The practical Christian: or, The devout penitent. A book of devotion, containing the whole duty of a Christian, in all occasions and necessities. Fitted to the main uses of a holy life

Front matter

H

^H BSsi BBS

JwBBwiPMi

Part II. • Chapter T

Of the two general Christian Duties required, in order to the Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ . . . . 213

CHAPTER II.

Meditations and Prayers preparatory to the Holy Communion, the week before 227

CHAPTER III.

Meditations and Prayers for the Friday especially before the Communion 233

CHAPTER IV.

St. Augustine's Recommendation of the Passion of Christ unto God the Father 242

CHAPTER V.

St. Ambrose's Commemoration of our Saviour's Passion 2-15

CHAPTER VI.

St. Gregory's Prayers upon the Passion of Christ . . 249

CHAPTER VII.

The Form of Prayer used by our Lord upon the Cross, viz. the twenty-second Psalm Paraphrased .... 251

CHAPTER VIII.

Meditations and Prayers preparatory to the Blessed Sacrament, on Saturday night, or Sunday morning before 264 xlviii CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IX.

Meditations upon your going to Church ; with some short Directions for your demeanour in the House and in the Service of God 271

CHAPTER X.

Meditations and Prayers at the Blessed Sacrament . . 281

CHAPTER XI.

Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving after the Holy Communion : . . . . 295

Meditations upon the Dwelling of God in the Hearts of His People 303

Meditation III. Holy Breathings of the Soul after God 312

Meditations upon Unity in the Public Worship of God 315

The hundred and thirty^third Psalm Paraphrased . . 318

THE

PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN.

PART I.

Chapter I

Whosoever believes as a Christian his soul to be immortal, being either entitled to everlasting joy through faith and obedience to the Gospel of Christ, or liable to eternal wo a through disobedience and misbelief, must be very stupid and sottish, if he do not frequently " examine himself 5 ," whether he may reasonably conclude he is in the state of grace and salvation ; or of sin, and of death the " wages thereof ."

" All the works of the righteous and of the wise are in the hand of God : and no man knoweth either love or hatred, by all that is before him'." God hath kept secret to Himself His decrees of eternal salvation and damnation of each particular person : but yet each man's conscience, impartially examined, will acquaint him with very much of his condition, a John v. 28, 29. c Rom. vi. 23.

b Psalm iv. 4 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 5 ; Gal. vi. 4. d Eccles. ix. 1.

® 9

50 THE GREAT NECESSITY [PART I.

whether of wisdom or folly, of righteousness or sin, of life or of death to all eternity.

2. That every man should know himself, is such a fundamental principle of true wisdom, that wise men of old affirmed Nosce teipsum, to be a command immediately derived to the sons of men, by a voice from Heaven, as being absolutely necessary to the right guidance of all the actions of human life upon earth. " Many sciences are invented (saith Bern.) by the sons of men ; but there is none greater, none more profitable, than each man's knowledge of himself. There is not a more compendious way to the knowledge of God, than the knowledge of a man's self*."

He who knows every thing, and knows not himself aright, knows in effect as much as comes to nothing.

3. The reasonable soul, were it not debauched by the sensual appetite, and distracted by the hurry of exorbitant desires, could not but often remember herself, examine and call to mind the Author and End of her being ; the immortality and dignity of her nature ; what is her errand into this world, and how she shall subsist in the world to come; what is her chiefest good, and wherein her perfection and felicity consists : which cannot be merely to eat and drink and sleep, purchase lands, build houses, satisfy the

lusts of the flesh, swell with pride of life. She

would consider that she is stamped after the image of

e Bern, de Interiori Domo, c. 12. 0. @

Chap. I.] Of Self-examination. 51

God, and her happiness consists in the knowledge, love, and enjoyment, of the Divine Majesty, and in the imitation and representation (according to her model) of the perfections of the Godhead.

It is peculiar to God alone, to be essentially blessed in Himself, even in the contemplation and fruition of His own perfections from everlasting to everlasting. And yet so great is the goodness of God, that he hath made man capable of the same blessedness with Himself; to enjoy not another, but the same felicity which God Himself enjoys in the enjoyment of Himself. That is the great end and perfection of man's being in nature, eVen through all the degrees of grace, to see the fair beauty of God in glory, and to love Him and praise Him for ever.

But, alas ! vain " man being in honour, hath no understanding," considers not the honour of his being after the image of his Maker; but receives his divine immortal soul in vain, whilst he follows the sway of his sensual irrational appetite, and " is compared to the beasts that perish'."

4. And well it were for all such inconsiderate and imprudent persons, if their souls were as perishing and mortal as those which animate the beasts of the field. But to their eternal sorrow it is far otherwise : for there is an account to be given by every man of his immortal soul, and of the image of God stamped thereupon ; how this blessed image hath been either defaced or kept undefiled ; how it hath been obscured,

f Psalm xlix. 12. ®

52 THE GREAT NECESSITY [PART I.

or how shined ; how deformed, or how beautified, through all the actions of each man's life. For " God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be eviF."

5. Upon every man's examination, both in his particular, and in the general judgment, depends his everlasting well-being, or undoing for ever : each man's condition then shall be unchangeable, whether it be of glory, or misery. " They that have done good, shall go into everlasting life ; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire' 1 ." The execution of this saying can no more fail, than the eternal God Himself can fail, Who is the Fountain of truth and righteousness.

6. Since this great trial then shall be upon life and death eternal, it will be wisely done to try beforehand. Such is the advice of the wise Siracides : " Before judgment, examine thyself; and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy 1 ."

To examine, accuse, judge and condemn thyself in this life, may, through the merits of Christ, acquit thee in the life to come. So saith the Apostle ; "If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged'."

7. Now then (sinful man) delay not to pass judgment upon thyself: remember that the great Judge Himself hath said it, "I will reprove thee, and set before thee the things that thou hast done 1 ." Be wise g Eccles. xii. 14 ; Rom. ii. 16 : xiv. 10 ; 2 Cor. v. 10. h Matt. xxv. 46.

i Ecclus. xviii. 20. k 1 Cor. xi. 31. I Psalm 1. 21.

CHAP. I.] OF SELF-EXAMINATION. .")'.)

then, and prevent this sad and dismal reproof, by setting in order before thyself all the sins of thy life. And to this trial of thyself, these following particulars do necessarily concur.

(1.) A Tribunal must be erected; and this is not to be without thee, but within thee, even in thine own heart'".

(*2.) The Judge to sit upon this seat of judicature, must be thy reason guided by the law of the Most High ; wherein beware of a misunderstanding and " wresting" of the letter of the law, to pass any unjust and partial sentence upon thyself, for that may undo thee for ever 11 .

(3.) The Witnesses to be produced against thee, are, The conscience bearing witness, and the thoughts the meanwhile accusing or excusing one another : and thus shall it be also " in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus"."

(4.) The Executioners that stand ready to seize the criminal, are, Fear and Terror, and an horrible dread overwhelming the soul 1 . These do ever attend,

(5.) Self-Condemnation, which is an unfeigned and sad acknowledgment to have incurred the dismal sentence of condemnation to death eternal. To prevent which,

(6.) Execution must be done, and the blood of the guilty soul must be shed.

It is not to be believed or hoped, that a black, dis-

m 1 John iii. 20, 21. n 2 Pet. iii. 16. ?

o Rom. ii. 15, 16. p Phil. ii. 12 ; Ps. Iv. 5.

54 THE GREAT NECESSITY [PART I.

eased soul, should recover its health and beauty after the image of God, except she bleed plentifully ; bleed in the tears of compunction and godly sorrow ; bleed in the confession of her sins, with an abhorrence of them, for the filthiness, guilt, and danger contracted by them, so, as for the future, to renounce and abjure them for ever.

8. Thus to examine, judge and condemn thyself, is the same Christian duty which is called Repentance. For as by self-examination, so by repentance, such as know not themselves, through pride and ignorance, attain this saving knowledge in the acknowledgment of the truth, " and recover themselves out of the snares of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his willV The great necessity of repentance, in order to escape eternal perdition, is most clearly and positively affirmed by our Lord, saying, " Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish*"." And He saith the same words again, at the same time, and in the same text recorded; 1. To enforce the great necessity of repentance, against all carnal, careless, self-conceited and seduced persons. 2. To manifest His great goodness, " Who would not have any to perish, but that all should come to repentance"."

9. Sinners we are all, less or more 1 ; but God, in great mercy, has ordained and commanded repentance, as the great antidote against the poison of sin, and preservative from death' 1 . And that repentance, q 2 Tim. ii. 25, 26. r Luke xiii. 3, 5.

s 2 Pet. iii. 9. t James iii. 2. u Matt. iii. 7, 8.

I

CHAP. I.] OF SELF-EXAMINATION. 55

which is thus salutary, consists of two general parts : 1. To confess with sorrow our sins past ; 2. For ever to abjure and forsake them. And to such a true penitent only is mercy promised*.

10. To both these general heads of true repentance, a full knowledge and deep sense of all heinous sins, even punctually and particularly, is absolutely necessary. For no man can confess his sins, who knows them not; nor forsake them, who is not feelingly sensible of the guilt and danger contracted by them v .

Self-examination is therefore commanded, as a previous duty necessarily conducing to a true conversion 7 , or (which is the same) to a true repentance, both in respect of all its integral parts, and also of the fruits meet for repentance, which are no other but the " good works 3 " of a new obedience.

11. " The just man falleth seven times 1 :" and upon consideration of his seven times daily failings, he hath seven times daily confessions to the praise of God i ; with frequent lamentations in the night also. 6 . At least twice a day, morning and evening, he takes a view of his miscarriages the by-past day and night, confessing and bewailing his frequent backslidings ; and in all holy humility imploring, with tears of godly sorrow, the pardon of his daily offences, with firm resolution of more care and caution, more zeal of inx Prov. xxviii. 13 ; John viii. 11 ; 1 John i. 9. y Psalm li. 3 ; Isaiah lix. 12. z Psalm iv. 4 ; Lam. iii. 40. a Col. i. 10. b Prov. xxiv. 16.

c Psalm cxix. 164. d Jos. vii. 19. e Psalm vi. 6 ; Ixxvii. 6.

56 THE GREAT NECESSITY [PART I.

nocence and purity both in heart and life, for the time to come.

12. It is a great imprudence, even madness, in the hearts of men, to put off from day to day this self-examination, or reckoning with ourselves. Since it is difficult to account strictly for the misdemeanors of one day, how much more hard then to set straight and even the accounts of a long sinful life ! whereas he who daily accounts with himself, and his offended God, for his daily transgressions, shall have but one day's sins to account for upon his dying day f .

13. We read of Moses, that his leprous hand was made whole, and recovered its native whiteness, by thrusting it into his bosom 11 : and thus is the soul cleansed from the leprosy of sin, by thrusting the hand, which is the instrument of action, into the bosom of thine own conscience, to enter, and strictly to search into the inner man ; to ransack all the corners of the deceitful heart ; to examine what affections lurk there, and what excursions they have thence made into any extravagant and sinful actions ; that they may be thence ejected and abandoned.

This is the way both to keep the heart pure, and the hands clean : hence comes both the knowledge of thyself, and the fear of God : hence comes sense of sin, holy compunction, godly sorrow, humiliation, and true repentance, in all its branches and worthy fruits. Hence the soul becomes inflamed with the ardent heats of holy devotion, and fervent prayers for pardon

f Luke xii. 42, 43. g Exod. iv. 7.

© — — — — ~ — — <3>

OF SELF-EXAMINATION'.

and peace, mercy and grace, sanctification and redemption. Hence arise in the heart holy resolves of new obedience, with holy breathings after God and His salvation. Therefore is this duty of self-examination, called the magazine or storehouse of all Christian virtue.

14. And because, to receive worthily " the Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ," is the chiefest of all Christian performances, and requires the practice of all Christian virtues ; therefore, after an especial manner is self-examination commanded as a necessary preparative to that Sacramental feast ; which, from the doctrine of St. Paul, we are taught in the principles of our religion, where, in the last question of the Catechism it is demanded, " What is required of them that come to the Lord's Supper ?" and it is answered, " To examine themselves, whether they truly repent them of their former sins."

Chapter II. The Rule Of Self-examination By The Vow In Baptism

Since self-examination is a duty of so great, so high, so general concernment as hath appeared ; it will be necessary that it be sincerely and thoroughly performed, not slightly, partially, and deceitfully ; not by any false rules and erring opinions, but by such a rule as will not deceive us, w T hen we shall come to our great examination and trial at the last day.

2. There are too many who do flatter and deceive themselves, by a bare and naked faith in Christ ; by virtue whereof, they conceit themselves to be justified, and of the number of God's elect, and assured of salvation. But these are groundless presumptions, except thy "-faith" do "purify thy heart from all inordinate affections' 1 ;" and " cleanse thy hands from all sinful actions 1 ;" and be also "fruitful in all good works."

It is an undoubted truth, that " whosoever believeth in the only-begotten Son of God, shall not perish, but shall have everlasting life 1 ." But then this saving' faith must not be only speculative in the brain, and fruitful in the fancy, and presumptive of the Divine h Acts xv. 9.

i 2 Cor. vii. 1 j James iv.

k John iii. 16.

: LP. II.] EXAMINATION BY THE VOW IN BAPTISM. 59

favour; but such a faith as is practical in the heart, lively, vigorous, and working by love, which is the fulfilling of the law, and implies an universal obedience to the Gospel of Christ.

3. The true rule of self-examination, which will not deceive us. is that according to which we shall be examined and tried at the last day ; and that is not our notions, and conceptions, and presumptions of or upon a bare faith in Christ, but the rule of Christian charity, as it is the life of faith, and a compendium of the holy Gospel of Christ .

4. The sum of evangelical obedience, is expressed in that vow which every true Christian hath made when he was baptized or christened. And by this, as St. Gregory observes', every man may try the truth of his faith in Christ. For as no man can be said to be faithful, who* keeps not his promise : so neither can any Christian be said to have any true faith towards God, if he performs not the promise he hath made unto Him : for herein doth his righteousness consist, and hereupon his everlasting salvation depends, through the merits of Christ.

5. This Baptismal vow, is the condition upon which we are admitted into the Covenant of Grace. and "made members of Christ, children of God, and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven."' And therefore they who perform not this condition, but slight, neglect, or negligently observe the same, do uncovenant themselves, and return again to their natural state of sin

1 Matt. xxv. 35: 9 Thess. i. BL m Gregor. Horn. 19.

i ® and misery ; " become children of wrath, enemies of God, and heirs of eternal damnation"."

6. The holy Christian religion we all profess, is no other but God's Will and Testament, wherein a goodly inheritance is promised and bequeathed ; but not to be obtained, as St. Augustine observes , except, as in all other testaments, we observe the will of the testator : nor is there any thing more clearly expressed in the revealed will of God, than this, That the benefits of the Covenant of Grace belong only to them, who keep the condition therein required 1 *.

7. Every wilful sin is a breach of this covenant, and contracts therewith the sin of perjury, and incurs the forfeiture of all the precious benefits of the members of Christ, children of God, and heirs of Heaven : so that no man can reasonably conclude himself within the Covenant of Grace, until the leaven of wickedness, which is a breach of its condition, be strictly searched out and expurged .

According therefore to this covenant, which we have every one (rightly christened) made with God, it concerns every man to examine himself, who hath any care of his soul.

8. This condition consists of three general heads, called in Holy Writ by the three names of, 1. Repentance, 2. Faith, 3. Obedience, containing thereunder the whole duty of a Christian man.

9. Repentance consists not only in confession,

n Heb. x. 23. 26—29. o Aug. Ser. de Tern. 167.

Chap. Ii.] The Vow In Baptism. 61

with sorrow for sin past ; but in performance for the future of that grand evangelical duty whereby we forsake sin, renounce all " fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness r ," " deny ungodliness and worldly lusts 5 :" the which, with several more expressions of the same nature, are the very same in sense with the first part of our Baptismal vow ; viz. " To forsake the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh," which is frequently remembered to be one of the two main ends of all that Christ hath done and suffered for us 1 .

10. This being therefore " the preparation of the Gospel of peace' 1 ,'' and " the foundation of religion 3 "/' is the first general rule of self-examination,

BY THE FIRST PART,

To forsake the devil and all Ms ivories ;

And it highly concerns us surely to do this, since they are the children of the devil, who do his works 7 .

The devil's first and general work was apostasy : he abode not in the truth ; " he kept not his first estate 2 ." Here then, in the first place, consider seriously and impartially, nay, daily, if not hourly, thou hast yielded to the suggestions of Satan, and become like unto him, by swerving from thy first profession of the holy Christian faith, and vow of obedience to God's commands when admitted into covenant with God in Baptism.

r Eph. v. 11. s Tit. ii. 12. t Luke x. 17—19. Col. i. 13. Tit. ii. 19. Heb. ii. 14, 15. u Eph. vi. 15. x Heb. vi. 1. y John viii. 44. z Jude 6.

The more particular works of the devil, are,

1. Pride ; whereby he fell from being an angel of light, to be a spirit of darkness".

2. Lying ; for " he is a liar, and the father of it\"

3. Malice, hatred, envy, with all the degrees of murder both in will and deed : "he was a murderer from the beginning . "

4. Slander, backbiting, and " accusing of the brethren 1 ;" from whence he takes the name of devil.

5. Tempting unto sin : that is the incessant work of the devil, who " continually goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour 1 ."

Examine then, whether, according to thy promise made unto God, thou hast manfully fought under the banner of Christ, against the crafts and assaults of the devil, tempting thee to any of these sins, or to any other miscarriage either in judgment or practice ; and hast not rather suffered thyself, oftener than thou canst possibly imagine, to be taken in his " snares, and led captive by him at his will'."

The pomps and vanities of this toiclced world. These are, in other words, " the pride of life," and "the lust of the eyes," which are positively affirmed to be inconsistent with the love of God*.

Upon this head examine, 1. Hath not thine heart been puffed up with the wind of vain-glory, which vents itself by boasting and

a Isaiah xiv. 14, 15. b John, viii. 44. c Ibid. d Rev. xii. 10.

e 1 Pet. v. 8. f 2 Tim. ii. 20. g 1 John ii. 16.

0- (2)

CHAP. II.] THE VOW IN BAPTISM. 63

bragging of "vain things" of the world which profit not , by over-costly and garish apparel 1 , high vaunting, imperious language, strutting gait, affected gestures, supercilious and scornful looks', affecting and " receiving the honour which is from man, more than the honour which cometh from God only 1 ?"

2. Have you not esteemed yourself more than others your equals, if not superiors"; either in respect of your worldly wealth and estate, place of credit and superiority' 1 , greatness of wit, readiness of elocution, boldness to outvie, cunning to overreach your neighbour, or in any other of those worldly qualifications and endowments, which usually swell the vain minds of worldly men with conceitedness of their own worth, and makes them "love the praise of men more than the praise of God ?"

3. Have no idle and lewd company, nor yet the ill example of others, allured you to follow any of those sinful customs of the world, which have some outward show of pomp and seeming bravery, but are really vain and empty of all true worth 5 ? Have you not delighted yourself in such "lying vanities," and loved even to be cozened both of your time and treasure in pursuance of them q ?

Have you not loved and served mammon more than God r , by preferring the sordid service of your worldly ends and interests, before the sacred service

h Psalm xii. 2. i Isaiah iii. 16, &c. k Ecclus. xix. 29, 30.

1 John v. 44. m Phil. ii. 3. n Psalm xlix. 6.

o John xii. 43. p Psalm cxliv. 11 ; Prov. i. 10, &<s. q Psalm iv. 2. r Matt. vi. 24.

64 EXAMINATION BY THE VOW IN BAPTISM. [PART I.

of God, and the interests of your soul's health and happiness ?

And all the sinful lusts of the flesh,

1. Hath not the corrupt seed of carnal lust taken root in your heart, and brought forth in your life any of those sinful " fruits of the flesh," which are reckoned by St. Paul to be these ; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, strifes, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelling, &c. s

2. If upon the strict examination of your heart and life, you find yourself guilty in any of these respects, then remember what follows, that " they who do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God:'' and such surely are not within the Covenant of Grace, neither have they any title to the promises thereof, whilst they continue in any of the forementioned sins unrepented ; for the promise only appertameth " to him that overcometh"," namely, "the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh."

The more particular breaches of this first part of your Covenant with God, will appear upon examination of yourself by those particular commands of God, which they do respectively transgress*

Chapter III

THE RULE OF SELF-EXAMINATION BY THE CREED ; OR, BY THE SECOND PART OF THE VOW IN BAPTISM, " TO BELIEVE ALL THE ARTICLES OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH."

" He that believes" (all the fundamental articles of the Christian faith) " shall be saved; but he ehat believeth not, shall be danined 5 ."

Here then examine,

1. If you have learned, being young, what are these articles or points of Christian faith whereunto you were baptized or christened ; and if you can now give a ready account of your faith ; and this both in the very words of your Creed, and also in the full sense and true meaning of each article thereof h .

2. Do you steadfastly believe the infallible truth of each article, though perhaps you understand it not in its full extent ? Are you zealously affected with them all, resolved to die in this faith, and, if occasion be, to die for it, "resisting even unto blood 1 ," whatever may oppose or infringe the same ; " earnestly contending for that faith which was once given to (or by) the Saints," the holy Apostles of our Lord !< ?

g Mark xvi. 16 ; John xii. 48. hi Pet. iii. 15.

i 1 Tim. vi. 12 ; 2 Tim. iv. 7. k Jude 3.

66 SELF-EXAMINATION BY THE CREED. [PART I.

3. Dost thou not only believe with the heart, but also frequently confess this faith with the mouth ? for as " with the heart man believeth unto righteousness," so, " with the mouth confession is made unto salvation 1 ."

4. Have neither the senseless neglect of some, nor the profane scoffs of others, made thee also neglect or be ashamed to confess thy faith in public ? And if so, thy faith is not sincere : for he that truly " believeth in God, will not be ashamed™" openly to profess it ; remembering that there is a dismal shame and confusion of face threatened to him that is " ashamed of Christ and His words"," which are summed up in the Creed.

5. Hast thou lived in the practice of this faith, framing both the affections of thy heart, and the actions of thy life , according to what each article doth imply, and implicitly command ? For thus " the just man lives by his faith p ."

6. Have you not been mistaken in the nature of a true Christian faith, making it to be a presumption upon the promises of the Gospel abstract from obedience to the precepts thereof? And hath not thy faith been rather notional in the brain, than practical in the heart and life? been more in talk and dispute, and verbal profession, than in love and good works q , and holy conversation? For " the kingdom of God is not in word but in power r " of holy actions, or in the keeping the Covenant of thy God.

1 Rom. x. 10. m Rom. x. 11. n Mark viii. 38. o James ii. 18. p Hab. ii. 4 ; Rom. i. 17. q Gal. v. 6 3 James ii. 17, r 1 Cor. iv. 20.

Chapter IV

THE RULE OF SELF-EXAMINATION BY THE DECALOGUE ; OR, SY THE THIRD PART OF THE VOW IN BAPTISM, " TO KEEP GOD'S HOLY "WILL AND COMMANDMENTS, AND TO WALK IN THE SAME ALL THE DAYS OF THY LIFE."

To obey God's commands, is properly to " serve" Him 5 ; which is frequently affirmed to be the plain road-way to Heaven 1 .

And it were a high presumption, as St. Augustine observes, to hope to obtain what God has promised, except we carefully observe what He has commanded.

These commandments are " the same which God spake in the twentieth chapter of Exodus"," the rule of righteousness being the same under the Law and under the Gospel ; only in the one it is more plainly and fully understood than in the other.