Christian Classics
‹ Holy Living
Contents
A Sketch of the Life and Times of Bishop Taylor. · Part 1A Sketch of the Life and Times of Bishop Taylor. · Part 2A Sketch of the Life and Times of Bishop Taylor. · Part 3Chapter 1. Consideration of the General Instruments and Means Serving a Holy LIfe, by Way of Introduction.The first general instrument of Holy Living, Care of our TimeRules for employing our Time.The Benefits of this Exercise.The Second General Instrument of Holy Living, Purity of Intention.Rules for our Intentions.Signs of our Purity of Intentions.Section III. The Third General Instrument of Holy Living; or the Practice of the Presence of God.Several Manners of the Divine Presence.Rules of exercising this Consideration.The benefits of this Exercise.For grace to spend our time well.The first Prayers in the morning, as soon as we are dressed.Another Form of Prayer for the Morning.An Exercise to be used at any time of the day.Evening Prayer.Another form of Evening Prayer, which may also be used at bed-time.Ejaculations and short Meditations to be used in the night, when we awake.>A Prayer for holy intention is the beginning and pursuit of any considerable action, as Study, Preaching, etc.A prayer meditating and referring to the Divine presence.Of Sobriety in the General Sense.Evil Consequences of Voluptuousness or Sensuality.Degrees of Sobriety.Rules for suppressing Voluptuousness.Of Temperance in Eating and Drinking.Measures of Temperance in Eating.Signs and Effects of Temperance.Of Drunkenness.Evil Consequents to Drunkenness.Signs of Drunkenness.Rules for obtaining Temperance.Of Chastity.The evil Consequent of Uncleanness.Acts of Chastity in general.Acts of Virginal Chastity.Rules for Widows or Vidual Chastity.Rules for Married Persons, or Matrimonial Chastity.Remedies against Uncleanness.Of Humility.Arguments against Pride, by way of consideration.Acts or Offices of Humility.Means and Exercises for obtaining and increasing the Grace of Humility.Signs of Humility.Of Modesty.Acts and Duties of Modesty, as it is opposed to Curiosity.Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to BoldnessActs of Modesty as it is opposed to Indecency.Of Contentedness in all Estates and Accidents.Instruments or Exercises to procure Contentedness.Means to obtain Content by way of considerations.Poverty or a low fortune.The Charge of many Children.Violent Necessities.Death of Children, or nearest Relatives and Friends.Untimely Death.Death unseasonable.Sudden Death, or Violent.Being Childless.Evil or unfortunate Children.Our own Death.Prayers for the Several Graces and Parts of Christian Sobriety.Chapter III. Of Christian Justice.Of Obedience to Our Superiors.Acts and Duties of Obedience to all our Superiors.Remedies against Disobedience, and Means to endear our Obedience; by way of consideration.Degrees of Obedience.Of Provision, or that part of Justice which is due from Superiors to Inferiors.Duties of Kings, and all the Supreme Power, as Lawgivers.The Duty of Superiors as they are Judges.The Duty of Parents to their Children.Rules for Married Persons.The Duty of Masters of Families.The Duty of Guardians or Tutors.Of Negotiation, or Civil Contracts.Rules and Measures of Justice in Bargaining.Of Restitution.Rules of making Restitution.A Prayer for the Grace of Obedience, to be said by all Persons under Command.A Prayer to be said by Subjects when the Land is invaded and overrun by barbarous or wicked People, enemies of the Religion or the Government.A Prayer to be said by Kings or Magistrates for themselves and their People.A Prayer to be said by Parents for their Children.A Prayer to be said by Masters of Families, Curates, Tutors, or other obliged Persons, for their Charges.A Prayer to be said by Debtors, and all Persons obliged, whether by Crime or Contract.A Prayer for Patron and Benefactors.Chapter IV. Of Christian Religion.Of the internal Actions of ReligionSection I. Of Faith.Signs of true Faith.The Means and Instruments to obtain Faith are,Of the Hope of a Christian.The Acts of Hope are,Rules to govern our Hope.Means of Hope, and Remedies against Despair.Of Charity, or the Love of God.The Acts of Love to God are,The Measures and Rules of Divine Love.Helps to increase our Love to God, by Way of Exercise.The two States of Love to God.Cautions and Rules concerning Zeal.Of the external Actions of Religion.Of reading or hearing the Word of God.Rules for hearing or reading the Word of God.Concerning Spiritual Books and Ordinary Sermons, take in these Advices also.Of Fasting.Rules for Christian Fasting.The Benefits of Fasting.Of keeping Festivals, and Days holy to the Lord; particularly the Lords Day.Rules for keeping the Lords Day and other Christian Festivals.Of Prayer.Motives to Prayer.Rules for the Practice of Prayer.Caution for making Vows.Remedies against Wandering Thoughts in Prayer.Signs of Tediousness of Spirit in our Prayers and all Actions of Religion.Remedies against Tediousness of Spirit.Of Alms.Works of Mercy, or the several Kinds of corporal Alms.Works of Spiritual Alms and Mercy are,Rules for giving Alms.Motives to Charity.Remedies against Unmercifulness and Uncharitableness.Remedies against Anger, by way of consideration.Of Repentance.Acts and Parts of Repentance.Motives to Repentance.Of Preparation to, and the Manner how to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.The Effects and Benefits of Worthy Communicating.A Prayer for the Graces of Faith, Hope, Charity.Acts of Love by way of Prayer and Ejaculation; to be used in private.A Prayer to be said in any Affliction, as Death of Children, of Husband or Wife, in great Poverty, in Imprisonment, in a sad and disconsolate Spirit, and in Temptations to despair.Ejaculations and short Meditations to be used in time of Sickness and Sorrow, or Danger of Death.An Act of Faith concerning the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment, to be said by Sick Persons, or meditated.Short Prayers to be said by Sick Persons.Acts of Hope, to be used by Sick Persons after a pious Life.A Prayer to be said in behalf of a Sick or Dying Person.A Prayer to be said in a Storm at Sea.Then make an Act of Resignation thus:A Form of a Vow to be made in this or the like Danger.A Prayer before a Journey.A Prayer to be said before the hearing or reading the Word of God.A Form of Confession of Sins and Repentance, to be used upon Fasting Days, or Days of Humiliation, especially in Lent, and before the Holy Sacrament.The Prayer.Special Devotions to be used upon the Lords Day, and the great Festivals of Christians.A Prayer to be said on the Feast of Christmas, or the Birth of our blessed Saviour Jesus; the same also may be said upon the Feast of the Annunciation and Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.A Prayer to be said upon our Birth-day, or Day of Baptism.A Prayer to be said upon the Days of the Memory of Apostles, Martyrs, etc.A Form of Prayer recording all the parts and mysteries of Christs Passion, being a short history of it: to be used especially in the week of the Passions, and before the receiving the blessed Sacrament.The Prayer.A Form of Prayer or Intercession for all Estates of People in the Christian church. The parts of which may be added to any other forms; and the whole office, entirely as it lies, is proper to be said in our preparation to the Holy Sacrament, or on the day of celebration.The Manner of using these Devotions by way of Preparation to the receiving of the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper.A Prayer of Preparation or Address to the Holy Sacrament.Ejaculations to be said before or at the receiving the Holy Sacrament.

Jeremy Taylor · 17 of 155

Another Form of Prayer for the Morning.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, etc. Our Father, etc.

Most glorious and eternal God, Father of mercy, and God of all comfort, I worship and adore thee with the lowest humility of my soul and body, and give thee all thanks and praise for thy infinite and essential glories and perfections, and for the continual demonstration of thy mercies upon me, upon all mine, and upon thy holy catholic church.

II.

I acknowledge, dear God, that I have deserved the greatest of thy wrath and indignation; and that, if thou hadst dealt with me according to my deserving, I had now, at this instant, been desperately bewailing my miseries in the sorrows and horrors of a sad eternity. But thy mercy triumphing over thy justice and my sins, thou hast still continued to me life and time of ; thou hast opened to me the gates of and mercy, and perpetually callest upon me to enter in, and to walk in the paths of a holy life, that I might glorify thee, and be glorified of thee eternally.

III.

Behold, O God, for this thy great and unspeakable goodness, for the preservation of me this night, and for all other thy graces and blessings, I offer up my soul and body, all that I am, and all that I have, as a sacrifice to thee and thy service, humbly begging of thee to pardon all my sins, to defend me from all evil, to lead me into all good; and let my portion be amongst thy ones in the gathering together of the , in the kingdom of and glory.

IV.

Guide me, O Lord, in all the changes and varieties of the world; that in all things that shall happen I may have an evenness and tranquility of spirit; that my soul may be wholly resigned to thy divine will and pleasure, never murmuring at thy gentle chastisements and fatherly correction; never waxing proud and insolent, though I feel a torrent of comforts and prosperous successes.

V.

Fix my thoughts, my hopes, and my desires upon heaven and heavenly things; teach me to despise the world, to deeply for my sins; give me holy purposes of amendment and ghostly strength, and assistance to perform faithfully whatsoever I shall intend piously. Enrich my understanding with an eternal treasure of Divine Truths, that I may know thy will: and thou, who workest in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure, teach me to obey all thy commandments, to believe all thy revelations, and make me partaker of all thy gracious promises.

VI.

Teach me to watch over all my ways, that I may never be surprised by sudden temptations or a careless spirit, nor ever return to folly and . Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips, that I offend not in my tongue, neither against piety nor . Teach me to think of nothing but thee, and what is in order to thy glory and service: to speak nothing but of thee and thy glories; and to do nothing but what becomes thy servant, whom thy infinite mercy, by the graces of thy Holy Spirit, hath sealed up to the day of .

VII.

Let all my passions and affections be so and brought under the dominion of , that I may never, be deliberation and purpose, nor yet by levity, rashness, or inconsideration, offend thy Divine Majesty. make me such as thou wouldst have me to be: strengthen my faith, confirm my hope, and give me a daily increase of , that, this day and ever, I may serve thee according to all my opportunities and capacities, growing from to , till at last, by thy mercies, I shall receive the consummation and perfection of , even the glories of thy kingdom, in the full fruition of the face and excellencies of God the Father, the Son, and the ; to whom be glory and praise, honour and adoration, given by all angels, and all men, and all creatures, now, and to all eternity. Amen.

*To this may be added the prayer of for others, whom we are bound to remember, which is at the end of the foregoing prayer; or else you may take such special prayers which follow at the end of the fourth chapter (for parents, for children, etc.).

After which, conclude with this Ejaculation. Now in all tribulation and anguish of spirit, in all dangers of soul and body, in prosperity and adversity, in the hour of death and in the day of judgment, holy and most blessed Saviour Jesus, have mercy upon me, save me, and deliver me and all faithful people. Amen.

*Between this and noon, usually are said the public prayers appointed by authority, to which all the clergy are obligated and other devout persons that have leisure, to accompany them.

*Afternoon, or at any time of the day, when a devout person retires into his closet for private prayer or spiritual exercises, he may say the following devotions.