which either have not known thee or do envy thy glory, continually to triumph over us, and say, Where is their God, where is their Redeemer, where is their Saviour, where is their Bridegroom that they thus boast on? These opprobrious words redound unto thee. O Lord, while by our evils men weigh and esteem thy goodness, they think we be forsaken whom they see not amended. Once when thou sleptst in the ship, and a tempest suddenly arising threatned death to all in the Ship, thou awokest at the outcry of a few Disciples and straightway at thine Almighty word the waters couched, the winds fell, the storm was suddenly turned into a great calm; the dumb waters knew their makers voice. Now in this far greater tempest, wherein not a few mens bodies be in danger, but innumerable souls: we beseech thee at the cry of thy holy Church, which is in danger of drowning, that thou wilt awake. So many thousands of men do cry, Lord save us, we perish, the tempest is past mans power; it is thy word that must do the deed, Lord Jesu, Only say thou with a word of thy mouth, Cease, O tempest, and forthwith shall the desired calm appear. Thou wouldst have spared so many thousands of most wicked men, if in the City of Sodom had been found but ten good men. Now here be so …any thousands of men which love the glory of thy Name, which sigh for the beauty of thy house, and wilt thou not at these mens prayers let go thine anger, and remember thine accustomed and old mercies? Shalt thou not with thy heavenly policy turn our folly into thy glory? Shalt thou not turn the wicked mens evils into thy Churches good? For thy mercy is wont then most of all to succour, when the thing is with us past remedy, and neither the might nor wisdome of men can help it. Thou alone bringest things that be never so out of order into order again, which art the only Author and maintainer of peace. Thou framedst that old confusion wherein without order, without fashion confusedly lay the discordant seeds of things, and with a wonderful order the things that of nature fought together thou didst ally and knit in a perpetual band. But how much greater confusion is this, where is no charity, no fidelity no bonds of love, no reverence neither of Laws nor yet of Rulers, no agreement of opinions, but as it were in a misordered quire, every man singeth a contrary note. Among the heavenly Planets is no dissention, the Elements keep their place, every one do the office whereunto they be appointed: And wilt thou suffer thy Spouse, for whose sake all things were made, thus by continual discords to perish? Shalt thou suffer the wicked Spirits, which be authors and workers of discord, to bear such a swing in thy Kingedome unchecked? Shalt thou suffer the strong Captain of mischief, whom thou once overthrewest, again to inuade thy tents, and to spoil thy Souldiers? When thou wert here a man conversant among men, at thy voice fled the Divels. Send forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Spirit, which may drive away out of the brests of all them that profess thy Name, the wicked Spirits, masters of riot, of covetousness, of vain-glory, of carnal lust, of mischief and discord. Create in us, O our God and King, a clean heart, and renew thy holy Spirit in our brests, pluck not from us thy holy Ghost. Render unto us the joy of thy saving health, and with thy principal Spirit, strengthen thy Spouse and the Heardmen thereof. By this Spirit thou reconciledst the earthly to the heavenly: by this thou didst frame and reduce so many tongues, so many nations, so many sundry sorts of men into one body of a Church, which body by the same Spirit is knit to thee their Head. This Spirit if thou wilt vouchsafe to renew in all mens hearts, then shall all these forreign miseries cease or if they cease not, they shall turn to the profit and avail of them which love thee. Stay this confusion, set in order this horrible Chaos (O Lord Jesus) let thy Spirit stretch out it self upon these waters of evil wavering opinions. And because thy Spirit, which according to thy Prophets saying, containeth all things, hath also the science of speaking; make that like as unto all them which be of thy house, is one Light, one Baptisme, one God, one Hope, one Spirit; so they may also have one voice, one note, one song, p. 89professing one Catholick truth. When thou didst mount up to heaven triumphantly, thou threwest out from above thy precious things, thou gavest gifts amongst men, thou dealtest sundry rewards of thy Spirit. Renew again from above thy old bountifulness, give that thing to thy Church, now fainting and growing downward, that thou gavest unto her shooting up, at her first beginning. Give unto Princes and Rulers the grace so to stand in awe of thee, that they so may guide the Common-weal, as they should shortly render accompt unto thee that art the King of Kings. Give wisdom to be always assistant unto them, that whatsoever is best to be done, they may espy it in their minds, and pursue the same in their doings. Give to the Bishops the gift of prophecy, that they may declare and interpret holy Scripture, not of their own brain, but of thine inspiring. Give them the threefold charity which thou once demandest of Peter, what time thou didst betake unto him the charge of thy sheep. Give to the Priests the love of soberness, and of chastity. Give to thy people a good will to follow thy Commandments, and a readiness to obey such persons as thou hast appointed over them. So shall it come to pass; if through thy gift thy Princes shall command that thou requirest, if thy Pastors and Herdmen shall teach the same, and thy people obey them both, that the old dignity and tranquility of the Church shall return again with a goodly order unto the glory of thy Name. Thou sparedst the Ninivites appointed to be destroyed as soon as they converted to repentance; and wilt thou despise thy house falling down at thy feet, which in stead of sackcloth hath sighs, and in stead of ashes tears? Thou promisedst forgiveness to such as turn unto thee, but this self thing is thy gift, a man to turn with his whole heart unto thee, to the in…ent all our goodness should redound unto thy glory. Thou art the maker, repair the work that thou hast fashioned. Thou art the Redeemer, save that thou hast bought. Thou art the Saviour, suffer not them to perish which do hang on thee. Thou art the Lord and owner, challenge thy possession. Thou art the Head, help thy members. Thou art the King, give us a reverence of thy Laws. Thou art the Prince of peace, breath upon us brotherly love. Thou art the God, have pity on thy humble beseechers; be thou according to Pauls saying, all things in all men, to the intent the whole Quire of thy Church with agreeing minds and consonant voices for mercy obtained at thy hands, may give thanks to the Father, …on and Holy Ghost, which after the most perfect example of concord be distinguished in property of Persons, and one in nature, to whom be praise and glory Eternally.

Amen.

FINIS.

A TABLE of the CONTENTS of the several CHAPTERS or PARTITIONS in this Book. Which according to this Division, by Reading one of these Chapters every Lords Day, the whole may be Read over Thrice in the year.

PARTITION 1. OF the Duty of Man, by the light of Nature, by the light of Scripture: Of Faith, Sunday I.the Promises, of Hope, of Love, Fear, Trusting in God. page 1.

PARTITION 2. Of Humility, of Submission to Gods Will, in respect of Obedience, of Patience, in all sorts Sunday II.of Sufferings; and of Honour due to God in several wayes, in his House, Possessions, his Day, Word, Sacraments, &c. page 34.

PARTITION 3. Of the Lords Supper, of Preparation before Receiving, of Duties to be done at the Receiving, Sunday III.and afterwards, &c. page 67.

PARTITION 4. Honour due to Gods Name; of sinning against it; Blasphemy, Swearing, Assertory Oaths, Sunday IV.Promissory Oaths, Unlawful Oaths, of Perjury, of Vain Oaths, and the Sin of them, &c. page 98.

PARTITION 5. Of Worship due to Gods Name. Of Prayer and its several parts. Of Publick Prayers in Sunday V.the Church, in the Family: of Private Prayer: of Repentance, &c. of Fasting. pag 109

PARTITION 6. Of Duties to our selves. Of Sobriety, Humility; the great sin of Pride, the Danger, the Folly of this Sin. Of Vain-Glory, the Danger, Sunday VI.Folly, Me…ns to prevent it. Of Meekness, the Means to obtain it, &c. pag. 136.

PARTITION 7. Of Contentedness, and the Contraries to it, Murmuring, Ambi…ion, Covetousness, Envy; Helps to Contentedness. Of Duties which Sunday VII.concern our Bodies. Of Chastity, Helps to it. Temperance, Rules of Temperance in Eating, &c. pag. 158.

PARTITION 8. Of Temperance in Drinking, False Ends of Drinking, viz. Good fellowship. Putting away Cares, Passing away time, preventing reproach, …unday VIII.Bargaining, &c. pag. 177.

PARTITION 9. Temperance in Sleep; The Rule of it, &c. Of Recreation, of Apparel, and of the ends for …unday IX.which cloathing should be used. pag. 197.

PARTITION 10. Of DUTIES to our NEIGHBOURS. Of Justice, Negative, and Positive. Of the Sin of …unday X.Murther. Of the Hainousness of it, the Punishments of it, and the Strange Discoveries thereof; of Maiming, Wounds and stripes, pag. 206

PARTITION 11. Of Justice, about the Possessions of our Neighbour; against Injuring him as concerning Sunday XI.his Wife, his Goods, of Malice, Covetousness, Oppression, Theft: of Paying Debts, &c. pag. 226.

PARTITION 12. Of Theft; Stealing the Goods of our Neighbour. Of Deceit in Trust, in Traffick. Of Sunday XII.Restitution, and the Necessity thereof, &c. pag. 238.

PARTITION 13. Of False Reports, False Witness, Slanders, Whisperings. Of Despising and Scoffing for Infirmities, Calamities, Sins, &c. Of Positive Sunday XIII.Justice, Speaking the Truth. Of Lying. Of Humility and Pride. Of Envy, Detraction. Of Gratitude, &c. pag. 251.

PARTITION 14. Of Duty to Parents. Magistrates, Pastors, &c. Of the Duty of Parents to Children, &c. Reverence, Love, Obedience, especially in their Sunday XIV.Marriage, Ministring to their wants, of the Duty of Parents to their Children. pag. 278.

PARTITION 15. Of Duty to our Brethren and Relations; Husband, Wife, Friends, Masters, Servants, Sunday XV.&c. pag. 305.

PARTITION 16. Other Branches of our Duty to our Neighbour. Of Charity to Mens Souls, Bodies, Goods, Credit, Sunday XVI.&c. pag. 329.

PARTITION 17. Of Charity, Alms-giving, &c. Of Charity in respect of our Neighbours Credit, Of Peace-making. Of going to Law: Of Charity to our Sunday XVII.Enemies, &c. Christian Duties both Possible and pleasant. pag. 358.

A TABLE of the PRAYERS.

PRayers for Morning. page 3.

Prayers for Night. 11.

Collects for several Graces. 17.

A Paraphrase on the Lords Prayer. 31.

Pious Ejaculations out of the Book of Psalms. 34.

Brief heads of Examination before the Sacrament. 37.

Prayers before the Sacrament. 50.

Ejaculations at the Lords Table, &c. 55.

Prayers after the Sacrament. 56.

Prayers for the Sick. 65.

Ejaculations for the Sick. 74.

Prayers in times of Publick Calamities. 79.

A Prayer for this Church. 82.

A Prayer for the Peace of the Church. 84.

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End of the text · Richard Allestree, The Whole Duty of Man (1659)