179. l 11. had perished 204. l. 8. strings of musiâ—all ib. l. 23. therefore 1 in every ib. l. 26. ease of sorrows 213. l. 1. haâ—e some remission 216. l. 6. so Haman 229. l. 12. in any creature may be defeated p. 246. l 4. who cannot give 249. l. 24. his posterity ib. l. 29. repaire 252. l. 11. the same speâ—ch as reason 259. l. 12. seasonable 260. l. 16. his by just meanes 261. l. 31. themselves heires thereof 268. l 31. for or by any 273. l. 16. see thee impious 288. l. 19. there is compulsion 295. l. 19. to foment discord 296. l 14. with discretion 300. l. 18. did I desire a son 306. l. 33. or fatherly 307. l. 6. is no easier The prudent Reader may be pleased to amend other light slips and mispointings as the sense requireth A GVIDE TO THE HOLY CITY c. CHAP. 1. Concerning the necessity of a Christians aiming at a right end in all his actions 1 THere is an end of every action and intention which as the rudder of the ship though it come last is first purposed and guideth â—he whole course 2 By the instinct of Nature every thing worketh to some end which shewes is the perfection thereof to which what ever is not conducing is uselesse especiaâ—ly reasonable creatures who have Will and Preëlection among them they propose to themselves more divine and excellent ends of their desires and actions who understand the cheife good to be attained true and â—ternall blessednesse in Christ are regenerate and repaired by the holy Spirit and wisdome of God 3 In every undertaking propose some certaine end and before thou enterprise examin that diligently run not on at adventure as children use in some unknown path till they loose themselves but carefully look to what end the way thou takest â—eadeth thee consider seriously what danger or profit is therein who knowes not that the end of sin cannot be happy because there remaineth something after it And that the end of the just man shall be peace at last The cause why so many run the broad way to destruction and so few the strait to eternall life must principally be want of a due forecasting what will be the end of that they doe fixing their hearts on the present evill which pleaseth them they regard not the misery which followeth their tasting the forbidden fruit but for its sake wilfully shut their eyes against their dangers or seeing and thinking them much lesse or the recovery more easie they desperatly venture in vaine hope of repentance and pardon and on the other part beeing too sensible of the difficulties which beset the way to heaven they doe not enough consider their future blessednesse and therefore either faint in their trialls their heart saying with prophane Esau Lo I am almost dead what is then this birthright to me Or doting on this world resolve to settle their affections hereon this is the Jazer and Gilead which they would were their portion 4 The supreame and best end of all is Gods glorie into which ocean all desires and actions of the reasonable creature must emptie themselves subordinate hereto is the true blessednesse of the elect in the fruition of God the fountaine of all good in the life to come which naturall men mistaking sought in pleasures riches and such things as the world adoreth whereas indeed all those things if they could have met in one man should have come as short of making him truly happy as the intended top of Babel would have been from landing the builders in heaven 5 The way to this end is true holinesse that is faith ad obedience the end of the Commandement without faith apprehending Christ for our justification no workes are more acceptable to God then Cains sacrifice the sacrifice of the wicked Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne And without obedience there is no justifying faith Faith without workes is dead it saith as once barren Rahel give me Children or I die 6 That which we are to beleeve and obey is the infallible truth of God the first and second trueth God and his oracles and his will concerning our salvation sufficient to make a man wise there to revealed in his word the word and testimonie of man may be the ground of opinion which is of things probable but faith can stand on nothing but the word of God which is infallibly certaine and can have no falshood in it because he cannot ly this is contained in the bookes of the Old and New Testament this is a sure word 2. Pet. 1. 16. 19. for it was indited by the Spirit of God 2. Tim 3 16. 2. Pet 1 21 the same is the rule of obedience like the clowdie Pillar leading Israël into their promised rest Num 14 14 and the star to lead the wise men to Christ Math 2 9 whosoever will be saved must follow this guid hee that walketh without this gâ—eth like those Israëlites Num 14 40 to the Mountaine of the Canaanites to their own destruction for the Lord is not with him 7 That which is the object of faith is comprehended in the Creed which is the summe of the Gospell our obedience to God is set downe in the Law the summe whereof is love to God and to our neighbours Luk 10 27 28 The Prayer MOst gratious and most holy Lord God who dwelling in unaccessible light of Majestie and glory hast yet been pleased to manifest thy infinite power and unsearchable wisdome in all thy creatures especially those who thou hast created to thine own image to praise and glorifie thee in their eternall participation of thy divine blessednesse Give us true wisdome to consider the end for which thou hast made us make us truely understand that thy glory is incomparably better then all the creatures and our salvation then all the world Lord open our eyes that we sleep not in death let not the transitory dreames of this present life beguile us let not the malitious temper so prevaile upon our infirmities as â—o cause us sâ—curely to run on in the easie way to destruction but gratious Lord as thou hast appointed the end our eternall life so be pleased to dispose the meanes which may lead us thereto Thou canst as easily make us holy as command us to be so Lord therefore make us such as thou hast commanded us to be make us faithfull to beleeve in thee and obedient to serve and please thee as thou hast in thy great and tender mercy given thy holy word to be a light and true guid unto us so blessed Lord give us of the same spirit by which it was endited which may lead us into all truth and holinesse and these daies of sinne being ended into that holy and blessed inheritance which thou hast prepared for all those whâ—m thou hast elected to eternall
prosperous rich mighty and glorious 3. Thus would he be borne poore to make us rich to expresse his love to us 4. Thus he would teach us humility how intolerable is the pride of sinfull man repining at some wants when the sonne of God was thus humbled for our sins 5. He would have this difference betweene his first and second comming first he descended like raine into the fleece without noise he came not then to make any externall politicall â—â—changes in the kingdomes of the world but only to overthrow the spirituall kingdome of Satan and to worke not the Jews temporall redemption as they dreamed but their eternall salvation who beleeve in him both of Jewes and Gentiles And so the manifestation of Christs birth was not to the kings or great Doctors of the Law but to poore shepheards first though not by men but glorious Angels Having considered these things we must learne 1 To subject our reason to the word of God in assurance that all things are possible to him which he will and certainly true which he speaketh Thou wilt say but how shall I doe that I may be assured thereof I conceive these rules very necessary here in 1. That thou understand this word is not discerned by any light but by the same spirit which indited it Therefore said our Saviour when the spirit of truth is come He will lead you into all truth These things seeme foolish and improbable to our carnall man because he wanteth the spirit of God whereby hee might bee able to discerne those things which are not otherwise then spiritually discerned 2. If thou read or heare the Gospell be sure thou bring a beleeving heart resolved in this one principle at least Gods word is certainely true though many particulars are above my apprehension it is but lost labour for him to take the holy word of life into his hand who is resolved to beleeve no more then that which he can bring within the reach and dimension of his own carnall reason which erreth grosly in many things obvious to common sense 3. In this as many other matters necessary to be beleeved the onely way being to apprehend by faith doe thou not attempt the examination of all by reason but rather renounce it as unable to measure these things as thou art to take up the vast ball of earth into thy hand or measure the orbs of heaven by the span the rather in this because the holy Ghost hath told us it is the great mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh 4. Lastly remember when ever thou commest to read or heare of how high a consequence that is to which thou art come it is no vaine word concerning thee but thy life and salvation if thou beleeve and obey or thy destruction on the contrary and thou wilt easily be perswaded to prepare thy selfe by earnest prayer to God for his assistance and blessing who only hath the key of David which openeth and no man can shut the want of this one duty is the cause of so much unbeleefe and impiety in so abundant a light of the Gospell as we had long amongst us 2 That thou know that Christ thus conceived and borne hath sanctified our conception and birth in sin thus are the fountaines of our naturall propagation healed holy wedlock declared an undefiled bed and sacred virginity interressed in eternall attendance on Christ the Lambe of God 3 To be contented in every estate and comforted though in a dejected considering to what Christ descended for thy sake 4 To prepare and magniâ—ie the inestimable love of God shewed us in Christ. So did the holy Angels Luk 1. 46. 47. Luk 2. 14. 5 Where thou hast the promises of God for thy assurance not to feare how impossible or improbable soever they seeme to flesh and blood they shall be fulfilled in their appointed time and manner How impossible did this promise seeme to carnall reason a Virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne the ' B. Virgin her selfe was herewith posed how can this be Yet was it fulfilled in the fulnesse of time though many ages after the promise made Though he seeme to delay yet expect it that cannot faile which God promiseth so also thinke of the promises of thy resurrection and eternall life what ever carnall reason witty to its own destruction or the malitious tempter can object against the word of truth in due time it shall be fulfilled CHAP. V. What we are to beleeve concerning § 1. Christs suffering under Pontius Pilat his crucifying death and buriall § 2. His resurrection § 3. Ascention § 4. Sitting at the right hand of God the Father § 5. His comming to judge 1 THe humiliation of Christ is considerable 1. In generall comprehending all that he suffered in the forme of a servant the whole curse of the Law all kindes of aâ—â—lictions both of body and soule quae à peccato sunt non quae ad peccatum all the effects of sinne without sinne as in his birth circumcision subjection to men temptations blasphemous contradictons and contumelies desertions of friends and most injurious malice of enimies apprehension of his fathers wrath against sinne the paines of death and torments of hell all that which is incident and due to sinfull man sin onely excepted whereby he became the man of sorrowes 2. In particular that which he suffered under Pontius Pilat the then Roman deputie for that Province 2 Concerning the generall we must observe 1. That the divine nature though personally united to the humane suffered not but only the humane yet the suffering is attributed to the person and sometimes to the deity by reason of the communication of proprieties and union of the two natures in one person so God is said to have purchased the Church with his own blood because his blood who is truely God and man was shed for the redemption of his Church As the Athenian Codrus disrobing himselfe and falling into the enemies quarters in the habit of a poore man with a burthen on his back that he might steale a death to make his people conquerers according to the Oracle which said that people should overcome whose king should be slaine in the battle So Christ assumed the forme of a servant and became of no repute so bare he the Crosse that his own knew him not but slew the Lord of life that in his death who so loved us wee might be more then Conquerers He was impatible in his deity therefore he assumed an humanity which could suffer that he might become a ransome and sacrifice for our sinnes that the dignitie and merit of his passion might be vallewed according to the dignitie of the person suffering now because the worth of his passion was to be estimated from the united deity therefore his temporall and short suffering was of infinite merit to redeeme and free us from that which we should
the graine of corne as God giveth every seed his own body so Job saith hee shall see his Redeemer with the same eyes so they shall see Christ come to judge who peirâ—ed him only the Saint shall change for glory and immortality 5. In the resurrection God will send out his Angells his harvesters to gather the elect from all parts The last trump shall blow the graves open and sea land give up their dead it was shewed in the Prophets vision Ezek 47. 2. 3. c. the dry bones lay scattered up and downe the fields when the power of the Almighty breathed on them the sinewes and flesh came upon them the skinne covered them and they lived so shall it be in the resurrection of the dead The power of God who made us all of dust and infused a living soule into every one of us will then bring back every soule into his own body and so Christ who is the resurrection and the life will convent them and set them before him in judgement who now sleep in death He that raised Jesus from the dead shall also quicken our mortall bodies The truth hereof may appeare 1. From the word of God evidently testifying the same Job 19. 20. Isai 26. 19. Dan 12. 2. 1. Cor 15. 1. Thes 4. Joh 5. 28. 29. The Apostle proveth it from divers grounds as the preaching of the Gospell and our beleeving which otherwise were vaine but so great and powerfull an evidence of God's spirit cannot bee vaine From the communion we have with Christ who is risen for we are indeed his members flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone he is the first fruits of the dead Now in his manhood is our slesh and blood glorified where he lives wee live as he hath begun we shall follow from the comparision of the first and second Adam as in Adam all dye even so in Christ shall all bee made alive from the power of Christ able to subdue all things from the earnest of the spirit dwelling in us Rom 8. 11. If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall quicken your mortall bodies by the spirit that dwelleth in you by the universality of Christs kingdome to which all must be subdued Ephes 1. 14. The same is proved from the blessednesse of the dead Rev 14. 13. as also from that Christ saith God is the God of the living not of the dead Math 22. 31. 32. 2. The truth hereof may appeare from the consents even of the prudent heathen much more of all the Saints seeking another city Heb 11. 3. From the wisedome of God which cannot be frustrate now in vaine had he made man in his owne image had it beene to perish with so shore a life 4. From the justice of God if the body should not rise againe then that which had sinned with the soule should not also suffer with it the blasphemous mouth which hath so highly dishonoured â—â—od the raylers tongue which hath wounded the innocent the lying lips the theevish and murderous hands the mischievous head which hath beene a full storehouse of pernitious inventions for hereâ—ies schâ—smes seditions ravage and oppression should escape the power of justice and eternally sleepe in the dust without any sense of evill as securely as if they had never beene stained with confederacy in sinne a thought so vaine as that the conscience of an heathen could not admit it and can wee thinke that the poore afflicted and tortured bodies of the Martyrs bearing life and death the markes of the Lord Jesus shall never live againe and see a time of refreshing Certainely justice must needs put great difference betweene the wicked and the just and it must be true which God saith We must all appeare before the tribunall of Christ that every man may receive in his body according to that which he hath done whether good or evill 5. From the power of God with whom all things are possible he that made all of nothing cannot he raise the dead He that created cannot he change creatures He made the dust of the earth of nothing and man out of that dust and is his arme shortned so that he caÌ„not repaire who made of nothâ—ng consider the agent and take away all doubting Some instances as praeludiums of the generall resurâ—ection Christ made to assure us that he that raised the Rulers daughter the widows sonne Lazarus and others appearing at his owne resurrection could and would accordiâ—g to his promise raise us also He gave the Apostles themselves then subject to mortality power to raise the dead Tabitha and Eutichus were examples and shall not he who gave others this power be able himselfe to doe the same He made Aarons withered rod as it were rise againe from the dead and shall not he raise Aaron himself 6. From the common course of nature which is God's ordinary power the seed is sowed lyeth long under winter clouds except it corrupt it remaineth alone but by a kind of yearly death and resurrection every seed bringing forth its owne body that which without such changes could have lasted but few yeares continueth to the use of man since the creation unto this present 7. Lastly from the consciences of the most obstinate unbelievers tell mee Atheist if there be nothing after death why art thou so afraid to die Of these things we are to make these uses 1. It must teach us to be afraid to sinne death cannot conceale thee thou must rise againe Cain Judas Dives would think themselves happy if with a thousand thousand deaths they could but once die to live no more it is a great part of the reprobates torment that he cannot die but must be raised to an eternall torment of body and soule 2 To be comforted against all pressures and calamities of this life persecutions imprisonments sicknesse sorrow contempt death it shall not be long be an impious and ingratefull world nover so malicious before a joyfull resurrection shall assert and acquit thee from all these grievances 3. To use the deceased Saints bodies with humane and holy reverence not to handle them despicably whom God will once glorifie 4. To make death familiar to us by frequent meditation on our resurrection from the dead feare not death seeing thou shalt certainly rise againe there shall be incorruption glory and immortality See Psal. 16. 9 10. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 5. Not to sorrow as men without hope for them that sleepe in Christ remember they shall rise againe This was the very argument wherewith Christ who shewed his sympathy at Lazarus grave weeping with the living if not for the dead allayed the sorrow of Mary and Martha and comforted them in their teares I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in mee if he were
known to his brethren the joy was so great that it pleased Pharaoh and all his servants Genes 45. 16. how great shall the joy be when all the Saints that ever have beene shall meet together in the court of the king of glory and Christ shall manifest himselfe unto us If John Baptist not seeing Christ with his bodily eyes did yet spring in his mothers wombe at the salutation of the blessed Virgin how shall we rejoyce when we come not only to see him face to face but to be fully and eternally united to him At Solomons coronation there was such joy as that the earth range with the sound of them but how unspeakeable shall our rejoycing be when Christ our peace shall appeare in his kingdome of glory of which shall be no ende Certainely no wise and considering man looketh on any worldly joy otherwise then on a dreame and soone vanishing vision but here shall be an interminable joy which no sorrow shall ever interrupt no time or age end As the Psalmist saith of Jerusalem many excellent things are spoken of thee O city of God yet as the Queene of Sheba said of Solomons magnificence I may of this life halfe was not told me Comfort thy selfe in all pressures of life and death what ever thou now canst suffer can be but short but the happinesse of the life to come shall be eternall The Prayer O Lord God Almighty the resurrection and life of all them that beleeve in thee strengthen our faith and comfort us in all our present sorrowes and decayes with a lively and full assurance that in the ruine and dissolution of these earthly tabernacles thou wilt repaire us to eternall incorruption and glory by the same power of thy quickning spirit which raised up our Lord Jesus the first fruits of the dead Give us a part in the first resurrection from the death of sinne unto the life of righteousnesse that the second death may have no power over us Give us grace to evercome all the messengers of Satan and the sinfull corruptions of flesh and blood which fight in us against our owne soules that we may triumph and rest secure in the victory of our faith that the gates of hell powers of death shall never prevaile against us give us that puritie of heart and sanctity of life wherewith thou here preparest all those whom thou wilt hereafter perfect with glory and eternall salvation Give us firme hope for the Anchor of our soule which in the fiercest rages that afflict our present life may lay sure and stedfast hold on the land of the living entring into that which is within the vaile whither the fore-runner Christ Jesus is for us entred Give us patience to â—eare all our present wants and greivances with that cheerefulnesse which becommeth those who are confident that thou who hast laid up the crowne of life for them wilt never faile them nor forsake them let it be a sure and never fading comfort to us a strong consolation for us who have fied for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us by thy owne word the Gospell when the sorrowes and terrours of death arest us and at our last gasp that our Lord Jesus dyed and rose againe to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light to purchase eternall glory for us â—nd that our death is but a short passage to blessednesse the gates of everlasting life and the sorrowes thereof but an entrance into eternall joyes and true endlesse and unspeakable happinesse through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN CHAP. XII Concerning Prayer § 1. What and how necessary it is § 2. The conditions thereof § 3. Motive to the earnest practice hereof § 4. Rules hereto belonging 1 WE have considered those things which wee are to beleeve that we may be saved we are next to consider those things which we must doe to Gods honour our consolation and assurance that our faith is sound seeing that not not every one that saith Lord Lord shall be saved but he that doth the will of God 2. The things which we must do are comprehended in the Law the first table whereof cencerneth our duty to God the second our duty to man Among our duties to God prayer is one of the chiefe 3. Prayer is a divine worship wherein we speake to God in true humility and devotion of the heart according to his will in true faith fervency of the spirit through the merit and mediation of Christ begging the things we want deprecating that we feare interceding for others or giving thanks for that we or others have receaved It is a colloquie of the soule with its Creatour when we read or heare his oracles the holy Scriptures he speaketh to us when wee pray we speake to him 'T is a kinde of reâ—luous grace which he only giveth who giveth the spirit of prayer helping our infirmities who know not what to pray as we ought it is a Postilion for heaven passing betweene God and man ariving in the moment 't is sent out nay before we speake hee will answer and while we are speaking heare who knowes all our wants before we aske it is the Dove of the soules Arke going and returning till it bring assurance of peace it is the ascension of the minde to God without which bended knees out spread hands and eyes lifted up the most decent and devout gestures with the most excellent compture and composure of words are but worthlesse shells of religion and vaine drawing neere to God with our lips the heart being farre from him The fervent intention of minde the silent language of the heart God heareth without any voice uttered when Moses was in an exigent at the red sea we read of no vocall prayer yet God said wherefore cryest thou unto mee 'T is better pray in silence then in attention of minde God heareth the heart what can lowd words availe where that is mute 4. He that will walk with God must often pray and heare prayer like Jacobs ladder lands thee in heaven and sets thee in Gods presence and the foot thereof is in humility The foundation of all vertue without which whatsoever and how high soever is built is but magnificent confusion Pride cast the apostate Angells from heavâ—â— how easily shall it keepe the presuming Pharisee thence The Publican going home justified only as a selfe condemning sinner not worthy nor daring to lift up his eyes to heaven but crying God be mercifull to mee a sinner sheweth humility to be a safe vertue 5. God's spirit inditeth and giveth audience to our prayers This is confidence we have in him if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us prayer is a divine antidote and remedy against the venome of sinne grounded on Gods promises extracted and gathered out of the Eden of his word whence we must collect both lawes to
the destroyer may not enter send into my soule that heavenly fire of love to thy sacred Majestie and charity to all men which may assure mee of thy acceptance of me and my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving clens out of mee all the old leaven of sinne and maliciousnesse open my understanding increase my faith that I may see and know the assurance of my sinnes remission in the seale of eternall life which by thy mercies I am now to receive Thou hast taught mee O Lord that my blessed Saviour in the night that he was betrayed made this holy testament wherein as he tooke flesh and blood of us that he might dye for us so hee bequeathed his body and blood to us that wee might live in him and left this Sacrament as a faithfull pledge of his love to remember us of his dying for us till he come againe O Lord I know thou art the life and truth and wouldst not leave thy Church any effectlesse earnest of their salvation Lord Jesus therefore be present with my spirit worke powerfully on thine owne ordinance that it may indeed seale up my salvation in my soule with that conconstant assurance that the gates of hell may never prevaile against it that no terrour of conscience nor any delusions of Satan may be able to overthrow it but that I may with a lively faith lay hold on all thy merits that I may find therein an inward peace in confidence of my sinnes remission reconciliation with my God sound joy in the Holy Ghost my comforter sanctified will and affections purity of life and holy obedience which hath the testimony of a good conscience to be a sweet comfort both in life and death assuring me that I have fought a good fight with entire faith and therefore shall enjoy the crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall at that day give to all them that love his appearing Grant this O Lord and whatever else thou knowest to be needfull for me for Jesus Christ his sake who with thee and the holy spirit liveth and raigneth ever one God world without end AMEN An other private Prayer for one ready to receive the Lords Supper HOly Lord I humbly beseech thee for Christ Jesus sake whose sacred body and blood are here represented forgive me all my sinnes and give me a stedfast hearty and constant resolution never to commit the like againe give mee a lively faith that through these signes which my Saviour hath appointed to be received in remembrance of his death and passion untill his comming againe I may really apprehend the spirituall relish of the bread of life and to be assured that Christ's body was given for me and his most pretious blood shed for my redemption Lord lift up my soule above all worldly thoughts that I may by a steady and confident application of all the benefits of his death and passion see Christ Jesus sitting at thy right hand feed on him by a justifying faith and thereby be nourished to eternall life Holy Father heare and assist direct and guid me according to thine owne will Lord Jesus who gavest thy selfe to death for my salvation deny not the requests of my feeble soule longing for the assurance of thy saving health hungring and thirsting for thee and thy righteousnesse O holy Ghost the sanctifier of all the elect throughly cleanse me from all the old leaven of sin prepare me body and soule to an holy reverend and effectuall receiving these sacred mysteries that my soule and conscience may thereby be sealed up to redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN A private Prayer after receiving the Lords Supper MOst gratious God and mercifull Father who of thine owne free love and good pleasure hast elected created redeemed regenerated reconciled justified and preserved me unto this present who hast also bestowed â—on me unworthy of the least of thy mercies the peaceable use of thy holy word and sacraments I humbly thanke thee as for all other thy favours so for this present comfort which I have now received Lord accept this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving through Jesus Christ whose oblation of himselfe once offered for a full and perfect price of our redemption and satisfaction for all our sins we have hereby according to his owne ordinance remembred Lord perfect the worke which thou hast begun in me make good thine owne institution unto my soule seale me up unto the day of redemption worke in mee a full assurance of my sinnes remission and my reconciliation to thee by the death and merit of thy holy sonne Jesus give me a lively sense of my union with him and his living in me so guiding me by his holy spirit that his life may appeare in all my thoughts words and actions that I may henceforth live no more to sinne but being freed from the power and laws thereof may have my fruit unto holinesse and eternall life Lord make me every day more and more able to doe thy will and to abandon mine owne corrupt desires let me now feele in my soule conscience the reall benefit of thy word and sacraments which thou hast promised to all those that truely seek thee give me that longing desire of right cousnesse which is by thy grace secured from despaire and preserved from vaine glory and presumption satisfie me with that measure of grace which thy wisdome knoweth sufficient for me Lord make me knowe assuredly that I have not now received this holy sacrament in vaine nourish me hereby to eternall life give me a greater strength to walke righteously before thee with sound faith cheerefulnesse of minde firme and comfortable peace of conscience and that joy of the holy Ghost which may ascertaine me that thy kingdome is established in me Give me a zealous love of thy glory ready obedience to thy law feare to displease thee innocency of life and that holy charity towards all men which may give me boldnesse in the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus order thou my conversation so that it may be unblamable towards all men and holy before thee to thy glory and the good example of those with whom I live assist me with such a measure of thy sanctifying spirit that I may indeed performe all those vowes which I have made before thee that every day of my life may be to mee as this Sabbath an holy rest from sinne Lord who powerfully commandest all thy creatures prevent the mischievous subtiltie of the tempter let thy holy spirit keepe me body and soule give me an holy contempt of this present world and affections set on high where my blessed Saviour sitteth at thy right hand who shall in the appointed time appeare in judgement and gather his elect unto him These things and whatsoever else thou knowest needfull for me or any part of thy whole Church militant I begge at thy gratious hands who hast commanded us to aske and
God of all true consolation who defendest the fatherlesse and widowes leave them not comfortless be thou their guider and protector though thou pleasest to take us from them take not thy grace and holy spirit from us nor them and so thy will be done Blesse all those who any where suffer in the like durance with us blesse us all here present grant that wee may make a right use of our present afflictions that they may better us give us hearts to trust in thee what ever thou doest to us cheerfully to discern thy mercies in the midst of our corrections and ever to blesse thy holy name for that thou hast corrected and not given us over to final destruction Lord encline thine eare and heare Lord help us Lord consider in mercy and do it for Jesus Christ his sake in whose ever blessed name we conclude our petitions in that absolute forme of prayer which hee hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. AMEN An Evening praier for the same O Most gracious and glorious Lord God we do not here appear before thee with any confidence in our own merits being such in respect of our unhallowed thoughts corrupt words and sinful actions as that if there were neither in earth or heaven among men or Angels any witnesse of our iniquities our owne consciences would accuse and convict us and if there were no other judge our own hearts could not but condemne us and thou art greater then our hearts and nothing can be hid from thee the just and all-seeing judge of the living and the dead who must all stand before thy tribunal wee therefore in all humility of soules appeale from thy justice in which wee can looke for nothing lesse then death and destruction the due wages of sin unto the sanctuary of thy mercy there laying hold on that altar on which thy sonne Christ Jesus was offered up a living sacrifice for us who were dead in trespasses and sinnes hee is that lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world and that great Angel of the Covenant who in the precious censer of his merits offereth the praiers of the Saints as Sweet odors holy and acceptable to thee for his sâ—ke â—arden all our sinnes which have rendred us not onely lesse then the least of thy mercies but also worthy of thy severest judgments temporal and eternal for his sake let our complaints come before thee and from thy mercy seat 〈◊〉 thou our supplications which come not out of feigned 〈◊〉 but from the depth of our afflicted soules Trueth it is O Lord wee have procured all these miseries unto our selves and the bitternesse wherewith thou hast filled us is none other but the fruit of our owne inventions who have obstinately followed our owne vain and unprofitable waies refusing the guidance of thy good spirit and holy word recalling us to the paths of eternal life But O Lord God of mercy thou desirest not the death of sinners but that they may be converted and live thou art the sole fountain of holinesse every good and perfect giving descendeth from thee who art the father of light enlighten thou our understandings open our eies that wee sleep not in death sanctifie our depraved wills rectifie our sinful affections and subject them all to thine owne holy will and pleasure frame every faculty of our soules and bodies to a new and sincere obedience to thy law that wee may neither decline to the right hand nor to the left but may henceforth make strait steps to our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his name wee continue our supplications to thee in the behalfe of thy Church universal Lord gather dayly to her such as thou hast elected to salvation enlighten those who have not yet known thy name take off the vaile from the hearts of thy ancient people the Jewes that now neer the fulnesse of time they may see unto Christ the end of the law to every one that beleeveth both of Jewes and Gentiles shew more and more mercy in the confirmation of us whom thou hast called until our fulness be come in Discover and confound the man of sinne daily abolishing the mystery of iniquity by the brightnesse of thy coming the sword of the spirit and evident preaching the Gospel to all nations until thou shalt at thy second coming manifest thy selfe our Saviour and Redeemer and wipe all teares from our eies even so come Lord Jesus And now O Lord who lookest with a tender eie upon the pressures of thy servants let the sighing of the Prisoners come before thee and according to the greatnesse of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die be merciful to us here present before thee we have indeed at thy hands against whom wee have sinned deserved this rod but O our God correct us in mercy not in thine anger for what are wee in thy hands and who can stand before thee when thou art angry Wee have not rendred unto thee according to thy goodnesse wee have surfeited on the sweet blessings of peace and abused our liberties not valuing the benefit thereof but vainly reckoning it among our hereditary possessions as if it might never be taken from us when we had freedom to goe into the assemblies of thy children the places where thine honour dwelleth to hear thy word and present our supplications unto thee Lord how often have vain pleasures or worldly profits detained us or coming before thee how seldom have wee returned with any fruits of amendment therefore doest thou now teach us by wanting these comforts their estimate which wee would not know while wee enjoyed them But O good God seeing thy fatherly corrections are not to destroy but to amend us give us now good understanding by these chastisements give us discerning spirits that through these afflictions we may look up to the hand that smiteth us and by our corrections gain a true loathing and detestation of all the sins for which thou art displeased with us Lord if it may stand with thine honor enlarge and deliver us in mercy restore every man to his own family to the mutual comfort of us and ours that with them we may praise thy holy name and better serve thee then ever wee have done if otherwise Lord proportion our patience to our tryals forsake us not in our sad distresses be thou ever present with us that we may rest assured of thy mercies give us peace of conscience and a blessed freedom from the bondage of sin that wee may therein know that neither stone walls nor armed guards can shut thy holy spirit the comforter from us nor bar our praiers from ascending up to thee Lord as our tryals encrease encrease our comforts in thee so that as the more it rained the more the arke was listed up in which thou hadst enclosed those whom thou didst thereby save in a
strengthen our Faith give us assurance of thy favour and mercy toward us shed abroad thy love in our hearts that all things even our sorrowes may worke together for the best to us in mercy asswage the sorrowes of this thy servant with the comfortable assurance of an happy issue give her patience to beare and ability to overcome her tryalls it was the word of justice which appointed this affliction but Lord whose mercy is over all thy workes allay the rigor of that sentence mitigate her paines speake comfort to her soule give a powerfull assistance to her weaknesse O gracious father by the power of whose word man is thus brought into the World give her a speedy and safe deliverance now that the child is come to the birth give her strength to bring forth to the encrease of thy Kingdome through the new birth by water and the holy Ghost to the comfort of thy now afflicted servant the Fathers joy and the praise of thy holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Lord heare and grant these our Petitions and what ever else thou knowest more needfull for us through his merits in whom thou hast promised to heare us in whose mediation and words we present and conclude our petitions saying Our Father which art in heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. A thanksgiving for a Woman after her Deliverance O Lord God of our salvation who mercifully enclinedst thine eare unto us in our feare and distresse who appointedst in thy Law that she should bring a paire of mourning Turtles who had not a spotlesse Lamb for a sacrifice of thanks-giving it is the same thy clemency who wilt now accept their repentance who have not that unblemished innocency which can abide the tryall of thy severe justice and their hearty desire to be truely thankfull who have nothing worthy thy acceptance to render unto thee Lord therefore accept what thy selfe hast given us to bring before thee an humble and hearty desire to returne thee the fruits of our hearts and lipps the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as for all thy fatherly mercies so particularly for that thou hast asswaged the sorrowes of this thy servant with a comfortable Issue that thou hast given her patience to beare ability to overcome her tryalls and strength to bring forth that by thy mercy mitigating her paines thou hast allayed the rigour of thy sentence which thy justice pronounced we acknowledge thee to be the only Lord in whose hands are the Issues of life and death the God of our health and salvation And now ô Lord perfect thine own worke as thou hast delivered thy servant from her feare and sorrow so give her an heart ever to trust and rejoyce in thee as thou hast given her this fruit of the wombe so make him an accession to the encrease of thy Kingdome by the spirit of regeneration sanctify him and keep him in his tender yeares from sinne and all the malitious assaults of the enemy give thy holy Angels charge over him to keep him in all his waies that he may grow up in thy faith feare and love so that in what ever condition thy good providence shall set him his interest and assurance may be of his election and salvation in Christ Jesus Lord accomplish thy worke of mercy to thy servant repaire her health and strength give her a faithfull heart carefully to imploy the same in thy service and the holy education of those thou hast given her assist her in the whole remainder of her life that she may pay all her vowes made to thee in her feare and trouble let the tast of these bitter fruits of sinne give her a more fervent love to thy mercy pardoning it and a greater hate to all that which offendeth thee lead her in thy waies teach her so to number her daies that she may apply her heart unto wisedome make her more and more fruitfull in all good workes and zealous of thy lawes so that her life may appeare not only restored but also improoved and made more happy to the glory of thy great name the good example of others who shall see as thy worke of mercy on her so the effects of that worke the fruits of sanctity in her to the further assurance of her conscience before thee confirmed by the experience of thy mercy in her deliverance and preservation and to the salvation of her body and soule to all eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour AMEN Directions for the Sick CHAP. XXXV § 1. As all afflictions sanctified so sicknesse profitable for Gods children many waies § 2. How it may become so to us § 3. Duties of them that visit the sick 1 THere is nothing constant in this world but inconstancy and change of all things We are borne with a condition of dying mortality beginneth with life â—our sicknesse with our health we bring it from the wombe as derived to us from our first parents from the houre of whose transgression death tooke date and in the commencement of sicknesse he began to dye according to the sentence from which he became mortall and now all flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the feild the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth quickly and certainly though insensibly we perceive it soone withered though we cannot mark by what degrees it changeth so age and infirmity stealeth on 2 The good God as he is severe so is he mercifull neither loosing mercy in his justice nor his justice in his mercy There is nothing which befalleth the elect but it hath some good in it or by it to them accrewing Concerning afflictions David saith it is good for me that I have beene in trouble The very death of the Saints bitter as it is to flesh and blood is mercy to them blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord not only that they rest from their labours but also in that it is to them the death of sinne and passage to eternall life and so our sicknesse is profitable though it be the rod of an almighty Father it shall like Moses rod sometimes in the dreadfull shape of a serpent serve to divide the bitter waves and open us a passage to our eternall rest and so the decayes of these earthly tabernacles shall daily bring us neerer to the repaire of our eternall building in heaven therefore God sendeth sicknesse upon his dearest children whom he could as easily have rescued from death by a translation as he did Enoch and Eliah but hee maketh their sicknesse many waies proâ—itable unto them as by preparing them unto death by repentance and calling upon the Lord by weaning them from the love of this life by teaching them patience and subjection to the hand of God whereas impatience like the sea turneth all that which falleth into it even the otherwise sweet and comfortable blessings of
thereof without the soules health Of what certainty or continuance is it at our best strength Are the flowers or bubles more fraile If we are wise we will not quarrell the bitternesse of the medicine so that wee may be recovered 13. Hereby we learne what we owed to God for health and in recovery what use to make thereof which is that wee be truely thankfull that we more holily employ the same knowing that God restored us not to sin that we accompt it lent us for a time to prove us ever remembring that wee must againe be sick and dye that wee betray not the good health which God hath restored us that we might serve him and be blessed to death and selfe-destruction by surfetting drinking gluttony lust this is no better then selfe-murder that wee learne in sommer to provide for winter in the calme against the storme in health against sicknesse 14. God doth herein that which he knoweth best for us though flesh and blood be impatient health hurteth many how much more happily had the theefe murderer adulterer been upon his sick bed then laying wait to sin Innocentius aegrotaret sceleratè sanus this good is in sicknesse it keepeth men more innocent 15. The hand that smiteth us should make us patient as Eli said it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good it cannot but bee best which he doth to his children he cannot erre who correcteth those he loveth it is great anger when he smiteth not where sin aboundeth without any apparent judgement as it was with Elies sons who hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them 6 Fix thy soule affections on the life to come meditate on the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead eternall life where shall be no more sin death curse sicknes old age or infirmity where the tree of life Christ Jesus is in the midest to give eternall perpetuity of happines so shalt thou be more willing to leave this miserable inconstant world for heaven if God restore thee health thou wilt pay thy vowes and spend the remainder of thy life more cheerfully in his service The duties of them that visit the sicke are 1. To remember them of the state of all men in sinne and what neede they have of the grace in Christ thereby to move them to repentance an repaire of all injuries by them done to any 2 To recount to them the promises of God in Christ endeavouring to apply them to them and to exhort them to a chearfull confession of the faith to their own and others comfort and confirmation 3. To be instant with them that they be reconciled to all with whom they have had any enmity or contention 4. To dispose of their estates for the prevention of future controversies 5. To comfort them against the feare of death by those scriptures which have Gods promises for assistance in tryalls and and a serious pressing of the resurrection of the dead and state of future glory 6. To pray with them and for them 7. To moove them faithfully to vow if God restore them to live more holily and carefully or patiently to beare their tryalls and to expect constantly the salvation and deliverance of the Lord. A prayer for the sicke MOst holy iust and mercifull Lord God we thy unworthy servants according to thyne own gratious command and promise to heare us calling on thee in the day of our trouble now appearing before thee humbly acknowledge thy fatherly hand smiting us with sicknesse thy corrections are just and so allayed with mercy that thy chastisements are few to our numberlesse sinnes thou mightest sodainly haue smitten us with death the wages of sinne and given us no more warning after our many contempts of thy law threatning and thy gospell promising but haue permitted us to a sodaine perishing in our sins whome thy long suffering could not leade home to repentance now therefore in thy judgment remember mercy correct us not in thine anger chasten us not in thy heavy displeasure Thy holy sonne Jesus hath taught us to call thee Father O let his spirit assure us that our afflictions are but fatherly chastisments smiting that thou maist heale our soules let them be occasions to make us judge our selves that we may not be condemned with an impenitent world our soules have surfetted on the sweet blessings of health and it is but just that thou now smitest us with want thereof it is mercy by these stripes to shew us our sinnes and bring us to thy mercy seat to beg pardon and obtaine remission thou hast with inâ—inite invincible patience expected our repentance and amendment thou hast allured us with every daies favours powred out upon us when that prevailed not thou doest with greater mercy shew thy justice and compell us by thy chastisements to come unto thee we come now gratious Father as out-worne prodigalls driven home by necessity but it is because when thou sawest us far off in our sinnes and miseries thou madest hast to meet us with thy preventing grace and embraced'st us with thy fatherly mercy and what can wee now say more then that we have sinned against heaven and against thee and are no more worthy to be called thy sonnes have mercy on us turne thy face from our sinnes blot out all our iniquities heale our soules cloath us with the best robe of thy righteousnesse make us as the meanest in thy kingdome doe thy will with us in health or sicknesse life or death only let us be thine It was thy eternall counsaile to redeeme sinfull man by thy sonne Christ Jesus by his righteousnesse to kill sinnes in the flesh to give us eternall life by his death and thou hast accomplished it in the appointed time it remaineth only that thou wilt be pleased to apply the assurance thereof to our consciences that after our afflictions we may enjoy the quiet fruits of righteousnesse the end of our faith salvation of bodies and soules O Lord we could looke for nothing but rejection from thy gracious presence for ever if we were to appeare before thee in our deservings but now that we come in the spotlesse robe of thy sonne Christ his righteousnesse wee are confident of the blessing because thou art faithfull in thy promises for his sake cover our sinnes let thy justice be satisfied in his merit seale up the assurance of our pardon by the spirit of truth which cannot deceave us make us fruitfull in all those workes which may give a comfortable testimony to our consciences that we are thine give us strength to fight the good fight finish our course and keep the faith against the fallacies of Satan corruptions of flesh and blood and seducements of an evill worldt o continue grounded and established that wee may be certaine that for us is laid up that immortall crowne of Righteousnesse which thou wilt give at the last day to all that love thy
read hee cast himselfe into the sea what ever other speculations they had with Adrian Caesars uncertainty what should become of the soule after death there could be no solid and true comfort in it nor can any thing be so infallible as to comfort an afflicted soule in death but that onely which God saith where that pronounceth blessed are the dead their spirits rest in Christ they shall rise againe and see God in the same flesh we may rest assured of those comforts heaven and earth shall passe away but no tittle of Gods Word shall faile 10 Repent and turne unto the Lord quickly deferre not with the foolish virgins untill the bridegroome come it will be too late to knocke when the doore of mercy is shut up remember that profane Esau sought the blessing too late he that hath promised mercy to the penitent hath not promised thee to morrow nor to give thee an heart to repent then Fly youthfull lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. but as the Angell said to Lot going out of Sodome Genes 19. 22. Hast thee now while thou art in health fly from the wrath to come in death thy slight will be heavy after death impossible the evill thou wilt not now fly thou canst not then those things which thou here committest with delight shall there follow thee with revenge Ever feare least this day may be the last because thou art not sure thou shalt live to morrow how many seeming healthfull how many young and strong hast thou knowne sodainly taken away If thy youth be past in sinne yet amend thy age Happy shall he be who under the stroke of death can with the penitent theefe turne unto the Lord. 11 So ever behave thy selfe towards men that thou needest not be ashamed to live longer and so make thy peace with God that thou maist not feare to dye As dying Ambrose said because we have a good God Knowing the strict examination of Gods justice he saith he trusted in the good God not in any merits of his own though men knew nothing of him whereof he might be ashamed It is an happy temper of the minde wherein we neither wish nor feare to dye The misery of the unbeleever is that being weary of life he is yet afraid of death Only assurance of thy sinnes remission and eternall salvation in Christ can give thee comfort against and in death seeke thy peace with God through him To comfort our selves in our deare friends death the rule is that we sorrow not as men without hope sorrow we may that is humane sorrow hath its place in man and justification in Christs teares at Lazarus grave but it must hold a mean the Saints have mourned for the dead but moderatly and not without the resolution which David expressed 2. Sam. 12. 23. I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to me least too much affection should be mistaken and piety toward the dead misconstrued by unbeleevers for dispaire in God The apathie of Pericles Zenophon and others in their sonnes deaths are not examples for us The meanes to comfort herein is 1 To consider and firmely beleeve that they are but gone before us they are not lost that the living body which thou now sowest with teares shall rise againe with joy a glorified creature that we shall meet in heaven and never part againe and that with greater advantage of love and perfection the most perfect secular amity hath some bitternesse because the best have some imperfection but there shall bee nothing in friends to grieve and discontent each other because no sinne nor imperfection Now if wee are indeed confident of such a resurrection why should we bewaile the dead Why too much if we believe they are not lost Why should wee impatiently take it that they are withdrawne for a time whom we beleeve returning to eternity Why should we immoderatly grieve that our friends goe before us seeing wee must quickly followe them 2 To consider that thou lamentest thine own losse not thy good friends wherein as I said thou shouldst rationally rejoyce rather that thou hadst such a one then mourne that hee is gone to God could the deceased Saint for whom thou grievest but heare and speake from heaven to thee what would he else say then that which our blessed Saviour going to overcome death by dying said to the daughters of Jerusalem weepe not for mee but weepe for your selves They need not ever sorrow who are arrived there where there can be no sorrow 3 To consider what state wee have in any thing secular and for what terme what canst thou so call thine as being certaine thou shalt enjoy it one day more and shal we for want of wisedome to hold these temporall blessings with a loose hand ready to let goe when God will resume make them bitter to us also did our deare friends qualities therefore delight us when they lived with us that their memory might afflict us when they are deceased Telamon and Anaxagoras knew but they had mortall children and shall not wee know that our immortality is not here but in the world to come It is a shame to Christians if their faith come short of others infidelity Heathens could say that we ought not to bewaile that death which immortalitie followeth that the deceased lived a more happy life that the soule is divine and heavenly how unexcusable is it for us to thinke the Saints were made for earth onely and to be imprisoned in these houses of clay for ever They condemned immoderate sorrow for the dead how doe we bewray our carnall dissidence or perverse affections in our excesse when we grieve for them who are incomparably more happy then we They stand on the blessed shore expecting our arrivall from this sea of glasse mingled with â—ire And who can say that those new inhabitants of the heavenly Jerusalem doe not daily looke for us among the happy soules as Joseph and Mary sought Christ at the earthly The old Massilians buried their dead without mourning The Easterne people with musick some bewailed their births and rejoyced in their funerals others crowned their dead as then victorious it is enough to comfort us concerning them did not flesh and blood beare too great a part that God pronounceth them blessed There are three things which are counted sorrowes lenitives Time Reason and Religion the first will prevaile to asswage sorrow even in bruits The first and second in carnall men and why then dost thou immoderately mourne who hast the helpe of religion the comfort of knowledge and Gods oracles to allay thy griefe Why should not rather sanctified reason then time asswage thy sorrow To conclude remember these three things 1. That it is no extraordinary thing to loose a deare frrend and why then should'st
thou immoderately lament it 2. Remember that this losse neither tooke much time of life from him who went before thee nor left thee much to come who must ere long follow him 3. Remember Gods graces the sweet and certain effects whereof thou sawest in thy now deceased friend undoubtedly they were not bestowed on him in vaine but that in his translation God might perfect the worke of grace with glory and crowne his owâ—e gifts in him David as wee noted bewailed his impious sonne but hee mourned for the innocent no longer then he lay sicke To comfort our selves against the feares and sorrowes of death let us ever remember 1 Our resurrection and immortality in the life to come is assured us by the infallible word of God 1. Cor 15. 1. 2. 4. 20. 54. c. 1. Thess. 4. 14. 15. 18. Dan 12. 2. 3. 13. Joh 5. 28. 29. Joh 11. 23. 25. Rom 6. 23. This we are therefore sure of Democritus beleeved it not Socrates disputed of the soules immortality Pythagoras dreamed of it but as feverish men of things uncertaine and inconsistent the eternitie we beleeve is that to which God created us by his own image impressed on us unto which we are repaired in our baptisme and regeneration by that vertue which raised Jesus from the dead who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body that is in immortality and deliverance from death and corruption In that state our daies shall not come and goe as in this world they doe neither shall the beginning of one bee the end of another all shall be to gather termelesse where life it selfe shall have no end 2 That death is but a sleepe none feare that it is a separation of the soule and intermission of life and the acts thereof for a time which it endeth not because the immortall soule ever liveth in it's separation from the mortall body which shall be raised againe to immortality which shall be the soules sanctuary and haven of rest This is a truth so certaine that Gods word aboundeth with proofes and so confessed that the prudent heathens as I have noted constantly asserted it That the feare of death is much worse then death it is a servile and a miserable condition to feare that which cannot be avoided feare may be long but death or the sense thereof can be but short That which is a sick or miserable life is not to bee put on accompt to death which endeth all secular griefes death were to be feared if it could stay with thee as paine and sicknesse may but neither it commeth not when thou fearest it or it must quickly dispatch and passe from thee leaving thee free from feare and sorrow if thou dye in Christ. This is a lesson long learning that when that inevitable houre commeth thou maist willingly depart which because it is a certaine uncertainety a condition common to all men of every age seeing the longest life must have one last houre which bringeth up the rere it shall be thy wisdome as hath been said ever to expect it and to live so as that a guilty conscience doe not then terrifie thee when thou shalt most want comfort the only way to be willing to die and cheerefull in dying is to live well and to fix thy confidence in Jesus Christ wretched is hee who for want hereof is afraid of death 4 Remember that Christ dying for thee hath pulled out the sting of death and destroyed the malitious enemie that had the power thereof Christ is the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in him though he were dead yet shall he live the only Antidote against death is a lively faith in Christ let thy maine care and hearts desire be upon it give God no rest importune him with earnest and constant prayers to strengthen thy faith he cannot deceive who hath promised herein to satiate the thirsty and weary soule 5 Consider the power of God to save from death and in death what greater evidence could hee have given to men in desperate hazards then he did in Jonah buried but not dead whose living sepulchre carried him as it were to a second birth the Lord spake unto the fish and it cast out Jonah upon the dry land he can deliver in death so doth he all the elect he can raise this dying flesh againe who saith he will who made this universe of nothing he translated Enoch and Eliah certainely those chariots of God are thousand thousands which though not seene by mortall eyes are ever pressed to carry up the soules of the just in their departure into the presence of God a blessed and endlesse life 6 Consider that death is that physitian who can at once cure all diseases and is to the deceased Saints the ende of sinne and misery not of them the medicine of all griefs the debt of corrupted nature the sanctuary against all secular feares the port of a fluctuant and troublesome world the gate of eternall life as Jacob said of Luz Gen 28 17. b This is the gaâ—e of heaven opened that the righteous nation which keepeth truth may enter Now whereas there are divers waies to death some rough some smooth some short some long it is just that thou patiently submit to the providence of God who can and will best dispose of thee let me adde this to them that are impatient or fearefull of death Who is there so constant in infirmity that he would not rather wish to dye then still live weake Who is so hardy in sorrow that hee would not rather desire that death might once end it then life continue it stil If we are displeased with life when yet we knowe there is a determined end neere us how much more impatient should we bee if we knew there were no end of our miseries and labours What is more intolerable then miserable immortalitie And what is long life better then long torment 7 Lay up the promises of God concerning Christs suffering and rising againe comforting and assisting his in life and death c. Joyne here to fervent and constant prayer that God would be pleased so to direct thee in thy whole life and to strengthen thee in thy death that thou maist be willing to dy not for feare of this life's miseries for they that for that cause only are willing to dye would possibly be glad rather to live to pleasures then sanctity but for love of Gods presence and the assurance of his truth That he would proportion his grace to thy trialls the more thou art cast downe and helplesse in thy selfe that he would the more lift thee up and let thee feele his gratious hand susteining thee so he that in mercy hath borne with thy many failings and taken no advantages to judge and cast
a weapon in one hand and a building instrument in the other that wee may at once desend and ediâ—ie 3. Compose thy body to such a reverend posture in respect of Gods presence and the testimony of men and Angells who behold thee that thou maist thereby contribute to the Minister hearers the assistance of thy devout gesture attention countenance and voice as occasion serveth to say Amen 3. After hearing 1. Lay up the seed in a faithfull memory least the evill one come take it away and leave thee fruitlesse that thou maist be a doer of good works and not a forgetfull hearer and so bee blessed indeed as 't is written Heare therefore O Israâ—l observe to doe it that it may bee well with thee lay that to heart which thou hearest throughly applying it to thy selfe as if God pickt thee out of all the congregation to speake to thee that he might draw thee to repentance and salvation thus must thou lay up his words in thine heart and hald fast that thou hast received thou learnest only so much as thou remembrest excuse not thy selfe upon a bad memory thou seldome forgettest where thou seriously lovest where is that old man that hath forgotten where he hath laid his gold Use the best meanes by repeating writing calling to memory some things at least when thou commest home thou shalt in this constant practice â—inde thy memory amend 2. Meditate and examine how thou hast profited by hearing in case thou finde hardnesse of heart and baâ—rennesse in thy soule be not discouraged God hath his times Moses smote the rock at Horeb twice before it would yeeld at last it sent out abundant streames of living waters God speaketh once and twice and man perceiveth not line must be unto line and precept unto precept happy he who once resenteth give it not over still practise the beast which ruminateth not was reputed uncleane the morall is they are wicked who call not oft to minde that which they have heard Be constant in examination of thy selfe after every sermoÌ„ thou hearest to dresse our selves we are contented often to consult our glasse how well and decently 't is done how few doe it after hearing If thou wilt doe thy selfe right herein thou shalt at last feele the power of Gods word in thy soule Doth any enquire how shall I knowe when I heare the word as I ought The signes are 1. Joy of the holy Ghost so went the shepheards home so the Eunuch so many of the faithfull 2. Desire to heare more as those happy converts Act 13. Act 17. 32. the spirituall eare is not satiate with hearing when good Josiah had heard the Law read he gave present charge goe and enquire the Lord for us 3. Profitting by the sincere milke of the word growing thereby from strength to strength from grace to grace 4. Faithfull resolution to doe all that which thou hast learned as Israel once professed otherwise it had beene better never to have knowne the holy commandement it being lesse sin to be ignorant of Gods word then to despise it knowne Herod did many things but his dispensation with one sinne overthrew all the rest 5. Hearty and unfeigned repentance such as we read of in the Jewes at Peters sermon Act 2. 37. such as is commanded Rev 3. 3. 6. Filial feare of God this is the end of speaking and hearing to feare God and keep his commandements is the whole duty of man 7. Readinesse to impart to others what we have learned that they may teach their children said Moses Deut 4. 10. so did holy Abraham his family 3. Lastly againe commend thy soule to God that hee may send thee the former and later raine upon the seed sowed in thine eares to enable thee to bring forth happy fruitsthereof to make it powerfull and comfortable to thee in life and death A Prayer before hearing the word O Lord God eternall who hast laid the foundation of the earth and formest the spirit of man within him who art the father of light and causest the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine unto people sitting in darknesse in the region and shaddow of death that the glorious light of the Gospell might appeare to them that they may therein knowe thee beleeve see thy saving health and bee fruitfull in good workes to thy glory and the assurance of their own hearts before thee wee humbly acknowledge that we we are most unworthy of the least of all thy mercies specially of that light of truth which thou hast abundantly and long bestowed upon us seeing wee have not yet brought forth fruits worthy amendment of life but have walked every man in the stubbornesse vanity and security of his owne heart as if we had not knowne thy will thou hast allured us with promises and deterred us from our wicked waies with threatnings and sore afflictions accordingly sent upon us but wee have answered all with contempt security adding transgressions to transgressions till they have beene multiplied over our heads ascended up into thy presence and thence with wilfull hearts and violent hands pulled downe thy severe judgements upon-our selves as appeareth this day so that in our own consciencâ—s we doe deserve to heare that sentence on the barren tree cut it downe and cast it into the fire why keepeth it the ground barren That thou shouldst give us over to our owne vile affections and destruction of body and soule by taking away the comfort of thy word from this sinfull nation by permitting those sonnes of confusion who of our selves have risen up speaking perverse things still to prevaile against the unity of this Church and State that thou shouldst send us strong delusions who would not receive the love of the truth that thou shouldst suffer a fearefull darknesse againe to cover this land that night should be to us for a vision and darknesse for divination that the Sunne should goe downe upon our Prophets whose words and ministry we have so much sleghted and contemned and that the day should prove darknesse over them that thy word should become a savour of death to us and every prophesie wee heare rise in judgement against us O Lord we cannot be ignorant that our obstinary is such as that thou who art an holy and just God canst have no pleasure in us we have so often stopped our eares to thy law that we may well expect that thou wilt not accept our offerings and incense of prayers in our distresse who have wearied thee with our words and drawne neere to thee with â—eigned lips bâ—t our hearts have beene far from thee we are become the border of wickednesse and thou hast beene sore displeased with us because we have not hearkned to thy Prophets who cryed to us to turne from our wicked waies we have indeed not layed their messages to heart but refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder we made
is a feare of unbeleefe in them that love the sin but feare the punishment thereof this is that servile fear which affecteth the wicked which though it sometimes restraine them from the externall acts of sinne yet is it not master of any constant duety so soone as their feare is over they are as bad or worse then ever as wee see in Pharoah This feare becometh not the children of God because it is ever with a guilty conscience unbeleefe and expectation of God's just judgment on their sinnes without hope in Christ wherefore should I feare in the daies of evil said the Psalmist for God is with them I will feare none evill for thou art with mee The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid the wicked feare where no feare is they feare not God for love of God but for self-love and feare of punishment as the Grecians worshiped their false gods and poor men the great Lords which is a symptom of a base and impious minde prohibited to the children of God to whom it is said Be not afraid of sudden fear for the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thee from being taken Feare thou not saith the Lord for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and I will helpe thee Feare not for I have redeemed thee All which Precepts are to be understood of servile feare which is to despaire of God's mercy rendring men desperate not provident to avoid danger neither more earnest to flie to God for helpe The first may appeare in Jehoram's message Behold said that wreeth this evill cometh of the Lord should I any longer wait on the Lord and in that precipitate counsell Job 2. 9. Curse God and die The second effect we read in Jacob in danger of his life instantly praying and sending presents to appease his revengefull brother not to be afraid of God's judgements on sinne is carnal security and stupid carelesnesse of feared consciences not to feare imminent dangers is improvident torpor of minde not to feare the dreadfull presence of God must needs be in sinfull man ignorance of God and a mans own selfe Moses and Danielâ—eared â—eared this On the other part to be a timerous Antemon for feare keeping home continually with his two servants ever guarding his head with a brasse shield held over it is not only an impious but a ridiculous fear To feare men more then God as Saul did 1 Sam. 15. 24. is the feare of Hypocrites to feare without confidence in God for the diversion of evill as Belshazzar when seeing the hand writing upon the wall his knees trembled and the joints of his loines were loosed or as Saul at Endor is the fear of those who feare not God aright This fear is the perpetual torment of the wicked conscience an imperious mischief an anticipation of evill not yet come making a man unhappy not onely with present evills but with future which but for â—ear could no way reach him as that feare of inevitable death which maketh men continually die for feare of dying once But to feare God with a filiall feare proceeding of love to him is as the fountain of wisedome so of true happinesse God regardeth such he will deliver them and fulfill their desire hee will teach them the way of righteousnesse they shall want nothing that is good when they seeme most to lack they shall have supply of that or something better it shall be health and strength to them Understanding temporal blessings and eternal and a minde to doe good and deale uprightly with men as appeared in Obadiah 1 King 18. 3 12 13. and Joseph Gen. 42. 10. This feare maketh every little more then great riches to the wicked it is the souls Angel-guardian Innocencies keeper Securities antidote the mindes centinel to awaken it and give the alarme against the assaults of the subtile enemie This giveth a man â—â—ue and unâ—ailing confidence 't is the summe of that which God requireth of us Deut. 10. 12. the whole duety of a man 〈◊〉 12. 14. of this only is that saying true the mother oâ— the fearfull useth not to cry because such are truely blessed 3. Now because we are men not yet perfect in love and so subject to many fears and subject to many sinnes failings and hazzards and therein to some dangerous groavings of servile feare by God's mercy turned in the issue to our good for if we are so prone to sinne under so much feare what would wee be if wee were secure from all these like rules are necessary to the ordering of our thoughts in feares 1. For God's glory and thy salvation contemne any danger It was Christ's precept Feare them not who are able to destroy the body only for they cannot make thee unhappy they may adde to thy blessednesse if thou bearest injuries well These objects are only terrible like that Cumane asse in the Lions skinne to those that know them not or the Crocodile fierce against the fearfull fearfull of the daring or to the impatient who cannot stoop to take up the crosse which like Moses rod thrown down became a dreadfull serpent but at God's command resumed an harmless rod to divide the bitter floods and open a way into the promised rest many men great â—n their owne feares deluding fancy making that monstrous which right reason would discover hurtlesse in a constant and prudent resolution to meet with difficulties 2. Fear God and be not â—aint-hearted endeavour to set thy minde upon such a stay of moderation that thy resolution neither rise to temerity nor fall to timidity neither to dare nor to be afraid of all things nor of nothing but between both beare such a temper as that wisedom may have place to sit at the helme withoâ—t the interruption of either extream Sanctifie the Lord of hosts and let him be your feare and your dread and hee shall be your Sanctuary but feare not their feare who say a confederacy The present feare of God createth us an eternall security fear him and thou shalt not be afraid of man though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil for thou art with mee Psalm 23. 4. The Lord is on my side I will not feare c. Psal. 71. 1. The feare of the Lord like Moses serpent devoureth all the inchanters serpents swalloweth up all other fears 3. In every danger lay to heart the omnipotency of God and learne to trust in him hee that so doth shall be safe when the fiery fornace was threatned Shadrah Meshach and Abednego they answered the incensed King Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us his
Lord God wee humbly pray thee for Christ Jesus sake to pardon all our sins and failings in our dueties this day strengthen our faiths unto our ends and in our ends Suffer us not for any tryals to fall from thee neither lay thou more upon us then thou wilt make us able to beare cheerfully create clean hearts in us renew right spirits mortifie all our corrupt affections subdue and subject them all to thy holy will and pleasure enable us daily more carefully and holily to serve thee so that the neerer we draw unto our deaths the more conâ—idently we may rest assured of immortality and eternal life in the world to come assist us with a measure of thy grace proportionable to our tryals so that at our last houre against all the feares and terrors paines and sorrows of death we may be enabled to render up our soules into thy gracious hands in full assurance of thy mercy and our redemption and salvation in Jesus Christ. Blesse the universall Church specially that part thereof in Great Britan and Ireland let thy blessing and mercy rest on this family from the first to the last Keep us bodies and soules forgive all our sins let our sleep be refreshing and comfortable this night grant us grace to plant all our confidence in thee that wee may love thee fear thee and rest in thee assured of thy gracious protection whose providence sleepeth not into thy hands O Lord wee commend and commit our selves bodies and soules all that we have and are sleeping waking living and dying let us be ever thine through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN An Evening Praier for a Family more enlarged O Lord God great and glorious who hast made the heavens thy throne and the earth thy foot-stoole God of justice and mercy terrible in thy wrath against obstinate sinners but long-suffering and of great mercy to them who with sincere hearts can seek thee and thy saving health our miseries compell us and thine owne gracious mercy inviteth us wretched creatures to call upon thee in the day of trouble But O Lord thou art a God of pure eies and canst not behold iniquity and wickednesse in which as we are conceived and born the children of wrath disobedience so have we continually walked therein and wherewithall shall we now come before our Lord and how our selves before the high God a thousand burnt-offerings and ten thousand rivers of oile cannot satisfie an infinite justice for the sinne of one soule and we are a sinful nation a people laden with iniquity wee have forsaken the covenants of our God and provoked the holy one of Israel to anger wee have gone backward and revolted more and more from the sole of the foot unto the head there is no soundnesse in us but dangerous wounds bruises and putrifying sores ripe for the lancet of thy judgments so that we deserve to have this good land laid waste that we who have forsaken thee should as thou hast threatned be consumed with the sword famine and pestilence until this numerous people be leâ—t as a cottage in vineyard a besieged city like Sodom and Gomorrha sad monuments of the fire of thine indignation that thou shouldst take no delight in us when we tread in thy courts and appear before thee with petitions for mercy but that our oblations of praise and incense of praiers should be abomination and our solemne assemblies a tâ—ouble and wearinesse unto thee that when wee spread forth our hands and make many praiers with strong cries thou shouldst hide away thy face from our miseries and stop thine ears to our cries as we have done ours to those gracious conditions of mercy which thou hast continually offered us by thy Prophets whom thou sentest to warn us that wee might retur from our vaine and unprofitable wayes and not die wee humbly acknowledge that such are we that the severest curses of the law and all the judgments sealed up therein are due to us confusion and helplesse destruction in this present woâ—â—d and unspeakable torments in hell fire in the eternity to come And now whereas wee must all appeare before thy judgement seat what shall wee plead before thee O thou great and just Iudge of all the world what can wee but guilty what shall wee say unto thee O merciful preserver of men what can wee more then be merciful unto us for our Lord Jesus sake Wee know O Lord that wee neither doe nor can deserve any favour at thy gracious hands whom wee have so often and so wilfully provoked to shew thy justice on our sinnes but therefore didst thou give thy sonne Christ Jesus that his merits might satisfie for us wee condemne our selves that thou maist spare us for his sake who dyed not in vaine O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us deale with us according to thy name wee have sinned against thee O thou hope of Israel and the saviour thereof in the time of trouble wee acknowledge our sinnes are for greatnesse unmeasurable and for multitude innumerable but as is the price of our redemption so are thy mercies infinite abhorre us not for thine owne mercy sake thou art our strength and refuge in the day of affliction correct us not in thine anger chasten us not in thy heavy displeasure but heale us that we may be saved Lord though we have many waies failed yet thou knowest all things thou knowest that the desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee through thine owne grace giving us that desire we would above all things in the world become so holy that we might no more displease thee O our God who only canst make us holy and unblameable give us ability to do that which thou hast given us grace to desire thou hast caused us to put our confidence in thee O God who canst not deceive trust let us not be disappointed of our hope restrain not from us thy zeal thy strength and the multitude of thy mercies and compassions O Lord our God if thou wilt thou canst make us clean cleanse us from all our iniquities that we may put away the wickedness of our doings from before thine eies that we may indeed cease to do evil and learn to do well that thou mayest make our scarlet sins twice died in original and actual guilt white as snow in Salmon that we may consent and obey and so enjoy the good things of this land and not be devoured by the sword as we are this day for our transgressions Though we deserve that the fire of thine anger should consume us as the stubble that our root should be as rottennesse and that our blossom when we hope should go up as the dust until our cities become desolate and our houses without a man because we have cast away the law of the Lord of hostes yet O Lord unto thee belongeth mercy and the issues from death though thou hast been terrible in thy
him until fast bound to the gibbet to be put over the fire he cryed out O Solon Solon ◠Riches cannot deliver from death nor in the day of the day of the Lords wrath and how vainely doe wee call them goods in whose abundance the owner may perish with hunger 2. Set not thy soule at stake for any worldly price what shall it profit a man if hee shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule especially at so poor a one that usually hurteth the possessor I appeale herein to any thriving man doe but remember the change of thine owne minde so soon as thy estate encreased or descended to thee how quickly hadst thou learned an unstudied pride and elation of minde Estates and the owners mindes commonly rise together like those beasts and wheeles in the Prophets vision When the creatures were lifted up from the earth the wheels were lifted up this maketh it so hard for a rich man to be saved because it is very hard to be rich and not proud or not to trust in riches Adde hereto that unjust gaine maketh thee not a proprieter but an usurper and robber and hee that swallowed down riches shall vomit them up againe either hee must restore them or perish with them whether they were seized into his hands by violence or by wicked balances or the bag of deceitful weights treasures of wickednesse profit nothing moreover at the best thou canst have but a short use of any worldly thing wee brought nothing into the world and it is certain wee shall carry nothing away and is it not therefore an admirable madnesse to loose eternal happinesse for temporal riches the soule for the bodies supplies The time shall come and it is as sure and neere as death when the body shall have no use of riches the soule never had why do men tyre themselves for vaine shadowes too great possessions have commonly debauched the unhappy owners as may appeare in the Romane conquests of Asia Hannibal's of Alexander's of Persia and the like wherein it was doubtful whether they more conquered those nations or those nations them Their riches were to them but as Demetrius Lamià taken in the Egyptian spoiles aurea mala golden mischiefes and as Seneca said of prosperity viscata beneficia limed baits gifts to take men with and so desperately besotting their lovers that they passe not for any wickednesse to gaine them save that onely which may bring them into future danger of loosing them It was not said amisse Were Justice as free as once it shall be all our goales could not hold our rich men This mischiefe wealth addeth to the rest that it now freeth the wicked from punishment that they may recive it hereafter No wonder that our Saviour pronounced a woe to the rich who usually blesse themselves as the only wise and good men riches so seldom being good to the owners Why settest thou thine heart on that which is neither truely good nor truely thine if they are truely good let them make thee good and blessed if truely thine carry them with thee in death What can be more unworthy of a wise man then the love of false and transitory goods or of a Christian then to sell a soul whose redemption cost more then all the world was worth the precious blood of Christ for that which is neither truely good truely thine nor beyond necessity of safe use or possession If thou use them thou art neer luxury if thou spare them to a dangerous parsimony on the one side is the nures of idlenesse the mother of all mischiefe on the other the gulfe of insatiable avarice 3. Let thy riches serve thee there is no little necessity of the use of this rule for as the Philosopher said Most rich men doe not use their goods for extream covetousnesse others abuse them to pleasures so rich men become slaves all their life time some to pleasure others to profit but beyond all that the Philosophers could know the Scripture sheweth that if wee serve riches we cannot serve God hee that keepeth riches to himselfe is a servant to them and hee the worst of all servants a foole and a knave who grown rich with an ill conscience can be contented to live poore only that hee may die rich And hee that prodigally spendeth them is little better this may be sure his riches cannot serve him long the others doe never Yet thus parsimonious are some as they should live ever and others as lavish as if they should presently die 'T is vaine to deprive they soule of rest only to possesse and not to use riches in trueth such have not riches their riches have them buried in the foolish monument of their avarice It is no sinne to be rich if justly it is to be uncharitable to thy selfe or others How dwelleth the love of God in him God weigheth mens hearts not their chests and in his esteeme who cannot be deceived hee onely is master of his wealth not who keepeth it close but hee who bestoweth it well Ask thy conscience how thou possessest and usest riches and thou shalt know whether God hath given them for a blessing or a curse There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun saith Solomon riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt It is a blessing to know how to use them well every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eate thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour this is the gift of God 4. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with those things that you have Let our meat satisfie hunger our drinke thirst and our decent garments keepe our bodies warm let our houses be to defend us from wet and cold a wise and good man is so contented with himself not that he would not gladly have friends goods to entertain them but because he can patiently bear the want of either riches are more safely had them desired They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction an inheritance may be gotten hastily but the end thereof shall not be blessed A man with a wicked eie hasteth to riches and knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him Hee that heapeth up treasure as the dust knoweth not who shall spend it in the mean time no man wanteth more then he that coveteth most he lacketh not only that which hee hath not but that also which he hath so that the covetous mans wealth leaveth him guiltiness and taketh away the comfortable use of that which hee hath it being a kinde of drunken thirst encreasing by having more Great Alexander was not contented with one world Death only confesseth
sinners death but his conversion Lord convert my soule remove my sins frame my heart affections and life according to thine own will thou who hearest the poor and despisest not the wretched captive visit all that are bound Lord our redeemer hear them in an acceptable time and help them in the day of salvation preserve the oppressed and despised of men say unto the prisoners Goe forth and to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves binde up the broken hearted proclaime liberty to the captives and opening the prison to them that are shut up comfort them that mourne let their deep sighing come before thee according to the greatnesse of thy power preserve thou them that are appointed to dye Lord lift thou up my head enlarge my feet bring me out of bondage that I may live to serve and praise thee in the assemblies of thy servants however thou pleasest to dispose of mee let all my sufferings redound to thy glory and my salvation give me patience to endure constancy to depend on thee firme faith to apprehend thy promises and hope to expect thy saving health Consider my weaknesse and lay no more upon mee then thou wilt enable mee to bear cheerfully sanctifie my afflictions and make them good to mee in the fruits of righteousnesse which thou hast laid up for all those who rest on thee Heare mee O Lord let my cry come unto thee and have mercy upon me through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN A Morning Praier for prisoners O Eternal and Almighty God Creator Preserver and Governer of all things in heaven and earth before whom the Thrones and Dominions Powers Cherubims and Seraphims vaile their faces with their wings not able to behold the brightnesse of thy Majesty nor to comprehend thy being known to none but thine owne infinite wisedome At the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure the earth is moved and the pillars of heaven doe tremble yet in thy unspeakable mercy thou vouchsafest to looke downe from thy throne of glory and to take care for man yea the poorest and most despised among the sonnes of men and not only to bow downe a gracious eare to their petitions but to command them to call upon thee that thou maist relieve and deliver them to this end hast thou made so many instances of that word of thine The fervent praier of the righteous availeth much Such praiers have divided the Seas and made their swelling waves stand on heapes beat down the armies of aliants stopped the mouthes of lions restrained the devouring flames opened and shut heaven made the Sunne and Moone stand still converted the revengeful malice of enemies into pity and compassion broken the heavy yokes of bondage shaken off the chaines opened the prison doores and delivered those that were appointed to death so that thou hast not in â—ain sayed Call upon mee in the day of thy trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Lord thy mercy is not changed thine arme shortened nor thine eare heavy only our sins have separated between thee and us this is that filthy leprosie over-spreading every part and faculty of our bodies and souls which hath covered our mouths and hindred our praies from thy graecious presence turning away thy merciful eares so that as wee have not hearkned when thou spakest unto us by thy Prophets to warn us from the waies of death and destruction so thou maist justly refuse to heare our cries But O Lord God if thy mercy could have been hindred by mans sin thou hadst never elected him to salvation for thou fore-sawest all things from eternity to all times to come If any evil could have overcome thy goodnesse thou hadst never redeemed us with so great a price as the blood of thy sonne Jesus for thou fore-knewest that they to whom thou sentest him as a redeemer would crucifie the Lord of life if the iniquity of an impious world could intercept thy bounty this sun should not shine nor thy rain descend upon the wicked neither wouldst thou have preserved us this night past that we might now meet to call upon thee for mercy and deliveraâ—ce if thy justice had not given place to mercy we therefore humbly acknowledge thy goodnesse and our own vilenesse and unworthinesse and for thy mercy sake beseech thee to pardon and put all our sins out of thy remembrance that they may no more appeare to provoke thine anger to our destruction O Lord we know not what or how to pray as wee ought help thou our infirmities by thy holy Spirit who maketh intercession for us according to thy will with groanings inuterable it is the same spirit of thine which indited the praiers of thy Prophets and Apostles by which they obtained such marvellous things which now also moveth in and for thy poore afflicted children crying unto thee Good Father give us that lively faith fervency and evidence of spirit to which thou who art the God of trueth and canst not deceive hast made the promise of audience and attaining Lord shew us the effects of that good word which saith Ask and you shall have Now give unto us that aske forgive us all our sinnes and give us an happy deliverance out of the pressures which lie so heavily upon us Give us peace with thee in the testimony of a good conscience and if it be thy holy will peace with all men as thou hast passed by us with fire storme and earth-shaking indignation so now speake unto us in the still voice of thy mercy and compassion Lord if it be possible let this cup of anger passe â—rom us if not thy will be done Give us patience and perseverance give the blessed issue who givest the bitter tryal consider whereof thou hast made fraile man Remember that wee are but poore dust and earth and as the grasse soon withering away deale with us so here that wee may not faile of living to thee in this life and with thee in that eternal life to come And now O Lord who causest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee wee bless thy holy name for thy gracious providence preserving of us this night past and giving us this present oportunity of presenting our supplications unto thee Good Father continue thy mercy to us and ours this day sanctifie us unto thy service direct all our thoughts words and actions so as that in the several waies of our callings they may all tend to the glory of thy holy name the good example of our brethren and the further assurance of our consciences before thee Lord blesse thy holy Church in all nations specially that which thy right hand hath planted in this Blesse Lord our several families let our innocency appeare as the light lift up our heads from these bonds and in thy good time restore us to them againe hear their praiers for us and ours for them and both for thy sonne Jesus sake O Lord who art the
the Woman was of the man without paine because innocent but now the man is of the woman with her sorrow because she hath sinned a sorrow so intense and embittered with feare and anguish that the Holy Ghost hereby expresseth the condition of the fainting afflicted and dejected spirit in sodaine feares of the affrighted conscience expecting an inevitable judgement The hower of birth and death the entrance and exit of this World being solely in Gods hand and secret counsaile none else knowing the time nor being able to dispose thereof reason more then apparent urgeth the necessity of addresse to him 2. Some are the sepulchers of their Children gone out of ere they came into this World exiled before they saw a native soile advanced from a short imprisonment in the wombe to the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God to the blessed Kingdome of Heaven before they touched this cursebearing earth some see their Benoni and thence have passage into eternall life where the sentence of death began some live to tast their sorrowes allay in â—he sweetest temper of divine mercy with justice becoming rejoycing mothers all is disposed by the all-guiding providence and unlessened power of Gods word who at the beginning but spake and it was done It hath much troubled some to think why if our sinnes be pardoned in Christ are not the punishments thereof also taken away as here why the elect and reprobate the chast matron and filthy adultresse should in this sentence share and suffer alike for satisfaction herein let the servant of God considerâ— 1. That whereas all sinne though not in the same kinde measure or degrees there remaining the same cause there must remaine the same effect in all that bring forth 2. This life is the stadium or race which we have through the variable distractions and tryalls of seducing pleasures and dejecting paines so to runne that we may obtaine here all are a like the Wheat and the tares must grow up togeather unto the harvest the difference shall appeare in the binding up which shall sufficiently crowne or punish 3. Gods finall sentence is adjourned to the Worlds great Assizes the day in which he hath appointed to judge in righteousnesse if he should by present rewards or punishments distinguish between good and evill the matter of Religion would seem acted by selfe-love feare awing and gaine alluring servile mindes to secure and serve themselves not God rather then the love of God which is the summe and ground of all true obedience nor should men according to the mercifull ordinance of God live by Faith but sense the lives of beasts rather then of men they are drawn to obsequie by rewards held out to them or compelled to duty by stripes but these by Faith in the promises of God even when there appeareth in things externall no difference between the wicked and the just nor indeed should God otherwise leave a due place for faiths reward which is not slitely tryed by our present sharing in secular evills with the wicked nor so just and great a punishment of sinne by permitting the disobedient to runne on in their own wayes storing up wrath against the day of wrath and greatning their own damnation 4. Though there is much difference in the issue between the temporall afflictions common to elect and reprobate they being the beginning of destruction to these and a fatherly correction to the other that they might not be condemned with the World yet he continueth them to his dearest children in this life that they may make them throughly sensible of the odiousnesse of sinne by the bitter effects thereof of Gods immutable and inviolable justice the same now which it was when this dolefull sentence was first pronounced of the corrupted state of mans depraved nature conceived in sinne and therefore comming into living in and going out of the World with sorrow and lastly of the necessity of our repaire by faith and continuall renewing our repentance 5. As all other afflictions are not only mitigated but made good to the Saints and coâ—perative for the best to them that love God so is this for through this temporall Childbearing they shall be saved if they continue in Faith and Charity with holinesse and sobriety and in the mean time they are not without their peculiar comforts 1. Our Saviour noted it So soon as she is delivered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the World Doubtlesse as it was and is an affliction to be childlesse so it cannot but be a comfort to her that by an holy progeny encreaseth the Kingdome of God to be her Husbands blessing a fruitfull Vine upon the walls of his house God promising the fruit of the wombe and the sweet Olive branches round about the table for a blessing to them that feare him and walke in his waies 2. It must be a comfort to consider how God not only in Christ in whom male and female have equall interest hath taken off the curse from this sexe made coe-heires with us of the same grace but also the dishonour and bitternesse of their sentence by some peculiar favours and consolations as first that he sent forth his Sonne made of a Woman without man so that he made her mother of Christ according to the flesh that shee might by the power of the most high conceive her Saviour that as shee was the unhappy doore to let in sorrowes and paines deaths terrible harbingers and destruction on all her posterity so she might be to let in Christ the peace happinesse redeemer and life of all the elect Secondly that God made her seed to break the serpents head 3. That he made a Woman the first witnesse of the accomplishment thereof in his resurrection from the dead that the sexe that first heard and felt the sentence on sinne should first see and beleeve the ransome of our sinne there accomplished where death was absolutely vanquished 3. In the sweet object of their affection they most tenderly love who suffer the most bitter sorrow for Children God sometimes expresseth the constancy of his love by a mothers can a Mother forget could a greater among the children of men have been found his infinite love and compassion towards man should have been weighed by it 4. In their Husbands greater love as Leah said now therefore my Husband will love me none but the unnaturall but will have compassion and the more tender love to her by whose sorrowes God hath made him glad by the comfort of deare Children pledges of his posterity 5. In their Childrens love and duty who forsake not the law of their mother as fooles who are their living sorrowes onely the wicked forget their Mothers paines and care for them the ravens of the vallies are too milde executioners for them who despise their Mother when shee is old who looketh
provoked by our sinnes O Lord thou art a God of mercy and wouldst not destroy but the importunitie of our sinnes hath put this heavy rod into thy hands and our iniquities have so much dâ—faced thy glorious Image in us that thou maist justly hide away thy face from our miseries no more owne us for thy Children but O Lord our onely hope is in the merit and mediation of thy sonne Jesus Christ whome thou gavest to death for us it is he O Lord who beareth all our names in his secret brest-plate it is he that appeareth hefore thee for us let our petitions ascend to thy throne of mercy like sweet incense from the precious censer of his merits it is he who standeth betweene the living and the dead O let this plague which now consumeth us be stayed Lord looke not on our sinnes but his merits in whome thou art well pleased for his sake in whome we beleeve and whose holy name we beare say unto the destroying angell it is enough cause him to sheath the sword againe and let this plague cease Lord God of all consolation comfort all those whom thou hast smitten with the infection heale them that they may recover and praise thy glorious name however thou shalt be pleased to deale with their mortall bodies speake peace to their soules and save them give them full assurance of thy mercy and their redemption in Christ Jesus let thy holy spirit the comforter ever remaine with them to prâ—serue them against all the malitious assaults of the adversary that he may never make his advantages on their surrowes infirmities or the distracting and astonishing violence of their disease comfort them at the last gaspe and breathing out their afflâ—cted soules with present sense and assurance of the eternall joyes in thy Kingdome free from death sicknesse sorrow feare and all the wretched effects of sinne preserue those whom thou hast hitherto spared let no plague come nigh their dwelling and make them in their preservation understand that thou only hast kept them to serve thee more carefully and thankefully and to shew mercy to those who are visited and shut up Lord heare and help us Lord spare thy people and restore us health that we may glorifie thy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN A Thanksgiving at the ceasing of the plague GRatious God and mercifull Father we are come before thee with an humble and hearty desire to present an acceptable sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving unto thy holy Majestie for all thy gracious mercies spirituall and temporall bestowed upon us unworthy of the least of them it was thy free mercy not our merit that electedst us when we were not that thou createdst us to thine own holy image that thou redeemest us that thou didst sanctify and justify us that thou hast preserved us sparing us when now thy fierce wrath came our against us in a noisome and devouring pestilence that thou was pleased to regard our teares and accept our unworthy humiliation all this was thy free mercy had we suffered as we have all deserved not one of the multitude apearing before thee this day had beene left alive to have praised thee And now O thou Saviour of Israel in the time of trouble and the blessed preserver of man whose mercies are as the unsounded deeps and can never be drawn dry give us sanctified bodies and soules that we may render them which thou hast redeemed from death a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto thee Lord who hast the key of David who sang thy praises opening so that none can shut open our lips that our mouths may shew forth thy praise that we may now pay all our vows in our distresse and feare made unto thee As thou hast put a new song of thansgiving into our mouthes so give us new hearts new obedience new lives and conversations renew thy covenant with us and with our children to be our God and protector untill thou shalt be pleased to translate us to that Kingdome of thy Sonne where shall be joy secure from feare of loosing health without sicknesse life without death blessednesse without all measure or end where we whose hearts and soules this day praise thee shall with thy holy angels sing eternall Hallelu-jahs to the glory of thy great name through the merits of thy holy Son Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the Holy Ghost the Comforter be rendred all honour praise thanksgiving and glory in heaven and earth this day and to all eternity AMEN Another forme of thanksgiving on the like occasion O Lord God Father of mercy and compassion we humbly acknowledge that our sinnes have beene so great and grievous that when thy wrath went out against us in thy late dreadfull visitation by the plâ—gue of pestilence it might justly have consumed us the aged with the infant the mother with the child untill thou hadst laid our habitations wast and our cities without inhabitants but seeing thou hast been pleased to remember mercy in the midst of thy judgements and to spare our lives from destruction we can do no lesse nor more then present our humble and hearty thankes unto thee in the congregation of thy people what shall wee give thee for all thy mercies what can we seeing our goods are nothing unto thee we have nothing but thankes to returne thee nor could we that except thou gavest us hearts and tongues so to doe Lord make us thankfull give us that we may give thee again and be acceptable unto thee fill our hearts with thy feare and love and our mouthes with thy praise let it come up into thy presence as the sweete incense from the Censer of the great Angell of thy covenant Christ Jesus Be thou pleased through his mediation to smell a favour of rest that thy severe judgements may be turned to mercies and fatherly corrections for our amendment that wee may truely profit thereby that we may feare and reverence thy just judgements and praise thee for thy elemency and mercy which thou hast shewed unto us in this deliverance Particularly we blesse thy holy name for these thy servants who now appeare before thee with their sacrifice of praise end thonkesgiving for that thou hast spared and delivered them from the grave and destruction which was come up into their houses Lord now grant them true thankefulnesse with holy and constant resolutions to spend the remainder of their daies to the glory of thy great name and good example of their brethren And seeing thou hast given us all the same argument of thankesgiving whom thou hast preserved and kept further off from the noisome contagion we pray thee also to accept our oblation of praise set our hearts to meditate and our tongues to sound out those praises to thy holy name which wee shall through thy mercy in Christ sing to thee for ever in the sacred Quieres of Saints and Angells in thy kingdome of glory
which grant us O good Lord for the same thy sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ his sake who with thee and the holy spirit liveth and reigneth one glorious God for ever and ever AMEN CHAP. XXXVI Meditations concerning death § 1. Seeing all must dye how to prepare that death may not be terrible § 2. Meanes to comfort in the death of deare friends § 3. Comforts against death THat needeth no proofe whereof all are examples to themselves such is that easiest and hardest lesson that All must dye that death is the undoubted issue of sinne that it is a separation of the soule from the body for a time But because it stealeth on as they that sleepe in a ship undersaile arrive at their port while they thinke not of going so goe wee with a restlesse pace to that same terra incognita the unknowne limit of our present life consuming while we are not sensible thereof and because it is terrible to flesh and blood the maine care must be to knowe 1 What preparation we are to make that neither life may be tedious nor death terrible 2 How to comfort our selves against it in case of sorrow for others 3 How we must be comforted against feare of death We must prepare for death because in the place where the tree falleth there it shall be as death leaveth us judgement shall finde us now as the passage to the promised rest which was a type of heaven to the Israël of God was terrible so is this to heaven we are presently ripe though not ready for death all are subject to this pale prince to whom we are going every moment this day wee now live wee divide with death that which is past thereof being unrecoverably gone rhe houre is uncertaine but they are certainly happy who are then provided thou wouldst watch against the comming of theeves who can take nothing from thee but only that which a little time must what a stupid security is it not to watch and provide against death which thou knowest will certainly and quickly come and take away body soule heaven and all to eternity from the secure sinner Thinkest thou of youth and strength Alas how many young and strong men have died before thee Doest thou in others funeralls thinke as the Pharise said I am not as other men What priviledge hast thou Let not Satan delude thee but prepare for the day that it may bee thy happiest To prepare so that thou maist not feare death it is necessary that thou 1 Put thy house in order so that when the houre is come that thou shalt be taken hence all secular cares falling off like Eliahs mantle thou maist quietly fix thy minde on those things which are above to which thou art going 2. That thou alwaies keepe innocency for so thy end shall be peace Psal. 37. 37. The sting of death is sinne 1. Cor. 15. 56. and more greivous then it into which when our first parents fell they became mortall and so death went over all for as much as all have sinned so that which was their punishment became naturall to all borne of them The best preparation against death is as much as we can to avoid the cause thereof but for which as it could never have prevailed so neither can it now be terrible what is the serpent when his venemous teeth are broken or his sting pulled out what is death to those who are fully assured of their sinnes remission death where is thy sting cryed Paul certaine of victory in Christ and insulting over death otherwise even Aristippus how excellently soever disputing of the contempt of death will looke pale in the storme at sea yea where some remaindes of the first Adam appeare and therein some degrees of unbeleefe the saints thinke of death as Jacob said of his Luz how dreadfull is this place this is the gate of heaven for the guilt of sin presenteth the conscience with apprehension and feare of Gods anger as faith doth with confidence of attonement in Christ hence is the conflict in the soule desiring to be with Christ and flesh and blood naturally fearing its owne destructiō look how Moses assured that the rod turn'd into a serpent should not sting him yet fled it with a kind of fearfull willingnesse tooke it up so is it here the guilt of sinne afflicting the conscience is the onely terrour of death therefore as the Philistins said of David we may say of it let him not goe downe into the battel with us lest he be an enemy to us sinne is the mother of unbeliefe feare and doubting it leaveth the conscience wounded and affrighted with feare of judgment whereof death is but the execution most embittred with present sorrow and apprehension of the future which maketh death evill that can be no evill death whith endeth a good life the heathen could say that they that will be immortall must live holily and justly if thou feare death so But why may some say is not death the punishment of sinne taken away from those who by the grace of regeneration are acquitted from the guilt of sinne We must know that if the bodies immortalitie should ever presently follow the sacrament of regeneration faith it selfe should be enervated which then hath being when it expecteth that in hope which is not yet actually seen also the feare of death must be overcome by the strength and conflict of faith in men of ripe yeares as it appeared in the Martyres wherein there could be neither victory nor glory if no conflict as there could not be if the Saints had present immunity from bodily death who would not then runne to the grace of Christ with infants to be baptised that they might not dye And so should faith not be tryed by an invisible reward nor indeed by faith in that it now sought and obtained reward But now by a greater and more admirable grace of our Savicur the punishment of sinne is converted to the use of righteousnesse for then it was said to man if thou sinne thou shalt dye but now it is said to the martyr dye that thou maist not sinne so by the unspeakable mercy of God the very punishment of sinne became the armour of vertue and so death which endeth this mortall and sinfull life becommeth a passage to the eternall in which shall be no sinne and so the punishment is turned into mercy and death become againe by which sinne and misery are cut off lest the evill should be immortall 3 It is necessary that thou strive to live an heavenly life in all godlinesse to set thy affections on things above to reckon that thou art here but a pilgrime and stranger not having in this world any continuing city that thou art a fellow citizen with the Saints and of the houshold of God that being here in this earthly
thee Lord despise not as I have justly deserved thine owne handy worke but mercifully repaire all my decayes it is indeed life everlasting to know thee and thy Sone Iesus but none can know thee but those to whome thou pleasest to reveale thy selfe Lord open mine eies that I sleepe not in death shew the light of thy countenance upon mee make mee to know thee in a comfortable participation of thy grace and communion of thy holy and sanctifying spirit that I may worship thee aright by serving thee sincerely take off the vaile from my heart in the reading and hearing thy holy word which testefieth thee give mee a constant assurance of thy gratious favour toward me and a comfortable sense of thy presence ever with me that in all my thoughts words and actions I may ever set my selfe in thy holy presence and walke with thee in purity of heart and sanctimony of life assure me of my interest in thee that I may in life and death depend upon thy fatherly providence that I may know that thou art my God my Saviour and mercifull preserver Lord thou art neere every one of us in thee we live move have our being Thou passest by us and we see thee not thou art about all our paths knowest all our waies the words we speak what ever we doe and the secrets of our hearts specially thou art neere unto them that call upon thee in truth thou wilt not conceale thy selfe from those who faithfully seeke thee and thy saving health which seeing none can doe except thou draw them Lord finde us that we may seeke thee and seeking finde thee Draw us with thy preventing grace that wee may follow thee and supply us with that strength that wee may not seeke thee in vaine good Lord manifest thy selfe and reveale thy will to us that doing it faithfully we may at last with all thy Saints and holy Angells enjoy thy blessed presence wherein is the fulnesse of joy for ever and ever through thy only sonne our Saviour JESUS CHRIST AMEN CHAP. IV. Of that which we are to beleeve concerning § 1. Iesus Christ Gods only sonne our Lord. § 2. Conceived by the holy Ghost § 3. Borne of the Virgin Mary THis is a sweet and comfortable part of our Creed and hath excellent promises annexed to it when Peter confessed Christ to be the sonne of the living God Christ replied upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it that is this confession shall be an unmoved foundation of them that beleeve All that beleeve in him shall receive remission of sinnes Act 10. 43. So Paul said to the Gâ—aler Act 16. 31. Beleeve in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved and all thy houshold and that upon excellent ground for God dwelleth in true beleevers 1. Joh. 4. 15. and the confession hereof maketh the Church of God as the blood of Paschal Lambe did the doores of Israel that the destroyer might not enter as the red clew did Rahabs house distinguishing it from the rest of perishing Jerico 2 In the Articles of our faith wee finde foure titles of our Saviour 1. Jesus 2. Christ. 3. God's only Sonne 4. our Lord. 1 This name Jesus in the Hebrew Jehoscua a Saviour which the Greeks rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other languages Jesus signifieth his office which was to save his people from sin and death eternall it was preâ—igured in the type which bare his name Joshua to whom the leading of Israël into Canaan and the division of the inheritance was received Moses stood on Pisga and shewed the people the holy land But Joshua led them in the law shewed us heaven and the holy way to it but it brought nothing to perfection by reason of our infirmity Rom 8. 3. but Jesus Christ condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the law might be fulfilled in us and wee bee saved in him so all the Prophets give testimony to him that as I noted through his name all that beleeve in him shall receive remission of sinnes for the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed This name was given him by the father and brought from heaven by the Angell Gabriel thou shalt call his name Jesus he is the only Saviour Neither is there salvation in any other for among men there is given none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved He only is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him So often then as wee heare of this sweet name Jesus we must remember all the comforts through him acrewing to us that in no affliction nor death it selfe we despaire seeing that he beareth not that name in vaine 2 The second title of the Sonne of God is Christ which signifieth annointed as also the name Messiah doth The Law and custome was to ancient Kings Priests and Prophets Exod 9. 7. 30. 30. 23. 24. and therefore is Christ eminently and above all others called the Lords Christ or annointed Psal 45 7. Isai 6. 1. Luk 4. 18. Act 10. 38. Kings and Priests thus annoited were types of Christ the annointed not with bodily oile compounded of Mirrhe Calamus and Cassia but with the spirit of God which he receaved without measure as a fountaine to derive graces to others he was appointed of God to this triple office to bee a King to governe and preserve his people a Priest for ever who was once for our redemption the Priest sacrifice and altar first to offer up himselfe a sufficient sacrifice to expiate the sinne of the world and then to mediate and appeare before God for us as the great Master of requests to present our petitions to get us audience by his never-dying merit as t is said his blood speaketh better things for us then the blood of Abel that cryed for revenge this for pardon and attonement And lasâ—â—y he was appointed a Prophet to reveale and teach us his fathers will for that kingly Priesthood and holy kingdome in which consisteth our eternall peace and happinesse was to be established by the Scepter of his word and vertue of his holy spirit with which he was annointed his annointing as a Prophet importeth that he who is in the bosome of the father eternall God took on him an humane nature annointed with the fulnesse of the spirit that he might reveale to us the will of his father concerning our redemption and salvation and thereby manifest that great mystery which had been hid from the beginning of the world in darke shadowes and representations untill the fulnesse of time so preaching peace to them a far off and to them that were neere and that he might effectually teach us by his holy spirit and ministry of the word and sacraments unto the
perish so long as thou reignest over all The next is his comming to judge the quicke and the dead properly annexed to the foregoing because he so sitteth at Godâ—s right hand as that he both exerciseth the patience of the elect under the crosse and long permitteth the wicked enemies to insult over them to comfort us herein 't is necessary to beleeve that Christ who now sitteth at God's right hand will thence come to judge all men those whom he shall finde surviving who shall be changed in a moment at the sound of the last trump and the dead raised againe all elect and reprobate some to eternall absolution from sin and death and others to eternall shame and destruction of bodies and soules This judgement shall be of all our thoughts words and actions the books shall be opened and every secret thing manifested the evidence of every fact shall speak as Abels blood did The time of this judgment shall be at the second comming of Christ the particular yeare or day no creture knoweth neither the son of man himselfe here knew it in the state of humiliatioÌ„ nor need it seem strang how being God and man in one person the manhood could be ignorant of any thing the deity being omniscient seeing he tooke on him all our infirmities sinne excepted amongst which natiue ignorance was not a little one therefore t is said that from his childhood he encreased in wisedome which no infinite can doe and why shall I not as easily beleeue that there was a vaile of the slesh betweene the deity and humane soule intercepting some light of knowledge as I certainly know there was intercepting the present sense of his fathers assistance and of the comfort of the deity in his passion when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The signes of this judgements approach are 1. preaching the Gospell to all Nations 2. revelation of the man of sinne 3. a generall departing from the faith 4. Universall corruption of manners 2 Tim. 3. 1. 5. warres and rumours of warres 6. hardnesse of heart so that no importunity of the lowdest sonnes of Thunder can awake men out of sinne as it was in the dayes of Noah 7. Calling of the Jewes Rom. 11. 25. The signe which shall accompany the comming of Christ shall be the signe of the sonne of man in heaven Math. 24. 30. The Summe is Christ shall come againe to judge all men Act. 17. 31. Math. 25. 31. Jud. 14. 14. 1 Thes. 4. 16. and Math. 24. 30. where he joyneth the declaration of the judgement with the prediction of Jerusalems destruction to the end that men might be assured of the judgement to come by that which they saw or knew fulfilled in that City Concerning the place whether in the valley of Jehoshaphat or the time and lasting of this great Assizes the manner of proceeding and the like it is vaine to enquire after that which God hath not revealed specially seeing his word directeth to make better use hereof 1 To deterre men from sinne in respect of the inevitable terrour of that day 2 Not to judge one another Rom 14. 1 Cor 4. 5. 3 To prepare because the day is neere fearing God Eccles 12. 14. Rev 14. 7. keeping a good conscience Act 24. 15 16. watching that we may lift up our heads at that day Luk 22. 28. 35 36. Repenting Act 17. 30 31. Without delay 2. Pet 3. 2. Loving one another 1. Joh 3. 18. 19. That wee may assure our hearts before him and have boldnesse in the day of judgment 1. Joh 4. 17. Comforting our selves in all our sufferings our Saviour shall be our judge and who shall condemne us seeing he died to acquit us He cannot but avenge for us though he suffer long therefore we must be patient expecting his sentence Come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you A Prayer O Lord God of mercy and compassion who in thy eternall and infinite love to man gavest thy onely Sonne to become man to take experience of our miseries to be tempted in all things like us sinne onely excepted and to suffer the severity of thy wrath against us sinners by offering him up a living sacrifice for us who were dead in trespasses and sins the just for the unjust that by his stripes we might be healed and hast revealed unto us that great mystery of godlinesse so much desired of the faithfull from the beginning the inestimable riches of thy grace and mercy hid from all ages unto the fulnesse of time God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seene of Angells preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received up into glory make us truly thankefull to thee for all thy unspeakeable favours give us true faith to apprehend and finde our interest in him with assurance that he is our God and Saviour O ever blessed Jesus whose name is as sweet ointment powred forth whom the Virgin soules therefore love draw us that we may runne after thee let the annointing which we have received of thee whereby we have the honour to be called and to be Christians and the happinesse to be enlightned with thy truth and led in thy paths abide in us and teach us all things necessary for the advancement of thy glory and our salvation let it bee like that precious nard wherewith thou wast imbalmed against the day of thy death to fill our hearts and affections with that comfortable savour of life unto life that thou maist wholy season us dwell in us and be all in all with us that the merit of thy death and vertue of thy resurrection may both mortify all our sinfull corrupt affections and raise us to the life of righteousnesse that dying to sinne governed here by thy power to which all things are committed in heaven and earth and hereafter acquitted by thy finall sentence when thou shalt come to judge the living and the dead we may at last come to the perfect union with thee in a full view and eternall enjoying of thee and thy blessed presence who hast suffered all these things to redeeme us and to purchase the kingdome prepared for us from eternity that wee may attaine that true blessednesse in the which thy holy Gospell hath preached unto us Grant this through thy mercies O heavenly Father thy merits O gracious Lord Jesus and thy assistance O holy Spirit three persons one onely wise omnipotent and immortall God to whom belongeth all honour glory praise might Majestie and dominion in heaven and earth from this time forth and to endlesse eternitie AMEN CHAP. VI. § 1. What we are to beleeve § 2. Rules thereto belonging 1 ALL knowledge of God the Father and Sonne with man can attaine to availeth him not except it be made good to him by a blessed application thereof to himselfe wrought by the
of death I will sing my nune dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace securely may hee dare Death and Hell Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory who can indeed say Thankes be unto God which giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Confesse and repent thee of all thy sinnes that is forsake them and thou shalt find mercy if thou hidest them under any pretence of merit or pleading not guilty thou canst not prosper God's family saith not I am whole but heale mee O Lord and I shall be whole repentance is the second table after the shipwracke of our soules wee read that Peter after his fall repented wee read hee wept wee read not that hee satisfied repentance is no cause but a condition of our pardon without which it cannot be obtained because God is just as well as mercifull if God should forgive before we repent it were approbation of the fact rather then mercy nor could it stand with his justice This repentance is 1. in knowledge of our sinne without which we cannot repent therefore David prayeth Lord open mine eyes that I sheep not in death it is a fearfull judgement of God not to know our sinnes that we may repent The first degree of happinesse is not to sinne the second to knowe our sinnes there in entire innocency to save here followeth the medicine to heale 2. In hearty sorrow for all our sinnes without which we doe not repent 3. In a constant change of the minde purpose to sinne no more and forsaking our evill waies 't is not only in saying God be mercifull to me but in turning to him that hee may shew mercy who had not had any Saint had hee not pardoned sinners therefore the Prophet bids us search and try our waies turne againe unto the Lord. 3. Apply the word of God home to thy conscience that thou maist understand thy sinne and misery comming on thee and be toucht at heart as Peters hearers were Act 2. 37. 4. Pray earnestly to God to take away the stony heart which hindereth thy repentance and the comfortable effects thereof this lieth like the cover on the wells mouth at Padan Aram till it be roled away the flocks cannot bee watred the rocks at Horeb could not yeeld a drop of water till the rod of God smote it nor can mans harder heart one teare of faithfull repentance untill God touch it 5. Beware of living in or relapsing into any knowne sinne least the end be worse then the beginning in such case it had beene better for thee not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse then after the knowledge thereof to returue with the dog to the vomit 6. Be sure thou forgive 't is the condition of remission of thy sinne which Christ annexeth to thy petition for forgivenesse as we forgive them that trespasse against us and repeateth it to teach us the necessitie thereof for if we forgive them their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you but if yee forgive not â—neither will your father forgive your trespasses malice is strange fire which never came from heaven no sacrifice of prayer can be acceptable therewith be resolved then seeing thy daily infirmities put thee upon a daily asking mercy to shew it that thou maist find it that thou be not with the evill servant who would receive but shew no pitty delivered to the tormentors for the exaction of that which thou canst never satisfie A Prayer for repentance and remission of sinnes O Lord God of mercy and compassion slow to anger and more ready to forgive then we can be to beg pardon forgive us all our sinnes which we have at any time committed in thought word or action give us hearts to consent and obay that thou maist bee pleased according to thyne owne gratious promise to make our scarlet sinnes white as snow to take away those filthy habits where with we are naturally clothed and to put us on the robe of Christ's innocency give us hearty and unfeigned repentance of all our sins that we may abandon all our evill vaine and unprofitable waies whereby we have provoked thy wrath against our owne soules Seale up our pardon by the certaine testemonie of thy spirit of truth which cannot deceave in a comfortable peace of conscience and assurance of our reconciliation by the merits of our Lord Jesus Give us security on the second table of repentance who have unhappily let goe the first of innocency As thou hast in the pretious blood of thy deare sonne Jesus cancelled the hand writing of ordinances which was against us fastning them on his crosse so accomplish thine owne mercy cancelling them to the sense of our consciences by a certaine assurance of our salvation that the stings of death may not afflict us nor the gates of hell ever prevaile against us but that our sinnes being covered and no more imputed to us we may cheerefully thankfully and holily live before thee to thy glory the good example of of others and the assurance of our owne hearts before thee that thoâ—â— who hast in some measure sanctified hast also freely and fully pardoned us Lord answer unto our soules with good and comfortable words through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour AMEN CHAP. X. § 1. Of the resurrection from the dead § 2. How the truth thereof may appeare § 3. What wee are to make of the meditation hereof 1 THe third benefit of the Church shall be the Resurrection from the dead in the first Adam all dye in the second all live hope of a joyfull resurrection is the root of all good workes Act 24. 15. 16. Act 26. 6 7. 2. It is necessary that sinne which brought death into the world like a viperous brood eating through its mothers bowels should be destroyed by death and as necessary that sins kingdome so ended all should rise againe that they may come to judgement 3. Resurrection is of the dead body of man for first death is not only a bare negation but a privation of life so dead and livelesse differ that only which had life and after died riseth againe Secondly there are two sorts of dead bodies the first sine potentiâ ad vitam without possibilitae of rising againe so beasts dye never to live againe or in potentiâ ad vitam in abilitie once to rise againe by the power of God so determining it so man dyeth and shall assuredly rise againe all men elect and reprobates shall come from death as Pharaohs two servants from their prison one to honour the other to execution some to the joyes of heaven eternall blessednesse of body and soule the other to endlesse shame and unspeakable torments in hell sire with the Devill and his Angells 4. The same body which dyeth shall be raised againe the same substance as
promised to give Lord give therefore a gratious answere through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the holy Spirit the Comforter be all honour and glory in heaven and earth to all eternity AMEN Another private Prayer immediatly after receiving the Lords Supper LOrd make us thankefull for all thy mercies especially for the knowledge of thy sonne our ever blessed Redeemer and for these seales of our salvation now received Holy Jesus who even now from the right hand of the father hearest and beholdest what we have done according to thine owne institution in remembrance of thy death and passion forgive us all our failings and imperfections accept our wills to obey thee more perfectly and as thy selfe gavest the signes so give thou who only canst the powerfull effects thereof that every one of us may evidently feele the vigour and strength of this spirituall refection in our soules and consciences more and more to a full assurance of our interest in thee peace of conscience through thee sanctified wills and affections by thee and that candor of manners holinesse of words and actions which may cleerely shine in our conversations before all men to thy glory and our comfort in life and death Lord heare and help us Lord encline thy mercifull eare unto us and doe it for his merit who now intercedeth for us thy sonne our holy Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN CHAP. XV. § 1. Of the Sabbath the name institution things considerable for the sanctification the beginning and ending reasons of Gods institution thereof § 2. Of the change to the Lords day now to be observed of Christians § 3. How we must now sanctifie it 1 SAbbath signifieth a rest from motion or worke hence this day set a part for holy conventions and the publike service of God is called a Sabbath thereto sanctified and hallowed by Gods appointment for every rest or cessation from worke is not the Sabbath of the Lord. 2. The Lord having perfected the worke of creation rested on the Seaventh day that is ceased from creation blessed it sanctified or appointed it to be kept holy by man as is repeated and interpreted in the morall law given by the ministry of Moses 3. In this praecept are considerable those things which are 1. Morall and Naturall 2. Positive and ceremoniall 1. The Morall part is that a seaventh day be set apart and kept holy for divine worship and rest from servill workes and this as all morall precepts having their ground in the law of nature concernes and bindes all men in all ages whose reason telleth them that there must be a time for the publike service of God 2. The Positive and Ceremoniall part is that which bound all men to the observation of the seaventh day from the creation untill it was changed as all the Leviticall ceremoniesâ— for a seaventh day to begin from Christs resurrection from the dead and also that which bound the Jewes to the observation of certaine ceremoniall rests and solemnities thereon untill the substance of those shadowes were come so wee read of their severall Sabbaths as first their great Sabbath which was that on which concurred a double solemnity as the last day of the Pasover and the seaventh day Sabbath secondly their holidaies or solemne feast daies wherein they were to feast and rejoyce before the Lord see Levit 23 24. c. Deut. 16. 14. and these were also to them Sabbaths Lam 1. 7. the adversaries saw her and did mock at her Sabbaths Thirdly their Sabbath of the earth every seventh yeare to rest Exod 23. 11. Levit 25. 4. Numb 28. 10. Fourthly Sabbaths of yeares seven times seven yeares 49. after which the trumpet was to â—ound the Jubile Levit 25. 8 9. Fitly their Sabbath of weekes see Levit. 23. 15 16. Deuâ— 16. 9 10. these were ceremoniall appertaining to the Levitie all law and therefore determined and ended with the rest of those ceremonies so Paul arrangeth them and would have no man judge Christians in respect of any such Sabbath Colos 2. 16. yea hee counteth it returning to weake and beggerly elements to observe daies c. Galat. 4. 10. 4. The seventh day Sabbath began at Evening and so ended the next day Evening according to the beginning and ending of naturall daies from the Creation as 't is saide the evening the morning made the first day from Even unto Even shall you celebrate your Sabbath but our Lords day beginneth in the morning from the resurrection of Christ on the morning of the third day and that 's not without a mystery that the Legall sabbath began with darknesse and the Evangelicall beganne with light 5. God appointed the observation of the Sabbath for many reasons 1. That it might be a day for Gods publike service as it was and is observed that men might come together to heare the Law pray receave the holy Sacraments c. Luk 4. 16. Act 20. 7. 1. Cor 16. 2. 2. To keepe in memory the work of creation Exod 20. 10 11. 3. In the giving of the law was added that which concerned Israels deliverance from their Egyptian servitude a type of our freedome from the bondage of sinne and Satan remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keepe this Sabbath day 4. That it might be a signe betweene God and his people that they might knowe that he is the Lord that sanctifieth them and a signe of the eternall rest in the life to come as it is said there remaineth therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbath keepping to the people of God 5. To move masters to be just and equall to their servants and beasts in remembrance of their owne condition on the seventh day thou shalt rest that thy Ox and thy Asse may rest and the sonne of thy hand-maid and the stranger may bee refreshed Exod 23. 12. that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. 6. That God and his lawes may be remembered that in case any forgetfulnesse of him should fall on man most apt to forget God the very solemnity of the day might remember him 6. Sanctification of the Sabbath on Gods part was his appointment to keepe it holy on mans the setting it apart from common use and ordinary workes to spend it in holy exercises according to God's commandement profanation of the Sabbath was and is by doing those workes which God prohibited to be done on that day as servile workes or on any day as sinne or any thing hindering his workship on that day to bee performed as humane servile or ordinary workes of ourcallings all workes are not prohibited on the Sabbath the Preists by the law did sacrifice thereon this as other like were divine or such as appertained to the
parity of manners conciliateth love but Gods love createth our likenesse to him hence is it that the most excellent creatures love him most whereby they are made such some think that ardency of love denominateth those Angells which stand in Gods presence Seraphim certaine it is such are we as is our love our manners are not estimable by that which we knowe but by that we love good or evill love maketh us such if we love God we are godly if the world worldly if sinne sinfulf all men the best of all doe sinne but the wicked only love sinne looke how the glasses species are as is the posture thereof if you turne it to heaven you see only heaven in it if to the earth only earth so is it in our love the soules looking-glasse wherein we may see and judge of our selves 6. Without this love there can be no true happinesse for the wrath of God the severity of his justice remaineth for those who hate him give him all that a sinfull soule can desire make him times minion the worlds favorite you can make him nothing better then a devill But with the love of God though a man may possibly seeme or be said unhappy he cannot be so for all things worke together for good to them that love God prosperity adversity life death all things shall finally advantage them he that seeketh the love of God must looke for many enemies but contrary to their intentions they shall doe him good the love of the world is sweet at first but bitternesse in the end and the love of God hath many sharpe trialls at first but in the end shall be most comfortable This love is that divine Elixer which maketh the vile pretious an indeficient treasure which whosoever hath can never lack that which is good he that hath it not can never be the better for all hee hath what good or salvation can he expect who is so unhappy as not to love the fountaine of all blessednesse what can hee reasonably feare who loveth an omniscient and righteous God who is a pleanteous rewarder of those that love him Though we cannot be saved for any desert of Love to God for it is his mercy not our merit wee cannot be saved without it if any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be anathema maranatha 1. Cor 16. 22. 7. So excellent is this one possession that Paul counted all but meere losse for it dying Joshua left this as the chiefe legacie to his friends and family concerning whom hee resolved as for me and my house we will serve the Lord take good heed therefore unto your selves that yee love the Lord your God he need no more it is better to love God then to be heire of the world if thou canst not know this living thou shalt when thou art dying let my children faithfully love God I wish them no greater blessing who with my soule pray they may be truly blessed A Prayer for love to God O Lord God Almightie great and glorious who art cloathed with Majestie the beauty of holinesse perfection of beauty who hath filled heaven earth with the gratious effects of love and goodnesse I thy poore creature prostrating my selfe before thy mercy seat humbly acknowledge the many sinnes which render me utterly unworthy ever to appeare before thee specially that great ingratitude which maketh me ashamed to speake unto thee who art the searcher of all hearts yet in assurance of my acceptance in the son of thy love who now sitting at thy right hand maketh requests for me I am bold to pray thee to fill my heart with thy love which is better then all things that with my soule I may desire thee in the night with my spirit within me seeke thee early O Lord though the remainder of sinne in me create me many distractions though fraile flesh and blood starteth at the apprehension and feare of thy just judgments or murmur at the bitternes of thy present corrections yet thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee though with a fraile yet with a sincere heart and love with thine owne spirit infused into me O Lord my soule thirsteth after thee and thy holy presence in my sanctification and full assurance of thy mercy Therefore according to thine owne promise who caâ—st not deceive sanctifie me herein that I may love thee more and more cleanse me from all my sinnes create that purity of heart in me which may assure me of a capacity to behold thy goodnesse in the land of the living fill my lips with grace diffusive of it selfe to thy glory and the ministration of grace to the hearers guide me in the whole course of my life in that holinesse which may please thee disburden my conscience of all that guilt which leaveth me in any feare of that way by which thou hast appointed me to come unto thee and thy kingdome of glory that no afflictions paines feaâ—es or terrours of life or death may be able to separate me from thy love in Christ Jesus Blessed Lord only assure me of thy love and let thy holy will bee done with me I am thine thou madest me to thine owne image thou redeemedst and repairedst the same by thy free spirit when I was dead in trespasses and sinnes thou neither madest redeemâ—dst nor sanctifiedst me for my selfe therefore when thou doest that with me which shall best please thee in the advancement of thy glory in my salvation thou makest me happy in the end of my creation redemption and sanctification Lord it was thine owne free love which by revealing thy selfe and the inestimable riches of thy mercy to mee made me knowe what I had to love in thee neither didst thou finde in me any thing worthy of thee but the effects of thine owne love which in my election before I was determined to make me an object of thy mercy therefore thou who art Love didst set thine own image on me thou best knowest that I am of my selfe but worthlesse dust and earth and by my sinnes a masse of corruption such as onely can displease thee and deserve thine anger but O Lord God of mercy who foundest me a child of wrath and madest me a sonne an enemy and reconciledst me by the death of thy holy sonne Jesus accomplish the worke of thine owne mercy in me and love me still give mee an heart to love thee so above all with all my soule minde and might love that which thou hast wrought in my heart cherish thine owne graces in me though my love be full of imperfections yet thy worke is perfect in thee is no shadow of change Lord for thine owne loves sake now make me such as thou maist love me to eternitie through the merits of thy sonne Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN CHAP. XVII § 1. Of love to our selves of the kindes thereof § 2. Of Love to our
Whom we are therein to avoid 1. The Centre of true freindship and all the offices thereof is the glory of God our maker subordinate to which is our comfort and salvation for therein only can be an happy and eternall union and communion whatsoever is excentric hereto is unhappy no wicked man is blessed 't is impossible to be happy in any thing which is not good because there is but one and the same fountaine of happinesse and goodnesse that is God if any dreame of impious pleasure delude men with some appearance of solid happinesse therein waking they must knowe that 't is not true because transitorie and unhappy in the end Happinesse cannot be in any thing lesse then eternall they that knewe not God would have no man called happy before his end and though some of them called Sylla as Craesus thought himselfe happy in prosperity yet their end pronounced them apparently unhappy and what freindship shall we call that which must end or what happinesse therein taken which must change for bitter torments society in damnation and eternall cursing each other as the mutuall causes of each others misery The freindshippe I speake of is in the communion of Saints which death shall refine not at all dissolve time shall not end it but eternity perfect it in our resurrection from the dead sleepe deaths elder brother endeth not temporall love nor shall deaths sleepe the eternall it is but begunne here to be compleated in heaven Love never falleth away wee knowe that when hee shall appeare Wee shall bee like him 1. Joh 3. 2. Who is love 1. Joh 4 8. There is now some imperfection in and some oblique ends of mens love which shall then absolutely bee taken away in our perfection wherein the love of God in his own essence incomprehensible shall shine and be seene in the creature bearing his own image as the light of the sunne on the other stars where we shall not be confined as now under many limitations of time place knowledge and necessities to the communion with one or few friends but enjoy a most comfortable and perfect societie with all the saints Certainely all knowledge and joy of that which is good in this life shall be so farre from ceasing in the future that it shall be their full which is here but imperfect there compleat which is here but inchoate of this kinde we must reckon friendship God concluding it good in saying it is not good that the man should be alone more perfect knowledge shall we have in our future glory then wee have in our present state of grace or had in the state of innocency in that Peter knew Moses and Elias whom he never saw before as also they who saw divers of the deceased Saints which came out of their graves into the holy city after the resurrection of Christ all which doubtlesse were of a most amiable and desirable presence in the other Adam said when God presented him his new created helper the youngest bride which neither he nor the worlds great eye had ever seene before that day this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh much more must we knowe and rejoyce in our friends in the state of glorious perfection to come wherein we cannot reasonably imagine that there shall either remaine any imperfection in loves object or subject to embitter it as sometimes it doth here or want any capacity of compleat and eternall blessednesse as there must if either we should not know our dearest friends with whom we have served God and walked with him in this life or knowing not enjoy their glorious and more lovely society in the life to come 2. The lawes of true friendship are 1. That we neither aske nor grant any thing unjust or evill neither of which can be consistent with the friendship I spake of which cannot be in evill Pericles would not lye for his friend's sake contrary to that which some thinke who count that friendship which denieth nothing and that he is no true freind who will not like Achates or Theseus in the fables goe to hell with them for company but consent in sin is conspiracy not friendship he is a good friend who requireth no evill office and he is a wise man who will consent to none true friendship is only betweene the good and wise 2. That we hold nothing too deare for our freinds sake which may be justly desired and granted hee can be no true friend who in selfe-love holds a secret distance and hath his reservations against this law of friendship as not onely in case of this worlds goods which if we communicate not with them that want we love not God and therefore can be no true friends to men but even in life it selfe which we must if need be lay downe for the brethren this is to be understood where it is justly desired in either that is where thou maist part with life or goods for a greater good such as is the glory of God or the salvation of soules there are sundry cases wherein neither of these are justly desired or granted a friend requireth thee to venture thy life in a duell for the maintenance of that which he falsely calleth his honour that is not better then thy life therefore not justly required An acquaintance desireth thee to engage thy selfe and thy liberty for his except some other circumstance conclude it the law of frendship bindeth thee not where thou canst not more advantage thy friend then hurt thy selfe Againe it may be thou art not absolutely thine own but thy wife children or parents have in their necessary depâ—ndance on thee a just share in thee so that their interest cannot admit of the engagement or giving to their dammage there thou canst not justly give or engage for no bonds of friendship by thy selfe contracted may hold against that which the law of God and nature have imposed on thee in loving and relieving thy parents children and wife who is thine owne flesh whose rights must ever respectively be saved in all that which the lawes of friendship require 3. Be thou to thy friend such as thou wouldst have him be to thee that is without all fraud faithfull in every trust be thou good and seeke a freind like thy selfe thou wouldst have thy friend faithfull to thee be thou such to him 4. Thinke all accidents of thy friend thine owne so that thou maiest rejoyce with them that rejoyce and weep with them that weepe and endeavour in either state as for thy selfe This sympathy must needs be where there is brotherly affection the prosperity of thy friend shall be thy joy of heart and his affliction as deep a greife 5. Beare no ignomy of thy absent friend without just defence or otherwise then thou would'st or ought'st thine owne I will not be ashamed to defend a friend neither
nolle let no man be thy freind who is not God's least thou heare Jehoshaphats reproofe from Jehu the Seer shouldst thou helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. 4. Lastly we are to consider whom to avoid as not accommodate to true frendship 1. The Parasite or flatterer hee must bee a very wise and good man who can safely heare his own praises they beat me said Ignatius the Martyr who praise me what praises doe to the foolish I observe not how they affect the prudent may appeare in Demosthenes taken with the whisper of a silly woman saying as he passed by this is that Demosthenes if they said Augustine with whom thou livest well commend thee not they are in fault but if they doe thou art in danger Betweene Pride and selfe-love too vaine credulity of a mans owne worth on the one part and inactive and fruitlesse dejection of mynde on the other the soule is in danger of the rocke in one extreame the safest use of praises is a serious calculation of that summe of merit which we owe to opinion if false or to God if true that we may strive to be such as we are reported though perhaps falsely The Philosopher said of all wild beasts the railer is most dangerous of tame the flatterer that can be no true friendship where there is deceitfull flattery when he speaketh faire beleeve him not for there are seven abominations in his heart Prov 26. 25. 2. The Backbiter he that will secretly raile at others absent is of an ill kinde and if thou displease him will not spare thee 't is their nature to bite beware of such trust them not with any interests of freindship when thou art present he will speake sweetly and will admire thy words but at last he will alter his speech and slander thy sayings I have hated many things but nothing like him for the Lord will hate him To this classis may be referred they who be of bitter spirits and so by reason of that gall overflowing the tongue distastfull acrimony of censuring all men and rugged morosity are rather company for beares then men such was churlish Nabal so wicked that a man could not speake to him David sent a civill message to him and he railed on the messengers 3. The Proud man can never bee a true freind who overvalueth himselfe and despiseth others he is apt to conceive indignity quarrell or some secret bitternesse on every occasion 4. The Talkative man can be no good freind because he cannot keep counsell there bee some men of such unguarded lips then rather then not tell some secrets they will reveile their owne never thinke they will conceale thine 5. Neither the man of a treacherous nature if thou wouldest ingratiate with a serpent feed him warme him in thy bosome thou shalt never make him better then a serpent hee will sometimes make use of his venome 't is so wtih a treacherous freind 6. Neither the contentious froward factious or seditious man make no freindship with the angry with a furious man thou shalt not goe meddle not with them that are seditious or given to change 7. Neither the wicked my sonne walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foot from their path they are blessed who walke not in their counsell as Jacob said of Simeon and Levi O my soule come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united Take heed of any familiarity with those who must render thee suspected of that which any waies may whatsoever may bee probably feigned of thee prevent it that it may not be which rule of his owne if Jerom had practised he had avoided that malitious censure and calumny of some concerning his familiarity with Eustachium and others 8. Lastly take heed of him that loveth no man but for his owne ends 't was noted of Alexander's two freinds Craterus and Hephestion he loved the King but this Alexander there are table-freinds which like those domestick vermine daily on thee will be sure to leave thee when thy house is falling the wise man noted it Ecclus. 6. 10. c. So come we to speake of love towards men considerable in the last branch therof how it ought to be even to our enemies There is no good man liveth without some enemies who liveth by men which of the Prophets have they not persecuted There 's nothing so sacred with that sad Erynnis malice will not â—ly at no wonder that kings the greatest of men Solomon the wisest of kings and David the best of wise men had enemies Christ Jesus the king of kings had no fault but yet many enemies and to shew us the bitternesse of the enmity he suffered for us those the seeming holiest of that age the austere Scribes and Pharisees the reason is because there is a malitious devill who being truly hatefull by the enmity set betweene man and him ceaseth not to infuse the bitternesse of his own cursed spirit into men that they may be like him hating one another The maine businesse therefore is not so much to strive that we may have enemies as to make a right use of them which may be if we can 1. Beare no malice 2. Love them 3. Better our selves by their wickednesse 1. Malice is inveterate anger unadvised anger is murder of the heart but if deliberate wilfull Let not the sunne goe downe on thy wrath What shall they doe at the day of judgement on whose anger many yeares sonnes go down witnesses The parents of anger are opinion of injurie and vaine elation and pride of minde making men thinke none so good as themselves God forbiddeth this bitternesse of soule Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart Levit 19. 17. it maketh men homicides and like Cain murderers of their brethren subject to eternall death it is that which separateth a man from the love and knowledge of God it is the mother of contention a devillish influence on the soules of men and Satan's lively image in the wicked as love is of God in the regenerate whom hee laboureth to destroy by each others hands at whose contentions and actions of hostility he stands and secretly rejoyceth while hee who hateth all can set them one upon another to their mutuall destruction so he engaged Paul with unreasonable men not only with beasts at Ephesus but sundry other places The heathens seemed to knowe this venome of society in the fable of the Serpents teeth sowed by Cadmas of which sprang up those earth-borne brethren who with intestine discord and warre presently destroyed each other The Apostle warned hereof If yee bite and devouer one another take heâ—d yee bee not consumed one of another Serpents live quietly with Serpents what a shame is it for
Angels pitch round about his to deliver them and when we seem most overmatcht they are more with us then can be against us as that fearfull servant saw at last It made David so confident In the Lord put I my trust how say yee then to my soul Flee as a bird to your mountaine all confidence in men their counsels or an arme of flesh is unhappy and must faile beeing under the curse God cannot si fractus illabatur orbis therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed and though the mountaines be carried into the midst of the sea 4. Hearken unto the Word of God whoso hearkneth unto mee shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil thou shalt walke in the way safely when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid herein thou shalt know God's power trueth providence mercy and justice and so trust in him as it is written They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee 5. Love the Lord sincerely the more thou lovest him the more thou wilt rest assured of his love and protection the more perfect thy love is the more it casteth out fear 6. Depart from evill as the Princes of the Philistines said of David Let him not go down with us to the battle leâ—t in the battle he be an adversary to us Set thy selfe to seek the Lord as Jehoshaphat did when many enemies were upon the march against him and atcheived a glorious victory against them Keep a good conscience it shall be a wall of brasse unto thee when that is safe a man is bold as a lion but if we see the smoke of hell ascend there wee must needs faint like the men of Ai when they saw their City on fire Sinne in the conscience maketh men cowardly they may possibly speak glorious words who have timerous consciences but as one said of the fearfull dogg vehementiùs latrat quà m mordet hee must needs feare who hath no peace in himselfe 7. Consider the end of the â—aints sufferings which hath ever been happy in that they are the more partakers of Christ's glory by how much more of his sufferings consider how long they have suffered or thou canst fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Devil shall cast sâ—me of you into prison that yee may be tryed be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life It is true flesh and blood must have it allowance for its infirmity but the more wee can lay to heart the end of the saints so happy that even the wicked affect it and the quiet fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised the lesse we must needs feare the malice of any creature 8. Labour for peace with God give him no rest till he speak it to thy conscience resolve not to let him go untill he blesse thee and assure thee of thy remission in Christ. What hath he to feare whose sins are forgiven the sting of death pâ—lled out who would not dare it therefore the Apostle did because he could say Thanks be unto God who giveth us victory through Jesus Christ this is Faith's victory over the world 9. In thy greatest feares pray more fervently so did our Saviour being in an agony he prayed more earnestly so did Jacob in fear of his brothers long-studied revenge pray that God would open thine eies to see his saving health God many times terrifieth to awaken our drouzie souls and open our mouths to earnest prayer which in prosperity are too prone to the spirit of slumber and coldnesse feare hath many tongues and can open the mouth of the dumb Even Jonah's mariners in their feare will pray and instigate others thereto that one example of Croesus sonne Athis before dumb crying out O Cyrus spare my father and by our misfortunes learne that thou also art but a man sheweth what the violence of feare can do A Prayer against Feare O Lord God almighty dreadfull in thy wrath and indignation against sinners I humbly acknowledge that there is not one of thy judgements which I may not reasonably fear who have deserved them all the miseries of this life terrors of death and future condemnation But O Lord God of consolation assure mee of my sinnes remission and my peace with thee for Christ Jesus sake fill my heart and affections with that measure of thy love which may exclude all servile feare give mee the testimony of a good conscience to comfort me against all vain fears of the wicked lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and assure me that thou who rulest in heaven and earth from the Angel to the worm art my defence and help at hand Thou art omnipotent and canst doe what thou wilt Lord let it be thy will to deliver me from the affliction which I fear that I may live to praise the and declare thy goodnesse toward mee if it be possible let this cup passe from mee if otherwise thy holy will be done Lord suffer mee not for any tryals to fail from thee consider my weaknesse remember whereof thou hast made me that I am but dust and earth soon passing away give me patience to endure thy fatherly hand and full assurance that all things shall work together for the best give me fervency of spirit to pray more earnestly give me that â—aith to which thou who canst not deceive hast made the promise of audience and granting our petitions Give mee an invincible resolution not to let thee goe untill thou blessest me with some happy issue through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen Of Cares CAre is the childe of Providence some say the souls apparitor to summon all it's faculties to it's Senate or Committee it is rather counsels president determining what to pursue and what to decline the weight which moveth all it's wheels that taken off or quite run down all the nerves of providence are loosed and the soules faculties become inactive and resty so as we neither affect the good nor feare the evill Care is the centinel which gives the alarme to awaken wisedom to it's offices the steward of the inward house the Palinurus and pilot which sitteth at the helm to steere and direct the course lest industry be wanting to prudent decrees and resolutions or successe to industry so necessary is this vigilancy of the soule that without it we can neither be profitable to our selves or others in things divine or humane though salvation shall neither be in his care who willeth nor his that runneth but in him that sheweth mercy yet if thou care not to lay hold on his promises and to beleeve and obey thou shalt finde that he that made thee without thy care will not save thee without it because
that we may know him and feel in our souls and consciences the comfortable power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death in the mortification of all those corrupt and sinful affections which continually resist the working of thy regenerating spirit in us O Lord our God being deeply sensible of our own disability to save or helpe our selves wee â—ast all our care and confidence of present protection preservation and future salvation on the merits of thy son Christ Jesus in assurance that thou art faithful who hast promised as by him to save us so through him to hear and help us in all our wants and distresses O Lord God of trueth and mercy who hast commanded us to aske and promised to grant accept our obedience and confidence in asking and according to thy trueth grant our requests in forgiving all our sinnes and giving us all those blessings which thou knowest needful for us that wee may serve thee cheerfully sanctifie our bodies and soules to thy service that in them both wee may cleave to thee please thee and rest assured by the testimony of thy holy spirit and the powerful working thereof in us that thou hast sanctified called and elected us to life everlasting Lord give us experience of thy trueth which never failed give us lively and justifying faith to apprehend Christ Jesus and all his merits give us perseverance therein that no trials of life or death may ever separate us from thy love nor any powers of hell be able to overthrow our confidence therein And now O Lord our God who makest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee wee humbly thank thee as for all thy mercies and favors spiritual and temporal continually poured out upon us in our election creation redemption calling from the kingdom of darknesse our sanctification preservation from daiely imminent dangers of body and soule our liberty peace health and all those temporal necessaries for the comfort sustenance of us and ours which thy fatherly providence hath bestowed upon us so also for that it hath pleased thee to preserve us this night past from the powers of darknesse terrors of night and all the ovils thereof Lord continue thy mercy to us safely brought to the begining of this day the day is thine the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the sunnâ— O Lord our refuge let no evil befal us this day let not any plague come neer our dwelling give thine Angels charge over us to keep us in all our waies that wee may in nothing displease thee as thou hast put away the late darknesse which covered the face of the earth and waters by the comfortable appearance of this great light which thou madest to govern the day that men may follow their several labours therein so blessed Father of lights cause the sunne of righteousnesse Christ Jesus to arise on every one of our hearts thence to chase away the remainders of ignorance darknesse of minde and unbeliefe to open our eies that wee sleep not in death to enlighten us with a sound knowledge of all the mysteries of eternal life and salvation that we may arise and shake off the dangerous security in sinne and conscionably walk with thee who hast called us to thy kingdome that we may please thee being fruitful in every good worke encreasing in the knowledgâ— of thee strengthned to all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse and thankfulnesse for that thou hast made us partakers of the inheritance of thy saints in light that wee may walke worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called with all holinesse and meeknesse love and charity toward all men endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bâ—nd of peace so labouring in our several callings as being ever careful first to seek thy kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof in assurance that so all temporal necessaries shall be administred unto us in all our endeavours expecting the blessing from thee without which it is but lost labour to rise early late take rest eat the bread of carefulnesse and deprive our souls of ease Blesse all the creatures to us this day make them good and prosperous unto us direct us so in all our thoughts words and actions that wee may glorifie thee preserve a good conscience and give an example of holinesse to those with whom we converse that in nothing the trueth of religion with which thou hast blessed us be evil spoken of through our failings but that we may by our integrity stop the mouths of all adversaries and adorn the Gospel by walking unblameably toward all men and sincerely before thee ever remembring that of all our thoughts words and actions we must give a strict inevitable account at the dreadful day of judgment now kept from the knowledg of all men that they may every day live as if it were their last keeping a constant and careful watch in exspectation of that houre which shall come like a theefe in the night wherein thou wilt assuredly bring to light things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of all hearts manifest judging every man according to his workes Neither pray wee for our selves only but wee also beseech thee for thy whole Church and all thy distressed servants whether their afflictions be in body minde or estate comfort now and in thy good time enlarge all prisoners and captives which suffer for or with the testimony of a good conscience Lord God of all consolation assure them that when thy will and work is done in them thou wilt shew thy self their gracious deliverer and comforter Lastly we pray thee O Father of mercy blesse this family wherein by thy providence we are blesse us all from the first to the last with all those whom thou hast made neer unto us prosper us O Lord and our endeavours upon us feed us with bread of our stature that which thou knowest necessary and convenient for us give us a faithful dependance upon thy fatherly hand which never leaueth them destitute who trust in thee give us a prudent holy and thankefull use of all those good things which thou hast bestowed upon us that thou maist be pleased to continue thy mercy and providence over us give us contented mindes free from covetousnesse and distracting cares in assurance that thou wilt never forsake us and good Lord as thou art pleased to adde this day to our transitory lives so adde that grace to this day which may direct and guid every one of us in our bodies and souls that we may spend it and the remainder of our daies to thy glory and the comfortable assurance of our consciences before thee so that having our present conversation in heaven and walking with thee in sincerity of heart when these fleeting daies are ended we may live with thee in thy kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Short Evening Praier O
workes layed afflictions upon our loines and broken our land yet heale the breaches thereof though thou hast caused us to drinke of the wine of astonishment in thy sore displeasure and made us examples of thy just judgments yet turn again unto us and make us instances of thy mercy that sinners may in our story read that which may make them afraid to sin and confident of thy mercy in their unfeigned repentance remember thy mercy which hath been ever of old before all times thou electedst us at the begining of time thou createdst us to thine owne holy image in the fulnesse of time thou gavest thy holy sonne Jesus to death for our redemption Lord cast not that away which thou hast purchased at so deare a rate we know thy mercy faileth not thou art ever the same not like man that thou shouldst repent thee as mistaken in thy choice or defeated in thy counsels O Lord our God accomplish thine owne election in us thou hast given us thy son Iesus how shouldst thou not also with him give us al things needful for us thou hast for his sake acquitted us from eternal condemnation how shouldst thou not also spare us and deliver us in the temporal 'T is little O bountiful God which we beg at thy merciful hands for our present releife to that which thou freely gavest us before wee could aske nor is it because wee have none to stand up in the gap for us that thy wrath is not yet appeased seeing thy Christ our faithful high Priest sitteth at thy right hand making intercession for us O Lord for his sake be reconciled to us deny not our requests heare and helpe us establish thy free covenant and mercy with us strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought for us and our fathers when thou deliveredst us from the powers of darkness and taking us to be thy people didst translate us into the kingdome of thy deare son establish the trueth sincerity of religion unity of hearts and abundance of peace which thou then gavest us forgive the sins of thy people turn our hearts unto thee from the first unto the last give us unfeigned repentance and humiliation under thy mighty hand that thou maist spare us and grace to forsake all our evill waies that thine anger may cease from us give us patience to bear thy fatherly corrections who hast with so much patience born with our iniquities Bless thy Church universal with trueth and unity shew thy mercy on her distressed thou hast hid thy face from us and consumed us because of our jniquities but Lord remember them not for ever appoint now unto them that mourne in Sion give them beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning and the garment of praisâ— for the spirit of heavinesse comfort her waste places make her wildernesse like Eden and her desart like the garden of the Lord give her joy and gladnesse and let the voice of thanks-giving and melody be heard in her again Blesse that part thereof which thy right hand hath planted in great Britan and Ireland blesse this family and every part thereof forgive us all our sinnes sanctifie our bodies and souls to thy service give us that blessed peace of conscience which the world can neither give nor take away give us assurance of our iustification in Christ Jesus fill us with fruits of righteousnesse that wee may not foolishly sleeâ—e without oile in our lampes because wee know not whether the day now spent shall be our last when wee sleepe let thy providence which watcheth over all thine preserve us from the powers of darknesse perplexing fantasies and troublesome dreames that 〈◊〉 may rest in thee and being refreshed rise againe to glorifie thee in our several places and callings through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen CHAP. XXIV Of Marriage and the dueties thereof § 1. Of Marriage the institution end and fruits thereof § 2. Of choice in general and particular who are to be avoided § 3. Dueties of the Married mutual and peculiar § 4. Advice to the widow 1. MArriage is the conjunction of one man with one woman according to the lawes of God and man in the holy indissoluble band of Wedlock whereby they become one flesh I say of one man with one woman for so God made them at first and so appointed from the begining See Matth. 19. 4 c. so that plurality of wives or husbands at once is adultery though when either party dyeth the surviver is free to marry in the Lord according to the lawes of God who saith Let every man have his owne wife and every woman her own husband and the wife is bound by the law to her husband so long as hee liveth Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled forbidding to marry is the doctrine of devils who labour to pervert the order and institution of God to corrupt and dishonor the fountain of humane propagation with impure and wandring lusts And also according to the lawes of man which being grounded on God's law necessarily binde all men thereto subject as cautioning against emergent inconveniences with relation to times places and persons as where they binde to publish the sponsals or contracts to prevent marriage without consent of parents and governers or where they limit to certain houres in the face of the congregation c. to avoid clandestine marriages or incontinent living under pretence of marriage next I say it is an holy and indissoluble band holy for whatsoever is not so in respect of the persons capacity and fitnesse the end and use thereof is neither lawful before God nor man and I say indissoluble for they two become one flesh partners of one condition in weale and woe whence they call it conjugium as à communi iugo and for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and remaine with his wife which is not simply but comparatively to be understood as if hee said Thou shalt more constantly keep with her or rather leave father and mother then thy wiâ—e and the word of Christ is cleere what God hath joined together let no man put asunder whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery now in case of adultery man separateth not but a just punishment as death dischargeth the party innocent he is cruelly impious who putteth away a chaste wife and hee impiously foolish who keepeth an adulterous or dead one by him Neither may wee conceive that God joineth all them together that are married before men there is a just age fit to give consent required freedom in consent and where these are not it is no lawful marriage If there be deceit as where the man is an Eunuch where there is fraud or errour as where a Leah is substituted for a Rachel where there is a lawful preâ—ontract of either party with some other where either party
and how canst thou correct thy children for imitating thee when thou doest worst in teaching by example When they learne cursing swearing profanation intemperance rude and foul language which hath cost many a life obscence and â—ilthy talke irreligion and neglect of all good duties from parents they think themselves justified by their sins Hence usually is hatched an evil egge of a bad bird a corrupt and cursed seed Hence cometh it to passe that children doe not more commonly inherit their fathers patrimonies then their vices and sooner are they possessed of these then them those come to them after their fathers death these in their life so have they descended to them true vices before those things which are but falsly called good Woe worth such parents and miserable are their children beyond those who by their parents impious superstition passed through those Moloch flames wherein a soon dying body perished but here is the danger of body and soul eternally perishing in hells unquenchable fire The heathen would have taught these seeming Christians better Let nothing said he uncomely to be spoken or done so much as touch these doors within which there is a childe If any evil in thy family happen to be done it ought with much discretion to be drawn to a present example of detestation of that sinne as the Spartans woont to shew their drunken servants to their children that by their discomposed deportments and loathsome deformity they might learn to detest drunkennesse 10. Pray continually for thy children O that Ismaël might live in thy sight cryed Abraham Gen. 17. 18. Job rose up early every day to sacrifice for his sonnes lest they should beare some inexpiated sinnes Job 1. 5. Thine owne experience of the folly and frailty of youth their ignorance pronenesse to error and sinne their many dangerous temptations should stirre up thy natural affâ—ctions to this duety unexcusable before God are they that neglect it and damnable they who instead of praying for them curse them on inconsiderable and lesse grounds then that which instigated Micha's mother thereto Jud. 17. 2. No wonder said the heathen that so many children prove impious seeing they grow up among their parents curses It is true the causelesse curse shall not come and that God can turn a Balaam's curse into a blessing yet Jotham's curse fell on the wicked Shechemites and heavily fell good Noah's on Cham and his posterity yea impious parents commonly see the fruits of their rash curses in their childrens ruine 11. Look on thy children as the blessings which God hath given thee we are all the sonnes of Time which devoureth all it own brood we have here â—o continuing city wee must all part again until wee meet in eternity when God took away Job's dear children he said The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord It is no little bitternesse to flesh and blood to loose hopeful children but we must in such case consider how much more happy they who rest in Christ are then we who survive to mourne for them It is one of the most incongruous acts of a reasonable soule to bewaile those whom wee beleeve blessed Next we must consider God's justice afflicting us for loving things humane too much and his mercy in taking them away from evils to come disburdening us of the care he entrusted to us for a time nor can any say what a childe may prove there are Adoniahs and Absoloms still sweet children but rebellious men there are lovely Dinahs and fair Tamars pleasant children but in their maturity bitter break-hearts Neither may wee sorrow as men without hope wee have not lost them but their company for a time David who bewailed an impious sonne bitterly comforted himself in the death of his harmless infant I shall go to him he shall not return to me Do not deceive thy self God hath given thee a short use not any lasting propriety in things secular when they told a prudent heathen of his deare sonnes death he replyed I knew I had begotten a mortal sonne Thou canst not want examples of mortality in thine own family wherein thou missest many of thy Ancestors and friends let nothing seem unsufferable or strange to thee which is both common and inevitable be sure thou want not the true use thereof which is a due value of all things present and making haste to provide thy selfe and children for a better life in the want of a good childe rather rejoice that thou hadst such an one then lament that hee is gone into God's kingdome of glory before thee while thou enjoyest their company remember to instruct them for eternity he said true An aged father is a fugitive pleasure and so are yong children thou knowest not when they goe out of thy sight whether ever thou shalt see them again till thou meet them in the kingdom of heaven there all teares shall be wiped from thine eies there shall be no more sinne sorrow curse nor fear of deaths parting deare friends there shall be blessednesse without measure or end A Parents praier for his Children O Lord God everlasting father of mercy of whom is named the whole family in heaven and earth abundant in goodnesse and trueth shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love thee and keep thy commandements Give mee grace to be upright and holy before thee that it may according to thy promise who canst not deceive go well with me and my children after mee Thou who art the God of my fathers and hast preserved me from my mothers womb who hast blessings in store for all that fear thee for their generations who depend on thee plant thy fear in every one of their hearts and sanctifie them bodies and soules whom thou hast given mee so that in whatsoever state and condition thy providence shall set them it may be my comfort and assurance that they are thy faithful and elect servants that thou maist be pleased to dispose of them as thine own to their several places and callings to which thy fatherly providence hath assigned them Lord season their tender years with grace and trueth help them and blesse them with blessings of heaven above and the earth beneath and let my blessings prevail above the blessings of my fathers give them assurance of their adoption in Christ Jesus keep them and order their steps in the way which thou wouldst have them walke in let thy faithfulnesse and mercy be with them all the daies of their lives be thou a father and rock of salvation unto them keep them by thy sanctifying spirit holy and sincere before thee uphold them that their foot-steps slip not be thou the guide of their youth keep their tender years from sinne and shame take not thy mercy and thy trueth from them preserve them from the houre of tentation in life and
and honors and undoubtedly it doth so much please God that a man doth in sense of his wants from his heart and before all things begge grace and sanctity of him that he will not deny him but adde to his grant more then wee are able to aske or thinke of A Praier for comfort and supply in case of spiritual wants O Lord God abundant in mercy and trueth who delightest not in the destruction of wretched creatures nor despisest the groanes of a troubled spirit I poore afflicted man in bitternesse of soule acknowledg my vilenesse and want of grace the corruption of my sinful nature the misery which I have procured my self by my wilful disobedience to thy holy lawes and my impotency to any thing that is good I am as that wretched traveller wounded and cast down only sensible of my wonnds utterly unable to move or helpe my selfe the Priest and Levite passe by and helpe mee not no creature can yea thy holy law which saith Doe this and live is so farre from helping or releeving mee that now by reason of my infirmity it becometh to mee a killing letter at best but like the Prophets staff sent before by the ministery of the servant not able to give life only shewing mee my sinnes and rendring me guilty as before thy dreadful tribunal so at the barre of mine owne conscience Lord let the good Samaritan the Prophet himselfe Christ Jesus my Saviour naw come to mee he only can binde up my wounded soul and heale it Thou hast wounded mee by an heavy apprehension of thy justice now heal mee by the assurance of thy mercy strengthen my faith in Châ—ist who freely justifieth sinners as thou hast in thine eternal love given him to death for my redemption so give me an infallible assurance that hee is my Jesus and Saviour that according to thine owne gracious promise in him I may live with thee Blessed Saviour who sentest the holy Ghost the comforter of all thine elect to thy afflicted Disciples to strengthen them send him to my more feeble and wretched soul it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of thine own goodnesse shewing mercy thou workest both the will and the deed of thy good pleasure be graciously pleased to sanctify my corrupted will and affections as thou hast given me a will and an hearts desire to serve and please thee that I might be saved so perfect thine owne worke in mee establish that thing which thou hast begunne will thou that I will not in vaine thou hast nothing the lesse by communicating thy goodnesse to others Lord give me true holinesse repaire thine own image in mee that thou maist own mee for thine manifest thine own worke in mee unto mee Let not the good spirit which dwelleth in mee be any longer hidden from mee Lord Jesus manifest thy selfe unto my soule let the light of thy spirit breake out in full assurance of faith that I may no more doubt of thy mercies give mee an evident victory over sinne and despaire by the manifest presence of the comforter Lord my afflicted soule knoweth no sanctuary but thy mercy unto thee it gaspeth as a thirsty land O showre downe that abundant dew of grace which may refresh my wearied spirit and fill mee with the fruits of righteousnesse which may appeare in my life and conversation to thy glory and the assurance of my election calling sanctification perseverance and salvation in thy beloved sonne my blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with Thee and the holy Spirit three Persons one immortal incomprehensible omnipotent onely wise God be rendred all honour and glory in heaven and earth now and to all eternity AMEN CHAP. XXVIII § 1 Of the conscience afflicted with feare of tentations and falling away What wee are herein to consider § 2. How wee must examine the conscience herein § 3. What wee must practice WEe are next to consider the wounded spirit or conscience afflicted with feare of tentations and falling away through them enclining it to despair of grace sufficient to resist them hereby the soule is in heavinesse through manifold tentations in which case it is necessary to consider that 1. A tentation is a tryal or taking an experiment of some thing the Devil who cannot compel tryeth men whether he can allure them to sinne and this is tentation 2. There is a temptation of tryal see 1 Cor. 10. 13. Act. 20. 19. Rev. 3. 10. and so James saith My brethren count it all joy when yee fall into divers tentations for when he is tryed hee shall receive the crown of life and blessed is the man that so doth God who is said to tempt no man that is to evil because as there is no sin in him so neither is there any of him yet tryed Abraham to make him known to others and himself for no man untryed knoweth himself which is called tempting or proving as Deut. 13. 3. Ex. 15. 25. Ex. 16. 4. Deut. 8. 16. Psal. 26. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 6. And there is a temptation of seducement which is a solicitation to defection and falling from God by sinning and doing evil 1 Tim. 6. 9. 1 Thes. 3. 5. so that God tempteth that he may teach us but the Devil that he may destroy us 3. Some temptations arise from the corruption and sin inherent in the flesh Jam. 1. 14. Every man is tempted when hee is 〈…〉 his own lusts such as are mentioned Galat. 5. 19 20. Some are suggested by the tempter who being a spirit hath power to inâ—â—â—uate and convey his impious notions into our mindes suggestion between spirits being as contiguity and touching of bodies now whereas hee cannot know the unuttered secrets of the heart it being Gods peculiar to search that he marketh mens natural inclinations and their habits by their words and actions and so prepareth baits for them accordingly sishing in these depths the secrets whereof hee knoweth not till hee perceive his suggestions are swallowed and the sinner taken therefore he presenteth such thoughts as he conâ—ectureth will take by that which is obvious to the senses of men as hee sitteth an opportunity of treason to impious Judas by the malice of the high Priests of lust to Amnon of venturing on the cursed thing to Achan of revenge to Cain of idolatry to Ahaz by the altar of Damascus 4. There are foure degrees of tentations by which it cometh to full maturity 1. Suggestion 2. Delight therein 3. Consent to 4. Acting the same as James 1. 14 15. Man is tempted when hee is drawn away of his own lusts and eâ—iced thenwhen lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth sorth death the first of these a bare suggestion is not our sinne if there be no delight therein or consent thereto for Christ was tempted in all points like as wee are yet without sinne The
come and leave no roome for good counsel and resolution Here thou maist finde some liberty to serve God as Paul and Silas did to pray and sing Psalmes at least and who can say that God did not therefore confine thee seeing thee too attentive to the world and carelesse of holy duties that the prison might teach thee devotion which thy liberty could not There are many things which may befall thee for thy good and there are unexspected revolutions both in prosperity and adversity out of the prison hee cometh to reigne whereas also hee that is borne in his kingdome becometh poor Thou maist securely exspect that which God knoweth best for thee it may be there is but one doore into the prison there are many out either mercy or violence innocency reward favor of men or the Angel of God either man or death which hath a key to open every doore shall set thee free if nothing else enlarge thee that will not faile thee at the appointed houre and variable are the conditions to which the prison rendreth men as I. Caesar to an Empire Marius to a consul-ship Regulus and Sâ—crates to death I need not these who read of Pharoah's servants James Peter Joseph John Baptist the prison sendeth some to heaven some to destruction sooner or later one way or other it rendreth all I only note that the most infamous temporal end it rendreth men unto can be no obstruction and hindrance to their eternal happinesse in Christ who therefore submitted himselfe to the then most infamous death that hee might take away the curse of the law which saith cursed is every one which hangeth on a tree The main skill therefore is and the only certain comfort against imprisonment or death to gain assurance that thou arâ— in Christ in every place and condition doing those things which may further thy certainty thereof to which observe such like rules 1. Keepe innocency that if thou suffer it may be wrongfully for this is thanke worthy if a man for conscience toward God endureth griefe suffering wrongfully if when yee doe well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable to God And if thou hast lost the first parts of innocency despaire not but lay hold on the second table of repentance the penitent theefe on the crosse who confessed hee justly suffered yet heard of Christ this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise 2. Search thy heart diligently least some secret sin causeth this affliction in case it appear not that thou justly sufferest of men See Isai. 42. 22 23 24. 3. Think how long these imperious masters can hold thee there and feare not them who only can imprison and destroy the body but fear and trust in him who can cast body and soule into hell and save thee from thy oppressors prepare thee to entertain death cheerfully hee shall once come like the Angel to Peter and take thee out in spight of the most rigid keepers there the prisoners rest together that shall free thy body from a loathed prison and thy soul from an afflicted body 4. Improve thy time to some good some birds sing sweetest in the cage that excellent monument which beareth the title of the first part of the worlds general history is an example hereof 5. Keep thy minde free from all reigning sin and in spight of all geives and fetters and the bespattering of black and unhallowed mouths thou shalt have a more happy freedom in prison then thy persecuters have in their liberty besides that their accompt with the eternal justice of God is to come and yet not closed nothing but sinnes can miserably enthral wee may well say to them as Sampson to the men of Judah Swear to mee that you will not fall upon mee I fear none other bonds hee is a free-man whose conscience accuseth him not God's service in every state is the best freedom 6. Subject thy minde to inevitable necessity by patient bearing the way to make bonds more heavy and intolerable is vainly to struggle with them if thy minde were to stay within thy confinement were no prison it were a punishment to command thee out if thy minde be reluctant thou straitnest thy selfe a nè exeat regnum may make some man think England a prison the old man who had never gone out of the city gates receiving a warrant from the Prince prohibiting his going out could not rest till he had stollen out it was his city before but the restraint made it a prison to an impatient minde if thy minde having a willing compliance thy prison becometh no prison to thee an impatient wearisome minde maketh a kingdome no more 7. Be thou meek in affliction and thou shalt be temperate in thy liberty if God restore it so this shall not corrupt thee more then that break thee however if thou canst but learne this one lesson as thou hast the best tutor that ever suffered so shalt thou finde the best fruit rest to thy soule 8. To conclude let the prison make thee more zealous in Gods service more fervent in prayer more attentive in hearing more charitable and pitiful to others that suffer and more fruitful in all good works and thou shalt owe thanks to thy persecuters and oppressors more then thy friends deserved of thee it skilleth not much who bettereth thee if thou be indeed made better for whosoever be the instrument it 's Gods favour to thee Hee is never wanting to them that call upon him faithfully but surely he is neerest them that are in greatest troubles hee heard Jonah out of the whales belly Daniel out of the lions denne the three Israëlites out of the fiery fornace the Disciples in the storme Joseph Jeremy Paul Silas all his servants in prison the Churches praiers brought an Angel from heaven to deliver Peter No wards can shut up thy praiers remember you that are free what you owe to Christs prisoners little comfort will he afford them who cannot his earnest praiers remember you that are in bonds what you owe your selves it is in you to make the prison evil or good to you be you holy and it shall make you happy pray instantly God hath promised to heare and helpe you The prisoners Petition O Holy and merciful Lord God who hast made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which keepest trueth for ever which excusest judgement for the oppressed givest food to the hungry raisest them that are down and loosest thy prisoners though thou afflict and try thy children thou wilt not cast them off for ever though thou causest grief yet thou wilt shew compassion according to thy mercies thou afflictest not willingly nor grievest the children of men to crush under foot the prisoners of the earth to turn aside their right and subvert them in their cause our sinnes have provoked thy justice and put this rod into thy fatherly hand thou wouldst not the
and art delivered from so many unjust and pernicious tyrants in that the incentives of sinne are grown inactive in age 2. Study to be wise it is great misery to be old and not wise it was too much to be guided by the affections of youth if that be past remember that age is wisdomes flower or fruitfull autumne rather venerable not for number of years but merit if thou encrease in this strength of minde thou shalt so much the more recompence the decay of bodily strength as the soule is more excellent then these walls of clay or man then beast this wisdome is not in gray haires but in such a guidance of the minde as that the aged be sober grave temperate sound in faith charity and patience and that Women be in behaviour such as becometh holinesse teachers of good things that the younger may by them learne to be wise to love their Husbands and their Children to be discreet chast keepers at home good obedient to their Husbands that the word of God be not blaspheamed some extreamly erre thinking it the only wisdome of age to be attent to worldly gaines some heathens could say what can be more absurd then the lesse way we have to goe the more solicitous to be to get viands and that they grew old every day learning something how much more studious ought we to be true wisdome which Gods word teacheth 3. Be holy the feare of God is the old mans glory whereof the hoary head is the crowne if it be found in the way of righteousnesse such shall flourish like the Palme tree and Cedar in Lebanon bringing forth fruit in age those I say that are planted in the howse of the Lord. as they that gathered Manna on the Sabbath eve gathered twice as much as for an other day so they that are holy lay up a double store in age for their eternall rest at hand their encreasing sanctity like shadowes of the setting sunne is then multiplied They injure age who casting their faults on it entertaine it as some unwelcome guest some evill it is their errour which makes it so it can never be well with the sinner but every age is good to the just as evill to the sinner is that most which is neerest his judgement 4. Live to God and thine own eternall blessednesse if thou wilt live to men in temporall relations these gray haires wrinkles and ruines of youth strength and beauty may create thee some contempt but if the centre of thy desires be the chiefe good that must best please thee which makes thee best and so these sorrowes of thy aged brow fraitfull of counsaile gravity temperance holy contempt of the world and preparation for a passage to a better life as thy hoary head wisedomes banners shall be welcome to thee make use therefore of time for eternity and provide for that state to which this decaying earthly tabernacle shall againe be so repaired that the glory of the second house shall be greater then that of the first so shall thy life seem long enough if in an age long or short thou canst reckon but few mispent daies so shall thy bodily defects not be so grievous a little strength will be enough to lift up the hands to God where the heart is right neither those of the minde as decay of memory and the like old men can remember that they most care for and age hath a capacity of amendment in those evills which blemish it as talkativenesse anger frowardnesse and such like which removed it shall be more lovely winning by a milde gravity and of more authority with men however God taketh no advantages on our weaknesse so shall this age appeare most happy he lived not unprofitably who dyeth happily 5. Consider the vanity and frailty of this present life and learne to live which few doe though they number many years none truly doe who live not to God the end of their creation and living she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth living to God shall make that age more happy which bringeth thee neere as that most happy which brings thee to him The Old Mans supplication O Lord God of my salvation I humbly desire to render thee all due and hearty thankes for thy abundant mercies and favours spirituall and temporall thy gracious preservation of me from my youth up unto my hoary haires that thou sparedst me in thy fatherly mercy when thy justice might often have destroyed me Lord as thou hast given me place for repentance reserving me to age who mightest justly have cut off the daies of a mispent youth so now accomplish thine own worke give me an heart faithfully to turne unto thee that I may constantly endeavour to redeeme the vaine errours of my time past by becomming a patterne of faith and obedience to all those with whom I converse Lord fill me with thy holy spirit that I may beare more fruit in my age Forsake me not now I am old and gray headed Remember not the sinnes and follies of my youth let thy power appeare in my weaknesse and the work of thy spirit in the decaies and ruins of this earthly tabernacle by the evident repaire of thine own image in me mortifying the remaindes of sinne and assuring me of my election and calling in Christ Jesus and now ô Lord that the time of my departure draweth nigh give me a watchfull spirit that I may be ready when thou callest seeing there are but few steps between me and this worlds end Lord strengthen me give me a lively faith invincible and constant perseverance in this race the few and evill daies of this earthly pilgrimage that by thy mercifull assistance who workest both the will and the deed and shewest mercy where thou pleasest I may so runne that I may obtaine that when thou pleasest to give me rest from my labours and gather me to my Fathers I may against all the paines and sorrowes of death willingly and cheerefully yeeld up my soule into thy gracious hands in full assurance of my redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN CHAP. XXXIV Meditations for Woemen neere their Travaile § 1. All misery proceedeth from sinne § 2. Our sinnes pardoned in Christ Why the punishments are not taken away Woemens comfort therein § 3. Directions necessary hereunto 1. ALL misery is the undoubted issue of sinne man was happy in his pure naturalls and creation to the Image of God the only fountaine of blessednesse untill sinne defacing the same subjected him to the curse The first sinner heard the terrible sentence of the almighty peculiar to her sex I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy Conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children these paines in travaile are the first fruits of misery appearing in that Sex which was first in the transgression so dangerous is it to be leaders into sinne
thee away in thy daily sinnes will like a tender father pitty thee when thou art not able to pray he will remember what thou hast prayed yea what Christ Jesus sitting at his right hand then speaketh for thee when thou hast most need of a mediator when stupified with paines of approaching death thou canst not utter one word for thy selfe then hee will open the heavens to thee and give thee a cleere sight of those joyes as he did S. Stephen then will he give his holy Angells charge over thee to receive thy soule breathed out of thy gasping body to convey it to his gratious and ever blessed presence This world is full of labour sorrow misery there 's no rest here heaven is the arke to which the tired dove the holy soule returneth for rest the morall men seemed to know it who placed their Temple of rest without the gate of Agony How much more must we who beleeve that we shall live eternally with Christ who shall come to save and give us life in death Even so come Lord Jesus AMEN A Prayer for him who hath recieved the sentence of death in himselfe O Lord God almighty preserver of man father of the spirits of the just God of all true consolation the hope of Israel and deliverer thereof in the day of trouble who givest a gratious eare to the afflicted faithfully calling on thee through him whom thou hast appointed to be the only mediator betweene thee and Wretched man Christ Jesus the righteous I humbly acknowledge that I have nothing of my selfe to present unto thy Majestie but confession of mine owne vilenesse nothing in my sinfull flesh but corruption matter of severe judgement to thee who art a God of pure eies and argument of terrour and despaire to my selfe most impure in sinne was I conceived and borne a child of wrath and disobedience my whole life hath abounded with that which bringeth forth fruit only unto death I have not done the good which thy sanctifying spirit made me willing to doe the evill that I would not I have done I have not rendred unto thee according to thy goodnesse when I would summe up my sins they so much exceed all numbers that my heart faileth mee my conscience telleth me of my wilfull neglects of thy service and disobedience to thy word concluding my whole life no better then sinfull but how many waies I have offended thee when I observed not thou only knowest how many are the failings which though I through spirituall blindnesse and carnall security have not observed that I might judge and condemne my selfe for them thereby to prevent thy severe judgement shall yet by no meanes escape thy strict examination and now O Lord what can I more doe then humbly beg thy pardon condemne my selfe renounce all confidence in the world and plead only thy mercy and the merits of thy sonne Jesus for my justification Lord looke upon me through him in whom thou art well pleased Nothing can be past or future to thy eternall wisdome look therefore on his bleeding wounds who did not in vaine dye for me let thy justice be satisfied in his obedience and suffering for all my sins And now O Lord seeing according to thy sentence on all mankind the time of my departure hence draweth high I humbly acknowledge this fraile condition to be the due wages of sinne which brought mortality into the world but thou who didst put thine owne image on me hast not made me for so short a life only as thou givest unto the beasts which perish thou hast no need of my miserie nor advantage in my destruction nor could so inestimable a price of my redemption as the blood of thy holy sonne Jesus be given for that which thou wouldst have perish eternally He must surely live for whom the resurrection and the life of Christ Jesus died Lord therefore seale up my redemption in my afflicted heart now that the Bride is neere send those holy comforters faith and assurance of thy mercy to adorne his own temple to lift up the everlasting doores of my soule that the king of glory and Lord of life may come in and change my vaine love of the world to love of heaven who will change my vile body that it may be like his own glorious body let me hence forth live his life no more mine own assured thereby of the repaire of mine inward man to a joyfull resurrection and life of glory that he may be to me in life and death advantage that in full confidence of my union with and interest in him I may be willing to bee dissolved that I may be with him O holy Saviour who hast through death abolished death and him that had the power thereof take from me all carnall feare by bringing life and immortality to light unto my conscience thou that hast in thy hands the keyes of death and hell restraine the tempters malice and mischievous charges of my sinne-wounded soule make me faithfull unto the death and assure mee of the crowne of righteousnesse laid up for all that love thy appearing Raise me now to the life of grace that the second death may not touch mee And though thou bring this fraile flesh to the dust of the earth yet let not death have dominion over me Though it must to the appointed time separate my soule from this decaying tabernacle of clay let neither life nor death things present nor future seperate my soule from thee and thy Christ. I acknowledge thy mercy who justly mightest have taken me away in my sins by some sodaine and untimely death or set me who am by sinne a sonne of death in the condition of those who in horrour of a restlesse conscience and bitternesse of spirit seeke death and cannot finde it but O good God whose eye is upon them that feare thee to deliver their soules from death in whose hands are the issues thereof seeing thou hast thus long spared me now accomplish thy mercy in me be thou my God for ever and my guide unto my end and comfort in my end now when my heart trembleth in me the terrours of death are fallne upon me give me the long expected fruits of my hopes proposed to me in thy word O blessed Jesus who art the death of death now shew thy selfe my Saviour take from my afflicted soule the sting of death assure me of victory loose the paines allay the feare and sorrowes and sweeten the bitternesse of death untill in my enjoying thy presence it be swallowed up in victory O holy Saviour who hast had experience of all our miseries for sin wiâ—hout sin and hast admitted us to be baptized into the similitude of thy death and resurrection let me now feele in my languishing soule the power thereof O Christ whose humane soule in thy passion for my redemption was heavy to the death now mercifully consider my infirmitie who am going the way of all flesh now give
me an invincible faith in thee against which the gates of hell may never prevaile now speake peace and comfort to my poore soule Thou who powredst out thy soule to death for me receive my wearied spirit to eternall life let not this fearefull passage be too bitter to mee bee thou ever present with me in all my sufferings O holy Ghost the comforter of all the elect leave me not comfortlesse let me be gathered to my fathers in peace bring me to that life wherein thou hast promised to wipe away all teares from our eyes where shall bee no more death sorrow paine nor any bitter effects of sinne Lord heare me Lord who despisest not a broken and contrite heart have mercy upon me Lord receive my petitions and in the appointed houre come Lord Jesus my Saviour and Redeemer deliver me from this bondage of corruption O Lord consider and doe it Lord come quickly even so come LORD JESUS AMEN 1. TIM 1. 17 Now unto the king eternall imortall invisible the only wise God he honour and glory for ever and everâ— AMEN FINIS MARCH 23. 1649 In the perusing of this Treatise entituled a Guide to the Holy City I have found it every way so learned and judicious sound and solid pious and profitable that I approve it well worthy to be printed and published John Downame a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sap. Sol. c. 16. v. 20. b Febri fâ—â—um in palatio dicatum estâ— malae fortunae c. Plin. nat hist l. 2. c. 7. vid. Aug. de c. Dei l. 2. c. 14. Cic. de leg lib. 2. Quid mirum inquit Lactan. l. 1. c. 20 de Graeciâ 〈◊〉 hac geâ—e universa flagitia manarunt apud quam vitia ipsa religiosa sunt eaque non modo non vitantur vâ—rum 〈◊〉 coluntur c Bovem aut oâ—em qui sacrficando par non esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Alex. proëm com in â—oh d Exod. 35. 5 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spontancum cor ejus Ar. Montan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hutter e Quisquis hac legit ubi pariter â—â—rtus est pergat â—â—cum ubi pariter haesitat quarat â—â—cum ubi errorâ—m suum cognoscit redeat ad me ubi mâ—um revocet me ita ingrediamur simul charitatis viam c. August de Trin. l. 1. c. 3. f Non fratrum mâ—orum vocâ—ri Magister aut Doctor affecto quorum in veritate condiscipulus semper esse desiâ—ero quapropter hoc ab illo vero Domino ac Magistro nostro postulare non desino ut ea me sive per eloquia scripturarum c. docâ—re dignetur quae sic proponam sic asseram ut in propositionibus atquâ— assertionibus meis veritati quae nec fallit nec fallitur semper inhaeream c. Fulgent de praedest l. 1. g Act. 20. 32. h 2. Tim. 2 7. a Sicut omnis artis â—st aliquis â—inis 〈◊〉 est vitâ—e nostrae â—inis quidam propter quâ—m geruntur omnia quae geruntur in vita nostra vâ—l propter quem mundus ipse vel institutus est vel constat cujus finis etiam Apostolus meminit diâ—câ—s deinde finis c. Orig. in Ps. 38. ho 2. b Finis enim indicat perfectionem rerum ib in Rom. 1. l. 8. c. 10. In non valet in 〈◊〉 suum c nihilum valet quod d Finis eorum non â—st sinis Bernard sup Cant. Ser. 9. e Psal. 87. 37. f Math. 7. 13. g Latam non quaerimus nec inventione opus est sponte se oâ—â—ert errantium viaâ—st â—ngustam vero nec omnes invâ—ni unt nec qui invenirint statim ingreâ—iuntur per cam rapti seculi voluptatibus de medio in itinere revertuntur Hieronym in Mat. h Deut 29. 19 20. i Act. 14. 22. k Gen 25. 32. l Num. 32. 1 2 5. m Rev. 4. 11. R. 5. 13. n Psal. 16. 11. 17. 15. 1 Thes. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 5 6. 8. Phil. 1. 23. o Epicurus summum bonum in voluptate auimi â—sse censet Aristippus in volâ—ptate corporiâ— Peripateâ—ici autemin bonis animi corporis fortunae Hevilli summâ—m bonum est sciâ—â—â—ia Lactan. l. 3. c. 8. 9. p Genes 11. 4. q 1 Tim. 1. 5. r Gen. 4. 5. s Prov. 15. 8. Rom. 14. 2. t Jam. 2. 20. u Gen. 30. 1. w 2 Tim. 3. 15 Deut. 32. 47. x Unde abest scientia id totii possidet opinatio Scientia certi est opinatio incerti Lactan. l. 3. c. 3. Nec enim valet quicquam mortalis hominis auctoritas sed divinis c. ib l. 5. c. 20. y Cui falsum subesse non potest z Tit. 1. 2. a Cic. Tusâ— q. l. 1. b Rom. 1. 19. c Vitam colâ—nâ—ium Dâ—us proqualitate nominis sui formet quoniam religiosissimus cultus est imitatio Lact. l. 5. c. 10. Non profanus meliùs esset quaâ—â—ic religiosus quomodo Deum â—iolat qui hoc modo placatur Min. Foel Oct. d Heb. 11. 6. e Joh. 1. 11. f Hic nec videri potest visu clarior nec comprehendi tactu purior nec estimari sensibus major est insinitus immensus soli sibi tantus quantus est notus c ibid. Min. Fael Oct. g 2 Cor. 5. 7. h Joh. 20. 29. i Hebr. 11. 1. k Ephes. 2. 8. Sect. II. l Neque enim quis cogi potest sed invitatur quia non extorquatur sed suadetur Ambrosi in Rom. 4. m Ro. 10. 17. n Regula quidem fidei una omnino est sola immobilis Tertul de virg veland â— 1. o Rom. 8. 16. p Act. 16 14. q 1 Cor. 3. 5 6. r 1 Cor. 2. 14. animalem dicit naturalem c. Theophilact in 1 Cor. 2. s 2 Thes. 3. 2. t 〈◊〉 Ap. c. 24 u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occumen w Act. 13. 48. x Eph. 1. 13. 14. y 2 Cor. 1. 22. Cor. 5. 5. Math. 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theophilact ib. a Gall. 3. 11. b Heb. 11. 6. c Ro. 14. 23. d Joh. 3. 16. e Rom. 5. 1. f 1 Joh. 1. 7. Rom. 4. 5 6. g Rom. 8. 1. h Rom. 4. 24 25. i Act. 15. 9. k Mat. 16. 18. l Ephes. 6. 16. Rom. 4. 11. 17. 18. m Jam. 2. 23. n 2 Tim. 4. 6 7 8 18. 2 Tim. 1. 12. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cytil Catec 5. p Laudo fidem quae ante credit obsâ—rvandii esse quam didicit Tettul de coron mil. q Tertul. de bapt c. 20. r Hebr. 11. 9 10. 33 34. s Math. 21. 22. t 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen w 〈◊〉 3. 12. x 1 Pet. 1. 9. y Rom. 12. 3. Ephes. 4. 7. z Exod. 16. 18. 2 Cor. 8. 15. a Credo domine side sateor imbeciâ—li side tamen b 2 Cor. 12. 9. c Vincentes coronat retributione pietatis paternae