is pardoned do both speak one and the same comfort unto the soul do both signifie one and the same peace Completa est malitia ejus saith the Vulgar translation for militia by a small mistake of the letter as we may suppose but none of the sense For our malitia is our militia our iniquity is our warfare The Hebrew word here used signifies not only the work but also the time of war And Rabbi David saith the Prophet here means The time that Jerusalem was to pass in Banishment or Captivity So that if we joyn the Text and the gloss together we shall find that sin is a time of war of banishment and of captivity Of war with God of banishment from God And of captivity not under God for he can be no Tyrant but under the Devil A sad time certainly as full of fears and jealousies as empty of joyes and comforts anâ—… therefore that must needs be a joyful time wherein this warfare this captivity thiâ—… banishment is at an end because our sin iâ—… pardoned To say this is to speak truly to the heart which is the Hebrew expression for speaking comfortably All other comforts go no farther then the ear then the outward man that his stock is increased his request granted his cause advanced it is only this comfort that enters into the heart and revives the inner man that the time of his warfare banishment and captivity are at an end because his sin is pardoned And this is the comfortable sentence that is already pronounced in Gods Word That he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel All our labour must be to get this same sentence derived from Gods Word into our own consciences And then surely in the mouth of two such witnesses the least whereof is no less then a thousand it is no doubt but the testimony will be fully and firmly established For as the word doth witness the thing infallibly true in it self so will the conscience witness it insallibly true to us The use of a witness is either for information in defect of evidence or for confirmation in defect of assurance and an infallible witness is both these together For he gives evidence from his testimony and assurance from his infallibility Such an infallible witness is a good conscience that is grounded and established on the Word of God and thence collecteth this comfortable sentence Whosoever truly believeth and heartily repenteth shall not come into condemnation But I do truly believe and heartily repent therefore I shall not come into condemnation The major proposition is clear by the testimony of Gods Word the minor is clear by the testimony of our own consciences which can certainly tell us whether we be hypocrites or true Believers whether we be Sheep to hear the voice of Christ and to follow him that he may give us eternal life John 10. 27 28. or whether we be Goats to follow our own hearts lusts so to persist and perish in our sins and the conclusion cannot but follow the premises Read over the sentence that is set down Matthew 25. and thou wilt easily by comparing thine own actions with that sentence see whether at the last Judgement thou art to be set on Christs right hand or on his left Thou wilt easily see which part of that sentence concerns thee And that part which thine own conscience pronounceth of thee here thy Judge will both pronounce and confirm hereafter I hope that with Mary thou hast chosen that good part and if so cannot but assure thee it shall never be taken from thee Luke 10. 42. For Christ will never reject any man that hath sate at his feet to exercise his humility and patience and heard his Word to exercise his Piety and Obedience He will never say Depart from me to those who here did love his company and enjoy his communion And what is their work who are of his communion but to know and love and praise him And they that are thus of his communion on earth can you think he will excommunicate in heaven Saint John sets forth this Judgement of the conscience very fully in few words 1 John 3. 19 20 21. saying v. 19. And hereby that is by loving in deed and in truth not in word or in tongue as appears from the former verse we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him That is we know that we truly love him and therefore may be well assured of his love For he that loves is assured of love for which cause Beza thus renders Saint James his words Mercy rejoyceth against damnation James 2. 13. For he that is truly merciful hath a special promise to assure him of mercy that he shall not be condemned in the last Judgement and this hard-hearted Age of ours would doubtless much more incline to mercy if we did seriously consider that the sentence of condemnation Mat. 25. is denounced against the unmerciful not against the unjust for taking away but against the unmerciful for not giving but yet if against the unmerciful much more against the unjust for as justice is before mercy in order of nature so is also injustice before unmercifulness wherefore though we discourse of assuring our hearts before God more then any others yet we must needs have a much less assurance of his love because we our selves know that we do love only in word and in tongue not in deed and in truth as it follows v. 20. For if our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things and therefore can and will condemn us much more then our heart for this is the true meaning of the words not as they are commonly explained That we ought to oppose the greatness of Gods mercy being ready to acquit us against the sentence of our own heart that is ready to condemn us For indeed the words are not spoken to comfort a distressed but to terrifie a guilty conscience It being the Apostles intent to perswade us above all things both to get and to keep a good conscience that we may not condemn our selves and then we may be assured that our God will not condemn us as it follows v. 21. For if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God sc. that he will not condemn us For the whole argument in brief is this If our conscience now condemn us God will also condemn us at the last day But if our conscience acquit us God will also then acquit us the conscience acting Gods part before hand in condemning the guilty and acquiting the innocent whether they have the first Innocency that of Righteousness or the second Innocency that of Faith and Repentance and the same Doctrine is again re-inforced 1 Iohn 4. 17 18. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement because as he is so are we in this world
subjecti others ratione objecti but we must here add a third excellency unknown in Philosophy yet undoubted in Christian Divinity ratione termini For the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord is most excellent of all others not only from the Object for that he is the brightness of his fathers glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1. 2. And from the Subject for that hâ—… is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. But also from the Term or end of it For this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 3. 17. Did they not know their own temporal Death they would not care to know thy eternal Life Did they not know the Vanity which themselves have contracted they would not so heartily desire to know the Glory which thou hast provided Did they not know themselves they would not labour to know their Saviour and yet all the world cannot shew us any knowledge like this knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord which thus begins in Majesty goes on in Perspicuity and ends in Glory CHAP II. Tekel or weighing of our selves and of our sins SECT I. Weighing of our selves WHiles man is in the stâ—… of Nature as heâ—… under the Curse aâ—… Dominion so is he also uâ—…der the Blindness aâ—… Darkness of sin for heâ—…ing he doth hear and doth not understaâ—… and seeing he doth see and not perceiâ—… Act. 28. 16. Therefore it is necessary tâ—… the soul first weigh her self before theâ—… weigh her sins Now the soul may 〈◊〉 weigh her self in her own Ballance butâ—… the Ballance of the Sanctuary by considâ—…ing not what she is in her own but wâ—… she is in Gods account Quanti pretii est Anima cujus Redemptio est Dei Filius Of how great price is the soul of man which could not be Redeemed but by the Son of God Of how great mischief is sin unto the soul which doth make it forfeit the benefit of that Redemption I should not easily debase my soul by sin if I did but consider seriously what she is in Gods Account what she is in the Account of God the Father who created her after his own likeness what in the account of God the Son who Redeemed her with his own blood what she is in the account of God â—…he Holy Ghost who Sanctifieth her that â—…he may be sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. O veneranda Trinitas O adoâ—…anda Unitas per te sumus creati vera Aeâ—…ernitas per te sumus redempti summa tu Charitas This consideration will bring the soul to know the state of Grace and then she will never be at Rest till she know her self to be in that state For if the soul be â—…ot in the state of Grace and Salvation she must needs be in the state of fin and damâ—…ation A third state of souls is not Revealed may not be Phansied Holy Ignatius Determines excellently concerning this â—…oint in his Epistle to the Magnesians I say there are two several Stamps and Impressions of men some are of the True some are of the False Stamp The Godlâ—… man is of Gods own stamp true curranâ—… mony The Ungodly man is of the Devilâ—… stamp a piece of counterfeit and false coinâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not that God made two several sorts of men in the Creation But thaâ—… the Devil hath since got a power over aâ—… wicked men by their own Election so thaâ—… the ungodly and unbelievers do now beâ—… the Image of the Prince of Darkness Thâ—… Godly and the â—…aithful do bear the Imagâ—… of God the father and of our Lord Jesuâ—… Christ. Thus far in effect S. Ignatius S. Pâ—…ters second Successor in the Bishoprick oâ—… Antioch and had from him learned thiâ—… Divinity who in his first Epistle firsâ—… Chapter and third ver Blesseth God for having begotten us again to a lively hope thereby teaching that those can have no lively hope whom God hath not begotten againâ—… The same is also Saint Pauls Divinity foâ—… the spirit of Verity is alwaies the spirit oâ—… Unity speaking indeed by several mouths but still one Truth who plainly contradistinguisheth the state of Gentiles and thâ—… state of Christians the state of Nature anâ—… the state of Grace Eph. 4. 13 17 18. So that we all either walk as Christians till we come in the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ or we walk as Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind having the understanding Darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart Nor is it enough for a man to know the state of Christians in General but he must moreover labour to know his own state to be truly Christian in Particular according to that of the same Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith Prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates The words import a standing Relation of the soul to God as he is the giver of Life and Salvation as if he had said Examine your selves whether ye be in that Faith without which it is impossible to please God whether ye so come to God as to believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. Examine your own selves whether ye be in that faith by which Christ Jesus dwelleth in you and you in him Theâ—… is no man to be excused from this Examination from this Self-tryal much less to bâ—… Exempted from it For the Apostle speaketh very Passionately concerning it anâ—… we may take this for the meaning of hâ—… speech Have you been so long called 〈◊〉 the faith of Christ and do you not yet knâ—… whether ye be truly in that Faith If you 〈◊〉 not know it then examine and prove yoâ—…selves If you do know it then examine aâ—… prove your Faith For you must know thâ—… Jesus Christ is in you or that you are in a mâ—… miserable condition such as is the conditionâ—… Reprobates not of good Christians whereby is evident that every man is bound to knoâ—… his own Spiritual state or condition whâ—…ther he be in the state of Sin or in the staâ—… of Grace whether he be in the state of Sâ—…vation or in the state of Damnation whâ—…ther he be in the state of Faith or in the staâ—… of Infidelity Nor is this knowledge gottâ—… by looking abroad but by looking at homâ—… not by searching into Gods secrets but oâ—… own So saith the Apostle Rom. 10. 6 7 8 〈◊〉 The Righteousness which is of Faith speakâ—… on this wise Say not in thine heart Who shâ—… ascend into Heaven to wit that he mâ—…
reveal to me from thence Gods will coâ—…cerning my salvation for that is to bring Christ down from above to deny that Christ is already come down from heaven of purpose to shew us the way up thither Or who shall descend into the deep to wit to rescue me from the power of death and hell that is to bring up Christ again from the dead to deny that Christ is risen from the dead and hath conquered the power of death But what saith it The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved As if he had said What needs any man trouble himself about cuâ—…ious Questions to know whether he be in â—…he state of Salvation for that 's a thing which he can best know from his own mouth and from his own heart If his â—…eart be true to his Saviour by a lively Faith in his death and Resurrection And if his tongue be true to his heart by a â—…oyful Profession of that Faith If his Faithâ—…e â—…e agreeable to the word of Christ and his â—…fe be agreeable to his Christian faith eiâ—…er by his Innocency or by his Repentance â—…f his Inner man be true to Christ and his â—…uter man be true to his Inner man He needs neither Rove in uncertainties noâ—… Dive into Curiosities nor distract himself with Perplexities for he is undoubtedly in the state of Salvation The Spiriâ—… of God saith to a man in such a condition Thou shalt be saved Upon these Premiseâ—… of Faith and Obedience here specified bâ—… Confession it would be Unlogical anâ—… much more Untheological to deny thâ—… Conclusion the state of Salvation Thoâ—… shalt be saved And if you shall yet desire to know whether you have a trâ—… Faith or no I must tell you that as thâ—… life of the Soul is the life of the Body sâ—… Faith is the life of the Soul For Chriâ—… dwelleth in the heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. And as life is known to be in the body bâ—… its sense and motion so also is life known tâ—… be in the Soul First by its sence for 〈◊〉 hath a feeling of its own sins and groanâ—… under the burden of them It hath a feeling of Christs merits and mercies and râ—…joyceth in the comfort thereof Secondly by its motion The Affections are the feeâ—… by which the soul moveth Hence thaâ—… saying Anima est non ubi Animat sed uâ—… Amat The soul is not where it lives bâ—… where it loves consequently the soul thaâ—… placeth its love in God hath its life in God Omnia sunt Vita in Deo quae non vivunt in seipsis saith the Angelical Dr. most Angelically All things are life in God even those things which have no life in themselves Creatures that are dead in themselves are alive in God Creatures without life are life in him Creatures that have life in themselves yet in God have a far better life Thus men in themselves have but a Momentany a Corruptible an Indigent an Inglorious life But men in God have a life of Eternity of Incorruption of Al-sufficiency and full of Glory wouldst thou then live Eternally Incorruptibly Contentedly and gloriously Go out of thy self O Devout soul and live in God Go out of thy self by thy Affections which will carry thee from earth to Heaven from thy self to thy Saviour and will make thee whiles thy body is below mount up on high Placing thy heart where thy Treasure is for Christ alone is the Treasure of Souls who alone is the Saviour and Lover of Souls even in Heaven nay in the highest part of Heaven at the right Hand of God This is the Apostles advice Col. 3. 1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your Affections on things above not on things on earth And we may very well turn this Advice into an Argument to prove that we are indeed Risen with Christ because we do seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God because we do settle our affections on things above not on things of the earth but withall we must carefully observe the nature of this proof For 1. It is not a Violent but a Voluntary motion of the Affection that is herâ—… required the things above are such as wâ—… seek with Desire and find with Delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quae sursum sunt qâ—…aerite seek those things which are above Noâ—… turn Seeker after mens new Phansies bâ—… after Gods old Mercies Psal. 25. 6. Thâ—… Tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses fâ—… they have been ever of old It is in the Hebrew Quia à seculo ipsae No Verb at aâ—… to signifie any Time to shew they were bâ—…fore all time from everlasting and shaâ—… continue beyond all time to everlasting 〈◊〉 is the consideration of these everlasting meâ—…cies that maketh the soul to seek after Gâ—… the father of mercies Not the Fear of heâ—… but the Love of heaven It is not a Violeâ—… but a Voluntary motion That is the first 2. Secondly Again It is not the motion of one Affection but of all for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set your affection is spoken Indifinitely and therefore since in a matter necessary Universally It is not some affections for God some for the World for so had wicked Balaam Num. 23. 10. saying Let me die the death of the Righteous And yet he loved the wages of Unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 15. But all the affectious must be for God For as a man cannot live the life of nature and have his Heart divided so much less can he live the Life of Grace Therefore all the Affections His Affections are settled Universally That is the second 3. Thirdly This motion of the soul is not without Deliberation and great Judgement For it is grounded upon the consideration and belief of Christs Resurrection If ye then be risen with Christ The consideration That Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers makes him Believe The consideration That Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God in the Glory of the Father maketh him Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right Hand of God His Judgement goes before his Affection the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requires no less He hath seriously computed with himself and sees there is but one Pearl of great Price unto his Soul and for that he will sell all that he hath to buy it Mat. 13. 4. 5. His Affections are settled judiciously on Christ that 's the Third 4. Fourthly and lastly This motion of the soul is not without right Order for it begins from a right Principle and therefore must needs end with a blessed conclusion He is not moved with the Fear of Gods Majesty but
distress say effatha to my heart that it may be opened to receive thee say effatha to the heavens that they may be opened to receive my soul yea say unto my soul thou art my salvation for thou only who art All-sufficient canst speak unto my soul and thou only who art All-merciful wilt speak comfort to it And though for my sins thou art justly displeased yet for thine own Mercies thou wilt not long continue in that displeasure for thou hast proclaimed thy self to be the Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Lord say unto me thy unworthy servant that my sins are forgiven me and that I may go hence in peace for my faith hath saved me even that faith whereby I wholly trust in the Merits and Mercies of thy eternal Son Jesus Christ. 66. Hear my prayer O Lord and consider my desire hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake and enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And let not mine enemy persecute my soul and if it be thy will let not my disease smite my life down to the ground nor lay me in the darkness as men that have been long dead But if it be thy pleasure to torment and to destroy my body yet let not my spirit be vexed within me nor my heart within me be desolate But make me so remember the time and thy works past that I may be comforted in the time and thy works to come that stretching forth my hands and lifting up my heart unto thee I may lay hold on thee by a lively Faith Hope and Love and at last come to enjoy thee by a blessed vision comprehension and fruition And my soul gasping â—…nto thee as a thirsty Land may be satisfied with the dew of thy heavenly blessings for evermore 67. O Lord remember that I am the work of thy hands the image of thy counteâ—…ance the price of thy blood And have mercy on me as thy work as thy image and as thy purchase for the paternal bowels of God the Father that created me for the bleeding wounds of God the Son that redeemed me and for the unutterâ—…ble groans of God the Holy-Ghost that sanctifieth me O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord strengthen me in my sickness receive me at my death and acquit me in the Judgement Amen 68. Hear me O Lord and that soon for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit O let me hear thy loving-kindness late in the evening of this life and betimes in the morning of Eternity for in thee is my trust shew thou me the way that leadeth in the truth and unto the life for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies both corporal and spiritual for I flie unto thee to hide me Let thy loving Spirit lead me forth out of this Land of unrighteousness and lead me into the Land of righteousness Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake and then most when I shall be nearest death and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of all her troubles that I may give thanks unto thee with those blessed spirits which lived here in thy fear departed hence in thy favour and now are with thee in eternal joy and glory Psal. 143. v. 7 c. 69. Deal thou so with me O Lord God according to thy Name that in the greatest bitterness of my soul I may both see and confess that sweet is thy Mercy O deliver me for I am helpless and poor and my body is tormented without me and my heart is wounded within me Psal. 109. ver 22 23. but be thou ease to my body and joy to my heart in Jesus Christ. 70. O Lord I confess to thy glory and minâ—… own shame that when I call to mind the â—…oulness of mine own transgressions I am â—…shamed when I call to mind the exactâ—…ess and severity of thy Justice I am afraid â—…o lift up mine eyes to heaven or to look â—…owards the place where thine honour â—…welleth But O look thou down upon â—…e with the eye of pity and compassion â—…ho am altogether unworthy to look up â—…nto thee with the eye of hope and confiâ—…ence and relieve me in my sickness and â—…eceive me at my death for thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ. 71. I will alway give thanks unto the Lord â—…is praise shall ever be in my mouth yea my soul shall make her boast of the Lord â—…or I sought him and he heard me yea â—…e delivered me out of all my fear I had 〈◊〉 eye unto him and I was enlightened I â—…ave tasted and seen how gracious the â—…ord is blessed be my soul for trusting 〈◊〉 him and blessed be his grace for working 〈◊〉 my soul that trust to rely and depend â—…pon his Mercy for evermore Psal. â—…34 72. Lord touch my tongue with a coal from â—…hine Altar to take away the pollution of my lips and touch my heart with the immortal flames of thy love to take away the deadness and dulness of my thoughts that both tongue and heart being purged from the filthy dregs of flesh and sin I may in my greatest infirmities labour to praise thee according to the greatness of thy glories And because I cannot sufficiently praise thee whiles I am in this corrupted and corruptible body take my soul in thy due time away from hence that I may in thy heavenly Jerusalem sing unto thee acceptable and immortal praises for ever and ever Amen 73. Righteousness and equity O Lord are the habitation of thy seat O let righteousness and equity be fixed in my heart that thou mayest therein fix thy habitation Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face O let Mercy and Truth be alwaies in my soul Mercy to forgive Truth to be for given that when my soul shall go out of my body it may joyfully go before thy face and rejoyce in thy presence for ever more for blessed are the people O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance Lord thou hast given me the first part of this blessing to rejoyce in thee here on earth O give me also the second part of it that when I shall go hence I may walk in the light of thy countenance hereafter in heaven Amen 74. Who am I O Lord God and what is this my house of clay that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servant for a great while to come even for the daies of Eternity that thou wilt at last bring me to thy self For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them and
enjoy thee And now O Lord God the Word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant establish it for ever and do as thou hast said for thou O Lord God hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the soul of thy servant be blessed for ever 2 Sam. 7. 18. 75. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us O Lord let me not fear being deprived oâ—… my earthly inheritance by death whiles 〈◊〉 find in my self the work of this Regeneration and cherish in my self the hope of this resurrection But let me ever be kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time that I may therein greatly rejoyce though now for a season I am in heaviness through manifold temptations 2 Pet. 1. 3. That the tryal of my faith being much more precious then of Gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire may be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 76. O thou who hast given me the soul of thy Christ and of my Jesus to sanctifie me the body of Christ to nourish and strengthen me the blood of Christ to redeem me the stripes of Christ to heal me the agonies of Christ to comfort and to refresh me give me also the wounds of Christ to hide me that thou mayest not Judge me or the Merits of Christ to cover me that I may be acquitted in the Judgement O Lord who didst not despise man transgressing and falling from thee do not despise me repenting and returning to thee but as thou hast opened unto me a door of faith and repentance unto life so shut not that door against me now I am desirous to enter in by it and to come to thee O Lord I believe help my unbelief O Lord â—…repent increase my repentance and give unto me that repentance whereby thou wiâ—…t accept me and that faith whereby I may receive and embrace thee for ever 77. The Lord make me faithfully to remember and thankfully to consider and constantly to believe that he who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for me will also with him freely give me all things or rather hath already with him freely given me all things that I was capable to receive and now is enlarging my capacity that he may enlarge his own bounteous liberality He is making me capable of receiving more that he may freely give more He hath made me capable of receiving himself his Son his holy Spirit by Faith Hope and Love He will now make me capable of receiving and enjoying himself his Son his holy Spirit by vision comprehension and fruition A vision that shall see him as he is in his excellent glory A comprehensioâ—… that shall fully receive and firmly retaiâ—… him And a fruition that shall perfectlâ—… enjoy him and perfectly rejoyce in him One God Father Son and Holy-Ghost world without end Amen 78. Abide thou with me O Lord Jesuâ—… Christ for it is towards evening with me and the day is far spent of this my toilsom and troublesom life And though my eye be holden that I do not see thee whiles I have sad communications with mine own heart yet be thou pleased still to tarry with me and to sit at meat with me and to bless to me the holy repast of eternity and mine eyes shall soon be opened to see thee and my heart shall be opened to receive thee And do not vanish out of my sight till thou hast brought me to see thee in thy heavenly Kingdom Amen 79. God be merciful unto me and bless me and shew me the light of his countenance in my passing through Death and be merciful unto me in bringing me to everlasting life The Lord bless me and keep me the Lord make his face to shine upon me and be gracious unto me The Lord lift up â—…is countenance upon me and give me â—…eace God the Father preserve me in my â—…assage by his Almighty power God the â—…on guide and direct me by his All-seeing wisdom God the Holy-Ghost assist and comfort me by his All-sufficient Grace and Goodness and bring me to everlasting life Amen 80. Now the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing that I may abound in Hope through the power of the Holy-Ghost Rom. 15. 13. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen 2 Tim. 4. 18. The sick mans Devotions To the Reader DEvotion is seldom Cordiaâ—… when it is constrained and iâ—… is commonly constrained when either Fear or Paâ—… makes a man devout For then he may seem to have taken up Sauls resolution 1 Sam. 13. 12. Therefore said I the Philistines will now come down upon me and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering So is it too too frequently with those men who neglect the motives and means of prayer whiles they are in health and leave all their suplications to be made in their sickness or any other great extremity for whiles â—…y vainly fear lest custom should make â—…ir prayers uncordial or undevout they â—…erably find that compulsion doth indeed â—…ve them to be so since therefore either â—…tom of praying will steal away thy heart thou fondly thinkest or contempt of praywill harden thy heart at I flatly averr now in good time what thou hast to do a phantastical fear is no excuse for runâ—…g into a real mischief Whiles thou â—…ishly fearest lest thy heart should be stolen 〈◊〉 impiously causest thy heart to be hardenâ—… Consider therefore what the Prophet â—…uel hath taught thee to say and do in thy â—…resses to thy Maker since God hath set 〈◊〉 appointed him to direct and guide thee â—…y Devotions And do not as Saul did 〈◊〉 without a Priest or with a Priest of â—…e own choosing perhaps of thine own â—…ing offer thy burnt-offering lest Samuel 〈◊〉 at the end of thy sacrifice and say unto 〈◊〉 as he said unto him v. 13. thou hast 〈◊〉 foolishly thou hast not kept the comâ—…dment of the Lord thy God which he â—…manded thee this reproof as it doth â—…rly concern thee so it will undoubtedly siâ—…e thee for when God hath given thee a sure Guide for thy Devotions even such a Church as neither the wit of man can prove nor the malice of Devils can make guilty either of Faction or of Superstition If thou wilt not go along with this Guide but wilt needs gad after thine own imaginations thou dost indeed follow Saul in his sin and art like to follow him in his punishment thou appeasest not wrath but provokest it thou forsakest God and