Living God yea even for the Dying God! When shall I come and appear in the Presence of God God Dying once yet Living ever When shall I come before the Dying-Living God I long for the Chariot that will bring me to Thee and will Kiss it tho' it be a Cross. I long for the Inn which will lodge me near Thee and will Embrace it tho' it be a Grave I long for the Bed which will raise me to Thee and will climb to it tho' it be a Gibbet O Cup of Salvation I will not refuse thee Tho' full even to the Martyrs Measure of Blood If from him thou shalt be drank and yet deem'd nothing to thy Saviour's Blood I long to be in thy Courts where thou art present in Spirit To be in thy holy Temple which is thy Chamber at the Altar and Table which is the Chair of thy Presence yea where in high and ineffable Mystery I find a Presence of thy Body and keep both a Commemoration and Communion of it and thy Blood But as I have my Longings so I have my Loathings I Loath the Life in which I cannot see Thee At best an Exile at worst a Trouble to thee I Loath my self for casting away Love on so base and unworthy a Life where I do either Crucifie Thee with my Sins or Wound Thee with my Miseries Where I renew Thy Passion by my Guilts or thine Agony by my Conflicts I Loath my self for Loving Thee no more who hast lov'd me so much I likewise Loath my self for Loving Sin so much which has been so great an Enemy to my dearest Lord. But then I have also my Joys I Ioy in thy Cross not in thy Grief O Christ. For can I see thy Sacred Body all gore and my heart not bleed The Spear be in thy Heart and no Sword at mine I will not I cannot endure it O my dearest Lord No! I Joy in the Root thine Infinite Mercy O God And in the Fruit the Perfect Redemption of Man It is finished Yes Blessed be the Blood that was the Price and blessed be the Body that laid out that Blood The Satisfaction is full Salvation is sure Sin is nail'd Hell foil'd Satan chain'd The World baffl'd The Flesh wounded Death slain The Grave buried Every Adversary's Power is conquered by Christ Triumphant in the Chariot of his Cross over all All is finished THERE are some very lavish in their Praises of the Wood of the Cross But it was the Blood of the Cross by which Redemption is Purchased And what Good doth not grow from and upon that Pulpit of Repentance Pillar of Faith Anchor of Hope Magazine of Charity Armory of Mortification School of Patience Mirror of Obedience Rock of Constancy Shop of Humility the whole Duty of a Christian. O blessed Root of God's Mercy that bringest forth the happy Fruit of Mans Grace and Glory O Tree of Death more blessed than the Tree of Life that hast such a Root and such Fruit Thus are my Joys Triumphant in thy Cross. But I Grieve to see Thee Crucify'd again O Christ and my Soul is Crucify'd for having a hand in thy Cross Wo to the World for offences which make Thee bleed afresh and bring Thee to thy Cross again Wo is me that see Thee daily Crucify'd betwixt Hereticks and Schismaticks Thieves of thy Truth between Hypocrites and Profligates Thieves of thy Grace amidst Men of Intemperate Heats and Cools in Religion Thieves of thy Honour I Grieve to see Thee Crucify'd in vain So much of the World lost when all was paid for A Price sufficient to have ransom'd not a World only but a Hell-full of Devils Effectual only to a handful of Men. Yea even within thy Holy Pale which should preserve thy Blood to a drop wo is me how is it spilt to a stream Whilst so many make void by their Sins the healing vertue of thy precious Blood By Unbelief how many Millions are lost out of the Church And by Mis-belief how many Thousands in it And by Miscarriage of Life how many Thousands of Millions both in and out My heart bleeds to see thy Creed without Faith thy Decalogue without Obedience thy Prayer without Use thy Sacraments without Reverence Nay to see it made Faith Conscience Devotion Zeal to have no respect to Sacrament Prayer Decalogue or Creed And Lord what Tears even of Blood are sufficient to bewail it O my dear Lord Can my Eyes see thee thus Crucify'd again Twice and in vain Once and my heart not grieve And yet tho' I grieve I am not without Hope And I hope in Thee and the Blood of thy Cross alone I hope for Pardon because I read it Seal'd in thy Blood I hope for Salvation because I find it Purchased under that Seal Wilt thou not make good thy Seal Wilt thou not prefer thy Purchase Nor Sin nor Devil then shall Damn me O Christ he shall not steal thy Purchase nor make void thy Seal Thy Blood is my Plea against both In it I see my Pardon and Salvation Written nor care I so thou be my Advocate for Saint or Angel to set to their Hands I hope in Thee for my Salvation AND so I do for my Mothers too the Spouse bought with thy Blood and Lov'd as thy Body O Lord thou art her Saviour and shall she want thy Salvation O let her not want thy Bowels for whom thou gavest thy Blood Behold her Miseries and forgive her Sins Till thy Blood hath no Vertue she is not without hope And I know O Lord that the Streams of thy Blood are not yet drain'd and that the Sea of thy Mercy still flows as fresh and free as ever And therefore will I hope still But I fear too I dread Temptation Thy Cross was made of Adams Tree I fear because he fell I Dread Desertion I want both David's Grace and Solomon's Wisdom and yet tho' I had both I shou'd fall if thou forsak'st me On the Cross thy Disciples left thee but let me never leave thee I dread Apostacy O keep me from that Sin from which even thy Blood thy Cross cannot or will not save me But then I fear my self for all this As my Sins nail'd thee to thy Cross so my Corruption rivets me in my Sins The heart is deceitful above all things and mine is desperately wicked and full of divers Lusts and Abominations And therefore from a Tempest of Temptation from the Gulph of Spiritual Desertion from the Precipice of Apostacy and from my self above all by the Vertue of thy Cross deliver me O Lord. O Christ my Spirit is Incens'd and I am full of Indignation for the Affronts and Injuries done unto thee To see thy Blood spilt or scorn'd to see thy Passion forgot or abus'd Thy Love without Memory or Value thy Pains without Belief or Remorse Who can endure O blessed Jesus to see thy Cross made the Devils Standard And thy Wounds the only shelter for Sinners turn ' d into
in Oblivion and the Voice of True Peace and Joy be heard again in our Land Lord let us have that Religion which may make us happy in Heaven and that True Peace which may give Time and Leave to Enjoy that Religion And to that end let Power be Establish'd upon Righteousness and Employ'd for the Preservation of thy Church and People and then maintain that Power and them O Thou by whom Kings Reign who hast promised to make them Nursing Fathers to thy Church Grant us these Blessings to the Glory of thy Name the Quiet of our Lives and the Saving of our Souls Even for thy dear Son our Saviour's Sake Amen A Prayer for Mercy to the Nation O Lord we are a Nation not to be beloved a Nation ready to be ruined for our Iniquities and for our Sins thou may'st justly destroy us both Prince and People But spare us good Lord spare us for thy Mercy sake Let the Blood of Jesus Expiate all our Guilts and the Spirit of Jesus amend our Misdoings O thou who wouldst not have one Sinner Dye suffer not Millions of poor Souls to perish Be reconciled to us in a Meditators Blood and be the Reconciler of us in a firm and blessed Peace God of Pity and Peace be at Peace with us and make it for us Even that Peace which none can take from us do thou make us Partakers of O thou holy One of God who camest into the World to take away the Sins of it O thou Prince of Peace pity a poor Church and Nation ready to Perish Pity that Church that hath so long maintain'd thy Truth and Worship in the Nation Pity them who are ready to perish for seeking to maintain thy holy Truth and Worship in thy Church And do thou from Heaven Preserve It and Us and Them O thou that hast the Power of Heaven and Earth in thy hand who stillest the raging of the Sea when the Waves thereof roar and lift up themselves make bare thy holy Arm for our Deliverance O God make haste to help us for we are brought very low stir up thy strength and come and save us and make no long tarying O our God but deliver us for thy Mercy sake Amen A Prayer for those that are in great Distress and Danger O God of Power and Pity who hast promis'd to regard the Prayer of the destitute and not to despise their Cry Look down O Lord from thy Sanctuary from the Heavens do thou behold the Earth to hear the groaning of the Prisoners and to loose those that are in danger of Death Rescue them from the rage of Violence and shew thy self Merciful to them in this time of their distress O thou Preserver of Men And grant them all Graces and Mercies needful for the saving of their Souls And let them glorifie thee both in Life and Death and do thou glorifie them with Life Eternal through the Merits and Righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord. In whose blessed Name I further beg for Mercy for all that suffer in these Times of Trouble Chiefly for those that are Destitute for the Widows and the Fatherless Let thy Mercy be extended to them in the daily supplying of their several Wants and Necessities Take them into thy peculiar Care O thou Father of the Fatherless and Judge of the Widow And be thou their Comfort Help and Succour for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Collect for Grace O God I can ask no greater Gift than thy Glory and therefore beg no better Gift than thy Grace yea even this perfect is nothing else but that Nor can I come at it but by the way of Grace I do therefore for Jesus Christ his sake beseech thee bestow on me this blessed Gift Grace to do thee Service on Earth that thou may'st give me thy Salvation in Heaven through the Merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Collect for Peace O God my poor Soul is an humble Suitor for Peace the Blood of Jesus is my Plea thy Spirit my Advocate I deserve by my Sins Eternal Enmity but for thy dear Sons sake have Favour for me By whom the World is Attoned O let me be Reconciled to thee I know not how to pray this as I ought but thy Spirit can make Effectual Intercession for me Lord let thy Spirit move and thy Son make my Peace Subdue my Lusts Conquer Satan for me that my Conscience may have Peace with thee and I in it by thy Grace through the Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Collect for Health O Lord when I am Sick let me think I may Die when I am in Health that I may be Sick that I may not mis-spend the stock of my Life but do thee Honour with my Health and thou mayst give me Comfort for it in my Sickness Even this that Sin hath not bound me to my Bed but thy Providence hath cast me down which can and will lift me up or to Health in this World or to Happiness in a better Such an Enjoyment of Health give me I beseech Thee for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Collect for Safety O Lord so many days as I live so many Lives I owe Thee Thou renewest my Lease every day A poor Tenant at thy Will I am and a frail Cottage of Clay by thy Power I keep Lord thou hast hitherto spar'd me still preserve me and let me pay as I can what I owe of Service the only Rent thou requiest for Tenement and Appurtenances Life Health Wealth and all the good things I have of thee for which thou both grantest Term of Life and givest Eternity This to that continue I beseech thee for his sake who was Surety and is sole Purchaser for me Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Collect for Friends O Lord graciously accept my Prayers for all my Kindred and Friends Do thou good unto them all O God To those that Err shew thy Truth and those that see it keep from Error To those that do amiss give Grace to do better and those that do well continue in so doing To those that are Afflicted give Comfort and Deliverance to those that Prosper Humility and Temperance Bless the Sick with Health and the Healthy from Sickness Supply those that want and let those that want not give Supply To all grant thy Grace O God and shew thy Mercy Let Love bind us one to another and Religion knit us all to Thee that all who are of Natural Kindred may meet in Heavenly Consanguinity Even so Lord let the Blood of Jesus run through all the Veins and the Spirit of Jesus go along with the Blood that the Glory of Jesus may be the End of us all And that hower we suffer and scatter on Earth we may Live and Joy together in the Bliss and Felicity of Heaven by the Union of that holy Spirit and Communion of that blessed Blood Amen and Amen A Collect for the Catholick Church O God of Peace send Unity
may all hope for the like Issue BUT to Enumerate more Examples of the Mutability of Riches is to hold a Candle to the Sun for who can walk the streets without meeting Variety of Instances How many Men who formerly liv'd plentifully and were in good Esteem for Wealth and Riches are now reduc'd from a Spring-Tide of Plenty to the lowest Ebb of Poverty Neither has this befallen one sort of Men alone but Men of all Ranks and Qualities Gentlemen Merchants Mariners Tradesmen Mechanicks Citizens and Country-men Yeomen and Farmers Those who were formerly as Rich as Croesus are now as poor as Conon and from a Dives turn'd into a Lazarus And if you shou'd Enquire by what means all this comes to pass some wou'd inform you 't was by Shipwrack at Sea others by Suretiship on Land some by bad Debtors and Politique Bankrupts those Pests of Trade and Shopwracks of the Citizens others by Sickness Physick and Physicians and some by grinding Vsury others by paying Forfeitures and double Taxes have been brought to an irrecoverable Consumption Some have been undone by Careless Thievish and Fugitive Servants And even Loyalty and a sense of our Duty to God and the King has through the Cunning Craftiness of some Men been made the occasion of Ruining many But besides all these there want not many that have been their own Ruine Some by Good or rather Bad Fellowship others by great House-keeping their Minds being too big for their Means some by Hawks Hounds Horses and Whores these are destroy'd by their own Lusts and Eaten by the Wolf bred in their own Flesh or as 't is Fabled of Actaeon are devour'd by their own Dogs And surely those may well be call'd Uncertain Riches that have so many Wings to fly away I had forgot to mention Fire which where it gets the Mastery proves very fatal and in a few hours time makes Beggars of the richest Merchants of which that dreadful one in London in the Year 1666. Serves for a thousand Instances Which shews sufficiently the mutability of Worldly Riches and what small cause we have of Trusting in ' em BUT tho' perhaps some Men may prove more fortunate and that their Riches shou'd stay with 'em as tho' they had been wedded to 'em not to depart for term of Life yet there must be a Separation when they come to dye For as the Word of Truth besides our own Experience infallibly assures us The Rich Man when he dyes shall carry nothing away with him his Pomp shall not descend to the Grave And therefore as the Excellent St. Augustine has it Vide Viventem cogita morientem quid hic habet quid secum tollit c. Eye the rich Man poise and ponder his Estate living dying to consider what he hath here and what he takes with him from hence Damascene hath a Notable Fiction of Three Friends which all professed Love to a Man and the Trial of it was this One Friend would stay with him all the time of his Health and Prosperity that Friend was Pleasure Voluptuousness and Mirth The Second Friend wou'd stay with him in his Sickness yea to the hour of Death that Friend was Riches but having brought him to the Grave there it left him The Third Friend goes with him beyond the Grave even to God's Tribunal and pleads for him there and this Friend is God's Fear and God's Favour This Friend is more worth than all the rest For as for the second Friend Riches that leaves us you see at the Grave These Friends saith Bernard either have their End before we dye or see our End when we dye either they forsake us or are forsaken of us We have already heard what holy Iob said Naked came we into the World and Naked shall we go out again And the great Saladine the Conquerour of Asia a second Tamberlain well apply'd it to himself for dying in his Army instead of all other Obsequies he ordered only a Linnen Cloth a Winding-sheet to be carried before him on the Top of a Spear throughout the Camp with this Proclamation Saladini quod Reliqnum Here 's all that 's left of great Saladine Ensigns Trophies Victories Triumphs are all included in this Linnen Rag the cover for my Dead Corps and except this all the rest must remain behind Our Houses Lands Wife Children we must shake hands with 'em all and bid a long Farewel to 'em when we come to dye Gulielmus Parisienses compares those that load themselves here with thick Clay to a Parcel of Boys that have robb'd an Orchard who after they have Eaten what they can stuff their Pockets Sleeves and Coats full to carry out with them but at the door there stands one that searcheth them takes all they have and sends them away with no more than they brought in The World says he is the Orchard the Cormorants of the World are those greedy Boys the Fruit stolen are Riches ingross'd and the Porter is Death who makes 'em leave it all behind ' em It is also compared to a poor Man invited to a rich Mans Table he has the use of his Plate to drink in and of his Silver Spoons to Eat his Broth with while he is there at the Feast but if he presumes to pocket up any Plate or to carry away the least Spoon there is search made by the Porter for what is missing and it is taken from him with disgrace We are in the World as in an Inn saith Tully and we may use it as our Hosts House and our Bed too that proper place to which God hath called us for the time we lodge but we must carry away no Cloaths no Coverings except we borrow a Winding-sheet useful only as the Secondine to the Child to wrap us in for Excepting this Death as a Common Pyrate or a Thief strips us of all the rest NOW what Contentment or Satisfaction can we propose to our selves in the Enjoyment of such Uncertain fluctuating Things Which either ere long will leave us or of necessity we must leave them It is surely a great argument of our Minds being plac'd upon Wrong Objects when we can mourn for the loss of such Flying and Lying Vanities The Soul's Expostulation DISQUIET not thy self O my Soul about the Things of this World nor set thine heart on that which is not If thou hadst not lost the World perhaps thou mightst have lost thy self in setting thy heart too much upon it And since God's Word has told thee That if any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him thou hast cause to rejoyce that thou hast lost that which might hadst thou kept it have caus'd thee to lose the Favour of GOD And yet what hast thou lost in losing it Or what didst thou gain by it when thou hadst it except Trouble and Care Thou hadst then no more than Food and Rayment and that thou hast still tho' thou hast lost thy Riches When
thou hadst most occasion for 'em then they left thee and fled away to strangers Is it not therefore far better to trust in the Living God than in uncertain Riches For Riches profit not in the Day of Wrath but Righteousness delivereth from Death And if thou mak'st it thy chief Business to seek first the Kingdom of GOD and the Righteousness thereof there is nothing necessary for thee but GOD has promis'd it shall be added to thee And wilt thou grieve because thou art depriv'd of Unnecessary Things Learn O my Soul to make the Will of God the measure of thy Desires And when thou desirest nothing but what God wills thou may'st desire what thou wilt and obtain it Thou mayst assure thy self that God wills what is best for thee and when thou hast conform'd thy Will to his thou needest not fear a blessed Issue And if what God has done appears not at the present best to thee it is not because it really is not best but because by reason of thy present Darkness thou canst not see it so God sees the End of all his Works from the beginning and perfectly knows the Events of all his Dispensations but thou O my Soul are short-sighted can'st not see far before thee and since thou canst not see what God intends by his present Providences 't is now thy time to live in the Exercise of Patience and glorifie him by believing A PRAYER O Most Merciful and gracious God who art the Well-spring of Life and an inexhaustible Fountain of Goodness be pleased to look in Mercy upon me poor and miserable Sinner who had been immers'd in the things of this Life and drown'd in the Love of the World hadst not thou in mercy taken them away from me O help me to acknowledge thy righteous hand herein and kiss that Rod wherewith thou hast so mercifully chastiz'd me And O most gracious God wilt thou please for the time to come to take off my Heart from the inordinate Love of Riches and all other things of this World and to place my Affections upon thy blessed Majesty who art my Souls supreme and ultimate Happiness and it s exceeding great Reward Convince me more and more of the Wickedness as well as Folly of my former Life in forsaking Thee the Fountain of Living Waters and hewing out to my self Cisterns broken Cisterns that could hold no Water Suffer me O Lord no longis to follow after Lying Vanities and so to forsake my own Mercy And let thy Love O thou God of my Life purge my Soul from the love of all other things whatsoever Thou hast said in thy Word That those that love Thee shall inherit Substance whilst I like a wretched Prodigal have been feeding on Husks and grasping at Shadows O let me not henceforth trust in uncertain Riches but in Thee the Living God and buy of Thee Gold Try'd in the Fire that so I may be truly rich and white Rayment that I may be cloathed Grant this O Lord and whatsoever else Thou seest necessary for me for Iesus Christ his sake Amen Our Father c. Meditation III. Of the Vanity of Worldly Pleasures PLEASURE is that which all pursue and covet tho' most mistake the Object of it It is that for which Men value their lives and without which they think it wou'd scarce be worth the Living But if they mean the Pleasures of this World abstracted from the Love of God and those unspeakable Delights that are in him there 's nothing in which men are more mistaken So far is Worldly Pleasure from making of Men happy that it puts 'em in a state of Death This St. Paul assures us 1 Tim. V. 6. She that liveth in Pleasure is dead while she liveth And large Experience confirms this Truth for those that have most affected it have always found it fatal LET us give a few Instances For we are apter to be led by Examples than Precepts The Philistines had taken Sampson thro' the Treachery of Dalilah Sampson wou'd needs enjoy his Pleasure with Dalilah but she refus'd to let him unless he told her where his strength lay which when she knew she straight betray'd him to his Enemies And this was the effect of Sampson's Pleasure When the Philistines had obtain'd this Prize it made 'em mighty merry and they must needs go take their pleasure too And Sampson whom they barbarously had blinded must be sent for that he might make them Sport But it was fatal Sport to the Philistines for Sampson having with some assistance grop'd out the two Supporters or chief Pillars of the House praying to God to strengthen him that he might be aveng'd for his two Eyes was heard and answer'd and Sampson pulls the House about their Ears whereby they all were slain which put a bloody Period to their Pleasure THE Persians were a People given up to Pleasure above other Nations which made 'em so effeminate as render'd 'em an easie Conquest to their Enemies Belshazzar was a Prince given to Pleasure and liv'd in great Voluptuousness and that not only in a time of Peace but when he was surrounded by his Enemies and Darius lay with a Vast Army on the other side the River Euphrates This notwithstanding Belshazzar was resolv'd to take his Pleasure and makes a great Feast to a Thousand of his Lords and drinks Wine before 'em even out of the sacred Vessels taken out of the Temple of the House of God which was at Ierusalem But while Belshazzar was taking of his Pleasure and Carrousing with his Lords there appears suddenly a Hand Writing upon the Wall which tho' the King understood not yet his Countenance was chang'd and his Thoughts so troubled him that the Ioynts of his Loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another This quickly put an End to all their Pleasure and fill'd 'em with Confusion and Astonishment And the sad Epilogue to this Jovial Feast was That God had number'd his Kingdom and finished it and that he was weigh'd in the Balances and found wanting and his Kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and Persians And that Night Belshazzar himself was slain which put a final End to all his Pleasure So that it is very evident that what is affirmed of Wordly Sorrow is much more true of Worldly Pleasure That it worketh Death And Solomon who of all Men was best able to Extract the quintessence of Pleasure and taste what was in it gives us this poor yet true Account of it after he had made the Experiment Behold this also is Vanity Eccles. II. 1 2. Not only Vain but Vanity it self in the Abstract and as if this was not enough he lays a greater Imputation on it in the next Verse where he tells us I said of Laughter It is mad and of Mirth What doth it And this he further Exemplifies by telling us It is better to go to the House of Mourning than to go to the House of Feasting Eccles. VII 2.
fear that great and dreadful Name The LORD our GOD And this prophane Swearing is also forbidden in the New-Testament our Blessed Saviour strictly enjoyning us not to Swear at all Mat. v. 34. And this St. Iames presses further saying Above all things my Brethren Swear not Jam. v. 12. Not that hereby we are forbidden to testifie the Truth of a matter upon Oath before a Magistrate as some dream for in this case St. Paul tells us That an Oath for Confirmation is an end of all strife Heb. vi 16. The intent therefore is That we abstain from all prophane Swearing which is a Taking of God's Name in vain and a procuring Cause of his Judgments upon a People and Nation of which there wants not plenty of Examples both Sacred and Prophane were it needful to insert ' em BUT that which more concerns us is To Enquire whether we are not grievously guilty hereof our selves and so are justly made an Example to others And in this case I must say Our guilt is too evident to be deny'd for we declare our Sin as Sodom and hide it not Our Tongues being oftner us'd in imprecating Divine Vengeance even Damnation it self upon our Souls than in imploring the Pardon of our Sins How many are there that pretend Love and Loyalty to our King yet will shew it no other way but by Drinking his health till they have lost their own and by their horrid execrable Oaths defying of the Majesty of Heaven Alas What can be expected from those Men that are every hour bidding Defiance to the Almighty and Daring God to damn them With what face can they pretend to love their King that thus affront their Maker Whoever thus harden'd himself against God and prosper'd It was these Fighters against Heaven that brought the Royal Martyr to the Block and were more guilty of his Death than the Regicides that condemn'd him or the Villanous Executioner that sever'd his Royal Head from his Sacred Body And it is such as these that have turn'd our Royal Master out of his Throne and forc'd him to Abdicate as some will have it his Crown and Kingdoms For when GOD was thus Engag'd against him by the reiterated Blasphemous Imprecations of his pretended Followers how cou'd he hope to stand For shame therefore Gentlemen let us either lay aside our pretences of Loyalty to the King or cease to offend GOD as we do every Day by Belching forth such Vollies of loud Oaths and Blasphemies against him For had we but as frequently Employ'd our Tongues in praying for him as we have done in cursing of our selves and in Blaspheming God we might have long since hop'd a better Issue If therefore we wou'd shew our selves good Subjects to the King let us approve our hearts to God as good Christians which we cannot do but by walking in his Ways and keeping of his Laws We have seen the fatal effects of Cursing and Swearing let us now steer a contrary Course and betake our selves to Prayers and Tears the Churches only Weapons in suffering Times Of which I shall say more at the Conclusion But 2. Whoredom and Adultery is another crying Sin that brings down God's Judgments upon a Nation This Sin is directly against the Seventh Commandment which forbids us to commit Adultery and however the Fools of this Age I mean such as make a Mock at Sin have stil'd it but a Trick of Youth and that the Roman Church calls it but a Vanial Sin yet we have a more sure Word of Prophecy even the holy Scriptures which tells us That for these things the Wrath of God comes upon the Children of Disobedience And well it may since the Author to the Hebrews assures That how slight so ever others make of it yet Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will judge And that this Sin brings down Judgments on a Nation the Prophet Ieremiah informs us Ier. v. 7 8 9. When I had fed them to the full then they committed Adultery and assembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses They were as fed Horses in the Morning every one Neighed after his Neighbours Wife This was their sin And what the effect of it was the next Verse shews us Shall I not Visit for these things saith the Lord And shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this This sufficiently expresses God's Anger against it especially when it is grown common IT now concerns us therefore to Examine our selves and see whether this also be not registred in that black Catalogue of Sins which we are guilty of And I am much afraid that there is but few of us that can say in this respect my heart is clean For the foot steps of this Sin are but too plainly to be trac'd among us And therefore all of us have reason to humble our Souls before God and to say O Lord to us belongs confusion of Face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Nobles as well as to the Commons because we have sinned against thee For my part I know not what unaccountable Liberty some Men give themselves in this matter as if those in high places had a Toleration or a License to Sin But I am sure God's Word allows none no not to the greatest of Men The Law of God is Thou shalt not commit Adultery and I know of no Exception Of this sin When King David himself was found guilty though he had an Illustrious Pardon sent him from Heaven Thou shalt not dye yet it did not Exempt him from Temporal Judgments for the Prophet Nathan told him plainly The Sword shou'd never depart from his House because he had despised God in taking the Wife of Vriah Therefore let all that are concerned herein how great soever they be humble their Souls under the mighty hand of God and turn from the Evil of their doings that God may be thereby reconciled unto us and have Mercy upon us For this is a sin that if not repented of will keep good things from us and make a Separation between us and our God And such have the more reason to do this because their Example may have corrupted many For Regis ad Exemplum totus Componitur Orbis And indeed this Sin has spread so exceedingly upon that account that I am perswaded it has been none of the least causes of God's heavy displeasure against us Yet will not this in the least justifye them of a lower degree who shall follow so ill an Example for by them God's holy Law is violated and Himself provoked by their Filthiness and themselves thereby made the cause of bringing down the Judgments of God both upon King and People such have therefore great reason forthwith to break off their Sins by Righteousness and turn from the Evil of their Ways that the Lord may pardon their Sins and heal our Land 3. Cruelty and Bloodshed is a great and crying Sin which defiles the Land and brings down Judgments from Heaven upon it Nay it
forc'd to with-draw himself they likewise with-drew their Loyalty This shews that times of Affliction are times of Trial by which God proves the Truth of our Love to him and our Zeal for him And by which we also may come to know the Deceitfulness of our own Hearts which is also the Design of God in our Afflictions as the holy Ghost testifies 2 Chron. xxxii 31. where speaking of Hezekiah we have these words Howbeit in the business of the Ambassadors of the Princes of Babylon who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the Land God left him to try him that he i. e. Hezekiah might know all that was in his Heart 6 Another Benefit that we receive by Afflictions is That they make us run to God Fulness and Prosperity oft makes us forget God and run away from him but Afflictions generally drive us to him and indeed is the only way to reclaim us This the Prophet Hosea tells us where God speaking of his People that had gone away from him and follow'd Idols threatens to bring Afflictions upon 'em I will be as a Lyon and as a Young Lyon to the House of Judah I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue Would you know God's design herein I will go says he and return to my Place till they acknowledge their offences and seek my Face But when will that be O says God In their Affliction they will seek me Early When we are walking abroad in the Fields and the Weather is good we are not solicitous about a Place of shelter but if a Storm arises and a Shower comes then we look out for a Shelter and make haste unto it God is call'd in the Scripture A Covert from the Storm and from the Rain Isa. iv 6. And therefore when the Tempest of God's Wrath arises and the Storm of his Anger is pour'd upon the World whither shall we run for safety but to Him who is a Covert from the storm and from the rain At such times especially we run to God as to our great Assylum and Refuge knowing that under the shadow of his Wings we shall be safe Thus it was in the Wilderness with the Israelites a stiff-necked generation continually provoking God by their unbelief and this they did to that degree that God often sent his Judgments amongst them by which many of them were destroyed and these Afflictions made them seek after and run to God for so the Psalmist tells Psal. lxxviii 34. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And tho' the Psalmist tells us that they did but flatter him with their Mouth and lied unto him with their Tongue and that their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant yet this running of theirs to him in the time of their affliction did so far prevail with God that he being full of Compassion destroyed them not but turned his Anger away and did not stir up all his Wrath. And David himself frequently professes that God was his Refuge in time of Trouble whereto he did continually resort So that this is certainly a great Advantage that we gain by Afflictions that they drive us to God to whom we fly for Refuge and where we find Security 7. There is also this Advantage in Afflictions That by means of them we come to live in the daily exercise of all Vertues which without Afflictions we could not do This St. Paul affirms Rom. v. 3. We glory in Tribulations also knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed This is the natural Consequence of Afflictions for then we live in the Exercise of Faith by believing Gods Promise that all things shall work together for our Good and relying upon him for our Deliverance We live in the Exercise of Hope by an assured Expectation of the Reward promised to them that suffer And in the Exercise of Charity by having our hearts inflam'd with the love of Christ who gave himself for us whereby we are made willing to offer up our selves a Free-will-Offering to him both in Life and Death Our Patience is Exercis'd in suffering the Will of God with Quietness and Resignation of Soul and our Humility by abasing our selves in the sight of God and being willing to suffer shame for his sake 8. ANOTHER Advantage that we reap by Afflictions which is the last I shall mention because I affect brevity is That when they have brought forth in us the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness our Mouths and our Hearts too shall be filled with Songs of Deliverance Thus David rejoyc'd in God Psal. LIX 16. I will sing of thy Power yea I will sing aloud of thy Mercy in the Morning for thou hast been my Defence and Refuge in the Day of my Trouble The Children of Israel had been kept a long time in the House of Bondage in the Land of Egypt where they were made to serve with Rigor But with what Songs of Praise were their Mouths filled upon their Deliverance How did they exult in the Lord and glory in the God of their Salvation There had been no occasion for those Songs of Deliverance had they not been kept in Bondage Nor had they seen the Power of God so wonderfully display'd on their behalf which made them cry out Who is like unto thee O Lord among the gods Who is like unto thee Glorious in Holiness Fearful in Praises doing Wonders Had King David come to the Crown without meeting with those Troubles that preceded it he had not been so sensibly affected with God's Mercy in Delivering him as he was nor in all probability have writ that excellent Song of Praise recited both in 2 Sam. xxii and in Psal. xviii Intituled A Psalm of David the Servant of the LORD who spake unto the LORD the words of this Song in the Day that the LORD Deliver'd him from the hand of all his Enemies and from the hand of Saul In which he first gives an Account of his great Distresses for says he The Sorrows of Death compassed me and the floods of ungodly Men made me afraid nay he goes further than this and tells us The sorrows of Hell compassed him about and the snares of Death prevented him And then exults in GOD for his great Deliverance The Lord was my stay By Thee have I run through a Troop by my GOD have I leaped over a Wall As for GOD his way is perfect The Word of the LORD is tried He is a Buckler to all those that trust in Him For who is GOD save the LORD Or who is a Rock save our GOD The LORD liveth and blessed be my Rock and let the GOD of my Salvation be exalted It is GOD that avengeth me and subdueth the People under me He delivereth me from mine Enemies Yea Thou liftest me up above those that rise up
Thou ever art a Merciful Father Forget not thy Fatherly Goodness to me who pray thy Pardon for offending Thee Thy Grace to serve Thee and Thy Providence to preserve me this Night and Evermore through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer for one in Affliction O Lord That Affliction which is now my Lot is the Result of thy good Pleasure and as such let me Eye it and improve it to Reclaim me from Evil Ways and to direct my course into those that are Good If it be so grievous to bear it for a Time what is it O God to suffer it and ten thousand times more misery than it for Ever Then if it be ill let it be thy Rod to reclaim me and if Good thy Staff to make me stand better in Grace and advance me to thy Glory Thy Fan to Purge me Thy Furnace to Prove me So Adversity to my Body be the Prosperity of my Soul let it come and Welcome O Lord that my Soul may at last everlastingly Prosper with Thee in that Day of Bliss which knows no Cloud of Ill nor end of Good to Eternity Since Affliction is a sign of thy Mercy a Badge of thy Favour and a means of Glory let me not be Impatient under it lest I perpetuate my Woes to two Worlds and whom Thou hast but for a Time make my self miserable for ever Blessed Jesus who didst go from a Cross to a Crown and doest Cross me to Crown me let me carry mine Patiently that I may come to thy Throne and not cast my self from a Cross of Woe into a Gulph of Confusion From such Miscarriages under my Present Afflictions O Lord deliver me Dear Jesus By the Merits and Example of thy holy Cross and by the Vertues and Works of thy holy Spirit Do it for me and Sanctifie it to me Amen A Concluding Prayer BEhold O Lord what I have Prayed unto thee for and grant I humbly beseech thee the Requests that I have put up unto Thee this Evening and hear the Petitions of thy Servant And do for me for the Nation for thy Church and for all Estates and Conditions therein not only according to what I have Prayed but according to what I should and ought to have Prayed and what any else have prayed with me for Jesus Christ his sake in whose Name I have presented them with whose Words I desire to Perfume and Perfect my Prayers Beseeching Thee That his Spirit may breathe in those Words in which I know I Pray both what and as I ought And therefore as Devoutly Confidently say Our Father which art in Heaven c. The Blessing BLESSED are the Afflicted and Troubled and those that mourn under those Calamities we feel and fear The Blessing and Comfort of God the Father and the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Consolations of the holy Spirit be upon me and upon all such sad and sorrowful Souls with me this Night and Evermore Amen Meditations and Prayers FOR THE NOLY COMMUNION BOTH Before At and After Receiving A Meditation before the Receiving the holy Communion O My dear Lord Thy Passion makes me full of all Passions I am in Love and yet I Hate I have my Longings and my Loathings I both Rejoyce and Grieve and Cherish Hope and Fear I am Incens'd and Ravish'd I am in Love with Thee O blessed Jesus I am Enamour'd of thy Person O Thou God-Man The Son of God! The Beauty of Heaven and Earth The Center of all Created and Uncreated Excellency The Mirror of the Godhead The Wonder of Angels The Glory of Mankind I am Inflamed with thy Love Thou mad'st thy Love to Lazarus legible in thy Tears See how he loved him said the Jews and shall not I read it in thy Wounds They saw Love in thy driping Eye and shall not I in thy Bleeding Side They in the Hot-water thou didst bestow on his Dead Body and shall not I see it in that reaking Blood thou sheddest for my lost and Dying Soul O let not my heart be so hard to see those Wounds of so great Love to me and yet to have no Woundings of Affection for Thee For thee Lord Yes and all in Heaven and Earth that have Relation to Thee I am also in Love with the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ who would give his Son his only Son the Son of his Love so to suffer on Earth for a Time that I might not suffer for Ever in Hell I am also in Love with Thee O Thou Blessed and Holy Spirit of GOD who didst anoint Jesus to be my Christ and thereby Inaugurate him to his Crown of Thorns and Blessed tho' most Bloody Passion which he suffered for me I am in Love with the whole Blessed Trinity whose glorious Essence and Ineffable Unity I Adore tho' I cannot comprehend and whose Counsels fill my Soul with the highest Admiration tho' I am never able to search out their Unfathomable depth I have also Love for the Sons of Men for them especially for whom my Lord Jesus shed his precious Blood thereby to make them the Sons of God and Brothers of Christ Thy Cross O Jesus shall make all Mankind my Friends for where thou gavest thy Blood why shou'd not I give my Heart THUS Lord I love all for thee and thee in all And now I will love my self for thy sake amongst them O Lord I am one in whom is thy Flesh a Man I am one in whom is thy Spirit a Christian I am one for whom thou didst shed thy Blood on whom thou hast shed thy Spirit A redeemed esteemed Man by Thee and shall I be so poor as to Value Dirt to thy Blood Shall I be tempted to give my self from Thee to the Flesh and to the World O Lord I will Value thy Blood more I will keep the Spirit better I will set a higher price on my self than to sell thy Blessed Purchase to the Devil for a base Piece of Flesh and a small portion of the World So am I and let me ever be in love with Thee O Lord. BUT O Sin I am in Hate with Thee for my own and for my Saviour's sake O thou Enemy of God and Man how execrable art thou More than heart can think That madest him lamentable more than Eye saw AND O Devil I hate Thee who didst tempt Man out of Paradise and so draw Christ to a Cross And could thy Temptations have prevail'd and thy Power been equal to thy Malice wouldst have cast the second Adam out too that so nor the First nor his Seed might ever have come in again AND O World I abhor thee as the Imp of the Devil who of his Jews and Gentiles couldst find hands for such horrid Acts and Sins that made those Bloody Passions So Sin Devil World for the Death of my King and Lord and Christ you have my Hate I have also my Longings too I Long for the Lord My Soul Longeth for God even the
up your heart to God and pray Lord keep me from all Sin and danger this day for Iesus Christ his sake WHEN you are up kneel down and say this Prayer Almighty God who hast touched my heart with a sense of thy fear and holy dread of thy Majesty I beseech thee give me thy grace so to govern my thoughts and look to my Words and Ways this day that I may avoid all Sins especially those to which I am most inclin'd or may be most provoked That so my Soul and Body may be kept pure and unspotted before Thee and whensoever the hour of their Separation shall come may be ready and prepared for Thee through the Merits and Mercies of Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen WHEN you are ready for your Morning Prayers you may use the Service before recited for the Morning Rules for the Evening AFTER you have Used the foregoing Prayers for Evening Service and before you go into your Bed kneel down and say this short Prayer O God who hast made the Day for Labour and the Night for Rest let thy Sons Blood cleanse me from this Days guilt that I may sleep in thy Peace and rise again refreshed and preserved by thy Favour through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen AND this Thanksgiving and Prayer Almighty God who hast preserved me this day from many Sins and Dangers I do humbly magnifie thy Name for thy Grace and Goodness towards me beseeching Thee to forgive me all the Errors of this day whereof my Conscience doth or may accuse me And grant that those sins which by my frailty I have Committed may by the help of thy Spirit be more carefully avoided that I may ever stand in thy Favour Walk under thy Protection and now rest and lie down in thy Peace and at last come to thy heavenly Kingdom through the Merits and Mediation of Iesus Christ. Amen When you lie down say I will lay down my head in Peace and take my Rest for thou only O Lord makest me to dwell in safety Then Pray thus LIGHTEN mine Eyes O Lord that I sleep not in Death I commit my Soul and Body to thee keep me for thy Mercies sake Amen Some General Rules for our Daily Practice 1. REmember That tho' Knowledge especially the Knowledge of God be an excellent thing yet it will be no farther available to thee than as thou puttest it into Practice For Knowledge without Practice is like Light without Heat which never ripens any Fruit to the Glory of God or Good of thy own Soul Be sure therefore to labour after the Knowledge of Gods Will and to put that Knowledge into Practice 2. Let the Worship of God have the first place in thy Affections and Actions And tho' Private Prayer and secret Ejaculations be necessary yet let not Publick Prayers in the House of God be Omitted 3. Neglect not the Common Prayers and other Publick Duties of Devotion but say with holy David I was glad when they said unto me We will go into the House of the Lord. 4. Be careful that Divine Service be performed aright as it ought to be and delight thy self in the Beauty of Gods House 5. In all the Various Changes that befal thee especially in Afflictions and Distresses make Prayer thy Refuge 6. Set aside appointed times for thy Private Devotions and observe them not only out of Custom but of fervency of Spirit to increase thy Piety 7. The Pious Rites and Ceremonies of the Church esteem highly of I mean those which are not repugnant ot Gods Word and on the other side fly Superstition 8. Use constantly the Prayers for the Church and by name for all those for whom thou art bound to pray especially the Royal Family 9. If thou art a Father of a Family govern all under thy Care piously and religiously Let all resort to Morning and Evening Prayer either Privately or Publickly if it may be And let this be a Law to thy Family Whosoever comes within this House let him be Sober Just Religious and Honest in all things Lye not Swear not Forswear nor Blaspheme not Detract not from others mind not Cups and Revels offend not any Bodies Ears or Eyes or Mind either by Words or Deeds Whoso doth otherwise let him depart hence 10. Discipline thy Children betimes and Train them up in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it 11. Rule thy Wife with Prudence and provoke her to the Love of Vertue and good Works by thy Example 12. If thou hast Daughters be solicitous about the Preservation of their Chastity the Age is corrupted and full of Debauchery and if they come to be defiled they are in danger of Eternal Ruine and therefore this requires thy utmost Care for thou hast no Treasure so much expos'd as these And to this End keep with a double-Lock their Ears and Tongue from Obscenity and Scurrility let none come near them that use impudent Jests or Gestures for shameless Companions and evil Conversation Corrupts good Manners and ought to be avoided as so many Serpents and Vipers 13. Be careful to avoid all known Sins To which End be sure thou commit not the least fault wittingly or willingly for the dearest Friends sake It is better to renounce all Friendship with Men than to endanger the breaking of thy Friendship with God And nothing will break this Friendship sooner than Sin 14. Use not thy self unto Swearing I mean not only Vain and Prophane Swearing but also Promisory Oaths But if thou hast made any such take care to perform 'em tho' it may be to thy own outward hurt 15. Vow nothing rashly but upon great Deliberation and what thou hast Vowed pay 16. Imitate the Life of thy blessed Saviour and follow the steps of his Saints in all things wherein they ought to be imitated 17. Next after thy Duty to God consider what thou owest to thy Neighbour and do it whilst it is in the Power of thy hand 18. Do good to all according to thy Ability Feed the Hungry give drink to the Thirsty Entertain the Stranger Cloath the Naked Visit the Sick Redeem the Prisoners and Bury the Dead This Charity belongs to the Body 19. There is likewise a Charity due to the Soul which is To instruct the Ignorant Correct the Sinner Counsel the Doubtful Comfort the Afflicted indure Injuries forgive Wrongs pray for Others yea for thy Enemies 20. Observe Friendship with Constancy fasten that knot and if it be loosed tie it again Reconcile those that are fallen out Strifes and Contentions which are the Bane of Charity Extinguish and Wipe away 21. Interpret all things from others in the best sense scorn none nor detract from any neither provoke 'em by Railing or Opprobrious Terms but give to all that honour that belongs to ' em 22. Let thy gesture be without Affectation yet not Phantastical and let thy Countenance be Free but not Lofty and Chearful but not Lowring let thy Speech be Sober Simple and Harmless without Deceit or Flattery and without Mimical Actions like a Stage-play 23. Be sensible of the hand of God under all Afflictions and think with thy self that he does nothing without a Cause and let that keep thee humble and put thee upon a serious Reflection on thy past Actions 24. If Reproaches Revilings and other Injuries be thrown upon thee strengthen thy Soul in God and under-go them both with Courage and Constancey and as far as thou art Innocent with Rejoycing 25. Under all Afflictions be silent let the Causes be what they Will for it argues Impatience to Complain Beware therefore that thou accuse neither Heaven nor Men for none is more injurious to thee than thou to thy self if thou be Impatient Righteous is the Lord and true are his Judgments 26. Be sure take heed least under thy Afflictions thou forgettest thy Creator and seekest Deliverance by indirect means For many have stumbled upon this Rock and been broken to pieces by it For such men wou'd prescribe to God and have him directed by their foolish Fancies But who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord Or being his Counsellour have taught Him 'T is a vain thing to attempt it Therefore to be willing to tarry till God sees good to deliver is the way to hasten our Deliverance but to go about to deliver our selves and throw off the Burden that God has laid upon us is the only way to bind it on the faster and to keep back that deliverance which for ought we know may be at the Door And therefore 27. If the Times compel thee to suffer for Righteousness sake be not afraid The three Children lost nothing by being in the fiery Furnace so long as there was a Fourth there with them which was the Son of God 28. In times of Affliction especially throw away all vain desire of Riches despise the World and all the Allurements of it whether they be Honours Pleasures Friends and Acquaintance or whatever else That which keeps down thy Affections from mounting to Heaven and soaring Above is a dead weight which thou hadst better be without 29. Whatever thou losest take care to keep thy Innocence If thou losest all the World and keepest thy Innocence thou mayst yet be a Gainer But if thou losest thy Innocence then indeed thou losest All and thy Loss becomes truly Unvaluable 30. If thou wouldest preserve thy Innocence make Gods Word thy Rule and humbly implore the gracious Conduct and Guidance of his holy Spirit For he it is that leads in the way of Righteousness and in the midst of the Paths of Judgment and he has assur'd us in his Word That if in all our Ways we acknowledge him he will direct our Paths FINIS