The Daily Practice of Devotion, Title page – Part
THE Daily Practice OF DEVOTION: OR, The Hours of Prayer FITTED To the main Uſes of a CHRISTIAN LIFE.
Alſo Lamentations and Prayers for the Peaceful re-ſettlement of this Church and State.
By the late Pious and Reverend H. H. D. D.
Cum clamore valido & lachrymis preces offerens exauditus eſt pro ſua reverentia.
LONDON, Printed for R. Royſton, Bookſeller to His moſt Sacred Majeſty, MDCLXXXIV.
The Introduction.
ALL things tend naturally toward ſome certain End, and deſire ſome Good, the attainment of which is the Perfection of their Nature, and the enjoyment of it their Supreme Happineſs.
The higheſt Perfection and Happineſs of Mankind conſiſts in their neareſt approach unto God the ſupreme End and only Good.
The only means of thus approaching and applying our ſelves to God is, a ſincere Love of him; the Natural effect and expreſſion of which is, our keeping his Commandments, 1 John 3. 5.
Now the whole Service of God, which is that we call Religion, being in the Holy Scriptures largely and plainly declared to the meaneſt underſtandings, may ſeem to be all comprehended under theſe three Heads: Faith, Works and Prayer.
I. By Faith we nnderſtand the hearty Belief of whatſoever is revealed by God.
II. By Works, the diligent Obſerving of whatſoever is commanded by God.
III. By Prayer, the humble Petitioning for all requiſites to that end.
Of the Firſt we have a ſhort Summary in the Apoſtles Creed.
Of the Second, in the Two Tables of the Law.
Of the Third we have an excellent Pattern in the Lords Prayer.
Of which, though the laſt be the only Subject of our preſent Diſcourſe, yet the Firſt and the Second were to be mentioned, being the natural Introductions to it.
The Apoſtles Creed.
I Believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
And in Jeſus Chriſt, his only Son, our Lord, which was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, born of the Virgin Mary, ſuffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he deſcended into Hell; the third day he roſe again from the dead, he aſcended into Heaven, and ſitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he ſhall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghoſt, the Holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints, the Forgiveneſs of Sins, the Reſurrection of the Body, and the Life everlaſting. Amen.
The two Tables of the Law.
I. THou ſhalt have none other Gods but Me.
II. Thou ſhalt not Worſhip any kind of Image.
III. Thou ſhalt not take the Name of God in vain.
IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.
V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother.
VI. Thou ſhalt do no Murder.
VII. Thou ſhalt not commit Adultery.
VIII. Thou ſhalt not Steal.
IX. Thou ſhalt not bear Falſe Witneſs.
X. Thou ſhalt not Covet any thing that is thy neighbours.
The Lords Prayer.
OUR Father, which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name:
Thy Kingdom come:
Thy Will be done, in Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our treſpaſſes, as we forgive them that treſpaſs againſt us.
And lead us not into Temptation; But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Contents.
OF the daily practice of Devotion. Pag. 1
Of ſet Forms of Prayer. 2
Of the Lords Prayer. 3
The Lords Prayer. 4
The Paraphraſe. 5
Of the parts of Prayer. 7
Of the Difficulty of Prayer. 9
Preparatives to Prayer. 10
Preparatory Prayers. 14
A General Form of Prayer. 15
The Seven Hours of Prayer for every day. 31
The Firſt Hour. 35
The Second Hour. 43
Of Publick Prayer the third hour. 59
The Third Hour. 63
The Fourth Hour. 69
The Fifth Hour. 79
The Sixth Hour. 85
The Seventh Hour. 93
Of Solemn Repentance. 109
A General form of Confeſſion. 115
Of the Lords Supper. 129
Of Frequent Receiving. 133
Of Preparation. 137
Prayers before the Sacrament. 141
Before the Bread. 146
After the Bread. 147
Before the Cup. 148
After the Cup. ibid.
An Hymn. 149
After the Sacrament. 151
An Admonition after Receiving. 153
Of Death. 157
A Prayer Preparatory to Death. 160
Lamentations and Devotions for Times of Captivity. 163
Pſalms. 172
Prayers. 183
A Prayer for the Church. 190
A Prayer for the King and State. 195
A Prayer for all Chriſtian Princes and the Eccleſiaſtical State. 202
foreign Clem. Alexander. Stromat. lib. 7. p. 728.
OF THE DAILY PRACTICE OF DEVOTION.
Micah 6. 8.
He hath ſhewed thee, O Man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do Juſtly, and to love Mercy, and to walk Humbly with thy God?
Of Prayer.
AS Religion is the Life of the Soul, ſo Prayer is the Soul of Religion, and the Breath by which it lives and moves, without which it is ſtifled up and dies.
It is a piece of Service, as moſt acceptable to God, ſo moſt uſeful to us: for as in it we make our daily acknowledgment, and do homage as it were to the Great King, ſo in it we have continual acceſs into his high Court, to offer up our Petitions to Him, to make known our Wants, and implore his gracious Relief.
Of ſet Forms of Prayer.
AND although the perpetual changeableneſs of all things in this tranſitory Life do every day alter our occaſions, and create to us new neceſſities; yet our great and common wants and intereſts remaining ſtill the ſame, in all reaſon we may ſtill uſe the ſame words to expreſs them to God.
Our extraordinary Neceſſities may be added and inſerted in their proper places in our ordinary Prayers, as our daily occaſions ſhall require.
Otherwiſe, being comprehended under the general heads expreſſed in our uſual Form, it will not always be neceſſary to mention them particularly to Him that knows what things we have need of before we ask, Mat. 6. 7, 8.and neither hears us the ſooner, nor underſtands us the better for our many words.
Of the Lords Prayer.
AND indeed any ſober Chriſtian may abundantly ſatisfie himſelf both of the Lawfulneſs of Set Forms, and the Uſefulneſs of Short ones, from the Direction and Example of our Lord, who Himſelf preſcribed to His Diſciples a Brief Form of Prayer, ſtill remaining upon record in the Holy Hiſtory, and daily uſed in the Catholick Church.
Which excellent Pattern, Mat. 6. 9.doubtleſs,Luke 11. 2. we may do well to imitate in our Devotions, as that which in a fit method and few words comprehends and ſumms up all neceſſaries; as may appear by this Short Paraphraſe.
The LORD's PRAYER.
OUR Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name: Thy Kingdom come: Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread;
And forgive us our Treſpaſſes, as we forgive them that treſpaſs againſt us.
And lead us not into Temptation; but deliver us from Evil.
For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.