in vanity which this Kingdom likes not and therefore cannot abide to abide there neither but vanish away And indeed these are the out places this Kingdom loves to be within us as Christ saith The kingdome of God is within you And we have no place within us fit to make a seat of a Kingdom but only our heart and this indeed hath no back doore to let it out as the eare hath nor no Percullis to keep it out as the eye hath but it hath a large entrance and a boundless circuit and therefore most fit to give this Kingdom entertainment And yet as fit as it is God will not have it unless we give it him and he will not have it so neither unless we give it him all for it is against his nature to have a Partner and he cannot abide to heare of Moyties either he must have all or he hath nothing at all To be a peice for God and a peice for the world is to be all for the world To conclude God at all is to exclude him from all Wherefore O my Soul mangle not thy heart in giving it to God but give it him all and think thy selfe happy that he will take it all For the more he possesseth it the freer he maketh it the more he dwelleth in it the fairer he builds it the more he reigneth in it the more richer he adornes it O my Lord God that thou wouldest come and dwell in my heart as the owner of it and reigne in my heart as the King of it I should not then envie the Pallaces of Princes nor the Kingdoms of the Earih seeing I should have within my selfe a Pallace and a Kingdome not only to equall but far to exceed them O what happinesse will this Kingdom bring and wherein doth happinesse consist If in dainty fare we shall all eat and drink with Christ at his Fathers Table If in fine cloathes we shall all be cloathed in long white Robes If in curious musick we shall heare the quire of Angels continually singing If in knowledge we shall know as we are know If in dominion we shall judge the Angels If in joy our joy shall be full and none shall be able to take it from us If in glorious sights we shall see the blessed face of God which is the glory of all sights and the sight of all glory O happy Kingdom ô happy comming ô happy we to whom it shall come that we can never be attentive enough in praying never earnest enough in longing that this Kingdome may come The next is Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven It is a fearefull thing to make this Petition to God if we doe not withall make it a rule to our selves that all the actions of our life may be squared by it And therefore O my soule if matter of profit be offered to thee lay it to this Rule whether it be to the will of God or no for if it be not what great advantage soever it make shew of account it but losse If matter of honour be offered unto thee lay it to this Rule whether it be according to the will of God or no for if it be not what great advancement soever it pretend account it but shame If matter of pleasure be offered unto thee lay it to this Rule whether it be according to the will of God or no for if it be not what pleasing suggestion soever it hath account it but misery It was conceived by Ahab that it would be for his profit to buy Naboths Vineyard but when he would not lay it to this Rule he paid for his purchase with his bloud to doggs It was pretended to Pharaoh that it would be for his honour to pursue the Israelites but when he would not lay it to this Rule he perished himselfe and all his Host in the red Sea It was suggested to Salomon that it would be for his pleasure to entertaine the love of strange women but when he would not lay it to this Rule God laid it to his charge both raising up adversaries against himselfe and renting the Kingdom from his Sonne to his servant We must therefore endeavour to make it a Rule to our selves first and then we may safely make it a Petition to God otherwise if we say Thy will be done and intend not to doe it we shall but turne the Petition from active to passive Gods will into his anger and draw it downe to be done upon us in earth as it was done upon the Angels in heaven Many can say this Petition devoutly enough so long as they understand it not but when they are tould how Christ said it Not my will but thy will and thereby come to know that for praying to doe Gods will is to pray against doing their owne wills against their unlawfull lusts against their covetous desires against their ambitious designes against their malicious practises and such like Then it stricks cold to their hearts Their tongues cleave to the roofe of their mouthes and they could wish the Petition might never be made But he that understands it and yet stands to it he that speaks it more from his heart then with his tongue he that is resolved to say it because he saith as he is resolved this man makes it a prayer for himselfe and an Hallelujah to God and shall reape the fruit of both in the due time to the other it proves but as the Sacrifice of fooles and if it make a noise it is but as the tinkling of a Cymball Musick at which God stops his eares onely the Devill makes himself meery O Lord God let it be the pleasure of thy will that I may take pleasure in doing thy will for unlesse it be thy pleasure it can never be my will for though we may be good followers yet we are no good beginners therfore though it please thee to say turne unto me and I will turne unto you as though we should begin first yet we are faine to returne it back and say Turne us O Lord and we shall be turned For we God knowes are too unweldy to turne us of our selves it must be done by strong hand and none hath strength enough to doe it but thou O God who art the God of strength And if we would strive as much with the Angels for holinesse as we doe with men for place and dignity we should finde God as ready to take our parts as he was to take our Nature and by such a help of such a helper we should be able to make good our saying Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven O Lord God If I cannot be like thee in holinesse yet let me be like the Angels in obedience and if I cannot attaine to neither let me at least aspire to both and what I want in power and performance make me to supply with Vowes and Payers And here now seemes a fit place to sit
given both in Heaven and Earth Arise then thou Lord to whom the Kingdomes doe belong and shew thy selfe and let not the man of the Earth any longer exalt himselfe least he be too proud and least he ascribe to himselfe or to his graven Images or vaine Idols the conquest that thou shalt see and suffer over thy people Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be the praise For the honour of thy Name arise before Ephraim Benjamin and Manasses before Great Britaine Ireland and other Countries that call upon thy Name arise and shew thy selfe for us for on thee only doe we call We call on thee to save us and our Forces and thy people now in more danger how and in what manner and at what time fully to declare thy Salvation we referre to thy heavenly wisedome only in the meane time that it may please thee to sanctifie and save to preserâ—e and provide for them and us and all thine both in Field and City Protect and defend deliver us and ours at home and abroad And thou great Sheheard of Israel be pleased to take downe more and more that Man of Sinne that hath and would exalt himselfe against thee Asswage then the malice of those that are enemies to us or to any of thy people and evermore confound all their devices that we being armed with thy defence may ever more and more give praise to thee which art the only Author of our peace and Giver of all victory And all this good Lord for us for them and all thine not for our merits but for thy great Mercy sake and for the Truth sake of thy gracious Promises in Jesus Christ our Lord and only Advocate and Redeemer To whom with thee O Father and the holy Spirit be all praise and glory now and for ever-more Amen A Prayer before Sermon O Most gracious God assist me I humbly beseech thee in this my good purpose and zeale and give me grace at this present time godly to enter into thy service Deare Father assist me with thy holy Spirit and drive away all vain and idle cogitations out of my minde that I may heare thy Word to my Soules comfort grant that it may take deepe roote in my heart and bring forth plentifully to the honour of thy blessed Name to the comfort of my Soule and the good example of my Brethren who seeing my good workes may glorifie thee my only Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer before the receiving of the Sacrament O Most sweet lover of all Mankinde Lord and Saviour I beseech thee for thy bitter Passion sake to remove from me all pride envie and detraction wrath malice and impatience and all other sicknesses and diseases of the Soule and plant good Lord in my heart and minde true meeknesse charity temperance and modesty with all such other vertues and preservatives unto the Soule And mortifie in me good Lord all uncleane motions carnall desires and inordinate affections and revive in me the love of vertues and the perpetuall exercise thereof so that at this time and at all times I may worthily receive this holy and blessed Sacrament unto thine honour and glory and my soules endlesse joy and comfort Amen A Prayer after receiving of the Sacrament JN most humble and most hearty manner with most due reverence I thank thee good Lord most holy Father and everlasting God thaâ— by the bounty of thy mercifull grace wouldest vouchsafe thus to refresh and feed my Soule through faith with the benefit of the Death and Passion of thy Sonne our Lord God and Saviour Iesus Christ And I beseech thine infinite goodnesse that this the Sacrament of this thy Death and Passion which I most unworthy wretch have now received may never come hereafter in Iudgement and Condemnation unto me for mine evill merits and deservings but rather good Lord it may come to the profit and comfort of my body and to the salvation of my Soule unto the life everlasting Amen A Prayer at the houre of death O Heavenly Lord God wee poore wretches being overcome with griefe come all here attending thy good pleasure with this sick Servant of thine O Lord incline to heare our Prayers and his complaints unto thee be now O Lord present and send thy good Angels and Spirit to attend us be with us O Lord and comfort this sick person and now if the time be come of his departure grant O Lord he may depart with godly comfort and joy everlasting into thy Kingdome Ease O Lord his griefs mittigate his paines asswage his sorrowes anâ— give him a lively touch of thy heavenly comfort put by all worldly thoughts and beat downe all bad suggestions let nothing but good come in his minde and grant that he may to the last gaspe of breath breath out still some comfort of thy helpe and grant when he hath done his last to finish this mortall life then he may with Lazarus be carried into Abrahams bosome O Lord forgive him O Lord receive him O Lord protect him O Lord succour and save him and now and for ever grant he may rest with thee in eternall glory Heare us good Father for this our Brother and doe for him and us according to thy Fatherly mercy in Jesus Christ to whom we commend him with these our prayers for him and all his and our occasions in thaâ— prayer which thy blessed Sonne hath taught us Our Father which art c. FINIS Novemb. 29. 1648. Imprimatur John Downham
down and wonder at the unspeakable love and bounty of God expressed towards us in these three Petitions for by the first we are assured of eternity by the second of a Kingdom by the third to be like the Angels or if we like it better to say by the first we are informed what we shall be as Angels by the second what we shall have a Kingdom by the third what we shall do the will of God These are blessings worthy to come from a heavenly Father these are rewards which worthily become a bountifull Master And now let the swine flesh and blood go murmure against God that he is a hard Father and a bad Master and that there is no profit in serving him because he gives them not the mire of the world to wallow in as though he had no other way to expresse his favours but by clods of earth But do thou ô my soule meditate upon these Petitions and in them upon these blessings and in these upon the infinit love and bounty of God and think how happy thou art to have such a Father how much thou art bound to love such a Master and think not much to love him with thy whole heart seeing he hath blessings to bestow upon thee which cannot enter into thy heart Think not much to submit thy self wholly to his will seeing his will is to give thee beauty for ashes the oyle of gladnesse for mourning that we shall ever find it a most happy thing for us to say Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven But why do we say thy will be done in earth which is done in earth already and that by creatures which one would think we are never able to do it He hath set bounds to the Sea which it must not passe and the Sea as raging as it is and provoked by all the Rivers of the earth that come running into it as it were for the nonce to make it passe its bounds yet keepes it self precisely within the limits He hath appointed the earth to stand still and not for to move and the earth though but hanging in the Ayre and nothing at all to hang upon yet offers not so much as once to stir He hath charged the Trees to bring forth fruit and the Trees though almost even killed with could of winter and threatned with the tempests of the spring yet takes heart to come forth and seeme to rejoyce they can do as they are bidden The very beasts though never so wild and savage yet observe the properties of their kind and none of them incroach upon the qualities of another And why all this but only to do the will of God and that which may seeme more strange The flowers come out of the durty earth and yet how neate and cleane out of the unsavory earth and yet how fresh and fragrant out of the sower earth and yet how mellifluous and sweete out of the duskish earth and yet how orient and virmillion out of the unshapen earth and yet in what dainty shapes in what curious formes in what inamilings and diapers of beauty as if the earth would show that for all her being cursed she had somthing yet of Paradice left And why all this but only to do the will of God And why then should there be complaining as though the will of God were not done in earth O wretched man it is only thy self that is out of tune in this harmony Man that should be best is of all the worst that should be cleanest is of all the fowlest that should be most beautifull is of all the most deformed most full of graces yet most void of grace of most understanding to direct his will yet of least will to follow the direction of understanding Man indued with celestiall qualities yet leaves them all to incroach upon the qualities of every beast upon the obcaenity of swine in drunkennesse upon the greedinesse of Cormorants in covetousness upon the craftinesse of Foxes in fraud upon the cruelty of Tygers in malice as if he would strive to exceede his first parents in transgressing and try whether God had any greater punishment left then casting out of Paradice That if Christ would have served us in our kind and as we deserve he needed not to have gone for paterns to heaven he might have found paterns good enough for us amongst the meanest Creatures of the earth And as he tould the Pharisees that the Queen of the South should rise up in judgement against them so he might have told us the flowers the trees the beasts shall all rise up in judgement against man That we have more need to say O that my head were waters and mine eyes a Fountain of teares that I might weep day and night Then after trees and beasts have done Gods will to come after them all but with only saying Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven O God so frame our wills that they may be fit links to be fastned to this Chaine of thy will that as one link drawn on drawes on another so our spirits being guided by thy grace may be guides to our flesh and that our flesh as living by thee may live to thee knowing that though the way of thy will may be troublesome in the going yet the journey shall be comfortable in the ending and though it be the secret of thy will that in doing it we shall meete with many crosses yet it is the purpose of thy will that by doing it we shall purchase many joyes and therefore can have no cause to make us a fraid to say Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven And now having thought these Petitions to be for such most proper let us conforme our selves according to them When we say Hallowed be thy Name let us lift up the voyces of our hearts as if we were now joyning with the Angels in singing their Hallelujah When we say Thy Kingdome come let us raise our thoughts as now offering to set our hands to the Petition of the Saints in heaven When we say Thy will be done let us fix our minds wholly as in the solemnity of dedicating of our selves to God with all the faithfull upon earth When we say Give us this day our daily bread let us humble our selves as being in state of other Creatures and are glad to joyne with them in their common suit When we say Forgive us our trespasses let us think our selves enrolled in the company of Penitents and as the greatest sinners chosen speakesmen to present their supplication And when we say Leade us not into temptation let us acknowledge our selves in the number and weaknesse of little Children and are glad to joyne with them in crying for help that the Angell of Infants which alwaies behold the face of God may be imployed by him to work our deliverance But what should be the cause that in the three latter Petitions we seem
to be altogether for our selves as appeares by our saying Give us Forgive us Deliver us but in the three former there is no mention of us at all as though we were no parties to them at all Is it not that we are or ought to be more jealous of Gods honour than carefull of our owne benefits And therefore when we say Hallowed be thy name we dare not say of us least we should make God a Musick of too few voyces And when we say Thy Kingdome come we dare not say to us least we should assigne his Kingdom too small a Territory And when we say Thy will be done we dare not say by us least we should stint God in the number of his servants But we say Hallowed be thy name and stop there that so no mouth may be stopped from hallowing it We say Thy Kingdome come but name not whither that so it may be intended to come every whither We say Thy will be done in earth but tell not by whom in earth that so it may be done by all in earth Many would desire to know and prize it at a great rate how theâ— might get the knowledge to be assured when their sins are forgiven and yet it is a knowledge easily to be had and every man may tell himselfe for if thou findest in thy heart a loathing of thy former sins and a resolution to continue in amendment of life and specially a fixed charity to forgive others thou mayest be assured thou art in the favour of God and all thy sins past are forgiven thee but if thou continuest to take delight in thy former sins and art unresolved in reforming thy courses and especially if thou findest in thy self a desire of revenge and art implacable towards others thou mayest then be assured thou art still in the state of Gods displeasure thy sins are not yet forgiven for these things are not only the signes but the certaine effects of Gods forgiving of us when we confesse and be grieved for our owne trespasses to him and are compassionate and relenting to the trespasses of others to us There is no deed so acceptable to God as to take all thankfully which he laies upon us for not to murmure or not to cast our eyes upon vanity are in themselves any great matters but when a man murmures not in adversity which gives so many causes of impatience or when a man casts not his eyes upon vanity in prosperity which ministers so many occasions of alurements this is a man after Gods owne heart and this is one to whom the Devill may say as he said to Christ Art thou come to torment us before the time but the difficulty of doing this and the danger of not doing this gives us all just cause to say Leade us not into temptation O my Soul if thou canst not be strong enough to resist sinne be humble to confesse it with contrition dissolve into teares for that which is past resolve upon amendment in that which is to come and if thou canst do this thou shalt finde it the true balme of Gilead and though thy sins were as red as scarlet they shall be made as white as snow And more to speak of hallowing Gods name it may not be unfit to consider the three first Petitions as they are only hallowings or Hallelujas for observing the difference of the songs we shall perceive the difference of the singers The first when we say Hallowed be thy name is the Hallelujah of Angels and we may truly say is the song of songs not only because it is sung without ceassing but because it shall be sung without ending and is both the cause and the effect both the signe and the substance of our eternal happiness The second when we say Thy Kingdom come is the Hallelujah of the â—aints in Heaven and is an asspiring to the first but an asspiring in a very near degree near in distance though remote in existence for they are in assurance of attaining and do but tarry the time but the time will not be till time will not be The third when we say Thy will be done is the Hallelujah of the Saints on earth and is an asspiring to the second but an asspiring in a remote degree for while they are in the world they are subject to all the rubs of the world while they live in the flesh to all infirmities of the flesh yet they have a confidence though no assurance or an assurance though but in confidence and therefore are remisse but not dejected bould but not presumptuous not out of heart not out of feare And may it not here be observed that as we begin in saying Hallowed be thy name so we end in acting the hallowing it and our first and last words are all for his glory who is the first and the last And these three Attributes seeme to answer to our three first Petitions Hallowed be thy name for thine is the glory Thy Kingdom come for thine is the Kingdom Thy will be done for thine is the power And we seeme to sing not only in the first an unisone with the Angels but in all the three the same ditty with the Saints in Heaven for their Hallelujah is Thou art worthy ô Lord to receive glory and honour and power and ours here Thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory That having sung the song of Saints and Angels here on the earth we may be admitted into the quiere of Saints and Angels in Heaven and sing eternally thou art worthy ô Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen And now ô my soule consider how perfect a prayer this is where are the Petitions of men and Angels the Petitions of the Church millitant and triumphant the Petitions of innocent Inphants penitent sinners and faithfull beleevers And then hearken what musick it makes in Gods eares how pleasing where the songs are all of Christs own setting how mellodious where they are all such sweet singers how lowd where there are so many voyces especially when this quire of singers which hitherto have sung their parts apaâ—t shall all joyne their voyces together in that sacred Antheme For thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory And so end all in that which â—s the end of all and is it selfe withâ—ut end the gloâ—y of God The children of God begotten a new by the Holy Ghost can never fall from being like him that begat them and therefore doe they much dishonour God who in words doe professe they are his Sonnes and yet in their actions they resemble the Image of Sathan It were a great blemish to a godly man to be wrongfully suspected to be the father of a wicked Son much more is God dishonoured by such as would seeme to be but are not of his seed For they that are of God indeed cannot but in some measure resemble him
Prayer in time of Wâ—rre Pag. 192 A praier for Gods protection of his Church in respect of the present troubles of it Pag. 195 A Prayer before Sermon Pag. 199 A Prayer before the receiving of the Sacrament ibid. A Prayer after receiving of the Sacrament Pag. 200 A Prayer at the houre of Death Pag. 201 The Fathers Legacy OR Burtons Collections My Sonne FIrst honour God then thy Prince thy Parents and thy Elders be true and just and see thou never grudge to clear the cause of the oppressed Innocent for one day God shall also be thy judge If gold or bribes do corrupt thy Conscience if fear or favour do sway thee in thy Judgment if thou respect the difference of Persons be sure that God will in the end repay thee for it Begin thy dayes work when the day begins first blessing Gods thrice blessed name then at the Evening when thy labour is ended praise him again so bring the year about Say not thou my hand hath brought this work to an end nor this my vertue hath attained rather say thus This hath God wâ—â—â—â—ht by me for God is the Author of that little good we doe The world is like unto a â—ound City where â—ach maâ— may be rightly said to be a Citizen as well the â—ude Barbarian as the Greek as well the meanest as the migâ—tiest States In this fair Cities goodly Walles God planted man and placed him as in a Sanctuary where he himself in a Thousand parts hath planâ—ed with lively colâ—urâ— that â—o never câ—ange There is noâ— a corner so small in all this City wherein Gods greatnesse doth not appear plain which that we might the betteâ— view he hath placed man just in the middle Yet can hâ— nâ— where better know the same then in himsâ—lf wherein he may see as in a glasse Earth Water Ayre and Fire For all the world his Essence doth infould Who of himself hath gained perfect knowledge is not ignorant of any thing that he ought to know but the best means whereby it is attained is oftentimes to go to wisdoms glasse That which thou seest of man is not man but a prison that keepes him Captive it is but a Tombe wherein he is interred it is but a Cradle wherein a while he sleepes This mortall body where the ravished sence sees sinnues flesh bones muskles bloud and skin it is not man man is of more Excellency it is the fair Temple where God himself dwelleth Rightly to speak what we call man it is a beamling of Divinity it is a dropling of Eternity it is a moathling hatcht of Unity O man then know thine own originall and learn to scorn the base Cells of earth sith thou shalt flourish in Heavens glistering Hall and art indeed a Divine Plant by birth Well mayst thou vant thee of thy glorious race Not from thy mortall Parents either line But from thy true immâ—rtall Fâ—â—â—â—â— grace Who by the modell of his 〈…〉 thine Shun thou the filthy sect of 〈◊〉 Epicures bold miscreantâ— every wâ—â— blaspheaming the which do nâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—spect nor acknowledge God but only the fatall sway of nature And in the mean while like the grunting swine lye alwayes wallowing in the stinking mud and feedes on fiâ—th like to the loathsome froggs voluptious filth of every fleshie desire Happy is he whose hope relies on God alone and who on him in either fortune calls as well in prosperity as adversity and puts no trust in humain help at all Canst thou assure thy hopes on worldly trash frail mortall things I pray thee tell me such are the greatest of earthly men and have more need to be secured then thou God is the just mans aid and his Anchor his sure defence when all the world forsakes him And therefore then is he the least dismade knowing that God is most strongest for him when all wordly means fayles him The goods which we call the goods of fortune they are not goods if we tearm them rightly for they are ever subject to the least change that is But vertue only still persists the same Vertue between the two extreams that hants Between too micle and too little sizeâ— Exceedes in nothing in nothing wants Borrowes of none but to it self suffizes O vertue could we but see thy naked face how wouldst thou ravish us with thy sacred beauty sith rarest witts rapt with a seeming grace have in all ages courted even thy shadowes The Parents comfort is a prudent Sonne now such a Sonne if thou desirest to have direct him young to run in duties race But thy own example is the nearest way If thou be born Sonne of a prudent Father why dost thou not follow his example if otherwise why dost not thou by vertuous deeds strive to cover his disgrace It is no small thing to be descended by our predicessours from an honest and religious stock but it is much more to shine by their light unto our own Successors So long as thou livest cease not to learn think that day lost wherein thou learnest not some good thing that may give new grace to make thy self wiser and better Respect thy credit more then thy own life I mean that which drawes each mans duty to the uttermost we are able to God to our King to our Lawes and our Country What thou canst do to day defer not till to morrow like sloath Mother of fowlest sinnes nor be thou like to those who do borrow others hands and what themselves might do will do by others Frequent the good flye from ungodly men especially in thy youthes tender age the while outragious appetites provoke and arme thy sences against the sway of reason Go not about to deceive the simple nor wilfully offend thy weaker brother nor wound the dead with thy tongues bitter gall neither rejoyce at the fall of thine Enemy Let thy discourse be true in all things whether then beâ—â— called as a publike witnesse to 〈◊〉 a qâ—estion or in thy ordinary and familiar â—â—â—k To beguile â—he silly birds the crafty fowâ—er doth faine theiâ— sweet notes so doth subtle mates counterfâ—ct the words and guise of honâ—st men Reveal not whatsoever is â—â—uld thee in secret nor busily inquire things of others the Inquisitive can hardly keep Councell and the charitable is commonly a lyer Make thou alwayes lawfull measure and equall waight though none could spye or discover thy dealing And where thou hast received a good turn restore it with some kindnesse back again Whatsoever is committed to thee in trust keep it carefully and when the owner shall demand it again deny it not neither with a large Conscience by subtle Law-tricks and strive to detain it It is not enough that thou dost wrong no man thy self but thou must also suppresse the same in others righting the weak mans cause against the unrighteous whether it touch his life his goods or name Whosoever doth desire the fame of honour must tame his anger and that heart-swelling
is the very nature of God and without end or measure as his Godhead is so also his justice is And these two are the two Armes as it were of God imbrasing and kissing one the other as the Scripture saith Therefore as in a man of this world if we had the measure of one arme we might easily conjâ—cture of the other so seeing the wonderfull examples dayly of Gods infinite mercy towards them that repent we may imagine by the same his severe justice towards them whom he reserveth to punishment in the next life and whâ—n for that cause he calleth in the Scriptuâ—es Vessels of his fury oâ— Vessels to shâ—w his fury upon A third reason to perswade us of the grâ—atâ—esse of these punishments may be the marvellous patience and long-suffering of God in this life As for example in that he suffereth divers men from one sin to another from one day to another from one year to another to spend all in dishonour and dispite of his Majestie adding offence to offence and refusing all perswasions allurements good inspirations or other means of friendship that his mercy can devise to offer for their amendments and what man in the world could suffer this or what mortall heart could shew such patience But now if all this should not be requited with severity of punishment in the world to come upon the obstinate it might seeme against the Law of Justice and equitie and one arme in God might seeme longer then the other Paul doth touch this reason in his Epistle to the Romans where hee saith Dost thou not know that the benignity of God is used to bring thee to repentance And thou by thy hard and impenitent heart dost hoord up vengeance unto thy selfe against the day of wrath and appearance of Gods just judgement which shall restore to every man according to his works He useth heare the words of hoording up of vengeance to signifie that even as the covetous man doth hoord up money to money dayly to make his heap great so the unrepentant sinner doth hoord up sinne to sinne and God on the contrary side hoordeth up vengeance to vengeance untill his measure be full to restore in the end measure against measure as the Prophet saith and to pay us home according to the multitude of our abominations This God meant when he said to Abraham that their iniquities was nâ—t yet full up Also in the Revelation of St. John when he used this conclusion of that Booâ—e He that doth evill let him doe yet more evill and he that lyâ—th in filth let him yet become more filthy for behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to his deeds By which words God signifieth that his bearing and tollerating with sinners in this life is an argument â—f his greater severity in the life to come Which the Prophet Dâ—vid also declareth when talking of a carelesse sinner he saith The Lord shall scoffe at hâ—m foreseeing that his day shall come This day no doubt is to be understood the day of account and punishment after this life for so doth God more at large declare himselfe in another place in these words And thou Son of man thus saith the Lord God The end is comâ— now I say the end is come upon thee and I will shew in thee my furie and I will judge thee according to thy wayes I will lay against thee all thy abominations and mâ—â—e eye shall not spare thee neither will I take any mercie upon thee but I will put thine own waies upon thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold affliction commeth on the end is come the end I say is come that watched against thee and behold it is come crushing is come upon thee the time is come the day of slaughter is at hand shortly I will powre out my wrath upon thee and I will fill my fury in thee I wil judge thee according to thy waies and I will lay all thy wickednesse upon thee mine eye shall not pitty thee neither will I take any compâ—ssion upon thee but I will lay thy waies upon thee and thine abominations in the middest of thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of God himselfe Seeing then we nâ—w understand in generall that the punishments of God in the life to come are most certain to be great and severe tâ— all such as fall into them for which câ—â—se the Apostle saith It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living Gâ—â— Let us consider somewhat in particular what manner of pains and punishmens they shall be And first of all touching the place of punishment appointed for the damned commonly called Hell The Scripture in divers places and Languages used divers names but all tending to expresse the grivousness of punishment there suffered As in Latine it is called Infernus a place beneath or under ground as most of the old Fathers doe iâ—terpret But whether it be under ground or no most certaine it is that it is a place most opposite to heaven which is said to be above And this name is used for to signifie the miserable suppressing and â—urling down of the damned to be troden under the feet not only of God but also of good men for ever for so saith the Scripture Behold the day of the Lord cometh burning like a furnace and all proud and wicked men shall be straw to that furnace and you that feare my name shall tread them downe and they shall be as burnt Ashes under the soles of your feet in that day And this shall be one of the greatest miseries that can happen to the proud and stout Potentates of the world to be thrown down with such contempt and to be troden under feet of them whom they so much despised in this world The Hebrew word which the Scripture useth for Hell is Sheol which signifieth a great ditch or dungeon in which sence it is also called in the Apocalips Lacus irae Dei The Lake of the wrath of God And again A Poole burning with fire and brimston Also in the Gospel it is called utter darknesse And Job saith of iâ— there dwelleth no order but everlasting horror Having now in some part declared the names and thereby also in part the nature Iâ— remâ—ineth now that we consider what manner of paines men suffer there For declaration whereof we must noâ—e that as Heaven and Hell are contrary assigned to contrary persons for contrary causes so have they in all respects contrary properties conditions and â—ffâ—cts in such sort as whatsoever is spoken of the felicity of the one may seâ—ve to inferre the contrary of tâ—e other As when Saint Pâ—ul saith That no eye hath seen nor eare heard nor heart conceived the joyes that God haâ—h â—â—epareâ— fâ—r them that shalâ— be saved We may inferre that the paine of the damned must bâ— as great A
he is most in generall So in workes we should weigh the generality and according to that censure If it be rather good than ill I thinke he deserves some praise for raising Nature above her ordinary flight Nothing in this world can be framed so intirely perfect but that it shall have in it some delinquencies to argue more were in the compriser if it were not so it were not from Nature but the immediate Deity The next if we had never seene that frame whether or no we thinke we could have mended it To espy the inconveniences of a house built is easie but to lay the plot at first well is matter of more repute and speakes the praise of a good contriver The crooked lines help better to shew the streight Judgement is more certaine by the eye then in the fancy surer in things done then in those that are but in cogitation If we finde our selves able to correct a Copy and not to produce an Originall yet dare to deprave we shew more Criticisme than ability Seeing we should â—ather magnifie him that hath gone beyond us then condemne his worth fâ—â— a few failes Selfe examâ—nation will make our â—udgement charitable 't is from where there is no judgement that the heaviest â—udgement comes If we must needs â—ensure 't is good to doe it as Suitonius writes of the twelve Caesars tell both their vertues and their vices unpartially and leave the upshot to collection of the private minde So shall we learne by hearing of the faults â—o avoyd them and by knowing the â—ertues practise the like Otherwise we should rather praise a man for 〈◊〉 little good then brand him for 〈◊〉 more of ill we are full of faults by nature we are good not without our care and industry Let us never forget but consider with good attention for what intent and purpose God created us and thiâ— world for our sakes and in placing us therein as Lords of the same for nothing made it selfe so nothing was made for it selfe nor to serve it selfe The Heavens we see doe serve the Ayre the Ayre serveth the Earth the Earth serveth the Beasts the Beasts serveth man And then is the question Who man was made to serve for seeing he was not made by himselfe it is not likely he was made to serve himselfe but his Creator who created him and all things else for his use True faith is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things that are not seene Prayer is an humble request made unto God in Christ with the lively and feeling affection of the heart faithfully beleeving to receive what we religiously desire Let a man never thinke to come to the Kingdom of glory except he enter in at the gates of grace Where truth is not invested grace is not in the heart A gracious man is lovely to himselfe and sin makes him loathsome to his soule and afraid of his condition Let us use our Profession as it should be not to have an upper Garment to cover a naughty heart but to labour more and more to put off the old Man and not to make Religion a cloke and vaile of Hypocrisie for besides all the sinnes we have to make Religion serve our turnes it makes our sinnes the greater When a mans Religion shall be a cover to his sinfull courses that inâ—reases his sinne and makes his sinnes abhominable A good Conscience is a Casket to keep Divine truths in and when we have gotten soule-saving truths let us keep them by a good Conscience When we doe any thing let us reason thus Is this becomming my Religion And say thus to our selves I should walke worthy of Christ and as it becommeth the Gospell for what is the ornament of a Christian but the graces he hath All the beauty we have is to be religious Many there be that can talke well and discourse well but for inward graces they never looke nor regard and it is this that upholds many Christians they see Religion is respected of those of whom they desire to be had in some esteeme but God sees their Hypocrisie and they shall have their reward What seasons Warre but the hope of Peace The troubles and Tempests at Sea but the hope of the Haven The labour and cost in sowing but the expectation of Harvest Shall not we much more indure a little labour here for endlesse happinesse assured to us hereafter this is much forgot But here is the pitty men labour sweat taking paines and travell here spare no cost and all this to goe to Hell to heape up wrath against the day of wrath The Devill has more servants in his barren and fruitlesse service then God gets with all promises and good things that he so liberally bestowes upon them Observe the good motions of Gods Spirit in thee further them to the most advantage in thee turne them to present practise lose nor delay them not for else the Devill will steale them away from thee If we doe any good the deed is Gods if we will it the will is Gods and then we please God when we will that which God wills and not when we doe that which God wils not Wee ought to bee as thankfull to God for any sinne he keeps us from as for any good he causes us to perform for there is not any sinne that another hath committed but if God had pleased I might have committed it Light is a heavenly quallity So is the Word of God holy pure transforming godly men to its own likeness to be heavenly his bread is from heaven his affections desires thoughts indeavours are heavenly his way is upward he is heavenly minded while he is on earth he is in heaven Light makes a thing ful of Evidence all the world cannot perswade a man contrary to that he sees so doth the Word of God discover to us our estates in grace and so severely as all the world cannot shake the foundation of our Faith Therefore if we desire to be lights let us communicate with the chiefest light As the Sarres are ever in the presence of the Sunne and from his light they receive theirs Be sure thou placest thy selfe in Gods eye continually secondly use the meanes use the glasse of Gods Word thou shalt not onely see thy estate therein but by it thou shalt be transformed into Gods Image other glasses have no such power like this mirrour of the Gospel it makes us like God because it hath the Spirit of God ever to accompany with it whence it is called the Word of light True patience is a fruit and effect of repentance and humiliation for sin True patience is likewise the fruit of Faith True patience is a fruit of our obedience unto God and of a heart subdued and made able to yeeld unto God in all things Yea it is indeed a chiefe part of our obedience unto him Patience perforce as we call it without all reference to the will of God and
in respect of our obedience unto him deserveth not the name of true patience True patience will make a man so to depend upon the will God in all his afflictions as he dares not ease himselfe of his crosse by any unlawfull meanes by any other way then such as the Lord hâ—th appâ—inted or permitted him to uâ—e True patience whereby we obediently submit our selves to the will of God in our affections will moderate our passions and make us more meeke spirited even towards men yea towards such men as have had any hand or bin any instrument in our afflictions God finished the world in six dayes and Christ finished his prayer he taught us in six Petitions that so the works which God formed for man and the words which Christ framed for man may have a correspondency When we say Hallowed be thy name we meane not to make it holy for it is holinesse it self nor to make it more holy for it is infinite it selfe nor to keep it holy for it is eternity it selfe but to joyne with the Heavens in declaring his glory and with the Firmament in shewing his handy-worke as then onely hallowing his Name when we name him only holy and therein consisting our work of Sanctifying him when in him we acknowledge our workes to be sanctified And indeed if we marke this Petition well we shall finde a peculiar Majesty an extraordinary preheminence in it above all the other for it is not onely the Primum mobile from which all the other have their motions but it is the Center also to which all the other bend their motions For when we say Thy kingdome come it is but to come that we may hallow Gods name and when we say Thy will be done it is but this that we hallow Gods Name and when we pray for daily bread it is but to strengthen us that we may hallow Gods Name And when we say Forgive us our trespasses it is but to cleanse us that we may hallow Gods Name And when we say Leade us not into temptation it is but to remore impediments that we may hallow Gods Name O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world Wherefore O my Soule doe thou by this Name of God as David in the 1 19 Psalm doth by the Law of God whereof he seemes jealous and so loath to leave it that the word is no sooner out of his mouth but he snatcheth it in againe and there is not so short a sentence in all this long Psalm but the Law of God is a word in it And so doe thou by the Name of God let it not onely evermore be in thy mouth but evermore be in thy heart that thou make it not a common name but keep it holy For if thou take it not in vaine to Gods dishonour thou shalt be sure not to take it in vaine to thine owne benefit for God will plentifully bleâ—se it and the next newes thou shalt heare of will be the comming of his kingdome When we say the Petition Thy â—ingdome come the meaning is that God by his Spirit would so rule over us that our spirits may wholly be ruled by him and that his Kingdome of Grace may so come unto us that we may come at last to his Kingdome of glory In some the world governes and he who is Prince of this world the Devill and this government is a very tyranny the people here are not subjects but slaves they have fetters on all their faculties and if they doe not feele them it is because they are past feeling The ayre of this place is only Foggs and Mists which both blinde theis eyes and infect their spirits and makes it their Paradice to be wallowing in puddle He is no true Prince but an usurper and therefore rules all by force and falshood He takes upon him to be their Pilate launcheth them out into the maine and then leaves them to stormes and tempests and their Haven is to split against the rocks So here is no being for thee my Soul thou hadst need to make haste hence and to seek thee out some better harbour In some the flesh governes and they which be Ladies of the flesh Pride and Lust and this government is a very Anarchie every base fancy hath an even sway with noble reason wisedome here is not justified of her Children they speake the Language of Canaan but they are all Natives of Sodome Their eyes are sealed up yet their flight is only downe hill for they are travelling to the bottomlesse Pit So this O my Soul is no place for thee neither no resting for thee here seeing there is no rest but all in motion and all motion here is commotion In some the Spirit governes and he who is Father of Spirits God himselfe and this government is a perfect Kingdome He hath Majesty for his Crowne Mercy for his Seat and Justice for his Scepter He hath Wisdom for his Councellor Almightinesse for his Guard and Eternity for his date He hath Heaven for his Pallace the Earth for his Foot-stoole and Hell for his Prison He hath Laws to which Nature assents and Reason subscribes that doe not fetter us but free us for by them Nature gets the wings of Grace and transcends the Earth Reason gets the eyes of Faith and ascends up to Heaven He hath a yoke indeed but it is easie a burthen but it is light his reward is with him and his work before him He is established in his Soveraignty not by his Subjects election of him but by his election of his Subjects not as raising himselfe to a higher title but an humbling himselfe to a lower Calling and as not receiving it from a Predecessor who is before all so never leaving it to a Successor who is after all This is the place where my Soul shall dwell here will I pitch my Tabernacle Only O Lord let me be taken into the number of thy Subjects and indue me with the priviledges of thy Kingdome and I will freely and faithfully serve thee for ever Other Lords besides thee have heretofore ruled us but now we will remember thee only and only thy name When we make this Petition to God that his Kingdom may come we should do well to remember a Petition which God makes to us My Sonne give me thine heart for unlesse we give God our hearts whither do we think this Kingdom should come For if it come to the ears as often times it makes offer at the hearing of Gods Word it findes that a thorow-faire which lyes open on every side and no fit place to make a residence in and therefore commonly goes away as it came and makes no stay there And if it come to the eyes as sometimes it doth at the sight of Gods workes it findes them not able to stay long open but must have their windows shut in and so are apt to keep it out or if they stand open they are apt to let
will be quiet and will be noâ— more angry Ezek. 16.42 Who is a God like unto thee that pardons the iniquity and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Michaâ— 7.18 For our light afflictions which is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 For like as a Father pittyeth his Children so the Lord pittyeth them that feare him for he knoweth our frame he remembreth we are but dust Psalme 103.13.14 Sing O heavens and be joyfull O earth and breake forth into singing O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy on his afflicted but Sion said the Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking Childe that she should not have compassion on him yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Esa 49.13 14 15. For the needy shall not alwaies be forâ—otten the expectation of the poore shall â—ot perish for ever Psal 9.18 In all their afflictions he was afflicted â—nd the Angell of his presence saved them 〈◊〉 his love and in his pitty he redeemed â—hem and he bare them and he carried â—hem all the dayes of old Esay 63.9 Behold happy is the man whom God â—orrecteth therefore despise not the chaâ—tening of the Almighty Job 5.17 Blessed is the man whom thou chasteâ—est O Lord and teachest him out of thy â—aw that thou mayest give him rest for â—he dayes of adversity untill the pit be â—igged for the wicked whom he loveth â—e correcteth even as the Father the Son 〈◊〉 whom he delighteth therefore despise â—ot the chastening of the Lord neither â—e weary of his correction for it is good â—or me that I have been afflicted that I â—ight learne thy Statutes Psalme 94. â—2 13. Who fed thee in the Wildernesse with Manna which thy Fathers knew not that â—e might humble thee and that he might â—rove thee to doe thee good at thy latter â—nd Deut. 8.16 For we know that all things worke together for good to them that love Goâ— to them that are called according to 〈◊〉 purpose Rom. 8.28 My brethren count it all joy when yâ— fall into divers temptations knowing thâ— that the trying of your faith worketh pâ—tienee James 2.3 Though he fall he shall not be utter cast downe for the Lord upholdeth hâ—â— with his hand Psal 37.24 God will lighten our darknesse he wâ— keep the feet of his Saints he will not foâ—sake them nor forget their complaint thâ— they shall not be confounded in time 〈◊〉 trouble he will hide them Psal 18.28 His Angels shall pitch about them 〈◊〉 will heale them and take all sicknesâ— from them they shall not feare their enemies but will make their enemies afraâ—â— of them be avenged of their enemies 〈◊〉 will repent him of the evill pronounced â—gainst them They cry and the Loâ—â— heareth them and delivereth them 〈◊〉 of all their troubles Many are the troâ—bles of the righteous but the Lord delâ—vereth them out of all Psal 34.7 But the salvation of the righteous is the Lord he is their strength in the tiâ—â— of trouble and the Lord shall help theâ— and deliver them he will deliver them â—om the wicked and save them because â—ey trust in him Psal 37.39 40. Comfortable Sentences concerning earthly Blessings FIrst seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all good things â—â—all be added unto you Mat. 6.33 O taste and see that the Lord is good â—lessed is the man that trusteth in him O â—eare the Lord yee his Saints for there is â—o want to them that feare him The Liâ—ns doe lack and suffer hunger but they â—hat seeke the Lord lack nothing Psal 4.8 9 10. The Lord is a sunne and shield and no â—ood thing will he with-hold from them â—hat walke uprightly Psal 84.12 Trust in the Lord and doe good so â—halt thou dwell in the Land and verily â—hou shalt be fed delight thy selfe in â—he Lord and he will give thee thy deâ—ires of thy heart Commit thy way unto â—he Lord trust also in him and he shall â—ring it to passe For the meeke shall inherit the earth and shall delight them selves in their abundance of peace a little that a righteous man hath is betteâ— then the riches of many wicked Psal 37 3 4 5. O how great is thy goodnesse whicâ— thou hast laid up for them that feare thee which thou hast wrought for them thaâ— trust in thee before the sonnes of men Psal 31.21 The Lord is good and his tender mercies is over all his workes for seeing godlinesse hath the promises of this life as welâ— as of the life to come He will dwell with his and not forsake them that he will love and blesse his people that he will be their God will rejoyce over them to doe them good will compasse them with favour as with a shield will keepe his Covenant with them that he will set peace in their borders and prosper them in all they goe about Psal 145.9 My Sonne forget not my Law but let thine heart keepe my Commandements for length of days and long life and peace shall they adde to thee length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her Prov. 3 â— 2 16. If thou wilt diligently hearken to the â—oyce of the Lord thy God and wilt doe â—hat which is right in his sight and wilt give eare to his Commandements and keepe all his Statutes I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I put upon the Aegyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee Exod. 15.26 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of thine increase so shall thy Barnes be filled with plenty and thy Presses shall burst with new wine Prov 3.9.16 He that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully and God is able to make all grace to abound towards you that yee alwaies having all sufficiency in all things may attaine to every good worke 2 Cor. 9.6.8 So shalt thou finde favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man Prov. 3.4 And I will give peace in the Land and â—ee shall lye downe and none shall make â—ou afraid Levit 26.6 Behold my servants shall rejoyce but yee shall be ashamed Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but yee shall cry for sorrow of heart Esay 65.13 14. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace bâ— within thy walls and prosperity withiâ— thy pallaces Psal 122.6 7. Then shalt thou walke in thy way safely and thy foote shall not stumble Prov. 3.23 The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run unto it and is safe Prov. 18.10 But who so hearkneth unto me shall dwell safely and be quiet from the feare
of evill Prov. 1.33 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evill touch thee in famine he shall redeeme thee from death and in warre from the power of the sword thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it commeth Job 5.19 20 21. He will honour those that honour him and bring forth their righteousnesse as the light and their judgement as the noone day Prov. For I will have respect unto you and make you faithfull and multiply and establish my Covenant with you Levit. 26.9 And he will love thee and blesse thee and multiply thee he will also blesse the fruit of thy wombe and the fruit of thy Land thy corne and thy wine and thine Oyle the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe Deut. 7.13 Thou shalt know that thy seede shall be great and thy off-spring as the grasse of the earth Job 5.25 The Lord shall increase you more and more you and your Children Psal 115.14 Thy wife shall be as the fruitfull vine by the sides of thy house thy Children like Olive plants round about thy Table yea thou shalt see thy Childrens Children and peace upon Izrael Psal 128.3.6 I have been young and now am old yet have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread he is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed Psai 37.25.26 The just man walketh in his integrity his Children are blessed after him Prov. 20.7 I will power my spirit upon thy seed and my blessiâ—g upon thy off-spring and they shall spring up among tâ—e grasse as willowes by the water courses Esay 44.3.4 Aâ—d their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring among the people All that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed which the Lord hath bâ—essed Esay 61.6 I will give them one heart and oâ—e way that they may heare me for ever for the good of them and of their Childâ—en Jer. 32. â—9 The Children of thy Servants shall continue and their seâ—d shall be â—stablished before thee â—sal 102.28 Though hâ—nd joyn in hand the wicked shall not bâ— unâ—â—â—â—shed but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered Prov. 11.21 In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence and his Children shall have a place of refuge Prov. 14.26 All thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children Esay 54.13 For God will shew mercy to them that love him and keepe his Command ments Meditations and Resolutions PRide is the greatest enemy to reason and discretion the greatest opposite to pride for whiles wisdom makes Art the Axe of nature pride makes nature the Axe of Art The wise man shapes his apparell to his body the proud man shapes his body by his apparell T is no marvel then if he know not himself when he is not to day like him he was yesterday And lesse marvell if good men will not know him when he forgets himself and all goodnesse I should feare whilst I thus change my shape least my maker should change his opinion and finding me not like him he made me reject me as none of his making I would any day put off the cause of my apparell but not every day put on new fashioned apparell I see great reason to be ashamed of my pride but no reason to be proud of my shame Hipocricy desires to seeme good rather then be so honesty desires to be good rather then seeing so The worldlings purchased reputation by the sale of desert wise men by desert with the hazard of reputation I would do much to heare well more to deserve well and rather lose opinion then merit It shall more joy me that I know my self what I am then it shall grieve me to heare what others report me I had rather deserve well without praise then do ill with comendation There is nothing more certain then death nothing more uncertain then the time of dying I will therefore be prepared for that at all times which may come at any time must come at one time or another I shall not hasten my death by being still ready but sweeten it It makes me not dye the sooner but better Had I not more confidence in the truth of my Saviour then in the traditions of men poverty might stagger my faith and bring my thoughts into a perplexed purgatory wherein are the poor blessed if pardon shall be only by expence Or how is it hard for a rich man to enter into Heaven if mony may buy out the past present and future sins of himself his deceassed and succeeding progenie It Heaven be thus sould what been fit has my poverty by the prise alreapy paid I find no happinesse in roome on earth T is happinesse for me to have roome in Heaven Nature bids me love my self and hate all that hurt me Reason bids me love my friends and hate those that envy me Religion bids love all and hate none Nature sheweth care Reason wit Religion love Nature may induce me Reason perswade me but Religion shall rule me I will hearken to Nature in much to Reason in more to Religion in all Nature shall make me carefull of my self but hurtfull to none Reason shall make me wise for my self but harmlesse to all Religion shall make me loving to all but not carelesse of my self I may heare the former I will harken only to the latter I subscribe to somthings in all to all things in Religion A large promise without performance is like a false fire to a great peece which dischargeth a good expectation with a bad report I will fore-think what I will promise that I may promise but what I will do Thus whilst my words are led by my thoughts and followed by my actions I shall be carefull in my promisâ—s and just in their performance I had rather do and not promise then promise and not do I cannot sâ—e two Sawyers work at a pit but they put me in mind of the Pharisee and the Pubâ—ican the one casts his eye upward whiles his actions tend to the pâ—â— infernall The other standing with a dejected countenance whiles his hands and heart move upward 'T is not a shame to make shew of our profession so we truly professe what we make shew of But of the two I had rather be good and not seeme so then seem good and not be so The Publican went home to his house rather justified then the Pharisee When I see leaveâ— drop from their Trees in the beginning of Autumne just such think I is the friendship of the world whiles the sap of maintenance lasts my friends swarme in abundance but in the winter of my need they leave me naked He is a happy man that hath a true friend at his need but he is more truly happy that hath no need of his friend When I see the heavenly Sun buried
under earth in the evening of the day and in the morning to find a resurrection to his glory why think I may not the Sonnes of Heaven buried in the earth in the evening of their dayâ—â— expect the morning of their glorious resurrection Each night is but the past dayes funerall and the morning his resurrection Why then should our funerall sleepe be other then our sleepe at night why should we not as well awake to our resurrection as in the morning I see the night is rather an intermission of day then a deprivation and death rather borrowes our life of us then robs us of it since then the glory of the Sun finds a resurrection why should not the Sons of glory since a dead man may live again I will not so much looke for an end of my life as waite for the coming of my change A bad great one is a great bad one for the greatnesse of an evill man makes the mans evill the greater It is the unhappy priviledge of authority not so much to act as teach wickednesse and by a liberall cruelty to make the offendors sin not more his own then others Each fault in a leader is not so much a crime as a rule for error And their vices are made if not warrants yet presidents for evill To sin by prescription is as usuall as damnable and men run post in their journey when they go to the Devill with authority when then the vices of the rulers of others are made the rule for vises to others the offences of all great ones must needes be the greatest of all offences either then let me be great in goodnesse or else it were good for me to be without greatnesse My own sins are to heavy for me why then should I load my self with others offences There is no security in evill society where the good are often made worse the bad seldom better for it is the peevish industry of wickednesse to find or make a fellow 't is like they will be birds of a fether that use to flock together For such doth their conversation make us as they are with whom we use to converse I cannot be certain noâ— to meete with ill company but I will be carefull not to keep with evill company I would willingly sort my self with such as shall teach or learn goodnesse And if my Companion cannot make me better nor I him good I will rather leave him ill then he shall make me worse It iâ— the apish nature of many for to follow rather example then precepts but it would be the saffest course of all to learn rather by precept then example For there is many a good Divine that caâ—not learn his own teaching It is easier to say this do thâ—â— to do it when therefore I see good Doctrine with an evill liâ—e I may pitty the one but I will practice the other The good sayings belong to all the evill actions only to their Authours I see corruption so largely rewarded that I doubt not but I should thrive in the world could I get but a dispensation of my Conscience for the liberty of trading A little flattery would get me a great deal of favour and I could buy a world of this worlds love with the sale of this little trifle honesty Were this world my home I might perhaps be trading but alas these Marchandize yeild lesse then nothing in heaven I would willingly be at quiet with the world but rather at pâ—â—ce with my Coâ—science the love of men is good whilst it lasteth the love of God is better being everlasting Let me trade then for those heavenly Marchandize If I find those otheâ— in my way they are a great deal more theâ— I looke for and within little more then I care for As faith is the evideâ—ce of things not seen so things that are seen are the perfecting of faith I believe a tree will be green when I see him leafelesse in winter I know he is green when I see him flourishing in Summer It was a fault in Thomas not to believe till he did see It were a madnesse in him not to believe when he did see Beleefe mâ—â—y times exceedes Reason not oppose it and faith be often above sence not against it Thus whiles faâ—â—h doth assâ—â—â— me that I eat Christ effectually sence must assure me that I tast bread really For thouâ—h I oâ—tentimes sâ—e not tâ—ese thiâ—gs thâ—t I beliâ—vâ— yet I m st still believe those things that I see The Crosse is but a signe of Christ crucified Christ crucified the substance of the Crosse the signe without the substance is as nothing the substance without the signe is all things I hate not the signe though I adore but the substance I will not blaspheame the Crosse of Christ I will not worship but Christ crucified I will take up my Crosse I will love my Crosse I will beare my Crosse I will imbâ—ace my Crosse yet not adore my Crosse All knees shall bend in reference to his name mine never bow in Idolatry to his Image As the giver of all things so each receiver loveth a chearefull giver for a bargen is valued by the worth of the thing bought but a guift by the mind of the party giving which made the widdowes mite of more worth then the riches of superfluity I see then he gives not best that gives most but he gives most that gives best If then I cannot give bountifully yet I will give freely and what I want in my hand supply by my heart he gives well that gives willingly When I see the Larkers day-net spread out in a faire morning and himself whirling his artificiall motion and obsâ—rves by the reflecting luster of the Sun on the whirling instrument not only the merry Larke and fearfull Pigion are dazled and drawn with admiration but stowter birds of pray the swift Merlin and towring Hobby are intised to stoope and gazing on the outward forme lose themselves Me thinks I see the Devills night-nets of intising Harlots fully paralleld spread out for us in the vâ—gor of our youth which with rowling eyes draw on the lustfulnesse of affection and betray the wantonnesse of the heart and wich their alluring glanses often make to stoope within the danger of their fatall nets not only the simple and carelesse but others also men otherwise wary and wise who coming within the pull of the net lye at the mercy of that mercilesse Fowler to their certain destruction Hence I resolve when I see such glasses to shun such motions as assured that these Glassâ—s have Nets adjoyning those Nets a Fowler attending that Fowler a death prepared for me then which I cannot dye a worse I may by chance I must of necessity at some time come within their view I will at no time come within their danger I cannot well live in this world nor at all in the better world if I be caught in their fatall Nets As oft as I heare the Robin-red-breast
me be once truly renewed by thy grace and setled in thy service that I never slip nor slide back but grant unto me most mercifull Father a sure and setled dependance upon thee so that in all my wordt workâ— and deeds I may rejoyce in serving fearing and obeying thee and that I may spend all the residue of my dayes truly serving thee seeking to glorifie thy Name and magnifie thy goodnesse unto me so long as it shall please thâ—e to lend me breath to this fâ—aile body And mercifull Father favourably governe and guide help instruct and teach me in thy wiâ—dom to magnifie thy holy Name multiply and increaâ—e thy mercies on me O Lord preserve and prospâ—r me in all my waies and works and all about me remember thy poore flock build up thy Church renew Sion governe assist and blesse all pain ull Preachers and Pastors of thy Word teach them and us understanding rihgtly to know thee and truly to follow thee awake my drowsie soule defend it from evill imaginations keep me in holy and heavenly meditations grant me to observe thy waies so that I may walke in piety and peace set my sinnes so before mine eyes that when I look back on them I may with sorrow weep lament and repent my time past which hath been spent so wickedly or unprofitably O powerfull Preserver remember me restore me to joy and comfort and hasten in time thy salvation unto me Draw my lingring soule and it shall run after thee turne me unto thee with all williâ—gnesse come thou neare unto me gâ—â—d Lord and dâ—clare and shew thy mercies on me estâ—blish me in grace excite me to goodâ—â—sse Give me grace that I may alwaies grow stronger and â—â—â—â—â—ger to walke before thee weaker and weâ—ker to sinne faithfull and â—â—â—me in thy service Grant this deare Gâ—d and mercifull Father for Christ Ieâ—us his sake our Saviour and Redeâ—mer Amen A Prayer in time of Warre O Glorious Lord God and everlasting Father we intreat theâ— mercifully to looke downe upon us and hearken unto our complaintâ— and desires and grant we beseech thee our requests O gracious Father thou knowest nor sinnes and our iniquities are not hid from thee they lye open to thy Judgements yet we know that thy mercies are the cure of our miseries and when wâ— fly to thee thou drawest neare to us we beseech thee now to be favourable and spare us for all our sinneâ— past and be ready to deliver us from sinnes to come looke down in mercy upon us and as thou hast been ouâ— everlasting defence so now defenâ— us from the rage of our enemies goâ— in ond out O Lord before our Armies before our Generalls before ouâ— Fleets and Commanders And granâ— we may be thy Souldiers to fight under thy Banner stirre up our hearts and strength against the enemy defend thy afflicted Flock remember we beseech thee the burthen of misery laid upon thy Church in this time in these our Kingdomes and elsewhere and in thy due time restore them to their former glory Settle our hearts and affections to regaine and recover that which hath been lost and grant that we seeing their double dealing may no longer trust to them which have no truth they imagine mischief in their hearts and are set on fire to doe ill but breake thou the knot of their malice lay open their plots discover their devices weaken their Armies over-throw their Inventions confound their Councels and consume their numbers O Lord thou hast in times past made the Starres to fight in order the Sun to stand still the Seas to devoure the Winds to overthrow thy enemies So now O Lord cause these thy Creatures to assist and help us and our distressed Neighbours that all the world may know It is thou that fightest our Battels and undertakest our cause Finally O Lord blesse we beseech thee us and every one of us in what we shall take in hand for defence of thy Church and Truth blesse we intreat thee our King and Parliament our State and Clergy our Communalty and give thy blessing unto us all and last of all blesse we beseech thee all the worthy Companies of Souldiers in Cities and all other places in the Land blesse O Lord their inventions of Warre and make them expert by their practises prosper all their undertakings so that all the world may know that thou art the Guider of our Councells and Leader of our Armies Grant this deare Father and all other good things unto us for the good of the Church amongst us and the reliefe of others by us now and ever for Christ Jesus sake our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer for Gods protection of his Church in respect of the present troubles of it ALmighty God the Lord of Hosts and Governour of all things whose power no Creature is able to resist to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners and to be mercifull to them that truly repent Worke in us and in all thy people unfained and effectuall repentance that what thou seest amisse in us and amongst us or in any parts of thy Church may speedily and thorowly be reformed that which is righteous and good in thy sight may be established and maintained especially in this our Land and other places professing thy Truth and Gospell and in the meane time while we strive after that which may be most agreeable to thy holy Will as it is revealed in thy holy Word be mercifull unto us and bring us on as thou seest it needfull evermore supporting us in our most gracious Shepherd by thy staffe of comfort And thou Sonne of David that knowest the mercilesse condition of Satan and cruell men his cursed Instruments we humbly beseech thee never to deliver us over into their power but save and defend us and all thy people evermore from the hands of all our enemies both bodily and ghostly And more particularly at this time we earnestly beseech thee O heavenly Father by the mediation of thy Sonne Jesus our only Mediator to be mercifull to those that are joyned with us or stand out for thy Truth or any righteous Cause and give that issue to the present troubles of thy Church as may make most for thy glory the advancement of thy Truth and Gospell the reliefe of all thy distressed people in all those parts of thy troubled Church and for the establishing of truth and peace in this our Land May it please thee once to free all our Brethren from the dominion of that Mistery of Iniquity as also still to shield and secure us and all other professing thy Name and Truth from that cruell Faction which as if they delighted in bloud have already spoyled so many Nations Lord thou only art the Catholick King we can acknowledge no King over all the Earth but thy selfe nor any Universâ—ll Head over all thy Church but that only Arch-bishop of of our soules thy Sonne Jesus our blessed Saviour to whom all power is