A Sketch of the Life and Times of Bishop Taylor.

Chapter 1. Consideration of the General Instruments and Means Serving a Holy LIfe, by Way of Introduction.

Section I. The first general instrument of Holy Living, Care of our Time

• The first general instrument of Holy Living, Care of our Time.
• Rules for employing our Time.
• The Benefits of this Exercise.

Section II. 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.

Prayers and Devotions.

• 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.
• A Form of Prayer for the Evening, to be said by such who have not time or opportunity to say the public prayers appointed for this office.
• 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.

Chapter II. Of Christian Sobriety.

Section I. Of Sobriety in the General Sense.

• Evil Consequences of Voluptuousness or Sensuality.
• Degrees of Sobriety.
• Rules for suppressing Voluptuousness.

Section II. 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.

Section III. 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.

Section IV. 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.

Section V. Of Modesty.

• Acts and Duties of Modesty, as it is opposed to Curiosity.
• Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Boldness.
• Acts of Modesty as it is opposed to Indecency.

Section VI. 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.

Section I. 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.

Section II. 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.

Section III.Of Negotiation, or Civil Contracts.

• Rules and Measures of Justice in Bargaining.

Section IV. Of Restitution.

• Rules of making Restitution.

Prayers Relating to Justice.

• 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 Religion

Section I. Of Faith.

• Signs of true Faith.
• The Means and Instruments to obtain Faith are,

Section II. Of the Hope of a Christian.

• The Acts of Hope are...
• Rules to govern our Hope.
• Means of Hope, and Remedies against Despair.

Section III. 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.

Section IV. 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.

Section V. Of Fasting.

• Rules for Christian Fasting.
• The Benefits of Fasting.

Section VI. Of keeping Festivals, and Days holy to the Lord; particularly the Lords Day.

• Rules for keeping the Lords Day and other Christian Festivals.

Section VII. 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.

Section VIII. 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.

Section IX. Of Repentance.

• Acts and Parts of Repentance.
• Motives to Repentance.

Section X. Of Preparation to, and the Manner how to receive the holy Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

• The Effects and Benefits of Worthy Communicating.

Prayers for All Sorts of Men and All Necessities; Relating to the Several Parts of the Virtue of Religion.

• 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.