bones do quake for fear yea my sins have taken such hold upon me that I cannot look q Psal 40. up If Mary Magdalen was possessed with seven Devills Lord thou knowest that many Devils do continually walk about not onely to seek to possess but to devour my p 1 Pet. 5.11 soul And though Mary and Martha had cause of grief for the death of their brother whom thou didst restore yet my grief is more John 11. being dead in sin my self desiring to be revived by the spirit of thy Grace Lord as thou didst commit thy Mother the blessed Virgin to the tuition of q Joh. 19. John So dear Father command thy holy a Psal 34.7 Angells to guide and guard me from all evill Grant also sweet Jesus that with the three Maries I may seek thee early in the morning and seeking thee finde thee and finding thee believe in thee and lodge thee in my heart for ever Amen Sect. XXIX To performe Promise needfull IT is an old saying An honest promise is due debt That an honest Promise is due debt I have often promised to serve thee my good God and yet never perform'd the same as I ought and therefore the more I promise except thy grace help me to performe the more I am indebted unto thee Sparke 29. O Lord grant that I may promise unto thee that which thou hast commanded me and after b Deut. 23.21 performe that which I have c Psal 66. promis'd that I may obtain thy promise through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXX Of Christ's vertues in healing and Satan's policie in hurting IT is no wonder that the Devill did so much prevail against the Jewes to have Christ tormented in every member A box of precious ointments as his Head with Thornes his Hands and Feet with Nailes his Sides with the Spear his Eyes with Spittings his Face with buffettings and his Taste and Mouth with Gall for the Devill well perceived that there issued out great vertue from every member of Christ For he healed the Leper by touching him with his hand he healed Peter by looking back upon him with his eye he healed Matthew with his mouth by saying come and follow me he healed the deaf and dumb with his fingers by putting them into his ears he healed Mary Magdalen with the vertue that went from his feet when she washed them wiâ—h her tears he healed the woman diseased with the twelve years issue with the hem of his garment he healed raised up Lazarus out of his grave with his voice sayinâ— Lazarus come forth he heâ—lâ—d all the souls of his children with the blood and water that ran out of his blessed side Spark 30. Heal us O Lord for our bones are b Psal 6. vexed send out thy curing Word and heal our wounded soules that refuse all manner of comforts c Psal 107.19 20. say unto my soul I am thy salvation d Psal 35. O thou pittifull Saviour and sweet Samaritan e Luke 10. leave me not thus wounded and half dead in the high-way of perdition but bind up my wounds and poure therein the oyle of thy everlasting grace through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXI Of Avarice and Oppression The Worldliings Woe ALbeit every sin calls for eternall vengeance yet we read in Scripture but of four crying sins The First is Murther and Bloodshed f Gen. 4.10 The Second is Gluttony and Idleness or the sin of Sodom g Gen. 18.21 The Third is the sin of Wrong and Oppression h Exod. 3.9 The Fourth is the detaining of the Labourers hire i Jam. 5.4 Now three of these cry with open mouth against the Covetous wretch as against an open Oppressor a secret Defrauder both an open and secret Murtherer Therefore the clamours of many poore Debters in the Dungeon of many poor Labourers in the Field and of many poore Neighbours crying and dying in the street enters into the ears of the Lord of hosts Nay the cry of his owne soul and body will come against him for though he keepeth his pelf with many locks from others yet from none doth he keep them so fast as from himself For though he possesseth them yet hath he no power to use them as holy Records doe shew Eccles 6.1 where the Spirit of God sayeth That there is an evill under the Sun which is much used among men A man to whom God hath given Riches and Treasure and Honour wanteth nothing for his soul of all that it desireth but God giveth him not power to eat thereof but a strange man shall eat it up This is an evill sickness Consider this then thou Worldling that sayest in thy heart I shall never have enough Spark 31. O blessed Trinity that fillest every living thing with thy l Psal 104. blessing Lord blesse us and thy blessings that in using them we abuse not thee O Sacred All sufficient Trinity fill thou our hearts so full that we may desire r Ezech. 36. nothing but thee thy glory our hearts good Lord are made Triangle-wise a fit seat for the blessed Trinity They are made narrow below and shut close to keep out worldly desires and wide and open above to receive all heavenly blessings O Lord as they are thy vessels so let them be of thy filling yea fitted with nothing but with thy self and thy love Psal 10.17 through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Sect. XXXII Nothing can satisfie God for our sins but his Son VVHat is that which man can off r unto his Maker The Acceptable Sacrifice to pacifie his wrath ' gainst sins If he cold give the whole world unto God what doth he offer but what he hath received of God and lost by his disobedience If man could offer himself what offereth he but unâ—hankfulness dust and ashes blasphemy and wickednes which provokes Gods wrath more more If the Angells would offer themselves and their service to satisfie the wrath of the everlasting God what were that but a thing finite in goodness to seek to cover an infiâ—it evill Therefore God himself was fain to step between his Justice and Mercy to reconcile us again unto him by his own merits Spark 32. O Lord from whence then cometh our help Surely our help cometh of thee f Psal 121. which hast made heaven and earth There was no other water to waâ—h away Naaman's leprosie but Jordan's p 2 Kings 5 No ladder that reached up to Heaven but Jacob's q Gen. 28.12 No serpent that healed the Israelites but the brasen k Numb 21 9. So there is no other Name under heaven whereby we may be saved f Acts 4. but only by thy name and merits sweet Jesus O Lord it was not our own arm that helped us b Psal 44.3 4. but thy right hand and thy arm and the light of thy countenance because thou
24. as one without hope but rathâ—r to watch for the day of my redemption and the glorious comming of my saviour to deliver me from thi body of sinne Rm. 9.7 that my vile body may be made like his glâ—rious body and that in the mean time whether I slâ—ep or wake I may continually hear the sound of thy Trumpe in mine ear saying Arise ye dead and come unto judgement Phil. 3.21 and at last be ravished with the sweet sentence of my Saviour Venite Benedicti c. Sect. XCI The fruitfull Valley I See alwayes the highest hills to be most barren and the low valleys fruitfull therefore the higher I exalt my self like a mountain the more barren I shall be before God And the lower I humble my self the more fruitfull I am to others by good and wholesome examples Sparke 91. O Lord teach me to learn meekness of thee that art meek and to humble my self that I may be exalted Amen Sect XCII The Scorner's Chayre IT is noted for no small disdain in Pharaoh to say Who is the Lord that I should obey him Such as those Okes of Basan and those tall Cedars of Lebanon in the height of their pride as being too wise to be moved with ordinary judgements If we have thâ— honour to be Gods among men or the power to work mighty things in the world Hab. 1.16 We sacrifice to our owne nets and burne incense to our yarn and say if not in our mouth yet in our heart There is no God Psal 14.1 If our evill counsels have good success and when we rebelliously transgress we prosper in our wickedness we spare not to say Tush Ezek. 9.9 the Lord seeth not If when we multiply sin upon sin and by the cords of vanity draw on the cart-ropes of iniquity and adde thirst unto drunkenness we be not plagued like other men we presume to say Tush Zeph. 1.12 the Lord careth not he will do neither good nor evill If God forbear us we think his hand shortned and if we do not feel his rod we make a question of his power yea the irreligiousnesse of this prophane age is such and growne to that impudency as to dispute of principles and grounds of faith to call not onely God and his holy Word the Scripture but Heaven Hell Angells Devills the Resurrection of the body and the Immortality of the soul into question so that if he will finde any faith among such he had need come with new miracles and more than miracles least our searching wits should finde the reason of them or otherwise conclude them to be but our ignorance of the cause For whatsoever exception either vain Philosophy Exod. 3.2 or prophane Gentility took against the wonderfull works of God in elder times as that the burning and not consuming Bush was but a Meteor 14.12 that the passage of Israel through the Red-Sea upon dry ground 16.15 was but the advantage of an Ebbe-tide that the Manna which God rained in the Wilderness was but the Mildew of the Countrey Josh 6.20 that the fall of the walls of Jerico at the sound of the Trumpets was but an Earth-quake that our Saviour himself did no Miracles but by the help of Belzebub Yea that and worse than that do the scorners and licentious wits of our times object against the power of God to make God and his power either nothing at all or tie him unto second causes as if thâ— world did run upon the constant wheeles of everlasting motions which is not in his power so much as in the power of a Clock-keeper either to break or to alter Sparke 92. O thou wonderfull and powerfull Essence whose strength is seen in our weakness we beseech thee to give us grace to humble our selves under thy Almighty hands Psal 1.1 that we neither walke in the Counsell of the ungodly stand in the way of sinners 10. nor sit in the seat of the Scornfull 20.9 Arise O Lord God and lift up thy hand forget not the poor put thâ—m in fear O Lord that the Heathen may know themselves to be but men for the ungodly walk on every side 12.9 when they are exalted the children of men are put to rebuke O Lord thou canst do whatsoever thou wilt both in heaven and earth For heaven is thy seat and the earth is but thy footstool Yea the earth is thine and all that therein is the compass of the world and they that dwell therein O Lord Psal 24.1 by thy Word were the heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of thy mouth c Be thou exalted Lord in thine owne strength so shal we sing praise thy power for ever and ever Amen Sect. XCIII The Gospell's Law VVEll might our Saviour say that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the Law For the Gospell of Grace is so far from taking away the obedience of the Law as that it addeth to our obedience and is severe against the affections as the Law against the actions of evill making it theft to covet our Nâ—ighbours goods and murther to be angry with our Brother adultery to look upon a Woman to lust after her Mat. 5.22 Ecl. 12.20 and Treason to curse the King though but in thought 1 Thes 5.22 Esay 2.18 Math. 12. restraining not only from evill but from all appearance of evill condemning not onely the Cart-ropes of sin but the cords of vanity taking a strict account not onely of every wicked but idle word nay our wandring thoughts also Sparke 93. O dear Father thy law is a perfect law converting the soul It is no eye-service that can please thee but thou requirest truth in the inward parts Good Lord as thy Gospel is a new law adding perfection unto perfection So create in me a new heart and put a right spirit within me that my thoughts being undefil'd may please thee my words being seasoned with grace may praise thee and my actions being sanctified by thy spirit and proceeding from the holy motions thereof may glorifie thee To whom be all honour praise and glory for ever Amen Sect. XCIV Vertue is in action GOd infused not the soul of man into a lump or block or such a body as was unfit for motion but into such a body as had legs arms hands feet eys and ears to shew that we must not be idle but work with our hands labour with our feet instruct with our tongues and mark with our eyes Spark 94. Lord let me not be given to idleness but be diligent in my place and painfull in my calling getting my living either by the sweat of my browes or my braines that thou mayest not finde me idle all the day long but working either in thy field or thy vineyard and doing alwayes that which is just and acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XCV Passe
and substance to our members it putteth us in minde that we received our flesh from man when we think of our heart which giveth vitall and naturall heat to our members it puts us in mind that we received our Soul from the living God Lastly when we think of our head that giveth sense and motion to our bodies it maketh us remember how that we receive in our last generation all sense and motion of grace from our head Christ And calling this to minde we must remember that every Christian is a threefold brother unto us First by man as having all of us our flesh from one and the same man Adam Secondly by God as having all our souls infused into our bodies by one and the self same God And thirdly by our Redeemer as having all of us that be Christians received all grace and good motions from one and the same Christ God and man Therfore we ought to love all as brethren in the flesh but love them the more as brethren in Soul but love them best of all that are brethren in grace unto us for whosoever is our brother in grace must needs be our brother in soul and body likewise And therefore a Christian is no half brother or base broâ—hâ—r Sparke 13. O Lord That we may be perfect grant that we may be born b Joh. 3.5 again of water and of the spirit And because our first generation in the flesh is foul and filthy lustfull and lawless grant we may d Rom. 8.13 mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and subdue the rebellion thereof O Lord beget us again in thy Son e 1 Joh. 5.1 Joh. 3.3 Christ after thine own f Ephes 4 23 24. Image in righteousnes and true holiness of life O Lord grant that as the first Adam by his flesh g 1 Cor. 15.22 corrupted all thy children so the second Adam by his flesh may save all thy children Good Father seeing we are made h Gen. 1.27 by thee and i Joh. 3.3 born again of thee let us have no strife between us for our Fathers sake because we are brethren grant us to love our brother whom we see daily to love thee whom we have not seen least otherwise we be judged of thee to remain in death and counted as k 1 Joh. 3.14 15. Murtherers and man-slayers Therefore give us grace to love our Christian brother more for his father's sake for his own sake for Christ's sake and for thy Image sake than our brother cosen or kinsman in the flesh For by this love towards our brother we shall be known to be thy l 1 Joh. 2.3 disciples Grant us therefore sweet Jesus that we may follow thee as thy Disciples m Ephes 4.11.2 and as dear children walking in love as thou hast loved us and given thy life for us Grant this O Father for thy son and our Saviours sake Jesus Christ Amen Sect. XIV Christ our chiefest felicity VVE count him most happy The feliciâ—â— of the faithfull that hath all things at will wants nothing then most happy are we that are in Christ for he is all in all unto his servants For if we have wounds and would have them cured he is the best Phisician If we be wronged our Master is most just If we be poor our Master is Lord of Heaven and Earth and will not see us want If we fear death he is life If we would go to heaven he is the way If we be in darknesse he is the light If we desire to be nourished he is our meat If learning he is wisdome If strength he is power No marvell then though David had rather be a door-keeper in the house of such a Master than to dwell in the Palaces of Princes Sparke 14. O n Mat. 8.20 sweet Jesus thou wast poor q 1 Cor. 1.5 Luke 1 to make me me rich Thou wast stript stark naked to clothe my nakedness Thou hast spilt thy precious r Mar 15.46 Math. 26.28 blood to make a plaister for my putrified wounds Thou becamest a t Phil. 2. â— servant in earth among sinners that I might be made a King in heaven among Saints Sweet Saviour I honour thee and humbly embrace and kisse the wounds of thy hands and feet I esteem more of thy Crown of thornes thine hysop thy reed thy spunge thy spear thy vineger than of any princely Diadem I am more proud of thy thornes and nailes than of all Pearls and Jewells And I account thy Cross more splendent and glorious than any Princely Crown Teach us O Lord to know thee as we ought for thou art the way the truth and the life without a way men walke not without a truth men know not without a life men live not Be thou therefore still the way for us to walk in the truth for us to stick unto the life for us to hope in For indeed thou art the way inviolable the truth infallible the right way the chiefest truth and the truest life grant we never wander from thee never hope but in thee nor never learn but to know thee our onely Saviour Amen Sect. XV. Of Christ's Passion O Good Lord A Soveraigne Salve why doth not my heart bleed for my sins to think how often my Saviour bled for them First being but young and tender eight dayes old when he was circumcised Secondly when he was condemned and scourged Thirdly when he was nailed and crucified on the Cross And Fourthly after his death his side was pierced and his very body wept water blood for my sins And Fifthly in his bloody sweat when every member wept and melted for me Sparke 15. O dear Saviour make me sorry that I am no more sorrowfull for my sinnes For if my teares were in quantity like the Sea If my sighes were like the smoake of a furnace If my sobs could pierce the hardest Diamonds and my wailings like thunder yet have I still cause to weep sigh sob bewail my manifold sins Good Lord make my mouth to be filled with thy praise my eyes with tears for my offences and my heart to bleed with sorrow for my sins O Lord by thy blood b Mat. 9 3â— heal the bloody issue of my sins and through thy precious blood wash and cleanse me from all my sins c 1 Joh. 1.7 that through the blood d Rev. 7.14 of that tender Lamb the garments of our filthy spotted flesh may be made white through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XVI Of the holy Ghost's operation O Blessed comforter it was thy divine will to shew thy self to thy children in four sundry forms for our comfort and instruction First like fire to manifest thy love and power Secondly like a cloud to manifest thy pitty and compassion Thirdly like a Dove to declare thy patience and peaceableness Fourthly like tongues to shew thy wisdome and eloquence For as the
earth and all contained therein to whom gave he all this to his children or them of his house or to his friends nay not onely to them but to all to his enemies to Idolaters to such as make a God of the gift and despise the giver Deut. 4. And shall we shut our compassion from men because they are strangers or wicked or offensive to us seeing our Lord and Master gave all these to all and to his friends and children gave heaven's treasure and his own dearest Jewell which is his Son Christ blessed for ever more offering him also to all though all receive him not Sparke 36. O blessed Lord abundant in thy mercies and most liberall and bountifull in thy gifts Psal 36. Psal 136. Psal 137. Prov. 2. Psal 26. 2 Cor. 2. Ephes 5. 1 Thes 5. Mat. 6. 1 Kings 3. yea more rich in mercy than we can be poor in misery continue thy blessings towards us so far forth as it is for our good make us thankfull for them and forgive us the abuse of them Let us not want those things without the which we cannot serve thee and having them give us grace to use them unto thy glory Give us with thy blessings a liberall heart that by the disposing of those blessings committed to our trust we may be known to be thy thildren Grant this O Blessed Saviour for thy mercy sake Amen Sect. XXXVII Of our Naturall Blindness GReat is our weakness to be lamented The healing of the blind and the corruption of our Judgement to be condemned by which we prefer the shadow of that which seems before the truth of that which is and for a momentary taste of earthly vanities depart from the hope of everlasting joys as being the naturall sons of Adam who lost Paradise for an Apple and the brethren of Esau who sold his birth-right for a mess of pottage whereas we cannot but know that which we dayly hear of thee O Lord and seem to believe that there is no nobility to a new birth in Christ no beauty to the beauty of the daughter of Sion whose beauty is all within no honour to the service of God which is perfect freedome no glory to the Cross of Christ no riches to godliness no treasure to that which is laid up in Heaven no clothing to the righteousnesse of Christ no building to that which is not made with hands no Crowne to that of Immortality no Kingdome to the conquest of our selves no learning to the knowledge of Christ no wisedome to that of the Spirit no joy to a good conscience and no life to a conversation in heaven Sparke 37. O sweet Jesus which art the true light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world John 1.5 Psal 43. lighten our darknesse we beseech thee Gen. 3.7 And as the eyes of our first Parent 's conscience were opened to see their miseries Psal 36.9 so open the eyes of our understanding that we may behold thy mercies and thee the Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world John 1.29 give fight O Lord unto our blinde eyes that we may see our weakness Esa 35.5 by our weakness our wickedness and by them both our accursedness Psal 115.5 Let us not be like dumb Idolls thâ—t have mouths and speak not eys and see not or like those accursed ones that in seeing perceive not and in hearing understand not Isa 5. Let us not call light darkness or good evill but put off the scales of our understanding that we may know a difference between good and evill and to ensue the one and esch w the other through him that is able and willing to help us Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXVIII Against Pride O Man The proud's looking-glasse I much wonder why thou shouldest be so proud considering thy beginning which is but dust the unprofitablest earth that is For clay is good for something Sand is good for something Marle Lime Coal Dung and Ashes good for something yea Earth Gravel Stones or Metals good for somthing but dust is profitable for nothing but hurtfull many wayes Yet such is thy Almighty power O Lord that thou hast created light out of darknesse the world out of nothing and man from the dust of the ground which was nothing making him Lord of all creatures and more excellent than all the works of thy hands Sparke 38. Judg. 9 Good Lord there was never proud person that pleased thee Let me that am but dust have no proud thought or high look but with Mary humble my self before thee Luk 1.48 Gen. 18 27. Mat. 15. with Abraham acknowledge my base beginning with the Canaanite woman my unworthiness with David my vileness with Job my misery and with Paul my Infirmity through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XXXIX The condition of the godly of in this world is not of the best LOrd The Godli's Lot we finde it true that the state of thy children is not alwayes of the best neither in outward account with the world nor yet in their own feeling For sometimes the spirit of wisdom calls them the afflicted ones Prov. 15.15 Math. 5. Esay 41. Luke 12. Psal 41. sometimes the hungry and thirty sometims little worms as the little worm Jacob sometimes a little flock sometimes the poore and needy And yet they are in account with the Lord for the afflicted shall have a continuall feast the hungry shall be filled with good things the little worm Jacob shall be written upon the palm of thine hand the poor shall be relieved and helped and the needy raised up out of the dust Sparke 39. O Lord let my estate be what thou wilt So I may be thine Rom. 8.35 Luk. 15.29 make me as one of thy hired servants and feed me if not with thy dainties Math. 15.27 yet with the crums that fall from thy table If I must taste of thy vineger and gall for a while in this world yet if in the end I shall be fed at thy table with Manna I shall digest it with a good stomack and look after it with a cheerfull countenance as Daniel did Ròm 8.31 for if thou Lord be with me what can hurt me Sect. XL. Christ's Passion the soul 's best salve GOod Lord Sin 's remedy we have often seen those men that have been delivered from some dangerous and desperate sickness to be ever delighted with the very name of that medicine that helped and healed them prescribing it unto their friends for a chief and present remedy in all such desperate cases and now we have found by the pacification of our own conscience that thy merits are the best medicine for our Sickness Sparke 40. Esay 53.5 O Lord it is by thy stripes that we are healed of all our sins Thy bloud is the onely plaister whereby our wounds may be cured Iohn 1.7 Therefore
let us ever be delighted with this salve let us by thy grace prescribe it unto others O Lord poure the oyl of thy mercy into our festred wounds thy blood hath helped many of thy Saints Luk. 10.34 and it is not yet dry but fresh and powerfull to heal mee Sect. XLI God is Mercy it self O Lord The wofull mans joy 2 Tim. 2.13 thou hast caugh us by thy Apostle Paul that thou art most faithfull and canst not deny thy self If we desire wealth thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self If we desire revenge thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self If we desire worldly pompe and preferments thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self If we desire gold and silver thou mayest deny us for it is not thy self But if we desire mercy thou canst not deny us for it is thy selfe for thou canst not deny thy self Thou art not onely mercifull but mercy it self For thou did'st pray for thine enemies give thy life for thy friends and never did'st deny their just petitions unto thy Servants Sparke 41. O Lord I want nothing but thy mercy Rom. 8. â—2 1 Cor. 15. Psal 67. 109. 51. which is thy self For having thee I have all because thou art all in all shew us therefore the light of thy Countenance and be mercifull unto us O Lord I am poor and needy but thy mercy may lift me up Therefore in the multitude of thy mercies do away my Offences O Lord thy mercy being thy self is above all thy works much more above the workes of Satan which are my sins mercy therefore good Lord mercy I crave it is the total Sum for mercy Lord is all my suite Lord let thy mercy come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect XLII Of Prayer O Eternall and Infinite Power The Saints post-messenger seeing thou art the King of Glory the Lord strong and mighty even the Lord might in battell whose Palace is in the highest heaven and we thy poor creatures being thy foes by our own follies therefore in thy sight more base than the vilest worm on earth seeing I say there is such distance of place betwen us as is between heaven earth such difference in qualities thou so glorious in Majesty and we so grievous in misery such odds in quantity we as it were nothing thou all things and all in all When thou art offended with us or when need compells us what messenger shall we presume to send unto thee either for peace pardon or to informe thee of our necessities or rather to entreat thee for to supply our wants for thou needest no informer If we send our merits unto thee they are in too base a habit being like a menstruous and stained clout The starres in heaven will disdain it that we which dwell at the foot-stool of God should presume so farre when the purest creatures in heaven are impure in his sight If we send up our fear distrustfulnesse the length of the way will tire and weary them out for being as heavy as lead they will sink to the ground before they come half the way to the seat of Salvation and the throne of Grace If we send up Blasphemies and Curses all the creatures betwixt heaven and earth will band themselves against us The Sun and Moon will rain down burning Coals upon us The Ayre will throw thunderbolts upon our heads If we send up pride then we and our messenger shall be thrown down to the Dungeon of the deepest Hell For thou resistest the proud what messenger then shall we presume to send up unto thee thou King of Glory Even that which thou hast commanded us to send which thou acceptest being sent servent prayer from a faithfull and unfained heart which neither the tediousness of the way nor the difficulty of the passage can hinder from passing unto thee Who being quick of speed faithfull for trustiness happy for success is able to peirce the Clouds and to mount above the Eagles of the Skie into the heaven of heavens and there to enter boldly into the Chamber of Presence and to â—he Throne of Grace before thee the great King of Glory Sparke 42. O Lord give us grace to send up our prayers unto thee and to call upon thee in the dayes of our necessities and trouble Hear the voice of our prayers betimes in the morning Let us cry out of the deep of our miseries unto the bottomless depth of thy mercies And because our nature is such as we know not how to aske as we should Rom. 8.26 Eph. 3.20 and thou alone both wisely doest know and effectually canst grant not onely what we desire but a great deale more than we can think upon Pour upon us the spirit of grace prayer which may with unspeakeable groanings make intercession for us Give us grace good Father Math. 11.24 Math. 6. to perswade our selves that whatsoever we shall aske at thy hand through faith we shall obtaine the same And grant that in all places we may pray lifting up pure hands without wrath or doubting making with deep fighs and zealous minds continuall supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for all men through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Tim. 2.1 Amen Sect. XLIII Of the Authority of Gods Word c. THough faith be the eye of the soule and the hand that apphehends the soul's Saviour yet if faith should tell me that God is three and one together or if faith should say believe that the son of God is the son of a Virgin that Christ is risen again the third day from the dead to die no more that I should believe all this to be true because Peter Paul John Isay Ieremy and Ezekiel have said so I would doubt and not believe such matters difficult fo far above reason and beyond the reach of man's apprehension and seing they were spoken but of men as I am I durst not believe them because it is written every man 's a lyars which makes us require so many oathes Psal 11.5 and so many witnesses before we can credite the report of men in many things But when faith tells me that God hath revealed these things and that neither Peter Paul nor John nor the rest of the Apostles and Prophets have taught these things of themselves but were first taught of God and that they have preached not their own word but the word of God then my heart yieldeth is ready to believe it especially seeing the same God that spake by the Prophets and Apostles confirmed his sayings with so many fignes and wonders Therefore as Paul says How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be preached of the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard it Mark 16.20 God bearing witness thereto both with signes and wonders also and with divers powers and gifts of the
the time of your dwelling here in fear AS we must give an account of every idle word which we speak so we must give an account of every idle hour which we spend Therefore when we see the glasse run or hear the clock strike or the sun passe in the Diall let us think that there is now another hour come whereof we are to yield a reckoning and so endeavour to spâ—nd one hour better than another Sparke 95. O Lord let me rejoyce in thee evermore pray continually and in all things give thanks redeeming the time because the dayes are evill let me passe no minute idlely but while I have the light walk in the light for the night will come wherein I can work no more Sect. XCVI The Merchant's gaine SAint Paul the vessell of honour doth teach that Godliness is great and true gaine Let us therefore seek and search hunger and thirst for this gain Let the love of godlinesse not of money break our sleep possesse our thoughts in the night let us minde it first in the morning and meditate on it most in the day time And as the Merchants for his gaines maketh long voyages hazards life and health sequesters himself from his wife and children So let us for the Kingdom of God indure troubles without terrours within leave wife and children and with a valourous mind passe all the seas and storms of this world and as the covetous Merchant the elder he waxeth the more greedy he is to gather so the elder we are let us make the more carefull provision of faith and good works If we be Merchants let us exchange our commodities for better let us leave our avarice that we may receive content refuse sin that we may receive our Saviour One soul is more precious than the whole world let us then sell the world to save our soules The Kingdome of Heaven is a Pearl that cannot be purchased except we part with all we have If we be merchants let us venture for it Who would not with the poor fisher-men leave an old net to follow Christ Math. 4. Who would not with the woman of Samaria change a cup of well water for the water of the fountain of life Luk. 19. Who would not with Zacheus do away half his goods to obtain a Kingdom Who would not with the penitent thief bestow a broken heart and a short prayer for a Crown of glory Luk. 21. Who would not with the poor widow forgoe a mite to receive a million Who would not with Christ and his holy Martyrs endure the Crosse that he may enjoy the Crown Who would not with the wise men exchange gold frankincense and myrrhe to obtaine Grace truth and mercy Spark 96. O God thou art my God my goods are nothing unto thee Whom have I in heaven but thee and whom shall I desire on earth in comparison of thee O Lord thou did'st with thy bloud arrest heaven for me when thou wast circumcised thou hast paid the whole when thou wast crucified then didst thou take our sins and gavest us thy salvation I am a poor banquerupt I can offer thee nothing that is of worth accept of my mite of devotion my cold water of almes my grain of faith my desire of sorrow my sighes of satisfaction and my purpose to praise thee Alas sweet Jesus I cannot give thee thy own goods to gain my own glory I have nothing left me but the name of Merchant Satan the man of War hath taken away the gold of my faith I have exchanged thy graces for the worlds vanity and I have so long listened to the sirens of my own concupiscence that I have made a shipwrack of all thy blessings Sweet Jesus pardon my doings and pay thou my debts Give me that life which thou hast purchased for me and forgive me that death which I have purchased for my self by my sins Amen Sect. XCVII A Christian Salutation WHen a man first comes to a house we use to say you are welcome when he is parting away God speed you or fare you well when we meet with him on the high way God save you So when we see a man born we may say you are welcome for he is but newly come When we see one under forty God keep you for he is at the best but if past forty God speed you or fare you well for he is going out of the world Sparke 97. Lord I am alwayes going out of the world therefore grant me a prosperous journey and a happy arrivall teach me betimes to take my leave of all and to follow thee let me never look back to the Sodom of sin till I come to the mountain of happy felicity through him and by him who is the way the truth and the life Sect. XCVIII The way to preferment HE that will be joyfull must weep he that will be satisfied must hunger and fast he that will be rich must give and he that will bear rule must obey Sparke 98. Lord give me grace to hunger for thee that I may be filled to weep for my sins that I may be comforted to give that it may be given to me to be mercifull that I may obtaine mercy to obey and be humble that I may be exalted Sect. XCIX The luke-warme Professor HE is like the twilight neither day nor night like the Autumne neither faire nor foule like one sick of an ague one day well another day ill or like the Mary-gold that openeth and shutteth with the sun having on eye towards Sodom and another towards Zoar or like the butterfly on the glasse window that will neither backward nor forward If he puts his hand once to the plough he is presently ready to look back he is but almost a Christian like Agrippa he is one while minded to be fellow-servants with Paul another while resolved to leave him and to follow Demas embracing this present world whose unconstant honour is so offensive and so loathsome to God that he threatens to spew him out of his mouth Rev. 3 16. He is earnest in nothing runs both with the hound and with the hare worships God and Baal weares garments of linnen wollen serves two masters God Mamon he is as well for Romish Babylon as for English Sion he can be conâ—ent with as many religions as he hath honours and vain affections Whereas one heaven held not Michael and the Dragon in peace nor one house the Arke and Dagon nor one womb Jacob and Esau nor one Temple prayer and merchandizing nor one Camp the clean and leprous nor one Bath John and Cerinthus nor one tongue God and Milchom nor one conscience true Religion and false superstition yet the lukewarme mans heart is a seat for all these and yet not constâ—nt and zâ—alous in any of these It is enough with such a one to be outwardly religious Iâ— he hath but a shew and shadow of religion he cares not for the substance
excellent things are spoken of thee thou City of God Psal 87. For thou Lord to shew us the beauty and bravery of that place callest it by the name of a City For whereas it is called in many places a kingdome Mal. 5. to shew the greatnesse and largeness of the place yet left any man by that name of a kingdom might suspect or imagine that there were in heaven many Hils and Deserts and such like waste places where nothing but bruit beasts did inhabite as in Woods and Rocks and such like as in this world therefore though it be called a kingdome yet it is such a kingdome as in all beauty civility pleasantness is like a city where fair Temples Houses Galleries Gardens Orchards and such delights are most plentifull Neither is it termed a city so much for the beauty of the place as for the goodness therein contained and practised For in this city though there be divers Nations of all countries and kindreds yea of Angels Archangels Principalities and Powers an infinite company and an innumerable multitude and in all likelihood more in number than men being of a differing kind from man yet they have all but one law and one language one king and one government being all true citizens having one heart and one mind all guided and governed by the law of perfect charity and because charity is contrary to hatred envy contention discords braules and other sins and vices Therefore that city and place of blisse must needs be void of all anger braule strife envy malice uncharitablenes and such like For there must raign true charity with justice peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. neither is peace and amity the onely felicity of this place but perfect liberty is also granted unto the citizens thereof and that in many respects as first a freedome from the servitude of sin For whereas in the earthly Paradise Adam had ability and power not to sin à posse non peccare in this celestiall Paradise they have non posse peccare an impossibility to sin Such shall be their liberty from sin that they shall not be able to sin at all And as they have this freedome and liberty from the servitude of sin so likewise from the servitude of death and mortality For as in the earthly Paradise Adam had non posse non mori a disability not to die so in the city of Heaven he hath an impossibility to die So that not to be able to sin or not to be able to die sheweth a freedome from sin and death And as they are free from sin and death so from all kinde of necessity For here men have need to eat drink sleep sit stand and walk sometimes but in Heaven the Saints of God have no such need for they need nothing but enjoy the glorious liberties of the sons of God Rom. 8. How sweet this liberty is the poor the rich and the hollest men in the world may quickly know and perceive For what pains do poor take yea how do they toile and moile cark and care trot and drudge for a little meat drink and cloathing which they must have to supply their bodily wants and what great thanks do they heartily give unto those that supply their present want free them from this painfull servitude of necessity Yea not onely poore men feele the misery of this but holy and sanctified persons are much molested and cumbred with this servitude of necessity and think it a grievous burden to be bound to care for their own bodies necessary provision accounting the time they spend about such business in a manner lost and ill spent or at least that this care in providing is a hinderance to them from better imployments in holy businesses in so much that many Christians in the time of the Apostles were so busied and delighted in holy meditations Euseb lib. 2 Hist c. 15. that commonly they never took leisure to feed their bodies till after the suns going down yea some forgetting to take meat and for three days together Mar. 8. and some for whole weeks This bondage of necessity and corporall need was so heavy unto some of them that no doubt it made them cry out with St. Paul Oh wretched man that I am Rom. 7. who shall deliver me from this body of death And though the rich citizens of this world seem to be little troubled with this bondage of necessity because their meat and drink is sweetly prepared for them their rest in soft beds a kinde of contented quietness and Sabbaoth of rest yet if they exceed never so little in the use or abuse of any of these they fill their bodies with sundry and perhaps incureable diseases for the expelling of which they shall be fain carefully to seek and unwillingly to take many bitter potions and to endure many griping pains yea they shall be driven wiâ—l they nill they either to be at debate with God and to undergo his wrath or else to fight with their fleshly concupiscence for temperance and sobriety which strife is often both dolorous and dangerous to the patient Therefore both rich and poore wicked and godly are troubled and vexed in the city of the world with this servitude of necessity but the children of God in the city of God are freed from the servitude of all this misery For they cark not toil not eat not drink not sleep not surfeit not sicken not but have perfect liberty from the bondage of sinne of death of necessity and which is more from the law because the law is not given to the just but to the unjust and none are more just than the blessed Saints which are justified in the blood of the lamb and cloathed with his white unspotted robe being confirmed in true justice and unable to do injustly and though the just that live in this world have no threatning and permanent law to which they are bound because willingly and with a glad heart they obey unto the precept of God without law or compulsion yet they have a directing law and rule of godliness given them of God binding them to do what the law commandeth and to leave undone what it forbiddeth but the Saints in heaven which enjoy that glorious liberty of the sons of God need no law or direction who in the word and Son of God behold all righteousnesse and are so confirmed in perfect love that they cannot decline from the will of their God Thus do they live and love in that holy place as crowned Kings and free Citizens in the heavenly Jerusalem being freed from the bondage of sin death necessity and the law attending the service of the everlasting God which is true liberty and perfect freedome forever Sparke 6. O Gracious God bring me unto thy strong City d Psal 40. say unto me in the worthiness of thy son thou good and faithfull servant enter into thy Lords joy e
my soul and with all my strength and because sweet Father I cannot love thee e 1 John 4.20 whom I have not seen except I love my brother whom I see dayly I beseech thee that I f Levit. 19. may love my neighbour as my self and that I may love thee above my self that neither tribulation g Rom. 8. nor anguish nor famine nor nakâ—dnesse nor life nor death may be able to separate me from the love that I have unto thee in Christ Jesus That I may forsake b Mat. 10.81 Father and Mother Wife and Children and leave all and follow thee Sect. X. Of Christ's Passion O Sweet Saviour The Patient's Pattern we finde that most true which the Prophet Jeremy spake in thy person when he said My grief is above all grief For all thy five sences had no small taste of grief As the feeling vexed with the sharp nails wherewith thou wast pricked Thy hearing with the opprobrious termes wherewith thou wast blasphemed Thy tast with the vineger and gall wherewith thou wast fed Thy smelling with the filthy spittle wherewith thou wast besmeared and thy fight with that wicked crew by whom thou wast abused nay there was not one part in thee left untormented that might be afflicted For thy head was grieved with thornes thy hands and feet with the nailes thy back with the whip thy heart and side with a spear thy whole body with grief and nakedness and thy soul with heaviness Thus wast thou tormented in every part for me that have offended thee in every member giving mine eyes to behold vanity mine ears to listen to folly my tongue to speak blasphâ—my my throat an open sepulcher my hands the instruments of wrong my feet swift to mischief my heart to all wickedness and my whole body to uncleanness Spark 10. O most m rcifull Father behold thy Sâ—nne who did endure this for my sake q Isa 53. behold him that hath suffered and of thy goodnesse remember him for whom he hath suffered Behold his humble hands and forgive the sins which my harmefull hands have committed Behold his gracious eyes thâ—t never affected p 1 John 2.1 vanity and so give the wickedness that my greedy eyes have delighted in Behold his chast ears that never were attentive but to goodness and forgive my sins in hearkening to lewdness Behold his deep wounds in his mercifull hands and forgive the sins of my idle hands Behold his feet which never stood q Psal 1.1 in the way of sinners and make my pathes perfect in thy tract Behold how his side became bloody his bowels dry his sight dim his countenance pale his armes stiffe how his feet hung and his blood ranne in streams to the ground O Lord spare me for whom he hath spilt his blood O good Lord my sins were the thornes the nailes and the spear that wrought such a passion in him and shall such a passion work no compassion in me Shall not so powerfull a passion that wrought remorse in the Sun in the Moone in the Earth in the vail of the Temple in the dead bodies and in the very stones d Mat. 27.51 52 move me to pitty thy pains for whom thou hast suffered for thou diedst not for the Sun nor the Moon nor the Temple nor the Earth nor the Stones but for me Man and for my salvation thou camest down from heaven and wast made man crucified and buried therefore I will praise thy name for ever with the best member that I have Sect. XI Of our Filiation The Affinity of the godly BY Grace we may not onely call God our Father because by Christ we are his adopted sonnes but because we are also his creatures and the works of his hands For we call them rightly fathers which give their being to their children I mean which immediatâ—ly are the cause that their children hâ—ve substantial bodies and they are called sonnes to those men of whom they receive body and blood being and beginning Now as we have the substance and originall of our corruptible bodies from our earthly Fathers so have we our soules immediately from God who is our heavenly Father so that God by creation is the Father of us all and we his sonnes and as all those are termed brethren which receive their bodies and beginning from one man so may all those be well called brethren that receive their spirit life and soul from one God So that God both by Creation and Redemption is the Father of us all and all of us are brethren and look how much the soule doth excell the body so much the more farre doth our heavenly Father excell our earthly Father and so much doth our fraternity in God excell our brotherhood in man For without comparison God is more properly to be termed a Father in respect of the soul than a carnall Father is in respect of the body because the body in comparison of the soul is as nothing For a man is a man in respect of his soul and the body hath his being onely for the soul in respect therefore that the soul is the chief thing in man it is evident that God from whom it cometh is the chief Father So that every man is more the son of God than he is the son of his carnall Father because he receiveth this principall part immediately from God Nay which is more man receiveth from his carnal Father but some part of his body for he receiveth part from his mother yea both his Father and Mother are but the instrumentall cause in generation for God is the principal in the generation of the body and the onely and sole cause of the soul for man receiveth his soul onely from God not in part as his body from his carnal Father but wholely and entirely Now therefore seeing we are called sons more in respect of our soules than in respect of our bodies it followeth that we are brethren in respect of the soul more than in respect of the body for in respect of the body alone bruit beasts have a fraternity as well as we but not in respect of the soul because they have none properly So that it followeth that we are all rather to be tearmed brethren bâ—cause we receive our immortal souls immediately from one God created after his image than those who but in part and imperfectly receive their bodies from one and the same carnal Father therefore look how much more dear our soules are than our bodies unto us so much more dear ought God to be unto us than our carnal Fathers and our love to men as they are our brethren in God more than as they are our brethren in the flesh And if we be induced to love honour fear reverence and obey our carnal Fathers of whom as instruments we received but our bodies and those but in part then how much rather ought we to fear reverence love honour and obey our spiritual
kinde of Masters Choice of Masters to wit his Enemy his Equall and his Servant He which serveth the Devill serveth his Enemy He which serveth his Flesh serveth his Equall And he which serveth the World serveth his Servant Therfore of all service it is the basest service to serve the world because such a one like Cham shall be but the servant of servants and to serve the Devill is but an unthankfull office for such one is sure to have no better payment than death for his stipend And for to serve the flesh it is but to seek to please a chollerick brittle and unconstant master Therefore to serve God is the best service for he is the b st master For if we be poor he onely can enrich us If we be sick he is the best Physitian If we be wronged he can right us If we be weak he is most strong If ignorant he can best instruct us And if discontented he onely can please and prefer us Sparke 48. O Dear Father make us to be of thy hired servants Luk. 15. let us desire to be rather door-keepers in thy house than to remain in the pleasant Palaces of Princes Psal 84. Good Lord thou hast taught us that no man can serve two masters but either he shall hate the one and love the other or cleave to the one and leave the other Therefore Lord let our choyce be with thy Disciples to forsake all and follow thee Josh 22.5 And grant we may serve thee with all our heart and with all our soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. XLIX God the Teacher of true Wisedom onely O Lord I am ignorant and want instructions in true wisedom The Well of Wisdome To whom shall I repair to learn it shall I go to the world Alas no for all the world lieth in Wickedness Shall I go to the flesh That be far from me for the flesh doteth and lusteth against the spirit Shall I go to the Devill God forbid For he is a Liar a Tempter and a Seducer of the Brethren To whom then shall I go To mortal men Alas no for all men are liars the children of men are set on fire their teeth are spears and arrowes and their tongue a sharp sword there is none that understandeth and seeketh after God To whom then shall I go to learn wisdom Shal I go to the Law of Moses No neither For the Law it self is but a School-Master to bring us to Christ Shall I go to the Angels for true wisedom I must not do so for they themselves learn of Christ and adore him Shall I come to the Lord without Christ No that must I never do For it is a horrible thing to think of thee without thy sonne Christ to whom therefore shall I go but unto thee my blessed Saviour which hast the word of wisedom and eternal life Thou art a King to rule me a Priest to pray for me and a Prophet to teach and instruct me Joh. 6. Sparke 49. O God the fountain of wisedom and knowledge give me understanding and I shall live for through thee I shall be wiser than the aged and have more understanding than my teachers Psal 90. 143. Teach me therefore good Lord in thy Statutes and to do the thing which pleaseth thee and for the first lesson learne me the fear which is the beginning of wisedom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. L. The least sin deserves death The Devills Diminutive O Good Lord I see that the World is grown to that passe that men make not so much account of small fins as of old shots A mote in the sun is but a small thing and yet enough to hinder the fight to pain the eye and to trouble the whole body A haire but a small thing and yet enough to choke the strongest man The Flies of Egypt were but little things yet none of the least plagues yea the lice were lesse than the flies and yet one of the greatest plagues that came into Egypt Like unto these be our sins which we call little sins or the men of this world call veniall and to be washed with their holy waters but how little account soever the world makes of them now the time will come when we shall wish we had never offended in the least diminutive evill For what smaller offence in our sight than a thought of pride yet the Angells were punished in everlasting chaines for it What lesser fault than to bite of an apple yet Adam and Eve when there were no more men in the world were banished Paradise for it and made to everlasting misery without Christ's mercy Lot's wife for once looking back a small offence one would think was turned into a fearfull Monument for all posterity to look upon Sparke 50. O dear Father seeing thou art most pure and so pure that the stars of heaven are not clean in thy sight Job 25. cleanse us from our secret sins Psal 19.12 51. let us think no sin a smal offence that offendeth thee which art infinite For we are no sooner born but become forlorne creatures without thy great mercy and no sooner conceived but damned if thou dealest in the rigour of Justice with us Therefore enter not into judgement with us thy servants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious bloud and be not angry with us for ever Sect. LI. The shadowes of sin IT is strange to think that so many things should point out unto us the cursed nature of sin and yet we cannot avoid it It is like to leaven a little whereof will sower the whole lump of dough It is like fire a sparke whereof is able to burne a whole City It is that Jewish Leprosie that infected every thing that came nigh unto it It is like a tetter or a ringworm which though it have but a small beginning yet being not stopped will run over the whole body It is like that dead sea that killeth all that swimmeth in it Or like the quick-sands which suddenly let a man sink over head and ears if he stand still in it never so little It is like Jezabell that painted Harlot whose very skull of the head with the palmes of the hands must be buried lest they infect the very ayr Sparke 51. O dear Father if all thy creatures be not able to shew us the ugliness and deformity of this foule monster and to make us loath it grant that we may have a dayly recourse unto thy law Rom. 7. the glasse whereof will plainly shew unto us both the name and nature propertie and proportion of this hellish leprosie and so seeing it we may be sorry and being sorry may loath it and loathing it may avoid it and so come the nerer unto thee in perfection through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. LII The Lords
Rom 13. Gal. 5. 1 Cor. 15. and be skilâ—ul in the rules of Christianity through that loadstone of love Jesus Christ Amâ— Sect. LXXIX The House-holder's Office EVery man in his House should beare the same Office as Christ doth in his Gen. 32. Church who is King Priest and Prophet So most that good man be a King to rule his Family and to correct his Children so did Jacob A Priest to pray for his Children Job 1. 1 Kings 2.2 so did Job And a Prophet to teach and instruct them so did David Spark 79. Grant O Lord that I may correct my Children For Prov. 13. The sparing of the rod is the spoyling of the Childe Teach me to instruct them in their youth that they may it when they are old Teach me how to pray both for me and them Mat. 7. For to him that knocketh it shall be opened Sect. LXXX A Medicine well tempered THough God's blessings be sweet alwayes in themselves yet he maketh them often times seem more sweet to us by the manner of giving them as when he sends a calm after a great tempest perfect health after long sickness free liberty after close Imprisonment a bright day after a dark night a blessing to Jacob after long wrastling the Land of Canaan to Israel after long Warre riches to Job after great poverty light to Paul after long darkness Sorrow for a night to his Children but joy in the morning Spark 80. O Lord If thy blessings taste not sweet enough in the mouth of my sickly and sinfull soul feed me sometimes with â—hy tart benefiâ—s that thy sweet blâ—ssings mâ—y be the more welcome to me and my self more thankfull unto thee that I may say with David â—er 10 24. It is good for me that I have been in trouble for before I was troubled I went wrong Sect. LXXXI Sin 's port-way IF a man wil take his journey towards Hell he need not fear to be out of his way for that way is both common and plain where he shall overtake many to bear him company but none coming back to bring him commendation to his friends But he that will resolve to take his voyage towards Hâ—aven shall have much ado to finde the way for it is a troublesome path frequented but by few and therefore we had need to set forwards betimes if we will come to the end of our journey But the best is though we travailâ— hard to come to it yet when we come we shall be sure of a good lodging where we may be joyfull and merry and rest for ever without any more pain banquetting and feasting like glad children in our elder brother's house Spark 81. Psal 5. Psal 139. Psal 143.10 Luk. 16. Mat. 4. Exod. 23 20 Teach me O Lord thy way and let thy holy spirit direct me thy Word conduct me and the blessed Angells attend me that I neither wander fall nor stumble untill I arrive at the haven of happiness to dwell with thee forever more Amen Sect. LXXXII The chiefest Trade VVHen men are about to bind their children to any Trade they will commonly be carefull to know that profession wherein they may be admitted with less charge where the Professor is of good name and credit the calling honest and gainfull and whereby in the end they shall be sure to come to great preferment Christianity is the best profession of all and such a calling that the poorest man may be admitted unto without charge Who is of greater credit than God And who can choose a better mastâ—r to serve than his Maker The calling is most honest and gainfull For what greater honesty than to do unto all men as I would they should do unto me And what greater gain than godliness Lastly having served out the time what greater freedome can any have than to be a free-man of Heaven what greater preferment can any wish than to have a Crowne of glory and life everlasting Sparke 82. O Lord this is onely my profession I am bound to it since I was a child Howbeit I have a thousaand times broken my Indentures and run away from thee and thou hast still brought me back again and forgiven me I am ashamed Lâ—rd I have so often displeased so gentle a Master Good Lord forgive me for Jesus Christ's sake Amen Sect. LXXXIII The best conception SOme have bin for a time barren in body but fruitfull in soul so was Sarah Rebecca and Elizabeth Some have been fruitfull in body but barren in soul so were Lot's Daughters that so readily conceived of their Father Some again are fruitfull both in body and soul and so was the blessed Virgin for she conceived Christ in her womb and pondered all his sayings in her heart Sparke 83. Lord grant that how barren soever our bodies be in multiplication yet our souls may be always bringing forth fruit in due season conceiving a good faith in thee and bringing forth good works to thy praise and glory Sect. LXXXIV Welcome God's Will SOme men have many children and have no inheritance for them some have inheritance and no children some have both children and inheritance some neither children nor inheritance c. Sparke 84. Lord if it please thee to send me many Children without inheritance make them thine by adoption and then they shall be inheritors of thy Kingdome If thou send me children and inheritance make me the more thankfull unto thee and let me not esteem them above thee If I have neither children nor inheritance then give me a lively faith in Christ to purchase Heaven for my patrimony and to become a childe my self that I may have thee for my Father But if it please thee to send me wealth without children Lord give me grace to bestow it upon my poor brethren which are thy children and my spirituall kinsmen for in so doing I do but lend unto thee of thine owne thou wilt be sure to pay me the best interest Sect. LXXXV For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven VVHen I view the earth and see that of her own accord she brings forth both herbs and fodder and food sufficient for all creatures save man wiâ—hâ—ut labour or tillage and that onely man must till and labour for his food then I well perceive Lord that it is man onely that hath and do h daily offend and not the bruit creature Spark 85. Good Lord forgive me my sins both originall and actuall that I with all thy elect may evermore praise thee that the earth may bring forth her increase and that God even our own God may give us his blessing c. Sect. LXXXVI The Kings Court. IF it pleased such as attend the Court to see the difference between the Court of Princes here on earth and the Court of the King of Glory in heaven they would quickly forsake all the Profits of the one to attaine unto the pleasurs of the other For First
times in the midst of greatest calms there ariseth at Sea the soarest tempest So oftentimes in the midst of the worlds solace ariseth the greatest sorrow Sixthly the Sea is no certain place of abode but serves onely to bring men to some surer haven or harbour No more is this world any certain place of dwelling for us but a mean to bring us to that City which we expect for Seventhly as a man on the Sea cannot saile whither he would but whither the winde driveth him So is it not in the power of man in this world to do what he will or to go whither he will but onely as the Spirit of God guideth him Eighthly as the water of the Sea is brinish and bitter and the extreamest holes and end thereof but sand So is the world bitter and distastfull the end thereof but sand dust and ashes And as upon the Sea Ships do alwayes sail So on the Sea of this world the Church of God like Noah's Arke doth continually abide whose main-Mast is the Cross of Christ her Sails the holy Scriptures her Anchor true Faith her Pilate the Spirit of God hee Calls Christian Hope and Gods gracious Promises her chief Master Governour Christ himself This Ship is often tossed and troubled with the tumults of our Enemies which are like uno foure tempestuous windes the Atheist the Turk the Papist and the Puritan The Atheist acknowledgeth not the Ship-Master the Turk would hew down her main-Mast the Papist would take away her Anchor-hold the Puritan would break her Sterne of Government and cast away her Ordnances But God still these windes Yet those that are at Sea seâ— by their Card that in the midst of tempestuous weather the needle of their Compass remaineth always unmovable stayeth upon one point because it governs it self by the Pole In like sort the soul of a faithfull Christian in the midst of all these unruly windes and sturdy stormes will stand quiet enjoy a most assured peace because his love and affection like the needle point aimeth at Heaven and stayeth it selfe upon Gods Promise which is the true Pole and Object of our love Spark 87. O sweet Jesus sleep not in the Ship of thy Church still and stay all tempests and unruly stormes that may arise to terrifie us Lord look upon us in these dangerous times wherein we are well nigh covered with wicked waves Lord save us least we perish and rebuke these winds and waves that trouble thy poor Mariners Mat. 8.23 24 25 26. Good Lord walke thou with us upon the Sea of this world that if the Sea cast us up as dead thou mayest receive us Hinder the great Leviathan to devour us and the mighty Nimrods of the world to hunt after us and let the needle of our affection remain alwayes stedfast to the Pole of thy Promises Be with us on the Sea as thou wast with Jonah and on the Land as thou wast with Joseph that if we be cast to the Whale's belly with the one or into the Prisons profundity with the other yet do thou never forsake us But till our Cause be knowne let us still out of the deep call upon thee that the deep of thy mercy may help the deep of our misery so one deep may call upon another Sect. LXXXVIII Good Service IT is the common custom of many men to use their servants as they do their apparel that is to cast them away when they are worne out and can serve them no longer as before Happy are they therefore that serve such a Master in youth that will be sure not to forsake them in age and for a little sorrow on earth will give them continuall solace in Heaven Sparke 88. Grant Lord that I bestow both life and Limbe time and talent to thy glory that now being by Christ delivered from the hands of mine Enemies I may serve thee without fear all the dayes of my life Sect LXXXIX Christ's Rest O My Saviour thy first lodging was a new womb wherein never man before was conceived Thy second lodging a new tomb wherein never man before was buried And thy third lodging must be in a new heart that must never be defiâ—ed Sparke 89. Grant Lord that as thy Mother conceived thee in her wombe so I may conceive thee in my heart Lord let my heart be thy grave thy stable and manger thy Tem le and thy dwelling House that I may dwell in thâ—e and thou in me for evermore Amen Sect. XC Hopes Confirmation VVHen I see the earth to bring forth all things that are committed unto it my hope is confirmed and my joy increased because I know it must one day râ—store our bodies committed in trust unto it and then the year of the great Jubile will come when such as groan under their burden and all the lands Prisoners shall be set at liberty For the just in Christ saith David shal flourish as the Palm tree which though it have many weights at the top and many snakes at the root yet is it still neither opprâ—ssed with the weights distressed with the snakes so though the earth oppresse us and thâ— worms devour us when our Salvation draweth neer at hand we shall lift up our heads again shall no more die but death and corruption shall die in us Then may evâ—ry one of us sing with David I layd me down and slâ—pt and rose up again for the Lord sustained mee O my God how many things hast thou ordained to strengthen my faith and to confirm my hope herein For the sun setteth and is closed up in darknesse and yet riseth again the next moring The moon waneth every moneth and becometh small or nothing to our sight yet it groweth again to her glorious and former light The trees in winter are as dead before us and all their beautifull leaves withered wasted and fallen away yet when the spring commeth they revive again and are gorgeously cloathed as before The Lion being too long ere he finde his prey when he commeâ—h home he findeth his whelps dead and with his very roaring reviveth them again The Pelican by her blood reviveth her young ones The Phenix from her dead ashes receiveth life The Serpent being cut in twain by lying a while in the dung knitteth her self and reviveth again Many small birds for the Winter lie in fens holes and caves and trees as buried and dead yet rise again in Spring and sing melodiously Lastly what is our bed but the Image of our graves the clothes that covers us of the dust and earth cast upon us The little flea that biteth us of the wormes that shall consume us The Coâ—k that croweth of the last Trumpet Therefore as I rise up lustily when sluggish sleep is past so I hope to risâ— Joyfully to Judgment at the last Sparke 90. Gâ—â—nt me O Lord a lively faith 1 Cor. 15. not to sorrow for my brethren that sleep in thee Mat.
Sparke 99. O dear Father that art one God true and constant in all thy wayes and unchangeable yea a jealous God and a consuming fire grant that I may be true and constant in all my wayes not having a shew of godliness and denying the power thereof let me not become half a christian like Agrippa but grant unto me the love of thy servant John the heart and constancy of David the zeal of Phineas the boldnesse of Peter the resolution of Paul the patience of Job the perseverance of Joseph the courage of Joshua the earnestness of Moses and the constancy and integrity of my Saviour That so I may run the way of thy commandments and count it my meat and drink to do thy will Good Lord make me every day more fervent of thy glory more faithfull in thy service more fearfull of thy judgements and more sorrowful for my sins through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. C. The death of his Saints is dear in the Lords sight IT is not without great reason that murther is so hatefull unto God that the bloud of the slain crieth in his ears for revenge For if we respect the majesty of Goh himself what can be more odious to him than to see his own image defaced in his own presence or what can be more contemptuous than to kill one in his view which he loved so dear that he gave his onely son to dy for him Nay what more wicked than willfully to deprive him of life of whose life and safety God was so carefull that he numbred the haires of his head least one of them should perish Sparke 100. O Lord keep mee from bloud thirsty men give me grace to love thy image for thy sake and not to destroy that which thy hands have made and for whom thy son died Sect. CI. The beastly Man IT was not for nothing that the Poets did faine men to be transformed into the shape of some beasts for indeed we are worse in some things than beasts The drunkard is more filthy than the swine the murtherer more cruell than the tiger the wordling more subtile than the Serpent the cholerick more angry than the Wasp the covetous more greedy than the Wolf the adulterer more leacherous than the Goat Yea many beasts have exceeded us in vertue but we exceed all in vice Sparke 101. O Lord renew thy image in us and repaire our defects let us not any more with the Swine wallow in the mire of our filthiness Instruct thou us Lord and let us not be like horse and mule that have no understanding but keep us in thy wayes that we walk in thy wisedom through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. CII The Foolish Worldling and the wise Christian BOth will yield honour to man but diversely the one honoureth him that hath the richest garment and other externall ornaments glorious to the eye the other honours him most who is richly adorned within with wisedom and good qualities For as the world respects the outward man so do the chil of the world And as God respects the inward man so do the children of God For if a man be vain outwardly he is like unto the world and therefore the worldlings will honour him but if he be good inwardly he is like God and therefore the godly will reverence him Spark 102. O Lord grant I may give tribute to whom tribute honour to whom honour worship to whom worship and fear to whom fear is due through Jesus Christ Amen Sect. CIII Faith's feeding Some Creatures by the providence of God are said to live in the air as the Chamaeleon some in the water as Fishes c. some in the earth as Wants and Wormes c. some in the fire as Salamanders c but hope is such a creature that is not tied to any one Element but hath free liberty to comfort and refresh her self upon all these As first upon the aire and light of heaven For how can we see the sun and the rest of those glorious Planets to set and rise every day and not be confirmed in our hope of our own resurrection Secondly upon the fire which we see covered and buried at night in the ashes like our bodies in the dust and in the morning to be kindled with a little dry straw which may assure us that â—hough now the dust doth cover our bodies as it were for a night yet the joyfull morning of our resurrection will come when our bodies shall be quickened and lightened again with the candle of our soul through the power of our Saviour and the fiery force of the holy spirit that we may shine as bright lamps in his house for ever Thirdly is not our hope much sustained by the water which now we see to decrease and ebbe within few hours after to flow and fill again all those empty chinkes and channels which of late were dried up and so to revive them with a new floud and fresh current and shall not those empty veynes of our bodies and those holy arteries of our flesh at the spring-tide of the resurrection by the powerfull blowing of the Southern wind of Gods spirit be filled again with bloud and the spirit of life Fourthly shall we observe the earth to bring forth all things committed unto her and not hope without doubt that she will one day likewise deliver up our bodies committed to their trust and that much more glorious than she doth any corne or seeds which she keep but for lesse than a year Let us not think it therefore unlikely for our vile bodies to be made glorious seeing that fine paper is made of foul rags and pure glasse of the ashes of ferne yea of a heap of dry bones faire and stronge bodies and life given unto them with a blast of winde Ezek. 37 For could God create all things of nothing and can he not work his own will in his own creatures could he fetch light out of darkness as it were out of a grave can he in the womb of a woman of a little bloud frame a body distinguished with so many and sundry instruments as that it may go for a little world and within the space of some few dayes add lifâ— unto it And can he not restore the body that hath been so to what it was Can he quicken us in the womb of our mother and can he not receive us in the womb of the earth Can we fetch fire out of the flint and cannot he fetch us out of the earth 1 King 17.23 2 King 4 32 Acts 9.40 23.10 Could Eliah and Elisha raise the widow of Zareptha the Shunamites children Could Peter raise Tabitha and Paul Eutychus and cannot God their Lord and ours raise both them and us Sparke 103. O dear Father 1 Pet. 1. which by thy great mercy hast regenerated us to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Chrst from the dead 1 Tim. 3. Rom.
some in another respect and therefore we are 1. To love God because he is the fiâ—st good and chief good and onely good for there is nothing good but by him and therefore God is to be loved in respect he is good and after the same manner as he is good so is he to be beloved Now he is the first good and therefore first to be loved He is the chief good and therefore chiefly to be loved He is the purest good and therefore most purely to be loved He is an infinite good and therefore infinitely to be loved And because nothing is good but thorough and in him therefore nothing is to be beloved but in him 2. God is to be feared because he is omnipotent and because he is chiefly and onely Almighty therefore is he chiefly and onely to be feared And because he is eternally Almighty therefore he is eternally to be feared And because he is the onely Almighty therefore to him onely belongeth fear And because he is most truly Almighty therefore is he most truly to be feared 3. In respect he is our Lord he is to be honoured And whereas he is the chief Lord therefore he is chiefly to be honoured And because he is infinitely chief therefore is he infinitely and chiefly to be honoured And because he is the first beginning of man therefore he is the first to be honoured of man 4. Obedience belongeth to God because he is above all things and because he is onely chiefly and eternally above all therefore he is onely chiefly and eternally above all to be obeyed And because he is only superiour unto man therefore he is chiefly to be obeyed of man 5. He is to be glorified and praised in respect he is the Worker Maker and Creator of all things And because he is the chiefest the wisest the first and onely Creator and maker of all things therefore he is chiefly principally wisely and onely to be glorified magnified and praised And because he is the maker of man therefore he is to be loved and glorified of man 6. God is to be beloved because he is true and truth it self and no lyar And because he is the first truth and most perfect truth therefore he is first to be beloved most perfectly to be beloved because he is the chief truth and chiefly faithfull therefore he is chiefly and most faithfully to be beloved To conclude to God belongeth Hope because he is powerfull and willing and onely knoweth how to help and to save and because he is the first power the onely powerfull chiefly powerfull wise and willing therefore he is chiefly principally onely wisely and willingly to be hoped in Thus we ow all duty to him who is Lord of all and that particularly for particular causes Sparke 4. O Lord we are thy creatures and thou art our Creator create in us a new heart to love thee above all c Gen. 1. Deut. 11. who art most good and d Joel 13. loving And as thou art the first good so grant we may first love thee and seek thy kingdome e Mat. 6. And for as much as all things do fear f Amos 6. thee which art most fearful let us fear thee first and fear thee most let us neither love fear or reverence any thing above thee nor any thing before thee nor any thing equal with thee nor any thing but for thy sake And because thou art onely praise-worthy g Psal 145 therefore Lord let all the world praise thee and especially man O Lord let our tongues be the Pen h Psal 45. of a ready Writer to paint thy praise Let us not onely praise thee with the best members that we have but with all the members that we have through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. V. The love of God the best Gift OF all the gifts and blessings which the Lord bestowed upon man The Debters discharge there is none so great so good so sweet and so pleasant as his love because whatsoever other blessings he hath bestowed upon us thâ—y were and are bestowed upon us for his loves sake For he first gave his love unto us with himself and then all things for his sake Yet if we would desire to requite Gods kindnesse and to be thankfull unto him for his blessings there is nothing wherein we may answer him so easily as in his love For if God be angry with us we must not answer him in his anger and be angry again If God doth judge us we must not judge him again If he doth teach us we must not teach him again or if he doth correct us and rebuke us we must not think to doe so with him again But when God doth love us we may love him again For God did never finde fault with such as did seek to imitate him in his love Adam aspiring to be like God in knowledge was cast out of Paradise Lucifer aspiring to be like God in Majesty was cast out of heaven The Sorcerers of Aegypt seeking to imitate God in his Miracles and wonders were drowned in the Sea But for coveting to be like God in love none neither man nor Angel was punished For seeing God doth love us in the highest degree and above all degrees of affection we may love him again with the highest strain of our love even with all our heart soul strength and might For God loveth us to the intent he may be beloved of us Sparke 5. O Blessed Lord the true loade-stone of love as thou hast made me after thine own image Gen. 1. so repair it in me that by loving thee again for thy love I may be the more like unto thee which art love it self Let the beams of thy love so warm me and so beat upon my cold heart that it may reflect unto thee again And as thou hast loved me above all the works of thy hands 1 John 3 so grant I may love thee again above Father Mother Wife or children and be ready to forsake all and follow thee k Mat. 10. Yea let me love nothing in comparison of thee nor any thing but in thee and for thy sake Therefore Lord let nothing seem sweet or worthy of love in my sight besides thee for such as love thy name l Psal 5. shall be joyfull in thee Therefore as thou art love everlasting so grant I may love thee with an everlasting love and as thou art all love so grant I may love thee with all my love And as thou lovest all the works of thy hands and hatest nothing which thou hast made but especially man above all so grant that for thy sake I may love all the works of thy hands as they are thy works but thee above all through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Sect. VI. Of the glory of Heaven The Saints Freedome VVEll might the sweet Singer and Psalmist of Israel say of that glorious habitation of Saints very