is spirituall and secret And as we haue feeling of Christ dwelling on our hearts so the more shall wee haue feeling of this blessed societie by which we haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an vnion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowship and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 participation with whole Christ and his merits and meet altogether in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.13.5.30 But as in our separation from God by the spirit of Satan our mindes heart and wils were first seuered and then followed the whole man so the first thing in this coniunction which must be ioyned with God by his spirit is the vnderstanding by knowledge the heart by affiance the will by obedience after which will follow all the new man By the humanitie of Christ we are conioyned to him and by his Spirit he is ioyned to vs. Not either by an actuall falling of Christs flesh into ours or a naturall contiguitie or conexion of our persons or essentiall comixtion of his body with ours but by a copulation and connexion altogether spirituall felt by grace in this life and seene by glorie in the life to come when Christ and his Church before Gods iudgement seate shall appeare as one Christ. But Christ is in heauen and we vpon earth Send thy faith into heauen and hee in heauen is ioyned to thee heere vpon earth Thy sight in a moment can visiblie touch the starres of heauen much more may thy faith touch that morning starre and sunne of righteousnesse which is in heauen Say that the wife bee in England the husband in India the head aboue the feete below the branches on the top the roote in the ground the spring in one place the riuers in an other the foundation on the earth the building in the ayre is there not notwithstanding an vnion betwixt them Surely there is Christ is our husband the Church is his spouse Christ is our head ech Christian is a member Christ is the roote the righteous are branches Christ is the fountaine the Religious are riuers Christ is the foundation belieuers are Gods building Be hee neuer so high euen in the highest heauens we vpon earth are so ioyned vnto him that by vertue of this vnion our soules do receiue the life of grace in this world and our bodies shall receiue the life of glorie in the world to come Heere this coniunction appeares in the vnitie of spirit for in it there is neither a commixtion of persons nor an vnion of substances but a confederation of our affections and concatenation of our wils there it shall appeare in the consociation of our persons For wee shall enioy there a most holy and comfortable conuersation with Christ see him as he is conferre with him face to face and as in this sacrament as by a marriage ring wee are espoused to him heere so there wee shall be solemnly maried to him for euer And all this comes vnto vs because the word was made flesh not because that Flesh hath any such vertue in it selfe it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing but in that it is caro verbi flesh vnited to the word to that word which is the fountaine of life quickning all things and causing the death of that flesh to obtaine for vs eternall life The flesh is not quickning in it selfe but in the word Hypostatically vnited vnto it saith Cyrill This word by personall vnion quickneth Christs humanitie and giueth it for our saluation merite and efficacie and by mysticall vnion quickneth Christian consciences and ioyneth them in loue and life vnto God so that now there is a mutuall giuing and receiuing betwixt Christ and his Church From Christ wee receiue first him selfe which the Father and their Spirit to become our portion Secondly Adoption to be actually made the children of God Thirdly a title and right to Christs righteousnesse in his sufferings and with all to his fulfilling of the whole law Lastly a right to the Kingdome of heauen which now is made the inheritance of the Saints And what doth he now receiue from vs surely drosse for gold euil for good shame for glorie sorrow for solace and a curse for this blessing For he receiues ftom vs first our sinnes with the punishment thereof made his by imputation and suertie-ship Secondly our afflictions which hee accounts his owne so long as we suffer for righteousnesse sake And this is our communion which we haue with Christ But because we are all members of one bodie and are all baptized into one Spirit and after do eate of one bread there is also a communion with all Christians one with an other Art thou a liuing saint vpon earth thou art in regard of minde of one iudgement in the grounds of pietie affection of one heart alike affected to God Christ Iesus and euery good Christian though thou wast neuer acquainted with them And in regard of the gifts of the spirit like a good candle thou wilt spend them al to the good of others be ready to serue thy brother in loue and both by example admonition exhortation consolation prayer to conuey all graces in thee to an other yea not to be wanting to him in communicating thy goods And for our communion with the dead they in heauen do pray generally for al vs and we on earth do desire our dissolution to be with them But that we may enioy this blessed societie we must walke in the light For if we say that we haue fellowship with him yet walke in darknesse we lie but if we walke in the light as hee is in the light then haue wee fellowship one with an other 1. Ioh. 1.7 that is God with vs we with God and godly people and the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne purgeth vs from all sinne Thus then Christ in heauen by his spirit is so vnited to vs we on earth by our faith are so vnited to him that without him we can do nothing with him we are able to do al things Of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace And as by the power of the sunne in the second heauen all things are made fruitfull heere vpon earth so by the power of Christ in the third heauen all men become sanctified in the Church yet not by the alone inward operation of his spirit without the outward vse of the word and sacraments By the word alone when the sacraments are not administred and both by word and sacraments when they are ioined together Is the word preached in it Christ speaketh by his spitit to vs. Are the sacraments administred by baptisme we are receiued in to the communion of Gods couenant and by the Eucharist wee are more confirmed in the same By the word God enters by one gate into vs namely by the eare by the Eucharist he knocks at al the gates
wauer in his faith nor stagger in his hope nor faint in his patience nor coole in his loue nor sorrow at his dissolution nor looke backe to the world nor bee ouermuch cast downe with the dread of death Grant that when death shall haue closed vp the eyes of his body the eyes of his soule may be fixed vpon thee that when his speech shall be taken from him then his heart may crie vnto thée say Come Lord Iesu come quickly Heare vs good Lord praying for him heare him praying for himselfe heare vs al for Christ Iesus his sake in whom alone thou art well pleased and in whose name and in whose words we conclude our vnperfect prayers saying Our Father c. LOrd blesse vs and kéepe vs Lord make the light of thy countenance thine vpon vs and grant vs thy peace O God the Father looke vpon thy sonne O God the Son looke vpon thy seruant O God the holie Ghost enter into thy temple O holie Father O righteous Sonne O comforting holie Ghost O blessed and glorious Trinitie one in essence thrée in person be with this thy seruant comfort him with that comfort which we would desire in the like visitation let thine Angels pitch their tents about him let his last houre bee his best houre make his life victorious his death pretious and his and our resurrection glorious through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Lord Iesu be with his spirit Amen Amen A THANKES GIVING FOR THE faithfull departure of one after he or she is dead changing as before O Lord God the onely health of them that liue and the alone life of them that die according to thy commandement we called vpon thée and in desire of thy goodnesse we cried vnto thée that thou wouldest be gratious vnto this seruant of thine whose body lieth dead before our eyes We asked his life thou gauest it not because thou sawest what was best for him wee desired his patience to endure this crosse thou heardest our prayers and hast not denied vs the request of our lips because that alone was fittest for him He died not as a foole dieth neither was his dissolution bitter vnto him He is now O Lord a tree planted in thine orchard a stone setled in thy building a Priest sacrificing at thine altar a starre fixed in thy heauen and an heire reigning in thy kingdom If he had died like Absolom we might haue taken vpon vs Dauids lamentation or like Saul we might haue taken vpon vs Samuels lamentation or as the malefactor on the left hand of Christ wee might haue lamented and mourned for him as doubting that hee died not the death of the righteous But precious in thy fight was this death of his and comfortable in our sight was this departure of his Hee like a Lion triumphed ouer death and like a Lambe resigned vp his life he knew that this Redeemer liued and that Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. His faith was in thy promises his hope was in thy mercies his loue was on thy ioyes his zeale was on thy glorie and his desire was to be in heauen For this thy fauour towards our Christian brother wee yeeld vnto thy Maiestie all possible thankes and that thou taking him out of this vale of miserie hast by thine Angels carried his soule to the throne of thy glorie We are O Lord we confesse full of sorrow in that we haue lost the comfort of his presence and we could haue béen contented to haue enioyed him longer if it might haue stood with the good pleasure of thy will But we néed not to mourne as men without hope because we are perswaded he so died in thy fauour that as his soule is partaker of eternall glorie so in that great day of assise and generall iudgement this bodie of his which shall returne to dust must be raised vp againe to liue for euer and then bee made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus in heauen He O Lord is gone before vs and we must one day follow after him O how can we render vnto thée sufficient thankes for thy great fauour to vs Christian people aboue all the nations of the world whom when thou callest out of this wretched life thou vouchsafest to place vs with thine Angels in thy kingdome In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die but in the eyes of the godly they are translated from death to life They are arayed with white haue crownes on their heads and Palmes in their hands they shall not die but liue and do behold thy goodnesse in the land of the liuing They serue thée at thy table eate in thy kingdome sing of thy praises are freed from all miseries and they follow the Lambe whither soeuer hee goeth and enioy such pleasures as the eye hath not seene because they are not visible yet the heart doth beleeue because they are most comfortable We beseech thee O Lord that since we must for a while go on in our pilgrimage we may euer haue our eyes bent towards our countrie raise vs out of the graue of sinne renue in vs the life of righteousnes estrange vs from the loue of this world possesse vs with a loue of heauen take from our féete the fetters of pleasure that we may runne as fast to heauen as the wicked do to hell take from our backes the burden of worldlinesse that we may looke as stedfastly vpon things that are aboue as worldlings do vpon things that are below Guide vs euer so by the direction of thy Spirit that both in sicknesse and in health in prosperitie and aduersitie in life at death we may so behaue our selues in this present world that whensoeuer it shall please thée to call vs hence we may by faith in thy promises hope of thy mercies commend our bodies and soules into thy mercifull hands In the meane time hasten the comming of thy Sonne shorten these daies of sinne confound the enemies of saluation dissolue in euery one of vs the cursed workes of Satan sanctifie thy name aduance thy kingdome accomplish thy will giue vs our daily bread forgiue vs all our sinnes giue vs not ouer into any temptation but deliuer vs from all euill both of sinne in this life and of punishment in the life to come so that we with this our brother and all other departed in the faith of Christ may haue our perfect consummation and blisse in thy eternall and euerlasting kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thée our Father and the holie Ghost our Sanctifier our sanctifier in this life and our glorifier in the life to come bee all praise power Maiestie might and dominion ascribed of vs and thy whole Church from this time forth and for euermore Amen A PRAYER FOR A WOman in trauaile O Lord our Lord Creator of all things preseruer of al mankind comforter of all thine afflicted and the only deliuerer of such as are in danger we
Gods will Phil. The reuealed will of God is done by voluntarie f 1. Thes 5.3 obeying or patient suffering that which God commandeth g Mat. 26.39 The secret will is done of vs by praying that Christ Iesus may come to iudgment h Reuel 22.20 that Antichrist may more and more be reuealed and that we may patiently beare all future afflictions Euch. Why doe you pray that this will of God may be done Phil. Because 1. It is euer Iust Holy Good and Safe yea the very rule of all goodnesse 2 It is most profitable to such as doe it 3 All calamities come from disobedience Gen. 3. Deut. 28. Leuit. 26. 4 If I be regenerate it will not be grieuous vnto me to doe his will Matth. 11.30 1. Ioh. 5.3 5 Sathan the World and mine owne flesh hinder me 6 I cannot doe it vnlesse God assist mée and direct mée by his Holy Word and Spirit Euch. But must I pray euer to doe Gods will Phil. You must yet in regard of Gods secret will you may with a good will without sinne dissent from it Samuels wil was good when hee wept for Saul whom God would not haue him to bewaile 1. Sam. 26. besides you may with the like good wil wil that which God will not so a Childe may be vnwilling of his Fathers death whom notwithstanding Gods will is shall not recouer and so Christ said Father If it bee possible let this cuppe passe from mee but when we once know the will of God be it for vs or against vs we must then say with Dauid Here am I let him doe to mée as séemeth good in his eyes 2. Sam. 15.26 and with Hezechiah The word of the Lord is good Isay 39.8 and with Paul The will of the Lord be done Acts 21.14 Euch. What meane you by Earth and Heauen in this petition Phil. I doe not meane by Earth my bodie and Heauen my soule as Tertullian thought nor by Earth Earthly men and Heauen Heauenly men or by Heauen Christ and Earth his Church as others thought but in these words I pray that as the Angels in Heauen are readie to doe Gods will so men on Earth may be readie to doe it Euch. How doe Angels the will of God Phil. They doe it chearefully without murmuring speedily without delaying generally without omitting sincerely without dissembling constantly without forbearing and perfectly without halting Euch. Are there none in Heauen which do Gods will besides Angels Phil. You may also if you will looke vnto Christ the Saints and all Creatures in Heauen and Earth Euch. How I pray you Phil. 1 Christ personall in Heauen hath done Gods will for hee came not to doe his own wil but the will of him that sent him Iohn 6.38 Christs Mysticall that is the Church as his bodie 1. Cor. 12.12 must doe it euen as Christ the head of that bodie hath done it 2. In Heauen is the Congregation of the first borne Hebr. 12.23 that is the Saints departed there did and doe carefully performe Gods will so must we 13. In the starrie Heauen the Sunne and Moone in the Ayrie Heauen the Frost Snow Raine c. fulfill his Word so must wée Euch. Is it then enough to doe Gods will Phil. No verily but we must regard also how it should be done we must not only doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his pleasure but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his good pleasure When wee serue God wee doe his pleasure when wee serue him with our best endeauours wee doe his good pleasure Euch. But is it possible for man to doe perfectly Gods will Phil. It will bee possible in the life to come it is impossible whilest wee liue in this World for The good which wee would doe we doe not and the euill that we would not that doe we Rom. 7.19 Euch. How many kindes then of perfections are there Phil. There is first a perfection of sinceritie which was in Hezekias obedience a Esa 38.3 Secondly a perfection of all parts which was in Zacharie and Elizabeths obedience b. Luk. 1.6 Thirdly a perfection of degrées which was only in the first and second Adam and is now only in the Holy Angels who onely can perfectly obey Gods will Euch. If this obedience bee impossible to be performed why then doe wee pray for it Phil. Because I must with Paul striue for this perfection c Philip. 3. and pray vnto God that I may come to this perfection d 1. Thes 5 25. without whose will I shall neuer bee able to doe his will Ioh. 15.5 Euch. What then is it that God wils Phil. He willeth 1. Our saluation by Christ Act. 4.12 Ioh. 6.40 2 The knowledge of his will Ioh 17.3 3 Faith in Christ Iesus Ioh. 6.40 4 Obedience to his Commandements both in doing and suffering Psal 143. Rom. 8.28 Matth. 26.39 Act. 21.1.41 Sam. 3.18 5 Holinesse of life Eph. 1.4 1. Thes 4.3.4 Rom. 12.1.2.3.4 6 Loue to our brethren Ioh. 13.34.15 That we may doe these things we pray in this petition Euch. What then is required that I may doe Gods will Phil. 1 That you doe lay aside your owne will which indeede is hard euen to the godly the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Law in their members leading them vnto the Law of Sinne and of Death 2 You must be possessed with a base conceipt of your owne will that we must not leane vpon it but know that euerie man is a Beast in his owne knowledge 3 You must estéeme highly of Gods will be it neuer so contrarie to reason so Abraham did Gen. 22.3 Take to thée Gods will be assured of Heauen take away thine own will and feare not Hell 4 You must pray that God will giue power to performe and then let him command what he list Euch. What wants doe you here bewaile Phil. 1 I bewaile mine owne and others rebellious natures in that wee are as prone to receiue sinne as a match or tinder is to receiue fire 2 I bewaile the sinnes of the World as Ignorance Sorceries Schismes Hypocrisie Pride Ambition Couetousnesse Negligence in procuring others good with all contempt and disobedience to the word of God and that all Creatures being so obedient to God Ier. 7 8. man onely is most disobedient 3 Our impatience that when God layeth any crosses vpon vs we cannot as wée ought endure them patiently 4 Our slacke and imperfect obedience yea priuie pride proude presumption deadnesse of Spirit secret hypocrisie and all other weaknesse which breaketh either into or out vpon vs in our best seruice to our Heauenly Father Euch. What thinges doe you pray for in this Petition Phil. 1 I pray that I and all people may in true humiliation and hatred of sinne bée conuerted to God by putting off the old man and putting on the new that we may obey his Commandements in our general and particular callings and in al afflictions submit our selues to the
you may see his goodnesse to you and yours in the other his iustice against his and the Churches enemies This Booke of mine hath many leaues these other haue only two in the one you may reade of Mercy in the other you may reade of Iudgement The Lord grant vnto your Honor with your most honorable Countesse the Lady Francis a second Dorothea giuen both as a gift to you that feare God such a life that at the houre of death when your glasse shall be runne and the Bridegrome call for you you may both say with that holy man Vixi dum volui volui dum Christe volebas Sic nec vita mihi mors nec acerba fuit London From S. Martins in the fields May 30. 1613. Your Honors at command ROBERT HILL A DIRECTION TO DIE WELL. Question I Doubt not but you are now well instructed for the direction of your whole life but because you haue heere no abiding citie what are you to thinke of that you may die well An. I am euer to meditae of fiue things 1 Of mine owne death which is most certaine that it will come and vncertaine when it will come 2 Of the death of Christ which was bitter to him but sweet to and for his 3 Of the deceitfulnesse of this world which is subtill to allure and subiect to change 4 Of the ioyes of heauen which are comâ—ortable to thinke on and glorious to posâ—esse 5 Of the torments of hell which are endlesse in themselues and comfortlesse to sinners Quest And why ought you first to thinke oftentimes of death Answ 1 Because it is appointed that al must die Hebr. 9.27 Death spares none and therefore there was neuer sacrifice offered to her 2 It is vncertaine when where or how I may die and therefore vncertaine that I may euer thinke of it 3 Many goe merrily to the pit of perdition for want of this meditation 4 Death by this will be more welcome vnto mee for Dangers foreseene are lesse grieuous 5 I shall more easily contemne this world by often thinking that I am a stranger in it 6 It will kéepe me from many sinnes which otherwise I would commit and cause me to repent of sinnes committed 7 Christ my Lord and good Christians his seruants had euer such thoughts 8 Many Philosophers haue done the like and of it haue written many volumes 9 As the day of death leaues me so the day of iudgement shall find me Psal 90.12 10 It was the praier of Moses to God that hee would teach him so to number his daies that hee might applie his heart vnto wisdome 11 It is the end of all my hearing and reading and as it were the scope of a Christian Diuine 12 It is the Art of all Arts and Science of all Sciences to learne to die Quest How prooue you this last Answ Moses saith O that they were wise and that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 The Wise man saith Remember thy end and thou shalt neuer doe amisse Eccles 7.36 An Emperour said that Fredricke the third The best knowledge was to know God and to learne to die Augustine said that in this our pilgrimage we must thinke of nothing else but that wee shall not be euer heere and yet heere should wee prepare for our selues that place from whence we shall neuer depart Gregorie said All the life of a wise man must bee the meditation of death and He is euer carefull to doe well who is euer thinking of his last end Quest Why then doe so few thinke of death and put this euill day farre from them Answ The reasons are 1 Their infidelity they beleeue not either the happinesse of heauen nor the horrors of hell 2 Their impenitency and euill conscience they would not breake off their sinnes by drawing neere to God 3 Their ignorance of the soules immortalitie the bodies resurrection and the good things prepared for them in heauen by Christ 4 Their ambition in desiring the honors and preferments of this world and being loath to leaue them when they haue enioied them 5 Their couetousnesse by which as Moles they would euer by their good wils liue vpon earth 6 Their delight in the pleasures of sin from which they are taken at the day of death 7 Their want of Gods feare for Hee that feares God feares not to dye 8 Their vnwillingnesse to leaue this world for to die well is to die willingly Quest It seemeth then wee had neede to pray that God would teach vs to number our not yeeres but daies and now tell mee you that haue beene taught this Arithmeticke how you ought to number your daies An. I must number them after this sort 1 I must abstract the time past for that being irreuocable will neuer come againe 2 I may not adde the time to come for it may be it will neuer come vnto me 3 I must set down only the time present and know that it is only mine Our life is a point and lesse then a point a figure of one to which we can adde no Cipher it is but a moment and yet if we vse this moment wel wee may get eternitie which is of greatest moment Quest Is it not then thinke you a great folly that men are so vnwilling to thinke of death Answ Questionlesse it is we sée the Mariner with ioy thinkes of the Hauen The Labourer is glad to sée the euening The Trauailer is merry when his iournie is ended The Souldier is not sorrie when his warfare is accomplished and shall wee be grieued when the dayes of sinne are ended Quest It seemeth by this which you haue said that this life of ours is verie troublesome for we are Mariners our hauen is happinesse Trauellers our iournie is to Paradise Labourers our hire is Heauen and Souldiers our conquest is at death Is then our life both miserable and changeable Answ Yea verily for it is compared to a pilgrimage in which is vncertaintie Genes 47.9 A Flower in which is mutabilitie Isay 40.7 A smoke in which is vanitie Psalme 102.3 An House of Clay in which is miserie Iob. 4.19 A Weauers shittle in which is volubilitie Iob. 7.6 A shepheards tent in which is varietie Isay 38.12 A Ship on the Sea in which is celeritie Wisd 5.10 A Mariner who sitting standing sléeping or waking euer saileth on A shadow which is nothing to the bodie Iob. 8.9 To a thought whereof wee haue thousands in one day To a dreame whereof we haue millions in one night Iob. 20.8 To vanitie which is nothing in it selfe Psal 39. 5. And to nothing which hath no being in the World Psal 39.5 Quest If all this be true as it must needes bee because God hath said it the houre of death is farre better then the day of our birth Is it so Ans It is that for these reasons by it 1 We are fréed from many present miseries Reuel 14.13 Wee are deliuered from many future
their death Quest Now then of all men that die in this World whose death is most miserable Ans The death of sinners for them we must mourne most and their death is most miserable Their birth is bad their life is worse their departure is worst of all their death is without death their end is without end and their want is without want But precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Quest Can you giue mee any example to proue this Ans I can One at the houre of his death féeling alreadie the torments of hell cried out after this sort O lamentable destinie O infinite calamitie O death without death O those continuall cryings which shall neuer be harkened vnto Our eyes can see nothing but sorrowfull spectacles and intolerable torments Our eares can heare nothing but woe woe without end wofull O thou earth why doest thou not swallow vs O yee mountaines why doe you not couer vs from the presence of the Iudge How farre doe the torments of Hell exceede all the tortures of this life O you bewitching pleasures of this VVorld how haue you ledde vs blindfold to the horrors of Hell Woe woe for euer vnto vs who without hope are cast from the fauour of God O that after tenne thousand yeares we might bee deliuered O that in any time we might haue an end But it cannot be our temporall pleasures haue eternall paines our mirth it is now turned into mourning and we are cast into eternall fire A King said O that I had neuer beene a King Quest Shew mee also some examples of good men who haue vttered things comfortable at their death Answ Christ said Father into thine hands I commend my spirit Luk. 23.46 Steuen said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Acts 7.59 Simeon said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Saint Augustine said as Hierom reporteth Nature compels me to be dissolued I according to the Scripture phrase am to goe the way of my forefathers Now Christ inuiteth me now I desire to see celestiall fights O keepe you the faith thinke you also that you are mortall men Let this be your care to keepe the commandements of God that when you die all the Saints may receiue you as their familiars and friends into the euerlasting tabernacles If you regard mee or keepe any remembrance of me your Father thinke of these things sauour these things do these things Saint Iohn said My little children loue one another my little children loue one another and being demaunded why he did ingeminate so often this spéech He said My Lord and Master taught it vs in his life preached it before his death and if yee doe this it sufficeth Holy Effrem said O Lord God receiue preserue saue and be mercifull to vs by thy grace Tobiah said to his sonne Keepe thou the Law and the Commandements and shew thy selfe mercifull and iust that it may goe well with thee Chap. 14. 9. Mauritius the Emperour said when Phocas caused his children and wife to be slaine before his eyes and lastly himselfe The Lord is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes Psal 145. Antonius surnamed Pius that is the godly King said Why do you mourne for mee and not rather thinke of that common both death and pestilence And when his friends were readie to leaue him he said If you now leaue me fare yee well I but go before you And being demanded to whom he would leaue his sonne To God saith hée and you if he deserue well Master Deering a little before his death being by his friends raised vp in his bed séeing the Sunne shine and being desired to speake said There is but one Sun that giueth light to the world there is but one righteousnesse there is but one communion of Saints If I were the excellentest creature in the world If I were as righteous as Abraham Isaac and Iakob for they were excellent men in the world yet must we all confesse that we are great sinners and that there is no saluation but in the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus and wee haue all need of the grace of God And for my part as concerning death I feele such ioy of spirit that if I should haue the sentence of life on the one side and the sentence of death on the other side I had rather chuse a thousand times seeing God hath appointed the separation the sentence of death than the sentence of life The Earle of Essex said O God Creator of all things and Iudge of all men thou hast let mee know by warrant out of thy word that Satan is then most busie when our end is neerest and that Satan being resisted will flie I humblie beseech thee to assist mee in this my last combat and seeing thou acceptest euen of our desires as of our acts accept I beseech thee of my desires to resist him as of true resistance and perfect by thy grace what thou seest in my flesh to bee fraile and weake giue mee patience to beare as becommeth mee this iust punishment inflicted vpon mee by so honorable a triall Grant mee the inward comfort of thy Spirit let thy Spirit seale vnto my soule an assurance of thy mercies lift my soule aboue all earthly cogitations and when my life and bodie shall part send thy blessed Angels which may receiue my soule and conuey it to the ioyes in heauen Then concluding his prayer for all estates of the Realme hee shut vp all with the Lords Prayer reiterating this Petition Lord Iesus forgiue vs our trespasses Lord Iesus receiue my soule King Edward the sixt said Lord God deliuer mee out of this miserable and wretched life and take me among thy chosen Howbeit not my wil but thy wil be done Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest how happie it were for mee to bee with thee yet for thy chosens sake send me life health that I may truly serue thee O my Lord God blesse thy people and saue thine inheritance O Lord saue thy chosen people of England O my Lord defend this Realme from Papistrie and maintaine thy true Religion that I and my people may pâ—aise thy holy Name for thy Sonne Iesus Christs sake I am faint Lord haue mercie vpon me and take my spirit And manie of the like you may reade in the book of Martyrs Quest Are not they most happy that die in this sort and sing these Cygnean songs as funerall hymnes Answ O happie and thrice happy are they whose life is a continuall praysing of God and whose death is an vncessant prayer to God Quest Yet if it please God I would not die in my youth and the flower of mine age Answ Why are you of so couetous a disposition that you would measure all things by the ell Is nothing precious but that which is durable think you the tallest person the comliest person the greatest picture the best picture
and that he said of himselfe he was Christ the King This he suffered that so he might deriue and take to himselfe that rebellion against Gods Maiestie whereof we all were guilty in Adam and by this humiliation make satisfaction to God for vs. If he had defended himselfe we had beene accused or acquitted himselfe we had perished but as a Lambe before the shearer he opened not his mouth that wee might haue liberty to call vpon God 2 He is ballanced with Barabbas and thought lighter then a murderer hee is condemned by a Iudge in the name of the whole Empire and being thus condemned though pronounced innocent hee is scorned by Souldiers attired like a foole beaten with rods spit vpon with reproch and only because he bare the iniquities of vs all Isai 53. 3 He is cast out of the City to giue vs a City hee carried his Crosse to carry our sinnes he is brought to Golgatha to suffer our reproach he is crucified on the Crosse to giue vs a crowne euen a crowne of glory reserued in heauen for vs. 1. Pet. 1. 4 He was crucified with theeues that he might glorifie vs with Angels with his hands spread abroad that he might call all vnto him with his naked body that wee might not be ashamed of our nakednesse in heauen with a feeling of thirst that hee might shew his desire of our saluation wâ—th drinking of gall that hee might satisfie for tâ—at deadly iuice which Adam sucked out of the forbidden fruit with his side pierced thorow that the Church might bee washed with the blood and water that came out with crying in feare that wee might cry in faith and with the losse of his life that he might saue ours Quest O cursed Caiphas who thus arraigned him O cursed Pilate who thus condemned O thrice cursed both Iewes and Romans who thus did execute the Sonne of God Answ Nay rather cursed bee our sins for which he was arraigned condemned and executed Hee that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray wee haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laide vpon him the iniquities of vs all Isai 53.5.6 Hee hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law being made a curse for vs that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Gal. 3.14 And wee were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from our vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the Fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot Quest And at what time of the yeere did he suffer all this An. At Easter at the feast of the Passouer when the Iewes were commanded to kill a lambe in remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt to shew that he was that lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world yea and that Lambe which in Gods counsell and its owne efficacie was slaine from the beginning of the world Quest You said before that our Sauiour was crucified to what end did hee vndergoe this punishment Ans 1 That he might deriue the curse of the Law from vs vnto himselfe Gal. 3.14 2 That the corruption of our nature being crucified with him our inherent vitiositie might be abolished that henceforth wee should not serue sinne Rom. 6.6 3 That hauing paied our debt he might bring in and cancell that hand-writing wherewith wee were bounden that so the memory of our sinnes being blotted out they might not appeare before God against vs. 5 That his bloud might bee a lauer to purge our soules from all their spots of sinne 6 That we might so haue iust cause euer to acknowledge and magnifie the loue of Christ towards vs. Ephes 5.1 Quest I see by this why Christ was crucified but why did he die vpon the Crosse Answ 1 That hee might ratifie the eternall couenant and testament of grace Heb. 9.15 2 That he might abolish sin Rom. 6.10 3 That he might take away the stipend of sinne which is death Rom. 6.20 2. Tim. 1.10 4 That by death hee might ouercome him who had the power of death that is the diuell Heb. 2.14 5 That he might take from vs the feare of death Heb. 2.15 6 That we by it should die so vnto sin Rom. 6.11 that it should no more reigne in our mortall bodies Rom. 6.13 7 That wee might belong properly to Christ Rom. 7.4 8 That they which liue should no more liue vnto themselues but vnto Christ who died and rose againe for vs. 2. Cor. 5.15 9 That wee might know and acknowledge the great loue of Christ towards vs. 1. Ioh. 3.16 10 That wee might liue with Christ 1. Thess 5.10 11 That we might learne to die couragiously for his and our brethrens cause 1. Ioh. 3.16 12 That by this meanes Gods mercy and iustice might both be glorifyed in this redemption and saluation of mankinde Iohn 3.14 Quest Is this death of Christ profitable to euery singular man in the world Ans It was effectually profitable onely to the elect for 1 He gaue his life for his sheepe Iohn 10.15 2 Hee deliuered his people from their sinnes Matth. 21. 3 For them he sanctified himselfe Ioh. 17. He praied onely for them Ioh. 17. If he had died intentionally for all and all had not beene saued hee should haue missed of his purpose 4 Els the sinne of man were of ability to disanull the intent of Christ Quest How is Christs death thus meritorious Answ 1 In that hée was both God and man Acts 20. 2 In that it was a voluntary death Philip. 2.7 Quest Tell mee now what benefit comes vnto me by this death of Christ Answ Great euery way for by it 1 There is such a satisfaction made fully for your sinnes that they shall neuer rise vp in iudgement against you 1. Ioh. 1.7 2 God is pacified and reconciled to man Rom. 3.24 3 Satan is ouercome Gen. 3.15 4 Death is swallowed vp in victory and the feare thereof is so taken away that to the faithfull it is now nothing but a passage to eternall life Hos 13.14 5 You are acquitted and iustified from your sinnes Rom. 4.25 5.19 6 The Partition-wall betwixt Iewes and Gentiles is broken downe Eph. 2.14 7 All the faithfull vnder both the Old and New Testament are become subiect vnto one Head from which they were fallen and are gathered into one body Eph. 1.10 Coloss 1.21 8 The prophecies are accomplished the Truth is become agreeable to the figure of Sampson killing more at his death then in his life the brasen Serpent which cured such as looked vp vnto it and the sacrifices which were offered before for sinnes 9 By the death of Christ you euer die to
36 Obiect that friends forsake answered Pag. 146 37 Obiect that want solemne buriall answered Pag. 147 38 Of our reconciliation to man in sicknesse Pag. 147 39 VVhy we ought to haue a will in readines Pag. 148 40 How we ought to make our will Pag. 149 41 Whom we may make our executors Pag. 149 42 Who is our best friend in our sicknesse Pag. 150 43 What speeches we must vse to our friends that visit vs. Pag. 151 44 Comforts against the feare of death Pag. 151 45 Comforts against the feare of Gods anger Pag. 157 46 Comforts against the feare of desperation Pag. 159 47 Comforts against the feare of Satan Pag. 162 48 Comforts against the commission of sinne Pag. 164 49 Comforts against the greatnesse of our sinnes Pag. 167 50 Comforts against the multitude of sinnes Pag. 169 51 Comforts against our imperfect obedience Pag. 171 52 What thoughts wee must haue at the houre of death Pag. 175 53 Of speech at that time Pag. 176 54 Of sudden death Pag. 180 55 Whether we may pray against it Pag. 183 56 Why wee must take thought for our bury all Pag. 184 57 Of the place of buryall Pag. 186 58 Of keeping cleane Church-yards Pag. 187 58 Of Monuments Pag. 187 60 Of mourning Pag. 189 61 Of mourning apparell Pag. 191 62 Of Funerall Sermons Pag. 192 63 That Christs death is often to be thought on Pag. 194 64 What his passion is Pag. 195 65 What moued Christ to suffer Pag. 196 66 When his suffering beganne Pag. 196 67 What hee suffered before his apprehension Pag. 197 68 Why was his soule troubled Pag. 197 69 What it was that crucified Christ Pag. 200 70 Why he was crucified at Easter Pag. 201 71 Why he died on the Crosse Pag. 202 72 Who haue profit by Christs death Pag. 203 73 How it is meritorious Pag. 204 74 A meditation of Christs death Pag. 205 75 Whether we must follow Christ in his Crosse Pag. 208 76 Of the vertue of Christs resurrection Pag. 209 77 Of the deceitfulnesse of the world Pag. 212 78 Of eternall glorie Pag. 215 79 What we shall enioy in heauen Pag. 216 80 How we shall come vnto heauen Pag. 217 81 VVhat the obiect of life eternall is Pag. 217 82 For whom it is prepared Pag. 218 83 That our bodies shall rise Pag. 219 84 The qualities of our bodies after the resurrection Pag. 223 85 How our bodies shall be spirituall Pag. 224 86 VVhether they shall bee perfect without the least imperfection Pag. 224 87 The qualities of the soule after death Pag. 225 88 Sweet meditations of the Fathers concerning the ioyes of heauen Pag. 226 89 Of the torments of hell Pag. 231 A consolatorie Epistle against all crosses Pag. 239 An heauenly meditation in Verse Pag. 249 A prayer for morning or euening Pag. 251 A morning prayer Pag. 266 An euening prayer Pag. 277 A prayer to bee said alone or with companie changing I into we Pag. 289 A thanks-giuing for our Gunne-powder deliuerance Pag. 335 A prayer for a sick man Pag. 298 A thanks-giuing after deliuerance from sicknesse Pag. 307 A prayer to be said by a sick man Pag. 313 A thanks-giuing after the death of any Pag. 319 A prayer for a woman in trauaile Pag. 323 A thanks-giuing after her safe deliuerance Pag. 326 A prayer before the Communion Pag. 329 A thanks-giuing after Pag. 332 Graces Pag. 341 FINIS CHRISTS PRAYER EXPOVNDED The Speakers Euchedidascalus A Teacher of Prayer Phileuches A Louer of Prayer Euch. PHileuches amongst many Sermons which I haue preached vnto you you haue heard me expound the Lords prayer are you bound to giue account of that you haue heard Phil. Sir doubtlesse I am for the Apostle Peter teacheth me that I must be alwaies readie to giue an answere to euery one that asketh me a reason of the hope that is in me with meekenesse and reuerence a 1. Pet. 3.15 Euch. Repeate then the Lords Prayer Phil. Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name thy kingdome come thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our daily bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs and lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill for thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer Amen Euch. Why is this prayer called the Lords Prayer Phil. 1 Because Christ Iesus our Lord set downe the same b Mat. 6.9 2 Because we cannot pray vnlesse Christ teach vs c Luc. 11.1 Rom. 8.26 3 To make vs estéeme it in that it was giuen by our Lord. 4 To distinguish it from the prayers of others Euch. Why did Christ teach his Church this prayer Phil. 1 To put vs in minde of our miserie that vnlesse God giue it we can haue no good thing * Iam. 1.17 2 Of his mercy who giues if we aske 3 To comfort vs that we may be so bold as to aske 4 To instruct vs in what manner we should aske 5 To assure vs that we comming to the Father in his Sonnes owne words he will heare vs for his Sonnes sake 6 To teach vs by this short summe what we may lawfully aske at the hands of God and that other things we should not aske * Matth. 20 7 That Christ might not be inferior to Iohn who taught his disciples to pray 8 To teach Ministers Parents Tutors and Masters to doe the like to their children and people 9 To shew that God is not like the great Monarches of the earth to whom we may not come vnlesse Ahashuerosh-like he hold out his golden Scepter Ester 4. 10 That God vouchsafeth all this his honour that they may come vnto him Euch. Is there any vertue in these verie words of this prayer Phil. There is no such vertue as that by the bare repetition of it we can bind God to grant our requests or that we should neuer pray in other words but as the ten Commandements containe all things to be done of vs the Créed all things to be beléeued by vs so the Lords Praier doth comprehend all things to be asked by vs of Almighty God Euch. Is it necessarie euer to repeat all this prayer Phil. It is surely a good conclusion for our ordinarie course of praying both publikely and priuately because those things which wee cannot at such times craue or giue thanks for in particular are all contained in this platforme but that euery petition should euer bee vsed it is not necessarie Euch. How then may you repeate it with comfort Phil. Surely as Luther teacheth me to repeate the ten Commandements and the Articles of my faith in my prayers Euch. How is that Phil. To obserue the present necessity As for example Do I sée the prophanation of Gods name and contempt of his word I must then say O heauenly father maintaine I pray thee the glorie of thine owne name and suffer
will loue and embrace more earnestly our Christian Religion which teacheth obedience and practiseth it euen to such Gouernours as are bad d Pro. 24.2 Ier. 27.9 Rō 13.1.2 1. Pet. 2.13 14. Eccl. 10.20 D. Bilsons D. Mortons books of obedience though their Catholike Apologie stander vs with the contrarie Euch. How doth God tempt men by aduersitie Phil. Whether we will thinke 1 That godly men haue béene so tempted e Iam. 5.11 2 That it is Gods furnace to trie our faith f Ps 66.10 Dan. 3.25 3 That it is Gods medicine to purge our sinnes g Ioh. 15.2 4 That wee must not declame against God h Ps 38.13 Iob. 3.2 5 That we must more meditate of Heauen i 2. Cor. 4.17.5.1 6 That if wee féele not the Sunne rising of Gods grace we must not thinke that it is set for euer k Ps 31.14.77.7.8.9 7 That wee must endure all kindes of temptations whether of bodie by sicknesse or soule by sorrow or our person by imprisonment or state by pouerie or name by contempt c l Iam. 1.12 Euch. But to come to mans temptations What if man tempt you to Popish Religion how must you resist this temptation Phil. By considering that that Religion can bee no good Religion 1 Where the Scriptures are not knowne m Mat. 22.29 Iohn 5.39 Psal 1.1.119.9.20.4 2 Where Images are worshipped n Exo. 32.8 Deu. 27.15 3 Where a péece of bread is adored o 1. Cor. 11.24 4 Where Saints are inuocated p Isa 63.16 Mat. 15.24 5 Where ignorance is commended q Pro. 19.2 Iohn 17.3 6 Where Purgatorie is maintained r Mat 25.46 7 Where Christs merit is mangled ſ Heb. 13.8 8 Where subiects are so fréed from allegeance to their Soueraigne that if hee bee not a Romanist it shall bee as meritorious to kill that King as to eat their God t 1. Sā 24.6 2. Sam. 1.14.15 9 Where such soueraigne power is giuen to one man the Pope as that hee may determine the true sense of all Scripture x Lu. 24.32 define all causes of faith y 2. Tim. 13.16 call Councels z Act. 15.6 excommunicate any person a 1. Cor. 5.4 depose any King b Pro. 8.15 Dan. 4.34 forgiue sinnes properly c Isa 44.22 Psal 32.1 Matth. 9.2 decide all causes brought to Rome by appeale d Lu. 12.14 and make such Lawes as shall bind the conscience e Iam. 4.12 all which is giuen to the Bishop of Rome but is derogatorie to the Kingly Propheticall and Priestly Offices of Christ Euch. What if you be tempted to forsake the Church because of some abuses supposed in the Church how must you resist that temptation Phil. By considering that a child is not to be forsaken because it is sicke nor a bodie neglected because it is diseased and that Christ and his Apostles did not depart from the Churches As in the Church of Corinth 14. seueral errors as appeareth in the first Epistle though there were amongst them many abuses and the most of them greater then bee amongst vs who haue the Word purely preached and the Sacraments rightly administred That you may neuer depart from vs to them of the Shismaticall separation consider 1 That before Browne they can bring no one learned man that euer did write of or defend their opinion 2 They can shew none before that time that euer did suffer for that opinion 3 They of that separation will not liue in any reformed Church in the World 4 All reformed Churches condemne them as Shismatickes 5 They are very troublesome to the Christian Magistrate wheresoeuer they liue 6 Obserue how for matters of smal moment they excommunicate one another the father deliuering the sonne and the sonne the father ouer vnto Sathan 7 Note the varietie of strange opinions amongst them and you shall hardly finde one of their Ministers agrée with another but each of them are Broachers of strange Doctrine 8 If you obserue but the spirit of these men you shall truly sée it is not an humble but a rayling spirit 9 Many of them stand more vpon their outward discipline then that they may de a discipline to themselues 10 Suspect your owne iudgement suspend your sentence séeke peace bée not credulous looke as well vpon good thinges as those euils that are amongst vs and I hope you will neuer depart from vs. Euch. To come againe vnto Sathans temptations what must you doe to resist them Phil. I must labour 1 Not to be ignorant of his enterprises 2 To watch ouer my selfe continually g Mat. 26.41 3 To resist him by the shield of faith h Eph. 6.16 4 To subdue him by the sword of the Spirit i Eph. 6.17 5 To bee perswaded that hée will neuer cease k 1. Pet. 5.8 6 To thinke of my danger if I fall l Reu. 2.5 7 To consider how I may hurt others if I fall m 2. Sam. 12.14 8 That by falling I may deny my God n Lu. 22.61 9 That I shall bee rewarded if I continue a Reu. 2.7.11.17 and chap. 3.5.12.21 10 That by praier I shall haue power to resist him b Eph. 6.19 Euch. These rules indeed are generall but what if he tempt you to the sinne of couetousnesse what remedies must you vse Phil. I must meditate 1 That God hath taken vpon him to be my carefull protector c Ps 23.1 2 That this sinne is the roote of al euil d Tim. 6.10 3 That euery couetous man is an Idolater e Col. 3.5 4 That my life stands not in abundance f Lu. 12 16 5 That Christ and his disciples were poore g Mat. 8.20.4.21 6 That I shall carry nothing with me h Iob. 1.21 1. Tim. 6.7 7 That I must giue an account of my getting * Lu. 16.2 8 That it will hinder me in the seruice of God i Luk. 14.18.19 9 That rich men come hardly to heauen k Lu. 18.24 10 That by riches I am most subiect to be spoiled l Ie. 52.26 11 That they make a man vnwilling to die m Ec. 41.1 12 That they may be taken away frō me n Pr. 23.5 13 That many woes are denounced against rich men o Am. 6.1 Lu. 6.24 Ia. 5.1.2.3 Euch. What remedies haue you against the tempation of pride Phil. I must meditate 1 That I must not bee proude because I haue all things of gift a 1. Cor. 4.7 2 That God resisteth the proud b 1. Pe. 5.5 3 That it hindereth a greater largesse of grace c Lu. 18.24 4 That I am but dust and ashes d Ge. 18.27 5 That pride cast Sathan out of heauen e 2. Pet. 2.4 6 That if it be in apparell I haue more occasion to bee humbled for my shamefull nakednesse f Ge. 2.25.33
confession of sinnes in great Congregations scarce fortie are present vpon the Sabbath day yet none hereby may take occasion or be permitted so to rest wholly in such forme of Prayer as alwaies to kéepe idle the spirit within them or grace giuen them for growth in the power of Prayer to dull let or burie the gift or grace of the Spirit tending to riper perfection But euerie one ought to stirre vp and whet the Spirit and exercise the grace and power receiued to be fitted not only to repeate or reade but euen to endite any good matter and to be fitted by readinesse of inuention sutable to all occasions being as in the whole inward man so in the ripenesse of inuention facultie of conceuing increased and more and more perfected not alwayes to remaine like Children or Weakelings néeding to créepe vpon all foure or to walke with a staffe but able to goe without such helpes which any shall doe through Gods assistance by vse and frequent exercising themselues in Prayer and obseruation and imitation of other good Prayers heard or read and by kéeping a good method and order in praying A briefe Prayer vpon the Lords PRAYER OVR Father By the benefit of creation through thine omnipotencie assistance of preseruation through thy prouidence gift of Adoption through thy grace communication of eternitie through thy Christ Which art in Heauen euer raigning by thy power enlightining by Spirit forgiuing by thy mercy ruling by thy Maiesty Hallowed be thy name of vs by an honest coÌ„uersâ—tioâ— in vs by a cléere conscience from vs by an honest report aboue vs by the representation of Angels Thy Kingdome come in thy Holy Church by the sanctification of the Spirit in thy faithfull soules by iustification of faith in thine Holy Scriptures by instruction of Ministers in thy celestiall Pâ—radise by assimilation to Angels Thy will bee done in Earth in singlenesse of heart by humilitie chastitie of bodie by abstinence holinesse of will by custome truth of action by discretion As it is in heauen willingly without murmuring speedily without delaying constantly without ceasing vniuersally without omitting Giue vs this day our daily bread For humane necessitie to couer our shame future prosâ—eritie to maintaine our calling present liberalitie to doe good to others eternall glorie to lay vp in Heauen And forgiue vs our trespasses of omission in thinges commaunded commission in thinges forbidden of the first Table against thy selfe and the second Table against our neighbour As wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs Heartily in puritie chearefully in curtesie continually in Christianitie forgetfully in not requiting like for like And leade vs not into temptation either importunate which wearieth or sudden which discourageth or fradulent which deceiueth or violent which ouercommeth But deliuer vs from all euils of mundane aduersitie which will disquiet vs Sathans subtiltie which will destroy vs humane crueltie which will ouerthrow vs eternall misery which may torment vs. For thine is the Kingdome powerfull in it selfe comfortable to vs terrible to thine enemies eternall in Heauen Power great in our creation mightie in our preseruation mercifull in our iustification and wonderfull in our glorification And glorie For which thou diddest make all thinges to which we referre all thinges in which all thinges doe remaine on Earth and by which all thy Saints shal reioyce in Heauen For euer and euer in themselues by continuance in thy Saints by practise in thy creatures by proofe in the wicked by torment Amen so bee it by intention of the mind serious inuocation of thy name diligent execution of thy Commandements continuall communication of all thy mercies prayed for Another of the like Argument O Our Father high in Creation swéet in loue rich in mercie Which art in Heauen the glasse of eternitie the crowne of incunditie the treasure of felicitie Hallowed be thy name that it may bee honie to the mouth musicke to the eare a fire in the heart Thy Kingdome come pleasant without mixture safe without annoyance sure without losse Thy will bee done that wee may flie that thou hatest loue that thou louest and by thee doe that thou commandest In earth as it is in Heauen willingly readily faithfully Giue vs this day our daily bread necessarie for this life not superfluous for our delights nor waÌ„ting to our necessities And forgiue vs our debts against thée our neighbour and our selfe As wee forgiue our debters who haue wronged vs in our bodie goods name And lead vs not into temptation of the World Flesh Diuell But deliuer vs from euill past present to come Spiritual Corporall Eternall And this we aske because thine is the Kingdome for thou rulest all Power for thou canst doe all and Glorie for thou giuest all now whilest we doe liue and for euer whilest we shall liue Amen neither doubt we but that wee shall certainely obtaine these thinges because thou art louing as our Father and powerfull in Heauen Thou sayest Amen by commanding art Amen by performing we say Amen by beléeuing and hoping say but the word and we shall be cured Dauid tentatur tentatus orat orans Liberatur liberatus gratias agit August Dauid is tempted being tempted hee prayeth praying is deliuered and being deliuered he giueth thankes This is the summe both of Dauids Psalmes and the Lords Prayer MATTH 26.41 Watch and pray that you fall not into temptation A COMMVNICANT INSTRVCTED THOV SHALT LABOR FOR LONDON Printed for Edward Blunt and William Barret 1613. To the right Honourable the Ladie FRANCIS Daughter to the most honourable the Countesse of Darbie and wife to the honourable Sir IOHN EGERTON Knight of the BATHE ALbeit the houses of the poore are not at any time as of the rich alike adorned with gorgeous furniture yet the gardens of the poore as well as the rich are in the spring-time a-like couered with flowers furniture That great flower of the Sunne it is not indeede found but amongst the rich but the Marigold Heliotropiuim which openeth and setteth with the Sunne and which is as profitable as the other is beautifull this is amongst other sweet and holesome hearbs ordinarie in the poorest Orchard These kinde of hearbs sometime they vse for meate and medicine and often wanting things to present their betters with of these they doe offer a poesie of flowers As they haue receiued so they giue That spirituall Garden which is committed to my keeping hath not at this time any rare flowers in it but such as being planted some few yeares past doe now shew themselues in a more Orient colour and in greater aboundance Out of them this spring-time I haue gathered three seuerall nose-gaies and two of them are presented to two most honourable Counsellers this Third I am bold to present to your Honour I hope there is no such Antipathie betwixt flowers and you as there was betwixt a worthie Ladie and a Rose The Ladie Hennage especially such flowers as these since Religion which giueth colour
of this definition Answ 1 That he cannot eate the Lords body who is not of the Lords body August 2 That a man must come with all chéerfulnesse to this banquet a and not to feare it as a man would do poyson a Ezra 6.16 Quest When and where was this Sacrament first celebrated Answ The place was in an vpper Parlor to teach me that I should mount vp in mine affections to God and not tarry héere below vpon earth the time was immediatly before Christs departing out of this world to admonish me that euery day of my communicating should be a new departing of mine heart out of this world to mine heauenly Father for this loue-feast begunne héere vpon earth shall not be finished till I come to heauen Quest Tell me now what is the outward matter of this Sacrament Answ Bread and wine by which are signified Christs body crucified his blood powred out a Luk. 22.19.20 Quest How prooue you this Answ Christ saith Take eate this my body that is as Tertullian expoundeth it figura corporis the figure of my body 2 Irenaeus saith The Eucharist consisteth of two things the one terrestriall the other celestiall 3 Augustine saith A Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible grace and he doubted not to say This is my body when hee gaue the signe of his bodie 4 Macarius calleth the bread and wine antitypa exemplary types of Christs body and bloud yet must wee know that to the true receiuer Christ is now giuen as well as these creatures 5 Bernard saith It is called bread per significationem non proprietatem by signification not by property Quest Is not bread and wine turned into the bodie and bloud of Christ Answ No for these reasons 1 Christ instituted this Supper before he was crucified 2 Then he must haue giuen his dead bodie with his liuing hands 3 The bread after consecration is distrâ—buted into parts but the whole body of Christ is receiued of euery seuerall communicant 4 The bread is the coÌ„munion of Christs body and therefore not the very body 5 This were to make the body of Christ of Bakers bread 6 The bread and wine will corrupt being kept after consecration 7 Wee see and taste onely bread and wine 8 Else the wicked should eate Christs body and so must haue eternall life Iohn 6.54 9 This taketh away the nature of a Sacrament wherein there must be a signe and the thing signified 10 It destroies the nature of Christs body making it aliue and dead in heauen and vpon earth glorified and vilified and in many places at one time 11 It is a kinde of inchantment to giue power to the mumbling of fiue Latine words to change the substance of bread and wine 12 The Apostle calleth it bread and wine before and after consecration 1. Cor. 10.16 2. Cor. 11.26.27 13 The kingdome of God is not corporall meate and drinke Rom. 14.17 14 Victor the third Bishop of Rome Note this was poisoned by his Subdeacon when hee tooke the cup and Henry the seuenth Emperour of Luxelburge was also poisoned in receiuing the bread at the hands of a Monk 15 Christs bodie and bloud enter not into the stomacke but into the heart 16 There commeth no good to vs by the corporall but by the spirituall presence of Christ Iohn 6.54 17 It derogateth from the dignity of the Sacrament of Baptisme in which there is no such metamorphosis 18 Then men neede not to séeke for Christ in heauen Colos 3.2 19 It taketh away the remembrance of Christs death 20 To say it is done because Christ can do it is no good argument for we must not reason from his omnipotency to euert any Article of faith but we beleeue that the bodie of Christ is in heauen not on earth and in a word it would séeme to me a matter of impietie to deuoure or digest Christs blessed bodie Quest Draw me but one other reason into a Syllogisme which you think is vnanswerable Ans I will and that shal be such a one as I learned out of the booke of Martyrs from that blessed martyr M. Frith and it is this They who eate Christ in the Lords Supper as the Fathers before his incarnation did eate him in Mannah and the Paschall Lambe they cannot eate Christ corporally for at that time Christ was not borne But the faithfull eate Christ in the Lords Supper as the Fathers before his incarnation did eate him in Mannah and the Paschall Lambe 1. Cor. 20.3.4 Therfore the faithfull in the Lords Supher cannot eate Christ corporally Quest But yet may not this be done by a Miracle Answ Priests haue no promise to worke miracles now adaies and that it can be no miracle it may appeare by these vnanswerable reasons 1 Euery miracle is sensible as when Moses rod was turned into a Serpent Exodus 7.10 and Christ turned Water into Wine Iohn 2.10 But this miracle is not sensible for I sée bread and taste bread I sée wine and taste wine euen after consecration Therefore it is no miracle 2 That which is ordinarie is no miracle but this of the Priests is ordinarie therefore no miracle Quest Why then is bread called the Lords bodie and wine his bloud Answ 1 That all the faithfull may acknowledge the dignity of this Sacrament 2 That we remaine not in the outward bread and wine but bee intent vpon the thing signified 3 That we may come with greater deuotion to that Sacrament 4 That we may be assured that as outwardly wee are pertakers of bread and wine so inwardly wee are partakers of Christ and his benefits Quest What rules must I then obserue that I may in the receiuing of the bread and wine rightly discerne the Lords body Answ I will giue you three 1 Take euery thing in it owne nature and kinde doe not with our aduersaries take the signe for the thing signified nor the earthly thing for the heauenly 2 Vse euery one of them in the manner appointed by Christ and with such reuerence as is due vnto them doe not as carnall professors doe who put no difference betwixt this and common bread and wine for no bread or wine in the world is in vse like this 3 Vse them to their right ends as First for a commemoration of Christs death Secondly for thy further communion with Christ doe not either as some aduersaries doe by a conceited concomitancy take away the memory of Christs passion nor as negligent Communicants forget the comfort of their renewed communion with their blessed Sauiour for heerein standeth our greatest comfort by communicating Qu. May you not receiue the bread without the wine Answ No for these reasons 1 This were to crosse Christs institution 2 It doth dispriuiledge Christs people 3 It maketh Christs feast a drie feast 4 It taketh away the remembrance of Christs blood-shed 5 The wine signifieth not Christs blood in his veines but that blood which was powred out Quest Why did Christ
saith it is a Synecdoche so that both part agrée in this that it is the true and naturall bodie of Christ as the Euangelists and the Apostle doe plainly teach that it is spoken of the true bread and so that the Articles of faith bee kept on both sides in their plaine meaning pure and vncorrupt As that the naturall bodie of Christ is one is finite is humane is in Heauen doth no more die is not consumed not broken And yet indéed as the Scriptures teach is offered vnto all is communicated to all the faithfull but in a mysterie and after a Spirituall manner Euen as the faithfull themselues doe grow vp into one bodie and are incorporated with their head Christ and with the whole Catholike Church not after a Carnall but after a Spirituall manner And therefore as in the Sprituall and Mysticall fellowship with Christ and the Church wicked Hypocrites haue no part séeing they want faith but are only in the outward and Visible societie so I beléeue that those Hypocrites are Partakers not of the true and naturall and truly Heauenly flesh and bloud of Christ but only of the externall and outward signes the which also are termed by the name of the flesh and bloud of Christ euen by Christ-himselfe Wherefore wheras the Apostle saith They who eate vnworthily are guiltie of the bodie of the Lord if it bee vnderstood of the wicked which certainly and not without a cause Bucer denieth I interpret that in this sense wherein the same Apostle saith vnto the Hebrewes that some doe tread vnder foot the Son of God and account the bloud of the Testament a prophane thing to wit not because they doe truely eate the flesh of Christ and drinke the bloud but because they doe it vnworthily but rather because reiecting by their vngodlinesse the bodie and bloud the Bread and Wine being offered they drinke and eate the Bread and Wine vnworthily This thing good Christian assure thy selfe of that I am not so wicked as to doubt of the truth of Christs wordes in the Supper as some too impudently doe accuse me of neither that I dispute of the simple vnderstanding of euery word in this proposition This is my bodie For by this Article This that the Bread is declared besides that the text doth teach Paul also doth so interprete it 1. Cor. 10. 11. Neither this word is doth signifie any other thing as I thinke then to bee and I take this word bodie for the true bodie of Christ as Christ himselfe doth interpret who addeth which is giuen for you And therefore there is no controuersie among vs whether in the lawfull vse of the Supper the Bread bee truly the bodie of Christ but wee dispute only of the manner by which the Bread is the bodie of Christ And moreouer neither part call into question that the bread is after that manner the body of Christ after which Christ would then haue it will now haue it to be for it must be according to his will And whereas in the words of the Supper the wil of Christ is not expressed cōcerning the maner I think it is to be gathered out of the like places to wit Sacramentall kinde of spéeches Moreouer this foundation being laid that Christ then would not and now will not that the bread should bee his body after any of the manners of those men who take away the truth of his true humane body or else doe disagree from the analogy of faith and ouerturne some article of the faith from his simple meaning So the manner of Christs being in the Sacrament by Transubstantiation is excluded both because neither in the Sacrament of Baptisme the substance of the water is changed as also because straight way many bodies héere vpon earth should bee faigned vpon Christ besides that body which he hath in heauen and lastly because the substance of bread neither before neither after the conuersion was deliuered to death for vs I adde moreouer that according to Saint Marke the substance of wine was in the belly of the Apostles when he said This is the bloud The manner also of Consubstantiation is excluded both because neither in the water of Baptisme the bloud of Christ is locally included whereby we are washed from our sinnes as also because this maner doth take away the nature of the true humane body and doth Diametrically repugne with the article of the ascention into heauen and of the sitting at the right hand For the same causes that manner also is to be taken away which is not much vnlike vnto this which is imagined by a real and local adherency or coniunction not to speake that not one word can be read for the proofe of this that after some of these thrée manners Christ would haue the bread to be his body After what manner then is it probable that Christ would haue the bread to bee his body Verily after this manner as all other Sacraments are said to be that thing whereof they are Sacraments to wit by a Sacramental and so a Mystical vnion For that which we call a Sacrament the Grecians cal a Mystery Wherefore this spéech is vsuall with the Fathers that the bread is the body of Christ euen the present body and that it is eaten in a mystery Now a mystery is said to be when visible things doe lead vs to the true vnderstanding and receiuing of inuisible things and earthly things of heauenly things corporall things of spirituall things In which sense the Apostle to the Ephesians calleth the carnall marriage of Adam and Eue a great mystery because of the spiritual marriage which is contracted betweene Christ and his Church and to which that other marriage doth leade vs. But carnall men destitute of the spirit of God and of faith cannot be brought by earthly things vnto heauenly things or by the participation of those earthly vnto the communion of these heauenly seeing they cannot so much as vnderstand them as the Apostle saith Which is the cause why I iudge and beleeue that the flesh and bloud of Christ being heauenly and spirituall things cannot in deede and truth be receiued of wicked men no not by the mouth of their body which also was Bucers opinion Therefore hee said that the body of Christ was both present and eaten of vs in the Supper not after any worldly manner but onely after a spirituall and heauenly manner The which what is it else then to say that it is eaten of vs by the spirit of Christ For by Christ heauenly things are ioined vnto earthly things and by him they are receiued of them And this is my beleefe and iudgement for the meaning of the words of the Supper which I will constantly hold till that a better a truer and more agreeable to the Scriptures shall by other men bee offered and plainely prooued unto me Ille non edit corpus Christi qui non est de corpore Christi August He cannot eat the
or the longest shadow the goodliest shadow Neither men nor their liues are measured by the ell in a great and a small circle the figure is all one and it is hath béen and will be fatall euen to great and glorious personages ordinarily not to liue long Take Salomon Iosiah and Christ Iesus for example Quest O but I would not die in a strange countrey Answ No Abraham did and died quietly Ioseph did and he died honorably many Saints did and they died gloriously Are you slaine in battell you haue a tombe amongst the dead bodies of your enemies Do you die in trauaile you are héere a stranger your countrie is in heauen Death comes vnto you masked in these such like shapes take off the maske and it is the same death wherewith women and children die Euery place is a like distant from heauen Quest And when I haue seen all the world would you haue mee willing to leaue all the world Answ Why you euer haue séene the same rising and setting of the Sunne the same encreasing and decreasing of nature the like sins that haue béen in former times and if you haue séene all the world consider but the vanitie mutabilitie of this world and either you will say that this world is a world of wickednesse or that now in his old age it is passing away as a thréed-bare garment ouer-worne Quest Is it easie now thinke you to leaue wife and children father and mother and all my friends Ans Where you go you shall find more such as you neuer saw they whom you leaue behind shall shortly follow after you Quest But what shall become of my wife children friends and kins-folkes who depend vpon me Answ All these belong more to God than to you he loues them best and will prouide best for them and such so left haue often risen to high and great place Quest Yet if I died not alone I might haue more comfort Answ Alone why how many thousand in the whole world die in the same moment of time which you die in and yet which God may grant to you but a few of them goe to heauen Quest Once againe would you haue me not to feare death which causeth mee to lose life looke like a ghost and which taketh away from mee all the ioies of this world Answ By losing a temporall life you finde that life which is eternall you shall not be afraid when you looke gastly and that gastly body of yours shall one day bee clothed with glory and be made like to the glorious body of your most glorious Sauiour and as for the petie and peacocke ioies héere you shall haue ioies eternall and vnspeakable heereafter Quest Seeing then I must needs die what must I doe to die well Answ 1 Labour that your sinnes die in you before you die in the world 2 Be euer ready and prepared either for death or iudgement 3 Endeauour that your death may bee voluntary 4 Consider what an excellent thing it is to end your life before your death and in such sort that at that houre you haue nothing to doe but to die that then you haue no more néede of any thing not of time not of your selfe but sweetly and comfortably to depart this life so that you may say in the testimony of a good conscience I was not ashamed to liue and I am not afraid to die because I know my Redeemer liueth Quest How many waies may a man carry himselfe in death Answ Fiue 1 He may feare and flye it as euill 2 Attend it sweetly and patiently as a thing naturall ineuitable and reasonable 3 Contemne it as a thing indifferent and of no great importance 4 Desire and seeke after it as the onely hauen of rest from all the troubles and torments of this life and so esteeme it as great gaine 5 He may giue it to himselfe by taking away his owne life Quest What thinke you of the first because it is the opinion of the most Answ 1 Because the most thinke so therefore it is most remote from the truth 2 Such seeme to giue little credit to Gods word which teacheth that by it wée rest from our labours 3 If death be euill it is an euill only in opinion and such an euill as neuer did hurt to a good man 4 Why should a man feare that which in truth he knowes not what it is or what good it wil bring vnto him as Socrates once said vnto his friends when hee would not pleade for his life before his Iudges 5 It argueth faint-heartednesse and follie to feare that which cannot be auoided 6 If it be good why should we feare it if euill why do we by sorrow adde euill vnto euill 7 He that once begins to feare death can neuer by reason of this feare liue a good and a contented life He is neuer a freeman that feares death 8 Consider that if nature had made men immortall so that will they nill they they should haue liued euer how many thousands in miserie would haue cursed nature Surely if we had it not in this vale of misery we would desire it more Quest Giue mee your opinion of the second Answ Surely me thinkes they kéepe the golden meane for they will neither desire death as knowing it to bée against nature nor flie from it considering that it is against iustice reason and their dutie to God they know right well that the first day of their birth setteth them in their way to death Nascentes morimur finisque ab origine pendet At birth begin we life to end This end doth on that birth depend Why should wee feare to go that way which all the world hath gone before vs why to ariue at that hauen to which wee haue béen sayling euer since we were borne Quest And doe you thinke that the third sort of people do well who contemne death Answ To contemne death yea and life it selfe for the glorie of God the good of the Church the manifestation of the truth the saluation of our soules and the credit of our names argueth a courage Christian and inuincible hath béen practised both by the Saints of God many famous worthies euen amongst the heathen And surely he that feares death too much shal neuer be fit for any honorable action nay he shall neuer be a frée-man neither can he truly say that he beléeueth the immortalitie of the soule or his resurrection to eternall life by Christ Quest Need I not to craue your opinion of the fourth and fifth sort wherof one desires to die and the other in that desire doth take away his owne life Ans I haue in this treatise answered concerning the fourth shewed how a man may desire death you shall find it if you reade on in this direction But for a mā to take away his own life though it may séem sometimes to procéed from the greatnes of a mans courage yet it cannot but be a
of death is the Master day and Iudge of all other daies it is the triall and touchstone of our life if you die a good death it honoreth all your Actions if an euill it defameth them all it is the last act of the worlds Comedie and most difficult wherfore I will shew those consolations vnto you and will repeate them in your health that you may thinke of them better vpon your sicke bed wherefore against the feare of death consider 1 That wee neither liue nor die to our selues but whether we liue we liue to the Lord and whether we die wee die to the Lord. Rom. 14.8 2 That Christ is to vs in life gaine and in death aduantage Phil. 1.21 3 That Christ is to vs the resurrection and the life and whosoeuer beleeueth in him though he were dead yet shall hee liue Iohn 11.25 4 That God doth both mitigate and abbreuiate the dolours of death to his seruants 5 That our death being conuerted into a swéet sléepe is the complement of the mortification of our flesh so that hee which is dead is fréed from sinne Roman 6.7 6 That we Christians know that when this earthly tabernacle of our house shal be dissolued we shall haue a building euen of God that is an house made without hands eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 7 That if we die in the Lord we goe to Christ which is best of all for vs. Phil. 1.23 8 That this way of all flesh is sanctified to vs by the death of Christ 9 That if euer at other times the Spirit of Christ doth cause vs to beare afflictions patiently it doth especially by the comfort which it ministreth in death inestimablie ouercome the sorrowes of death 10 That the spirit indeede is ready but the flesh is weake Matth. 26.41 so that the inward man doth not feare death but only the outward man Quest Can you yet giue any more of these most sweet consolations Answ Meditate therefore againe with me that 1 The desire you should haue to behold the most bright eies of God and so to be deliuered from this body of sinne will extinguish and extenuate both the grieuous feare and fearefull griefe of present death 2 That though wée can bée content to liue with the faithfull that are aliue and must die yet we must as well desire to be with those Saints who hauing ouercome death are gone before vs to the kingdome of heauen 3 That wee must not more estéeme of this naturall then of the spirituall life but that the loue of the one must abolish the griefe of the other 4 That we are assured of the soules immortality that it shall goe by the transportation of Angels to the assembly and societie of the first borne which are written in heauen Luk. 16.22 Heb. 11.23 and that our bodies doe rest in the earth so that one doth not vnfitly call the graue an Hauen for the bodie to arriue at 5 That wee beleeue the resurrection of the body and euerlasting life after death for this is the faith of Christians onely 6 That wee seeing euidently Gods great mercy towards our young children at their departure out of this life ought at our last end to be the more couragious especially since wee know that wee haue the seale and earnest of Gods spirit in our hearts 7 That as in our whole life so in the agony of death God doth not suffer vs his seruants to be tempted aboue that which we are able to beare 1. Cor. 10.13 but giueth an happy issue with and out of that temptation It is in truth admirable which Gregorie in his Morals saith That some doe with laughter entertaine death wee may better say that by couragious patience they doe ouercome it 8 That we ought not so much to thinke of a peaceable end as of a godly life Augustine said well Where a good life goeth before an euill death must not bee thought to follow And He cannot die ill who liues well And He seldome dies well who hath liued ill And Reade saith he and reade ouer all the monuments of learned men and you shall find nothing more horrible then that person who doth liue in such an estate that he is afraid to die 9 That death is neuer vntimely whether we respect the good or the bad They die soone that they may no longer be vexed by the wicked these die soone that they may not euer persecute the godly as the same Augustine said 10 That this life is so full of miseries that in comparison thereof death may bee thought rather a remedy then a punishment as Ambrose thought Quest Once againe giue mee more comforts against the feare of death for such is the corruptiō of my nature that al is little enough Answ I will thinke therefore but thinke you seriously 1 That he onely feares death extreamly who cannot be perswaded that he shall liue after death as Chysostome saith 2 That it is best to offer that willingly to God as a gift which one day wee must else surrender as a debt to wit this spirit and life of ours as Chrysostome said 3 That as death to the euill is euill so is it good to the good to whom all things worke for their good 4 That death is the way to life as Ambrose said very fitly And another said This day which so affrighteth thee as if it were the last day is the birthday of eternitie 5 That this death is but a repairing of our life 6 That as Bernard said the death of the righteous is good in regard of rest better in regard of nouelty best of all in regard of security and that as the same Father said the death of the godly is good better best of al Contrariwise the death of the godlesse is bad worse and worst of al. 7 That death doth not abolish but establish life in a farre better estate 8 That then death frees vs from death life from error grace from sinne 9 That if Chrysostome say true death is but a bare name 10 That God doth so temper death vnto vs that it can be no cause of euil vnto vs. And therefore if you be wise remember the saying euen of an Heathen man Summum nec metuas diem nec optes Nether feare death when it commeth nor desire it too much before it commeth Quest These are all of them sweet consolations indeed yet because Satan and my flesh may bring vpon me many feares as first that God is angry with me by reason of my sinnes how may I comfort my selfe against this temptation Quest Say vnto your soule why should I feare the wrath of God For it is written God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world but that by him the world might be saued Ioh. 3. Hee that beleeueth in him shall not sée death He that beléeueth in him hath eternal life Hee that beléeueth in him shall neuer perish Who shall lay any thing to the charge
friend should haue of another in heauen within thrée houres after slept peaceably in the Lord. Luther sitting at supper and discoursing of the same argument about midnight after departed this life One Master Reade an Alderman of Norwich hauing read in the morning the chapter of Henockes taking vp in the Counsell chamber died suddenly at the table amongst his brethren And that wise Counseller the Lord of Buckhurst Earle of Dorset died suddenly at the Counsell Table in white Hall Mr. Flint a Preacher in London a man of great learning godly life and good report hauing procured the new building of his Church at which hee much reioiced fell downe from a scaffold on the top of that Church and so died In the commentaries of Iohn Holcot vpon the book of wisdom it is recorded of one who reading the fourth Chapter of the book of Wisdome was found dead in his studie with his finger pointing to the seuenth verse of that chapter Though the righteous be preuented by death yet shall he be at rest First where you shall reade these two verses Mors non est subita cui praecessit bona vita Nec minuit merita si moriatur ita If godly life do go before Through suddaine death our ioy is more 3 Know that if you liue wickedly sudden death is a fearefull iudgment for who then can bee perswaded of Gods fauour towards you and this makes the wicked of all kinds of death to pray to be deliuered from sudden death they would liue like Nabal but die like Dauid liue like the rich glutton and die like Lazarus they would die the death of the righteous but they would not liue the life of the righteous And therefore their Prayer is the prayer of Balaam Lord let mee die the death of the righteous and that my last end may bee like vnto his Numb 23. But if you liue euer in the feare of God it may bee an argument of Gods mercie to take you away vpon a short warning For so 1 You die without any great paine 2 You goe to God without any great trouble 3 You are not in danger of blaspheming God at your death 4 You will cause others to thinke well of your death because you liued a godly life 5 Many by your example will labour to prepare against such a kind of death 6 Your translation is like that of Henoch and Elias and of them that shall be aliue at the day of iudgment 1. Thess 4.17 Quest Is it lawfull to pray against a sudden death Answ The godly may and the wicked must pray against it The godly may 1 That as they haue honored God with their lips in their life so if it bee his good will they may doe it at their death 2 That because vpon the sudden few men haue their worldly estate fully setled they may haue time to order it 3 That they may not be a griefe to their friends that they are so soone taken from them 4 That they may escape the censure of the world which for the most part iudgeth hardly of this kind of death 5 That they may not die in such sort as diuers wicked men in the Scriptures haue died 6 Lest being ouertaken in some strange place they may so want the honour of Christian buriall and their friends not know what is become of them 2 The wicked must pray against it left so dying without repentance here there be no place left for them heereafter to repent in But I doubt whether God will heare their prayers For are not they worthy to want time of humiliation at their death who neglected saluation in their life The admonition of the wise man Eccl. 18.18 is very good Get thee righteousnesse before thou come to iudgement and vse Physicke before thou bee sicke Examine thy selfe before thou bee iudged and in the day of destruction thou shalt finde mercie Humble thy selfe before thou be sicke and whilest thou maiest yet sinne shew thy conuersion Quest Now since my soule must depart from my bodie ought I to take any great thought for my buriall Ans As the graue at your death is readie for you Iob. 17.1 so you also must haue care of it and your suruiuing friends must haue such respect to your dead body that it may be interred in a religious sort for 1 You are no Scythian that your dead bodie should be eaten at some feast nor Sabean that it should be cast on a dunghill nor Hyrcanian that it should bee deuoured by dogs nor Lothophagian that it should be cast into the sea nor Indian that it should be burned with fire but a Christian that it may be buried in the earth 2 Your dead body is a member of Christ 3 It was as well as the soule the temple of the holy Ghost 4 It was the ordinance of God that earth should return to his earth as the soule doth to him that gaue it Gen. 3. Eccles 7. 5 That Christ who redéemed your soule hath also paied a ransome for your bodie 6 It hath beene an instrument vsed by God to performe many seruices vnto him 7 It must rise againe out of the graue and in the day of iudgement bee made like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ Phil. 5.21 8 Religious and godly friends haue had this care to burie their dead so Abraham had to burie Sarah Ioseph to burie Iaakob Israel to burie Samuel Nichodemus to burie Christ and the Disciples to burie Iohn the Baptist and Steuen the first Martyr that suffered after Christ 9 It is one of Gods iudgements to want buriall Iere. 22.19 10 The Saints complaine for the want of it saying Psal 79.3 The dead bodies of thy seruants haue they giuen to bee meate vnto the fowles of heauen and the flesh of thy Saints vnto the beasts of the earth Their blood haue they shed like water round about Ierusalem and there was none to burie them 11 Ioseph gaue commandement concerning his bones Gen. 50. and Tobiah of his bodie Tob 14. 12 Many heathen people haue been very carefull of this dutie The Egyptians embalmed and so buried their dead and the Hebrewes made a law that no enemy should lie vnburied Quest What thinke you of the place of buriall Answ Abraham bought a field for the buriall of his dead Gen. 24. Christ was buried in a garden according to the custome of the Iewes Ioh. 20. The Turkes at this day burie none in their Cities and it was one of the lawes of the 12. Tables amongst the Romanes that none should be buried within thē walles Amongst Christians Churches and Church yards are appointed for the dead and to the end that the dead might not annoy the liuing it were well if Gouernours would be carefull to prouide larger places of buriall for this would be a meanes 1 To kéepe the City from contagion 2 That our dead bodies should not bee raked vp againe 3 To shew our care for the Saints departed 4 To take away the
sinne and crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts 1. Pet. 2.24 Rō 6.6 Gal. 5.24 10 In a word by it you haue remission of sinnes sanctification of spirit and euerlasting life after death Quest What must I heere meditate of An. You must meditate 1 Of the fearefull wrath of God against sinners which could not be appeased by any other meanes 2 Of Gods great mercy who to saue mankind would haue his Sonne killed 3 Of Christs great humility who thus abased himselfe to exalt vs. 4 Of the vglinesse of sinne which could by no other meanes be purged 5 Of the estate of the members of Christ who in this world must bee conformable to his passion 6 That wee hate all sinne and iniquity for which Christ suffered and by which we crucifie him againe Augustines meditation is fit to bee thought on The life of Christ saith he is to me a rule of my life his death is my redemption from death That instructeth my life this hath for mee destroyed death And againe Looke vpon his wounds when he hanged on the tree his blood when he died the price wherewith hee redeemed vs. He hath his body so placed on the crosse as if hee bowed it downe to kisse thee his armes spred out ready to embrace thee and his whole body giuen to redeeme thee Consider how great things these are weigh them in the ballance of thine heart that he may be wholly fastened in thine heart who for thee wholly was fastened to the crosse And againe meditate thus with that holy Father in his Soliloquies and say O Christ the saluation of my soule I hartily thanke thee for all thy benefits bestowed vpon mee from my youth till this mine olde age I pray thee by thy selfe forsake mee not Thou didst create me when I was nothing thou didst redeeme me when I was worse then nothing I was dead and when I was dead thou camest down vnto me and tookest vpon thee mortality for my sake Thou a King camest to a subiect to redeeme a subiect Thou didst die and ouercome death that I might liue I was exalted by thee when thou wast humbled for me such was thy loue towards mee that thou gauest thy blood to be shed for me O my Lord thou didst loue me more then thy self because thou wouldest die for me By such a meanes by so deare a price thou hast restored me from exile redeemed me from thraldome preserued me from punishment called me by thy name signed me by thy bloud annointed mee with that oile wherewith thy selfe wast annointed that of thee ô Christ I am named a Christian Thus thy mercy and grace hath euer preuented me Thus thou my Deliuerer hast deliuered me from many great and grieuous dangers Did I wander thou broughtest mee againe into the way Was I ignorant thou instructedst mee Did I sinne thou correctedst mee Was I sorrowfull thou comfortedst mee Did I despaire thou strengthnedst mee Did I fall thou didst helpe mee vp Did I goe thou didst leade me Did I come thou didst receiue me Did I sleepe thou didst watch ouer me Did I cry thou heardst the voice of my complaints Grant good Lord that it may bee euer pleasant vnto me to thinke often of these thy benefits to speake often of them often to giue thee thankes for them and to praise thee for euer and euer Amen Quest But because I cannot thus meditate of Christs passion vnlesse I bee able to apply it to my selfe how shall I make this application Answ 1 By the word 2. by faith 3. by the Sacraments of Baptisme the Lords Supper By the word Christ is offered as by the hand of God by faith he is receiued as by the hand of man by the sacraments he is sealed vp vnto vs as the Kings letters patents are by his Broad seale For as by the word of God his fauour is signed vnto vs so the same fauour is by the sacraments as a Broad seale ratified vnto vs and by the spirit as a Priuy seale confirmed vnto vs. Qu. Am I now bounden to follow Christ in his crosse Answ You are assuredly For 1 You are a member of his body will you not be like to your head 2 You are a branch of him that true vine will you not follow the roote 3 You desire to haue heauen do you not know that by many tribulations you must goe thither 4 You are one of Christs grapes Christ was pressed in Gods wine-presse and would you giue out your swéet liquor without the like pressing which he endured Augustine said well When thou beginnest to liue godly in Christ thou art put into the wine-presse prepare thy selfe that thy wine may be pressed out 5 It is an argument that God loues you not if you endure no afflictions you are a bastard and no sonne Heb. 12.14 An Heathen man could say thus much No man is more miserable then he who endureth no miserie it is a signe that hee is contemned of God as an idle and cowardly person And if saith Augustine you will goe to Canaan Nihil infelicius felicitate peccantium you must goe as it were by fire and water thorow the wildernesse of this world No creature is more vnhappy then hee that is happy in sinning 6 You must follow him also in his death and know that as he died so you must also be willing to die especially since nothing can free you from it If Wisdome could Salomon had not died if strength Sampson had not died if Riches Diues had not died if beauty Absalom had not died Wheresoeuer we goe if wée carrie with vs not the vgly picture of death as some Romanists doe but the true picture of Christs death in our hearts we shall neuer bee too fearefull of death Qu. I trust I shall thus meditate of Christs death and passion but is it not my duty at all times especially in sickenesse to thinke often of his resurrection Answ The Apostle Paul did account all things but losse and dung for this excellent knowledge of Christs death and the vertue of his resurrection Phil. 3.10 Quest What is the vertue of his resurrection Ans It is nothing else but the power of his Godhead or the power of his Spirit whereby he raised himselfe mightily from the dead and that on our behalfe For know this to your comfort that he did rise againe from the dead not as a priuate but as a publike person so that all the elect haue and are by his resurrection raised out of the graue of sinne by regeneration in this life and shall one day by it be raised out of the graue of death to eternal glorie in the life to come Qu. What vse may I make of this Answ By it 1 You may bee comforted against the feare of all your spirituall enemies and say thus to your sicke soule Christ is risen againe from the dead and so hath subdued all mine enemies vnder me will daily more and more
and winds of troubles and persecution and they shall flie before him as a Iud. 17.4 Sisera did before Debora and the b 1 Sa. 14. Philistims before Debora and the Philistims before Ionathan and his seruant And as Christ asking the woman of her accusers shee answered c Iohn 8. There was none so in the end aske a Christian of his troubles and he will say There are none He is a buckler for our left hand a sword in our right he is an helmet on our head and harnesse for our bodie We shal look vpon troubles as d Exod. 14 Israel did vpon the Egyptians as the e 1. Sam. 17.52 Iewes did on Goliah and as the Grecians did on Hector to triumph ouer them and as the Angell said to Ioseph f Mat. 2.20 They are dead that sought the childs life so the Spirit shall say to the afflicted They are dead that did séeke your life A day of deliuerance a yeare of Iubile wil come and then g Gen. 41. Ioseph shall be out of Prison h Gen. 31. Iacob out of seruitude and i Iob. 41.12 Iob shall lie no more in the dust of the Earth If our afflictions were plagues as to the Egyptians curses as to Cham destruction as to Sodom desolation as to Israel then had wee cause to flie from them as Moses did from that miraculous Serpēt But since they are but the trials of faith corrections of a father visitations from the Bishop of our soules since they are as Phlebotomie to a Pleurisie and a purgation to a Plethora they are to be endured with all patience k 1. Thess 4.18 Let vs comfort our selues with these words Now to the end that all men may thinke of their end and liue well I haue inserted héere in loue to him certaine propheticall verses sound in the pocket of a most Religious yong Gentleman one M. Henrie Morrice Sonne to M. Morrice Atturney of the Court of Wards who thinking euer of sudden death died suddenly in Milford Lane Septemb. 12. 1604. at the age of 23. yeares Twice twelue yeares not fully told a wearied breath I haue exchanged for an happie death My course was short the longer is my rest God takes them soonest whom he loueth best For he that 's borne to day and dies to morrow Loseth some daies of rest but moneths of sorrow Why feare we death that cures all sicknesses Author of rest and end of all distresses Other misfortunes often come to greiue vs Death strikes but once and that stroke doth releeue vs. He that thus thought of death in lifes vncertaintie Hath doubtlesse now a life that brings eternitie Liue for to learne that die thou must And after come to iudgement iust This Heauenly Meditation may well bee placed heere My God I speake it with a full assurance Faith will auow claime by appropriation My God who keep'st this debter Spirit in durance Fettered with sinne and shakled with temptation Oh of thine endlesse mercy soone enlarge me Nor hell nor sinne nor ought beside shall charge me My soule may now be gone vnto her maker Maker of her but not of her Infection That is her own when Gods helpe doth forsake her Finall forsaking is not in Election For where he once by grace hath made his dwelling There may be striking but theirs no felling Earth what art thou A point A senselesse center Friends what are yee An Agie trustlesse triall Life what art thou A daily doubtfull venter Death what art thou A better lifes espiall Flesh what art thou A loose vntempered morter And sicknesse what art thou Heauens churlish porter Sweet Iesus bid thy porter then admit me I hold this World and worlds delay in loathing If ought be on my backe that doth not fit me Strip me of all and giue me brideall clothing So shall I be receiued by my liuerie And prisoners soule shall Ioy in gaole deliuerie Veni Domine Iesu veni citò The summe of this direction Mors tua mors Christi fraus mundi gloria coeli Et dolor Inferni sunt meditanda tibi Thinke oft on death thine own and Christs this Worlds deceitfulnesse The ioyes of Heauen the paines of Hell in which is wretchednesse Suprema cogita cor sit in aethere Felix qui didicit mundum contemnere A godly prayer to bee vsed at all times especially of such as delight in this exercise without wearinesse MOst high and mightie God and in thy Son Christ Iesus our mercifull louing and gracious Father thou hast commanded vs to come vnto thee and vpon the knées of our hearts wée doe come vnto thée humbly entreating thée before we begin to remoue farre from vs all such impediments as vsually Satan casteth vpon this exercise and so to quicken vs vp by the Spirit of supplication that in feare and reuerence of thy great name in faith and confidence of thy gracious assistance and in a féeling desire of the supply of our wants we may put vp and powre out our supplications vnto thée that as the messengers of our soules they may signifie our wants as the petitiouers of mercy they may sue for our pardon and as proclaimers of thy grace they may declare our thankfulnesse for all those mercies which we haue receiued and all those iudgments which we haue escaped O Lord our God we doe here in thy presence and blessed are we that we may come to thy presence acknowledge and confesse that we are of our selues most wofull wicked cursed creatures The corruption of our natures the iniquities of our liues doe generally beare witnesse against vs. But more particularly wee confesse that our hearts are full of infidelity by reason wherof we doe not as wee ought either depend vpon thy prouidence for the things of this life or beleeue thy promises for the life to come Doest thou visit vs wee are impatient doest thou denie vs our desires in this world we are neuer contented with our estate We are full of doubt for the life to come and full of distrust for the things of this life Wee are glued too much to this wicked world and as though we said in our hearts there is no God our mindes are greatly estranged from thee And alas miserable wretches that we are we delight in doing our owne wils it is not meat and drinke to vs to doe thy will In the pride of our hearts we exalt our selues aboue thee and our brethren and boast our selues as though we had receiued nothing from thee We put away from vs the euill day and liue as though wee should neuer die Wee walke on in the hardnes of our hearts by reason of the abundance of vaine-glory we rather séeke praise of men then thy glory Our soules are so filled with loue to our selues that we preferre our owne pleasure peace and liberty before thy Maiesty or the loue of our brethren yea hypocrisie is so rooted in our soules that wee
of thee when we pray vnto thée We haue nothing to say for our selues O Lord but that shame and confusion belongeth vnto vs mercie and forgiuenesse belongeth vnto thee Haue mercie therefore vpon vs most mercifull Father and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all our offences We confesse indéed that wee are miserable sinners yet by thy Spirit thou hast taught vs that we be thine And therefore wee beséech thee to seperate our sinnes from vs which otherwise will seperate vs from thée If we remember our sinnes thou wilt forget them teach vs therefore to remember them in the bitternes of our soules If we sorrow for them in this life wee shall not sorrow for them in the life to come make vs truly sorrowfull that wee haue offended thée our gratious Father To this end giue vnto vs the comfort of thy Spirit to assure vs of thy fauour by which we may be as readie to euery good worke as we are prone to all that is euill Thou hast renued in vs O Lord the image of thy Sonne O let vs not turne it into the image of Satan neither let thy enemie take vs away from thée we desire good God to warre against him and his champions the flesh and the world we cannot ouercome without thée we pray thée therefore to arme vs with the shield of faith and the sword of thy Spirit against all their assaults and to put vpon vs thy complete armour and wherein we are most weake there make thou vs most strong that in the end wee may be more than conquerers Kéepe vs now and euer in the feare of thy Maiestie And because we go now forth to sight against all the enemies of our saluation the weakest whereof are stronger than weâ— therefore we come vnto thée for the assistance of thy Spirit and do humbly entreate thée to aid vs by thy prouidence arme vs by thy power guard vs by thine Angels instruct vs by thy Word and gouerne vs by thy Spirit in all our actions Let thy blessing be vpon vs thy seruants in our going out and comming in and in euery action wee vndertake from this time forth and for euermore Let all our thoughts words and workes this day tend to the glorie of thy name the good of thy Church and the euerlasting saluation of our soules Let vs make conscience of al that we do neither let vs account any sin little because thy Sonne died for the least Let vs cast away the workes of darknesse and put vpon vs the armour of light And howsoeuer heretofore by lying and swearing and sporting and spending inordinate liuing we haue offended thée yet grant that we may leaue them all lest they leaue not vs till they haue brought vs to destruction Make vs to discerne betwixt right and wrong good and euill truth and error and to learne some good thing euery day make vs skilfull in the profession of pietie that we may know how to serue thee and let vs not be ignorant in the mysteries of our callâ—ngs that wee may learne how to liue thereby Settle our affections in the loue of thy Maiestie zeale of thy glorie and vnfained good will one towards another so as we may as much ioy at the prosperitie of others as in our owne Are we merrie let it be in thée are we sorrowfull let it be for our sins haue we peace make it in vs all the peace of a good conscience are wee â—fraid let it bee of sin that we with as great delight may run the waies of thy Commaundements as euer we haue ouerrun thée in the waies of wickednesse Thou hast bin good vnto vs many waies O Lord as in our creation when we were nothing in our redemption when we were worse than nothing in our vocation when we thought not of thée and in our sanctification when wee were defiled before thee Thou thou alone hast preserued vs by thy prouidence preuented vs by thy goodnesse instructed vs by thy word acquainted vs with thy Maiestie and deliuered vs from many dangers And all to this end that we should goe as farre before others in thankfulnesse towards thée as far as thou goest in mercie towards vs before them We do acknowledge O Lord this fauour of thine and wee desire from our hearts to acknowledge it more taking all that wee haue as a gift from thée And in a thankfull remembrance of these thy mercies we desire thee O Lord to settle euery one of vs in such a constant course of obedience to thée that we may serue thée from this houre with all those duties which the world the flesh and the diuell would haue vs to deferre till the day of death O let vs thinke alwaies of our last houre yea last iudgement the ioyes of heauen the torments of hell and what a bitter death thy Sonne Iesus did suffer to redéeme our soules out of the hands of the diuell Let vs spend the rest of our vncertaine life in a renued repentance for our sins paâ—â— make vs to leaue the pleasures of this world before that they doe leaue vs. And now O Lord albeit we are vnworthie to aske any thing for our selues yet because thou hast commanded vs we doe intreate thée for others not as Abraham did for the Sodomites but as Samuel did for the Israelites Be fauourable to Sion build vp the walles of Ierusalem Behold with the eye of pitie compassion the great ruines and desolations of the Church Feede it as thy flock foster it as the familie dresse it as thy vineyard deck it as thy spouse and euer rule in it as in thine owne kingdome Many are the enemies that crie Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Abate their pride asswage their malice confound their deuices and let their counsell in the end be as the councell of Achitophel so that peace may be within her walles and prosperitie in all her palaces so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth To this end giue vnto our Prince the wisedome of Salomon to his Counsellors the prouidence of Hushâ—y to our Iudges the conscience of Samuel to our Ministers the diligence of Paul and to our people the obedience of those subiects who with one consent cried out vnto their Gouernour Whatsoeuer God shall command vs by him that will we doe Thus we O Lord and our posteritie after vs shall enioy a spirituall communion of Saints in this life and a blessed communion in the life to come Many of thy seruants suffer for thy cause let all such sée the truth of their cause thy comfort in their calamitie and an happie deliuerance if it be thy will Are any now lying in the anguish of their conscience disburden them of the feare of thy iudgement and refresh them right soone with the conduit of thy comfort And as thou hast made them examples for vs so teach vs to take example by them that we may looke vpon thy promises
to preserue vs from despaire and vpon thy threatnings that wee doe not presume Blesse them that fight thy battels by land or sea whether they incounter with Mahomet or Antichrist And blesse them thou God of hosts in such a sort that the Hâ—athen in the end may bee constrained to say Doubtlesse there is a reward for the righteous verely there is a God that iudgeth the earth And séeing only we heare of rumours of wars and liue in such libertie as neuer any nation hath done so long make vs thankfull vnto thée that we are in such a case that wée are not led into captiuitie neither is there complaining in our stréets And teach vs to build thy Church in our rest as Salomon built the Temple in his peace We haue O Lord béene long in prosperitie be mercifull to this sinfull nation which hath surfetted and is sicke of too too much ease Let not thy blessings rise vp against vs but make vs as rich in goodnesse as in goods in pietie as in plentie that as we go before all nations in prosperitie so wee may labour to excéede them in sinceritie Blesse this familie from the greatest to the least blesse it O Lord with thy grace and peace so that superiours may rule it according to thy word seruants may obey as the seruants of Christ and that euery one in the same may be loued of thée Thou séest O Lord how bold we are we haue called vpon thée for our selues and others but many other things should wee haue begged of thée because we want them and thanked thée for because we haue receiued them Our vnderstanding is shallow our memorie short and wee are vnworthy to pray vnto thée and most vnworthie to receiue the things which we haue prayed for therefore we commend our persons prayers actions and endeuours this day to thy most gratious and mercifull protection and that in the name of Christ thy Sonne and our Sauiour in whose name and in whose words we further call vpon thée and thank thée saying Our Father c. LEt thy mightie hand and outstretched arme O Lord be still our defence thy mercie louing kindnesse in Iesus Christ our saluation thy true and holy word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation vnto the end and in the end and let all héere present say Amen AN EVENING PRAYER FOR PRIVATE families O Lord prepare our hearts to praier MOst High and Mightie God father of eternitie and fountaine of mercie wee acknowledge and confesse this fauour of thine that thou giuest vnto vs these blessed opportunities publikely in thy Temple to méete together priuately in our Families to méet together especially we acknowledge now this worke of thy grace that we dare not commit our bodies to rest before we haue coÌ„mended our selues to thée Thou hast not dealt so with euery familie neither haue the wicked a desire to praise thée wee are now present before thée O Lord be thou president amongst vs grant vnto vs all such a portion of thy Spirit that in feare of thy Maiesty reuerence of thy name a sense of our miseries and an assurance of thy mercie we may come now before thée as before that God who séest our behauiour searchest our hearts knowest our wants art able to grant more then we can desire We acknowledge confesse before thy great Maiestie that in the loynes of our first parents thou diddest make vs to thine image but in them we fell away from that blessed estate and are plunged into a most wofull and desperate condition being able to doe nothing but displease thée Our forefathers haue eaten sowre grapes and their childrens téeth are set on edge By the transgression of one wee all haue sinned and are depriued of thy glorious image and as an hereditarie disease it hath infected all the powers of our soules and bodies Our vnderstandings are filled with blindnesse and darknesse not sauouring the things of saluation our consciences are wounded seared defiled and neuer soundly at peace in themselues our memories are fit to retaine euill and to forget euery thing that is good our willes run headlong to all iniquitie but are auerse to all goodnesse our affections are with violence carried after the sway of our willes our thoughts are vnsatiable and infinite in euill our best actions are great abominations and our whole conuersation is lothsome to God and man By this meanes O Lord we are odious to thy Maiestie execrable to thine Angels detestable to thy Saints slaues to Satan worthie to be accursed in this life and for euer By this means our bodies are subiect in each member to diseases and our soules are subiect in each facultie to disorder we by this means haue lost thy fauour are cast out of Paradise haue sold our birth-right and exchanged heauen for the pit of hell And héerein we are most miserable that we feele not our miserie feare not thy wrath desire not thy fauour and consider not what we lost when we fell from thée Yet thou art our Father and wée thy children thou art our God and we thy people thou art our shepheard and we the sheep of thy pasture And when no creature in heauen or in earth was able to reconcile vs vnto thy Maiesty thou in thy loue diddest send thy Son to be the propitiation for our sinnes In him therefore we come vnto thée in whom alone thou art well pleased with vs and since hee is that Lambe that taketh away our sinnes in him we beséech thée to looke vpon vs. Let the puritie of his nature answere the impuritie of ours the perfection of his obedience satisfie for our imperfection and the sufficiencie of his sufferings frée vs from all torments which wee deserued to suffer for our sins He hath conquered Satan by his glorious resurrection from the dead and by it hath triumphed ouer sinne and death And now we are restored into thy grace againe grant that wee may feele the fruits of that grace especially such faith in thy promises peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost zeale to good workes in this life present and assurance of happinesse in the life to come that we neuer hereafter doe fall from thee But because we cannot either stand vnlesse thou vphold vs nor walke vnlesse thou lead vs nor liue vnlesse thou quicken vs nor raigne vnlesse thou crowne vs therefore we entreate thee to vphold vs by thy hand that we fall not direct vs by thy word that we erre not quicken vs by thy Spirit that we die not and crowne vs with glorie that we lose not our inheritance Sanctifie vs al in thy truth thy word is that truth Sanctifie vs by the Law that by it we may see our miserie feele the want of Christ bee sorrowfull for our sinnes aduise what to do desire pardon resolue to come to thée confesse our iniquities and renounce al things in the world to get saluation in
commandements not so much in outward conformitie as in soundnes of heart And when we haue done thée the best seruice wee can teach vs to say in humilitie We are vnprofitable seruants And séeing it is not sufficient to do good but it is also our dutie to auoid euill make vs to abhorre al appearance of euill knowing out of thy word that it defileth the soule may be committed in thought is of omission as well as commission and if we commit but the least sinne we offend the puritie of thine excellencie and are guiltie of the whole law Make vs therefore euer to remember that sin is filthie and lothsome euen in the greatest pleasure and act thereof that the end thereof is bitter and the inward parts most abominable Teach vs O thou Master of Israel to kéep a continual watch ouer our inner and outward man to feare our selues euen then when thou art most mercifull to vs to walke alwaies as in thy presence to meditate of thy iudgements inflicted vpon thy dearest children for sin and in faith patience diligence and humilitie to be euer laboring in our vocation Make vs to mourne for our delight in sinne to know that we carrie this traytor about vs that we can neuer subdue him but by prayer to thée and practising vertues contrary to his assaults But because all is in vaine without perseuerance wee intreate thée that wee may continue in the practise of all holy duties to thée euen vnto our liues end Wee thanke thée O Lord for all thy benefits this day past in our whole life thou hast giuen thy Son for a ransome thy Spirit for a pledge thy word for a guide and reseruest a kingdome for our perpetuall inheritance Thou mightest haue said before we were formed let them be monsters let them be Infidels or let them be beggers or cripples or bondslaues as long as they liue But thou hast made vs in the best likenesse and nurced vs in the best religion and placed vs in the best land so that thousands would thinke themselues happie if they had but a piece of our happinesse We want nothing but thankfulnesse to thée make vs more thankefull then euer we haue béene heretofore and because wee know not how long wee shall enioy these blessings of thine by reason of our sins fit and prepare vs for harder times that wee may bee contented with whatsoeuer thou shalt send Blesse thy Church and children this night and for euer according to their seueral necessities be merciful vnto them Blesse this Land wherein we doe liue the gouernment and Gouernours of the same from the highest to the lowest And because we are now to rest in our beds watch ouer vs in this rest of ours giue vnto vs comfortable and swéet sleepe fit vs for all seruices of the day following make our soules to watch for the comming of Christ let our beds put vs in minde of our graues and our rising from thence of the last resurrection so that whether we wake or sléepe we being thine may waite for thée Forgiue vs the sinnes of this day past this houre present and our whole life before not for our merits but for Christs mercies in whom alone thou art well pleased and in whose name and whose words we further call vpon thee and thanke thée saying Our father which art c. NOw the very God of peace sanctifie vs throughout and hee grant that our whole spirit and soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God the Father the blessing of God the Sonne and the comfort of God the holy Ghost be with vs and all the seruants of Christ Iesus to preserue our bodies from sicknesse our soules from sin and our estates from ruine this night and for euer more Amen A PRAYER TO BE VSED by a mans selfe or with others changing the number O Lord my God mercifull and louing to all thy seruants pitifull and patient to mee thy child I with that poore Publican cast my selfe downe at the foot-stoole of thy Maiestie and with an vnfained sorrow for all my sinnes do as he did crie vnto thée for fauour saying Lord bee mercifull to mee a sinner One déepe calleth to an other the depth of miserie to the depth of mercie Haue mercy vpon me O Lord according to thy great goodnesse and in the multitude of thy mercies doe away al mine offences Lord I acknowledge confesse my sins and mine iniquities are not hid from thée By creation I confesse thou diddest make me good in righteousnesse and true holinesse I was like vnto thée if my first Parents had not defaced that image I should haue serued thée in truth all the daies of my life But they falling from thée I fel with them and they sinning against thée I sinned with them And as when a great man is a traitor his blood is stained so by Adams transgression his posteritie is tainted Thus O Lord I was conceiued in sin and brought foorth in iniquitie and now I know that in mee that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing yea I am by nature the child of wrath if I haue none other but my first birth I may curse the day that euer I was borne I féele O Lord but it is thy spirit that giueth me this féeling that mine vnderstanding is darkened conscience seared memorie decaied will bewitched heart hardened affections disordered conuersation corrupted my thoughts desires and best actions are abominable sinnes in thy sight Mine eyes cannot sée thée in thy creatures mine eares cannot heare thée in thy word my mouth cannot praise thée in thy workes mine hands and féete cannot serue thée in my calling destruction and calamitie are in all my waies and the way of peace I haue not knowne For these sinnes of mine I am subiect to the curse for cursed are they that erre from thy statutes Cursed is the earth with briers and barrennesse and cursed is the heauen with often droughts and moistnesse And for my selfe what am I not subiect to by reason of sinne My bodie is subiect to all diseases my soule to all her sicknesses my name to all reproches mine estate to all casualties I deserue iustly to bee deliuered ouer to the illusions of Satan allurements of the world corruptions of my flesh hardnesse of heart desperation of thy goodnesse calamities in my calling and to eternall destruction after I am dead Vnto whom now shall I come for comfort vnto whom now shall I sue for succour I am stung with a Serpent I will looke vp to the brasen Serpent I am sicke of sinne I will goe to the Physician of my soule I lie dead in the graue of corruption who shall raise mee vp but he that is the resurrection and the life O bountifull Iesu O swéet Sauiour O thou Lambe of God that takest away the sins of the world haue mercie vpon mee Lord giue vnto me
aduaÌ„ced â—sswage mine enuie haue I abundance temper mine intemperance am I in want mitigate my feares doest thou exalt me keepe me from pride doest thou humble me kéep me from impatience doest thou withdraw thy selfe from mee let mee euer say Vp Lord why sleepest thou doth Satan assault mee because I am rich in grace preserue me O Lord that I lose not thy grace For woe is mee if I fall from thée I haue promised that I will not fall thou hast promised I shall not fall leade mee by thine hand that I do not fall Finally because thou hast been good vnto me many waies Lord make me thankful for all thy fauours Thou hast made mee a man not a beast a Christian not an Heathen a Protestant not a Papist Whilest many are ignorant I haue knowledge whilest many are profane I haue been obedient to thy will whilest many want the ordinarie meanes of saluation thou affordest me meanes for saluation of my soule Many are bound I am free in prison I haue libertie in want I haue sufficiencie They liue in warres I in peace they in persecution I in free profession of the truth they in sicknesse I in health And although by my sinnes I deserue to bee consumed yet thou hast spared me a great while and giuen me a long time of repentance What shall I giue vnto thee for all these mercies and fauours of thine I will take the cup of saluation praise thy great and glorious name and most humblie entreate thée that as thou neuer ceasest to bee good vnto me so I may neuer cease to be thankfull vnto thée Pardon good God my losse of time my abuse of thy creatures my negligence in my calling my vnthankfulnesse for thy kindnesse and whatsoeuer is wanting in my person practise prayer or thanksgiuing make a supplie of it in the merit of Christ Iesus to whom with thée and thy blessed spirit be all praise and glorie now and for euermore Amen A PRAIER TO BE SAID by a sick person or for him changing my vnto vs c. ALmightie God and in Iesus Christ my most mercifull and all-sufficient Sauiour I thy sicke and sinfull seruant diseassed in my bodie and distressed in my soule doe flie vnto thée yea to thée alone for succour I haue liued heretofore in the health of my bodie I acknowledge that thou wast the author of my health I am cast downe vpon my sicke bed thou hast by thy prouidence sent this Herauld to arrest me It is O Lord the messenger of death preaching vnto mee that vndoubted doctrine which I haue beene learning euer since I was borne namely That it is appointed that all must die and after death commeth iudgement My spirit is willing and would faine say Come Lord Iesus come quickly my flesh is fraile and in weaknesse doth say Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And as in mine health I did nothing but sinne when I was not assisted by thy good Spirit so now in my sicknesse I shall doe nothing but sorrow vnlesse I bee comforted by the same Spirit O Lord comfort me in this agonie of mine and say vnto my soule I am thy saluation Thou art the Physitian heale me thou art that Samaritan pitie me thou art the resurrection and the life quicken me and quicken mee so in the inner man that neither the loue of this world nor the losseÌ„ of this light nor the consideration of thy Iustice nor the feare of death nor the terror of hell may make me vnwilling to depart this life Thou alone knowest the sorrowes of mine heart take them away thou beholdest my feare of death deliuer me out of al my feares couer my sores with the righteousnesse of thy Son heale them by the blood of thy Son and though thou launce them with the knife of the law yet bind them vp againe with the bands of the Gospell I know that my Physitian dwelleth in heauen yet he sendeth his medicines downe vpon the earth Besides thee none in heauen can helpe me and there is none in earth in comparison of thée to do me any good I am weake strengthen me I am sick cure me I am faint comfort me I must die quicken me I am assaulted defend me I am full of feare encourage mee I haue desired to liue the life of the righteous O let mee die the death of the righteous and let my last houre be like vnto his Into thine hands doe I commend my soule for thou hast redeemed it ô Lord God of truth My conscience doth tell mee that I haue sinned against thee and whatsoeuer I now suffer it is for my sinnes they are like an heauie burden vpon my soule they presse me downe to the graue of death and Satan doth lay them now especially before me to make me despaire of thy mercies in Christ Lord assure mee of the pardon of them all perswade my soule by the Spirit of my Sauiour that they are nailed to his crosse washed in his blood couered in his righteousnesse acquited by his death buried in his graue and fully discharged by his alone satisfaction Now now I stand in néed of thy Spirit let it crie in mine heart Abba Father I desire none Angell from heauen to comfort me I desire the Spirit of adoption to assure me to assure me o Lord that thou art my Father and I thy son thou my shepheard and I thy sheepe thou my king and I one of those subiects who shall shortly waite vpon thée in the kingdome of heauen to which I must passe by the gates of death O though I haue now a sick body yet grant me I pray thée a sound soule In thy hands are life and death thou hast the keyes of the graue and death thou bringest to the graue and pullest back again my mother bare mee a mortall man I came into this world to leaue it at thy pleasure it pleaseth thee now to forewarne me of mine end which might haue come vpon mee before this time I might haue perished either in the womb or in my cradle or in my childhood or before I had knowne thée or suddenly might I haue béen taken away and I deserued to die so soone as I was borne I owe thée a death as Christ Iesus died for me I haue béene salling to this hauen euer since I was borne be thou my Pilot that I sinck not in the hauens mouth but that I may land at the port of paradise I haue done I confesse little seruice vnto thée and if thou shouldest now take mee away I should die before I haue begun to liue Thou knowest what is best for me Conuert me O Lord and I shall be conuerted O Lord turne me and in a moment I shall bee turned vnto thee Therefore déere Father giue me that mind which a sick man should haue faith in thy promises hope of eternall life patience with my paine a desire to bee loosed and to bee with Christ and
a loathing of the vanities of this present euill world Call to my remembrance all those things which I haue heard or read or felt or meditated of to strengthen mee in this houre of triall that I who haue beene negligent in teaching others by my life may now teach them how to die and to beare patiently the like visitation Lord grant that my last houre may bee my best houre my last thoughts the best thoughts and my last words the best words that euer I did speak so that with my swéet Sauiour I may then say Father into thine hands I commend my spirit or with old Simeon say Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Take away from mee in that houre all terror of conscience all scriching and howling all sottishnesse and senslesnesse which doth often accompany the wicked at their ends and since thou hast lent mee for a while my life grant that I may willingly restore it again when thou callest for it to heauen Let not the graue make me afraid because it is perfumed by the buriall of Christ and made as a bed for my body to rest in against that day in which thou shall clothe mee againe with mine owne flesh and make it like to the glorious bodie of Christ when he will say vnto mee Come thou blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome which was prepared for thee before the foundations of the world were laid Lord I thanke thée for all thy mercies in the time of my health and in this of sicknesse especially that thou hast taught mee out of thy word which also by thy Spirit I beleeue that howsoeuer I am by nature mortall yet by grace thou hast made me immortall and that I am translated from death to life I thanke thée O Lord for all the good meanes of health offred to me in this visiâ—ation of mine as my Christian friends their holy prayers and godly comforts for the meanes of Physicke and all other fauours which I now taste of in this sicke bed of mine which thou hast denied vnto many of thy seruants and déere children who haue deserued thy fauour more then my selfe I thanke thée also that as I haue liued in a Christian Church so if I die I shall die in thy Church and be buried in the sepulchres of thy seruants who all waite for the consolation of Israel and the Redemption of their bodies in the Resurrection of the iust Blesse all good meanes vnto mee so farre sorth as it may be for thy glory and my good and as I haue euer praied Thy wil be done so now let me not be offended that thy will is done Teach me that all things euen both sicknesse and death turn to the best to them that loue thee teach me to see my happinesse through troubles that euery paine is a preuention to the godly of the paines of hell and that this light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and eternall weight of glorie Teach mee againe by thy holy Spirit that there is none hurt by going to heauen that I shall lose nothing but the sense of euill and that anon I shall haue greater ioyes then I feele paine O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie I thanke thee O Lord who hast giuen me victorie by Iesus Christ in the confidence of this conquest I come vnto thée am assured that if I liue I shall liue vnto thée and if I die I shall die vnto thée I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ for he vnto me is both in life and in death aduantage I shall by death put off corruption and put on incorruption shake off sinne and be couered with righteousnesse cast off mortalitie and be attired with immortalitie I shall lose my life in earth and finde it againe in heauen Thou my Father Christ my brother the Saints my kinred happinesse mine inheritance are in heauen alreadie why should I feare to go thither whither all the godlie dead are gone before me and all the faithful liuing shall follow after mee Why art thou troubled O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Lord I know I cannot escape death why should I feare it my chiefest happinesse is behind and I cannot haue it vnlesse I go vnto it I could be content to go thorow hell to heauen O make me to go through death to heauen My paines I confesse O Lord are great but since I trauell to bring forth eternitie make me patient to endure all paines I sée my sins make mee now to sée my Redeemer I feare the Iudge perswade me that his Sonne is become my intercessor Satan would affright me I hope thine Angels pitch their tents about me the graue will gape on me out of thy word I know it was the bed of my Sauiour What though I leaue many aliue behind me yet they shall all follow after if I get mine inheritance before my brethren I must bee more thankfull to my father for it Grant therefore most mercifull God that if I liue I may liue to sacrifice and if I die I may die a sacrifice I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaiden do with me what thou wilt Blesse O Lord the suruiuing generation make them wise to saluation to number their daies a right and to applie their hearts to wisedome And though thou kill mee yet let me now trust in thée Grant this O Lord for thy Sonnes sake in whom alone thou art well pleased for my comforts sake which by this means shall bee encreased and for the beholders sakes who shall sée mine end that they all may say Grant that wee may die as this our brother did so that our ends may be like vnto his and our soâ—les follow his Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus come quickly and the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the comfort of the holy Ghost bee with mee now and for euer more Amen Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Reuelat. 14. The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceiue the good things which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Corinth 2. We know that if this earthly house of this Tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 Farewell my friends but you shall follow for it is appointed that all must die A THANKES GIVING AFTER DELIVERANCE from any crosse or sicknesse O Eternall God almightie and most mercifull Father the life of them that die the health of them that are sick and the only recouerer of them that are cast downe I thy late sick and sorrowfull seruant doe with bended knées and a thankfull hart prostrate my selfe before thée at this time and doe thankefully acknowledge
all those benefits which from my cradle thou hast heaped vpon mee till this present houre When I was nothing I was created by thée when I was worse than nothing I was redeemed by thee When I was worthie nothing I was sanctified by thee and when I shall returne to nothing I shall bee glorified by thée And though I neuer knew thee as I ought loued thee as I should obeyed thee as thou commandest nor thanked thée as thou deseruest for all thy fauours yet hast thou loaded mee so with thine abundant fauours as if I had euer done thy will Experience haue I had of thy goodnesse many times but neuer more then in my late last visitation I acknowledge O Lord that at that time I chattered like a swallow I mourned like a doue I panted like an hart all ioy and gladnesse was parted from my soule I looked vpon my friends they could not reliue mee I sent to the Physitians they could not recouer mee I vsed all meanes no meanes would helpe mee I sought vnto thée yea to thée alone in my trouble and thou hast deliuered mee from all my distresse My mourning is turned into mirth my sorrow into solace my sicknesse into health and my death into life O thou that art the welspring of life the fountaine of health and the alone preseruer of al mankind what shal I render vnto thee for all those mercies that I haue receiued and for all those iudgements that I haue escaped aske of mee and I will giue it command mee and I will performe it tell mee and I will do it A thankfull heart is a sacrifice to thée a gratefull minde is well pleasing vnto thée and therefore in the sight of thy sacred Maiestie and in the eyes of all thy people I will take the cup of saluation and magnifie praise thy holy name that thou hast dealt so fauorablie with me The pangs of death had seized vpon mee thou hast restored me from death to life the sorrowes of the graue had taken hold vpon mee thou hast deliuered my soule from the graue Thou diddest hide the face of thy louing kindnesse from me now the light of thy countenance hath shined vpon mee And I who heard of late this message with Hezechiah Set thy soule in order for thou shalt die and not liue do now sée and féele this ioyfull promise I haue added to thy life yet a number of daies Teach mee so to number these my daies aright that I may applie mine hart vnto wisedome and that howsoeuer I liue heere for a while yet that thou hast appointed that I shall once die And because this meditation ought to be the meditation of all Christians and will teach vs to contemne this present euill world grant me that I euer may thinke of mine end and that exact account which I must giue vnto thée of euerie action I doe in this flesh whether it bee good or euill To this purpose grant me the assistance of thy Spirit that I may so liue hereafter before thee in this life that I may liue with thée eternally in the life to come Teach mee O Lord thy way and I will walke in thy truth knit mine heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name teach mee to do thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit leade me into the land of righteousnesse Create in mee a new heart renue a right spirit within mee and establish me with thy free Spirit I asked of thee life and thou gauest it mee I called for thy saluation and thou heardest me I will praise thee O Lord with all mine heart and I will magnifie thy name for euer For many are thy mercies towards mee and thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue If thou desiredst burnt offrings I would giue it thée if all that I haue I would bestow it on thee but a thankfull heart an obedient life a zealous profession a godly conuersation is the only sacrifice thou delightest in make me therefore euer hereafter to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lustes and to liue soberly and godly and righteously in this world that others séeing my godly behauiour may glorifie thée in the day of visitation Make me to repent of my sinnes the causes of my sicknesse to beleeue in Christ the author of my health and to depend vpon thée the doer and giuer of all good things And now I am whole giue me thy grace not to sinne againe lest a worse thing happen vnto mee To this end rectifie my iudgement strengthen my memorie purifie my conscience whet on mine affections order my will and put on all the faculties of my soule and bodie that I may loue thee for thy mercies vnfainedly feare thée for thy iudgements vncessantly praise thee for thy fauours continually pray vnto thee for thy goodnesse daily and obey thee according to thy will dutifully Make me to know thee as thou hast reuealed thy selfe in thy Word to acknowledge thee as thou hast opened thy selfe in thy Sonne to thinke on thee as the solace of my soule to cleaue vnto thee as the authour of saluation and to speake of thee as thou art wonderfull in all thy workes My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within mee praise his holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities which redeemeth thy life from the graue and crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnesse which satisfieth thy mouth with good things and renueth thy youth like the Eagles Thou art full of compassion and mercie slow to anger and great kindnesse Thou wilt not alway chide neither keepest thou thine anger for euer Thou hast not dealt with me according to my sinnes nor rewarded me according to mine iniquities For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is thy mercie towards them that feare thee As farre as the East is from the West so farre thou remouest my sinnes from me As a Father hath compassion on his children so hast thou compassion on them that feare thee Thou knowest whereof we be made thou remembrest that we are but dust I will praise thee O Lord among the people I will sing vnto thoe in the congregation of the Saints For thy mercie is great aboue the heauens and thy truth aboue the clouds Let my soule liue and it shall praise thee and thy iudgements shall helpe mee Helpe mee they shall to loue thee more zealously to feare thee more reuerently and to obey thee more carefully all the daies of my life I confesse O Lord that before I was afflicted I went astray but now I haue learned thy precepts It is good for mee that I was afflicted for I sought vnto thee in my troubles I was in mine health an vntamed heifer it was thy goodnesse to lay thy yoke vpon mee and to giue mee courage to beare it patiently Thou hast taken it from mee