neuer wearieth the soules of such as delight in the liuing God whose beautie Dauid saw as neuer satisfied with the contemplation of the glorious Maiestie oâ— Iehouah whose beautie the more the Spirituall minde beholdeth in his word his workes his fauour power and prouidence the more is hee mooued with desire to see more and more And thinkes no happinesse comparable to the happinesse of a heauenly life Much were the Disciples mooued at the sight of Christs transfiguration in so much as they desired to haue built there Tabernacles to haue enioyed that blessed sight Still to desirous was Dauid still to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visite his holy Temple Where God is truely heard and duly called vpon by a holy congregation nay by one particular faithfull Christian there appeareth the glorie of God There is the Arke of the Lord the presence of the mightie God of Iaakob whose glorie filleth the Temple which onely the Spirituall man seeth with a supernaturall eye Though the carnall man bodily present apprehendeth it not Paul at his conuersion saw Gods glorie but they that were with him heard onely a voyce but saw it not Such beautie shineth in the hearts of the deere Children of God by the operation and illumination of the Holy Ghost by whom Stephen saw the glorie of God in the heauens and Christ sitting at his right-hand which none 〈◊〉 can see but such onely aâ—are inlightened who take such surpassing sweet delight in the beholding the face of God not onely in the Word wherein hee is in part seene but especially through faith that their soules are euen rauished and as it were transchanged by the splender therof as it were into the Image of the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father â—od commanding the light to shine out of darkenesse shineth in our hearts to giue light of the knowledge of the Glorie of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Let vs therefore indeuour to exercise our selues in puritie and sanctitie clensing our consciences from all counterfeit sincerity and labour to become in deed such as wee would seeme to bee And not to neglect the visiting of the materiall Temple to heare the Word of GOD and to pray vnto him if wee hope to be happie for there is none happie but they whom GOD loueth and who loue GOD if wee loue God wee will delight in him to heare him often for our instruction and confirmation of our faith and to seeke him by our prayers for he is ready to bee found of all them that are true of heart who shall heere behold his beautie and hereafter enioy his glorie A Prayer vnto God that he will prepare our hearts to the visiting of his holy Temple to heare his Word to pray vnto him and to prayse him GRant O most gracious Lord God according to the riches of thy grace that I may bee strengthened by thy Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith and so my whole spirit soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse to the comming of the Lord Iesus for thou Lord knowest what I am by nature a man vnworthy to take thine holy Name into my mouth or to come into thy presence being inclynable to no good dutie but apt to euery vanity I come therefore vnto thee heauenly Father in the Name of Iesus Christ thy Sonne in whom thou hast promised to receiue them that sincerely seeke thee heare the voyce of my petitions O Lord when I crie vnto thee and when I lift vp my hands towards the mercies seat of thy holy Temple reiect me not vnto thee O Lord I lift vp my soule crauing pardon for my sinnes and that thou wilt admit me into the holy societie of thy Saints and that I may delight to dwell in thy holy Temple vnder the shadow of thy protecting wings for euer Let my heart bee euer vpright in thy Statutes and faithfull euer before thee for thou hast pleasure in righteousnesse and hee is blessed in whose heart are thy wayes knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy Name giue me a holy desire to seeke thee and to walke euer vprightly as in thy presence Indue me with thy Spirituall knowledge leade me by thy right hand to thine holy Temple shew mee thy glorie and thy beauty that I may be comforted through thy presence Open mine eares that I may heare thee and thy Word by thy holy Ministrie and prepare my heart to receiue knowledge and vnderstanding and open my mouth and fill it with thy prayses and let my prayers in thy Sons Name bee acceptable vnto thee Shew me thy way and giue mee vnderstanding that I may learn thy Commandements and walke in them My hearts desire Lord is to dwell with thee to haue the full free fruition of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth that I may serue thee with a pure affection and giue thee prayse in the congregation of thy Saints Turne thy face vnto me O Lord that I may see the beautie of thy countenance and bee changed into the same Image by thy Spirit and in the same Spirit bee admitted to visite thine holy Temple with faith and assurance of thy presence wherein I know is libertie and life protection and plentie of all good things Make my heart stable vnblameable before thee in holinesse that I may serue thee with a sincere and pure conscience and vndefiled that I may not come into thine house only to bee seene and to seeme seruiceable or dutifull vnto thee but may inwardly hunger thirst for thy Word the food of my soule the bread of life and imprint the same so effectually in my soule that it may prooue fruitfull in â—ee and that I may shâ—w it in my 〈◊〉 holy conuersation to thy Glorie that being filled with the comforts proceeding from the beautie of thy countenance I may euer posâ—sesse my soule in that peace which passeth all vnderstanding euer-more reuerencing thy glorious Maiâ—stie that euer-more filleâ—h both the heauens and the earth fill my heart O Lord with thy Spirit that I may draw neere vnto thee and to thy Holy place my strong Rocke to thee will I alwayes resort Make mee to heare ioy and gladnesse and that I may more abound in hope and be strengthened to euery good work through the power of the holy Ghost by Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour Lord increase my faith The Conclusion A Prayer for true happinesse which shall bee consummate onely in heauen O Lord what am I the son of dust and ashes that I should presume to come into thy presence to seeke and desire felicity and happinesse here in this wildernesse of so many vanities miseries and troubles as are among the children of men As for me Lord thou knowest wherof I am made thou remembrest that I am but dust what happinesse therfore Lord can I look to obtaine here where sinne dwelleth in my mortall body
by the sword let my soule neuer imbrace Though true Religion haue it foundation from the Blood of Christ it is no true Religion that maintaines it selfe by the shedding of the blood of Gods Saints If therfore any shall pretend themselues religious and seek in shew to gaine vs and draw vs to their societie by blowes shall we think they come from God who willeth his to shew their Faith and Religion by meeknes and loue But admit they should offer the sword of offence it is lawfull for Gods children to vse the sword of defence and we haue the same no other God then Dauid and Hezekiah had who will assuredly defend vs and maintaine his owne cause for vs. The experience of Gods protection and prouidence in former dangers cannot but incourage vs against whatsoeuer like dangers wherein he deliuered vs to the wonder of the world nothing but our sinnes and vnthankfulnes can shorten his hand or weaken his power towards vs but that he will stretch foorth his hand still to defend vs. We are now thankes be to God seeming secure there is no apparent dangers threatened but wee must remember when wee say and see peace peace who knoweth but that our sinnes may not call for troubles if they come not looked for they will bee the more dangerous If therfore we would abandon our sinnes if wee would timely returne vnto God with humble and repentant hearts God would returne vnto vs saue vs he would as he hath hitherto done deliuer vs and euer sustaine vs hee will send from heauen deliuer vs from them that would oppresse vs. Let vs not forget that our soules are among lions though we liue among the children of men they are not all of one family they are not all of one mind they are not all the children of God some are as it were set on fire against vs some haue their teeth as spears some haue their tongus as swords yet oyle in their mouthes yet let vs depend on him that seeth their hearts and ours Heâ— knoweth who are his and seeth his and our aduersaries afar off He hath his time and the meanes to deliuer his The Lord of hosts is with vs let vs not feare what man can doe vnto vs. Though an hoste of men armed should assaile vs we need not be afraid for the Lord is with vs who is of more might and power then all the potentates of the world can resist Let vs therefore euermore lift vp the eyes of our faithfull hearts vnto him he is the hill from whence commeth our help and deliuerance in all our dangers from the Lord of hostes commeth our help who hath made heauen and earth who taketh charge of his and will neuer leaue vs faile vs or forsake vs in him let vs trust A Prayer to God that he will defend vs from our strongest enemies and most malicious with thanks to God for his former deliuerances O Lord our God whose Habitation are the heauens and whose footstoole is the earth thou gouernest all things in heauen aboue and in the earth beneath thou directest and protectest those that feare thy name so as they neede not feare the powre or malice of whatsoeuer furious enemies For saluation belongeth vnto thee and thy blessing is euermore vpon thy people Wee euen we thy feeble and vnworthy creatures haue had experience of thy former fauour and defence in our troubles and of thy deliuerance out of our desperate dangers when men haue said There was no help for vs no not in thee But we haue found them lyers deceitfull and wicked men acknowledging thee most faithfull most louing of greatest wisdome and power shewing thy selfe our Buckler our Castle and our strong defence euen when our Aduersaries sought our confusion thou shewedst thy self our God and the maintainer of our cause when our enemies rose against vs in greatest multitudes malice and madnesse Thou gauest vs courage and boldnesse euen when our enemies seemed most to insult and triumph ouer vs euen then Lord didst thou fight for vs and turnedst their glory into shame their strength into weakenesse and their multitudes into a handfull of men Shorten not O Lord thy helping hand toward vs in whatsoeuer time or manner of our danger for thou knowest what our enemies caÌ„not performe with force they seeke to effect by secret mischiefes which thou hast discouered and prouidently preuented The Sâ—are was broken and we deliuered not for any merit or worthynesse of ours but euen of thy free and aboundant mercies for thine owne glory and our safetie and without our shame wee cannot but acknowledge our vnthankfulnesse for thy manifold deliuerances from them that hate vs who yet waite opportunity to betray vs if thou preuent vs not And therefore gracious Father leade and guide vs euer in thy righteousnesse because of our enemies make thy way plaine before vs lest we in offending thee giue our aduersaries occasion to say thou hast forsaken vs. It is in thy power Lord â—o reconcile them vnto vs in the band of Christian loue by opening their eyes that they may see and now at last consider their owne errors wherein they haue kicked against thy truth so should we reioice in their perfect vnion If they continue in the hardnesse of their hearts continue in vs perfect knowledge and howsoeuer they hate vs giue vs loue vnto them leauing them vnto thy wil to deale with them as thou wilt Giue vs gratious God and louing Father a liuely apprehention of thy truth faith and obedience vnto it howsoeuer our enemies may hate vs for the same we know that thou art God all-sufficient able to deliuer vs from their greatest tyranny as thou hast done and we cannot but remember thy merueilous workes which thy very enemies cannot but acknowledge to proceede of thy meere loue vnto the continuall practise and profession of thy sincere Word which thou hast maintained hitherunto through all ages by thine owne power and for thine own names sake And therefore when our enemies rose vp against vs or rather against thee in vs thou causedst them to stumble and fall still maintaining thine owne cause Who sittest in thy throne and gouernest all things and iudgest according to equitie They therefore that know thy power and thy loue and thy promises and thy righteous dealing will trust in thee for thou hast neuer fayled to bee a sure defence to them in whatsoeuer perils Vp therfore Lord disappoint al our irreconciliable enemies of their hope lest they say We haue preuailed our own policies haue brought our desired enterprises and desires to passe Lord stay our steps guide vs euer in thy pathes lest our feet slip and our enemies that watch oportunitie to betray vs take aduanâ—tage by our sinful liues and so preuaile They lay their heads together and take counsell how they may circumuent vs and to blow vs vp neuer to recouer our hope againe in thee Keepe vs therefore as the apple of thine
not consult with our owne fantasies and so vnsanctifiedly to rush vpon the holy Throne of Iehouah but with the Word of God wherein is layde downe the persons to whom the manner how and the things for what we should pray These things being vnderstood it behooueth vs also to looke into our selues whether this great worke of diuine prayer bee within the compasse of our owne vnderstanding what to pray for Saint Paul was a man Diuinely qualified and yet hee accounteth himselfe of the number of them that know not what to pray as hee ought what then Should wee not pray at all because wee know not how or what to pray as we ought God forbid wee haue a promise that the Spirit of God shall helpe our infirmities and shall make request for vs vnto God How then can our prayers but bee heard and answered seeing they proceed from Gods own Spirit that dwelleth in vs The truely faithfull in deed haue a promise that if they open their mouthes God will hil them And what is it but to assist them in their prayers And therefore not euery one that seemeth to pray prayeth in the Spirit yet this promise may also appertaine vnto and in time be felt of them that yet want him Therefore let euery man indeuour to be assured that the Spirit of God is in him which hee shall finde by the feruencie of his heart in prayer although he be not at all times a like powerfull in vs but retires himselfe for a time to make vs to acknowledge the want of him and to thirst the more eagerly for his presence againe which euery faithfull soule exercised in this diuine dutie apparently apprehendeth for the Spirit by degrees as it were mooueth our dull spirits and at length sheweth himselfe strong and powerfull in vs for when we finde a will and an inclination to pray though wee be dull not able to open our mouthes if we continue in desire lifting vp our hearts to God wee shall feele and that sensibly the Spirit to beginne to worke and to touch our hearts that at length we shall not onely bee able to speake with our tongues but the same Spirit will frame such an holy forme of words that of our selues wee were-neuer able to vtter which I confesse to the praise of God I haue found by most comfortable experience and therfore to my more effectuall motiue I haue framed by the ayde of the same Spirit this Meditation and Prayer following which may bee also vnto others that delight in this holy exercise some meane to suppresse their dulnesse and to stirre vp their affections to an vnexpressible zeale A motiue to a prayer against the tentations of Sathan who alwaies endeauoureth the hinderance of prayer and all other diuine and holy exercises in the children of God wherby their happinesse may bee made certaine IT is impossible that any man be he neuer so deuout and religious that takes any action in hand tending either to Gods glory or his owne soules saluation that can pâ—rforme it but that Sathan that malicious enemy of mans saluation will endeauour to peruert it or altogether to hinder it As when Iehoshua the high Priest was standing before the Lord to pray Sathan stood at his right hand to resist him Zach 3.1 And therefore shall any man thinke that though he be strong in faith and feruent in zeale to pray vnto God for any holy and heauenly gift that he shall haue no opposition by this ougly Dragon and subtill inuisible Serpent nay the more faithfull the more zealous and the more strong a man seemeth or indeed is in any holy and diuine exercise so much the more mad and malicious is Sathan to oppose him especially when he betaketh himselfe to holy prayer whereof no true child of God is or can be ignorant he cannot but find that Sathan thogh vnseene standeth at his right hand at his elbow laying before the eye of his mind infinite idle and vnholy thoughts not to be nuÌ„bred or declared either to peruert or vtterly to hinder his faith zeale that sometimes with seeming though counterfeit diuine thoughts As when in the mayd he spake seeming commendably crying of Paul and other Apostles saying These men are the seruants of the most high God which shew vnto you the way of saluation Act 16.16 17. But what intended he by this his flattery onely to hinder Paul the rest from prayer a worke that offends him most and makes vs most happy Therefore when he flattereth a man most as perswading him that hee hath graces and holy giftes enough hee needs seeke no more of God he may saue his labor of praying he may take his case and betake himselfe to his wonted worldly affaires he needs not bee so curious in reading the Word or hearing Sermons he hath knowledge sufficient and in the right way to happines and may take more pleasure and delight in many other things to his better content And thus are too many ouermuch lulled asleepe by these most dangerous inchantments of Sathan especially when he coueteth to deceiue by his crafty vndermining men vnder his counterfet shew of being an Angell of light Hauing then such a dangerous enemy more malicious then the red Dragon more wiâ—y and subtill then the crooked Serpent and more strong then the roaring Lyon We had need to craue wisedome to preuent his subtilties and strength to withstand his forces for being ignoraÌ„t of his stratagems and weake to encounter his malice we can neither speake vnto God in our prayers which are the principall weapons to wound and put backe the force of this enemy nor with true desire attentiue eare a feeling heart constant resolution firme faith heare God speaâ—e vnto vs by his holy Messengers and Ministers the life of our soules and truest happinesse It behoueth vs therefore to labour to haue the eyes of our minds inlightned and to be filled with all spirituall prudence and wisdome that wee may bee able to discouer his deceiuing intisements to auoyd hâ—s forged â—laâ—teries and to withstand his deadly tentations let vs indeauor by continuall prayer to God that in vs may be created and confirmed a strong and liuely faith pâ—rfect and constant zeale to serue the liuing God and an holy iealousie ouer our selues lest Sathan cirâ—umuent vs with his secret and subtill intisements in stealing away our mindes and estranging our thoughts from heauen and heauenly things from God in Christ in our holy Meditations and Prayers A Prayer for Gods holy assistance against Sathan who indeauoureth to hinder our most godly prayers fit to bee said in all tentations O Holy mercifull louing and most powerfull Lord God who sittest in the heauens and extendest thy power ouer all the powers in heauen earth who hast the rule and absolute gouernment of all thy creatures and to whom all Principalities Powers Angels and spirits doe obey Consider I humbly pray thee the malignity and malice of that reprobate