life and the words of eternall life The cup of benediction is the communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which we break is the participation of the Lords bodie We cleave unto the Lord Therefore we are one Spirit with him We are united unto him not onely by the communion of nature but also by the participation of his bodie and bloud I do not therefore say with the Jews How can this man give us his flesh to eat But rather crie out How doth the Lord distribute unto us his flesh to eat and his bloud to drink I do not prie into his power but do admire his benevolence I do not examine his majestie but I reverence his goodnesse His presence I beleeve the manner of his presence I know not I am certainly assured that it is most neare and inward We are members of his body flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones He dwelleth in us and we in him My soul desireth to dive by cogitation into this most profound abysse but cannot finde with what words to set forth and declare that goodnesse and therefore is altogether amazed at the sight of the greatnesse of the grace of the Lord and the glory of the blessed Meditat. XIX Of the mysterie of the Lords Supper Be wise Do not to farre enquire 'To that thou rather shouldst admire IN the Lords holy Supper there is set before us a mysterie to be trembled at and to be adored of us by all means There is the treasure and treasurie of divine grace We know that there was a tree of life planted by God whose fruit might have conserved our first parents and their posteritie by the fertilitie and felicitie thereof There was also placed in paradise a tree of the knowledge of good and evil But even that which was appointed by God for their salvation and life and for an exercise of their obedience became unto them an occasion of death and condemnation whilest they poore wretches obeyed the devils allurements and their own desires Here also is prepared a tree of life that sweet wood whose leaves are for medicine and whose fruit for meat The sweetnesse thereof doth take away the bitternesse of all evils yea of death it self Unto the Israelites was given Manna that they might be fed with heavenly food Here is that true Manna which came down from heaven to give life unto the world This is the heavenly bread and the angelicall meat of which whosoever eateth shall never hunger The Israelites had the ark of the covenant and the mercy-seat where they might heare the Lord speak face to face Here is the true ark of the covenant that is the most sacred bodie of Christ wherein the treasures of all science knowledge and wisdome are laid up Here is the true mercy-seat in the bloud of Christ which makes us to be beloved in the beloved neither doth he speak unto us onely by his inward consolation but also dwelleth in us neither doth he feed us onely with heavenly Manna but with himself Here is the gate of heaven indeed here is the angels ladder For can heaven be greater then he that is in heaven Can heaven be more nearly united unto God then the flesh and humane nature which he hath assumed Heaven indeed is the throne of God But in the humane nature assumed by Christ resteth the holy Spirit God is in heaven But in Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the divinitie Certainly this is a great and infallible pledge of our salvation He had no greater thing to give unto us For what is greater then himself What is so closely united unto him as his humane nature which is assumed into the fellowship of the most blessed Trinitie and made the treasurie of all heavenly goods What is so nearly conjoyned unto him as flesh and bloud And yet with these most heavenly nourishments doth he refresh us miserable worms and make us partakers of his nature And shall not he then make us partakers of his grace Who ever hated his own flesh How can the Lord then despise us whom he feedeth with his own flesh and bloud How can he forget those unto whom he hath given the pledge of his own bodie How can Satan be able to overcome us seeing that we are fed with heavenly food that we faint not in battel We are deare unto Christ because he bought us at so deare a price We are deare unto Christ because he feeds us with such deare and precious things We are deare unto Christ because we are his flesh and members This is the onely Panacea of all spirituall diseases this is the medicine of immortalitie For what sinne is there so great that the sacred flesh of God cannot expiate What sinne is so great that the quickning flesh of Christ cannot heal What sinne so mortall that is not taken away by the death of the Sonne of God What fierie darts of the devil can be so deadly that they cannot be quenched in this fountain of divine grace What so great stain of the conscience that this bloud cannot purge The Lord was present to the Israelites in a cloud and in fire But here is no cloud but the sunne of righteousnesse the present light of our souls Here is not felt the fire of Gods fury but the heat of his love neither doth he depart from us but makes his mansion with us Our first parents were brought into paradise that most sweet and fragrant garden the type of eternall beatitude that being put in minde of Gods bountie they might perform due obedience unto their Creatour Behold Here is more then paradise in this place For the creature is filled with the flesh of the Creatour The penitent conscience is cleansed by the bloud of the Sonne of God By the body of Christ are nourished the members of Christ the head The faithfull soul is fed with divine and heavenly dainties The sacred flesh of God which the angels adore in the unitie of person which the archangels reverence at which the Powers do tremble and which the Vertues admire is our spirituall food Let the heavens rejoyce and let the earth be glad but much more the faithfull soul upon whom such and so great benefits are bestowed Meditat. XX. Of serious preparation before we come to the Lords Supper A wedding garment put thou on Or keep from this communion HEre is no common cheere nor the feast of some ordinarie king but here is the holy mysterie of the body and bloud of Christ to be handled of us Therefore a due preparation is required lest we finde death in stead of life and receive condemnation in stead of mercy How did that most holy Patriarch so famous for the strength of his faith how did he fear and tremble when the Sonne of God appeared unto him in the
therefore now to renew it Gerards Meditations had never seen English light for me if yours and others bountie had not set my head on work to finde out some occasion to give publick testimonie of my thankfulnesse If Gerard had not been I might still have been to seek for an occasion As often therefore as Gerard and I live together at every impression you may challenge at my hands a new expression of my service This debt I shall be alwayes readie to pay but not as men pay money for that being once paid can be required no more But this I shall be alwayes paying and still remain your debter Ità testor R. WINTERTON SOme say that plants do better grow When they 're translated to and fro I 'm sure when books translated be They more and more do fructifie Gerard did bring forth fruit before But now it is deriv'd to more What be beyond the sea did sow Now Englishmen at home may mow Come Countreymen take what is yours The crop's brought home unto your doores John Bohâ—am IF pleasure may or profit may thee move Here 's that which may deserve thy chiefest love If thou desirest riches to enjoy The doore is open to the treasurie If beautie please On this glasse cast thine eye Here 's that will soul and bodie beautifie If honour please The way 's prepar'd for thee To honour him whose service honours thee If thou beest hungrie thirstie Taste and see Christs flesh and bloud presented unto thee If thou beest naked To this wardrobe hie Where Christ his robe of righteousnesse doth lie If sick thou art For every maladie Here is a very present remedie If thou thy self defiled hast with sinne Here is a fountain for to bathe thee in If thou delightst in flowers Here do grow Such flowers as Art and Nature ne're could show Choose what thou wilt here 's what thou canst desire Riches and beautie honours and attire Meat drink and med'cine and a living spring A paradise of every pleasant thing Here 's heaven on earth if heaven on earth can be And so I wish thee to go in and see Francis Winterton GErard of late was but in Latine read But now he hath his language altered Behold a change see how Arts pencill can A Latine turn into an English-man Gerard in this ten thousand doth excell In three moneths space to speak our tongue so well Thomas Bonham REader if thou fain wouldst know To whose labours thou dost ow These sacred lines think who't may be Seeks thy souls good and that is he Some say these writings Gerards be He wrote indeed but not to thee He was to those that learned were To thee he was not though be were Before thou couldst not understand He 's now translated to thy hand Reade him and use him as thy friend And hee 'l be thine unto the end William Norrice THou that desir'st on earth a blessed end And seek'st the way to th' heavens to ascend Resort to Gerard hee 'l direct the way Whereby thou mayst ascend and live for ay Thou needst no guide 't is easie to be gone All lets removed are by Winterton The way 's made plain which was before obscure That thou thereby mayst heavenly blisse procure Endeavour then this way to walk aright And it will lead thee to eternall light T. Gore UPon a good the more communicate We alwayes set a better estimate The sunne it self though of it self most bright None would admire did not he see its light Gerard himself though of himself hee 's good Had not been so to us not understood This mov'd my friend this Gerard to translate Gods glory and thy good to propagate Edward Bonham The table for direction to finde out any Meditation contained in this book Meditation 1 OF confession of sinne Page 1 Meditation 2 An exercise of repentance from the crosse of Christ. Page 7 Meditation 3 Of the fruit of true and serious repentance Page 12 Meditation 4 A meditation upon the name of JESVS Page 19 Meditation 5 An exercise of faith from the love of Christ in the agonie of death Page 23 Meditation 6 Consolation for the penitent from the crosse of Christ. Page 28 Meditation 7 Of the fruit of the Lords passion Page 34 Meditation 8 Of the certaintie of our salvation Page 39 Meditation 9 That God alone is to be loved Page 44 Meditation 10 Of our reconciliation with God Page 51 Meditation 11 Of the satisfaction made for our sinnes Page 56 Meditation 12 Of the nature and properties of true faith Page 61 Meditation 13 Of the spirituall marriage of Christ and the soul. Page 68 Meditation 14 Of the mystery of Christs incarnation Page 74 Meditation 15 Of the saving fruit of Christs incarnation Page 80 Meditation 16 Of the spirituall repast of the godly Page 85 Meditation 17 Of the fruits of Baptisme Page 91 Meditation 18 Of the saving communion of the body and bloud of Christ. Page 97 Meditation 19 Of the mystery of the Lords supper Page 102 Meditation 20 Of due preparation before we come to the Lords supper Page 107 Meditation 21 Of Christs ascension Page 112 Meditation 22 An homilie of the holy Ghost Page 118 Meditation 23 Of the Churches dignitie Page 125 Meditation 24 Of predestination Page 132 Meditation 25 Of the saving efficacie of prayer Page 139 Meditation 26 Of the holy angels guarding us Page 146 Meditation 27 Of the devils treacheries Page 153 Meditation 28 Generall rules for the leading of a godly life Page 159 Meditation 29 Of shaking off securitie Page 166 Meditation 30 Of the imitation of the holy life of Christ. Page 174 Meditation 31 Of the denying of a mans self Page 180 Meditation 32 Of the true rest of the soul. Page 187 Meditation 33 Of a pure conscience Page 193 Meditation 34 Of the studie of true humilitie Page 201 Meditation 35 Of fleeing from covetousnesse Page 206 Meditation 36 Of the properties of true love and charitie Page 214 Meditation 37 Of the studie of chastitie Page 222 Meditation 38 Of the flitting swiftnesse of this present life Page 229 Meditation 39 Of the worlds vanitie Page 236 Meditation 40 Of the profit of tentations Page 244 Meditation 41 Foundations of Christian patience Page 250 Meditation 42 How we must overcome tentations by perseverance Page 257 Meditation 43 Of the daily meditation of our death Page 262 Meditation 44 Consolation at the death of friends Page 268 Meditation 45 Of the last judgement Page 277 Meditation 46 Of the desire of eternall life Page 283 Meditation 47 Of the beatificall vision of God in heaven Page 290 Meditation 48 Of our fellowship with the angels in heaven Page 296 Meditation 49 Of the grievousnesse of hell-torments Page 302 Meditation 50 Of the eternitie of hell-torments Page 309 Meditation 51 Of the spirituall resurrection of the godly Page 316 Meditat. I. Of true confession and acknowledâ—ment of sinne Confession is to cure sinne A very present medicine HOly God
infinite love of the eternall Father in that he would deliver his onely begotten Sonne to death for us He loved us when we were his enemies And can he forget us when we are reconciled unto him by the death of his Sonne Can he forget the precious bloud of his Sonne when as he telleth the tears and the steps of the godly Can Christ in his life forget those for whom he was willing to undergo death Can he in the time of his glory forget those for whom he suffered so great torments Consider thou faithfull soul the manifold fruits of the Lords passion Christ poured forth for us a bloudy sweat that in the agonie of death a cold sweat might not oppresse us It was his pleasure to wrestle with death that we might not faint in the agony of death It was his will to suffer most grievous anxietie and sorrow even unto death that he might make us partakers of everlasting joy in the heavens He would be betrayed with a kisse which is a signe of friendship and good will that he might blot out the sinne by the which Satan betrayed our first parents under the colour of friendship He would be apprehended and bound by the Jews that he might set us at liberty which were bound in the chain of our sinnes and subject to be cast into everlasting damnation He would begin his passion in the garden that he might purge away sinne which took its beginning in the garden of paradise He would be comforted by an angel that he might make us angels fellows in the heavens He was forsaken of his own disciples that he might glue unto himself us who had most shamefully revolted from God Before the Councel he was accused by false witnesses that Satan might not accuse us by the law of God He was condemned on earth that we might be absolved in heaven He that committed no sinne was speechlesse that we might not in the day of judgement be strucken dumbe by reason of our sinnes He was willing to be buffeted that we might be freed from the sting of conscience and buffetings of Satan He suffered himself to be mocked that we might insult over Satan the insulter His face was covered that he might remove from us the vail of sinne by which we were hindred that we could not behold the face of God as being involved in damnable ignorance He would be disrobed that he might restore unto us the robe of innocencie which we had lost by sinne He was pricked with thorns that he might cure the compunctions of our hearts He underwent the burden of the crosse that he might take from us the burden of everlasting punishment He crâ—â—d out that he was forsakâ—n of God that he might purchase for us an everlasting habitation with God He thirsted on the crosse that he might merit for us the dew of Gods grace and free us from everlasting thirst He would be scorched in the fire of Gods anger that he might free us from the fire of hell He stood as guiltie that he might absolve us He was condemned that we might be delivered from condemnation He was scourged by the hands of the unrighteous that he might free us from the scourges of the devil He cried out for grief that he might preserve us from everlasting exclamation He poured forth tears that he might wipe away tears from our eyes He died that we might live He felt the pains of hell that we might never feel them He was humbled that so he might cure our sinfull tumour He was crowned with thorns that he might merit for us a celestiall crown He suffered of all that he might save all His eyes were darkened in death that we might live in the light of celestiall glory He suffered ignominie and reproches that we might heare the angels sing chearfully in heaven Despair not then O faithfull soul An infinite good was offâ—nded by thy sinnes and an infinite price is payed for them Thou shouldest have been condemned for thy sinnes But the Sonne of God took upon him the sinnes of the whole world and was condemned for them Thou deservedst to be punished for thy sinnes But God hath punished them alreadie in his Sonne The wounds of thy sinnes are great But the balsam of Christs bloud is more precious and of vertue to cure them Moses pronounceth thee cursed because thou hast not kept all that was wrote in the book of the law But Christ was made the curse for thee In the court of heaven there is an hand-writing against thee But Christ hath cancelled that with his bloud Let thy passion therefore O Christ be my last refuge Meditat. VIII Of the certainty of our salvation My hope shall never be confounded Because my hope on Christ is grounded WHy art thou troubled O my soul and why dâ—st thou still doubt of the mercie of God Remember thy Creatour Who created thee without thee Who formed thy body in secret in the lower parts of the earth Who took care of thee when thou wast not will not he have care of thee now he hath made thee after his own image I am the creature of God to the Creatour do I convert my self Though my nature be infected by the devil though it be wounded by theeves that is by my sinnes yet my Creatour liveth He which made me can also renew me He which created me without any evil can take all evil from me whatsoever hath entred into me by the suggestion of the devil by Adams prevarication by my own action yea though it hath over-run my whole substance Therefore my Creatour can reform me if so be that it stands with his good pleasure and will and certainly he will for who ever hated his own workmanship Are we not before him like clay in the hands of the potter If he had hated me certainly he would never have created me when I was nothing He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that beleeve He created me wonderfully but he redeemed me more wonderfully It never appeared more plainly that he loved us then in his wounds and passion Surely he is truly beloved for whose sake the onely begotten Sonne of God is sent from the bosome of his Father Iâ— thou didst not desire my salvation Lord Jesus why didst thou descend from heaven But thou didst descend upon earth to die on the crosse God to redeem a servant spared not his own Sonne Therefore assuredly God loveth man with a wonderfull love seeing that he hath delivered up his Sonne to be afflicted slain and crucified for the redemption of man Very deare and very great was the price of our redemption Therefore great and deare is the mercy of our Redeemer It might seem to some that God loves his adopted sonnes as dearly as his onely begotten Sonne For that on which we bestow any thing is dearer then that which we bestow That he might
make us his adopted sonnes he spared not his natural and coessentiall Sonne It is no wonder then if he hath prepared for us mansions in his heavenly house seeing that he hath given us his own Sonne in whom is the fulnesse of the divinity Certainly where there is the fulnesse of the divinitie there is also the fulnesse of life and glory everlasting But if he in Christ hath given unto us the fulnesse of life everlasting how shall he denie unto us a little particle thereof Assuredly our heavenly Father loveth us his adopted sonnes with exceeding great love seeing he hath delivered up his onely begotten Sonne for us Assuredly the Sonne embraceth us with exceeding great love seeing that he hath delivered up himself for us To make us rich he endured extreme povertie for he had not where to lay his head To make us the sonnes of God he is made man neither doth he neglect us now having finished the work of our redemption but still intercedeth for us sitting at the right hand of the divine Majestie What thing is there necessary for my salvation which he shall not obtain seeing that he hath bestowed himself to merit salvation for me What will the Father denie unto his Sonne who became obâ—dient unto him unto death even the death of the crosse What will the Father denie unto his Sonne seeing that long ago he hath accepted the price of our redemption paid by him Let my sinnes accuse me yet in this my Mediatour do I trust He which excuseth me is greater then he that accuseth me Let my weaknesse affright me yet in his strength will I glory Let Satan accuse me if my Mediatour excuse me Let heaven and earth accuse me and mine iniquities prove me guiltie it is sufficient for me that the Creatour of heaven and earth and righteousnesse it self doth intercede for me The sufficiencie of my merit is to know that my merit is not sufficient It shall be sufficient for me to have him propitious against whom onely I have sinned Whatsoever he hath decreed not to impute shall be as if it had not been Neither doth it trouble me that my sinnes are both grievous and divers and often repeated For if I were not burdened with sinnes what need I desire his righteousnesse If I had no disease what need I implore the help of the physician He is the Physician he is the Saviour he is righteousnesse it self he cannot deny himself I am sick I am condemned I am a sinner I cannot deny my self Have mercy on me O thou my Physician my Saviour and my righteousnesse Amen Meditat. IX That God alone is to be loved By love cleave fast to God above For nought on earth deserves thy love RAise up thy self O faithfull soul and love that chief good in whom are all goods without whom there is no other true good No creature can satisfie our desire because no creature is perfectly good but onely good by participation Some current of good doth descend upon the creature from the Creatour but the fountain is still in God Why therefore should we forsake the fountain and follow the current All good in the creatures is but the image of that perfect good which is in God yea which is God Why therefore should we lay hold on the image and let go the thing it self Noahs dove could not finde on the moveable waters where her foot might rest Even so our soul amongst all sublunarie things cannot finde out which can fully satisfie her desire by reason of their inconstancie and frailtie Doth not he wrong himself which loveth any thing unworthy of his love Now the soul of man is more noble then all the creatures because it was redeemed by the passion and death of God Why therefore should it love the creatures Is it not contrary to that majestie unto which God hath exalted the Saints Whatsoever we love we love either for power or wisdome or beauty And what is more powerfull then God what is more wise then God what is more beautifull then God All the power of earthly kingdomes is from him and under him All the wisdome of men compared with the wisdome of God is foolishnesse All the beautie of the creatures compared with the beautie of God is deformitie If some powerfull king should treat by messengers with a virgin of mean rank and condition concerning marriage should she not do foolishly in neglecting the king and settling her affection upon the messengers the kings servants So God by the beautie of all the creatures desires to call us unto him invite us to love him why therefore should our soul which Christ would have to be his spouse cleave unto the creatures the messengers of this spirituall marriage The creatures themselves crie Why do ye cleave unto us why do ye place the end of your desire in us We cannot satiate your appetite Come ye rather to the Creatour of us both From the creatures we can expect no reciprocall love The creatures did not begin first to love us But God who is love it self cannot but love those that love him Yea he prevents our desires and our love by loving us first How greatly then is God to be loved who in the first place hath loved us so greatly He loved us when as yet we were not For it was the love of God that we came into this world He loved us when we were his enemies For it was his mercy and his love that he sent his sonne to be our redeemer He loved us when we were fallen into sin For it is his love that he doth not presently deliver us to death in our sinnes but still expects our conversion It is his love that beyond our merits yea contrary to our merits he translateth us to the celestiall palaces Without the love of God thou canst never come to the saving knowledge of God without the love of God all knowledge is unprofitable yea hurtfull Wherefore love exceedeth the knowledge of all mysteries because this may be in the devils but that cannot be but in the godly Why is the divel most unhappy Because he cannot love the chiefest good Contrarywise why is God most happy and blessed Because he loveth all things because he is delighted in all his works Why is not our love of God perfect in this life Because the measure of our love is according to the measure of our knowledge Now in this life we know but in part and in a glasse In the life to come we shall be perfectly blessed because we shall perfectly love God We shall perfectly love God because we shall perfectly know him No man can hope to have the perfect love of God in the world to come which beginneth not to love God in this world The kingdome of God must begin in the heart of man in this life or else it cannot be consummated in the life to come
Because she despiseth earthly things that are subject to sundry changes Consider thou devout soul the exceeding great dignitie of the church and render due thanks unto God Great are the benefits which are in the church of God but all do not meet with them It is a garden enclosed and a fountain sealed up No man sees the beautie of this enclosed garden but he that is in it Neither doth any one know the benefits that are in the church but he that is himself in it This spouse of Christ is black without but beautifull within For the kings daughter is all glorious within This ship is tossed with many tempests of persecutions This vineyard being bound doth rise up and being cut down groweth up For this woman the infernall Dragon lieth in wait after diverse manners The church is a fair lilie But yet among thorns The church is a most beautifull garden But when the North-winde of tribulations doth blow upon it the spices thereof fall The church is Gods daughter But she is exceedingly hated of the world She looks for an heavenly inheritance and therefore she is compelled to be a pilgrime in this world In this pilgrimage she is oppressed in her pressure she is silent in her silence she is strong in her strength she overcometh The church is a spirituall mother But she is compelled to stand under the crosse with Mary the mother of Christ. The church is a palm-tree Because under the weight of tribulations and tentations she grows most Consider thou devout soul the dignitie of the church And beware thou commit nothing to her dishonour The church is thy mother Take heed therefore that thou contemn not her voice She is thy mother Therefore thou must alwayes hang upon her breasts The breasts of the church are the Word and the Sacraments The church is a virgin If therefore thou art her true sonne abstain from the worlds embracements Thou art a member of the virgin the church See therefore that thou prostitute not the virgins members and so commit fornication with the devil by sinne The church is the spouse of Christ and so is every devout soul Let her beware therefore that she cleave not unto Satan Thou art the spouse of Christ See thou lose not the earnest of the holy Spirit which he hath given thee Thou art the spouse of Christ Pray continually that the bridegroom would make haste and lead thee in unto the celestiall marriage But the bridegroom will come in the night of securitie Watch therefore lest when he cometh he finde thee sleeping and so shut thee out of the gate of eternall salvation Let the oyl of thy faith shine lest at the coming of the bridegroom thou beest constrained to desire it in vain Thou art carried in the ship See therefore that thou dost not throw thy self headlong into the sea of the world before thou comest to the haven Thou art carried in the ship pray that thou beest not swallowed up by the tempests of afflictions and waves of tentations Thou art called into the Lords vineyard See that thou labourest stoutly Think upon the penie and not upon the dayes labour Thou art the Lords vineyard Cast away all unprofitable branches that is the unfruitfull works of the flesh and think the whole time of thy life to be the time of pruning Thou art a vine-branch in Christ the true vine See that thou dost remain in him and bring forth much fruit Because the heavenly husbandman will take away every branch that bringeth not forth fruit and purge that which bringeth forth fruit that it may bring forth more fruit Thou hast put on Christ by faith and art clothed with this sunne of righteousnesse See then that thou treadest the moon that is all earthly things under thy feet And esteem all other things little worth in respect of eternall goods O good Jesus thou that hast brought us into the church militant bring us at length also into the church triumphant Meditat. XXIIII Of Predestination In Christ we are by God elect Without Christ God doth all reject O Devout soul as often as thou wilt meditate upon thy predestination behold Christ hanging upon the crosse dying for the sinnes of the whole world and rising again for our justification Begin from Christ lying in the manger and so thy disputation of predestination shall proceed orderly God elected us before the foundations of the world were laid but yet he elected us in Christ If therefore thou art in Christ by faith do not doubt but that election belongeth unto thee If with a firm confidence of heart thou adherest unto Christ do not doubt but that thou art in the number of the elect But if thou goest further beyond the limits of the word and wilt search into the profunditie of predestination it is greatly to be feared that thou wilt fall into the profunditie of desperation Without Christ God is a consuming fire Take heed therefore of coming too neare this fire lest thou beest consumed Without Christs satisfaction God by the voice of his law accuseth all and condemneth all Take heed therefore that thou drawest not the mysterie of predestination out of the law Search not into the reasons of Gods counsels lest thy cogitations do much seduce thee God dwelleth in light that no man can attain unto Presume not therefore to come unto it rashly But God hath revealed unto us the light of his gospel and in this thou mayest safely inquire into the doctrine of this secret and in this light thou shalt see true light Leave the profunditie of this eternall decree made from eternitie and convert thy self to the clearnesse of the manifestation which was made in time Justification made in time is the glasse of election made without time Out of the law take notice of the wrath of God for sinne and repent out of the gospel take notice of the mercie of God through Christ his merit and apply that unto thy self by faith Take notice of the nature of faith and shew it by thy godly conversation Take notice of Gods fatherly castigation in crosses and endure through patience And then at length begin to handle the doctrine of predestination This method the apostle teacheth This method let him that is the apostles disciple follow There are three things alwayes to be observed in this mysterie The mercie of God loving us the merit of Christ suffering for us and the grace of the holy Ghost by the gospel sanctifying us Gods mercie is universall because he loved the whole world The earth is full of the Lords mercy yea his mercy is greater then heaven and earth For it is as great as God is For God is love He hath witnessed by his word that he will not the death of a sinner And if this be too little he hath confirmed it with an oath If thou canst not beleeve him
for his promise beleeve him for his oath He is called the Father of mercies because it is his property to spare and to have mercy The cause and originall of shewing mercie he hath from himself of condemning and punishing from another Insomuch that it may appear that mercie and punishment proceed from him after a farre different manner The merit of Christ also is universall because he died for the sinnes of the whole world What can then more plainly prove his mercie then that he loved us when as yet we were not For it was his love that he created us Moreover he loved us when we were turned away from him For he sent his Sonne to be our redeemer To the sinner adjudged to eternall torments and not having wherewithall to redeem himself the Father saith Take my onely begotten Sonne and give him for thee The Sonne himself saith Take away me and redeem thy self Christ was a flower of the field not a flower of the garden because the odour of his grace is not shut up to some few but laid open to all Doubt not of the universalitie of Christs merit Christ suffering prayed for them that crucified him and poured forth his bloud for them by whom it was poured forth The promises of the gospel are universall because Christ saith unto all Come unto me all ye that labour That which was performed for all is also offered to all As farre as thou travellest amongst these goods by the foot of trust and confidence so much also shalt thou obtain God denies his grace unto no man but unto him that thinks himself unworthy of it Consider therefore thou faithfull soul these three props of predestination and rest upon them with the firm confidence of thy heart Consider the benefits of Gods mercie that are past and thou wilt not doubt of finall perseverance When as yet thou wast not God created thee When by the fall of Adam thou wast condemned he redeemed thee When thou livedst in the world out of the church he called thee When thou wast ignorant he instructed thee When thou wentst astray he redeemed thee When thou sinnedst he corrected thee When thou stoodst he upheld thee When thou wast fallen he lifted thee up When thou wentst he led thee When thou camest unto him he received thee His long-suffering appeared in that he expected thee and his mercie in that he pardoned thee Gods mercie prevented thee Hope firmly that it will also follow thee Gods mercie prevented thee that thou mightest be healed and it shall also follow thee that thou mayest be glorified It prevented thee that thou mightest live godly it shall also follow thee that thou mayest live with him for ever How came it to passe that in thy fall thou wast not ground to pieces Who put his hand under thee Was it not the Lord Be confident therefore hereafter in Gods mercie and hope assuredly for the end of perfect faith that is eternall salvation In whose hands doth thy salvation consist more safe and certain then in those which made both heaven and earth those hands that are never shortned those hands that do abound with the bowels of mercie and those hands that have holes in them by which mercie may flow forth But consider O devout soul that we were elected of God that we might be holy and blamelesse Whosoever therefore studie not to live an holy life to them belongs not the benefit of election We were elected in Christ In Christ we are by faith Faith shews it self by love Therefore where there is not love neither is there faith where there is not faith neither is there Christ where there is not Christ neither is there election The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his But let him depart from unrighteousnesse whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord The sheep of Christ shall no man take out of his hand but yet let the sheep of Christ heare his voice We are Gods house But let us retain our confidence and the glory of hope firm even unto the end O Lord thou that hast given us to will give us also to perfect Meditat. XXV Of the saving efficacie of prayer Our prayers do pierce the starrie skie And fetch down blessings from on high IT is an exceeding great benefit of God towards us in that he requires us to conferre with him familiarly by pious prayer He bestoweth upon us the gift of prayer and the fruit of prayer Great is the force of prayer which is poured forth on earth but hath its operation in heaven The prayer of the righteous is the key of heaven Prayer ascendeth and deliverance descendeth from God Prayer is a saving buckler by which we repell all our adversaries darts When Moses stretched forth his hands Israel prevailed against the Amalekites If thou stretchest forth thy hands towards heaven Satan shall not prevail against thee As the enemie is kept off by the wall So the anger of God is repelled by the prayers of the saints Our Saviour himself prayed not that he had any need but to commend unto us the dignitie thereof Prayer is the tribute of our subjection Because God hath commanded that we should every day offer unto him our prayers as a spirituall tribute It is the ladder of our ascension unto God For prayer is nothing else but the souls travelling unto God It is the buckler of our defence For the soul of him that continueth in prayer is secure and safe from the assaults of the devil It is our faithfull messenger unto God For it goeth up unto his throne and solicits him to aid us This messenger never returns in vain For God alwayes heares our prayers if not according to our will yet to our profit and salvation We may assuredly hope for one of these two Either he will give us that we ask or else that which he knoweth to be more profitable for us God gave his own Sonne that most excellent gift being not intreated What will he do then if he be intreated We cannot doubt of the Fathers hearing or the Sonnes interceding Upon all occasions thou mayest with Moses by prayer enter into the tabernacle and consult with God the Lord And thou shalt speedily heare his divine answer Christ was transfigured when he prayed So in the time of prayer there are many changes wrought in the soul For prayer is the light of the soul and oftentimes leaves him in joy whom she found in despair With what face canst thou behold the sunne unlesse thou dost first worship him who sends that most pleasant light for thee to look upon How canst thou at thy table fall to thy meat unlesse thou dost first worship him who in his bounty bestows it upon thee With what hope darest thou commit thy self unto the darknesse of
his nativitie An angel bids him flee into Egypt The angels minister unto him in the desert The angels minister unto him in the whole ministerie of his preaching An angel is present with him at the agonie of death An angel appeares at his resurrection The angels are present at his ascension The angels shall be with him when he returns to judgement So then as the angels waited upon Christ in the dayes of his flesh so also are they solicitous for all them that are incorporated into Christ by faith As they served the head so do they also serve the members They rejoyce to serve them on earth whom they shall have their companions in heaven They do not deny their ministerie unto them whose most sweet fellowship they hope for hereafter The angels of God appeared to Jacob in the way to his countrey So in this life which is the way to our heavenly countrey the angels are the keepers of the godly The angels defended Daniel in the midst of the lions So likewise they defend all the godly from the treacheries of the infernall Lion The angels preserved Lot from the fire of Sodom So by holy inspirations and protections against the devils tentations they often preserve us from the fire of hell The angels carry the soul of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome And so they translate the souls of the elect unto the palace of the heavenly kingdome The angel leads Peter out of prison And so he doth often deliver the godly out of most apparent dangers Great is the power of our adversarie the devil But let the guard of the angels lift us up Doubt not but these will be present to aid thee in all dangers because the Scripture describeth them with wings under the figure of Cherubim and Seraphim that thou mayst know assuredly that they will come with incredible celeritie to bring aid and succour Do not doubt but these will be thy protectours in all places because they are most subtile spirits which no body can resist All visible things give way unto them and all bodies alike though they be solid and thick by them are penetrable and passable Do not doubt but these spirits know thy dangers and afflictions because they alwayes behold the face of thy heavenly Father and are alwayes ready prest for his service Know also thou devout soul that these angels are holy Therefore study for holinesse if thou wouldest enjoy their fellowship Likenesse of conditions doth most beget friendship Accustome thy self therefore to holy actions if thou desirest to have the angels to be thy keepers In every place and angle stand in awe and reverence of thy angel and do nothing in his presence which thou wouldest be ashamed to do in the sight of man These angels are chaste Therefore they are driven away by filthy actions Smoak drives away bees and an ill savour drives away doves So lamentable and stinking sinne drives away the angels the keepers of our life If by sinne thou deprivest thy self of their tuition How canst thou be safe from the devils treacheries If thou beest destitute of the angels protection How canst thou be safe from the invasioâ— of many dangers If thy soul be not fenced by the wall of the angels defence the devil will easily overcome it by his deceitfull perswasion The holy angels are sent by God as his messengers to us Therefore thou must be reconciled unto God by faith if thou wilt have an angel to be thy keeper Where the grace of God is not neither is there the guard of angels Let us behold the angels as Gods saving hands which are moved to no work without his direction There is joy in heaven before the angels over one sinner that repenteth The teares of the penitent are as it were the wine of the angels But an impenitent heart puts to flight the angels our keepers Let us therefore repent that we may cause the angels to rejoyce The angels are of an heavenly and spirituall nature Let us therefore think upon heavenly and spirituall things that they may take pleasure to be with us The angels are humble and hate pride altogether because they are not ashamed to tend little children Why then is earth and ashes proud when the heavenly spirits so humble themselves At death especially the devils subtiltie is to be feared because it is written that the serpent lieth in wait for the heel The heel which is the extreme part of the bodie is the last term of our life In that last agonie of death the angels guard is most necessary that they may deliver us from the fierie darts of the devil and carry our soul when it is gone out of the prison of our bodie into the heavenly paradise When Zacharie was in the temple busie about his holy function the angel of the Lord came unto him So likewise if thou delightest in the exercise of the word and prayer thou mayst rejoyce to have the angels thy protectours O most mercifull God thou that leadest us through the desert of this world by the conduct of the holy angels grant that we may at length be carried by them into the kingdome of heaven Meditat. XXVII Of the devils treacheries The devils treacheries who knows A thousand wayes he seeks our woes COnsider thou devout soul in what danger thou art because the devil thine adversarie is alwayes lying in wait for thee He is an enemie for boldnesse most ready for strength most powerfull for subtiltie most cunning for engines well stored in fight indefatigable into all shapes changeable He enticeth us into many sinnes and having enticed us he accuseth us before Gods judgement seat He accuseth God to men and men to God and men one to another He exactly considers every ones naturall inclination and then he layes for them the snares of tentations As in the besieging of cities the besiegers come not against the strong and fortified places but where they finde the walls weak the ditches plain and the turrets without guard So the devil when he assaults the soul of man first sets upon that part which he findes softest and best affected for him the easier to work upon If he be once overcome he doth not presently remove but comes again to tempt with greater force that so he may by tediousnesse and neglect overcome those whom by violence of tentations he could not overcome Against whom will he not use his subtile tricks when he was so bold as to set upon the Lord of majestie himself with his craft and subtiltie What Christian will he spare when he sought to winnow Christs apostles themselves like wheat He deceived Adam in his nature instructed Whom cannot he deceive in his nature corrupted He deceived Iudas in the school of our Saviour And whom will he not deceive in the world the school of errour In all states the devils
into everlasting fire because ye fedde me not when I was hungry The holy seed of almes-giving as it is sowed sparingly or bountifully so it shall be reaped sparingly or bountifully If thou wouldest be in the number of the sheep do good unto the sheep Let the goats cause thee to fear For they are placed at the left hand not because they took any thing away but because they gave not Incline our hearts O God unto thy testimonies and not to covetousnesse Meditat. XXXVI Of the properties of true love and charitie The signe by which the Saints we know It is by love their faith to show TRue sincere love is an inseparable property of the godly No Christian without faith and no faith without charitie Where there is not the brightnesse of charitie neither is there the heat of faith Take away light from the sunne and thou mayst take away charitie from faith Charitie is the outward act of the inward life of a Christian man The bodie is dead without the spirit and faith is dead without charitie He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ he hath not the Spirit of Christ that hath not the gift of charitie Charitie is the fruit of the Spirit The tree is not known to be good unlesse it bring forth good fruit Charitie is the bond of Christian perfection As the members of the bodie are knit together by the spirit that is the soul So the true members of the mysticall bodie are united by the holy Spirit in the bond of charitie In Solomons temple all was covered with gold within and without So in Gods Spirituall temple let all be beautified with love and charitie within and without Let charitie move thy heart to compassion and thy hand to contribution Compassion is not sufficient unlesse there be also outward contribution Neither is outward contribution sufficient unlesse there be also inward compassion Faith receiveth all from God and charitie giveth it again unto our neighbour By faith we are made partakers of the divine nature But God is love Therefore where charitie sheweth not it self without let no man beleeve that there is faith within No man beleeveth in Christ which loveth not Christ And no man loveth Christ unlesse he love his neighbour He doth not yet apprehend the benefit of Christ with true confidence of heart whosoever doth denie unto his neighbour the office which he oweth unto him That is not truely a good work which proceedeth not from faith Neither is it truely a good work which proceedeth not from charitie Charitie is the seed of all vertues It is no good fruit which springeth not forth from the root of charitie For charity is the spirituall tast of the soul For unto it alone is every good thing sweet every hard thing sweet all adversitie sweet and all pain and trouble sweet yea more the taste of charitie maketh even death it self most sweet For love is strong as death yea stronger then death because love brought Christ to die for us And love doth so stirre up the true godly that they doubt not to die for Christ. All the works of God proceed from love yea punishments themselves So let all the works of a Christian man proceed from love In all the creatures God hath set before us the glasse of love The sunne and the starres shine not to themselves but to us The herbs purge not themselves but us Aire water beasts and all creatures serve man Do thou also give thy self wholly to serve thy neighbour Tongues profit not without charâ—tie Because without charitie knowledge of tongues puffeth up but charitie edifieth Knowledge of mysteries profits not without charitie Because the devil also hath knowledge of mysteries but charitie is onely proper to the godly Faith also which can remove mountains profits not without charitie For such faith is the faith of working miracles and not of salvation Charitie is better then the gift of doing miracles Because that is the undoubted mark of true Christians but this is sometimes granted to the wicked It profits not to give all that one hath unto the poore if there be not charitie For the outward action is done in hypocrisie if there be not inward love Rivers of bounty profit not unlesse they spring from the fountain of charitie Charitie is patient For no man is easily angry with him that he loveth truly Charitie is bountifull For he that by charitie hath bestowed his heart which is the chief good of the soul how should he denie the outward goods which are lesse Charitie envieth not Because he that is in charitie looketh upon anothers good as upon his own Charitie thinketh no evil No man easily hurts him whom he loveth truly and from his heart Charitie is not puffed up Because by charity we are all made the members of one bodie and one member prefers not it self before another Charity doth not behave it self undecently For it is the property of an angrie man to bear himself undecently but charitie is the bridle of anger Charitie seeketh not those things which are her own Because that which one loveth he preferreth before himself and seeketh the profit thereof more then his own Charitie is not provoked to anger For all anger proceedeth from pride but charity puts it self under all Charitie imagineth no mischief For it plainly appeareth that he is not yet in perfect charitie whosoever worketh mischief against any one Charity rejoyceth not in iniquitie For charitie maketh anothers miserie to be her own Charitie beareth all things beleeveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things For charitie refuseth not to do unto others as she desires that others should do unto her Tongues shall cease prophesies shall cease and sciences shall be destroyed But charitie shall not cease but the imperfection thereof shall be taken away and the perfection thereof shall be compleat in the life to come God commanded two altars to be built in the tabernacle and fire was carried from the outward to the inward God hath congregated a twofold Church a militant and a triumphant The fire of love shall at length be translated from the militant to the triumphant Think upon these things O devout soul and study after holy love Whatsoever thy neighbour be yet he is one for whom Christ vouchsafed to die Why then dost thou deny to shew thy charitie to thy neighbour when as Christ did not stick to lay down his life for him If thou lovest God truly thou must also love his image We are all one spirituall body Let us therefore have all one spirituall minde It is unfit that they should be at variance upon earth which must at length live together in heaven Whilest our mindes agree in Christ let our wills also be conjoyned We are the servants of one Lord It is not fit that we should
consequently into the pit of hell Let them remember the commandment of honouring their parents let them be carefull to recompense their parents after the manner of storks let them remember to feed them as they have been fed by them that they precipitate not themselves into the gulf of sundry evils Let parents and children with joynt desires study in this life to worship thee the true God that they may bear parts in consort and together praise thee in the life to come Let servants obey their masters with alacritie and with fear and with singlenesse of heart not with eye-service or to please men but as it becometh the servants of Christ. In like manner let masters embrace their servants with fatherly kindnes that they turn not their just government into tyrannical cruelty Let their societie in their private house be an oeconomicall private Church beloved of God and of the angels Amen PRAYER V. He prayes for parents brethren sisters kinsfolk and benefactours MOst holy and mercifull God from whom large heaps of sundry benefits descend down upon us who hast given unto me kinsfolk and benefactours to be helps unto me in this present life I beseech thee to bestow upon them in the life to come everlasting rewards Those whom thou hast joyned unto me in a speciall bond of nature and bloud I do specially commend unto thy protection Those unto whom I do ow speciall love and respect with serious and fervent prayers I commend unto thy keeping Grant that my kinsfolk may with joynt consent and unanimitie serve thee in the true faith and with true pietie that they may receive all of them hereafter a crown of eternal glory Unto my parents whom thou hast made next after thee the authours of my life and my informers in true pietie I cannot by any means render deserved rewards I humbly beseech thee therefore who art the authour of all good and the rewarder of all benefits to recompense their benefits here with temporall rewards and hereafter with eternall Let the example of Christ thy Sonne who about the agonie of his death commended unto his disciple the care of his mother let his example teach me even to the last breath to take care for my parents Let nature it self by the example of the stork teach me that I ow perpetuall thanks and rewards unto them for their merits Unto thee mercifull Father I commend the care and tuition of my brethren sisters and kinsfolk Let them become the brethren and sisters of Christ and so heirs of the kingdome of heaven Let us all be joined together in the kingdome of grace whom thou hast joined together in the life of nature And let us all together with those whom by death thou hast separated from us and taken unto thy self let us all at length be joined together in the kingdome of glory Make us all citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem as thou hast made us in this life members of the true Church The same likewise I intreat of thee for all my benefactours whose health and welfare both of soul and body I am bound to desire and further even by the law of nature Receive them into the everlasting tabernacles of the citie which is above whom thou hast used as thy instruments to conferre upon me so many and so liberall benefits My heart propoundeth unto thee the infallible promise of thy word that thou wilt of thy meer free grace recompense even a cup of cold water How much more then wilt thou be liberall and bountifull to those that with full hand bestow benefits of all kindes upon those that want Let not thy graces cease to run down upon them that poure forth so plentifully upon others Let the fountain of thy goodnsse alwayes spring unto them from whom such plentifull rivers of liberality do flow Grant I beseech thee most mercifull God that they which sow temporall things so liberally may reâ—p with much increase things spirituall Fill their souls with joy that feed the bodies of the poore with meat Let not the fruit of their bounty perish though they show it by bestowing of the goods that perish Give unto them that give unto others thou that art the giver of every good gift blessed for ever Amen PRAYER VI. He prayes for enemies and persecutours LOrd Jesu Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God that hast prescribed us in thy word this rule of charitie Love your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you I beseech thee who art most gracious and most readie to forgive to forgive mine enemies and the persecutours of the Church Give unto me the grace of thy holy Spirit that I may not onely forgive mine enemies from mine heart but also pray for their health and salvation even from my soul. Whet not against them the sword of severe revenge but anoint their heads with the oyl of thy mercie and compassion Extinguish the sparks of hatred and anger that are in their hearts that they break not forth into the infernall flames of hell Let them know and acknowledge that our life is but a vapour and a smoke that soon vanisheth away that our bodie is but ashes and dust that flyeth away that they bear not immortall anger in their mortall bodies nor entertain into this brittle tabernacle of clay their souls enemie Let them know likewise that inveterate hatred is their greatest enemie because it kills the soul and excludes them from the participation of heavenly life Illuminate their mindes that they beholding the glasse of thy divine mercie may see the deformitie of anger and hatred Govern their wills that being moved by the example of thy divine forgivenesse they may leave off and cease to be angry and to do harm Grant unto me mercifull God that as much as in me lies I may have peace with all men and turn the hearts of mine enemies to brotherly reconcilement Let us walk with unanimitie and concord in the way of this life seeing that we hope all for a place in our celestiall countrey Let us not disagree upon earth seeing â—hat we all desire to live together hereafter in heaven We all call upon thee our Lord our God which art in heaven And it is not meet for the servants of the same Lord to fall out one with another We are one mysticall bodie under Christ our head And it is base and shamefull for the members of the same bodie to fight one with another They which have one faith and one baptisme ought to have one spirit and one minde Neither do I pray alone for my private enemies but also for the publick enemies and persecutours of the Church O thou which art truth it self bring them into the way of truth O thou which art power it self bring to nought their bloudie endeavours and attempts Let the brightnesse of the heavenly truth open their blinde eyes
GERARDS Meditations Written originally in the Latine tongue By JOHN GERARD Doctour in Divinitie and Superintendant of Heidelberg Translated and revised By RALPH WINTERTON Fellow of Kings Colledge in CAMBRIDGE The fifth edition Printed by Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel Printers to the Universitie of Cambridge MDCXXXVIII TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE the Reverend Father in God JOHN Lord Bishop of ROCHESTER IT was the answer of Vespasian to Apollonius desiring entrance and accesse for Dion and Euphrates two Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My gates are alwayes open to Philosophers but my very breast is open unto thee What Vespasian professed in word to Apollonius the late Reverend Dean of SALISBURY hath performed indeed to me The gates of his liberalitie and hospitalitie have never been barred against scholars and strangers but the inward temple of his divine breast was unlocked unto me and through that I saw his heart flaming with affection towards me The experience of that his divine Philanthropie moved me formerly to desire entertainment for a stranger not doubting of his wonted Philoxenie not for Dion or Euphrates the Philosophers but for Gerard the Divine having then new put on an English mans habit I obtained my desire At SALISBURIE he was welcome In citie and countrey afterwards he found good entertainment After three yeares he came again to Cambridge I furnished him with ink and paper Then he resolved to take another progresse On New-yeares day I left him on his way to Rochester He promised not to divert to any place till he had seen your Lordship and presented my most humble service Happy Gerard that may see your Lordship O that I might but see once again those heavenly eyes whose first aspect and influence blessed me O that I might but kisse those saving hands which raised me O that I might but visit that temple and worship that divine breast where my soul found sanctuary If Gerard may in part I shall That which I cannot see with mine eyes my dayly thoughts shall present unto me Him whom I cannot reverence with cap and knee I will alwayes honour in heart and minde whither with the feet of my bodie I cannot walk I will travel with all dutifull affection But what shall I do to expresse my thankfulnesse He that hath scap'd shipwrack will hang up his sails to Neptune for a monument I have none other sails but such as are made of thin paper and those scarce yet drie He that hath passed through the pikes and is come off safe and sound will offer a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto Salus I have no other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but my self and that is but a poore scholars service He that is recovered of a dangerous sicknesse will do his devotions at Aesculapius his temple My prayers shall alwayes be directed to Almighty God who hath the hearts of all men in his hands who opened the good Dean of SALISBURIES heart unto me Unto him shall my prayers early and late be directed to open unto the Bishop of ROCHESTER the treasury of all blessings temporall and eternall And I hope the Reverend Father in God will accept this tribute of a devout soul. Servatus hath nothing else to give But he shall alwayes remain Your Lordships most humbly devoted servant R. Winterton To the ancient religious and learned Lady the Lady COPPEN THe earth is watered with drops from above and in vapours sends them up again The rivers come from the sea and flow back again The aire will cleave the rock to get up to its place again The fire came down from heaven and thither it tends up again From the mixture of these elements all bodies have their temperaments Those have in them a character of naturall gratitude and these should follow them This character an illiterate man may see in creatures without sense and he that is learned may reade to the life in creatures that have sense Man is the Epitome of all perfections in other creatures But without this character he is like to none of them He hath spent his time ill at the Vniversitie that denies the first principles and he would be sent back again to learn the first elements In the soul of man as Galen saith there is an art of arts and in the bodie of man an instrument of instruments Reason is the art and the hand is the instrument I have both and both are the Lady COPPENS I have reason to acknowledge it and an hand to subscribe to it Your Ladiships servant Raâ—â—h Winterton To the Right Worshipfull my most munificent friend and benefactour Sr JOHN HANBURIE Lord of Kelmash in Northamptonshire A Generous benefactour writes what he gives in running water so doth Sr John Hanburie A thankfull receiver writes what he receives in a pillar of marble so would Ralph Winterton The one professeth the art of forgetfulnesse so do you The other practiseth the art of remembrance so will I. Six yeares are passed since the golden streams of your bountie flowed down upon me But the water of Lethe hath not yet washed them out of my memorie I hope I shall never be sick of a lethargie But it is good to use a help for memorie A benefit once received ought alwayes to be remembred Mans alwayes is not alwayes Come death farewell memorie Letters after the death of them to whom they are sent are usually burnt for waste papers Therefore I durst neither trust the one nor the other with keeping the record of your bountie and my thankfulnesse knowing that death for certain will blot out memory and fire may burn up the Registers office It may be your bountie would have been well pleased with a private acknowledgement But my dutie could not be satisfied without a publick monument None more publick then that which hath passed through the presse For that of one can make a thousand so it did formerly But now I have made fifteen hundred witnesses of my thankfull remembrance and more may hereafter Gerard where he is known is in favour every where But he is no where without Sr JOHN HANBURIE At whose service GERARD is and his Translatour RALPH WINTERTON To the Worshipfull my very worthy friends Mr Nathanael Henshaw of Valence in Essex Mr Benjamin Henshaw of Cheap-side in London and Mr Thomas Henshaw of Saffron-Walden in Essex IT is reported by Tacitus that Licinius grew so stupid that if he had not been put in minde by others he had forgot himself to be a Prince If I should forget the HENSHAVVES I should forget my self to be a man For an unthankfull man is no man but an enemie to God and man so the Persians were wont to call him Where bounty hath an hand to give thankfulnesse should have an hand to write received I have formerly recorded with mine own hand your names in the catalogue of my benefactours And that hand should deserve to be cut off if it should now expunge them The old copie may decay I thought good
in this present life be thou unto me Jesus in death be thou unto me Jesus in the last judgement be thou unto me Jesus in the life which is everlasting I know thou wilt sweet Jesus for as thou art immutable in thy essâ—nce so also thou art immutable in thy mercy Thou wilt not change thy name Lord Jesus for my sake alone who am a miserable sinner Yea rather thou wilt become my Saviour For thou dost not cast out him that cometh unto thee Thou that hast given me a will to come unto thee grant also unto me that coming I may be received For thy words are truth and life Let the propagation of originall sinne within me condemne me yet thou art my Jesus Let my conception in sinne condemne me yet thou art my Jesus Let my forming in sinne and under the curse condemne me yet thou art my Saviour Let the corruption of my nativitie condemne me yet thou art my Saviour Let the sinnes of my youth condemne me yet thou art my Jesus Let the course of my whole life defiled with most grievous sinnes condemne me yet thou art still my Jesus Let deâ—th the just punishment of my many and grievous sinnes and offences condemne me yet thou art my Saviour Let the severe sentence in the last judgement condemne me yet thou art my Jesus In me is sinne reprobation damnation In thy name is righteousnesse election salvation I was baptized in thy name I beleeve in thy name In thy name will I die In thy name will I rise again In thy name will I appeare in judgement In this name are all good things prepared for us and shut up as it were a treasure So much are they diminished as my diffidence is increased which that it may be farre from me I beseech thee by this thy name good Jesus that for my sinne and unbelief I be not damned whom by thy precious merit and saving name thou wouldst have saved Meditat. V. An exercise of faith from the love of Christ in the agonie of death The grace of Jesus Christ to me Is th' onely true felicity SEe Lord Jesus how injurious I am to thy passion My heart is vexed and my soul is very sorrowfull because I have no good works of mine own because I have no merits when as thy passion is my action thy works my merits I am injurious to thy passion when as I seek for the supplement of my works whereas it is in it self all-sufficient If I should finde righteousnesse in my self thy righteousnesse would profit me nothing or else I should not so much desire it If I seek for the works of the law by the law shall I be condemned But I know that now I am no longer under the law but under grace I have lived wickedly I have sinned holy Father against heaven and before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne yet thou wilt not refuse to call me thy servant Deny me not I pray thee the fruit of thy passion let not thy bloud wax barren but let it bring forth fruit and deliver my soul. My sinnes have alwayes lived in my flesh but I intreat thee let them at length die with me Hitherto the flesh hath alwayes ruled over me but let the Spirit at length triumph Let the outward man be subject to corruption and worms that the inward man may be glorified Hitherto I have alwayes given way to the suggestions of the devil but grant hereafter I beseech thee that I may trample them under my feet Satan is readie at hand to accuse me but he hath nothing in me The sight of death affrighteth me but death is the end of my sinnes and the beginning of an holy life Now at length shall I be able perfectly to please thee O my God Now at length shall I be confirmed in goodnesse and vertue Satan terrifieth me with my sinnes but let him accuse him which took upon him my infirmities whom the Lord hath smitten for my sinnes The debt which I ow is great indeed and I cannot pay any part thereof but my trust is in the riches and bounty of him that hath undertaken the payment Let him discharge me who hath made himself suretie for me Let him pay for me who took my debt upon himself I have sinned O Lord and my sinnes are many and grievous But this horrible sinne I will not commit to make thee a lyar who by thy words works and oath dost testifie that satisfaction is made for my iniquities I am not afraid by reason of my sinnes for thou art my righteousnesse I am not afraid by reason of my ignorance for thou art my wisdome I am not afraid of death for thou art my life I am not afraid of my errours for thou art my truth I am not afraid of corruption for thou art my resurrection I am not afraid of the sorrows of death for thou art my joy I am not afraid of the severitie of judgement for thou art my righteousnesse Distill upon my withered soul the dew of thy grace and quickening consolation My spirit waxeth dry but it shall shortly rejoyce in thee My flesh doth languish and is withered but it shall shortly bud forth I am subject to corruption but thou shalt deliver me from corruption for thou hast delivered me from all evils Thou hast created me How then can the workmanship of thy hands be dissolved Thou hast redeemed me from all mine enemies How then can death have rule over me Thou hast bestowed thy body and bloud and all that thou hadst yea even thy self for my salvation How then shall death withhold them which thou hast redeemed with so precious a ransome Thou Lord Jesus art righteousnesse it self So then my sins cannot prevail against thee Thou art life it self and the resurrection So then my death cannot prevail against thee Thou art God Therefore Satan cannot prevail against thee Thou hast given me the earnest of thy Spirit in that do I glorie in that do I triumph and am fully perswaded without doubting that I shall be admitted to the marriage of the Lambe Most deare bridegroom thou art my wedding-garment which I put on in baptisme thou shalt cover my nakednesse neither will I sow the supplement of my righteousnesse to this most precious and beautifull garment What is mans righteousnes but the cloth of a menstruous woman How then can I dare to patch that most precious garment of Christs righteousnesse with this abominable ragge In this garment will I appear before thy face in judgement when thou shalt judge the world in righteousnesse and equitie In this garment will I appear before thy face in the kingdome of heaven This garment shall cover my confusion and reproch that no man remember it any more for ever There shall I appear glorious and holy in thy sight And this my flesh this my body shall be arayed with beatificall glory which glory shall be
evening of this world would Christ be born to shew that the benefits of his incarnation concern not this life but that which is everlasting In the time of Augustus the peace-maker would he be born because he made peace between God and man In the time of Israels servitude would he be born because he is the redeemer and deliverer of his people Under the reigne of a forrein king would he be born because his kingdome was not of this world He is born of a virgin to signifie that he is not conceived or born but in the hearts of those that are spirituall virgins that is whose mindes adhere not unto the world and the devil but unto God in one spirit His birth was pure and holy to sanctifie our impure and polluted nativity He is born of a virgin betrothed to an husband to honour matrimony which was Gods institution He is born in the darknesse of the night because he was the true light which illuminateth the darknesse of the world He is laid in a manger because he is the true food of our souls He is born betwixt an ox and an asse that men which were become like unto the beasts might be restored to their former dignitie He is born in Bethlehem that is in the house of bread because he brought with him most plentifull food of divine benefits He is the first and onely begotten of his mother upon earth because he was according to his divine nature the first and onely begotten of his Father in heaven He is born poore and needie to purchase for us celestiall riches He is born in a stable to bring us to his royall palace which is in heaven From heaven is sent the messenger of this so great a benefit because no man on earth understood the greatnesse thereof And further it was meet that the messenger of celestiall gifts should be celestiall The armies of the angels rejoyce because we are by the incarnation of the Son made partakers of their happinesse To the shepherds first is declared this so great a miracle because the truâ— shepherd of our souls came to bring back the lost sheep into the way To the ignoble and those that were despised is the matter of so great joy declared because no man can partake thereof unlesse he become vile in his own eyes To them that watch over their flocks is his nativitie declared because they onely whose hearts do watch unto God and not they that lie snorting in their sinnes are made partakers of so great a gift The quire of heaven which was made sorrowfull for the sinne of our first father doth now sing and rejoyce The brightnesse and glory of that Lord and King appeareth now in the heavens whose lowlinesse men despised here on earth The angel sayes unto them Fear not because he was born who would quite take away all cause of fear Joy was declared from heaven because the authour and giver of joy was born Joy is commanded because enmity between God and man the cause of all sorrow is removed Glory in the highest is rendred unto God which our first father by his unlawfull transgression of the commandment would have taken away True peace is obtained by his nativitie because before men were enemies unto God before their own conscience was their adversarie before they were at dissension one with another True peace is restored to the earth because he is overcome which held us captive Let us go with the shepherds to Christs manger that is to the church and in his swadling-clothes that is in the sacred scriptures shall we finde the infant enwrapped Let us with Mary the holy mother of our Lord keep the words of so great a mysterie and let us every day recall them to our memorie Let us follow with our voice the angels which sing before us and let us render unto God due thanks for so great a benefit Let us rejoyce and be glad with all the heavenly army For if the angels do so greatly rejoyce for our sake How much more ought we to rejoyce seeing unto us he is born and given If the Israelites did lift up their voices with jubile when the ark of the covenant was brought unto them which was but a figure and shadow of the Lords incarnation How much more ought we to rejoyce unto whom the Lord himself is come and hath taken our flesh upon him If Abraham rejoyced when he saw the day of the Lord when the Lord in an humane shape assumed for a time appeared unto him What should we do now Christ hath coupled unto himself our nature by an everlasting and inviolable covenant Let us admire here the infinite goodnesse of God who himself would descend unto us seeing that we could not ascend unto him Let us admire the infinite power of God who of two things most distant I mean the divine and humane nature could make one so nearly that one and the same should be God and man Let us admire the infinite wisdome of God who could finde out means to work our salvation when men and angels saw no means An infinite good was offended and an infinite satisfaction was required Man had offended God of man was satisfaction required But by man neither could an infinite satisfaction be made neither could Gods justice be satisfied without an infinite price Therefore God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might pay an infinite price Let us admire this wonderfull temper of Gods justice and mercie which no creature could finde before God did manifest it and none could fully perceive after it was made manifest Let us admire these things and not curiously prie into them Let us desire to look in though we cannot conceive all Let us rather confesse our ignorance then deny Gods omnipotence Meditat. XV. Of the saving fruit of the Incarnation Christ was conceiv'd in Virgins wombe That thou might'st sonne of God become I Bring you tidings of great joy saith the angel at our Saviours nativitie Of great joy indeed that is such as passeth mans understanding It was a very great evil that we were held captive under the wrath of God under the power of the devil and under eternall damnation But it was yet greater because men either knew it not or else did neglect it But now great joy is declared unto us because he that delivereth us from all evils is come into the world He is come a physician to the sick a redeemer to the captives the way to the wanderers life to them that were dead salvation to them that were condemned As Moses was sent from the Lord to deliver the people of Israel from the servitude of Egypt So Christ was sent from his Father to redeem all mankinde from the devils slavery As the dove after the drying up of the waters
shape of man and threatned that he would destroy Sodom Here the Lambe of God is not set before us to look upon but to be tasted and eaten Vzziah coming inconsiderately unto the ark of the covenant was by the Lord suddenly smitten with a leprosie What wonder is it then if he that eats of this bread and drinks of this wine unworthily eateth and drinketh his own condemnation For here is the true ark of the new covenant which was prefigured by the old Now the apostle teacheth true preparation in one word Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread Now as all divine examination is to be squared according to the rule of divine scripture so also is this which Paul requires Let us therefore consider in the first place our own infirmitie For what is man Dust and ashes We were made of the earth we live of the earth and we return to the earth What is man Stinking seed a sack of dung and meat for worms Man was born to labour and not to honour Man is born of a woman and therefore with guiltinesse He liveth but a short time and therefore in fear he is full of many miseries and therefore of weeping many indeed because both of body and soul. Man knoweth neither his beginning nor his end We have our being for a while like a fading flower But this short life hath long sorrows and labours Let us consider in the second place our unworthinesse Verily every creature in respect of the Creatour is a shadow a dream nothing Therefore man also But man is unworthy in a greater and more grievous manner For he offended his Creatour by his sinne God is just by nature and by essence Therefore by his nature and by his essence he is offended and displeased with sinne What are we stubble to that consuming fire How shall our most filthy deeds appear How shall our iniquities which thou settest before thee and our errours which thou placest in the light of thy countenance God is infinite and alwayes like himself of infinite justice and infinite anger And if in all his works then certainly in his anger justice and revenge God is altogether great and wonderfull He that spared not his own Sonne will he spare his own workmanship He that spared not the most holy one will he spare the wicked servant God so hateth sinne that he doth punish it even in the best beloved as it appears by Lucifer the prince of the angels But let not this examination respect us onely but the blessed bread also which is the communication of the Lords bodie Then shall the true fountain of grace and the inexhaustible spring of mercie appear God cannot altogether neglect us seeing that he maketh us partakers of his own flesh For who ever hated his own flesh Therefore this holy banquet shall transform our souls This most divine banquet shall make us divine men untill at length we be made partakers of future happinesse being made capable of God wholly and onely and wholly like unto God What we have here by faith and in a mystery there we shall have in deed and openly Yea our bodies have attained to this dignitie that in them we shall see God face to face I say our bodies which are now the temples of the holy Ghost and are sanctified and quickned by the body and bloud of Christ dwelling in us This most holy medicine cures all the wounds of sinne This quickning flesh overcometh all mortall sinne This is the most holy seal of divine promises which we may shew before Gods judgement Having this pledge we may glory and be secure of eternall life If Christ his bodie and bloud be exhibited unto us assuredly all other benefits by that most holy body and most blessed bloud are prepared for us How can he that hath given us the greater things denie us the lesse He that hath given his Sonne to us how shall he not give all other thingâ— with him Let the spouse therefore be glad and rejoyce for the time is at hand when she shall be called to the marriage of the Lambe Let her put on precious apparel let her put on her wedding garment that she be not found naked This garment is the bridegrooms righteousnes which we put on in baptisme But our righteousnesse is so farre from being a wedding garment that it is as the cloth of a menstruous woman Let us be afraid therefore to bring the most filthy and stinking rags of our works to this nuptiall solemnitie Let the Lord cover us that we be not found naked Meditat. XXI Of Christs ascension Christ is ascended up on high And we must up like eagles flie MEditate upon thy bridegrooms ascension thou faithfull soul For Christ withdrew his visible presence from the faithfull to exercise their faith And blessed are they that see not and yet beleeve Where our treasure is there let our heart be also Christ our treasure is in heaven Let our hearts therefore be set upon those things that are heavenly and meditate upon the things that be above The spouse desires with most earnest sighs the return of her beloved So let the faithfull soul desire the coming of that day when she shall be admitted to the marriage of the Lambe Let her put her confidence in the pledge of the holy Spirit which the Lord left unto her at his departure Let her put her confidence in the bodie and bloud of the Lord which she receives in the mysterie of the supper And let her beleeve that our bodies which are filled with this incorruptible food shall at length be raised up again That which we now beleeve we shall then see Our hope shall then be reall fruition The Lord is present unto us here while we are on the way in a strange shape But in the mansion of our heavenly countrey we shall behold him and know him as he is It was our Saviours will to ascend up from the mount â— Olives The olive is a signe of peacâ— and joy Therefore not withouâ— cause did he ascend up from the mount of Olives because by his passion he hath purchased peace and tranquillitie for terrified and amazed consciences Not without cause did he ascend up from the mount of Olives For the court of heaven did exceedingly joy to receive him The mount doth call and invite us to heavenly things seeing therefore we cannot follow him with our bodily feet let us follow him with the feeâ— of our holy desires Moses also in like manner ascended up unto the Lord in the mount The holy patriarchs worshipped in the mount Abraham made choice of the mount and Lot of the plain Let the faithfull soul leave the plain of this world and by holy devotion go up to the heavenly mount So shall she feel God speaking unto her inwardly and that most sweetly So in
her prayers may she worship in spirit So shall she be able with Abraham to escape the everlasting fire prepared For the plain of this world Bethanie signifieth a village of humilitie and affliction by which we must passe to the kingdome of heaven even as Christ himself passed from the place of affliction to the joyes of heaven Till this time heaven was shut and paradise which is above was kept by a flaming sword But now Christ being conquerour doth set open heaven unto us to shew us the way into our heavenly countrey from which we had fallen away The disciples stood lifting up their eyes and looking up towards heaven So let the true disciples of Christ lift up the eyes of their heart to behold heavenly things Lord Jesus what a glorious clause followed thy passion How happie and sudden a change is this How did I see thee suffering on mount Calvarie and how do I behold thee now in the mount of Olives There thou wast alone here thou art accompanied with many thousands of angels There thou didst ascend up to the crosse here thou dost ascend up into heaven in a cloud There thou wast crucified between theeves here thou rejoyced among the companies of angelâ— There thou wast nailed to the crosse as a condemned man here thou aâ—â— at libertie and dost deliver those thaâ— were condemned There dying and suffering here rejoycing and triumphing Christ is our head we are his members Rejoyce therefore and be glad thou faithfull soul for the ascension of thy head The glory of the head is the glory also of the members Where our flesh doth reigne there let us beleeve that we shall also reigne Where our bloud doth rule let us hope that we shall also obtain glorie Though our sinnes do hinder us yet the communion of nature doth not repell us Where the head is there shall the other members be also Our head is entred into heaven Therefore the members have just cause to hope for entrance not onely so but that they have possession there already Christ descended from heaven to redeem us and again he ascended up into heaven to glorifie us Unto us was he born for us did he suffer For us therefore did he ascend Our charitie is confirmed by Christs passion our faith by Christs resurrection our hope by Christs ascension We must follow Christ our bridegroom not onely with our ardent desires but also with our good works Into that citie which is above nothing shall enter that is defiled In token of this the angels that came from the heavenly Jerusalem appeared in white apparel by which puritie and innocencie is figured With the Doctour of humilitie there ascended no pride with the Authour of goodnesse there ascended no malice with the Lover of peace there ascended no discord and with the Sonne of the Virgin there ascended no lust After the Parent of vertues there ascend no vices after the Just there ascend no sinnes and after the Physician there can ascend no infirmities He that desires to see God hereafter face to face let him here so live as in his sight He that hopes for celestiall things let him contemn terrestriall O draw our hearts thee good Jesus Meditat. XXII An Homilie of the holy Ghost God sealeth by his holy Spirit As many as shall life inherit OUr Lord ascending up into the heavens and entring into his glory sent the holy Ghost unto the disciples upon the day of Pentecost As in the old Testament God when he proclaimed the law in mount Sinai came down unto Moses So when the gospel was by the apostles to be propagated throughout all the world the holy Ghost came down upon them There was thundering and lightning and the loud sound of the trumpet because the law doth thunder against our disobedience and makes us subject to Gods indignation But here is the sound of a gentle winde for the preaching of the gospel doth lift up the souls that are cast down There was the fear and trembling of all the people because the law worketh wrath But here the whole multitude doth flock together to heare the wonderfull things of God for by the gospel we have accesse unto God There the Lord descended in fire but it was in the fire of his wrath and furie therefore was the mountain moved and did smoke But here the holy Ghost descendeth in the fire of love so that all the house is not shaken by the wrath of God but is rather replenished with the glory of the holy Ghost What wonder is it if the holy Ghost be sent from the court of heaven to sanctifie us seeing that the Sonne was sent to redeem us The passion of Christ had not profited us unlesse by the gospel it had been preached unto us For what use is there of a treasure that is hid Therefore our most mercifull Father did not onely prepare a great benefit by the passion of his Sonne but also would have it offered to all the world by sending the holy Ghost The faithfull mother giveth unto her tender infant both her dugs God who is faithfull doth send unto us both the Sonne and the holy Ghost But the holy Ghost came upon the apostles when they were assembled together at prayer with one accord For he is the Spirit of prayer he iâ— obtained by prayer and he moveth us to pray Wherefore Because he is that bond by which our hearts are united with God as he doth unite the Father with the Sonne and the Sonne with the Father For he is the mutuall substantiall love of the Father and the Sonne This our spirituall conjunction with God is wrought by faith But faith is the gift of the Spirit It is obtained by prayer But true prayer is made in the Spirit In the temple of Solomon when incense was offered unto God the temple was filled with the glory of the Lord So if thou offerest unto God the sweet odours of prayers the holy Ghost shall fill the temple of thy heart with glory Let us here admire the mercy and grace of God The Father promiseth to heare our prayers the Sonne maketh intercession for us and the holy Ghost prayeth in us The angels carrie our prayers unto God and the court of heaven is open to receive our prayers God of his mercie doth give unto us the affect of prayer because he giveth unto us the spirit of grace and prayer He giveth unto us also the effect of prayer because he doth alwayes heare our prayers if not according to our will yet according to that which is most profitable for us The holy Ghost came when they were all met together with one accord in the same place For he is the Spirit of love and concord that joyneth us unto Christ by faith unto God by love and unto our neighbour by charitie The devil is the authour of discord and separation by
thy sinnes and fear him that shall judge thee for thy sinnes according to his justice Be not secure in prosperitie For God is angry with him that is not punished in this life What are the afflictions of the godly Bitter arrows sent from the sweet hand of God God esteems many in this life unworthy to be punished whom notwithstanding he reprobateth for ever Outward felicitie is oftentimes a signe of eternall damnation Nothing is more unhappy then the happinesse of sinners and nothing more miserable then he that knows no miserie Whithersoever thou turnest thine eyes thou seest cause of grief and findest remedies against securitie Think upon God above whom we have offended Think upon hell beneath which we have deserved Think upon the sinne behinde which we have committed Think upon the judgement before which we stand in fear of Think upon the conscience within which we have defiled And think upon the world without which we have loved Consider whence thou camest and be ashamed Consider where thou art and be sorrowfull Consider whither thou goest and tremble The gate of salvation is narrow but the way of salvation is yet narrower God hath given unto thee the treasure of faith but thou carriest it about thee in vessels of clay He gave thee the angels to be thy keepers But the devil is not farre off and he is ready to seduce thee Thou art renewed in the spirit of thy minde But yet thou hast much of the oldnes of the flesh Thou art set in the state of the grace of God But yet thou art not set in eternall glory There is a mansion prepared for thee in heaven But yet thou must endure first the afflictions and assaults of the world God hath promised forgivenesse to him that repenteth But he hath not promised will to repent to him that sinneth The consolations of eternall life expect thee But yet thou must expect to enter in through many tribulations The crown of eternall reward is promised unto thee But first thou must fight the great fight and be conquerour God doth not change his promise Neither must thou change the study of holy life If the servant doth not what the Lord commandeth then the Lord wil do what he hath threatned Let a man therefore lament grieve shaking off all securitie lest in the just and secret judgement of God he be forsaken and left in the power of the devils to be destroyed If thou hast the grace of God so delight thy self in it as knowing that it is the gift of God and that thou dost not possesse it by any hereditarie right Yet be thou so secure concerning it that thou canst not lose it lest on a sudden when God shall withhold his gift and withdraw his hand thou beest discouraged and become more sorrowfull then is fit But happy shalt thou be if thou labourest with all care and diligence to avoid securitie the mother of all evil God will not forsake thee But take heed that thou dost not forsake God God hath given thee his grace But pray thou unto him that he would also give thee perseverance God bids thee be certain of thy salvation but he bids thee not be secure Thou must fight valiantly that thou mayest at length triumph gloriously Thy flesh within thee fighteth against thee And the enemie the nearer he is the more he is to be feared The world about thee fighteth against thee And the greater the enemie is the more to be feared The devil above thee fighteth against thee And the more potent the enemy is the more to be feared Through the power of God fear not to encounter with these enemies Through the power of God thou shalt be enabled to obtain the victory But thou canst not overcome these so great enemies by securitie but by assiduity in fighting The time of life is the time of fight Then thou art most assaulted when thou knowest not that thou art assaulted Then do thy enemies most gather their forces together when they seem to grant truce They are vigilant And dost thou sleep They make themselves ready to hurt And dost not thou make thy self ready to resist Many faint by the way never come home into their countrey How many of the Israelites died in the wildernes and never came to see the promised land How many spirituall sonnes of Abraham do perish in the wildernes of this world never come to enjoy the promised inheritance of the kingdome of heaven Nothing is more powerfull to make us shake off security then to think of the paucity of them that endure to the last Let it therefore be our onely desire to attain to the glory which is in heaven Let it be our onely love to come thither Let it be our onely grief that we are not alreadie come thither And let it be our onely fear that we come not thither That so we may have no joy but in those things that either further us in the way thither or give us hope of coming thither What profiteth it thee to rejoyce for a moment to lament for ever What joy can there be in this life when that which delighteth passeth away and that never passeth away which tormenteth We live in securitie as if we were past the snare of death day of judgement Christ saith that he will come to judgement at such an houre as we think not of This saith Truth it self and again he repeats it Heare this and fear If the Lord will come at such an houre as we think not of we have great cause to fear that so we come not unto judgement unprovided If we come unprovided How shall we be able to endure the strict examination in judgement Notwithstanding that which is lost in this one moment cannot be recovered again for ever In the shortnes of one moment judgement shall passe what we shall be for all eternitie In this one moment life or death damnation or salvation punishment or eternall glory shall be appointed to every one Lord thou that hast given us grace to that which is good give us also perseverance in that which is good Meditat. XXX Of the holy imitation of Christ his life Christs life must be a rule to thee If Christs disciple thou wilt be THe holy life of Christ is the most perfect pattern of all vertues Every action of Christ serves for our instruction Many would come to Christ but they will not follow him They would enjoy Christ but they will not imitate him Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart saith our Saviour Unlesse thou wilt be Christs disciple thou canst never be a true Christian Let not Christs passion onely be thy merit but let his action also be thy example to live after Thy beloved is white and ruddie Be thou also ruddy by the sprinkling of his bloud and white by the imitation
Angel was lamed in one foot the other being sound and whole By the two feet is understood a double love the love of ones self and the love of God Then shall a man be partaker of Gods blessing when he halts upon the foot of self-love the other foot that is of the love of God remaining sound and whole It is impossible for thee with one eye to behold heaven and earth So it cannot be that with one and the same will a man should love himself inordinately love God also Love is the chiefest good of our soul Therefore we must give the chief good of our soul to the chiefest good that is to God Thy love is thy God that is whatsoever thou lovest chiefly thou settest in the place of God But God is truly the chief being Whosoever therefore loveth himself judgeth himself to be God and setteth himself in the place of God which is the greatest idolatry that can be Whatsoever thou lovest chiefly thou makest it to be the end of all other things and thou judgest it to be the last complement of all thy desires But it is God onely who is the beginning and the end of the creatures he is the first and the last he onely filleth the desire of our hearts and there is no created thing that can satisfie thy desires Therefore thou must preferre the love of God before the love of thy self God is the beginning and the end In him therefore must our love begin and in him also must it end The essence of God is without all the creatures as God was in himself from all eternitie So withdraw thou thy love from all the creatures Such as thy love is such are thy works If thy works proceed from true faith and love of God they are acceptable unto God and appear great in his eyes though in the eyes of all men they seem but small If they proceed from self-love they cannot please God Self-love defileth the most excellent works When Christ was in the house of Simon a certain woman broke a vessel of precious ointment and anointed the head of Christ The work seemed to be small and yet notwithstanding it was acceptable unto Christ because it proceeded from true faith pure love and serious contrition Sacrifice in the old Testament was a work acceptable unto God and yet God was not well pleased that Saul set apart the spoils of the Amalekites to offer sacrifice unto God Why Because this did not proceed from the love of God For if he had loved God truly he would not have contemned the commandment of God about the burning of all the spoils He loved himself and his own devotion Love is a kinde of fire For so the Church prayeth Come O holy Ghost and kindle in the faithfull the fire of thy love Fire doth not cleave fast unto the earth but alwayes tends upwards So thy love must not rest in thee but it must be lifted up unto the Lord. Again to denie ones self is to renounce his own honour Unto the chief good alone is due the chiefest honour And God is the chiefest good He that seeketh his own glory cannot seek Gods glory as our Saviour said unto the Pharisees How can ye beleeve which receive honour one of another Behold the example of Christ and follow it He often witnesseth of himself that he seeks not his own glory that he receiveth not honour from men and that he is humble in heart All thy gifts thou receivest from God Therefore render them again unto God The rivers of all goods do flow from this fountain of Gods goodnesse Therefore let them all flow back again into the sea The herb which is called Tornsol or Heliotropium doth alwayes turn it self unto the sunne by vertue whereof it draws its life and nourishment So do thou with all thy gifts and honour turn thy self towards God and attribute nothing unto thy self If thou hast any thing of thine own thou mayest seek thine own honour and attribute thy gifts unto thy self But seeing that thou hast nothing of thine own but all from God therefore thou must seek not thine own honour but the honour of God The seeking his own honour doth turn a man away from God We have an example in Nabuchadnezzar who said Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of my kingdome by the strength of my power and for the honour of my majestie But what follows Whiles the word was in the kings mouth a voice came from heaven saying To thee O Nabuchadnezzar is it spoken Thy kingdome is departed from thee thou shalt be cast out from the company of men and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field Even so if thou out of vain-glorie and pride dost boast of thy Babylon that is the building of thy good works and take the glory thereof unto thy self and not give it unto God thou shalt be cast away from the sight of God Last of all To deny ones own self is to renounce his own will We must alwayes obey the best will And Gods will is alwayes the best We must obey his will from whom we have all that we have And from God comes all that we have We must obey his will who leadeth us alwayes unto life and that which is good Delight in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire Our own will leads us unto death and unto damnation By what did our first father fall from the grace of God and state of salvation into eternall damnation By leaving the will of God and following his own will He neglected the commandment of God and gave eare unto the perswasion of the devil Therefore the true disciple of Christ renounceth his own will and desires to follow the will of God Behold Christ He being in the agony of his passion offered his own will as a most acceptable sacrifice unto God Offer thou also unto God thine own will and so shalt thou perfect that denial of thy self which Christ requireth Let thy holy will O Lord be done in earth as it is in heaven Meditat. XXXII Of the true rest of the soul. Thy soul can nothing satiate But God who did thy soul create IN the transitorie things of this world the soul often seeks for rest but findes it not Why Because the soul is more worthy then all the creatures and therefore she cannot finde peace quietnesse in them as being more vile All worldly things are flitting and transitorie but the soul is immortall How should she then finde true rest in them All those are terrestriall but our soul hath a celestiall originall How should she then satiate and fulfill her desire in them In Christ she findes rest he can satisfie and fulfill her desire Against the wrath of God she rests in the wounds of Christ Against the accusations of Satan she rests in the
bubble Such is man Whose lâ—fe in length is but a span COnsider thou faithfull soul the miserable condition of man and thou shalt easily avoid all tentations of pride Man is vile in his ingresse miserable in his progresse and lamentable in his egresse He is assaulted by devils provoked by tentations allured by delights cast down by tribulations entangled by accusations bestripped of vertues and ensnared in evil customes Wherefore then art thou proud O earth and ashes What wast thou before thou wast brought forth Stinking seed What is thy life A sack of dung What after death Meat for worms If there be any thing good in thee it is not thine but Gods Nothing is thine but sinne Challenge therefore unto thy self nothing that is within thee but thy sinnes He is a fool an unfaithfull servant that will be proud of his masters goods Behold O man the example of Christ All the glory of heaven serveth him yea he himself alone is the true glory And yet he rejected all worldly glory And still he cries Learn of me for I am meek and humble in heart He is the true lover of Christ that is the follower of Christ. He that loveth Christ loveth also humilitie Let the servant that is proud blush and be ashamed seeing that the Lord of heaven is so humble Our Saviour saith of himself that he is the Lily of the valleys because he the most noble amongst flowers is born and bred not in the mountains that is in proud and lofty hearts but in the low valleys that is in the contrite and humble mindes of the godly For the soul that is truely humble is a seat and delectable bed for Christ as a godly man saith True grace doth not lift a man up but doth rather humble him Therefore he is not yet partaker of grace who walketh not in humblenesse of heart The fluents of Gods grace flow downwards not upwards As water by nature doth not seek high places So the grace of God doth not flow upwards but downwards upon the hearts that are humble The Psalmist saith God dwelleth on high and yet beholdeth he the things that are humble in heaven and in earth Surely this is a marvellous thing that we cannot draw nigh unto God who is the highest of all unlesse we walk in the path of humilitie He that is vile in his own eyes is great in the eyes of God He that displeaseth himself pleaseth God Of nothing did God create the heaven and the earth And as it was in the creation so also is it in the reparation of man God creates of nothing and repairs of nothing Therefore that thou mayest be made partaker of regeneration and reparation seem nothing in thine own eyes that is arrogate and attribute nothing unto thy self We are all weak and frail And think thou no man more frail then thy self It hurts not to make thy self inferiour to all and by humilitie to put thy self under all But it hurts very much to preferre thy self before any one The twenty foure elders that is all the church triumphant cast down their crowns before the throne and give unto God all righteousnesse and glorie And what then should the vile sinner do The holy angels the Seraphims cover their faces before the face of Gods majestie And what then should man do who is so vile a creature and so unthankfull to his Creatour Christ the true and onely begotten Sonne of God in wonderfull humilitie descended from heaven and took our weak nature upon him and condescended to take upon him our flesh to die and to be crucified And what should man do who by his sinnes is gone so farre astray from God Behold O faithfull soul with what wonderfull humilitie Christ hath cured our pride And dost thou still desire to be proud By the way of humilitie and his passion Christ entred into glorie And dost thou think ever to come to the glorie of heaven walking in the way of pride The devil for his pride was banished out of the kingdome of heaven And doest thou having not yet the fruition of celestiall glorie think to come thither by the way of pride Adam for his pride was cast out of paradise And dost thou think to come to the celestiall paradise by the way of pride Let us rather wish to serve and to wash the feet of others with Christ then to seek ambitiously with the devil for an higher place Let us be humbled in this life that we may be exalted in the life to come Think not O faithfull soul what thou hast but what thou wantest Grieve for the vertues which thou hast not rather then glorie for the vertues which thou hast Cover thy vertues but lay open thy sinnes For thou hast great cause to fear that if thou shewest the treasure of thy good works by glorying in them the devil will steal them away by making thee proud of them Fire is best kept if it be covered with ashes So the fire of charitie is never more securely kept then when it is covered with the ashes of humilitie Pride is the seed of all sinne Take heed therefore of being lifted up lest it happen that thou beest cast headlong into the abysse of sinne Pride is a pleasing bed for the devil Take heed therefore of being lifted up lest it happen that thy miserable soul be made subject to the devils yoke Pride is a winde that burneth and drieth up the fountain of Gods grace Take heed therefore of being lifted up lest it happen that thou beest separated from the grace of God Cure O Christ the tumour of our pride Let thy holy humilitie be our onely merit in this life and let it be the pattern of our life Let our faith firmly embrace thy humilitie and let our life constantly follow after it Meditat. XXXV Of fleeing from covetousnesse The man that covets is but poore Although he riches have great store AS thou dost tender the salvation of thy soul see that thou dost hate the sinne of covetousnesse The covetous man is the poorest amongst men because he wanteth as well that which he hath as that which he hath not The covetous man is the most miserable of all men because he is good to no man and worst to himself Pride is the beginning of all sinne and covetousnesse the root of all evil That by turning us away from God and this by turning us unto the creatures Riches bring forth sweat in the getting create fear in the possessing and bring grief in the losing And which is worse the labour of the covetous shall not onely perish but shall also cause them to perish Riches do either forsake thee or thou dost forsake them If therefore thou puttest thy trust in riches what will be thy hope at the houre of death How wilt thou commend thy soul unto God if thou dost
be at variance That member of the body is dead which hath not a sense of anothers grief Neither let him judge himself a member of Christs mysticall bodie whosoever doth not grieve with another that suffereth We have all one Father that is God whom Christ hath taught thee daily to call our Father And how shall he own thee to be his true sonne unlesse thou again own his sonnes to be thy brethren Love him that is commended unto thee by God if he be worthy because he is worthy and if he be not worthy yet love him because God is worthy whom thou oughtest to obey If thou lovest a man that is thine enemie thou shewest thy self to be the friend of God Do not mark what man doth against thee but what thou hast done against God Observe not the injuries offered thee by thine enemies but observe the benefits conferred upon thee by God who commandeth thee to love thine enemie We are neighbours by the condition of our earthly nativity and brothers by the hope of our celestiall inheritance Let us therefore love one another Kindle in us O God the fire of love and charity by thy Spirit Meditat. XXXVII Of the studie of chastitie The soul that 's chast is Christ his spouse His bed of rest his lodging-house HE that will be the true disciple of Christ must study to be chast and holy Our most gracious God is a pure and chast Spirit And thou must call upon him with chast prayers It was the saying of a wise man That the chastitie of the body and the sanctitie of the soul are the two keys of religion and felicitie If the body be not kept pure and immaculate from whoredome the soul cannot be ardent in prayer Our body is the temple of the holy Ghost We must beware therefore and be very carefull that we pollute not this holy habitacle of the holy Ghost Our members are the members of Christ We must beware that we take not the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot Let us cleave unto the Lord by faith and chastitie that we may be one spirit with him Let us not cleave unto an harlot that we be not made one body with her The Sodomites burning with lust were smitten by the Lord with blindnesse corporall and spirituall And such is the punishment of unchast men even unto this day The Sodomites lust was punished with fire and brimstone falling down from heaven So God shall inflame the heat of this evil concupiscence in whoredomes with everlasting fire This fire is not to be extinguished But the smoke of the torments ascendeth up for ever and ever Without that is without the heavenly Jerusalem are dogs that is impure and lustfull men Christ hath washed us with his precious bloud in baptisme And therefore we must beware and be carefull that we do not defile our selves with filthy lust Even nature her self hath taught men to blush and to be ashamed to commit such filthinesse in the sight of men And yet they are not ashamed to commit it in the sight of God and his angels No walls can hinder God from seeing for his eyes are brighter then the sunne No angles or corners can exclude the presence of the holy angels No secret turnings can keep away the testimonie of the conscience This is a wonderfull thing That the heat of lust should ascend up into heaven when the stink thereof descendeth even unto hell This short pleasure shall bring forth everlasting sorrow That which delighteth is momentany but that which tormenteth is everlasting The pleasure of fornication is short but the punishment of the fornicatour is for ever Let the memorie of him that was crucified crucifie in thee thy flesh Let the remembrance of hell quench in thee the heat of concupiscence Let the tears of repentance extinguish in thee the fire of lust Let the fear of God wound thy flesh that the love of the flesh deceive thee not Consider with thy self that the appetite of lust is full of anxietie and folly the act full of abomination and ignominie and the end full of repentance and shame Look not upon the fawning face of the devil inciting thee to lust but look back upon his tail when he flyeth which is full of pricks Think not upon the shortnes of the pleasure but rather think upon the eternitie of the punishment Love the knowledge of the Scriptures and then thou wilt not love the vices of the flesh Be alwayes doing somewhat that the tempter when he cometh may finde thee busied He deceived David when he was idle He could not deceive Joseph for he was busied in his masters service Think every houre that death is at hand and thou wilt easily despise all the pleasure of the flesh Love temperance and thou shalt easily overcome evil concupiscence The belly set on fire with wine doth presently some with lust Amidst thy dainties thy chastitie is in danger If therefore thou feedest thy flesh daintily and immoderately thou nourishest thine own enemie So feed thy flesh that it may serve thee keep it so under that it be not proud Think upon the terrour of the last judgement and thou shalt easily extinguish the fire of lust For at the day of judgement the secrets of the heart shall be revealed and then how much more those things that are done in secret Thou must give an account for unprofitable words And how much more then for filthy speeches Thou must give an account for filthy speeches How much more then for impure actions As long as thy life hath been so long shall thy accusation be As many as thy sinnes have been so many shall thy accusers be Those thoughts which men make no reckoning of shall come to judgement What then doth it profit thee to have thy fornication for a time concealed from men seeing that it must be revealed in the sight of all men at the day of judgement What doth it profit thee to escape the judgement-seat of an earthly judge seeing that thou canst not escape the judgement-seat of the supreme judge This judge thou canst not corrupt with gifts for he is a most just judge This judge thou canst not move with prayers for he is a most severe judge This judge his province and jurisdiction thou canst not flee from for he is a most powerfull judge Him thou canst not deceive with vain excuses for he is a most wise judge From his broad and proclaimed sentence thou canst not appeal for he is the supreme judge There shall be truth in the inquisition nakednesse in the publication and severitie in the execution Therefore O soul devout towards God let the fear of this judge be alwayes before thine eyes and the fire of lust shall not deceive thee Be thou the rose of charitie the violet of humilitie and the lilie of chastitie Learn
and vertues is better then all earthly riches Wherefore Because vertue pleaseth God but riches do not please him without vertue The povertie of Christ must be more acceptable unto us then the riches of the whole world Povertie was sanctified through Christ. He was poore in his nativitie poore in his life and poorest of all at his death Why dost thou stick then to preferre povertie before worldly riches when as Christ preferred it before heavenly riches How will he commit his soul unto God who doth not commit unto him the care of his body How will he lay down his life for his brother who doth not bestow his riches upon him Riches bring forth labour in the getting fear in the possessing and grief in the loosing And which is most to be lamented the labour of the covetous doth not onely perish but it causeth them also to perish as Bernard teacheth Thy love is thy God Where thy treasure is there will thy heart be also He that loveth these bodily worldly and perishing riches cannot love the spirituall heavenly and eternall riches Wherefore Because those presse down the heart of man and draw it downwards but these lift it upwards The love of earthly things is as the birdlime of spirituall punishments as one of the true lovers of Christ said Lots wife which was turned into a pillar of salt doth yet preach unto us Not to look back to those things which are in the world but to go straight on to our heavenly countrey The Apostles left all and followed Christ. Wherefore Because the knowledge of the true riches taketh away the desire after false riches If we have tasted the Spirit the flesh pleaseth not our taste If Christ be sweet to a mans taste then the world is bitter unto it But why dost thou so much seek after pleasures Let the remembrance of him that was crucified crucifie in thee all desire of pleasure Let the remembrance of hell-fire quench in thee all the fire of lust Compare the short moment of pleasure with eternall punishments Pleasures are brutish and they make us like brutes The sweetnesse of the kingdome of heaven pleaseth not his taste that is daily full with the husks of the swine Let us mortifie all sensuall pleasures and let us with Abraham offer to God as a spirituall sacrifice this our beloved sonne that is the concupiscences of our soul by renouncing voluntarily all pleasure and by embracing the bitternesse of the crosse It is not a plain way strewed with roses but a sharp way and set with thorns that leadeth unto the kingdome of heaven The outward man increaseth by pleasures but the inward man by the crosse and by tribulations As much as the outward man is augmented so much is the inward man diminished Pleasures serve the bodie but the true godly have least care of their body and the greatest care of their soul. Pleasures do captivate our hearts that they cannot be free in the love of God Not pleasures but the contempt of pleasures at death shalt thou carry away with thee and bring to judgement Let the fear of God then wound thy flesh that the love of the flesh deceive thee not Keep alwayes in thy minde the memory of Gods juâ—gement that the perverse judgement of thy sensuall appetite lead thee not into bondage Look not upon the flattering face of the serpent but look back upon his stinging tail Overcome thou by the grace of Christ that at length thou mayst as conquerour be crowned by Christ. Meditat. XL. Of the profit of tentations The palm-tree grows the more prest down And crosses prove the Churches crown IT is profitable for the faithfull soul to be tried and confirmed by tentations in this world Our Saviour himself would wrestle with the devil in the wildernesse that for us and for our salvation he might overcome him and be the first champion in our quarrel He descended first into hell and afterwards ascended up into heaven So the faithfull soul doth first descend into the hell of tentations that so it may ascend into celestiall glory The people of Israel could not come to possesse the promised land of Canaan before they had overcome divers enemies Neither can the faithfull soul promise unto it self the kingdome of heaven untill it hath overcome the flesh the world and the devil Tentation proveth purgeth and enlighteneth us Tentation proveth us For faith shaken by adversitie is confirmed more strongly in the rock of salvation it enlargeth it self more into the boughs of good works and riseth up higher unto the hope of deliverance When Abraham being commanded to sacrifice his sonne shewed himself ready to obey Gods command after the tentation the angel of the Lord appeared unto him saying Now know I that thou fearest God seeing that for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne Even so in tentations if thou shalt offer unto God the beloved sonne of thy soul that is thine own will thou shalt be reputed one that truly feareth God and thou shalt in thine heart heare God speaking unto thee Fire proves gold and tentation proves faith The souldiers valour is seen in the fight And the strength of our faith appeareth in tentations When the whirling windes and the stormie waves beat upon the ship of Christ then it appeareth of how little faith some of the disciples are The Israelites whom God commanded to be led forth to overcome the Midianites were first proved at the waters So they which are to be admitted into their heavenly countrey after the conquest of their enemies are first to be proved in the waters of tribulations and tentations Whatsoever adversitie therefore whatsoever tentations happen unto the faithfull soul let her think with her self that they are for triall and not for deniall Tentation also purgeth To purge out the pestilent humour of self-love and the love of the world Christ our Physician useth many grains of bitter Aloes Tribulation sends us to search our conscience and recalls to our memorie the sinnes of our life past And further as Physick preserveth the bodie from contagious diseases So also doth tribulation preserve the soul from sinnes Man is alwayes prone to sinne But more in time of prosperitie then in adversitie Riches are thorns to many men Therefore God plucks out the thorns that they may not choak their souls Varietie of worldly businesse hindereth many from the service of God Therefore God sendeth diseases upon them that they may come to themselves and begin to die to the world and to live to God Some men have tumbled down the hill of great prosperitie And have enjoyed truest rest in their adversitie The honour of the world puffeth men up with pride Therefore God brings them into contempt and withdraweth from them the fewel of pride Last of all Tentation enlighteneth We come not to know the frailtie and vanitie of all
must strive to go thither where at length we must remain for all eternitie Into this glorie of the Lord shall no man enter but he that desireth to enter Dost thou hope to appear hereafter before the face of the Lord Studie then after holinesse because he is holy Dost thou look for the fellowship of the heavenly angels Take heed then that thou dost not by thy sinnes deprive thy self of their ministerie Dost thou hope after things eternall Why then dost thou so much desire things temporall Dost thou seek for a citie to come Why then dost thou desire here an abiding place Dost thou desire to come to Christ Why then dost thou fear death It is the propertie of him that would not come to Christ to fear death Dost thou desire to enter into the heavenly Jerusalem Why then dost thou defile thy self with so many and such grievous sinnes Whereas it is written that nothing which is defiled shall enter in there Dost thou desire to enjoy at length the tree of life Lay hold then on Christ the true tree of life by true faith in this life For it is written Blessed are they that have their robes washed in the bloud of the lambe that they may have part in the tree of life and enter into the citie by the gates Without are dogs and sorcerers Beware therefore of the losse of chastitie Without are murtherers Take heed therefore of anger Without are idolaters Beware therefore of covetousnesse Without are lyars Beware therefore of all the malice of sinne If thou desirest to enter in to the marriage of the Lambe desire the bridegrooms coming The Spirit and the Spouse say COME If thou hast not the earnest of the Spirit by which thou mayst cry Come Lord the bridegroom will never leade thee in unto the heavenly marriage Thou art not the spouse if thou desirest not the coming of the bridegroom Wouldest thou have a place in the new heaven and the new earth Why then dost thou so cleave unto the old Wouldest thou be made partaker of the Creatour Wherefore then dost thou so cleave unto the simple creatures Dost thou expect the building of God the house not made with hands eternall in the heavens Why then dost thou not desire that this earthly house of thy dwelling may be dissolved Dost thou desire to be clothed Why then dost thou not provide for thy self that thou beest not found naked If the holy Trinitie dwelleth not in thy heart by grace in this life it shall never dwell in thee by glorie in the life to come If thou hast not a taste of eternall felicitie in this life thou shalt never have a full draught in the life to come Meditat. XLVII Of the beatificall vision of God in heaven The saints are pilgrims here below And tow'rds their countrey heaven go IN my Fathers house are many mansions they are the words of our Saviour Lord I desire to see that place where thou hast prepared for me an everlasting mansion For I am a stranger and a sojourner here as all my fathers were The dayes of my pilgrimage are few and evil Therefore in this life wherein I live in exile I do long after my heavenly countrey My conversation is in heaven I desire to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living This life passeth away in a shadow my dayes are measured out and my substance is even as nothing in thy sight What then is my hope Is it not the Lord Lord Jesus when will it be that I shall come unto thee When shall I appeare before thy face As the hart panteth after the fountain of waters so doth my soul after thee O God Oh the true perfect and full joy Oh joy of joyes surpassing all joy without which there is no joy When shall I enter into thee that I may see my God that dwelleth in thee Thou shalt fill me O Lord with the joy of thy countenance At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore I shall be abundantly satisfied with the plentifulnesse of thy house and thou shalt give me to drink of the brook of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of life Oh life to be desired Oh blessed felicitie in which the most holy Trinitie shall be the perfection of our desires which we shall see without end love without loathing and praise without being weary To see God will surpasse all joyes To see Christ to live with Christ to heare Christ will surpasse all the desires of our hearts O Jesus Christ the most sweet bridegroom of my soul when wilt thou leade thy spouse into thy royall palace What can there be wanting there What to be desired or expected where God shall be all in all He shall be beautie to the eye hony to the taste musick to the eare balsame to the nose and flower to the touch God shall be all in all and shall distribute unto every one good things according to the desires of his own heart If thou desirest life if health if peace if honour God shall be there all in all The mysteries which are now sealed up in the great doctours of the Church shall be then revealed even unto babes The blessed humanitie of Christ shall be there present unto us and shall preach unto us with a most sweet voice concerning the mysterie of our salvation His voice is sweet and his face is comely Full of grace are his lips And he is crowned with glory and honour But if God shall be all in all then shall he be fulnesse of light to the understanding plenty of peace to the will and continuance of eternitie to the memorie The Sonne will satisfie the understanding with perfect knowledge the holy Ghost will satisfie the will with most sweet love and the Father will satisfie the memory with the remembrance of both Thou O God shalt be our light and in thy light shall we see light that is we shall see thee in thy self in the brightnesse of thy countenance when we shall see thee face to face Neither shall we onely see thee but we shall also live with thee neither shall we onely live with thee but we shall also praise thee neither shall we onely praise thee but we shall also rejoyce with thee neither shall we onely rejoyce with thee but we shall also be like unto the angels neither shall we be like unto the angels onely but even unto God himself blessed for ever Let the faithfull soul be here astonished and adore the mercy of her Saviour He doth not onely receive us his enemies into favour but he doth also forgive our sinnes neither doth he forgive our sinnes onely but he doth also bestow righteousnesse upon us neither so onely but he doth leade us also into our heavenly inheritance yea he makes us like
and troubled for other mens sinnes What cause hath the undutifull and disobedient servant to fear in regard of his own sinnes The wounds of my soul must needs be great indeed and mortall when as thy onely begotten Sonne is so miserably smitten for to cure them The disease of my soul must needs be great indeed and mortall when as the heavenly Physician and life it self doth die upon the crosse to cure it I see the torment of his most holy soul I heare the miserable exclamation of my most holy Saviour upon the crosse For me it is he is so vexed it is for my sinnes that he complaineth that he is forsaken of God If the weight of other mens sinnes doth so exceedingly presse the Almighty Sonne of God that it wrings from him a bloudy sweat How intolerable shall the anger of God be and how unmeasurable shall be his wrath against the unprofitable servant O thou drie and unhappy wood that hast alwayes served as a slave the everlasting fire of hell What must thou fear when thou seest these things come to passe in the green wood Christ is the green tree In the root of his divinitie in the love of his humanitie in the boughs of his vertues in the leaves of his holy words and in the fruit of his good works He is the cedar of chastitie the vine of joyfulnesse the palm of patience and the olive of mercie But if the fire of the divine anger inflames this green tree of life How much more shall it consume the sinner like dry wood for his unfruitfull works In what capitall and bloudy letters are my sinnes ingraveâ— in the bodie of Christ How conspicuous O thou most just God is thine anger against mine iniquities How strait must that captivity needs be in which my soul was held when so precious a ransome was paid for her delivery How great must the stains of my sinnes needs be when rivers of bloud flow down from the bodie of Christ to wash them away O thou most just God and yet most mercifull Father consider what indignities thy Sonne hath suffered for me and forget the wicked works of me thy unworthy servant Behold the profunditie of his wounds and overwhelm my sinnes in the profound sea of thy mercie Amen The second part ¶ Of thanksgiving for benefits The Argument The meditation of Gods benefits doth gather out of the garden of nature and of the Church sundry and those most fragrant flowers of divine gifts and recreating it 〈◊〉 with the odour thereof offereth again to God the sacrifices of the lips for a savour of sweet smell Now the immense and innumerable benefits of God may be divided according to three articles of our Christian faith God hath created redeemed and sanctified us He heapeth his benefits on us in this life and hath promised greater unto us in the life that is everlasting He conferres upon us the gifts of the minde of the body and of fortune which we call externall goods He preserveth us from evil and conserveth â—s in good That which is past he covereth that which is to come he governeth His privative blessings are more then his positive In brief we can neither in word expresse nor in thought conceive the number and dignitie of Gods benefits which will afford unto us hereafter in the world to come most plentifull matter of eternall praise and thanksgiving PRAYER I. He giveth thanks for our forming in the wombe and for our nativity ALmighty eternall God Father Sonne and holy Ghost I give thanks to thee I praise thee I glorifie thee because thy hands have fashioned me and made me wholly round about Thou formedst me like clay in my mothers wombe Thou didst draw me like milk Thou didst curdle me like cheese With flesh and skinne hast thou covered me and compacted me together with bones and sinews Thou hast given me life and mercy and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit This thy great mercy bestowed upon me I will celebrate with perpetuall praises Thy goodnesse I will sing of in continuall songs Thou didst protect me in my mothers wombe I will confesse unto thee For I am wonderfully formed Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well My bones are not hid from thee which thou didst make in secret and deckedst me with divers members in the lower parts of the earth Thy eyes saw me yet being imperfect and in thy book were all my members written which day by day were fashioned when as yet there were none of them How precious unto me are thy thoughts O God! how great is the summe of them If I go about to reckon them I finde them multiplied above the sands of the sea Thou didst shew thy mercy unto me before I understood it Thou didst prevent me with thy blessings before I did desire them Thy bounty did embrace me on every side before I could give thanks for it Thou art he who not onely didst form me wonderfully in the wombe but also didst take me out Thou art my hope even from my mothers breast Out of my mothers wombe I was cast upon thee Thou art my God from my mothers wombe As often as I think upon many that have been extinct and never came to the light of this life So often I admire and praise thee for thy mercy which brought me out of that prison into the theatre of this world safe and sound How many yeares are past in which I was not and yet thou didst erect for me this house of my body and didst bring me out of that bottomlesse pit and the darknesse of my mothers wombe Thou gavest unto me a reasonable soul Thou madest me a man not a stone or a serpent To thee O my God for this thy mercy be honour and glory for ever Amen PRAYER II. He renders thanks for our sustentation I Render thanks unto thee Almighty and mercifull God for that thou hast sustained me from the very first dayes of my life Naked I came into this world and thou coveredst me most graciously Hungry I entred into this world and thou hast hitherto fed me most bountifully In thee I live move and have my being Without thee I fall again into nothing and die Through thee I bowe and move my members Without thee I can neither be partaker of life or motion Thine is the sunne that giveth me light which I see daily with mine eyes Thine is the aire which I draw in with continuall breath The night is thine and the day is thine whose intercourses serve for my labour and rest Thine is the earth whose fruits do nourish me most plentifully Every creature in heaven aire earth and sea is thine and is appointed for my use and service Silver is thine and gold is thine Whatsoever is necessary for the sustentation of this my present life all that I receive from thy most liberall and bountifull
The law of sinne in my members is repugnant unto the law of mâ— minde which is renewed But givâ— unto me the Spirit of thy grace that I may captivate the law of sinne and not be captivated by the old flesh The flesh within me lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The spirit indeed is ready but the flesh is weak Grant therefore unto my spirit the riches of thy strength and vertue that it may overcome the evil concupiscences of the rebellious flesh That whorish Dalilah with her allurements doth daily set upon me But strengthen thou me by thy Spirit in the inward maâ— that at length she overcome me not O how grievous and hard a thing is it for a man to fight against himself that is against his flesh How difficult and hard a matter is it for one to overcome a domestick enemie Unlesse in this combate thou dost arm me with thy heavenly strength there is great fear that I shall be constrained to yeeld unto this enemie by reason of her secret and hidden treacheries Presse burn â—aunce mortifie the old man that I may escape his fawning deceit and seducement Grant unto me that I may daily die in my self that by the allurements of the flesh I be not separated from the life that is in Christ. Kindle in my heart the fire of the Spirit that I may sacrifice unto thee the beloved sonne of all my evil lusts and mine own will Flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God Let them therefore die in me that I be not excluded from the kingdome of heaven They that live according to the flesh shall die But they which by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh shall live They that are Christs do crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Therefore strike thorow and crucifie my flesh O Christ thou that wast upon the altar of the crosse pierced thorow and crucified for me Amen PRAYER II. He prayes for the conservation and increase of faith THou hast lighted in my heart thou living and eternall God the light of saving faith which I humbly beseech thee of thy goodnesse and clemencie to keep and increase I often feel weaknesse of faith I often waver and am tossed with storms of doubts and fears Therefore I humbly call upon thee with thy blessed Apostles that thou wouldest vouchsafe to increase it My heart propounds unto thee a good word Thou wilt not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax I carrie my treasure in a vessel of clay The torch of faith I bear about me in a brittle vessel What else remains there but that with serious prayers and sighs I commend it unto thy custodie and daily pray unto thee for increase of the same In the darknesse of this life and present world make me partaker of the heavenly light of faith Thy word is light and life Grant unto me of thy mercie that by true faith I may stick unto thy word and be made by thee a sonne of light and life Against all the tentations of Satan against all oblocutions of the world yea against the cogitations of mine own heart let the comfort of thy word prevail in me One word of Scripture is of more worth then heaven and earth in that it is more firm then heaven and earth Effect in me by thy holy Spirit that I may firmly beleeve thy word and yeeld my reason and my senses to the obedience of faith Thy promises are of thy meer free grace neither do they depend upon the condition of my worth and merits I may therefore with most assured faith relie upon them and with my whole heart trust in thy goodnesse By faith Christ dwells and lives in my heart Conserve therefore in me the free gift of faith that my heart may be and alwayes remain the habitacle of Christ. Faith is the seed of all good works and the foundation of holy life Conserve therefore most bountifull Lord and confirm this in me that my spirituall harvest and dwelling suffer no losse Strengthen my faith that it may overcome the world and the prince of the world Increase the light thereof that it may daily cast forth more clear beams outwardly Conserve it in the midst of the darknesse of death that it may cast a light before me to true life Rule me by thy holy Spirit that I lose not this faith by consenting unto the lusts of the flesh and taking pleasure in sinne against my conscience But confirm in me that good work which thou hast begun that by perseverance of my faith I may obtain the inheritance of eternall life Amen PRAYER III. He prayes for the conservation and increasâ— of hope ALmighty eternall and mercifull God I beseech thee by the most sacred wounds of thy Sonne to uphold in me the prop of saving hope Sometimes my heart doth wave lik a ship in the midst of the sea But grant thou unto me the safe and firm anchor of immoveable hope Still the waves of tentations and doubts Thou that art the God of hope and all consolation As certain and immoveable as the truth of thy promise is so certain may the firmnesse of holy hope be in me I rest upon thy promises And thou wilt not leave me destitute of aid My confidence is in thy bountie And thou wilt not leave me destitute of comfort I know on whom I have beleeved and I am sure that he is able to keep that which is committed unto him by me against that day I am most certainly perswaded that thou which hast begun a good work in me wilt also finish it untill the day of Jesus Christ. There are three things that lift me up when I am prostrate that uphold me when I am falling that direct me when I am wavering to wit thy love in my adoption the truth of thy promise and thy power in performance This is the threefold cord that thou lettest down unto me into this prison out of my heavenly countrey that thou mayst lift me up and draw me unto thee unto the sight of thy glory This hope is the anchor of my salvation This is the way that leadeth unto paradise The meditation of thy command makes me hope The meditation of thy goodnesse suffers me not to despair of thy mercie the meditation of mine own frailtie suffers me not to hope and trust in my self or mine own power and merit By how much the lesse my hope is fastened on these frail and fluxible sands of present goods and humane aid By so much the more solidly and certainly it is stablished upon the firm and immoveable rock of thy promise and celestiall things Unite my heart unto thee that I may altogether withdraw my self from the woâ—ld and cleave unto thee with all my heart Unto thee I flee as unto the throne of grace and altar of mercie and ark of the covenant
and sanctuary of libertie and the rock of my strength and horn of my salvation In me there is nothing but sinne death and condemnation In thee there is nothing but righteousnesse life health and consolation I despair therefore in my self and I hope in thee I am dashed in pieces of my self and I am raised up by thee Let tribulations be multiplied so that thy quickening consolations be present unto me and erect my hope Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed In thee O Lord do I put my trust let me never be confounded Amen PRAYER IIII. He prayes for the conservation and increase of charitie ETernall and mercifull God who art charitie and love it self Grant unto me the riches of true and spirituall love My heart is cold my heart is earthy O thou that art fire O thou that art love it self kindle me My heart is hard and stony O thou that art the rock O thou that art love it self soften me My heart is full of thorns and thistles of anger and hatred O most gracious Father O thou that art love it self weed me I will love thee O Lord my strength my rock and my tower of defence my deliverer my God my buckler and the horn of my salvation Whatsoever I see in the creatures either good or excellent all that I finde in thee who art the chief good more abundant and excellent I will love thee therefore with all my heart above all things in whom I know there is such plenty excellencie of all good It is so much the better for me by how much the more I come unto thee then whom there is nothing better But I will come unto thee not walking on the feet of my body but loving thee with the affection of my heart If I desire beauty thou art the most beautifull of all If I desire wisdome thou art the wisest of all If I desire riches thou art the richest of all If I desire power thou art the most powerfull of all If I desire strength thou art the strongest of all If I desire honour thou art the most glorious of all Thou didst love me from eternity I will therefore love thee again unto eternitie Thou didst love me in giving thy self for me I will love thee again in rendring my self up wholly unto thee Let my heart be set on fire let every creature seem vile unto me Do thou onely become sweet unto my soul. It was thy will that the humane nature should be united unto thy Sonne by an unseparable union How much more is it fit that my heart be joyned unto thee by an unseparable bond of love A divine love drew thy Sonne from heaven to earth tyed him to a pillar to be whipt and fastened him to the crosse to be crucified Should not as fervent a flame of love lift up my heart from earth to heaven and binde me to thee the chief good and that unseparably I should offer much injury unto thee and unto my self if I should love terrene vile and mean things when thou hast so much honoured me and given me such large promises to the end I might love thee From this love of thee let there arise in my heart a sincere love of my neighbour Whosoever loveth thee O thou chief good keepeth also thy commandments seeing that the doing of the work is the triall of love Wherefore seeing that thou hast commanded us to love our neighbours therefore 〈◊〉 man loves thee sincerely which payeth not unto his neighbour the debt of love Whatsoever my neighbour is he was so deare unto thee that thou didst wonderfully create him mercifully redeem him and graciously call him to the fellowship of thy kingdome In thee therefore and for thee I ought to love my neighbour whom I see to be raised by thy grace and mercy to such an height of glory Strengthen and increase in me this true and sincere love thou that art love eternall and unchangeable Amen PRAYER V. He prayes for the conservation and increase of humility ALmighty and mercifull God which art a severe hater of all pride grant that I may be the rose of charity and the violet of humilitie that I may by my deeds of charitie cast forth a good and fragrant smell and think humbly of my self in my heart What am I Lord in thy sight Dust ashes a shadow nothing Wherefore seeing that I am nothing in thy sight grant that I may seem to my self nothing in mine own sight Keep down that swelling pride that was born together with my heart that I may receive the dew of thy heavenly grace For the streams of thy grace do not flow upwards to the high mountains but are carried downwards to the low valleys of the humble heart There is nothing at all mine but infirmitie and iniquitie Whatsoever good thing there is in me it descends from the fountain of thy goodnesse unto me Therefore I can challenge no good unto my self seeing that there is nothing properly mine By how much the more I think highly of thee By so much the more I think basely of my self Farre be it from me most gracious Lord farre be it from me to be proud of thy blessings and in respect of them to despise others The treasures of thy riches thou didst depose in the chest of my heart as many and as great as it pleased thee God forbid that I should attribute them unto mine own worth and ascribe them unto my self Thou didst kindle in my heart by thy Spirit the fire of pietie and love Grant I beseech thee that I may cover it with the ashes of humilitie How little is the honour that by man is given unto man How little is the praise wherewith man is graced by man But he O most mighty Creatour is great indeed that is great with thee He that pleaseth thee pleaseth the true prizer of things But no man pleaseth thee unlesse he displease himself Thou art the life of my life Thou art the soul of my soul I therefore resigne my life and soul into thy hands and with an humble heart cleave fast unto thee Let thy highnesse look upon my lowlinesse Let thy loftinesse look upon my basenesse Alas why do I so desire to be extolled in the world seeing that there is nothing in the world to be desired Why do I so much lift up my self when as the yoke of sinne doth so keep me down Let the goad of thy godly fear prick my heart lest it die of the most dangerous disease of spirituall tumour Let my sinnes which are innumerable be alwayes in my sight As for my good works let them be buried in oblivion Let the remembrance of my sinnes make me more sorrowfull then the glory of any work that I do seemingly good but indeed unclean and imperfect merry and joyfull In thee alone do I rejoyce and glory who art my joy
Let them hearken attentively let them heare carefully let them practise fruitfully that the word which is preached unto them for want of faith condemn them not in the last day There is a notable promise of thy bounty that thy word shall not return unto thee spoken iâ— vain Be mindfull of this thy promise and blesse the labour of him that planteth and him that watereth Suffer not the infernall crows to pick out of the field of the hearers hearts the seed of thy holy word Suffer not the spinie thicket of the thorns of pleasures and riches to choke it Suffer not the hardnesse of the stony ground to hinder the fructification of it But poure down the dew of thy heavenly grace from above and water thy heavenly seed that the fruit of good works like standing-corn may spring up most plenteously Knit together in a neare bond of love and charitie the hearts of the pastours and of the hearers that they may labour together with mutuall prayers and raise up one another with mutuall comfort Amen PRAYER III. He prayes for Magistrates and subjects ALmighty eternall and mercifull God Lord of hosts that dost translate and establish kingdomes from whom is all power in heaven and in earth whom the Angels in heaven adore whom the Arch-angels praise whom the Thrones worship to whom Dominations are subject and Principalities serve whom Rulers honour and Powers reverence I joyn my prayers and humble requests with those holy and powerfull spirits and call upon thee to replenish our magistracy here on earth with the spirit of wisdome and to protect it with the strength of thy fortitude Be present by thy grace with all Christian Kings and Governours that the greater their dangers be in respect of the highnesse of their state the greater they may finde the abundance of thy grace towards them Kindle in their hearts the light of thy heavenly wisdome that they may know and acknowledge themselves to be subject unto thee the Lord of all and to be thy vassals and that they are bound to give unto thee hereafter an account of their government Let them study for peace seeing that they are thy servants who art the God of peace Let them study for justice seeing that they are thy servants who art the God of justice Let them study for clemencie and mercie seeing that they are thy servants who art the God of mercie Let them keep and observe both the tables of the commandments and become nursing-fathers unto thy afflicted Church upon earth Let them put on a fatherly affection toward their subjects Let them alwayes administer right judgement Draw their hearts away from the splendour and brightnes of their earthly dominion that there creep not upon them a forgetfulnesse of true godlinesse and of the heavenly kingdome Govern them by thy holy Spirit that they be not high-minded and that they abuse not the authoritie that is granted unto them and do that which is wicked Grant that in this world they may so execute their functions that they may reigne with thy elect without end in the kingdome of heaven and that they may passe from the flitting glory of this present world to everlasting glory in the world to come Rule them and keep them in that they tyrannize not over thy people and so descend for all their costly robes precious gemms naked and miserable to be tormented in the pit of hell And unto us whom thou hast made subject to them as thy Vicars and Vicegerents give an obedient heart and readie minde to serve them with all readinesse and cheerfulnesse that under their government we may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all godlinesse and honestie that we may honour them and perform loyall obedience unto them knowing that they have just power and dominion over us and that we may obey their honest and godly commands and so by submitting our selves unto the laws be made partakers of the true libertie For this is true libertie To serve God the magistracie and the laws Let us honour them with our hearts with our mouthes and with our works because thou O most gracious God hast made them thy Vicegerents here on earth Let the eyes of the Magistrates be watchfull and seeing let the eares of the subjects be open and hearing And let the gates of heaven be hereafter set wide open to them both to receive them Amen PRAYER IIII. He prayes for the private family and houshold estate ALmighty and mercifull God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who besides the Ecclesiasticall ministery and the Politick government hast appointed also in thy most wise counsel an oeconomicall and houshold estate I adore thee I worship thee I call upon thee with my whole heart to keep holy that Nurserie of the Church and Common-weal Give unto virgins widows and married persons true sanctitie of minde and pure chastity of body Let virgins cleave unto thee without any distraction Let widows persevere in prayers and supplications night and day Let those that are married love one another with mutuall love Let them all serve thee with their whole heart in holinesse Let the marriage-bed be undefiled and let the mindes of them all be unspotted Let them be violets of humilitie and lilies of chastity Let them be roses of charitie and balsam of sanctitie Tie the hearts of them that are knit together in holy wedlock with the bond of chaste love that they may mutually embrace and obey one another and persevere in thy holy service Preserve thou them from the treacheries of Asmodeus that they burn not with mutuall hatred one towards the other Let the wife be an help unto her husband and comfort him in adversitie Let the indissoluble bond of matrimony be a token and seal unto us of the love that is between Christ and the Church By how much the nearer the societie is between the man and the wife by so much the more fervent let their zeal be in prayer By how much the more obnoxious and subject they are to dangers and calamities by so much the more conjoyned let their mindes be in pietie and prayer Be present by thy grace with religious parents that they may bring up their children in holy admonitions and instructions and good discipline Let them acknowledge those fruits of wedlock to be thy gift and restore them again unto thee by godly and faithfull instruction Let them shine before them by the example of their godly life and not become guilty of that grievous sinne of scandal Bend likewise the hearts of the children that they may perform due obedience unto their parents that they may become sweet-smelling plants of the heavenly paradise and not unprofitable wood adjudged to the flames of hell-fire Let them cast forth a most pleasant smell of pietie obedience reverence and all kinde of vertue that they fall not into that most filthy sink of sinne and so
unto thee his most perfect righteousnesse who fulfilled all thy commandments 6 For our communicating in other mens sinnes we offer unto thee his most perfect righteousnesse communicated unto us 7 8 9 10 For our most wicked and ungodly life we offer unto thee his â—ost cruel and bitter death For us was he conceived for us was he â—orn for us was he crucified His â—loud still cries unto thee in our â—â—half Father forgive them Accept â—e beseech thee the inestimable â—rice of thy Sonnes bloud for a full â—nd plenarie satisfaction for all our â—innes yea O Lord we know that â—hou hast accepted it already Therefore with confidence we put â—p our PETITIONS unto thee As â—hou hast redeemed us by thy Sonne â—o also we beseech thee to sanctifie us â—y thy holy Spirit 1 Mortifie in us â—very day more and more all sinfull â—usts and affections and quicken in â—s all saving graces and vertues 2 Inâ—rease our faith 3 Confirm our hope Inflame our charitie Teach us to â—mitate the life of Christ the true patâ—ern of perfect obedience and onely â—â—ue rule of a godly life Teach us â— Humilitie 6 Patience 7 Meeknesse Gentlenesse 8 Chastitie Temperance Teach us 9 To contemn all earthly â—hings 10 To denie our selves 11 To â—vercome the world 12 Grant us consolation in adversitie and true tranquillitie of the minde Grant us 13 Victory in tentations and deliverance from the devils treacheries Grant us in thine appointed time 14 A blessed departure out of this life and a blessed resurrection unto life everlasting We pray not for our selves alone but in obedience to thy commandmâ—â— we make our SUPPLICATIONâ— unto thee for all men 1 Save and defend thy universall Church enlarge thou her borders and propagate thy Gospel 3 Blesse all Christian kingâ— and governours especially thy servant Charles our most gracious King and governour Blesse together with him our gracious Queen Mary Blesse unto them and us and our posterity after us our hopefull Prince Charles season him betimes with true religion that he may be an instrument of thy glory the joy of his parents and the blessing of thy people Remember David and all his troubles the Lady Elisabeth our Kings onely sister her princely issue Suffer them not still to mourn in a strange land out restore them if it be thy will to â—heir former inheritance Blesse all â—ur kings loyall subjects from the â—ighest unto the lowest Give unto â—he Senatours counsel and wisdome To the magistrates justice and forâ—â—tude to those that are under them Christian subjection and obedience To the ministers of thy word holiâ—esse of life and soundnesse of doâ—trine to the hearers of thy word diâ—â—gent attention to the word preachâ—d and a care and conscience to live â—hereafter Blesse 4 Every family in his kingdome this especially and all â—hat belong unto it Blesse our 5 paâ—ents brethren sisters kinsfolk beâ—efactours and friends 6 Forgive our â—nemies 7 Shew pitie and compasâ—â—on to all those that are afflicted and 〈◊〉 miserie Relieve them accordâ—ng to their severall wants and neâ—essities Be thou a Father to the â—therlesse a Comforter to the comâ—â—rtlesse a Deliverer to the caâ—tives and a Physician to the sick â—rant that the sicknesse of their boâ—ies may make for the good of their â—uls Especially we beseech thee to be present with those that are at the point to die Fit them for their journey before their departure Arâ— them with faith and patience Seal unto them by thy holy Spirit the pardon and forgivenesse of all their sinnes And so let thy servants depart in peace and be translated from death to life to live with thee for evermore Heare us we beseech thee praying for our brethren heare out brethren for us and Jesus Christ our elder brother for us all We know O Lord that thou hearest him alwayes Heare us likewise we beseech thee for his sake and accept our THANKSGIVING We render most hearty thanks unto thee for our Saviours 4 Incarnation for his 5 Passion for our 3 Redemption by his most precious bloud We thank thee for 1 forming us in our mothers wombe for 12 washing us in the laver of baptisme for 6 câ—lling us by thy word for 7 expecting our conversion for 8 converting us unto the faith for 23 strengthening our faith by the participation of Christs bodie and bloud for 9 sealing unto us the pardon of our sinnes for 15 giving us a promise of everlasting life We thank thee for all other thy blessings 11 corporall and spirituall internall and externall for our 10 continuance in that which is good for 14 deliverance from all evil We thank thee for thy often deliverances of this Church and kingdome from forrein invasions and home-bred conspiracies We thank thee for 2 preserving us ever since we were born for defending us this night past from all perils and dangers for the quiet rest wherewith thou hast refreshed our bodies for thy mercie renewed unto us this morning Let thy mercy be continued unto us this day let thy Spirit direct us in all our wayes that we may walk before thee as children of the light doing those things that are pleasing in thy sight Let the dew of thy blessing descend upon our labours for without thy blessing all our labour is but in vain Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us O prosper thou our handy-work Grant that we may consciâ—onably in our callings so seek after things temporall that finally we lose not the things which be eternall We are unworthy O Lord we confesse to obtain any thing at thy hands either for our selves or any others even for the sinfulnesse of these our prayers But thou hast promised to heare all those that call upon thee in thy Sons name Make good therefore we beseech thee thy promise unto us now calling upon thee in thy Sonnes name and praying as he hath taught us in his holy Gospel OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen An Evening prayer for a familie gathered here and there out of Gerards Meditations and Prayers MOst glorious Lord God whose dwelling is in the highest heavens and yet beholdest the lowly and the humble upon earth we blush and are ashamed to lift up our eyes unto heaven because we have sinned against thee which dwellest in the heavens But look down we beseech thee from heaven thy dwelling-place and behold the humilitie of thy servants here on earth which prostrate themselves at the foot-stool of thy mercie confessing their own guiltinesse and begging pardon for their sinnes We confesse Almighty Creatour that thou madest us at the first after thine own image thou