the businesse M. Commissary did solemnly protest that he did not prosecute us because we kept afast and prayed for the King but heard that it was so well performed that if it had been with authority he would have been at it himselfe and then I did acknowledge that I was sorry that I did not apprehend it so To this effect then we did consult what might be done for the repayring of Master Commissaries reputation so we resolved that Master Commissary should put in a bill against me and I should not plead against it and so a writ of enquiry should go out to enquire what damage this was to Master Commissary and he promised me if they gave him two hundred pound he would not take a penny of it so he put in two bils of complaint what great damage he was put unto and whereas before he was well esteemed of noblemen and gentlemen now they eschew his company whereunto I made this short answer When M. Cōmissary shal clear himself of the suspition of treason against the Kings Royall person and cleare his bill of untruths I hoped I should be at more leasure to make a longer answer in the meane time desired to be dismissed of the honourable court so they gave him a hundred pound damage which I tendred unto him and he told it and put it up againe every penny I gave him a piece of plate with two hearts joyned together and this inscription Amantium ira amoris redintigratio est and so we continued very loving friends to his death and he told a gentlewoman of great worth his loving neighbour that never any affliction did him so much good to commiserate this trouble and vexation that he had done to others and so grew one of the best Commissaries and died lamented A Copy of a Letter to Sir Oliver Luke Knight when he was high Sheriffe SIr the blessed Apostle having used that vehement intreaty unto the Romanes to dedicate themselves to the service of God chapter the 12. In the next verse he doth second that intreaty with this excellent exhortation And fashion not your selves like unto this world but be ye changed by the renewing of your minds that you may prove what that good and acceptable and perfect will of God is Whereupon I beseech you give me leave to make this profitable application to you in particular whom it hath pleased God to call now unto an office of great dignity in the common wealth And humbly I beseech him likewise to give you a wise heart to mannage it to his glory and the good of his Church and the comfort of your owne soule and that you may so doe take heed you doe not fashion your self like unto this world not like to a worldly Sheriffe especially in these two thinges neither in your Officers nor in your Attendancy for it is oft the custome of carnall minded Sheriffes to receave there under officers by tradition whatsoever their condition be but I pray be not you in that fashion but follow that grave and holy direction that Iethro gave to Moses Exod. the 18. the 21. Moreover provide thou amongst all thy people men of courage fearing God men dealing truely hating covetousnesse and therefore I pray make a diligent inquisition amongst your officers and if you finde one lewd Bayliffe in all your pack let him be discarded and an honest man put in his place againe it is the fashion of many vain glorious Sheriffs to exceed so in the number of their attendants and in their excessive entertainments that they are forc't either to end their house keeping with their office or else to lay such heavy burthens and wracking rents upon their tennant as gives them just cause to lament the prodigallity of their landlords Sherivalty seaven yeares after but I beseech you take heed you be not in any sort drawne to like of this fashion neither by the instigation of others nor by the volentary offers of your honourable friends which at this time it may be will be too forward to adde fewell to the flame of your one ambition but I pray consider your own revenue is very cōpetent both for your own ranck and for the support of that office which is imposed upon you and thanks be unto God for it Master Oliver Luke is well known and well esteemed of in the country without the liveries of great mens favoures and therefore I pray stand firme upon your owne bottome and let your own vertues make you still to be honoured and not your excesse lamented and in my poor conceit it is more for your reputation to shew your selfe in the habite of true judgement and moderation and attended with your own servants then to encrease your number with borrowed companies and decke your troopes with the gay feathers of other birds Again consider you are to entertaine Judges of the land men of wisdome and gravity and such as should punish excesse and prodigallity as well as theft and usury besides these times are so peaceable that they need not such troopes of horse or Squandrons of foote to guard their persons nor such pompe nor bravery to divert their minde from the better consideration of these great and serious imployments that they are to goe about Lastly in the feare of God lay this consideration well to your heart how unseasonable unseemly a thing it is to make that a time of feasting and outward jollity which should be a time rather of fasting and mourning wherein both Magistrate and people should bewaile their own sins and the sins of the land which at such times are so apparant and for the which many of their Christian brethren do suffer such heavy Iudgements and therefore if we were in the right fashion we should weep with those that weep and remember those that are in bonds as though we were bound with them and those that are in affliction as if you were also afflicted with them Heb. 13. 3. Thus did that noble Magistrate Ezra fast and mourne for the sins of the people and thus did David Samuel the 1. the 3. the 35. and therefore what great cause is there for our Magistrates to fast and mourn when they hear of so many thefts and murthers and abhominable sins committed in our streets and for the which the Lord might iustly bring his fearfull Iudgements upon the whole land And thus good Sir Oliver through the Lords mercy you may see that they are very proposterous in their house shew great want of true iudgement and Christianlike affection that thinke these fit times for feastings pompe and outward bravery And therefore I beseech you take heed unto your own heart and let neither the vaine examples nor the violent perswasions of vain glorious men drawe you into their vaine errours but evermore remember that most holy saying and righteous censure of our Saviour Christ Saint Luke 16. 15. That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God
of our life that so it may be well with us at our last breathing and in the dreadfull day of judgement and in this confidence we do not only pray for our selves but also for all our christian brethren upon the face of the Earth those especially that are wounded in their soules and consciences and those that sufferd for the truth sake and those that are visited with mortall disstresse and tormenting crosses and weare new the point of death and prepare them for thy glorious Kingdome good Lord blesse our gracious King Charles and his great Court of Parliament worke graciously in the heart of the King and all his Subjects and in the heart of the Prince and all his people godly sorrow for all our sinnes and give us grace to weepe and mourne night and day for the sinnes and abominations of these sinfull times and cry mightily unto the Lord to turne away those heavie judgements we have justly deserved and continue his great mercy towards us and inflame their hearts with all holy zeale and devotion to advance the glory of God and doe good unto thy faithfull ones and on the other side to raise up their hearts with an everlasting hatred of all sinnes and utterly to abolish that and to roote that out and make them zealous to execute justice upon the malefactors that have so dishonoured God and labour to bring in Idolatry Popery and shed innocent blood and persecute thy faithfull ones that there may be that due execution of justice upon them as may most tend to thy glory the peace of the Church and comfort of thy faithfull ones and to the terrour of all wicked and prophane men blesse our Royall Queen convert her heart more more glorious to the love of the Gospell that shee may renounce all popery and Idolatry and wholly rest upon our Lord Iesus Christ to be her onely Saviour and her everlasting Redeemer that so the Angels in Heaven might rejoyce to see her true conversion unto Thee and blesse all good meanes that may effect the same in thy due and appointed time and make all faithfull Bishops and ministers of thy sacred word take all opportunities to effect the same as they will answere that in the dreadfull day of judgement good Lord blesse the Prince and the Princesse and all those of the Royall posterity and the Prince of Orringe and his Royall Consort sanctifie their hearts now in their tender yeares with the truth of thy holy religion and work in their hearts an everlasting hatred against all Popery Idolatry and prophanesse Good Lord blesse the Prince Elector worke graciously in his Royall heart godly sorrow for all his sinnes and let oh let wee humbly beseech thee the precious blood of our Saviour Christ cleanse him from all his sinnes and make him as pure both in soule and body as if he never had sinned but continued in the first state of innocency and cloath him with the holynesse and righteousnesse of our Lord Iesus Christ that hee may stand ever acceptable in thy fight and enabled to performe that great service unto thee to burne the Whore of Babylon with fire and revenge the blood of thy Saints to that end put it into the hearts of all the Kinges and Princes of the Earth to fulfill thy will to hate the Whore make her desolate and naked and burne her with fire Good Lord for the Lord Iesus sake blesse the Queene of Bohemiah and the Queene of Swedon those of that Royall issue that hath pleased the a long time to humble them with a dejected state and to suffer the enemies of thy truth greatly to insult over them to spoile their goodly Cities to burne downe their houses with fire and carry so many of our Christian brethren and sisters into a miserable captivitie and to shed so much innocent blood but thou doest all things with infinite wisedome thou knowest the fittest meanes to humble thy children and thou knowest the fittest time to make them glorious in their deliverance good Lord in thy blessed time revenge their cause and setle them againe in the inheritance of their Fathers and set them up to sit with the Princes of thy people in the meane time give unto thy servants faith and patience a godly sorrow for all their sinnes and holy zeale and wisedome to make their inheritance sure in heaven and lay up their treasure where that is not subject to these alterations and changes and confound the power of Ante-Christ that man of sinne and his adherentes that they may not to much insult ovet thy Children nor to much disturbe the peace of thy faithfull ones but in thy blessed time make it appeare how precious the blood of thy Saints is in thy sight and what a fearefull accompt they shall make for the same at the day of judgement before the great God of Heaven and Earth that art no respector of persons Blesse the good Bishops and faithfull Ministers of thy sacred word especially those that thou hast placed over us give them wisedome and grace to preach thy heavenly word powerfully and profitablely to our soule and consciences and blesse them in their lives and conversations that ye may be pure and peaceable that so they may be a a blessed meanes to convert many soules unto thee Root out those that are so scandolous and ignious and labour to bring in Idolatry and prophanes and make them evermore to finde by experience that thou that fittest in the heavens will laugh them to scorne and have them in dirision Be mercifull unto our Christian brethren in the Palatinate in Germany other places of Christendom which suffer for the truth and the profession of the glorious Gospell and deliver them from blood thirstie men and gratiously supply all their wants both soule and body in thy appointed time Blesse our Christian bretheren in Virgenia and new England those remoted places of the world keepe them from secret schismes herisies and set their feete into the way of peace and deliver them from their enemies Blesse our Nobles Peares Iudges of the land and Councellers of state blefle them and their councell that tend to thy glory the peace of the Church and the good of the commonwealth that their councels may evermore bee happely established to the confusion of the wicked devises of ungodly men and women that labour to bring in Idollatry popery and prophannesse oh blesse we beseech thee our afflicted brethren sisters that are humbled with the sight of their sinnes and the terror of thy judgements due unto them for the same make clearely appeare unto them thy everlasting mercy towards them in our Lord Iesus Christ their blessed Saviour and Redeemer and that his precious blood doth cleanse them from all their sins and make them as pure in thy sight as if they continued in their happie estate of innocency and let thy grace bee sufficient for them to support them in all their
Sons and therefore you must give them good example of wisdome and sobrietie for godlinesse is great gaine if we can be contented with that we have and God hath blessed you with a rich portion of outward beauty and comelinesse and therefore do not deface that incomparable worke of God with such base trash and trumperie for you shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven into the companie of glorious Saints with that trumperie on your back and gaudes on your head Consider what I say and the Lord give you grace to repent of your sins before you go hence and be no more seen Amen Amen From him that doth desire your endlesse happinesse Iohn Spencer Good Brother I Am desirous to heare if my Father Winne have paid the fifty pounds unto Sir Milss Fleetwood and also to admonish you as I take it of your unseasonable payment of one hundred pounds upon the Sabbath day morning before Harborough Faire alas was that a fit time to tell money and to make your Accompts with men when you should accompt with God was that a fit time to rumble in your Chest for your money-bags when you should have ransackt your heart for your sius must not the Lord of Sabboths needs be highly offended to see the service of men preferred before his divine Service and more care had for the buying of Oxen than for the keeping of his holy Sabbath must not the Lord needs visit for such sins nay hath he not already visited although in great mercy for was not your dear and onely son within a few dayes after closed up in a Chest and there found by his mother speechlesse and near his last breathing had not the Lord in judgement remembred mercy and restored life when we deserved death and if you did not already make use of it I beseech you in the feare of God assure your selfe that in that judgement the Lord would have you take notice of that particular sinne for if you remember when I was with you at Arlsen I told you before I heard of this that you must thinke that there was something amisse that the Lord would have reformed when he threatened such fearefull judgement to this effect And therefore I beseech you bewaile that grievous sinne and as Iob made a Covenant with his eyes so doe you make a Covenant with your hands never to abuse them so againe with telling money upon the Sabbath day And remember it was Balaams ever to be lamented error still to pursue the wages of iniquity although the Angell threatened him with a drawing sword but let his fearefull end teach us with wisedome to returne in time and repent of our sinnes and make our peace with our God before we goe hence and be no more seene and to say truth these dayes and dangerous times requires a continuall preparation for our last departure when so many wise and strong are taken away and their honour laid in the dust and we must looke also for our changing we know not how soone and therefore good brother let us walke circumspectly as the children of the light and such as are risen with Christ setting our affections on things that are above and not on things that are on the earth for our life is hid with Christ in God When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory In the meane time let us be diligent to exhort and admonish one another and to edefie one another in our holy faith that so we may grow from grace to grace and strength to strength till we become perfect men in Christ Amen Lord Jesus Amen Your loving Brother and the Lords unworthy Creature John Spencer Staughton More Novemb. 7. 1616. A Copy of a Letter to the prisoners at Bedford with a Booke of common Prayer and M. Dods exposition upon the Commandements bound up together with bosses and claspes BRethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for you poore prisoners is that your soules might be saved For I beare you record that in these places you endure many times hunger cold and much misery together with the fearefull expectation of the Judges comming and the sentence of death yet if God doth not worke in your hearts true repentance and sanctifie these afflictions unto you it will be but as a forerunner of the appearing before that dreadfull Iudge that will pronounce that fearefull sentence of damnation against the wicked of Goe ye cursed into hell fire and these yron chaines a shadow of those everlasting chaines of darknesse wherein the wicked shall be for ever tormented and therefore that I might be a meanes through Gods mercy to further you in that holy worke of true repentance I have procured these two bookes to be bound up together for your better use in this place of restraint the one commended and commanded by the publique authority for the publique service of God the other the worke of a reverend Preacher an excellent exposition of the Commandements both being undertaken in the feare of God and diligently used may be a blessed meanes to further you in the way of repentance and to set your feet into the way of peace First therefore pray earnestly to God to give you understanding hearts and then read and then pray and read againe and the Lord of heaven so blesse you in reading and praying that you may truly repent you of all your sinnes before you goe hence and be no more seene Amen Stoughton Moore 1624. From him that wisheth your everlasting happinesse LEt me intreat you in the feare of God that one of you that is best affected and best inabled to read Prayers and the Psalmes for Morning and Evening Prayer according to the order that is appointed in the booke of common Prayer and then in stead of the Chapters which you should read in the Bible if you had it read every morning and evening a portion of the Commandements as is appointed for the day of the month that so the booke of the Psalmes and the exposition of the Commandements may be read over once every moneth and upon every Sabbath day I would have you besides the ordinary portion appointed for that day of the month read the exposition of the fourth Commandement halfe at morning prayer and halfe at evening prayer Let one read distinctly and reverently and let the rest heare diligently and devoutly I doe humbly desire the honourable Court of Parliament to take that to their consideration that every prison may be furnisht with such a booke and every high Sheriffe of every countrey provide a Preacher to visit the prisoners once every week for it is pittifull to see how they are neglected A Copy of a Letter to M. Hutchinson to whose hands King Iames committed me after I delivered unto him the petition for the Sabbath MY very loving and kind Keeper although you have been long out of sight yet you have been oftentime in minde and often in my
of your afflictions more repentant teares have been put up into the Lords bottle then in many yeers before account not this as a small blessing nor passe it over with a slight thankfulnesse but take speciall notice of it assure your selfe this faire will not last all the yeer and the time will come when you will desire to see these teares of contrition and shall not see them no though you seek them with fasting and prayer and that you may the better conceave how blessed their estate is that have a contrite heart and sorrowfull spirit I pray consider of that wonderfull comfortable promise of the Lord Isaiah 57. 15. For thus saith he that is high and excellent that inhabiteth eternity whose name is the holy one I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life unto them that are of a contrite heart who would think themselves most happy that had a heart fit to entertaine that glorious guest thus likewise doth the holy prophet testifie Psal. 34. 13. The Lord is near unto them that are of a contrite heart and will save such as are afflicted in spirit and our blessed Saviour in whose mouth was no guile he saith blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and in the 16 of S. Iohn verse the 20 Verily verily I say unto you ye shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce and ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy a woman when she travelleth hath sorrow because her hower is come but assoone as she is delivered of the childe she remembreth no more the anguish for ioy a man is borne into the world and you now therefore are in sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall reioyce and your ioy shall no man take from you Thus you may see this godly sorrow is but as the throes of our spirituall birth in Christ which although it may be somewhat grievous for a time yet when we see our selves thereby borne againe of water and the spirit and so made able to enter into the Kingdome of heaven oh how ioyfull and comfortable should this make us to be many would with Zebedees sons sit one at the right hand the other at the left hand of our Saviour Christ in his kingdome but they are loth to tast of this cup but let us know assuredly that as he is entred into his Kingdome of glory through many tribulations so must we follow him thorow many tribulations if ever we will come there you are now in the way be not weary of well doing nor turn not backe till you come to that holy resting place and that you may finish your course with ioy and comfort be diligent in prayer and observe a constant course therein evening and morning and at noone dayes and as often as you finde your affliction to presse and oppresse your soule then make your mone unto your mercifull God and powre out your soules before him and especially bewaile wicked thoughts and vaine lusts where withall you heretofore so mnch delighted your selfe and labour to mourn in secret for them and likewise all other secret sins and that your prayers may be more fervent adde thereunto the holy use of moderate fasting and this I trust through the Lords mercy you shall finde an excellent meanes to recover your selfe unto your spirituall chearfulnesse again and be not discouraged from these holy exercises though Sathan strive neversomuch to vex and terrifie you nay though you feare the Lord is angry with you nay though you knew that assuredly yet pray with the Psasmist Psal. 80. 5. O Lord God of hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people Secondly having in this holy manner recomended your soule and body unto God in prayer waite upon him with a quiet minde assuring your selfe that now the Lord is to take care of you and therefore cast your care upon him and so with a setled resolution dispose of your selfe unto some profitable imployments fitting for your calling and this course the Prophet David tooke Psal. the 5. 3. Heare my voyce in the morning O Lord for in the morning wil I direct me unto thee and I will wait and what good successe those have that do thus attend we may read in the Psalm 147. 11. But the Lord delighteth in them that fear him and attend upon his mercy Thirdly labour for meeknesse of heart and an humble spirit for where this grace is in some reasonable manner attayned there the heart of affliction doth breake away apace and the danger thereof of is little to be feared for our blessed Saviour hath pronounced a double blessednesse unto such Matthew the 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth And the want thereof hath driven many in their desperate fury to loose their inheritance both in heaven and earth Fourthly take heed of moderate greife and violent passions which at this time is very unseasonable though easily fallen into and therefore watch over your own heart diligently and doe not entertaine so much as a sorrowfull sigh into your heart except it be for your sin nor an impatient word into your lippes except it be when you see God dishonoured and then speake zealously and spare not and furthermore you must be contented to be admonished of these infirmities by your Christian friends with whom you do converse for it may be they may discerne these things amisse in you when you doe not discerne it in your selfe being overwhelmed with the pleasing humour of Sottish melancholy Lastly that you may well remember it you must by all meanes possible strive to serve the Lord with a cheerfull heart and a willing minde for the Lord loveth a chearfull giver and especially in matters of his holy worship therefore when you come to hear his holy word to fast to pray to religious conference or any other holy duty strive to doe it chearefully and to reioyce even in your very teares for I can tell you that is a good cause to make both you and others reioyce it may be you thinke it strange but read what Saint Paul saith to his intirely beloved Timothcus and then I hope you will say I am in the right desiring to see thee mindfull of thy teares that I might be filled with ioy 2. of Timothy the 1. 6. And for neglect of this duty the Lord doth threaten many heavy Judgements against the children of Israel Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servest not thy Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all things therefore thou shalt serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send uppon thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednes and in need of all things And thus according to my simple understanding I
aflictions And confound the power and malice of the Devill and all his devilish devises whereby hee labours to drive them to dispayre and to lay violent hands upon themselves and make him feare and tremble with the consideration that all these evill thoughts and wicked suggestions which hee puts into our hearts shall be set upon his own score and adde to his greater damnation in utter darkenesse and hell fire Blesse all our Christian brethren that are visited with the Plague and other mortall diseases comfort their soules and worke in their hearts godly sorrow for all their sinnes and that they may cry mightily unto the Lord for mercy before they go hence and be no more seen and give them faith to beleeve in our Lord Iesus to bee their Saviour and everlasting Redeemer and that his precious bloud that cleanseth from all their sinnes and that hee will vouchsofe to bee unto them advantage both in life and death O blesse we beseech Thee our distressed brethren that are in distraction raging madnesse fury those that wee have taken the speciall care custody of whether present or absent oh stay them from laying violent hands on themselves or others thou that art the God of infinite wisdome and power that stillest the raging of the Seas and the madnesse of the people stay those raging fits and set their feet into the way of peace Blesse all our Christian friends Father Mother sisters and brothers those we have taken the speciall care and custody of wife children and servants and other our neighbours and friends amongst whom we live grant that wee and they may labour to keepe our soules and bodies pure and undefiled and make our houses the houses of prayer not a den of theeves and keep us from all infection of Idolatry popery and prophanenesse and if it shall please thee to bring us to such an honorable triall grant that wee may witnesse thy truth with our best bloud And now good Lord in the name of our Saviour Iesus Christ we praise magnifie thy holy name for that everlasting love of thine towards us in sending our Lord Iesus to be our Saviour for all those blessed comforts revealed unto us in thy sacred word for comforting our soules when wee have been so neer the point of despaire raysing our weak bodies when wee have been so neer the point of death and set our feet in the way of peace when we have been running the headlong course to damnation and blessed our labours and made us a meanes to yeeld comfort to any of our destressed brethren and sisters and blessed bee thy holy name that hath enabled us to write this book unto our gratious King good Lord blesse it that it may tend to thy glory to the confounding of Antichrist and his friends and the comfort of our afflicted brethren in their afflicted state And blessed be thy holy name for blessing us with the good things of the land thou hast given us the first and second raine and caused the earth to bring forth hearbs for the use of man and fodder for cattle and caused our vallies to stand so thicke with Corne and Wheate that wee have cause to tell of thy goodnesse all the day long and sent us peaceable dayes that we might receive the fruit of the Earth in due season notwithstanding the feare and terrour of the Schottish Armies hast given such holy wisedome to our gracious King to compose those dangerous warres with honour and safety to both Nations and blessed be thy holy name for continuing thy holy word unto us thy holy sacrament and thy holy ordinances unto us and blessed be thy holy name that continues our gracious King unto us and our great Counsell of Parliament and us with comfort and confidence that thou wilt be graciously pleased to make a holy reformation on both in Church and Common wealth and rise up with all holy indignation to root out all Idolatry popery and all prophannesse and Papeists Atheists and Anabaptistes that doe so oppose thy truth authority government of our gracious King oh convert their hearts or else confound their devices and bring them to their well deserved ends And blessed be thy holy name that hast done such great thinges for us in discovering those horrible treasons and rebellious Idolatry popery and prophanesse and so confounded them and brought many of them to their shamefull and well deserved ends And blessed be thy holy name for thy gracious providence over us this night that we have not perished in workes of darknesse that wee have not fallen into despaire raging madnesse that thou hast not suffered our houses to be burnt downe with flames of fire or our enemies to possesse our gates and now good Lord what shall we render unto thee for all thy mercies shewed towards us still take up the cup of salvation and still entreat thy mercies to be continued towards us this day and for evermore and that wee may be the better for thy service and the workes of our calling sanctifie all the faculties of our soules and all the parts and members of our bodyes make our will ever liable to thy will our understanding apt to conceive of those misteries of our salvation and our memories apt to retaine all holy lessons good directions that we may make use of them in our lives and conversations sanctifie all the affections of our hearts our love that it may be setled upon thee and thy sacred word our feare that it may make us feare and tremble to commit the least sinne or doe any thing that might tend to thy dishonour or the hurt of our neighbour and sanctifie our anger that it make us zealous for thy glory and boldly to reproove sinne both in our selves and in others and sanctifie our sorrow that it may be termed into a godly sorrow for our sinnes and the abominations of this land And sanctifie all the partes and members of our bodyes that our eares may be dilligent to heare the word of God and all good councell that our eyes may be dilligent to see and observe thy glorious workes in the creatures and to admire thy infinite wisedome and power in the creating of them and thy mercy and goodnesse in preserving them for our use and comfort our speeches that they may be gracious and tend to thy glory and the edifying of one another in our holy faith and keepe us from lying and swearing that whereunto by nature we are so prone and sanctifie our tast and smelling that wee may not abuse them to drunkennesse and gluttony and sanctifie our handes that we may imploy them dilligently in our calling and that they may be ready to defend the poore Fatherlesse Widows sanctifie our feet that they may be swift to heare thy word to visit the poore in their afflicted state and sanctifie our bodyes that wee may keep them pure and undefiled all the dayes of our life for these and other graces which we stand in need of Lord mercifully supply them for our Lord Iesus sake in whose most holy name in whose most holy wordes we pray unto Thee as our blessed Saviour hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. FINIS
pray for us and on the other side be not oh be not so secure nor put your confidence in your select company nor in those remoted woods and solitary mountaines but remember what befell unto Lot that was righteous Lot whilest he lived in Sodome but when he would fly out of Zoar to a solitary cave in the mountaines with his two daughters he committed those abominable sinnes there that his soule would have abhorred once to have thought on in Sodome and therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall our help is in the name of the Lord that hath made heaven and earth who is able to help us in all places and at all times and so beseeching the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the shepheard of his sheep through the bloud of the everlasting covenant make us perfect in all good works and to doe his will working in us that which is pleasant in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be praise for ever and ever Amen Even so I take my leave and rest Your loving and sinfull Cousin Iohn Spencer I pray remember my respective love to my gracious Cousin your loving wife who hath given such a testimony of her love unto you and the reverend opinion she hath of your honourable Calling and commend mee to the rest of my Cousins and to so many of our Christian friends as you think fit England Iuly 9. 1635. A charitable Consideration of new Englands plantation We read in holy Writ and Law Leviticall That if a man dyeth having no child at all His neerest kinsman by the right of Aliance Shall take both the Widdow and the Inheritance To raise up seed to the dead and by doing well Continue still his Brothers name in Israel Fair England of the Northern World the great renowne Having late made Vnion with the Scottish Crowne Thereby involving her title with great Brittaine And so lyeth obscured in that golden chaine We to continue the name of our Brother In great America hath rais'd up another The Almighty God grant that ever may remain An ornament to England a terror to Spain FINIS JOHN SPENCER Mtr. Brightman a little before he died translated the Canticles into verse whereupon I wrote these verses TH' heavenly song of that bright man Whereto he tun'd his latest breath Much like asilver shining-Swan Presag'd thereby his present death A goodlier song was never seene And few such singers left there been But you faire Signets which still remaines By pure streames of sacred Truth Washing your wings from sinfull staines With mournfull tears and dolefull ruth Lest you should him too much deplore For you this song he left in store Never therefore let the prophane With sinfull lips and hearts impure This sacred Song once dare to name Lest they damnation doe procure Let them with Toads their croaking make Till they doe their sins forsake But you deare Children of the light Whose lips are tun'd to sing this praise Oh labour still to shine more bright And therein spend your happiest dayes That when your dear Lord shall appeare He may you finde a Spouse most cleer FINIS Iohn Spencer A charitable Supposition of Mtr. Brightmans sudden Dissolution No marvell though so bright a man His glorious life in Heaven so soone began For long his soule had languish'd in great griefe To see Gods chosen Flocke to want their best reliefe And cruell Wolves dumbe dogs and lordly Masters Set in the roome of Christs faithfull Pastors Therefore his deare Lord seeing his servant thus distrest Took him away unto his everlasting rest FINIS Iohn Spencer Here lyeth inter'd Sarah Spencer the vertuous Wife of Iohn Spencer and Sarah his Virgin-Daughter Both so goodly faire and curteous As few such Sarahs will be found hereafter Blessed be the Lord God of Heaven and Earth That made them so renouned both in life and death A Coppie of a Letter sent to a great Lady MAdam my great care of your everlasting happinesse and my respective love to my reverend Cousin Mr. Lee who now is dead in the Lord and therefore must cease from his labour and from those holy endevours whereby he did labour to plant grace in your heart in your tender yeares and whereof you then gave such excellent hopes that in the Autumne of your age he should have seen a plentifull increase of that blessed fruit and many goodly sheaves of pietie and happinesse to his great comfort in the Harvest but it pleased God the great Lord of the Harvest to take him away as from other evils to come so likewise from those griefs that would have wounded his heart to see those flourishing hopes so nipt and withered in your spring-time it pleased God to make me partaker of his last prayer and to close his eyes Oh that it might be his blessed pleasure to make his Spirit to be redoubled on me that I might be the better able to admonish and exhort you to reform that which is amisse in you and disgracefull to your holy profession I meane in respect of your outward carriage and appearance with so many fond fashions and garish attires as to deale plainly with you were more meet for one of painted Iezabels profession than for a Lady of your worth and more fit to furnish a pedlers pack than to make open shew of them in the Church of God and in the Assembly of the Saints whereas things should be done with comelinesse and decencie and therefore he commandeth that no woman should be covered because of the Angels 1 Corinth 11. 10. and that women should pray with their heads covered But if this be a comely covering to have a womans head covered with dogs haire or goats haire and cats dung and painted fethers judge you for my owne part the Word of God wherewith you shall be judged condemnes it as odious and abominable but it may be you will say it is the Gallants fashion and what if the Venetian Curtizans have brought up that fashion must the religious Ladies of England follow that fashion God forbid the Children of God must not fashion themselues after the world Rom. 11. 2. But they must fashion themselvs according to the rule of Gods Word and then Madame marke what fashion you must be in 1 Timoth. 2. 9 10. Likewise also the women that they array themselves with shamefastnesse and modestie not with broidered haire or gold or pearls or costly apparell but as becommeth the feare of God with good works I beseech you in the feare of God deck your selfe with these rich jewels of faith and repentance humilitie patience fasting and prayer and good works that so you may be like the Kings Daughter glorious within and this will make you amiable in the sight of God and glorious in the eies of his Saints and remember you are the Daughter of a religious Ladie and the Wife of an ancient Knight and the Mother of two
and therefore hold fast that word of truth and follow the holy directions thereof which is able to make you wise unto salvation and both in these and all other your affaires first prove what that good acceptable and perfect will of God is and doe that with all diligence and then assure your selfe if you should fail of this fading honour that they so eagerly hunt after yet you shall have everlasting honour in the sight of God and of his glorious angells in the Kingdome of heaven Amen Lord Iesus Amen Staughton More Anno. 1617. From him that would be glad if either his penne or his person might doe you that good service he desires Iohn Spencer A Copy of a letter to his brother Nicholas Spencer to disswade him from his inordinate delight he took in Cock-fighting which soon after he happily and absolutely gave over IT is said of the churlish Inne-keeper of Bethlehem Luke 2. 7. who entertained so many guests in the Inne that the virgin Mary and our blessed Saviour were thrust out into the stable because there was no roome for them in the Inne but let us in in the fear of God take heed of such Jewish tricks lest in the end we force our Saviour Christ to leave us in the fight of our sins and ingratitute and then it will cost us many a grievous sigh many mournfull teares before we finde him againe read Cant. 5. 6. Nay so wofull shall our estate be that it shall be never out of our minde and now out of my brotherly love unto you I must admonish you of that bewitching and vain pleasure of Cockfighting wherein you are so strangely transported that both my selfe and many of your faithfull friends with grief of heart discern a great alteration in your affections to those courses of religion wherein heretofore you have shewed your selfe more forward and zealous I beseech ye in the fear of God consider to be a stunling in religion is a fearfull thing but to go ten degrees backward with Ezekiahs diall is most intollerable alas shall we begin in the Spirit and end in the flesh shall we be snch greedy Elues in our pleasure sell those heavenly ioyes and blessed hope of our heavenly inheritance for a messe of vaine delights Oh consider how farre we are from the holy zeale of those blessed Saints in Queen Maries dayes that forsook both their goods wives and children for the glory of God and the safety of their soules What vaine wretches shall we approve our selves to be if we will not forsake our vaine pleasures It is not your faire house nor your children nor loving wife I perswade you to forsake it is the vaine and unprofitable sport of Cock-fighting which brings ruine to your state and the endangering of your everlasting happinesse and therefore if either a desire to preserve your estate or to preserve your everlasting inheritance might prevaile my suit were soone granted But it may be you will say if I can prove this you will give over Cock-fighting Well upon that condition I will take some paines to make it manifest First to the matter of the ruine of your state I referre you to the examination of your particular exspences of those occasions and I pray let Sir William Dyers ruinate estate be a meanes to make you take heed by other mens harms for the matter of discontentment I appeal to no other judge then your loving wife which can tell you what discomforts she often times findes in your long absence the dangers that doth fright her when she considers that you are in the company of such swaggering companions for the latter which is the maine point I purpose to insist upon being a matter of such high concernment first because you make that a cause of your jollity and merriment which should be a cause of your griefe and godly sorrow for you take delight in the enmitie and cruelty of the creatures which was laid upon them for the sinne of man for the earth was accursed with thorns and briers for our sins and therefore the blood-shedding of the creatures should rather teach us to shed teares for our sins thus did Saint Peter when he heard the Cock crow he went out and wept bitterly I would to God you Cock-masters would make that use of these Cocks Secondly it is dangerous unto your soul in regard of the time that you mispend for if ye must give an account of every idle word that we speak Matth. 12. 36. How much more of idle houres and dayes and if you did keep as strickt an account as you do of your houshold expences you should at the weekes end see what a heavy reckoning you should make when you shall see before your eyes thus many houres of such a day and so many daies of such a week I have spent in my vain delights and thus few houres in the service of my God well howsoever we are loath to come to this account now yet we shall be one day brought to it whether we will or no Thirdly it is dangerous to your soul in regard of the company with whom you do converse who for the most part are either swearers drunkards or licencious people now if it be most true that the prophet saith Psal. 18. 25. With the holy thou shalt be holy and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect Then on the contrary it must needs be that with the wicked we shall learn wickednesse and with the prophane we shall learn prophanes for it is a hard matter to handle pitch and not to be defield with it or to lie among thornes and not be pricked with them as the Prophet saith 2. Sam. 23. 6 7. But the wicked shall be every one as thornes thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands but the man that shall touch them must be defenced with iron or with the shaft of a speare and they shall be burnt with fire in the same place Therefor dear brother if you did rightly consider of the hatefull and infectious qualitie of the wicked it will make you stand upon thorns while you are in their company and to bewaile the hardnesse of your heart which hath not felt them such pricking thornes all this while Lastly it is dangerous to your soule in making your soul guilty of many other mens sinnes by drawing away many a poore man from his honest labour whereby he should maintaine his wife and children to spend his time and money in such an idle manner but also you are guilty of many great mens sins whilest you see and hear the glorious Name of God dishonoured and dare not or will not reprove for the same consider what the Psalmist saith 50. 16. But unto the wicked said God what hast thou to do to declare mine ordinances that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my words behinde thee For when thou seest a thiefe thou runnest with
his souldier and if he finds him peevish and froward give him a good knock upon his helmet and if he finde him willing and tractable then to commend and praise him Ninthly for matter of Physick you must advise with some learned Physician that doth well understand the nature of the disease and the constitution of his body for otherwise he may be prodigall of blood-letting and the want of blood may increase his melancholy he must likewise take heed of strong vomits that strain the head and distemper the brain in my opinion bathing and sweating and bleeding with horseleeches the safer way Lastly because these maladies and distempers are accompanied with a great deale of peevish crossenesse and wilfull obstinacie and a great part of the cure stands in the right crossing of them from those froward and furious humours which will require great patience and good observation for the generall use all faire meanes you can devise to gain them to the good and divert them from the ill but if that will not prevail you must have patience and passe it over as though you took no notice of it but if it comes once to this that they do perceive that you go about to crosse them and that you are in opposition and contesting with them then you must follow it with all importunity and resolvtion to subdue them and compell them to do it but be sure you take them with such advantages that you prevail otherwise the attempting of it will prove dangerous to your selfe and make them more outragious and insolent Postscript Master Dixie I pray be carefull to see these directions well performed and then I hope you will well deserve to have twenty pound a yeer for your paines otherwise I would be loath to perswade you to undertake such a dangerous imployment A Copie of a Letter to a vertuous Gentlewoman greatly afflicted in minde which it pleased God to give unto her great comfort BLessed be God even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort which comforteth us in all our tribulations that we might be able to comfort them that are in any affliction by the comfort where with wee our selves are are comforted of God and humbly I beseech that gratious Lord that he will vouchsafe for his deare sonne Iesus Christ his sake to open your eyes that you may behold those unspeakeable mercies and comforts that he will in his appointed time give unto all those that do fear his holy name and call upon him faithfully Cosen I have lately receaved your letter wherein you doe acknowledge that when I was with you it pleased God you found some comfort praised be his holy name for it but since you have been very ill and so remaine some causes you shew for the same because you cannot be assured of the favour of God towards you the reasons that you alledge because you finde so small comfort in prayer and in hearing of the word Secondly because of your fearful temptations both past and still continuing these as I take it are your chief reasons being rightly understood they wil prove so many sound arguments to prove that you never had so good cause to rest assured of Gods favour towards you nor ever had so many testimonies of his everlasting mercyes towards you as you have now that afflictions chastisements and temptations are the signes of Gods favour and the markes of his children I pray consider what the holy Apostle saith Hebrews the 12. the 5. the 6. my son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and he scourgeth every son that he receiveth and mark how he concludes in the eight verse if therefore ye be without correction whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes is it not strange that you should vex and torment your self because the divell cannot prove you a bastard but it may be you may say it is not thus in your iudgement but then know that it is not fit for you to be a Judge in you own cause but submit your selfe unto the Judgement of Gods word which is the word of truth And beleeve his holy Apostles that knew how to iudge in those cases better then you and they will testifie that we have cause rather to reioyce then any wise to be discouraged with afflictions and temptations Saint Peter 1. 2 My brethren count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into temptations and the blessed Apostle Saint Paul when he was tempted and grievously buffeted by Sathan for the which thing he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him but what was he presently released no but receaved this answere from the Lord and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weaknesse and what was the blessed man dismayed with this answer or concluded as you would do that he was out of the favour of God because his prayer was not granted no such matter but rather doth conclude greater comfort and assurance very gladly therefore saith he will I rejoyce in my infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in anguish for Christ sake for when I am weake then am I strong thus you may see how the Apostle out of Daniel gathereth matter of comfort and out of his own weaknes encreaseth great strength of faith and thus must you do in these fearfull temptations not so much as cast your eyes upon your own weaknesse nor upon the strength and power of your malitious enemy but you must looke up with the eye of faith unto our blessed Saviour Iesus Christ who is in the highest heavens and whose grace is sufficient for us and he it is who hath triumphed over sin death and damnation and hath tramped underfoot all the enemyes of our salvation and therfore with the holy Prophet say The Lord is my light and my salvation whom then shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid Now concerning your discomfort in hearing the word because you take so small comfort in the promises and are so much terrified with the judgements This I take it proceeds partly from the errour of your judgment in misse-aplying the same and partly from the malice of Sathan who evermore labours to drive us into extremities either with Eve not to fear the iudgements of God at all or else with Cain to thinke our punishment greater then we can beare but even from your weaknesse and from Sathans malice doth the Lord draw out that which may tend to his glory and to your great comfort and hereby I trust he hath broken up the fallow grounds of your heart and brought you to godly sorrow for your sins so that I do assure my selfe within this short time
wisdome seeing either our too much doting affection on the on side or our to much contempt on the other side or else to try our disposition how willingly we would part with that he hath so freely bestowed upon us takes away this delightfull play-fellow from us And we then for the most part behave our selves like sullen boyes and murmure and repine against the proceedings of that gracious Lord that doth all things in infinite wisdome and judgement and therefore is evermore holy in all his ways and righteous in all his works who giveth and taketh in his appointed time and therefore unto him be all praise glory and thanksgiving for ever and ever Amen Amen In this heavy affliction in parting with so deare Beautifull and Vertuous a wife I Have found by lamentable experience that as we draw neere the Irish climate so we have to much Irish nature in us For they are comonly very fond loving to their foster children too rebellious to their governours God the great commander of Heaven Earth gives unto a man a wife to foster to make fit for the court of Heaven as the King of England should commit his son to a noble man in Ireland to be brought up till he be fit for his owne Court but this foster Father having got the possession of this princely child finding it some comfort and great honour unto him and yet withall a great care and a continuall watchfulnesse required for feare the child should miscary in his hands The King seeing his fit time sends for his sonne home to his owne Court and sets him in his owne presence and gives the foster Father an honourable reward for his loving care and paines taken notwithstanding the fosterer of this noble child is mal-content and fales a mourning and murmuring because he is freed of his great care even so the King of Kings gave unto me a beautifull and blessed child to foster and hath now freed me of that honourable charge with full assurance that he hath taken her into the Court of Heaven where she injoyes the highest happinesse in the presence of his glorious Majesty he hath likewise given mean honourable reward for my slight care and attendance ' of Gold silver friends Aliances and many divine things of her gathering for the comfort of my soule Notwithstanding al this yet I have behaved my self like a murmuring and unthankfull Rebell towards my dread Soveraigne because he hath taken away his owne deare child and my deare charge O Lord what will become of so vile a Rebell and such a murmuring wretch But Lord good Lord for thy deare sons sake Pardon my sinnes and consider my frailty and heale mine infirmities that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Amen Lord Iesus Amen A Speech Master Spencer made upon this occasion their was agreat discontentment and quarell betwixt Sir Iarrad Harvie and his neighbours of Carington about a Levie had not the God of peace framed their heartes to peace by the powerfull sermon that Master Saule that famous Preacher and the great importunity of Master Spencer which tooke such happy successe that they lived together like loving Friends untill the death of that valiant Knight who 's death was much lamented and he lies their interred in a Magnificent Tombe in Mr. Sauls Text was Beho'd how good and how pleasant It is for Brethren to dwell together in unite Psal. 133. 1. MY Christian friends and loving neighbours you may well thinke that there is some extraordinary occasion that makes me thus farre from my owne Parish Church and assure your selves so there is For I have heard of some differences and discontentments that have beene betwixt this noble Knight Sir Iarret Harvie and you his neighbours of this Parish I must needs confesse I was much grieved to thinke that there should be such discord and opposition among those whom I did so tenderly affect on both sides you as my loving neighbours that dwell so neere the place where I was borne and received my first breathing and this noble Knight not onely our Countryman but also a man of great and valour who for the good service that he hath done to his Prince and countrey with the losse of his blood and the danger of his life in so many brave adventures in the warres both in Spaine and in the Low-countrys and against the Rebels in Ireland may justly challenge a great deale of love and respect not onely from us his native country-men but also from this Nation and the whole Kingdome and therefore to receive unkindnesse and disregard from you in this place whither he is retired in his old age to doe good and to end his dayes in peace like a good Souldier of Iesus Christ I say to receive unkindnesse and disregard from you must needs be a great discomfort and no small provocation to a well restrained mind and therefore to qualifie discontentments of this quality it is no easie matter For the word of God doth teach us that the discord of brethren are like the barrs of the gate of a City strong and hard for flesh and blood to beate through and so I finde in searching into these businesses that there are to many barrs that will keep out these happy guests of vnity and amity which I so much desire to bring in amongst you and therefore doe beseech the great God of Heaven that is the God of peace and lover of comfort that he would vouchsafe to breake in sunder these Iron barrs of revenge and hard conceit and frame your hearts to meekenesse and to suffer the word of exhortation with patience for Sir Iarret Harvie as a Souldier and standing upon the point of honour cannot passe by such wrongs oppositions as it may be as he conceives hath beene offered unto him For in that litle experience that I have had I know in the point of honour and being opposed by an enemy a souldier must make way to revenge though he runneth upon the point of the sword and marcheth against the mouth of the Cannon and so likewise the Country People to be contradicted in their ancient customes to be drawn out of their road way though an other way may be better and more commodious it is so hard a matter to prevaile with us as is seene by dayly experience But if it please Sir Iarret Harvie to lay aside the resolution of a man of warre and to take unto him the disposition of a Christian Souldier and to follow the direction of that blessed Lord and great commander under whose banner we have vowed manfully to fight that is to learne of our Saviour Christ to be meeke and lowly love our Enemies and to pray for them that persecute us And you on the other side to lay aside the peevish froward disposition of corrupt Nature which makes us so prone to rebell against God and to reject his commandements and so likewise makes us
so wilfully to oppose our Superiours to disdaine their good councell wilfully run in those courses that tend to everlasting destruction as like the men of Sodom who said unto that holy man Lot that had deserved so much of them yet when he perswaded them from that furious and beastly rage in pressing upon his house to offer violence upon his angelicall guests they cried out against that good man away with him they said he is come alone as a stranger and shall he rule judge we will now deale worse with him then with them But you know what became of them the Lord preserved his servant Lott and safely conveighed him out of the City and smote the outragious men with blindnesse and the next morning caused fire and brimstone to raine downe upon them utterly consume them their city this instance I bring to shew what we are when we are led by the unruly Passions of our sinfull nature but now I speak to men I hope of wisedome and such as God hath endewed with grace and that will teach us to deny ungodly lusts and to behave our selves charitably that if any man be fallen by occasion into any sinne yee which are Spirituall restore such a one with the Spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. And therefore I besech you if any heere have fallen by any such suddaine passion or caused others by their provocations O let them now acknowledge their errour unfeinedly desire to entertaine one another with all love and cheerefulnesse and assure your selves as it is the honour of a Souldier to be the first that entereth the breach and for the country-man that hath the first blow at the Ball so it will be the honour of a Christian man that shall now shew himselfe most forward to acknowledge his error and to seeke a holy reconciliation A PRAYER which Master Spencer doth use ordinarily in his familly Morning and Evening which he doth earnestly desire might be zealously and devoutly performed in every family in this Kingdome that are not provided of a better O Lord open our lipps and teach us to pray that wee may humble our soules and truely repent of all our sins for our Lord Iesus Christ his sake in whose holy name onely wee presume to come unto thee to bege and crave mercy in thy sight O Most Heavenly Father and gracious Lord God the Father of our Lord Iesus the God of mercy and salvation wee poore creatures doe humbly prostrate our selves before the throne of mercy confessing and acknowledging that we are miserable sinners conceived in sinne and brought forth in iniquity nay wee must acknowledge wee stand guilty of that originall sinne of our first parents for the transgressing thy holy holy Commandements and eating of the forbidding fruit plunged themselves and their posteritie unto shame and confusion their Soules and bodyes to be tormented in hell fire with the Devill and his Angels in utter darknesse and in that miserable estate thou might have left us all to perish in our sinnes but this is not that we have to answere for But we have made our selves seventy times the Children of the Devill more by our actuall transgressions in violating all thy holy lawes and Commandements both with vile thoughts wicked speeches and abominable actions which we have done in the sight of men to the great dishonour of thy holy name and the utter damnation of our own soules and the greatly endangering of others by our evill example and that not onely in the time of Ignorance and practise we have desperatly and Presumptiously gone on in those wicked courses which our Conscience have accused us and thy sacred word condemned us and therefore thou mightest have cast us off in thy heavy displeasure never more shewed pitty upon us but exposed us to the heaviest judgement this world could afford of plung pestilence utter madnesse and despaire and when we have passed all the miseries of this life then to cast us downe in utter darknesse with the Devill and his Angels to be tormented in everlasting darkenesse but good Lord good Lord pitty us and shew mercy upon us and teach us to bewaile our sinnes and truely to repent us of them before we goe hence and be no more seene and that we may finde mercy and favour in thy sight remember us oh remember us with that everlasting love of thine towards us in sending thy eternall sonne Christ Iesus our blessed Saviour and our everlasting Redeemer to take upon him our humane nature in all thinges sinne onely excepted to become the sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary and so both God and man in one person to accomplish the glorious worke of our redemption by leading a most pure and holy life by fulfilling all thy holy Commandements in one absolute and perfect manner that he might free us from that death and damnation that our sinnes have justly deserved and by his death and passion and those bitter torments and again which he suffred upon the crosse which neither the tongue of man and Angels is able to expresse and shedde his precious blood even unto death which is of that iufinite value to make satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world and of that infinite vertue to purifie our soules and consciences and make them as pure and undefiled as if we never comitted any sinne and rose againe the third day according to the Scriptures and is ascended into the highest heaven and there sits in all glory at the right hand of God and triumpheth over all the enemies of our salvation Hell Death damnation and shall come from thence to judge both the quicke and the dead and hath oppened the Kingdom of heaven to all beleivers we doe beleive Lord help our unbeleife and give us grace to use all holy meanes that we grow more in faith then ever we have done make us more zealous for thy glory more devout in prayer and zealous in good workes more carefull to keep holy the Sabboth and come more reverently unto thy holy ordinances and walke dilligently and faithfully in our calling and worke in our hearts an everlasting hatred against all sinnes and the sins especially that wee are most prone unto by nature and those whereunto the Devill doth so eagerly tempt us and allure us and those sinnes which wicked and ungodly men that run the headlong course to hell and damnation do inforce perswade us but Lord let them never prevaile with us and ours to give any liking and allowance thereunto but ever let us hate and abhorce them as cursed workes of darkenesse and have nothing to doe with them and grant us grace to serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life and labour to keep our soules and bodies pure and undefiled as the temples of the holy Ghost and walk honestly and religiously in our calling and deale justly and charitably all the dayes