this our gracious King and Redeemer prevent his poor miserable subjects with his grace in giving before they had the grace to ask or more then they desired The sick of the Palsie asking but cure of his disease received not onely that but the remission of his sins also Matth. 9. Zacheus desired but to see his face he became his guest and gave him salvation to boot Luk. 19. The Woman of Samaria requested but elementary and common water hee offered unto her the water of life Joh. 4. The people followed him to bee fed by miracle with corporall food hee offered unto them the bread of life Joh. 7. The poor blind man desired but his bodily sight Christ illuminated the eye of his soul Joh. 9. Neither hath honours changed manners with him as is usuall amongst men for hee is a God immutable in goodness and without change or shadow of turning Jam. 1 17. so that if thou speak hee will hear and answer thy suit in supporting thee so that thou shalt bee sure to persevere and hold out unto the end Section 11. Object But I have no evidence of divine assistance nor can I pray for it to purpose Answ. Wee have the presence of Gods Spirit and grace many times and feel it not yea when we complain for want of iâ—… as Pilate asked Christ what was truth when the truth stood before him The stomach findes the best digestion even in sleep when wee least perceive it and whiles wee are most awake this power worketh in us either to further strength or disease without our knowledge of what is done within and on the other side that man is most dangerously sick in whom nature decays without his feeling without his complaint To know our selvs happy is good but woe were to us Christians if wee could not bee happy and â—…now it not As touching Praier every one is not so happy as Steven was to bee most servent when they are most in pain yea many in time of sickness by reason of the extremity of pain can hardly pray at all whence Saint James wisheth us in affliction to pray our selvs but in case of sickness to send for the Elders that they may as those in the Gospell offer up the sick person to God in their praiers beeing unable to present their own case Jam. 5. 13. 14. 15. Yea it were miserable for the best Christian if all his former Praiers and Meditations did not serve to aid him in his last straights and meet together in the Center of his extremity yielding though not sensible relief yet secret benefit to the soul whereas the worldly man in this case having not layed up for this hour hath no comfort from God or from others or from himself Besides thou art happy in this there is not the poorest and meanest of Gods Children but as hee hath the benefit of Christs intercession in heaven Rom. 8. 34. Joh. 16. 26. so hath hee also the benefit of the Praiers of all the Saints on Earth wee have the graces and gifts each of other in common Yet because thine own Praier is most proper and seeing it is the miâ—…des Embassadour to God and never saileth of success if it bee fervent as if our prayers want success they want heart their blessing is according to their vigor pray that thou mayest pray better If thy Leg bee benumâ—…d go upon it a little and it will come to it self again To which if thou â—…in fasting thou shalt do well for prayers are made sat with fasting as Tertullian speaks Yea pray â—…ft though thy prayers bee the shorter weak stomâ—…s which cannot digest large meals seed oft and little O! saith holy Bernard most sweetly How oft hast thou meaning praier sound â—…ee lamenting and despairing and lest mee rejoycing and triumphing And what though thou canst not powr out thy soul in a flood of words The Woman diseased with an issue of blood said but within her self shee did not speak to bee heard of others and yet Christ heard her and answered her request Matth 9. 21. 22. The Lord esteemeth the will for the deed and the affection for the action Man sees the countenance God the heart man the deeds but God the meaning Hast thou but thoughts and desires and canst thou onely express them with sighs and groans these speechless words or rather no words but a few poor thoughts conceived aright pass all the flowing eloquence of Demosthenes and Tully yea Tertullus and all the Orators that ever were in the world for this matter is not expressed with words but with groanings and these groanings are from the blessed Spirit A Father delights more in the stammering of his little Child than in the eloquence of the best Orator Neither is hearty prayer in our own power but it is the gift of God which at somtimes in plentifull measure hee bestoweth upon his children and at other times again hee pulleth back his liberall hand that by the want thereof wee may leern â—…o ascribe the glory and praise of this grace to the giver who worketh in us the will and the deed which praise otherwise in pride of heart wee would arrogate unto our selvs as beeing in our own power Also that wee may more highly esteem it and with more joy and diligence use it when we have it bestowed on us If it bee asked why God reckons so highly of a sew sighs and groans and why the prayers of the faithfull are so powerfull it is because they bee not ours but the intercession of Gods own Spirit in us powred out in the name of Christ his own Son in whom hee is ever well pleased for as for us wee know not what to pray as wee ought but the Spirit it solf maketh request for us with sighs which cannot bee expressed Rom. 8. 26. It is the Spirit whereby wee cry Abba Father ver 15. Gal. 4. 6. Now if thou wouldest have the Spirits assistance and bee heard of God when thou makest supplication to him do not as too many do fall into prayer without preparation and utter a number of words without devotion or affection for no marvell if we ask and miss when we thus ask amiss Jam. 4. 3. Neither do as Children which never look after their Arrow but like Daniel Dan. 9. take notice of thine inlargements in prayer and of thy success after Nor onely pray and no more for to pray and to do nothing else is in effect to do nothing less But let your Prayers be ushered in by Meditation and attend by zealous devotion and then beleeving that you shâ—…ll receie whatsoever you ask in Christs name and according to his will 1 John 5. 14. John 16. 23. God will bee sure to give you that you desire 1 John 5. 14. 15. Mark 11. 23. 24. or that which is better for you Deut. 34. 4 5. And suppose thou art not presently heard yet continue asking stil as Peter continued knocking till the door was opened
that they may bee frustrate and when they are gone to the uttermost reach of their teather hee pulls them back to the stake with shame Again you have Senacherib let loose upon Hezekiah and his people who insults over them intolerably 2 Kings 18. Oh! the lamentable and in sight desperate condition of distressed Jerusalem wealth it had none strength it had but a little all the countrey round about was subdued unto the Assyrian that proud victor hath begirt the walls of it with an innumerable army scorning that such a shovell-full of earth should stand out but one day yet poor Jerusalem stands alone block'd up with a world of enemies helpless friendless comfortless looking for the worst of an hostile fury and on a sudden before an Arrow is shot into the City a hundred fourscore and five thousand of their enemies were slain and the rest run away 〈◊〉 Kings 19. 35 36. God laughs in heaven at the plots of Tyrants and befools them in their deepest projects If hee undertake to protect a people in vain shall earth and hell conspire against them Nothing can bee accomplished in the Lower House of this world but first it is decreed in the Upper Court of heaven as for example what did the Jews ever do to our Saviour Christ that was not first both decreed by the Father of Spirits and registred in the Scriptures for our notice and comfort They could not so much as throw the Dice for his Coat but it was prophesied Psal. 22. 18. and in Psal. 69. 21. It is fore-told that they should give him gall in his meat and in his thirst vinegar to drink the very quality and kind of his drink is prophesied yea his face could not be spit upon without a prophesie those filthy excrements of his enemies fell not upon his face without God's decree and the Prophets relation Isa. 50. 6. Yea let the Kings of the earth bee assembled and the Rulers come together Let Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel gather themselvs in one league against him it is in vain for they can do nothing but what the hand of God and his Counsell hath before determined to bee done as Peter and John affirmed to the rest of the Disciples for their better confirmation and comfort Act. 4. 26. to 29. No notwithstanding the Devill raged the Pharisees stormed Herod and Pilate vexed Caiaphas prophesied all combined and often sought to take him yet no man-laid hands on him untill his hour was come that God had appointed so that by all their plots they were never able to do him any more hurt than onely to shew their teeth Joh. 7. 30. If wee are in league with God wee need not fear the greatest of men Indeed it was Pilates brag to Christ knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee Joh. 19. 10. And Labans to Jacob Gen. 31. 29. I am able to do you hurt but they were vain cracks for doth not Pharaohs overthrow tell all boasting Champions that an Host is nothing without the God of Hosts Yea Satan himself was fain to say unto God in Job's case stretch out now thine hand c. Job 1. 11. and 2. 5. True as Themistocles once said of his son this boy can do more than any man in all Greece for the Athenians command the Grecians and I command the Athenians and my wife commands mee and my son commands my wife so the Churches adversaries in some places may boast what their Father the Devill can do for hee commands the Pope and the Pope commands the Jesuites and the Jesuites command such a King or Emperour Rev. 17. ver 12. 13. and that Emperour or King commands his Officers of State and they command the common people And yet to speak rightly even all these can do just nothing of themselvs for hee that sits in the heavens laughing them to scorn commands all Now it must needs comfort and support us exceedingly if in all cases wee do but duly consider that inequality is the ground of order that superiour causes guide the subordinate that this sublunary Globe depends on the celestiall as the lesser wheels in a Clock do on the great one which I finde thus expressed As in a Clock one motion doth convay And carry diverse wheels a severall way Yet altogether by the great wheels sarce Direct the hand unto his proper course Who is hee that saith and it cometh to pass when the Lordcommandeth it not Lamenta 3. 37. Suppose the Legions of hell should combine with the Potentates of the earth to do their worst they are all nothing without God as in Arithmetick put never so many Cyphers together one before another and they make nothing but let one figure bee added it makes them infinite So is it with men and Devills if God bee not with them they are all but Cyphers And yet for the praise of his glory and the good of his Church these enemies of his whether they rise or sit still shall by an insensible ordination performe that will of the Almighty which they least think of and most oppose The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their Rulers because they knew him not nor yet the words of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day have fulfilled them in condemning him Act. 13. 27. so that as Saint Austin speaks by resisting the will of God they do fulfill it and his will is done by and upon them even in that they do against his will That even Satan himself is limited and can go no further than his chain will reach wee may see Rev. 20. 2. More particularly hee could not touch so much as Job's body or substance no not one of his servants nor one limb of their bodies nor one hair of their heads nor one beast of their heards but hee must first beg leave of God Job 2. 6. Nay Satan is so far from having power over us living that hee cannot touch our bodies being dead yea hee cannot find them when God will conceal them witness the body of Moses and I doubt not but as the Angells did wait at the Sepuâ—…chre of their and our Lord so for his sake they also watch 〈◊〉 our graves he could not seduce a false prophet nor enter into a Hog without licence the whole Legion sue to Christ for a sufferance not daring other than to 〈◊〉 that without his permission they could not hurt a very Swine And when he hath leave from God what can hee do hee cannot go one hairs breadth beyond his commission being permitted hee could bring Christ himself and set him on the Pinacle of the Temple but hee could not throw him down which even a little child might have done with permission As the Lyon 1 King 13 killed the Prophet but neither touched the Ass whereon hee road noâ—… yet the dead carkas contrary to his nature True Satan could boast even to Christ himself that all the world was his and all
when God said unto her My fury shall depart from thee I will bee quiet and no more angry Ezek 16. 42. Thus not to bee angry was the greatest anger of all Never were the Jews more to bee pitied than when their Prophet delivered these words from the Lord why should yee bee stricken any more Isa. 1. 5. Not to be afflicted is to be sorsaken And as the sick man is in small hope of his life when the Physitian giveth him over so his soul is in a desperare case whom God forbeareth to chastise for his sins As many there be who never knew what any sorrow meantâ—…nless it were such as Amnons such as Ahabs when they are crossed in their corruptions curbed in their lewd courses or restrained of their wicked wills But let them take it for a fearfull signe of som sore judgement to come Saint Ambrose Bishop of Millain as Paulinus relates took into a Rich mans house as hee travelled who that he might bid him throughly welcom entertained him both with great cheer and curteons discourses and amongst other matters told of his continued happiness and that hee never suffered any ill all his days but had all things as hee would and happiness so flowing in upon him that hee knew not what calamity meant which conference did so startle Saint Ambrose that presently hee took his leave telling his company that hee feared to stay in that place which never felt any disaster and was no sooner gon thence but suddenly the house fell down and proved a grave to all her inhabitants Polycrates King of the Samians never felt any ill all his life his hopes never fell short of his expectation he could not wish for the thing which was not fulfilled what hee willed hee did Yea having but once a Ring of excellent rarity that fell into the water this loss was recovered for the Fish was taken which had swallowed it and was presented to Polycratus but at length all this his happiness epilogized in a galloâ—…es None more happy than great Pompey all his life yet at last hee was made to drink his own blood by the hands of the Executioner Who but Andronicâ—…s Emperour of the East for many years but at length hee was see upon a scabbed Chamell with a Crown of Onions platted on his head and in great mockery carâ—…ed in triumph through the City And does nor sacred Writ certifie how Haman whose command ere while almost reached to Heaven was instantly adjudged by the King to the Gibbet while Mordecai who was condemned to the balter was all of a suddain made second in the Kingdom Nevertheless as Haman rejoiced in his preserment to the Queens Banquet which was the path way to his destruction so many think it the onely argument of Gods love and that they are in favour with him because they prosper in all their ways which would mâ—…e a wise man the more suspicious for as Seneca that wise Roman saith he that hath been longest happy shall at length have his portion of misery and who so seemeth to bee dismissed is but deferred And commonly their change is not more dolefull than sudden for as it often hapneth that in very fair weather a storm doth arise and as I have read of certain Trees which on Munday have been growing in the Forrest and before Sunday following under sail on the Sea so the same hour hath seen the knee bowing to the head and again the head stooping and doing reverence to the knee as every age gives instance for else I might muster up a multitude of examples for proof of the point Or in case it seems better yet it is worse with them when their life and happiness shall end together as it fared with Belshazzar who was sitting at a Feast merry while on a sudden Death came like a Voyder to take him away And Pope Adrian who when hee was to dye brake out into this expression Oh my soul whither art thou going thou shalt never bee merry again Neither are men of this world whose bellies God filleth with his hid treasure upon occasion of their outward prosperity onely apt to bee brought into a fools Paradise of thinking themselvs to bee the speciall darlings of God but even the godly themselvs have oftentimes their eyes so dazled with the outward glittering and flourishing estate of the wicked that thereupon they are ready to say of them The generation of Gods children as it fared with David Psal. 73. 15. But these are not sober thoughts yea they are rather the dreams of men drunk with the love of the World for although it bee as common a phrase as it is foolish when any great matter falls to a man O he is made yet experience proves that it rather marrs than makes him for not seldom do men possess riches as sick men do fevers which indeed rather possess them And certainly if riches were such pearls as most men esteem them it is not likely the Lord would cast them to suh Swine as mostly hee doth If such happy things hee would not throw them to such Dogs As what saith Luther of the whole Turkish Empire it is but a crum of bread which the master of the house throweth to his Dogs And the truth is what men think most pleasing viz. to have their wills and their lusts granted is most plaguing Psal. 81. 12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels so that the greatest temtation is to bee without temtation and the greatest affliction not to be afflicted 2 Cor. 12. 7. Wherefore lift up your hands which hang down because of some sore affliction and your weak knees Heb. 12. 12. and know that the worst of temporall afflictions are an insufficient proof of divine displeasure yea that stripes from the Almighty are tokens of his love and seals of his Son-ship Yea fince hee that hath most grace commonly complains of most discomfort confess that the palate is but an ill Judge of the favours of God as it is in great love no doubt however it bee taken that the tender Father medicines his Child for the â—…orms gives him Aloâ—…s or the like the Child cries and sputters and keckes as if it were poisoned yet still the Fathers love is never the less say it be bitter yet bitter potions bring sweet health and who will not rather take a vomit then hazard life In the Sweating sickness in England their friends would stand by them and strike them over the faces with sprigs of Rosemary to keep them awake the poor souls faint and full of pain would cry out you kill mee but yet they must do it or else they kill'd them indeed for all that slept dyed Look wee saith Saint Ambrose with the eyes of our body upon Lazarus estate and wee think it miserable but if with the eyes of the mind it will bee otherwise for how did the Angels do by him but as Nurses are
do good or evill unto any one of thy members thou takest it as done unto thy self Discover unto us all our own fins that wee may not be so forward to censure others as wee have been heretofore Give us patience to beare thy Fatherly chastisements which through thy grace sanctifying them to us become both Medicines to cure us and Antidotes to preserve us from the sicknesse of sin considering that all the afflictions of this life are not worthy those joyes which shall be revealed unto us Finally good Father we beseech thee inable us so to walk in thy fear that in mirth we be not vain in knowledg we be not proud in zeal we be not bitter instruct us by thy Word direct us by thy Spirit mollifie us by thy grace humbleus by thy corrections win us by thy benefits reconcile our nature to thy wil teach us so to make profitofevery thing that we may see thee in althings al things in thee And as we are suiters unto thy Majesty for these thy blessings spirituall so likewise we humbly beg at thy mercifull hands all necessaries appertaining to our temporall welfare beseeching thee to blesse us in our persons with health strength and liberty in our estates with sufficiency and the right use of it consâ—…dering that is wee spend what â—…ee And in these our prayers wee are not mindfull of our selves alone but forasmuch as thou hast commanded us to pray one for another as being the members of one and the same mysticall body wee beseech thee to blesse thy whole Church Universall wheresoever dispersed and howsoever  distressed or despised far and wide over the face of the whole earth and vouchsafe unto thy Gospell such a free and effectuall passage that it may sound throughout all Nations Yea wee humbly pray thee let it convert and reclaim the Turks Jews Infidels Indians Atheists Epicures Hereticks and Schismaticks Prevent all plots and projects against the Kingdome of thy Christ let thy Word and Spirit alone bear rule in all places Extend thy tender mercy O Lord to all Protestants beyond the Seas to all Christians under the Turks or other Infidels strengthen all such as suffer for thy cause and let thy presence with them counterpoyse whatsoever is laid upon them and inable them to continue constant in thy faith and truth to the end More Particularly be good unto that part of thy Church planted here amongst us in this sinfull Land and indue us with thy grace as thou hast already with other blessings that they may not rise up hereafter in judgment against us be propitious to the Nobility Gentry and Communalty Blesse the Tribe of Levi all Ministers of thy Word and Sacraments let their lips O God preserve knolewdg and their lives righteousnesse and for ever blesse thou their labours increase the number of those that are saithfull and painfull and reform or remove such as are either scandalous or idle and for a constant and continuall supply of their mortality blesse all Schools of learning and good literature especially the Universities Remember in much mercy all that are afflicted whether in body or in mind or in both whether in conscience have upon our own lusts we may ask but wee shall nor receive in our good names with an 〈◊〉 report and so blesse and sanctifie unto us all the things of thislife that they may be furtherances of us in the way to a better  And seeing that it is in vain for us to labour except thy blessing go along with it neither can our endeavours succeed well except thou prosper them bless every one of us in our several places and callings and so direct us in all we shall take in hand that whatsoever wee do may tend to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of our own soules when wee shall come to make our finall account unto thee sor them groaning under fin or for a good conscience because they will not fin and as thou makest them examples to us so teach us to take example by them and learn wisdome by thy hand upon them  These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A Praier for the Evening which would be performed before Supper and not when we are more prone to sleep then to pray O Eternal Almighty and incomprehensible Lord God who art great and terrible of most glorious Majesty and infinite purity Creator and Preserver of all things and Guider and Governour of them being created who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence and art every where at hand to receive and hear the praiers of all that repair to thee in thy Christ. Thou hast of thy goodnesse bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us that wee know not how to expresse thy bounty herein Yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that thou wouldest continue those which thou hast bestowed on us already yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this thy beneficence Thy blessings are without number yet our sins strive with them which shall be more if we could count the numberless number of thy Creatures they would not be answerable to the number of thy gifts yet the number of our offences which we return in lieu of them are not much inferiour thereunto Well may we confesse with Judas we have sinned and there stop but we cannot reckon their number nor set forth their nature We are bound to praise thee above any Nation We no sooner lived then we de served to die neither need we any more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us but thou hast spared us to this hour to try if we would turn unto thee by repentance as our first Parents and wee have turned from thee by sin yet thy mercy seems to have been in vain and thy long-suffering to no end For whereas many have been won by thy Word wee would not suffer it to change us many have been reformed by the Grosse but whatsoever for what Nation under Heaven enjoys so much light or so many blessings as we above any Creature for all the Creatures were ordained for our sakes and yet Heaven Earth and Sea all the Elements all thy Creatures obey thy Word and serve thee as they did at first yea call upon us to serve thee onely men for whom they were all made ingratefully rebell against thee we would not suffer it to purge us many have been moved by thy benefits but we would not suffer them to perswade us yea as if we had contracted with
other rebellions when we rightly consider them makes us even speechless like him in the Gospell as neither expecting mercy nor daring to ask it  Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manisold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the merits of Christ Jesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that then caâ—…est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou wilt not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinner doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou wilt blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance And lest wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept the will of David then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if there be but first a willing mind thou wilt accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee bave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make us righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what thoâ—… wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new heart and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the powerfull assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements then ever wee have the contrary Be favourable to thy people every where look down in much compassion upon thy Militant Church and every severall member thereof blesse it in all places with peace and truth hedge it about with thy providence defend it from the mischievous designs and attempts of â—…hine and her malitious enemie let thy Gospell go on and conquer maugre all opposition that Religion and uprightness of heart may bee highly set by with all and all prophaneness may be trod under foot More particularly be mercifull to this sinfull Land the civill Magistrates the painful Ministers the two Universities those people that sit yet in darkness all the afflicted members of thy Son Lord comfort the comfortless strengthen the weak bind up the broken hearted make the bed of the sick be a father to the fatherless and Yea let thy Spirit bear such rule in every one of our hearts that neither Satan that forrain enemy and roaring Lyon which seeketh to devour us may invade us nor our own concupiscence that home-bred traytor may by conspiring with the world work the ruine and overthrow of our poor souls but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits our affections which are altogether carnall may be wholyframed according to thy holy heavenly will and that we may the better know how to avoyd the evill and do the good let thy word as a light discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise and an husband to the widdow cloath the naked feed the hungry visit the prisoners relieve the oppressed sanctifie unto them all their afflictions and turn all things to the best to them that fear thee thy Cross like the Messenger that compelled guests unto the Banquet Prosper the Armies that fight thy battells and shew a difference between thy servants and thine enemies as thou did'st between the Israelites and the Egyptians that the one may bee confirmed and the other reclaimed Give us O Lord to consider that although sin in the beginning seem never so sweet unto us yet in the end it will prove the bane and ruine both of body and soul and so assist us with thy grace that wee may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure and our right hands of profit rather then sin against thee and wrong our own consciences considering that it would bee an hard bargain for us to win the whole world and lose our own souls These Blesse preserve and keep us from all the temptations of Satan the world and our wicked hearts from pride that Lucifer-like sin which is the fore-runner of destruction considering that thou resistest the proud and givest grace to the humble from covetousnesse which is the root of all evil being taught out of thy word that the love of money hath caused many to fall into diverse temptations and snares which drown them in perdition and destruction from cruelty that infernal evil of which thou hast said that there shall be judgment mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercie from hypocrisie that sin with two faces whose reward is double damnation and the rather because wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled and for that in all the Scriptures we read not of an hypocrites repentance from whoredom which is a sin against a man's own body and the most inexcusable considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it for the punishment whereof the Law ordained death and the Gospel excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven from prophanation of thyday considering thou hast said that whosoever  sanctifieth it not shall bee cut off from thy people and did'st command that he should be stoned to death who only gathered a sew sticks on that day from swearing which is the language of hell considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourn and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer from drunkenness that monster with many heads and worse than beast like sin which in thy Word hath many fearfull woes denounced against it and the rather for that it is a sin like the pit of Hell out of which there is small hope of redemption  Finally O Lord give us strength to resist temptation patience to endure affliction and constancie to persevere unto the end in thy truth that so having passed our pilgrimage here according to thy will we