our love unto God is to doe such works as are acceptable unto God Now he has already told thee what Works may best suit thee and such as may move him to take most delight in thee And these are those Seven workes of Mercy Now take a little time before time leave thee to examine thy self impartially what a kind of proficient thou hast beene in these Whether thou hast not so carelesly borne thy selfe towards God in performing them as thou maist worthily acknowledge thy failings in each of them O Lord open thou mine heart and give mee understanding in all things let mee open mine heart unto thee and poure my selfe forth before thee and suffer mee not to flatter my selfe in my transgressions lest I perish eternally Thou hast prepared mee the wayes wherein I am to walke O Lord make my wayes streight before thee and so water me with the dew of thy grace that I may bring forth fruites of repentance plenteously CHAP. 24. Teaching the ignorant BRing forth that Schollar whom thou hast brought up in Christs Schoole Whom hast thou fed with the milke of his word Whom hast thou seene carried away with the blast of every vaine doctrine and hast sought to reclaime him whom hast thou at any time perceived to bee ignorant in the principles of faith and hast taken paines to informe him whom scismatically affected and thou laboured to convert him whom seditiously minded and thou sought to compose him Hast thou taken pitty of thy Brothers ignorance and brought him to a knowledge of God and himselfe with the spirit of meekenesse Nay hast thou taught thine owne family and by thine owne example wained them from folly O no poor Pilgrim these things have been farre from thee It is for thee rather to confesse how many from the light of the Gospel thou hast brought into ignorance How many thou hast deceived with a pretended zeale How many thou hast brought from the knowledge of the truth by intangling them in errors false opinions strange doctrines O how many have come unto thee to receive instruction from thee or to bee satisfied in some scruple wherin thou mightst have done an office of charity if it had pleased thee whilst thou regardlesse of those wounds of a troubled conscience either applyedst no cure at all unto them or else uncharitably left them intangled in more doubts then thou found'st them And was this the way to teach the ignorant in corrupting rather then correcting the delinquent In perplexing rather then resolving the truly Penitent O my best Master looke downe upon mee with the eye of thy favour I know well I might have brought many unto thee which by my loose life and false doctrine I have drawne from thee O teach me thy Law that I may not onely learne it my selfe but teach others by the patterne of my selfe to love live and delight in it CHAP. 25. Correcting the delinquent AS it is humility first to examine ones selfe so is it charity to correct in an other whatsoever he holds corrigible in himselfe Gods Law is the Glasse which will present to us every blemish that is upon the face of our soule Wherin we are ever charitably to consider and acknowledge too that whatsoever troubles our Brothers eye is but a mote compared to that beame which is in our owne But say unprofitable Pilgrim wherein hast thou done this Second spirituall worke of Meroy to Correct the delinquent Nay rather hast thou not cherished him in his sinnes and told him they were none when as they pierced the clouds and came up with a strong voyce even into the presence of God Hast thou not blessed the wicked in his evill wayes and mov'd him to make a league with his transgressions Yes Lord yes yet not unto all have I done this For some there be whom I have corrected nay censured rather then corrected For my desire was to have their sinnes published to their shame to have their good names taken away to have them houted at in the street which tasted more of detraction then correction For this I did not with the spirit of meeknesse as I was commanded but with the spirit of fury or indignation which brought them to bee rather hardned in sinne then reformed But I must confesse I offended farre oftner in the former then in the latter I meane in humoring sinne either to make me more endeared to them or else for feare lest the very like sinnes should bee found out and reproved in mee by them So as my owne guilt made mee to palliate their sin Deare Lord I know well I have often sinned herein I have stood in feare to reprove the transgressions of others and therefore became I Author of their death because that poyson which by crying against I might have expelled I have not expelled in humoring those which I should have corrected Nay what was more I conceived indignation against all such as reproved me for my vices so as those have I hated whom I ought to have loved and whatsoever distasted or displeased me I desired earnestly that they should not be O forgive me these And make me henceforth such an Enemy to all vices as I may correct my selfe with as impartiall sharpenesse Others with the spirit of compassion and meekenesse CHAP. 26. Counselling the indigent COunsell to the poore and needy is as a receipt unto the sicke in the time of his extremity what availes a Medicine unapplyed Physicke unministred or counsell un-imparted I have known such as were destitute in this kind how with teares in their eyes they importuned my advice and I had it in readinesse but would not minister it because hee was poore and despicable in the eye of the world that besought it And alas was this the cause Hadst thou beene well advised thou wouldst rather have given it because hee was poore and succourlesse that did request it For consider thy owne poore condition hard-hearted Pilgrim and in what case thou standest How thy good and gracious God should hee not looke downe upon thee with the eyes of his mercy and take pitty on thy poverty what might become of thee Into what straits has thy soule beene brought how dry desolate how weake and dis-consolate have bin thy staggring resolves How fainting and heartlesse have beene thy hopes Foes thou hadst without thee feares within thee not the least beamling of comfort shone upon thee Yet for all this thou foundst a faithfull Counsellor to advise thee a gracious Comforter to refresh thee And yet thou quite forgotst all this when thou sawest thy brother in necessity He complained to thee how hee was wronged and it lay in thine hand to redresse it but thou wouldst not be seene in it Thy Counsell at least thou mightst afford it but thou denied him it or which was worse so advised him in it as might rather hinder then further him in the pursuit of it Gracious Lord in whose brest are layd up all the treasures
THE PENITENT PILGRIM Few and evill have the dayes of my life been Gen Cap 47. v. 9. LONDON Printed by John Dawson 1641. THE PENITENT PILGRIM PSAL. 66. 16. Come and hearken all yee that feare God and I will tell you what he hath done to my soule LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson and are to be sold by Iohn Williams at the signe of the Crane in Pauls Church yard 1641. TO THAT IMMACVLATE LAMBE CHRIST IESVS THE SOLE SAVIOUR AND RECEIVER OF EVERY PENITENT SINNER HATH THIS POORE PILGRIM HUMBLY HERE PRESENTED THESE HIS PENITENTIALL TEARES The Summe or Graduall Symptome of the Penitent PILGRIM CHAP. 1. THe poore Penitent Pilgrim bemones his present sinfull condition 2 His comming into Idumaea the companions hee consorted with there 3 How his owne Meniâ—y became his deadliest Enemy 4 His encounters with the world 5 His Combat with the flesh 6 What Assaults hee suffered by the Divell both in company aâ—â—â—rivacy 7. Three Engines by his spirituall Enemy reared that his Fort might be razed 8. The Concupiscence of the flesh 9. The Concupiscence of the eyes 10. The pride of life 11. How neither the Law of Nature nor Grace could call him home from his wandring course 12. Hee takes a view of the whole Decalogue and hee scarce finds in it one Commandement wherein either in part of in all hee has not beene a most grievous Delinquent 13 Hee examines himselfe touching the First Commandement 14 His breach of the Law touching the Second Commandement 15 His transgressing of the Third in prophaning Gods name 16 His dishonour to Gods Sabbath 17 Hee confesseth how this bloody issue of sin streamed forth likewise into a breach of the second Table and first of disobedience to his parents 18 His contempt of the second in his practising mischiefe against his Neighbour 19 His contempt of the Third in playing the Wanton 20 His breach of the Fourth in his cunning defeating of his Neighbour 21 His breach of the Fifth in suppressing testimonies to witnesse a truth or suborning witnesses to maintaine an untruth 22 His dis-esteeme of the Sixt and last in coveting what was anothers and desiring to increase his owne with the losse of others 23 Hee takes a view of those seven spirituall works of mercy and acknowledgeth his failings in each of them 24 Teaching the ignorant 25 Correcting the delinquent 26 Counselling the indigent 27 Comforting the afflicted 28 Suffering injuries patiently 29 Forgiving offences heartily 30 Praying for his Persecutors fervently 31 Hee takes the like view of those seven corpor all works of mercy and acknowledgeth likewise his failings in each of them 32 Feeding the hungry 33 Giving drinke to the thirsty 34 Harbouring the harbour lâ—sse 35 Cloathing the naked 36 Vâ—siting the sick 37 Visiting redeeming the captive 38 Burying the dead 39 With sorrow of heart he remembers those eight Beatitudes whereof hee hath deprived himselfe by giving entertainment to sin 40 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 41 Blessed are the meeke for they shall possesse the Earth 42 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted 43 Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied 44 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy 45 Blessed are the cleane in heart for they shall see God 46 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God 47 Blessed are they that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heaven 48 How seven Guests under a colour of lodging with him sought his undoing 49 Pride 50 Covetousnesse 51 Lechery 52 Envy 53 Gluttony 54 Wrath. 55 Sloath. 56 How by their treacherous assault his Cinque ports become endangered 57 Sight 58 Hearing 59 Smell 60 Taste 61 Touch. 62 Being thus encompassed with danger â—ee 〈◊〉 himselâ—e for 〈◊〉 63 〈…〉 prayer and in every particular he finds himselfe a great Offender 64 Hee renders a private accompt of his Faith and in every Article of the Creed he finds a fainting failing weaknesse and want 65 Having thus examined himselfe and found in the whole course of his life a fainting in faith and failing in works He recals to mind those Quatuor Novissima oâ— Foure lasâ— Remembrances Memorials hourely necessary for all Christans 66 Death 67 Iudgement 68 Hell 69 Heaven 70 With the Remembrance of these He becomes afflicted in spirit 71 Faith appeares vnto him with a cheerefull presence affording him comfort in his affliction 72 Hope seconds that comfort 73 Charity promiseth him in this vaile of misery to cover all his scarlet sinnes with the white robe of mercy and by keeping her company conduct him safely to the kingdome of glory 74 He takes comfort And now wearied with sojourning longer in Idumaea he turnes to Canaan 75 The poore peniteut Pilgrims last Will and Testament His Funerall Obsequies The Pilgrims Prayer LOoke upon me deare Father thy poore Penitent Pilgrim I confesse Lord I confesse that if thou shouldst deale with mee according to my iniquity there were no hope at all left to me of mercy For what houre in all my life since my first entrance into this life wherein I have not in some manner or measure nay above all measure become a grievous transgressour But there is mercy with thee and therefore art thou fearedâ— mean time I of all others have greatest cause to feare for abusing thy mercy I have plentuously tasted of thy love and considering it I have many times resolved to become a faithfull convert and zealous observer of thy Law But these faire promises clâ—sed in a weake performance No sooner was therâ— the least opportunity offâ—red me of sinning then it found in me an easie impression Pregnant was I in conceiving prompt in consenting and prone in committing Yet Lord when I was going down evento the gates of hell left I should enter in thou held me And when I drew neere the gates of death lest they should receive me thy grace prevented me Whence I perceived by the influence of thy sweet Spirit whereby I became enlightned that whensoever I fell it was through my owne frailty but wheÌ„soever I rose it was through thy great mercy Yea I foundthee ready in every opportunity to afford me thy helping hand in my greatest necessity When I wandred thou recalled me when I was ignorant thou instructed me when I sinned thou corrected mee when I sorrowed thou comforted me when I fell thou raised me when I stood thou supported mee when I went thou directed me when I slept thou kept me when I cried thou heard me Nay shall I more fully declare thy good nesse towards me If after these few but evill dayes of my pilgrimage even now when the keepers of the house tremble and the strongmen bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and they waxe darke that looke out by the windowes if I say after these many too many
till I became a miserable Begger Then and never till then did I consider what I had done For by this time had I forgot my Fathers House So long and so sweetly had I been lulled in the Lappe of Sin But having now reap'd the fruites of my Disobedience I begun to have a remorse of Conscience and to have some small sensible feeling of repentance But never till such time as I had fed freely of those empty huskes of vanity and found my selfe so miserably poor as if I return'd not back to my Fathers House I might of necessity perish there were no remedy Nay I must to my shame confesse it that such was my disobedience and so crooked my will amidst my greatest necessities that this my aversion from evill and conversion to good rather proceeded from want of meanes then sincerity of will For had my Portion continued the arme of Sin had been nothing shortned And yet had my want brought mee to this naturall consideration as to thinke with my selfe what Pâ—rents were What benefits I had received from them how they had done for mee what I could never possibly do for them How Creatures endued onely with sense by a naturall instinct bore that tender love and obedience to their Parents as in their age they foster'd them on their wings they carried them desiring rather that they themselves should perish then their Parents suffer which gave a being unto them But these Considerations onely floated upon the Waters of mine heart they never sunck A natural pronenesse to obey the Lusts of my Flesh hung such heavy poizes on the Wings of my Obedience as they kept me from mounting desiring rather to dye then wholly to leave my rebellion Thus was I never weary of transgressing till my transgressions became weary of mee Neither was I sensible of what disobedience meant till I was brought to a Consideration of it through want Wo is mee How could I promise to my selfe length of dayes when I had disseised my selfe of that promise by my disobedient wayes How could I be lesse then rejected of my Father in Heaven who had borne my selfe so disobediently to my Father on Earth How could I look for an inheritance falling so desperately into all disobedience O my deare Lord to whom Obedience is better then Sacrifice call mee now home unto thee Let me no longer run on in my rebellious Course Like a Childe that feareth to be beate let mee tremble at thy judgments Like a Child that flyeth into his Fathers lappe let mee kisse thee for thy mercies Correct mee O Lord but not in thine anger for how shall I stand in thy displeasure O I know as there is no Sonne whom a Father will not correct with the rod of his love so is there no Father who has not a desire to deliver his Sonne Correct me O Lord as thou art my Saviour oh let it never be in thine heavy displeasure CHAP. 18. His contempt of the Second in his practising mischiefe against his Neighbour ONe may commit murder and shed no blood The very thoughts of our hearts may become Conspirators against our Neighbour and so wee murder him in our desires Caine sâ—ew his brother Abel which made him turne Runnagate by flying from Gods presence O how often have I slaine my brother in conceiving cruell thoughts which reflected upon his life fame and substance O how often have I in mine heart wished a sudden end unto mine Enemy And yet I was perswaded hee was not well prepared for death when I wished this unto him so as my desires were bent to murder him both in soule and body by wishing him so sudden and unprepared a death in his departure from the body Yea I will confesse against my selfe and with much bitternesse of heart will I acknowledge it that neither rich nor poore have beene freed from those murdâ—ring imaginations which my corrupt heart had secretly nursed For if he were rich I murdered him with Envy And in this act not only him but my selfe Wasting and eating up my owne marrow consuming my owne strength and falling away with a languishing desire of others ruine Againe were he poore I to my power murdered him by holding from him the staffe of bread when I might have relieved him by grating and grinding the face of the needy by oppressing him injuriously by laying heavier burdens on him then hee could beare O how can I remember these and sinke not downe with the horror of them Can I think that just God who heares the Orphans cry and bottles up the Widowes teares will not avenge himselfe of these things Can hee tender his little ones not revenge himselfe of those who make a prey and spoile of his little ones O no my Lord I know my guiltinesse is not hid from thee Nay I know well thou hast thy Bow ready bent and thine Arrowes in thy Quiver to shoot at the malicious and evill doer even at him that is of a subtile and deceitfull heart How then may I make my peace with thee How may I find favour in thy sight what shall I bee able to answer for my selfe against those my many Accusers While here one proves how I sought his life and with many bitter imprecations discovered my malice unto him Another accuseth me with impeaching his good name that precious perfume of every good man The third of his Substance saying that my wishes were often that he might be rest of it or it of him or that I my selfe might enjoy it with the losse of him Thus like a cruell and bloody Nimrod have I hunted for blood And though I did not actually shed it yet in desiring it and not seeking where I might to prevent it I cannot plead lesse then that I am guilty of it Now my fact is so foule that should I with the poore condemned Prisoner demand my Booke I could not hope to have the benefit of it yet there is a Booke wherein I have read what may afford mee much comfort by it At what timâ— soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinâ—e from the bottomâ— of his heart I will put away all his wickednesse out of my remembrance saith the Lord. It is the Lord that hath said it even he who as hee is gracious in his promise so is hee faithfull in his performance Hence is my trust that though my sinnes be as red as scarlet the blood of the Lambe will make them white Though my garments bee all red as those who came from Bosro my Saviour has in store a white roabe for me As white as the snow of Salmon shall my soule be made though she be now soil'd with the leprosie of sin Yea but dangerous wounds require longer cures My afflicted conscience tels mee that I have grievously sinned against his sacred Majesty both in quantity and quality I have not had God before mine eyes the pathes of righteousnesse were estranged from me Those sinnes which with such
least drop of mercy who in all thy time hast been a stranger to the Workes of mercy Oh when hee shall demand of thee who gave himselfe for thee where bee those hungry soules which thou hast relieved those thirsty ones whom thou hast refreshed those naked ones whom thou hast cloathed Those harbourlesse Pilgrims whom thou hast harboured those sickly members whom thou hast visited those comfortlesse Captives whom thou hast redeemed those last Obits or Offices which thou to thy dead Brother should'st have performed what Advocate then canst thou find to plead for thee who is hee that will speake a good word for thee to the King that his wrath may be appeased towards thee oh none none Thou art wholly left to thy selfe and utterly lost in thy selfe and even in thine owne bosome shalt find that witnesse to accuse thy selfe as nothing may remaine but the expectance of a terrible and irrevocable sentence O God of mercy deale not with mee according to the measure of my sinnes for they are exceedingly multiplied but according to thy great mercy put away my iniquities that thy name may bee magnified O Lord thou who delightest in mercy and wilt have mercy on those on whom thou wilt have mercy make mee to delight in that wherein thou delightest that in the day of wrath I may find mercy CHAP. 45. Blessed are the cleane in heart for they shall see God CAn the Leopard lay away his spots or the Ethiopian his blacknesse As the Leper in the old Law was commanded to cry out I am uncleane I am uncleane So I a foule sinfull Leper may cry out in the same manner that men may shun me lest they become infected by my behaviour For as the soule is farre more precious then the body so is the Leprosie of sinne farre more dangerous then that of the skinne The Swan if at any time shee pride her selfe in her beauty no sooner lookes upon her blaâ—k feet then she wailes her plumes Miserable Pilgrim Looke at thy blacke feet how they are ever walking in the wayes of sinne Looke at thy blacke hands how they are ever with greedinesse committing sinne Looke at thy black prophane mouth how it is ever belching forth motives to sinne looke at thy blacke projecting braine how it is ever plotting new wayes or passages for sinne Look at thy blacke deceitfull heart how it is ever imagining how to strengthen the arme of sinne Looke at thy black corrupted Lever which proves thee a corrupt Liver how it is infected with sinne Nay looke at every part and every where shalt thou find this spirituall Leprosie raging and raigning spreading and streaming into every veine every joynt or artery And yet what an Idoll thou makest of thy selfe how ready thou art to justifie thy selfe How farre from craving thy good Physicians helpe as thou wilt rather dye then confesse thy want of health Truth is there is no sinne of a more dangerous quality then this spirituall Idolatry for by it whatsoever is in value least is honoured most And againe whatsoever in honour most is valued least Oh hadst thou unmindfull Pilgrim looked so carefully to the clensing of thine inward house as thou hast done to the needlesse trimming of thine outward house hadst thou beene as mindfull of clensing thine heart as thou hast beene of brushing thine habit oh then these leprous spots which now appeare so foulely on thee had never infected thee Then had thy life beene a Lampe unto others then had the affections of thine heart beene pure yea God himselfe had prepared in thee a Tabernacle for himselfe to dwell in a Bed of flowers for him to repose in a Temple for him to be praysed in See then what thou hast lost by losing that beauty which should have delighted him most The sight of God Woe is mee what a losse is this To be deprived and of that eternally in the fruition whereof consists all glory The sight of God! Woe is me that ever I was borne to lose that for which I was borne for which I was re-borne The sight of God! The nourishment of every Angelicall soule This have I lost by not clensing my heart for the cleane in heart shall only see God O clense mee from my secret sinnes O forgive me my strange sinnes O let mee now returne to thee with my whole heart and clense thou mine heart that I may make godlinesse my gaine and with these eyes see thee my God of Sion CHAP. 46. Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God I Beseech you that neighbour near me and whose testimony may much availe me speake for me have I since I sojourned amongst you laboured to compose peace or to prevent occasion of Suites Have I performed any office that might tend to peace Oh speake for me be it your charity to speak for me for unlesse your charity doe it sure I am my endeavours have little deserved it O no I see you cannot justly speake one good word to the King for mee For my conversation hath beene otherwise amongst you The spirit of contention and contradiction raigned in me and so farre divided was I from the bond of charity as I delighted in nothing more then nursing enmity Injuries I would beare none nay rather then embrace peace I would make injuries of none Neighbourly arbitrations I neither affected nor admitted it was my counsell ever that suits should bee commenced Let the Law try it though the cause were not worth a see for which we contended Nay to feed this fire of debate with new fuell I told such who repaired to mee for advise damnable advice to lead a deluded Client into the height of all vice that to beare an injury were to make every one their enemy How hee who forgives him that wrongs him encourageth him to picke a new quarrell at him while the remitting of one becomes the admitting of another yea where a wrong is threatned and not revenged it emboldneth the Actor to see it executed Thus lay I a snare privily to catch the simple and innocent doer and by my mischievous counsell to make him of a Lover of peace a common Barreter But evill Counsell is worst for the Counsellor this I find too true to my discomfort For now me thinks all those differences which I raised all those quarrels which I started present themselves before thee threatning nothing less then perdition to me for by the malicious instigation of Sathan they buzze like Bees about me and with strong hand bring mee forth before the face of heaven and earth publikely to accuse me This is hee say they who would be called the Child of God but how can hee have any interest in that title how dares he presume to derive any such promise from God who all his life time has beene a profest Enemy to the peace of God Hee has laboured to encourage Neighbour against Neighbour to bring all things into confusion by his distemper and
shouldst enter in he with-held thee How often hast thou drawne neare even to the gates of death and lest they should take thee in hee preserv'd thee Thus hath hee delivered thee from all evill and yet for all this good which hee has done thee thou hast requited him with evill And now thou concludest For thine is the Kingdome power and glory for ever and ever Amen Oh how ready thou art here to acknowledge his power and yet to deny it in thy life But confesse thou must his power not onely with mouth but heart and practise of a good life if ever thou meanest to partake with him in the Kingdome of glory O my sweet Saviour as thou â—ast taught mee by this absolute forme of Prayer how I am to make my prayer and hast promised 〈◊〉 grant me my request if I 〈…〉 that no place may be left for distraction Here thou hast taught how and in what manner I am to pray O let me not lose the benefit of it by losing my selfe wheâ—â— I pray CHAP. 64. He renders a private account of his Faith and in every article of the Creede hee finds a fainting failing weaknesse and want I Beleeve in God the father Almighty maker of heaven and earth This first Article of our Beliefe was made by Christs first Apostle Saint Peter And herein thou professest that thou believest But that is not enough The Devils doe beleeve and tremble Thou must not onely believe God but believe in God and that he is thy God Againe thou art not only to believe God and believe in God but solely love God and wholly live to God For as wee are to believe with heart unto righteousnesse and confesse with mouth unto salvation so are we to bring forth fruits hereof in an holy and blamelesse conversation O how much hast thou failed in the first what then may wee looke for at the last And in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord. Of this second Article was Saint Iohn the Evangelist Author one who was right deare in the eyes of his Master our blessed Saviour and one who leaned on his bosome at his last Supper And here thou confessest Iesus Christ the second person in the blessed Trinity to be the Sonne of God to be our Lord. But hast thou by a contrite heart regenerate life made him thy Lord Thou saist thou dost beleeve in him but dost thou love him in whom thou believest And how shouldst thou be lesse then his Lover so long as thou beleev'st him to be thy saviour But wher be any Signes of this love O if thou didst truly love him in who thou believ'st thou wouldst rather leave to live then leave to love him in whom thou believest Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary This third Article S. Iames the Greater composed whereby thou art taught to beleeve all sanctification to be included in his Conception all humility in his Nativity But dost thou as every Christian should do seriously consider for whose sake this Virgin was conceived for whose sake thy sweet Saviour became so humbled that the Son of God should become the son of Man that the Son of Man might become the son of God that the immortall should become mortall that the mortall might become immortall that the living Lord should dye that the dying man might live that the free should become bound that the bound might become free that God should descend from heaven to earth that he might draw us from earth to heaven that God should become humbled that Man might be exalted that He should become poore that we might be enriched and reckoned amongst the transgressors that we amoÌ„gst his Saints might be numbred Hast thou I say meditated of this how he was borne for thee that thou mightst be re-borne in him O I feare thou hast beene more ready to partake of this benefit then by acknowledgeing it to bee thankefull for it Suffered under Pontius Pilat was crueified dead and buried This fourth Article Saint Andrew framed wherein thou seest and perhaps admirest the unjust proceedings of a wicked Iudge for thou hearest one and that an odious and malicious one pronouncing the sentence of death upon the Lord of life and inclining to the voice and vote of the people delivering a murdring delinquent to murder the innocent Nay pronouncing a sentence against his owne Conscience for hee washed his hands but not in innocence Againe thou hearest and beleevest that hee was crucified and yet it grieves thee not to crucifie him afresh with new sinnes Thou beleevest that hee died and was buried and yet thou daily diest not to sin but in sin and hast now not three dayes but many yeares laine buried in them He descended into hell This fifth Article Saint Philip added and thou beleevest in it Hee dâ—cended that thou mightst ascend to the place whereto hee is ascended Yet where be there any tokens of thy desire to ascend unto him Ascend unto him thou canst not unlesse thou descend into thy selfe for whom he so humbly descended The third day he rose againe from the dead This sixt Article Saint Thomas annexed An Article proper for Thomas who touching Christs Resurrectioâ— was so incredulous And here thou seest that late crucified man now acquit himselfe of death like a victorious Lord. And hence thou rejoycest but unlesse thou â—ise from sinne and live to righteousnesse Christâ— Resurrection shall afford thee small comfort in the bed of thy sicknesse Hee ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the father Almighty This seventh Article Saint Barthol omew penned And by this thou beleevest that hee is now ascended who for thy sake descended And as from his rising came the hope of thy Resurrection so from his ascending the hope of thy glorification But thou must rise with him before thou canst reigne with him rise with him who was free from all sin from the Grave of sin that thou maist reigne with him who dyed for thy sin in his heavenly Sion And as hee sitteth on the right hand of God the father Almighty where he offers up his prayers for thee sheweth those glorious scars of his precious wounds to his Father for thee per forms the faithfull office of a loving Mediator for thee So art thou in thy prayers to remember the necessity of his Saints upon earth But cold is thy charity in performing such a duty From whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead This eight Article was by S. Matthew published and by this thou believest how he who was judged unjustly shall judge the whole world in Equity For the Father judgeth none but hath given up this judgement unto his Son in whose brest are laid up all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge And this thou beleevest and tremblest and reason thou hast to tremble for how shalt thou be able to stand in his presence before whom even the