do I lift up my soul At your Vp-rising Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power but they shall be Priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years Rev. 20.6 O holy Jesu who early in the morning didst raise up thy self from death to life for me raise me up I meekly beseech thee from the death of sin unto the life of Righteousness Grant me by the power of thy Death and vertue of thy Resurrection early and betimes even to day while it is called to day to arise out of the mire of sensuality and out of the dust and rubbish of worldly vanities unto newness and all holiness of life that when that long day of Eternity shall dawn I may be raised up out of the grave of death to live and reign with thee for ever Amen I laid me down and slept Psal 3.5 and rose again for the Lord sustained me Blessed be the name of the Lord Psal 113.2 3. from this time forth and for evermore The Lords name is praised from the rising of the Sun unto the going down of the same A Morning Hymn NOw that the day light doth arise Breaking through the azure skies To heaven I lift my heart and eyes Begging of God with humble cries All hurtful things to turn away Whilst I duly spend the day And from his Laws go not astray But of true vertue keep the way To turn away my wandring eyes From the beholding vanities To guard my lips from speaking lies To keep my heart both pure and clean From all desires wicked or vain And my unruly Passions rein To tame proud flesh whilst I deny it A full cup and wanton diet Avoiding all excess and riot That when the day light shall go out And darkness clouds the earth throughout Time bringing on the night about The Light of thy bright face may shine Vpon my Soul and Beams divine Display into this heart of mine Whilst leaving wicked worldly ways I in silence sing thy praise Chanting forth these following Laies All glory to the Trinity Which I adore in Vnity The Father Son and Holy Ghost One Lord which is of mighties most As it hath e're been heretofore Is now and shall be evermore At your Apparrelling I Put on Righteousness and it cloathed me my judgment was a robe and a diadem Job 29.14 And to the Spouse of Christ it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen clean and white for the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints Blessed Jesus cloath my soul with thy spotless Robes of Righteousness and beautifie me with the celestial ornaments of the graces of thy Spirit Let it be my constant desire and endeavour to appear more amiable in thy sight than in the censorious eyes of men II. ANd why take ye thought for raiment Matth. 6.28 consider the Lilies of the field they toil not neither do they spin And yet I say unto you 29. that Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these How then fond Soul canst thou be proud of thy bodily apparrel wherein the grass of the field excels thy utmost bravery To be proud of thy gay clothing is to glory in thy shame to cover which shame and nakedness as the issue of sin and disobedience the use of Garments was given by God The true ornaments of a Christian consist in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price At your Washing I. BLessed be the Lord God my Heavenly Father who hath washed me from my Original pollution in the sacred waters of Baptism and hath therein called me to the state of Salvation through Jesus Christ And I pray God to give me his Grace that I may continue in the same unto my lifes end This I promised by my Undertakers when I was Baptized 1 Pet. 3.21 Ch. Cat. but I have not been so careful as I ought to make good my promise O wash me throughly from my wickedness as in the Laver of Baptism and cleanse me from my sin Psal 51.2 whereby I have unhallowed those saving Waters Thou shalt purge me with Hysop through the bitter sorrows and sufferings of my dearest Saviour and I shall be clean 7. Thou shalt wash me in the fountain of thy inexhaustible mercy and I shall be whiter than Snow II. 'T is the clean hands and pure heart wherewith God is well pleased even the heart that is pure from all evil affections and the hands that be clean from all sinful actions Blessed are the pure in heart Matt. 5.8 for they shall see God see him in Grace and Mercy here and in Glory hereafter Make me a clean heart Psa 51.10 O God and renew a right spirit within me A Spirit cleaving stedfastly unto thee my God and to thy Covenant with me in holy Baptism Water the dry barren ground of my Heart with the dew of Heaven the celestial influences of thy holy Spirit that I may bring forth the fruits of good works to the glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ Amen Upon the Use of the Creed I Have many Enemies to encounter and such as are not corruptible flesh and bloud but spiritual and invisible quick and powerful active and vigilant to insnare me in all my thoughts and desires words and actions And therefore 't is necessary O my Soul before thou go forth to enter upon any worldly affairs that thou be well armed as with fervent Prayers and the Sword of the Spirit so with the shield of faith Eph. 6.12 13. to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil Confess then the holy Christian Faith with Understanding and affectionate Devotion I. I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth II. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord III. Who was conceived by the holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary IV. Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried V. He descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead VI. He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father VII From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead VIII I believe in the Holy Ghost IX The holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints X. The forgiveness of Sins XI The Resurrection of the Body XII The Life everlasting Amen I believe Lord help my unbelief And grant a right and a full understanding of all these Articles of the most holy Faith and Grace to square all the actions of my life according thereunto Let this Faith be my shield from all errors in Judgment and miscarriages in Conversation and from the Devil and all his Instruments that would seduce me to either Before you go forth of your Chamber or undertake any imployment first in all holy Humility
feet All the apostate crew of evil angels with all their poysonous infusions thou shalt overcome and subdue so the Lord promises also Luk. 10.19 Behold I give you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions And the reason is added in the name of the Lord saying verse 14 Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him All things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 I will set him up above his enemies round about because he hath known my name his knowledge being enspirited with love and obedience verse 15 He shall call upon me to have a heart to pray rightly and reverently is a great blessing and I will hear him so as to grant the requests of such as call upon me faithfully yea I am with him in trouble and when his faith and patience humility and obedience is throughly tryed I will deliver him out of all his troubles and bring him to honour promote him in the land of the living for verse 16 With long life will I satisfie him a life replete with all fulness of satisfaction and shew him my Salvation or manifest my self unto him in whose presence is fulness of joy O remember me according to the favour thou bearest unto thy people and visit me with thy Salvation That I may see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people and give thanks with thine inheritance who cease not day and night saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. THE SONG of SIMEON Which is said by the Church at this hour as wherein we commend our selves unto the Lord and desire we may both sleep and dye in Peace 1. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace (a) Peace in life and death sleeping and waking is the portion of the Lords servant alone for there is no peace saith the Lord to the wicked Isa 48. according to thy Word 'T was Gods promise he should not dye till he had seen the Messias in the flesh 2. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation The Saviour of the world is seen as Man only with the eyes of Flesh but as both God and Man by the eye of Faith 3. Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people God was made man that the eyes of all flesh might see in whom to believe and whom to follow as the light of the world 4. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles (e) Who sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and to be the glory of thy people Israel The greatest of all the wonderful mercies shewed by God to his old people the Israelites was that of them Christ was born and exhibited in the flesh Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer LIghten my darkness O Lord whose mysterious Incarnation and Nativity is the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel and by thy great mercy defend me from all the perils and dangers of this night O blessed Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world grant me thy Peace even peace with God and peace with man peace of Conscience at home upon Earth and the peace of the long home of Heaven Such a peace the world cannot give 't is only attainable from thee and by thee and through thee the Prince of peace who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost one God c. IN the order of our Church Devotions after this Song of Simeon follows the Creed for since the end of our Faith is the Salvation of our Souls it is very fit then that we both begin and end the day in the Confession of the Faith And as the Church in publick so every devout Christian in private who resolves to dye in the true Faith will not go to sleep without it but will say before he go to bed not slightly and customarily but reverently and understandingly I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ c. All this I stedfastly believe into this Faith I was baptized and in this Faith 't is the hearty desire of my Soul and shall be my constant endeavour to continue unto my lifes end Grant me blessed Lord in the profession of this Faith to war a good warfare and to finish my course that after this mortal life is ended I may receive from the author 2 Tim. 4.7 8. and finisher of our Faith the crown of righteousness which is laid up I believe and hope for me as for all those that love his appearing After these or other Bed-time Meditations your usual Prayers Confessions and Thanksgivings relating to the day past Meditate As you Vndress your self This Body of mine I am now striping of its clothing is but the clothing of my Soul that 's the man in me my body is but the garment my soul doth wear And 't is not long ere I shall put off this body of flesh as I now do the garments which cover its nakedness And that I may do this in peace and to my future happiness my soul must be stript and put off concerning the former conversation the old man Eph. 4.21 22. which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts and put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Put on the Lord Jesus Ro. 13.14 That 's thy clothing that 's thy ornament O my Soul to obey the doctrine and follow the example of the holy Jesus making no provision to fulfil the lusts of the flesh For Gal. 6.8 he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting When you lay aside your Garments Assist me blessed Lord wholly and altogether to cast away the works of darkness and to put on the armor of Light that when my Body shall lye down in its bed of darkness my Soul may pass into the Regions of Light to live and reign with Thee for ever When you go into Bed I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for 't is Thou only that makest me dwell in safety Or II. In the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ who was Crucified on the Cross and laid in the Grave for me I lay me down to rest and to sleep He vouchsafe to bless me save and defend me sleeping and waking And may I evermore blessed Jesus rest in thy Peace live in thy Fear dye in thy Favour and be raised by thy power unto life everlasting Amen CHAP. VII Of Meditations and Psalms for the Night season I. 'T Was in the Night the Angel of the Lord destroyed all the first-born in the Land of Egypt Exod. 12.29 Wisd 18.14 15. 2 Kin. 19.35 And the host of Senacherib that besieged Hierusalem Now then arise from thy bed of sloth and
THE THIRD PART OF THE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN Consisting of Meditations and Psalms illustrated with Notes or Paraphrased relating to the Hours of Prayer the ordinary Actions of Day and Night and several Dispositions of Men. By R. SHERLOCK D. D. Rector of Winwick Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous Judgments Psal 119.164 LONDON Printed by R. Flesher for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner MDCLXXV THE PREFACE OF Continuing in Prayer and frequent Meditation and the Design of this Second Part. THAT holy Catholick Church which is one of the XII Articles of the holy Christian Faith is partly Triumphant in Heaven and partly Militant on Earth both make but one Spouse of Christ and therefore the true Members of both are alike minded and alike employed in reference to the worship of the common Lord of both They who are true Members of Christs Church below are conform to the glorious Saints in Heaven above a Exod. 25.40 Act. 7.44 Heb. 6.11 They do the will of God on earth as 't is done in heaven b Mat. 6.11 and that 's undoubtedly the way to Heaven we cannot possibly lose our way thither whilst we follow their steps who are thither gone before us Those Triumphant Saints in Heaven rest not day nor night saying Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty c Isa 6.3 Rev. 4.8 Whereunto conforms the man after God's own heart saying O Lord God of my Salvation I have cryed day and night before thee d Ps 88.1 Our Lord commends it as a Duty incumbent that men ought always to pray e Luk. 18.1 And by his Apostle commands it positively Pray without ceasing f 1 Thesl 5.13 Giving thanks always g Eph. 5.20 Praying alway with all Prayer and Supplication h Eph. 6.18 But these Examples and Commands are not so to be understood as if we should do nothing else but pray S. Aug. l. de haer Theod. Eccles hist l. 4. c. 10. which was an old Heresie of the Messalians and Euchites long since condemned by the Church of Christ as being a thing impossible to pray without ceasing in the bare literal sense because this corruptible body presseth down the Soul and corporal necessities do call for supply Neither yet That we should make long Prayers which is the new Error and great mistake of these Times The which though generally the most used and best liked as being set off with the paint of seeming zeal and pretense of the Spirit yet the unlawfulness of such long Prayers will appear if we will without prejudice and partiality consider that 1. They are forbidden by our Lord saying When you pray use not vain repetitions Matth. 6.7 in which words our Lord means not the same Prayers repeated as is falsly objected against the Prayers of the Church for thus our Lord prayed himself Matth. 26.39 44. Where his Prayer was short and three times repeated And therefore undoubtedly by vain repetitions in Praying is understood multitude of words and variety of expressions to the same purpose or rather to no purpose since our desires both may and ought to be expressed in few words and pertinent according to the Pattern our Lord hath given us And that 't is the meaning of our Lord when he saith After this manner pray ye that our Prayers should be generally formed to the length of his Prayer prescribed will appear 1. From the Context if seriously weighed and rightly understood wherein is manifest that the manner of Praying by such a short Form is commanded in opposition to the heathenish use of much speaking in Prayer 2. From the parallel Text in the Margin Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few 3. From the Prayers of Christs Church which are in all Liturgies of the Christian World for the most part of the same length and surely the general practice of the Church is the best interpreter of holy Scripture 4. Such are generally also all the Prayers of the holy Spirit of God which stand upon record in holy Writ viz. the Book of Psalms with many more we meet with none that are of such a continued length as are in use amongst us but they are all divided by distinct Verses into so many several shorter Prayers Long Prayers are forbidden by our Lord because such is the custom of the Heathen Matt. 6.7 as the Heathen do who mind more the Oratory and Language Tone and Pronunciation than the Humility and Devotion of the Soul in Prayer and 't is much misbecoming Christians to worship the true God as the Heathen do their false and feigned Deities And Because they imply a false Notion of the Majesty of Heaven and a misbelief of his divine perfections as if he were asleep and must be awakened or did not understand our wants and desires or being otherwise imployed he could not intend our petitions except in multitude of words exprest and loud talking for audience So prayed the Priests of Baal 1 King 18.27 and so saith our Lord of all Heathen people That they think they shall be heard for their much speaking which is directly contrary to the true Faith of a Christian who believeth and acknowledgeth the Omniscience and Omnipresence of God as it follows in the 8. vers Your heavenly Father knoweth what things you stand in need of before you ask which divine Truth is implicitly denied by loud and long Prayers Long Prayers are not only forbidden by our Lord Matt. 6.5 cap. 23.14 Mark 12.40 Luk 20.47 Joh. 12.43 as the custom of the Heathen but also frequently reproved by him as the practice of Hypocrites who love to stand praying in the Synagogues and in the corners of the Streets that they may be seen of men that they may be taken notice of for godly men desiring rather to seem than really to be religious loving the praise of men more than the praise of God To pray continually then is neither to be understood of doing nothing else but pray nor yet of using long Prayers the one being prohibited by our Lord and the other condemned by his Church but in this and the like expressions is commanded The intense Devotion of the Soul in prayer So our Lord expounds his own Cammand that men ought always to pray viz. that they faint not a Luk. 18.1 to wit for want of that holy fervour and devout Zeal which is the Life and Soul of an effectual Prayer and this same celestial fire of holy zeal in Prayer spends not it self in multitude of words and much babling of the lips but is expressed in sighs and groans which cannot be uttered b Rom. 8.26 which are tru◠〈◊〉 breathings of the holy Spirit of God in Prayer who dwells not upon the Tongue but in the
I have acknowledged my wayes and thou heardest me O teach me thy Statutes After confession of sin and prayer for pardon new obedience is required 3. Make me to understand the way of thy Commandments and so shall I talk of thy wondrous works To talk of Religion without a right Understanding is but vain babling 4. My soul melteth away for very heaviness Comfort thou me according to thy Word Godly sorrow is the inlet to divine Consolation 5. Take from me the way of lying and cause thou me to make much of thy Law Errors in judgment must be corrected and abandoned that we may obey God sincerely and cordially 6. I have chosen the way of truth and thy judgments have I laid before me What the Word of God doth judge to be true or false is to be ever chose or refused 7. I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord confound me not Stedfastly to cleave unto what God hath testified to be the way of truth and holiness is a sure way to avoid confusion 8. I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou hast set my heart at liberty While the heart is enfettered with sensual or worldly lusts we can neith run nor walk in the ways of God's Commandments we ought Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Raise up my Soul blesse Lord out of the dust and rubbish of earthly desires quicken my dulness in thy service comfort me in all my sadnesses dispel all those mists of Ignorance and Error which cloud my Understanding enlarge my heart from the bondage of Sin and Satan and out of the fetters of all Temptations unto evil and so strengthen me to run in the ways which thou hast Commanded that I may obtain what thou hast promised through Jesus Christ Our Father which art in c. CHAP. II. Of Meditations for the Third Hour of Prayer or Nine a Clock in the Morning THis is called The holy hour in the Decrees of the Church and generally the hour of publick Assemblies in the Worship of God and not without very great reason For 1. Matth. 27.20 'T was at this hour my blessed Redeemer underwent the bitter sentence of death whilest Barabbas a Thief a Rebel and a Murderer was acquitted And I vile wretch am as guilty as Barabbas in many respects and justly obnoxious to the dreadful sentence of condemnation to death eternal but by the infinite Merits and Mysteries of thy Condemnation Good Lord deliver me 2. Matth. 27.26 'T was at this hour of the day my blessed Redeemer exposed his tender breasts and delicate back and shoulders to be rased rent and torn with forked whips by cruel blood-thirsty souldiers until his innocent Body was all over gore blood And my sins deserve the scourges and mine offences the rod of the Almighties just indignation but blessed Lord I humbly beg that I may so wash my polluted soul with the penitent tears of holy compunction through Faith in the blood of my Saviour and so chastise and keep under that body of sin which is and too much reigneth in my Members Eccles 39.28 that being delivered from the guilt and tyranny of sin in this life I may escape those fiery whips and scourgings of the spirits of vengeance which are the portion of the disobedient and impenitent in the other life 3. Act. 2.15 'T was at this hour of the day the Holy Ghost descended upon the holy Apostles and Disciples of Christ and by his celestial influences replenished them with extraordinary Gifts and Graces for the propagation of his holy Gospel and the plantation of his Church through the World And Vouchsafe holy God vouchsafe unto me also thy unworthy servant the guidance of the same spirit by whose Illumination and Sanctification I may both perceive and know what things I ought to do and also may have Grace faithfully to perform the same through Jesus Christ And the Earth was without form and void Gen. 1.2 darkness was upon the face of the deep And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Such was thy condition O my Soul in thy state of Nature without form or comeliness the image of God wherein thy beauty consists was defac'd by original corruption void both of Grace and Truth an Abyss of darkness and in the shadow of death till the all-quickning Spirit of God moving upon the hallowed waters of Baptism caused the light to appear But still the dregs of thy natural corruption remain and the darkness of ignorance ever hovers upon the face of the Deep But where the Spirit of God is there is liberty both rightly to understand and acceptably to perform his Will COme Holy Ghost eternal God Proceeding from above Both from the Father and the Son The God of Peace and Love Visit my Mind and into me Thy heavenly Grace inspire That in all Truth and Godliness I may have the desire Kindle my heart with fervent love To serve God day and night Strength and stablish all my weakness So feeble and so frail That neither flesh the world nor devil Against me do prevail And grant O Lord that thou being My Leader and my Guide I may eschew the snares of sin And from thee never slide ALmighty God unto whom all hearts are open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnifie thy holy Name through Jesus Christ Glory be to God on high on earth peace This Hymn is prescribed to be used in the Morning by the Apostolical Constit l. 7. c. 47. and at the Third Hour of the Morning because then the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and replenished them with glory exultation and joy Dur. Rat. l. 4. c. 13. good will towards men We praise Thee we bless Thee we worship Thee we glorifie Thee we give thanks to Thee for thy great Glory heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesus Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our prayers Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For Thou only art Holy Thou only art the Lord Thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most High in the Glory of God the Father Amen PSALMS for the Third Hour Legem pone Psal 119. Part. 5. Horâ tertiâ Psalmus Legem pone dicitur quia tunc lex nova data est Apostolis Dur. Rat. l. 5. c. 6. Verses 1. TEach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end The Understanding must first be enlightned that the Affections of the Heart
temptation he is defective in some exterior acts of obedience 6. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee because of thy righteous judgments Davine Praise is to be celebrated night and day and our failings of divine Worship in the day may be supplied in the night 7. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and keep thy Commandments The society of holy men is both a great comfort and a great furtherance in the way of godliness 8. The Earth O Lord is full of thy mercy O teach me thy Statutes Gods common blessings are extended unto all but his special favours are reserved for them that keep his Commandments Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer WHat ever my part or portion be upon earth be thou my portion O Lord and the lot of mine inheritance Preserve me in the Unity of the Holy Catholick Church and in the Communion of Saints to the hopes of eternal glory through Jesus Christ The Ninth Part. Verses 1. O Lord thou hast dealt graciously with thy servant according to thy Word Gods gracious promises do move him to be merciful in his dealings with us far beyond our merits 2. O learn me true understanding and knowledge for I have believed thy Commandments In the mysteries of godliness what we cannot believe by Understanding we must understand by Believing 3. Before I was troubled I went wrong but now have I kept thy Word The rod of affliction and good discipline keeps the Soul in humility and obedience 4. Thou art good and gracious O teach me thy Statutes Even in adversity God is no less gracious than in prosperity 5. The proud have imagined a lye against me but I will keep thy Commandments with my whole heart Though the Devil and his instruments invent and suggest lyes to subvert the truth yet by a sincere obedience they are discovered and rejected 6. Their heart is as fat as brawn but my delight hath been in thy Law Through pride and luxury the heart of the wicked is fatted with delight but humility and obedience is the joy of the righteous Soul 7. It is good for me that I have been in trouble that I may learn thy Statutes Temptations and troubles yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby 8. The Law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and silver Grace excells gold as much as heaven excells earth or the soul the body Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer THou art good and gracious O Lord even in the chastisements of thy servant Let both thy favours and thy frowns be sanctified unto me and all the temptations of my ghostly enemies make me cleave more stedfastly in my obedience to thy most holy Lawes esteeming thy Commandments far above all earthly treasures as being the way to those never-failing treasures of Celestial glory through Jesus Christ The Tenth Part. Verses 1. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me O give me Vnderstanding that I may learn thy Commandments To know God and obey his Laws is the End of our Creation after the Image of God and the perfection of our Being is thereby attained 2. They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me because I have put my trust in thy Word Examples of piety rejoyce the hearts of them that truly fear God 3. I know O Lord that thy judgments are right and that thou of very faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled 'T is most righteous and just that they who fall from God by pride and disobedience be first humbled by afflictions before they be restored to his grace and favour 4. O let thy loving kindness be my comfort according to thy Word unto thy servant Let this be my comfort in all my troubles that they are sent according to thy Word in mercy to humble not in fury to consume and destroy me 5. O let thy loving mercies come unto me that I may live for thy Law is my delight Both the life of grace and glory are the issue of God's loving mercy and the soul is qualified for this mercy by love and delight in the Lawes of God 6. Let the proud be confounded for they go wickedly about to destroy me but I will be occupied in thy Commandments A constant regular obedience to God's Commandments confounds all the machinations of the devil and all his instruments 7. Let such as fear Thee and have known thy Testimonies be turned unto me Wherein the Prayers and example of the godly are both strength and consolation 8. O let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed The sincerity of the heart in the performance of Religious duties will preserve us from that confusion which is the portion of Hypocrites The Prayer THat I may attain that perfection and felicity whereunto thou hast created me O Lord I humbly beg the spirit of wisdom and understanding both to know and in all things to obey thy most holy will In all my Humiliations for my sins and temptations of the devil let thy loving mercies support me the prayers and examples of thy Saints and Servants assist me O let my heart be sincere and sound in thy service that I may escape that everlasting confusion which is the portion of Hypocrites and my lot may be with thy faithful servants for ever to sing Glory to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c Our Father which art c. CHAP. III. Of Meditations for the Sixth hour of Prayer or twelve a Clock AT Evening and Morning and at Noonday will I pray So resolved holy David Ps 55.18 Dan. 6.10 and so prayed holy Daniel and at this hour prayed S. Peter also a Act. 10.9 And shall not such eminent examples move thee also at this hour to converse with heaven especially remembring I The arrow that flyeth by day and the destruction that wasteth at the noon-day Ps 91.5 6. The Arrows of Temptation fly thick about us and the devil as a roaring Lyon continually goeth about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 Fly then to the God of thy refuge upon the sacred wings of devout Prayers and holy Meditations Call to mind II. That 't was at this hour our first Parents for their Pride and disobedience were driven out of Paradise and let this consideration humble thy Soul at this Hour under the mighty hand of God that he may draw thee out of that mass of corruption wherein with the rest of mankind thou art originally involved and exalt thee to the hopes of admittance into the celestial Paradise which being lost by the disobedience of the First Adam was regained by the obedience of the Second Adam who III. As at this hour of the day was listed up on the Cross as was the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness Luk. 23.44
we may be armed against all temptations 8. I see that all things come to an end but thy Commandment is exceeding broad We see by dayly experience that all those worldly things and carnal delights whereby we are tempted to sin do quickly vanish but he that doth the Will of the Lord abideth for ever Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer I Am thine O Lord not only by Creation but also solemnly devoted by regeneration in Baptism and I am resolved to continue thine O save me from every transgression of any of thy most holy Laws which all creatures in their several kinds do obey Let not the secret underminings of the Devil or the open flattering felicities of the world cozer and ensnare me for these shall suddenly come to an end but obedience to thy Commandments is the way to life without end through Jesus Christ The Thirteenth Part. Verses 1. Lord what love have I unto thy Law All the day long is my study in it He that truly loves God loves also what he commands and frequently meditates thereupon 2. Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me God's commandment extending to the love of our enemies exceeds the utmost wisdom of the heathen who have not the knowledge of his Laws 3. I have more understanding than my Teachers for thy Testimonies are my study But he that will be truly wise must not cursorily read the Letter but studiously consider and dive into the spirit and life of the Law 4. I am wiser than the aged because I keep thy Commandments Wisdom is increased and perfected by obedience to the dictates thereof 5. I have refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy Word He that will do what God commands must refrain from all that he forbids First cease to do evil and then learn to do well 6. I have not shrunk from thy judgments for thou hearest me 'T is the secret teaching of God's Spirit in the heart that keeps the feet firm from backfliding 7. O how sweet are thy Words unto my throat yea sweeter than honey unto my mouth The fruits of a true Faith or sincere Obedience is more sweet to the soul than honey to the mouth 8. Through thy Commandments I get Vnderstanding therefore I hate all evil wayes The right Understanding of good and evil discovers both the beauty of obedience and the deformity of every sinful action The Prayer ALmighty God the fountain of all wisdom give me I humbly beseech thee a wise and understanding heart hating and refraining from every evil way loving Thee and thy Laws and mine enemies also in obedience thereunto Let me never shrink from thy judgments but stedfastly believe the Truth of thy revelations and regularly obey the same that I may reap the sweet fruits of holiness in eternal happiness through Jesus Christ The Fourteenth Part. Verses 1. Thy Word is a Lanthorn unto my feet and a light unto my paths Gods Word as a Lanthorn in the night directs us in our passage through the darkness of this life to the light of life eternal 2. I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous judgments Therefore every truly wise man resolves stedfastly to follow and obey the directions of this holy Word according to his Vow in Baptism 3. I am troubled above measure quicken me O Lord according to thy Word But the flesh lusting against the spirit disturbs such holy resolves and endeavours but by the grace of God the pious soul is quickned and the spirit fortified against all such encounters and this God hath promised in the same Word 4. Let the freewill-offerings of my mouth please thee O Lord and teach me thy judgments For the which grace 't is our duty to pray and that more willingly and chearfully and more frequently than at ordinary and accustomed times 5. My Soul is alway in my hand yet do I not forget thy Law The continual dangers of the souls safety should engage us often to meditate upon divine Truths 6. The ungodly have laid a snare for me but I swerved not from thy Commandments From the which all the temptations of wicked spirits should not make us to swerve 7. Thy Testimonies have I claimed as mine heritage for ever for why they are the very joy of my heart 'T is obedience that entitles to the inheritance of Heaven which fills the hearts of the righteous with joy unspeakable and glorious 8. I have applied my heart to fulfil thy Statutes alway unto the end Therefore are the hearts of the godly inclined to persevere in their obedience unto the end of their lives Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer WHen I was first enrolled a member of thy Church O Lord I solemnly vowed and have often since renewed this Vow to keep thy holy Will and Commandments and to walk in the same all the dayes of my life but the lustings of the flesh against the spirit and the snares of Satan do daily trouble such my holy resolutions and promises Vouchsafe blessed Lord to quicken and fortifie my spirit against all the crafts and assaults of my ghostly adversaries that I may have power and strength to get the victory and to triumph over the Devil the World and the Flesh and to continue thy faithful Servant and Souldier unto my lifes end through Jesus Christ The Fifteenth Part. Verses 1. I hate them that imagine evil things but thy Law do I love He that truly loves God and his Truth will detest not the persons of any but the sinful imaginations of all men 2. Thou art my defence and my shield and my trust is in thy Word Whilst we sincerely trust in the Truth of God's promises in his Word we need not to doubt of his protection and defence 3. Away from me ye wicked I will keep the Commandments of my God The society of wicked men must be avoided by every one that rightly resolves to keep God's Commandments 4. O stablish me according to thy Word that I may live and let me not be disappointed of my hope 'T is by the divine assistance continually implor'd that we are so establish'd in the life of grace that we be not disappointed of our hopes of the life of glory 5. Hold thou me up and I shall be safe yea my delight shall be ever in thy Statutes Being supported by the divine Grace this hope stands firm and 't is strengthned by holy love and delight in the service of God 6. Thou hast trodden down all them that depart from thy Statutes for they imagine but deceit They are justly deprived of this blessed hope who transgress the lawes of God their own fond imaginations deceiving them 7. Thou puttest away all the ungodly like dross therefore I love thy Testimonies The judgments of God pursuing the wicked to their
ruine delight the righteous not for the destruction of their persons but for the justice of God thereby testified 8. My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee and I am afraid of thy judgments The best of men do most fear the judgments of God as being most sensible of their sins Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer GIve me a heart O Lord I beseech Thee detesting all sinfulness and error and inflamed with the love of holiness and truth to trust in thy mercies and stand in fear of thy judgments incline my will and affections to live the life of obedience to thy Word that I may not be disappointed of my hopes to live with thee for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Sixteenth Part. Verses 1. I deal with the thing that is lawful and right O give me not over to mine oppressors He must deal righteously with all men who desires not to be oppressed by any 2. Make thou thy servant to delight in that which is good that the proud do me no wrong To delight in what is good is a sure preservative against all the assaults of the spirits of pride and wickedness 3. Mine eyes are wasted away with looking for thy health and for the word of thy righteousness We must wait diligently upon all the blessed means of that grace and Salvation God hath promised in his word how troublesome soever this may be to the flesh 4. O deal with thy servant according to thy loving mercy and teach me thy Statutes 'T will be sad if God deal not with the best of us after his loving mercies and not after our deserts 5. I am thy servant O grant me understanding that I may know thy Testimonies 'T is impossible to be the true servant of God without understanding aright the service he requires 6. It is time for Thee to lay to thine hand for they have destroyed thy law When he Laws of God are trampled under foot he will not long forbear his punishing judgments 7. For I love thy Commandments above gold and precious stone When wickedness most abounds the righteous do most value the Laws of God even above all earthly treasures 8. Therefore hold I straight all thy Commandments and all false ways I utterly abhor They that are most sincere in the service of God do most abhor what is false and contrary thereunto Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer I Am thy devoted servant O Lord and that I may serve thee acceptably give me a right understanding of all the ways and parts of thy service and an upright heart in performing the same abhorring all falsehood both in opinion and conversation O deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to thy loving mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour glory c. Our Father which art in c. CHAP. IV. Of Meditations for the Ninth Hour of Prayer or Three a Clock IT is very seasonable at this Hour to pay thy Devotions to thy blessed Redeemer as the necessary effects of true Faith and Repentance since I. 'T was at this hour the Thief upon the Cross believing and repenting received the joyful promise from the mouth of the Lord Luk. 23.43 This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And my life I confess has been no better than the life of this Thief even my whole life has been a trade of robbery robbing God of his honour and of that obedience which I owe to his holy Laws and robbing my self also of peace of Conscience here and of the hopes of Heaven hereafter Blessed Jesu who hadst mercy on the Thief even in the very hour of his death repenting have mercy upon me even upon me also who now though too too late repent me of my manifold misdoings Shut not up the gates of Paradise against me when I shall depart hence since having overcome the sharpness of death thou hast opened the kingdom of Heaven to all Believers II. 'T was at this hour the Son of God made man commended his spirit of man into the hands of God the Father Luk. 23.46 And into thy hands O Lord do I now commend my spirit my soul my body my all for thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth And the very God of peace vouchsafe to sanctifie me wholly 1 Thess 5.23 And I pray God that my whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen III. 'T was at this hour wherein my blessed Redeemer Mat. 27.46 50. after he had cryed with a loud voice gave up the Ghost and dyed for us miserable sinners 'T was for me and my sins my dearest Saviour both suffered and dyed he having no sins of his own to suffer or dy for but He was wounded for my transgressions Is 53.5 He was bruised for mine iniquities And now then remember holy Jesus in great mercy remember that hour wherein with a torn body and broken heart Thou didst shew forth the bowels of thy mercy in dying to deliver me both from spiritual and eternal death Pardon good Lord pardon all my sins the cause of all thy painful sufferings and grant that both I and all who love thy Cross and Passion in a devout thankful remembrance may by the vertue and power thereof crucifie the old man and utterly abolish the whole body of sin that being dead unto sin 1 Pet. 2.24 we may live unto righteousness and by thy stripes be healed IV. Upon the death of my Saviour S. Mat. 27.51 the Earth quaked the Rocks clave asunder the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom And yet upon the meditation hereof my heart is not broken within me 't is harder than the stones of that Temple which was a figure of it harder than those Rocks that rent upon the expiration of my Lord more insensible and stupid than the Earth that quaked at the death of her Maker O Blessed Jesus let thy precious blood shed for me soften my stony heart into tears of Compassion to bewail thy Passion into tears of Compunction for my sins the cause of thy Sufferings and wholly melt my Soul into a throughout Devotion to the love and service of thy Sacred Majesty who hast so infinitely loved me as to dy for me V. At this hour the side of our Lord was pierced whence issued the two Sacraments of his Church the Water of Baptism and the Blood of the Eucharist And O that that precious blood and water which is the price of my Redemption may be the meritorious cause of my sanctification in this life and eternal Salvation in the life to come Amen PSALMS For the Ninth Hour Psal CXIX Part 17. Verses 1. THy Testimonies O Lord
ungodly for they regard not thy Statutes These endeavours for the health of the Soul are not regarded by such persons as have not God in their thoughts and desires 4. Great is thy mercy O Lord quicken me as thou art wont But the righteous are frequently sensible of God's mercy in quickning them unto their duty And 5. Many there are that trouble me and persecute me yet do I not swerve from thy Testimonies Even in the greatest and most troublesome temptations of their numerous adversaries continue firm and upright in their innocence and obedience 6. It grieveth me when I see the transgressors because they keep not thy Law And are grieved also to see others in the time of temptation to fall away 7. Consider O Lord how I love thy Commandments O quicken me according to thy loving kindness And this their love of obedience unto God moves him the more to quicke and increase their zeal therein 8. Thy Word is true from everlasting all the judgments of thy righteousness endure for evermore All the acts both of Gods mercy and judgment are according to the equitie of his precepts most righteous and immutable Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer COnsider O Lord how adverse to my holy resolves are the continual temptations of my ghostly enemies and withal remember the love I have to thy Law and zeal to thine Honour and deliver me from the one and quicken me in the other that I neither swerve from thy Testimonies or be dull and dead-hearted in my obedience thereunto Give me a heart to lament both my own and the transgressions of others that I may escape that bitter weeping and wailing of the nether hell from the which good Lord deliver me through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ The One and Twentieth Part. Verses 1. Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word Stand in awe and sin not whatever persecutions may arise from any of the powers either of earth or hell 2. I am as glad of thy Word as one that findeth great spoyls The spoils of our ghostly enemies are taken through delight in God's Word 3. As for lies I hate and abhor them but thy Law do I love The love of the Truth and hatred of all falshood whether in opinion or conversation are the inseparable qualifications of a righteous Soul 4. Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of thy righteous judgment The righteousness of God's Laws and of all his judgments according thereunto excite the devout Soul to praise him continually 5. Great is the peace they have who love thy Law and they are not offended at it The fruit of Righteousness is Peace which cannot be disturbed by whatever may befal for Truth and Righteousness sake 6. Lord I have looked for thy saving health and done after thy Commandments He hopes for salvation in vain who lives not in obedience of Gods most holy Laws 7. My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and loved them exceedingly 'T is zealous affections to do whatever God Commands which product a sincere and constant obedience thereunto 8. I have kept thy Commandments and thy Testimonies for all my ways are before Thee Both holy affections and holy actions do flow from the serious consideration of Gods omnipresence Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer MOst blessed Lord before whom are all the ways of men let this consideration make me sincere and upright both in all the affections of my heart and the actions of my life standing more in awe of sinning against Thee than to incur the greatest of troubles from all the Princes and Powers of darkness And grant unto thy servant that peace which is the fruit of righteousness even peace and saving health through Jesus Christ The Two and Twentieth Part. Verses 1. Let my complaint come before Thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy Word A right understanding of what God commands and promises in his Word is continually to be beg'd by Prayer 2. Let my supplication come before Thee deliver me according to thy Word As also to be delivered from all ignorance and error whether in opinion or conversation 3. My lips shall speak of thy praise when thou hast taught me thy Statutes As the praises of God do best become the obedient and wise so they misbeseem the lips of sinners 4. Yea my tongue shall sing of thy Word for all thy Commandments are righteous The equity of Gods Law is the exultation of all holy men and the constant burden of divine Songs 5. Let thine hand help me for I have chosen thy Commandments To obey God's Will by the assistance of his Grace is the choice of every wise man 6. I have longed for thy saving health O Lord and in thy Law is my delight He that loves his Souls health and longs for it will also love and delight in the Commandments of God as the way thereunto 7. O let my Soul live and it shall praise Thee and thy judgments shall help me God is praised by the life of grace and obedience and such shall be supported by his righteous judgments 8. I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost O seek thy servant for I do not forget thy Commandments Though the best men do sometimes err from the sacred paths of God's Commandments yet they are not withal unmindful of that obedience they owe thereunto The Prayer BLessed Jesu who camest into the world to seek and save that which was lost vouchsafe to seek and save me too often wandring like a lost sheep in the by and too much beaten paths of vanity and iniquity Bring me home into thy fold who art the great shepherd and Bishop of our Souls that being saved with the remnant of the true Israelites I may sing thy Praises with the celestial quire of holy Angels and Saints for ever saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Our Father which art in heaven c. CHAP. V. Of Meditations for the Evening THe light of Nature dictates an Evening and a Morning Sacrifice due unto God not only Jews and Christians but Heathens and Turks all men of all perswasions observe it The holy Patriarch Isaac applied himself to holy Meditations in the Evening a Gen. 24.63 At this time prayed holy David also b Ps 55.18 141 2. And so did the Son of David our blessed Lord himself c Luk. 6.12 And he commands us to do so also both by precept d Mar. 13.35 and by that Parable of the labourers sent out into the vineyard by the Lord thereof as at other times so at the last hour of the day and these were as well paid as the former Despair not then O my Soul of the forgiveness of thy sin if thou dost truly repent though it be in
the evening of thy life but then it concerns thee to be active and industrious in the service of thy Lord having been all the day of thy former life idle and negligent therein And as at other times then so neglect not to offer up thine evening Sacrifice unto God for I. 'T was in the evening of Time the blessed Son of God came down from Heaven for the Redemption of the world If then Christ be a new formed in thee now and every evening bless God for thy Renovation and with all joyful exultation say with the blessed mother of our Lord St. LUKE I. Verses 46. MY Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour 'T is the greatest joy of the devout Soul to praise the Lord my Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness when my mouth praiseth Thee with joyful lips Psal 63 6. 47. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his hand-maiden 'T was a great respect our Lord had to the humble and gracious disposition of this blessed Virgin to humble himself to be made man in her sanctified Womb. 48. For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed Since all the nations of the earth are blessed by the holy Seed of her immaculate body 49. For he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is his Name God's Almightiness is most manifested by his mercifulness and in respect of both his name is great wonderful and holy 50. And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations In every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Act. 10.35 51. He hath shewed strength with his arm he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts By the arm of the Lord is meant the Son of God Isa 53.1 the strength of whose wisdom appeared in confounding the fond imaginations of the proud Pharisees and all such as justifie themselves 52. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek And in casting out the Prince of this world Joh. 12.31 and all the spirits of pride and vengeance and in raising up faln man from under the power and tyranny of the Devil and his Angels 53. He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away Such as hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be satisfied but they who are pure in their own eyes and justifie themselves are rejected for he came not to call the righteous in their own conceit but sinners to Repentance Mat. 9.13 54. He remembring his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel as he promised to our forefather Abraham and his seed for ever To all the spiritual Sors of the faithful Abraham do the promises of God in Christ appertain Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Blessed Jesus the eternal and only begotten Son of God who for us men and for our Salvation came down from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and made man By the merits and mysteries of thy holy Incarnation and miraculous Birth of a spotless Virgin I humbly beg a lowly humble pure and virginheart for 't is only such a heart thou regardest for thy habitation and abode and 't is only such a heart cleaves stedfastly unto thee by the ardent love awful fear and sincere service of thy Sacred Majesty who livest and reignest with the Father c. The XCVIII Psalm PARAPHRASED Being A Thanksgiving for the Redemption of the World by the Son of God verse 1 O Sing unto the Lord a new Song Praise him for the renovation and redemption of the world wherein he hath done marvellous things even such as the Angels of heaven desire to look into 1 Pet. 1.12 verse 2 With his own right hand by his works of righteousness and with his holy arm the extent of his Piety He hath gotten himself the victory over the world the flesh and the Devil sin death and hell verse 3 The Lord declared his Salvation which under the Law was shadowed in types and figures but now under the Gospel his righteousness whereby he justifies and saves He hath openly shewed in the sight of the heathen not to the Jews only but to the Gentiles also verse 4 He hath remembred his mercy in the promise of Salvation and his truth in the performance of this promise towards the house of Israel to them was the promise of the Messias but upon his appearance all the ends of the world have seen the Salvation of our God And therefore verse 5 Shew your selves joyful unto the Lord all ye lands fince all have seen his Salvation 't is very meet and just and our bounden duty that all should sing rejoyce and give thanks for Salvation from eternal death to life everlasting is the greatest cause of joy and thanksgiving verse 6 Praise the Lord upon the harp which mystically represents the heart of man sing to the harp open your lips to shew forth his praise with a Psalm of Thanksgiving as wherein the praises of God are divinely celebrated verse 7 With Trumpets also and Shawms all kind of musical instruments to elevate the heart to shew your selves joyful before the Lord the King who is best pleased with joy exultation and delight in his service verse 8 Let the Sea make a noise and all that therein is even all the inhabitants of the Isles of the Sea the round world and they that dwell therein they that dwell in the Continent also verse 9 Let the floods clap their hands and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord both they that dwell in the low valleys and they that inhabit the hilly countreys have equal cause of joy and thanksgiving unto the Lord of all men and all places for he is come to judge the earth to separate the precious from the vile the elect from the reprobate which is done in this life by the preaching of the Gospel in truth and purity and exercising the power of the keys for thus verse 10 With righteousness shall he judge the world and the people with equity absolving from their sins the penitent and contrite but binding upon their souls the sins of the obdurate Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. 'T is thy duty O my Soul as to praise God for the Redemption of the world so to pray unto him that he would have mercy upon all men and display the sacred beams of his holy Gospel over all the Nations of the earth that they may come to the knowledge of Grace and Salvation through Jesus Christ Pray we therefore for all men and with all Christian people in the words of Gods holy Spirit PSALM LXVII verse 1 GOD be merciful unto us and bless us and shew us the light of his Countenance and be merciful unto us verse 2 That thy
way may be known upon earth thy saving health among all nations verse 3 Let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee verse 4 O let the nations rejoyce and be glad for thou shalt judge the folk righteously and govern the nations upon earth verse 5 Let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee verse 6 Then shall the earth bring forth her increase and God even our own God shall give us his blessing verse 7 God shall bless us and all the ends of the world shall fear him and with one heart and with one mouth glorifie the Lord and say Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. II. 'T was at this Hour my blessed Lord having first washed his disciples feet did institute consecrate and administer the blessed Sacrament of his most holy body and blood and the next day at the same hour he was taken down from the Cross I have very great reason then at this hour with all thanksgiving and devotion to commemorate the infinite love of my Redeemer in giving himself to be not only the price of my Redemption by his death upon the Cross but also to be the food of my Soul in that blessed Sacrament humbly beseeching his gracious Majesty that the merits of the one may be applied to my Soul in the devout and reverent participation of the other But I will not presume to come to thy Table O merciful Saviour having not first washed my polluted feet and the disordered affections of my soul with the tears of godly sorrow having not by true Repentance taken down the pride of this corruptible flesh laid aside and abjured all my sins that so with clean hands and a pure heart I may receive the holy Communion of thy precious Body and Blood not to my condemnation but to the eternal salvat on of my Soul O blessed Jesu Saviour of the world save me and deliver me from all mine offences nail them to thy Cross bury them in thy grave that they never rise in judgment against me at the last great day And O that now upon the remembrance of my dearest Saviours burial in the grave I could from the bottom of my heart bid adieu to the world and to all the pomps and vanities of this life to the assured hopes of the joyes of the life to come The XV. Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 LOrd who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle be entitled to the solemn worship of thy house and continue a true member of thy Church militant here below or who shall rest upon thy holy hill be admitted into the rest and felicity of thy Saints in heaven above verse 2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life unspotted of the world unstained by the flesh uncorrupted by the Devil and doth the thing that is right Beneficence or to do good as Innocence to do no evil are equally necessary to Salvation and speaketh the truth from his heart whose heart thinketh and whose mouth speaketh the truth without which knowledge and profession of the truth there can be no righteousness either of Innocence or of Beneficence in the actions of life verse 3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue nor done evil to his neighbor who hath neither in his words deceived nor in his deeds wronged any and hath not slandered his neighbor either First being too credulous to believe an evil report of any or Secondly aggravating and making worse the mistakes and miscarriages of others or Thirdly blazoning them abroad to his disgrace verse 4 He that setteth not by himself is not conceited of his own worth or esteem wisdom or holiness but is lowly in his own eyes hath a mean and low opinion of himself of his deserts parts and performances or as according to another reading discountenanceth a vile person in his wickedness and maketh much of them that fear the Lord by commending and giving all respects and encouragement to such verse 5 He that sweareth to his neighbour in the promise of any benefit whether by love or gift and disappointeth him not but is as good as his word unto him though it be to his own hinderance in respect of his present worldly interests verse 6 He that hath not given his money upon usury neither lending nor giving ought unto any upon the hopes of temporal advantage thereby forbidden by our Lord Luk. 6.35 nor taken reward against the Innocent that will not be fee'd or bribed to speak or act any thing against truth and Innocence verse 7 Whoso doth these things carefully conscientiously constanly shall never fall from the state of Grace but pass through that to the state of Glory to rest upon Gods holy hill or to enjoy eternal rest in the high and holy Heavens where the Language constantly used is Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. III. 'T was at this time of the day my Blessed Lord being risen from the dead appeared to two of his Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 2.13 ad 31. with whom discoursing and by whom being entertained he was known of them by breaking of bread O how good and profitable a thing it is to speak of the holy Jesus with affectionate desires and devotions but much more effectual are good deeds than good words Friendly discourses upon Divine subjects are profitable but charitable entertainments are more acceptable to the Court of Heaven To hear from the blessed mouth of our Lord himself the holy Scriptures expounded did undoubtedly ravish the minds of these Disciples but yet their eyes were not opened to know the Lord till charity enlarged their hearts to invite nay to compel their fellow traveller to eat bread and lodge with them Tene hospitem si vis agnoscere Salvatorem Aug. 'T is divine Charity that passeth all things for illumination were my heart throughly infir'd with this Celestial flame I could not be destitute of the light of Truth for fire and light both spiritual and material are inseparable To these hospitable Disciples our Lord was known in the breaking of bread and thus he is especially known and entertained also in that Celestial bread of the blessed Eucharist to the great and endless comfort of every worthy Communicant Lord evermore give us this bread feed our Souls with thy most precious Body and Blood as a pledge and assurance to eat bread with Thee in the Kingdom of God for ever Amen IV. An evening Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving is due unto thy God as well as the morning Praise and a better Sacrifice cannot be offered unto him either evening or morning with the calves of our lips than in the words of the CXLV Psalm which is an Epitome of the Praises of God diffused through the whole Book of God and 't was therefore one part of the dayly service of God in his Temple and therefore 't is most meet it should daily by
every good Christian be devoutly used say then with thy most ardent desires to extol the glory of God PSALM CXLV verse 1 I Will magnifie thee O God my King and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever verse 2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee and praise thy Name for ever and ever verse 3 Great is the Lord and marvellous worthy to be praised there is no end of his greatness verse 4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another and declare thy power verse 5 As for me I will be talking of thy worship thy Glory thy Praise and wondrous works verse 6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts and I will tell of thy greatness verse 7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed and men shall sing of thy righteousness verse 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful long-suffering and of great goodness verse 9 The Lord is loving unto every man and his mercy is over all his works verse 10 All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints give thanks unto thee verse 11 They shew the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power verse 12 That thy power thy glory and the mightiness of thy Kingdom might be known unto men verse 13 Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all ages verse 14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall and lifteth up all those that are down verse 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee O Lord and thou givest them their meat in due season verse 16 Thou openest thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness verse 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works verse 18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him yea all such as call upon him faithfully verse 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will help them verse 20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him but scattereth abroad all the ungodly verse 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. An Evening Hymn NOw that the sable mantle of the night O're-spreads the earth and vailes the chearful light O Lord who art of light and life the spring Of Grace and Glory the eternal King Vpon thy servant cause thy face to shine And save me for thy mercies sake divine Forgive me what I have offended in This day by thought or word or deed of sin For my sweet Saviours sake propitious be To him who now pours forth his soul to thee All Glory be to thine eternal merit Most blessed Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen CHAP. VI. Of Bed-time Meditations I. I Am Alpha and Omega Rev. 1.8 Is 44.6 the Beginning and the End the First and the Last saith the Lord from the Lord I have my Beginning and he is the end of my Being 'T is therefore meet and just and thy bounden duty as to begin so to end the day with the service of thy God to make the outgoings of the Morning and of the Evening to praise him who hath made the Night and the Day The day is thine Ps 79.17 and the night is thine Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the earth Thou hast made the Summer 18. and the Winter II. 'T was at this hour my dear Redeemer was in a bitter Agony Luk. 22.44 Luk. 23.53 c. and sweat great drops of Blood under the pressure of the sins of men and out of a sad apprehension of his ensuing sufferings for the same 'T was at this hour also our Lord was laid in the Grave and lamented by the women that followed him to his Death Now then let tears distill from thine eyes in the devout remembrance of that precious Blood which flowed from thy Saviours veins Thy miscarriages and offences this very day of omission and commission of ignorance and knowingly of negligence and wilfully of thought and desire word and deed if they be not washed away in this Blood of thy Lord they will involve thee in blackness of darkness for ever and in the horrid sleep of death from whence there is no awaking O then cast them out of thy heart by a plenary particular Confession of all thy this dayes enormities wash away the filth and pollution of them with the tears of godly sorrow which being intermixt with Faith in the Blood of Christ makes an healing salve for thy sin-sick Soul O blessed Jesu Saviour of the world save me and deliver me from all mine offences nail them to thy Cross bury them in thy Grave let them never rise up in judgment against me to my condemnation at the last great day And O that now upon the Religious contemplation of my Saviours burial I could bid adieu to this wicked world and to all the pomps and vanities thereof that being delivered from the iniquities of this sinful life I may escape the bitter wailing and weeping of the wicked in the life to come PSALMS For the Compline or Bed-time The IV. Psalm Paraphrased verse 1 O God the donor preserver and rewarder of my righteousness thou hast set me at liberty from the bondage of sin and of Satan when I was in trouble through the tyranny they exercised over me have mercy upon me and hearken unto my prayer that I be no more involved in that sad condition which it highly concerns all men to avoid verse 2 O ye sons of men of the old Adam how long will ye blaspheme mine honour advancing the creature above your Creator and have such pleasure in vanity take such delight in what is empty vain and satisfies not and seek after leasing pursuing the lying vanities of this wicked world verse 3 Know this for your instruction that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is godly hath selected from among the children of men certain vessels of honour devoted to his service and were I so happy as to be one of these elect people of God holy and separate from the vanities of the world I could not doubt but when I call upon the Lord he will hear me verse 4 Stand in awe and sin not or fear the Lord and depart from evil and that you may do so Commune with your own heart examine what thoughts what desires do harbour in every corner of your heart in your Chamber and be still in the silence of the night recollect the actions of the day silently and closely that ye may do it exactly and having cleansed your hearts verse 5 Offer unto God the sacrifice of righteousness vow unto him a new obedience to his holy Will and Commandments which is the rule of righteousness and if you perform this vow you may with some
assurance put your trust in the Lord especially for spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ nor greedily desiring with most men the good things of this life verse 6 There be many that say who will shew us any good meaning worldly goods but the man that is godly doth say verse 7 Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us by the Lord saith one is meant the Father by his Countenance the Son and by the light of his Countenance the Holy Ghost whose light of Grace and Truth embeams our souls to the hopes of the eternal light of Glory verse 8 Thou hast put gladness in mine heart Cordial joy is a beam displayed from the light of God's Countenance since the time their corn and wine and oyl increased such increase adds nothing to the true joy of the heart which consists in being rich towards God not to the world verse 9 I will lay me down in peace and take my rest being confident of thy grace and favor I shall sleep securely not fearing the worst of evils this night can befal for 't is thou Lord only that makest me dwell in safety to whom be all Glory even to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. PSALM XXXI To the Seventh Verse verse 1 IN thee O Lord as a powerful protector have I put my trust that my hopes in thee may prevent my fears against which I also pray let me never be put to confusion not eternally though I temporally suffer for my due correction deliver me in thy righteousness not for mine but for thine own righteousness sake who hast promised deliverance to them that trust in thee verse 2 Bow down thy ear of mercy and hear me being bowed down in misery and the proper object of mercy make haste to deliver me Come holy Jesus my Redeemer come quickly to deliver me that I fail not in my temptations and troubles verse 3 And be thou my strong rock that I may stand firm against every shock of temptation and my house of defence like a house built upon a rock sure is my defence whilst my sure trust is in thee that thou mayst save me In no other do I seek for Salvation verse 4 For thou art my strong rock and my castle which renders me inexpugnable by all the assaults of my adversaries Be thou also my guide that I neither presume too much upon thy favour nor yet despair of thy mercy but betwixt these extreams lead me in the right way for thy names sake not for any desert in me but that thy name may be glorified by me verse 5 Draw me out of that net of inveigling temptations which they my ghostly adversaries have privily laid for me suggesting evil under the shew and pretence of what is good for thou art my strength against which no powers of earth or hell can prevail verse 6 Into thy hands I commend my spirit So prayed my blessed Redeemer when he gave up the ghost and so will I ever say to him who dyed for me Into thy hands who art mighty to save I commend my spirit in all the concerns of its health and Salvation For thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of Truth O suffer not that Soul to perish which thou so dearly purchased Glory be to God the Father who hath Created me and all the world Glory be to God the Son who hath Redeemed me and all mankind Glory be to God the Holy Ghost who hath Sanctified me and all the elect people of God PSALM XCI To be used at this time by the direction of St. Basil verse 1 WHoso dwelleth and flitteth not but continues under the defence of the most high in a holy and humble confidence of the protection of the most high God of Heaven shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty be continually protected by him who hath all might and power to defend And therefore verse 2 I will say not with my lips only but with an affectionate heart unto the Lord who seeth and inclineth to the secret desires of the Soul Thou art my hope even all the happiness I hope for and my strong hold against all my weaknesses and defects my God in him will I trust not presuming upon any power that is either in or from my self or from any other doubt not then O my Soul verse 3 For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter that great pursuer of Souls unto death the Devil and from the noysom pestilence the pestilential tongues of scoffers detractors slanderers c. verse 4 He shall defend thee under his wings of merciful protection and thou shalt be safe under his feathers as the hen gathereth her chickens under her feathered wings when any storm or danger appears His faithfulness and truth in keeping promise with his people shall be thy shield and buckler against all the fiery darts of the Devil verse 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night of any terrifying dreams or black illusions suggested by the spirits of darkness nor for the arrow that flyeth by day more open and day-time assaults of the Devil verse 6 For the Pestilence that walketh in darkness such diseases as secretly and in the night season do unperceivably infect either the soul or body nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day which do more openly and in the day-time seise and consume this mortal life verse 7 A thousand shall fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand many shall fall away into destruction that presume to be numbred among the Sheep of Christ on his right hand but it shall not come nigh thee thou shalt not thus fall either into sin or condemnation verse 8 Yea with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the ungodly to thine unspeakable consolation not for their distress but that thou hast escaped the same recompense of evil works verse 9 For thou Lord art my hope and whilst he is so O my Soul thou hast set thy house of defence very high for 't is setled in him who dwelleth in the high and holy Heavens and therefore thou maist be confident that verse 10 There shall no evil either of sin that is mortal or of punishment that is eternal happen unto thee casually befall thee but through thine own fault neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling any temporal evils to afflict thee but for thy good verse 11 For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister to them that shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 verse 12 They shall bear thee in their hands be ready at hand powerfully to assist thee that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone stumble and fall not upon any rock of offence verse 13 Thou shalt go upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon-shalt thou tread under thy
't is the extreamest of folly not so to consider the superexcellency of the divine wisdom in his works as to see and love him in them and for them 7. When the ungodly are green as the grass and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish then shall they be destroyed for ever but thou Lord art the most highest for evermore The wicked that do not this though they may flourish for a time yet their punishment proceeding from the decree of the most high God shall be everlasting 8. For lo thine enemies O Lord lo thine enemies shall perish and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed and unavoidable because all wicked persons are the enemies of God 9. But mine horn shall be exalted like the horn of an Vnicorn for I am anointed with fresh oyl But the strength and vigour of the righteous shall encrease through the Unction of the Holy One or the Graces of Gods Spirit 10. Mine eye also shall see his lust upon his enemies and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that rise up against me Whereby all the sinful lusts of the flesh are master'd and all the assaults of ghostly enemies are subdued 11. The righteous shall flourish like a Palm tree and shall spread abroad like a Cedar in Libanus Like a Palm the righteous man sinks not under the weight of afflictions or violence of temptations but grows the more in Grace thereby 12. Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God Whilst they are and continue to be true members of Christs Church against which the gates of hell shall not prevail 13. They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age and shall be fat and well liking They shall increase in Grace as in years being fruitful in all good works acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ 14. That they may shew how true the Lord my strength is and that there is no unrighteousness in him And such happy people do truly praise the Lord both with their lips and in their lives as from whom all their strength in Grace and goodness is derived Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer I Know O Lord that 't is a thing both joyful and profitable and my bounden duty to give thee thanks both night and day in prosperity and adversity for the great mercy and truth of thy promises is manifested at all times and in all conditions Let me never forget to meditate in thy works and though I cannot fathom the depth of thy wisdom in them grant me the more to love and admire thy transcendent perfections appearing in all the operations of thy hands works of Wonder for and in the which I humbly beg I may continually praise thy Name not only in word but also in deed and in truth and that as the night of my life cometh on and I grow more full in dayes so I may be also more fruitful in all good works to the glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ PSALM CXXXIV To be used in the Night as wherein the people of God excite each other to the praise of God in their night Assemblies in his house Verses 1. BEhold now praise the Lord all ye servants of the Lord. Divine praise being the highest of Religious duties becomes the lips of such only as are devoted to the service of God 2. Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord b Who both night and day are intent upon this high and holy employment in the Courts of the house of our God But especially such as be ordained to the administration of Holy Offices in the House of God Mystically God hath 3 Courts through which we must enter into his House the Church and be entitled to his Praise 1 Faith which is the outer Court 2 Hope gives a nearer admission into his presence 3 Charity unites our hearts unto God and inflames them to his praise 3. Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary and praise the Lord. Not by our words only but by the works of our hands God must be glorified Mat. 5.16 And to do this worthily 4. The Lord that made heaven and earth give the blessing out of Sion Is a blessing that descends from above but is conveyed by the ministery of the Church Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Lord who hast made Heaven and Earth for the service of man and man more immediately to serve Thee Give unto all thy servants Grace and to me also to lift up holy hands and pure hearts to praise thee night and day in the Courts of thy house and in all the works of our hands to glorifie thy Name And to this end let thy blessing through the ministery of thy Church descend upon us in this life that we may inherit the blessings of thy Church triumphant in heaven through Jesus Christ The CXXXIX Psalm PARAPHRASED Verse 1 O Lord the Righteous God who tryest the very hearts and reins Thou hast searched me out through all the windings and turnings of my deceitful heart and known me in all the most hidden and inmost of my thoughts and desires Thou knowest my down-sitting both withwhat company and when alone both with what intentions and what affections and my up-rising with what guilt or innocence I arise from every of my actions in all which thou understandest my thoughts long before even before they be conceived in my mind as knowing my inclinations to entertain such or such thoughts verse 2 Thou art about my path wherein I walk and about my bed wherein I rest and spiest out all my ways seeing both the equity and iniquity both of my affections and actions in all my ways both of rest and motion ease and labour verse 3 For lo there is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it altogether both First It s original conception in my mind Secondly My intention in its utterance with my mouth Thirdly It s good or bad influence upon others O set a watch over my mouth and guard the door of my lips that I offend not in my tongue Thou hast fashioned me behind and before moulded me throughout into this goodly shape and proportion of parts whereof I consist and laid thine hand upon me supported me in this being thou hast given me verse 5 Such knowledge as appears both in my Creation and preservation is too wonderful and excellent for me I cannot attain unto it it excells the reach of my apprehension even to wonder and astonishment verse 6 Whither then shall I go from thy Spirit which filleth the world and containeth all things or whither shall I go from thy presence who art every where by thy Essence Power and Presence both within and without the world verse 7 If I climb up into heaven thou art there in highest Majesty and
affliction Ro. 8.28 remembring that all things work together for good to them that love God When you suffer any bodily Pain Both this and the greatest of the pains my corruptible fiesh can possibly suffer are but as a Hea-biting to the least of the pains of the nether hell And these my sins have justly deserved but blessed Lord let me have my punishment in this life and spare O spare me in the life to come I am not master of my self except in patience I possess my Soul in spite of what flesh can do unto me A furious man cannot be justified Ecclus. 1.22 or escape punishment for the sway of his fury shall be his destruction A patient man will bear for a time 23 and afterwards joy shall spring up unto him He will hide his words for a time 24. and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom I know O Lord that thou dost not willingly afflict the Sons of men S. Paul had his thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.77 but 't was to prevent the swelling of his heart with spiritual pride and vain-glory And I humbly beg O Lord that my present pain in body may through my patient sufferance conduce to the better health of my Soul And O that I were as feelingly sensible of the many sores and diseases of my Soul as I am now of my bodily pains I should then more affectionately and with greater devotion apply my self to the great Physician both of Soul and Body Being sensible of your want of Knowledge and Wisdom Who will set scourges over my thoughts Ecclus. 23.3 2 and the discipline of wisdom over my heart that they spare me not for mine ignorances and pass not by my sins Lest mine ignorances increase 3. and my sins abound to my destruction That it may please thee O Lord to forgive me all my negligences and ignorances and to endue me with the Grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend my life according to thy Word O God of my Fathers Wisd 9.1 4 and Lord of all mercy give me wisdom that fitteth by thy Throne and reject me not from among thy Children O send her out of thy holy Heavens 10. and from the Throne of thy Glory that being present she may labour with me that I may know what is pleasing unto thee Though I have the gift of Prophecie 1 Cor. 13.2 and understand all mysteries and have all knowledge and though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Being dull and averse from holy Duties How long wilt thou forget me Psal 13.1 O Lord for ever how long wilt thon hide thy face from me How long shall I seek counsel in my Soul 2 and be so vexed in my heart how long shall mine enemies triumph over me Consider and hear me O Lord 3 my God lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death Lest mine enemy say 4 I have prevailed against him for if I be cast down they that trouble me will rejoyce at it But my trust is in thy mercy 5 and my heart is joyful in thy Salvation I will sing of the Lord 6 because he hath dealt so lovingly with me yea I will praise the Name of the Lord the most high Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Upon the sense of your Sins and the mispending of your Time When I call to mind the dayes of my vanity and the sins of my younger and wanton years when I commune with mine own heart and search out my spirits When I remember how little a portion of my Time hath been employed in the service of my God and how much hath been spent in the service of Sin and Satan and the fulfilling of mine own unruly Lusts When I consider how small or no treasure of good works I have laid up in Heaven and what a mass of sinful works I have treasured up against the day of wrath my spirit is wounded within me and my heart within me is desolate my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Call to remembrance Psal 25.5 O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness which have been ever of old Oh remember not the sins and offences of my youth nor of my riper years 6. O deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness And as thou tellest my flittings Ps 56.8 so put my tears into thy bottle that as my sins so my sorrows for sin may be noted in thy Book Assist me to redeem that precious time which I have too much mis-spent in vanity and iniquity Oh spare me a little Ps 39.13 that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen Holy Resolves of future Holiness Unto thee O God Ps 56.12 will I pay my vows unto thee will I give thanks For thou hast delivered my Soul from death and my feet from falling 13. that I may walk before God in the light of the living that enlightned with divine Grace I may enjoy the light of life immortal before God for ever Teach me thy way Psal 86.11 O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy Name I will thank thee 12 O Lord my God with all my heart and will praise thy Name for evermore For great is thy mercy toward me 13. and thou hast delivered my Soul from the nethermost hell adding day after day unto my life and space for repentance unto my days O God my heart is ready Ps 108.1 my heart is ready I will sing and give praise unto the Lord Rom. 2.4 for the riches of his goodness forbearance and long-suffering leading me to repentance And my heart is ready O God my heart is ready to do thy will and to keep thy Commandments only strengthen me with thy divine Grace to do what thou Commandest and then Command whatsoever pleaseth thee My heart is ready both to serve thee in all the duties of holy Religion and to serve my neighbour also in the duties of Innocence and Beneficence and to watch over myself against all irrational desires that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts I may now for the future Tit. 2.12 live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope 13. and the glorious appearance of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ Holy Breathings of the Soul after God As the Hart hunted and wearied panteth after the water brooks for refuge and refreshment Psal 42.1 so my Soul in her weary pilgrimage pursued by her ghostly enemies longeth after thee O God in whom the weary findeth rest and the persecuted succour and support My Soul
is a thirst for God 2. even for the living God the fountain of living waters when shall I come to appear before the presence of God Oh my God when will that happy hour come wherein I shall be fatisfied with thy presence wherein I shall praise thee according to my duty and desire wherein thou wilt be all in all to my Soul When I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it till then I must not hope to enjoy any real solid contentment For Whom have I in heaven but thee Ps 73.24 and there is none upon earth that I defire in comparison of thee There is none in heaven or earth that can satisfie the desires of my Soul which being stampt after the image of God and capable of her Creator cannot be filled with the greatest sufficiency of all created Beings My heart and my flesh faileth 25. my flesh will soon wither and fail to be the habit tion of my Soul and my heart will be also swallowed up of sorrow and despair but that God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever II. O God Psal 63.1 thou art my God my God and my All all that I am and all that I have and all that I hope to be and therefore early will I seek thee in the morning of the day in the morning of my life in the morning or light of divine Grace for 't is thereby I am excited both early and late to seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee 2 my flesh also longeth after thee my flesh that being in subjection to the Spirit both Soul and Body may rejoyce in thee in whom alone true joy and satisfaction is attainable for I am here in a barren and dry land where no water is such is the wilderness of this world it affords no waters of refreshment to satisfie the desires of the immortal Soul Thus have I waited for thee in holiness 3 And O that I could wait for thee and wait upon thee with such separate affections from all sensuality and earthiness that I might behold thy power which is chiefly manifested in shewing mercy and pity and thy glory even the Glory of thy Grace and Favour For thy loving kindness is better than the life it self 4 without thy loving kindness O my God my life of nature is but a living death and my life of Grace with the hopes of the life of Glory are but the glimpses and scattered raies of thy loving kindness and therefore my lips shall praise thee and this also is an effect of thy loving kindness that my heart dictates to my lips to praise thy Name Blessed is the people Ps 89.16 O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy Countenance Their delight shall be daily in thy Name 17 and in thy righteousness shall they make their boast For thou art the glory of their strength 18 and in thy loving kindness thou shalt lift up our horns For the Lord is our defence 19. the holy one of Israel is our King Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and world without end and let all the people say Amen even so Amen Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. MEDITATIONS Of Fasting and Almsgiving to be practised with holy Prayer and Meditation THat my Prayers and Meditations may ascend into Heaven and be there treasur'd up to my comfort in the day of my account 't is necessary that the Christian duties of Fasting and Almsgiving be frequently intermixed for these are the Two Wings whereupon Holy Prayer is mounted into Heaven and graciously accepted in the presence of God These Three are those spiritual Sacrifices acceptable unto God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 whereby every sincerely devout Christian as a member of the holy mystical Priesthood sacrificeth all that he is and all that he has unto God from whom he hath received all Heb. 13.15.16 Ro. 12.1 Phil. 4.18 His Soul is poured forth by Prayer his Body is sacrificed by Fasting and his Goods are offered by Almsgiving We have no more to give and not in some considerable proportion to give them unto God is to rob him of that tribute which is due unto him as an acknowledgment that all we are and all we do possess is held from him in Capite as the chief Lord of all To pretend that all these Christian duties are implied and may be supplied through the fulness of Faith in Christ is a false and mistaken notion of the holy and true Christian Faith which both Commends and Commands not the aiery empty notions but the real performance of all these Religious duties Our blessed Lord in his heavenly Sermon on the Mount joyns these together and we may not without danger to our Souls presume to part them or vainly conceive that any one without the other will be accepted of God but being all sincerely practised as our Lord directs Mat. 6.1 5.16 we shall then as he Commands lay up for our selves treasure in Heaven where are neither moth nor rust ver 20. Thus devout Cornelius sent up such a plentiful treasure into Heaven Act. 10.2 3. v. 30. as brought down thence one of those Celestial Spirits for his guidance and direction in the ways of life Holy Prayer is that whip which drives the Devil and all his Temptations out of the Temple of the heart leaving it to the possession of the Holy Jesus and Fasting is as that Scope or Besom which sweeps and keeps clean this spiritual Temple of the Lord Mar. 9.29 by both conjoyned the strongest Devil is master'd and ejected Prayer is as the Chain which tyes up Satan and by Fasting the Chain is strengthned and made to hold But a Three-fold Cord is not easily broken if with your Prayers and Fastings you conjoyn the Christian acts of holy Charity also a Chain of these several links composed will not only tye up the Devil that his temptations shall not reach to hurt your Soul but also secretly bind the hands of the Almighty that they be not stretched out for the punishment of your by-past Transgressions for Charity shall cover a multitude of sins 1 Pet. 4.8 Let not the lust of the flesh or the lust of thine eyes so bewitch thee O my Soul as to rob thy God of what is due unto Him both from thy Body and Estate Whilst thou courtest thy God with Prayers alone thou servest him with what doth cost thee nothing nothing but the labour of thy lips 'T is my self my whole self the Lord requires with my Prayers my Soul in its devoutest affections my Body in the mortification of all its exorbitant Lusts my Goods in the relief of my wanting Brethren otherwise my Prayers will flag and grovel here below when they want these spiritual Wings whereupon to mount to the Throne of Grace to find
particularly as by name to make thy appearance at this general Assizes to be held at the great and last day and there to give an account of every passage through thy whole life which shall be as strictly and throughly sifted and examined as if there were none but thy self to be tryed as if no cause but thine alone were to be heard Prepare then prepare thy self now now that thou hast time and leisure prepare thy self for that great day for upon thy Tryal then depends either thy everlasting well-being or miserable undoing for ever Now then cast up thy accounts carefully examine try 1 Cor. 11.31 Jam 4.8 9 10. Act. 10.4 Luc. 2.37 2 Cor. 11.27 Eccl. 7.17 and judge thy self confess thy manifold amisses Humble thy self greatly under the mighty hand of God Appease the wrath of the great Judge of the world by Prayers and Tears and all the sacred offices and acts of true Repentance by Alms and Offerings and Fastings often and in a word by all the kinds of those spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable unto God through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Stir up we beseech thee O Lord the wills of thy faithful people quicken our dead and cold Faith with the sacred fire of holy Charity the very bond of perfection and all vertue that we plenteously bringing forth the fruits of good works may of thee be plenteously rewarded at the last day through Jesus V. And there was a cry at midnight Mat. 25.6 Behold the bridegroom cometh Wo unto me then faith a devout Father if I be found sleeping in my bed at midnight Ambr. in Luc. when the great Judge of all the world shall appear it concerns me much rather to resolve with holy David At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee Ps 119.62 because of thy righteous Judgments Happy are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find upon their watch Mar. 13.33 34. awaiting his coming with their loins girt their lusts restrained and their Lamps burning The light of the holy and true Faith flaming by divine Love and shining through all the actions of their Life that others seeing their good works may glorifie God the Father of Heaven Mat. 5.16 I will stand upon my watch to guard the innocency of my Soul I will watch and also pray Mat. 26.41 that I fall not in o the snare of the Devil when tempted by him and that day come upon me unawares There be two sorts of sins especially against which my blessed Redeemer hath commanded me to watch that the day of the Lord surprize me not First Surfeiting and drunkenness or the pleasures of the flesh Luc. 21.34 Secondly The cares of the world or Ambition and Covetousness against these grand enemies which continually war against my Soul it concerns me continually also to watch and pray Blessed Lord let not I humbly beseech thee any importunate cravings of this corruptible flesh seduce me nor the flattering false felicities of worldly wealth and dignity deceive me but grant that I being free from all pollutions both from the one and the other may await thy coming in all holy but humble confidence to be ranked not amongst the cursed goats on thy left hand but amongst thy blessed Sheep on the right hand and hear that joyful sentence saying Come ye blessed of my Father receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Grant this O heavenly Father Our Father which art in c. The XXVI Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 BE thou my judge O Lord not to condemn me for my sins but to approve my services though imperfect and weak for I have walked innocently not according to the Innocency of thy Saints in Heaven but according to that of frail Man upon Earth Neither do I herein presume to justifie my self but my trust hath been also in the Lord 't is not my innocency but the Lord's mercy I rely upon and therefore shall I not fall in the day of Judgment verse 2 Examine me O Lord and prove me now is the time assisted by thy all piercing Spirit to examine my self in order to my grand examination that day Try out my reins and my heart as the silver is tryed when the dross is purged out and this even in the furnace of affliction if it so seemeth good unto thee that my reins and my heart may be cleansed from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and yet even so I dare not undergo thy strict and severe examination of me but with reflexions upon thine immense goodness verse 3 For thy loving kindness is ever before mine eyes 'T is my constant meditation my hope and my refuge and I will walk in thy truth inwardly delighting and outwardly performing the commands thereof and that I may do this verse 4 I have not dwelt with vain persons made my abode with such as follow the pomps and vanities of this wicked world neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful I have not so delighted in the society as to be tainted by the evil examples of such as through their deceivable lusts keep not the Covenant they have made with their God nor is it enough to avoid the society but verse 5 I have hated the congregation of the wicked not their persons but their wickedness all their consultations to do evil and will not sit among the ungodly so as to continue and be delighted with the errors of their ways verse 6 I will wash my hands in innocency O Lord with the tears of true Repentance I will wash the sinful works of my hands and keep them clean and innocent for the future and so not in my sins unrepented will I go to thine Altar to offer up my Vows and Prayers also verse 7 That I may shew the voice of thanksgiving publickly declare the great Thanks and Praise which is due to thy divine Majesty and tell of all thy wondrous works joyning with the Ministers of thy Temple in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs wherein thy great works both of Mercy and Judgment are celebrated verse 8 To this end Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house the place where thou inhabitest more especially than any other houses and 't is my delight to come to this house because 't is the place where thine honour dwelleth where the honour of thy Name is continually celebrated for in his Temple doth every man speak of his Honour verse 9 And since 't is the joy of my heart to joyn with thy people in the praise of thy Name O shut not up my soul with the sinners though in this world I cannot altogether escape their temptation and trouble yet rank me not amongst them in the world to come nor my life with the blood thirsty let me not perish with the cruel uncharitable and covetous of the world verse 10 In whose hands is wickedness the works of whose hands are unjust and
destructive and their right hand is full of gifts even their righteous actions are for bribes and sinister ends transacted and such are all they who make a gain of godliness verse 11 But as for me though others pursue their worldly interests through injustice and bribery yet I will walk innocently that 's the desire and resolution of my Soul O deliver me through the precious blood of my Redeemer which was shed for my deliverance defend me from all my ghostly enemies that would destroy mine innocence and be merciful unto me let thy mercy both pardon my by-past transgressions and support me through all the perils of this mortal life verse 12 My foot standeth right fixed in my affections to cleave unto thee and I will praise the Lord in the congregations in the assemblies of the Lord's people in the house where his Honour dwelleth and so shall I hope to be hereafter admitted into the blissful company of Angels and Saints to Praise the Lord for ever saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The XLIII Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 GIve sentence with me O God when I stand before thee to be judged according to my works done in the body whether good or evil O then defend my cause against the ungodly people Plead for me against all the accusations of men women devils in whose company or by whose temptations I have done any evil O deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man that I be not ranked amongst such upon the left hand of unrighteousness and infelicity verse 2 For thou art the God of my strength By whom I am enabled to resist all my ghostly enemies why hast thou put me from thee leaving me to mine own weak frail and sinful self And this is the reason why go I so heavily in the ways of thy service and of mine own salvation whilst the enemy oppresseth me being destitute of thy help the grand enemy of God and man overpowers me with his temptations and assaults But that I may manfully resist and overcome verse 3 O send out thy light and thy truth the light of thy Grace and the truth of thy righteousness which discerns the cause of the righteous from the ungodly that they may lead me out of all the errors of this sinful life that being separated from the allurements and society of the ungodly they may bring me to thy holy hill where thy Temple is scituate and to thy dwelling the place where thine honor dwelleth verse 4 And that I may go to the Altar of God both Sacramental and Mystical upon the Altar of my heart to offer up my whole self to be a living Sacrifice Holy acceptable unto God even the God of my joy and gladness who makes glad my heart by the consolations of his Holy Spirit when I approach his Altar and upon the Harp which is an instrument of a Triangular figure and represents the heart of man wherewithal I will give thanks unto thee O holy and ever blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost one God over all blessed for ever and my God even the God of my joy and worship my glory and my Crown O then verse 5 Why art thou so heavy O my Soul There is no sorrow but for sin because this alone separateth the Soul from the God of all consolation and why art thou so disquieted within me 'T is thy unquiet passions and unruly lusts which disturb thy reason and withdraw thee thus disquieted from a sincere dependance upon thy God but return return unto thy rest O my Soul verse 6 O put thy trust in God all thy sorrows and distempers are from thy self thy health and joy is from the Lord and for this I will yet give him thanks who is to be praised in both the seasons of sadness and joy for in both He is the help of my countenance the lightsome gladness of my heart and my God both of my Being and Well-being even the God of all that I am and all that I have and all that I hope to be which is to enjoy the beatifical vision of his divine Majesty for ever to sing Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. THE Third general Meditation Upon the PAINS of HELL MAny are the opinions and disputes and too curious also the disquisitions touching the place and nature matter manner and duration of the pains of Hell But it would be more Christian prudence strictly to search and find out those crooked deceitful and polluted paths which lead to that dismal place of torments that we may decline and avoid them 'T is surely better by much not to feel by woful experience the miseries of the damned than exactly to know and accurately to discourse of them And may this be ever my study blessed Lord my continual care and fear and constant endeavour not in the least particular to sin against thee for thy wrath and indignation which resteth upon sinners is a fierce wrath and a terrible 't is not in the power of frail man to sustain the fury of it MEDITAT I. Of the pain of Loss THe first and 't is esteemed by many holy Fathers the greatest of Hell Torments is that which is call'd by Divines The pain of Loss whereunto the wicked of the world are sentenced in these several expressions Mat. 22.13 25.30 41. Luc. 13 27. Take him away Cast him out I know you not Depart from me ye cursed The Pains of Sense in hell are intolerable saith Chrys yet for a man to suffer a thousand Hells is less irksome S. Chrys Hom. 28. than to be banisht from Heaven to be driven from the presence of God to be exil'd out of the regions of Light and Joy to be rejected of the Lord and to hear from him I know you not Depart from me The Loss of Heaven must needs be the greatest of evils because 't is the Loss of the greatest and most perfect good and of all that is truly good To lose good things we do now enjoy in the world may be recompenced with advantage by the gain of heaven but to lose Heaven it self to forfeit the right and title we once had happily obtained to be inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven is a loss irreparable Nothing can compensate nothing can equal nothing to be compared to this Loss Id. Serm. 't is hell enough it self if there were no other In this life the most wise and holy understand not throughly the fulness of Heavenly joys and so cannot be sensible of the torment of their Loss but in the next life our eyes shall be opened and the veil upon our hearts removed and then shall the ungodly see to their unspeakable grief and anguish of spirit the vast difference betwixt the never fading pleasures of the right hand of God and the empty transitory pleasures of sin betwixt that fulness of joy in the presence of
not from the teeth only but from the bottom of their hearts Ps 16.6 The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou shalt maintain my lot 7. The lot is faln to me in a fair ground I have a goodly heritage And surely he must needs be most exorbitantly covetous that will not be content with such a heritage and to possess the Lord himself who possesseth all things is the riches of Heaven 4. PLEASURE Pleasure consists in the union of the Soul with an object of Delight and in heaven the Soul shall be united with the most beautiful and blissful object viz. The Lord of glory The light of the World The God of all Consolation We read 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit which is the height of pleasure and perfection of Delight to be so intimately joyned to the Lord as to become one spirit with him such do deliciously taste and fully see how gracious the Lord is Ps 34.8 There is no earthly pleasure like the taste and fense of the Lords grace and favour to us 'T is yet a greater pleasure to enjoy the Lord as the only object of Love and Delight 'T is yet more sweet and pleasurable to acquiesce and be fully satisfied in the enjoyment of the divine Majesty But the fulness of joy is not only to enjoy but to know that we shall ever enjoy the beatifical vision and have the fruition of the supreme beauty and divine goodness for ever and ever Now then O my Soul Delight thou in the Lord Ps 37.4 and he shall give thee thy hearts desire In the satisfaction and peace of thy desires does thy happiness consist and this is alone in the Lord obtainable Blessed are the people Ps 89.16 O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance 17 Their delight shall be dayly in thy name and in thy righteousness shall they make their boast 18. For thou art the glory of their strength But the soul that will rejoyce in God must be stampt after his image and be like unto him pure as he is pure holy as he is holy merciful as he is merciful Be ye followers of God as dear children and walk in love Eph. 5.1 2. and so thou maist hope to enjoy the Lord as the supreme object of love and delight in heaven O Lord who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass mans understanding Pour into our hearts such love towards thee that we loving thee in and above all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all that we can desire through Jesus Christ MEDITAT III. Of the Company of Heaven 1. Of Gods presence there 1. GOd who is Father Son and Holy Ghost is the chief and principal Inhabitant of the Heaven of heavens God indeed is every where in respect of his Essence Presence Power but in Heaven in respect of his Glory and the supereminent brightness of his Majesty which is in heaven most conspicuous full and ravishing nor could Heaven be called so it were not heaven if not enlightned and enhappied by Gods superlative presence there And where ever O Lord Tho. Ã Kom thou art present either in grace or glory there is heaven and death and hell is every where where thou art 2. But what doth it avail the company of Heaven that God is there especially present since God dwelleth with the light which no man can approach unto 1 Tim. 6.17 whom no man hath seen or can see The very Angels of Heaven cover their faces with their wings in the presence of God that the excessive brightness of his Majesty and great Glory overwhelm them not Isa 6.2 'T is true but however so much of this eminent glory shall appear and so fully the splendid Raies thereof be display'd in Heaven as shall ravish all the blessed beholders thereof with a joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.7 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house Ps 36.8 viz. of Celestial glory and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures as out of a river so full and overflowing shall be their satisfaction and contentment For with thee is the Well of life 9. and of all the joys and consolations of life and in thy light shall we see light even the ravishing light of glory in the light of Gods countenance in whose presence is fulness of joy 2. The Angels of Heaven Next to the blissful presence of God the society in Heaven is Angels and Archangels Cherubims and Seraphims Thrones and Dominions Col. 1.16 Principalities and Powers and all the several Orders of celestial Spirits The very sight of one blessed Angel upon earth would be more joyous and ravishing than to behold the greatest beauty and most splendid excellency that is lyable to the eyes of flesh yea all the pomp and glory of the world is not comparable to such a sight how much more joyful and glorious will it be not only to behold but to enjoy the society of those innumerable ministring spirits of whom we read Thousand thousands ministred unto him Dan. 7.10 and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him These rest not day and night crying Is 6.3 c. Rev. 21.10 Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory To make one in this Hymnidical Quire and to be received into one of those Mansions of Glory from whence the Apostate Angels fell is such an astonishing joy as cannot by the tongue of men and Angels be expressed 3. The Saints in Heaven To these Angelical spirits are joyned in society as members of the same Church Triumphant in Heaven The glorious company of the Apostles the goodly fellowship of the Prophets the noble army of Martyrs the innumerable train of holy Confessors Priests and people of each Sex and of every condition of whose numberless number we read Rev. 7.9 10. Rev. 7.9 And I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man can number of all nations and kindreds and people and Tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and Palms in their hands and cryed with a loud voice Salvation to our God Into this glorious Communion of Saints in Heaven there dayly are and daily shall be for ever received all such true servants of God and stout soldiers of Jesus Christ who under his banner have overcome the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of this wicked world all the sinful lusts of the flesh who have warred a good warfare over these their ghostly enemies and kept the Faith whereinto they were baptized without any tincture of Heresie or Schism observed God's holy Will and Commandments and walked in the same all the days of their life All of these returning from their wearisome pilgrimage through
into Heaven if thou tread them under thy feet For every sin and vanity trodden down Gen. 28.12 subdued and mortified is one step one scale or round of that celestial Ladder which being set upon the earth reacheth up unto Heaven which the Angels of heaven rejoyce to behold Luc. 15.7 And may the right hand of God assist me to lay aside every weight Heb. 12.1 and the sin that doth so easily beset me and to run with patience the race that is set before me Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith 2. who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Blessed Lord who hast made me after thine own Image to attain the perfection and felicity of my Being in the beatifical vision and fruition of thy Majesty in heaven vouchsafe here to guide me with thy Counsel and after that to receive me with glory through the merits and mediation of thy blessed Son and my dearest Saviour Jesus Christ Our Father which art in c. The XXIV Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 THe earth is the Lords and all that therein is the compass of the world and they that dwell therein The heavens are the Lords chief dwelling place the earth and all the nations thereof he hath given to his Son Jesus as he is Redeemer of the world as Ps 2.8 Desire of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession verse 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas and prepared it upon the flouds As God hath so wisely ordered the earth and the water that the one may refresh not overflow the other so he hath founded his Church upon a rock above the flouds of secular cares and turmoils and all the rising waves of this worlds vast sea which is signified by the scituation of his Temple on a hill And verse 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord or who shall rise up or stand in his holy place who is he that shall be qualified to appear and stand in the presence of God and to joyn with his people in that solemn worship which in his holy Temple is exhibited unto him Such a one is also qualified to ascend and raise up his Soul to those mountains of joy in the celestial Sion verse 4 He that hath clean hands The works of whole hands are clean from all injustice and impurity and washed with the tears of true penitence from the filth of all former pollutions And a pure heart to all outward an inward holiness is required which consists in the purity of the heart viz. to be pure from all sordid and vile affections to be sincere and without hypocrisie in all Religious performances that hath not lift up his mind to vanity who follows not those pomps and vanities of this wicked world which he once so solemnly renounced nor sworn to deceive his neighbour that will not say much less swear an untruth nor yet break his word especially when confirmed with an oath Such is the holiness and innocence that entitles a people to the presence of God in his Temple upon earth and in his House in heaven 1 the holiness of the heart 2. of the hands 3. of the tongue or Holiness in thought word and deed verse 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord The blessings of the Lord shall descend upon him when he ascends into the hill of the Lord and righteousness or mercy in the pardon of his sins or the reward of righteousness i. e. Salvation not of or from himself or from any but from the God of his Salvation verse 6 This is the generation of them that seek him these are those holy and happy people who so faithfully seek the Lord that they find him viz. in grace here in glory hereafter which is the double blessing of them that seek thy face O Jacob All that be true Israelites indeed thus make their holy and humble addresses to the God of Jacob for his grace and favour verse 7 Lift up your heads O ye gates or lift up your gates O ye Heads or Princes of the heavenly Hierusalem and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors which open the passages to life everlasting and the King of glory shall come in he who hath vanquished and gloriously triumphed over the gates of everlasting death over all the spirits and powers of darkness is ascended to open the gates of the kingdom of heaven to all Believers verse 8 Who is the King of glory in whose glorious conquests we may glory and in whose righteousness we may make our boast it is the Lord strong and mighty who although he submitted himself to be betray'd apprehended arraigned and condemned to death yet is he even the Lord mighty in battle who naked and unarmed hath vanquished by his sufferings and by his death overcome death and him who hath the power of death the Devil for which victory he rides in Triumph upon the clouds of Heaven and therefore verse 9 Lift up your heads O ye gates of the celestial paradise which have been shut against the sons of men from the fall of the first Adam and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors Raise up your selves ye immortal souls open and be enlarged in your desires and affections unto him who hath opened unto you the everlasting doors of glory and the King of glory shall come in He who is ascended will also descend into you if pure and heavenly minded and thither enwrap and raise you whither himself is gone before if yet for your further satisfaction you desire to know verse 10 Who is the King of glory by whose triumphant ascent into Heaven we believe and hope thither to ascend also It is even the Lord of hosts he who hath the command of all the powers of Heaven Earth and Hell who hath the command especially of all the powers and operations vertues and graces of the Holy Spirit of God and dispenseth them accordingly unto all that love and fear his name He is the King of glory he is glorious indeed above all and God over all blessed for ever and therefore to him as is most meet be all glory ascribed Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The LXXXIV Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 O How amiable are thy dwellings especially in the high and holy place thou Lord of Hosts even of the numerous troops of Angels and Archangels and of all the powers of Heaven verse 2 My soul hath a desire which is more than ordinary 't is a longing even to a separation from its self to enter into the Courts of the Lord to view those several Mansions of glory and the blissful condition wherein all the Courtiers of the King of Heaven do praise him for ever my heart and my flesh when
sins is himself tempted by idleness Watch ye therefore Mat. 13.36 for you know not when the master of the house cometh at Even or at Mid-night or at the Cock-crowing or in the Morning Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping 37. Upon wandring wanton Eyes A Wicked eye is an evil thing Ecclus. 31.13 and what is created more wicked than an Eye and therefore it weepeth upon every occasion How dare I look up unto Heaven which is the throne of Gods Purity with those eyes that have been set upon vanity and iniquity A wise mans eyes are in his head Eccl. 2.14 but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth I have made a Covenant with mine eyes not to look upon a maid Job 31 1. For whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 hath already committed adultery with her in his heart But mine eyes shall be ever looking unto the Lord Ps 25.15 for he shall pluck my feet out of the net my affections from being ensnared with unlawful objects When you are tempted to any Sin Meditat. I. Avoid Satan thou wicked and unclean spirit avoid Thou hast no part or lot in me I am solemnly devoted to the service of my God and my Jesus and thy sworn adversary I have solemnly abjured thee and all thy works and must not now yield to any of thine unclean suggestions Be merciful unto me Ps 57.1 O God be merciful unto me for my Soul trusteth in Thee and under the shadow of thy Wings shall be my refuge until this tyranny be overpast I will call unto the most high God 2. even to the God that shall perform the cause I have in hand He shall send from Heaven and save me 3. from the reproof of him that would eat me up God shall send forth his mercy and truth 4. my Soul is among Lyons the Devil and his Angels have too great a hank upon my Soul But my trust is in the tender mercy of my God therefore I shall not fall Meditat. II. When I am tempted to any evil I complain of the Devil but my self is the greatest Devil to my Soul whilst I do not deny my self the fulfilling of its irrational appetites All the forces wherewith the enemy fights against my Soul are within me 'T is from those warring members within they are both raised armed and maintained But whensoever I call upon God Ps 56.9 then shall mine enemies be put to flight this I know for God is on my side In Gods word will I rejoice 10. in the Lords word will I comfort me Yea in God have I put my trust 11. I will not fear what man or Devil can do unto me Meditat. III. Being Tempted Say 'T is the Lords cause I must now maintain 't is his quarrel I must fight for the grand enemy of God and Man would now rob God of his Honour and of that Obedience which is due to his most holy Laws and I being Tempted am thereby challenged to be the Lords Champion But I will not trust in my Bow Ps 44.7 't is not my Sword that shall save me But it is thou Lord 8. that savest us from our enemies and puttest them to confusion that hate us Arise Ps 74.23 O God maintain thine own cause remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee dayly Forget not the voice of thine enemies 24. the presumption of them that hate thee encreaseth ever more and more Meditat. IV. Vpon Temptations The victory over the Devil and all his temptations were easily obtained could I but once get the mastery over those lusts which war against the Soul In which spiritual warfare the banner under which I must fight is the Cross of my Redeemer by the vertue whereof all my intestine foes may be vanquisht in the Crucifixion of them and the old man with all his mutinous troops of deceivable lusts be subdued and led captive in the Chains of holy Mortification O blessed Jesus the Captain of my Salvation strengthen and encourage me manfully to fight under thy banner against all my ghostly adversaries And let thy Grace so prevent and follow me that I may follow thee by the Cross to the Crown through the School of Grace to the Throne of Glory Amen Upon the Prevailing of any Temptation I will say unto the God of my strength Ps 42.11 why hast thou forgotten me and why go I thus heavily while the enemy oppresseth me My bones are smitten asunder as with a Sword 12 while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth Namely 13. while they say daily unto me where is now thy God Have mercy upon me O God Ps 41.10 have mercy upon me raise thou me up again and I shall reward them being more careful to resist the Devil and all his suggestions Forsake me not O Lord my God Ps 38. ult be not thou far from me Haste thee to help me O Lord God of my Salvation Having escaped a Temptation The snares of death compassed me round about Ps 18.3 and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid The pains of hell came about me 4. the snares of death overtook me If the Lord himself had not been on my side I may well now say Ps 124.1 if the Lord himself had not been on my side The waters of Temptation had drowned me 3. and the stream had gone over my Soul Yea the deep waters of the proud had gone even over my Soul 4. But praised be the Lord who hath not given me over for a prey unto their teeth My Soul is escaped even as a Bird out of the snare of the Fowler 5. the snare is broken and I am delivered Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord 6. who hath made heaven and earth To whom be all Glory Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. When you Hunger or Thirst I. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Mat. 5.6 for they shall be satisfied They shall receive such a satisfaction as the most delicious of bodily meats and drinks cannot give He that drinketh of this water shall thirst again Joh. 4.13 but whoso shall drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst But the water that I shall give him 14. shall be in him a Well of living water springing up to everlasting life Lord evermore give me this water that I thirst not 'T is the Graces of thy holy Spirit I humbly beg which alone can satisfie the vast desires of my Soul II. Labour not for the meat that perisheth Joh. 6.27 but labour for that meat which endureth to everlasting life which the son of man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed sent into the world to be the incorruptible Food of our immortal
Souls This is the Bread that came down from Heaven verse 50 that a man might eat thereof and not dye Lord evermore give me this Bread 'T is thy blessed self Holy Jesus I humbly beg to be the Food of my Soul in Grace here in Glory hereafter III. The Souls of just men made perfect hunger not thirst not but are as the Angels in Heaven who neither eat nor drink as we mortals do upon earth And yet they feast continually being satisfied with the blissful presence of God 'T is thy imperfection and infelicity O my Soul to desire corporal meats and drinks to sustain thy frail tabernacle of flesh But blessed be the Lord my God who hath not made me like the beasts that perish capable only of a sensual happiness in sowing to the flesh from whence only corruption is reaped but of a felicity perfect solid everlasting in the beatifical vision and fruition of his divine goodness in whose presence there is fulness of Joy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore After you have Eaten or Drunk I. I have now allayed the importunate craving of my appetite and my body is satisfied with material food but nothing can satisfie my Soul but to behold the presence of God in righteousness Awaken blessed Lord awaken up my Soul after thine own likeness for that only can give me a true and lasting satisfaction Ps 17 ult when I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it II. Praise the Lord Ps 103.1 O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things 4. making thee young and lusty as the Eagle O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness Ps 107.8 and declate the wonders that he doth for the children of men For he satisfieth the empty Soul 9. and filleth the hungry Soul with goodness But I am less than the least of all the mercies shewed unto thy servant unworthy to have my heart filled with food and gladress having too frequently abused thy good creatures of meats and drinks to Riot and Excess therein O satisfie me with thy mercy Ps 19.14 and that soon so shall I rejoyce and be glad all the days of my life When you are asked an Alms being able to Relieve I. How much am I bound to the good providence of my heavenly Father who hath raised my condition in this world to be of the number of those that abound and not of them that want Act. 20.35 since 't is more blessed to give than to receive Blessed Lord vouchsafe to give me a heart full of Compassion an eye full of pity and a hand open and bountiful according to my ability towards my poor needy Brethren 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully II. I have not deserved to enjoy more worldly wealth than this poor person who now begs to be supplied out of my store But such is the great goodness of my God towards me that he hath not only given me Food and Rayment but also wherewithal to express my gratitude and love to God by my ready relief of my Christian Brethren Blessed be God who hath not only given me ability but this opportunity also to lay up in store for my self a good foundation against the time to come that I may lay hold on eternal life When you hear others evil spoken of Lord if I be not as bad or worse than these persons I now hear traduced I have the more reason to praise thee who by thy grace and goodness hast preserved me from such miscarriages But did I truly reflect upon mine own misdemeanors I should have little reason to intend the reproaches of others Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest upon thy holy hill He that hath used no deceit in his tongue Ps 15 3. nor done evil to his neighbour and hath not slandered his neighbour When you hear your self reproached As for me I was even as a deaf man and heard not Ps 38 13 and as one that is dumb that doth not open his mouth I became as one that heareth not 14. and in whose mouth are no reproofs I will patiently bear my reproach because I have sin'd against the Lord. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. Mat 10.25 It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master 26. and the servant as his Lord if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold For what glory is it 1 Pet. 2.20 if when you be buffeted for your faults you take it patiently But if when you do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto were ye called 21 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who did no sin 22 neither was any guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled 23. reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously When you are crost in any your worldly desires or interests Whatsoever is brought upon thee take chearfully Ecclus. 2.4 and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate For gold is tried in the fire 5. and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity Blessed Jesus since thy kingdom is not of this world let not me thy devoted servant and subject either desire or hope to be happy upon earth but grant me so to love what thou commandest and desire what thou dost promise that among the sundry and manifold changes of the world my heart may surely there be fixed where true joyes are to be found When you suffer several kinds of Affliction This O Lord is the portion of thy people and I know O Lord and do verily believe 't is of thy goodness thou hast caused me to be troubled But far very far short are my sufferings to those of thy blessed Apostle professing of himself 2 Cor. 11.23 In labours abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths often Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one 24 Thrice was I beaten with rods 25 once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and day I have been in the deep In journeyings often 26 in perils of waters in perils of Robbers in perils by my own Countreymen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils in the Wilderness in perils in the Sea in perils among false Brethren In weariness and painfulness 27. in watching often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness Such a heap of troubles betiding an innocent active blessed man may surely move me to bear patiently my smaller proportion of