and sorrow encline thine ear of pity unto me and that right soon and speedily 3 For my dayes which I have mis-spent are consumed away like smoke which for want of substance dissolveth to nothing and my bones which by my broken spirit are dryed up are burnt up as a fire-brand 4 My heart is dejected and smitten with the thought of thy Justice and it is withered with remembrance of thy Judgements like grass without juyce or sap so that in this anguish of Soul I forget and loath to eat my bread 5 By reason of the grievous voice of my groaning sighs and tears I am so consumed away that my bones for want of flesh cleave to my skin and I am nothing but skin and bone 6 I am for shame that I have offended thee become in condition like a Pelican that liveth solitarily in the Wilderness and I am like an Owl not daring to be seen but that avoideth the light and is continually in the Desert shunning the company of other Birds 7 I watch and sleep not for the thought of my sins and am as a Sparrow that caring for no company sitteth alone making grievous lamentation in a mournful note upon the house-top 8 Mine Enemies seeing me thus penitent reproach me with opprobrious speeches all the day continually deriding me and they that while I was their companion in sin applauded me are upon my conversion mad against me and do combine and are sworn to do me mischief and to that end set themselves against me 9 For this cause taking no pleasure in this world I have eaten ashes and fed upon course meat like as it were fine bread and dainty fare and I have mingled my drink with tears weeping and lamenting for my sinnes 10 Because of thine indignation against me for them and thy wrath for my bad life past all this evil and more hath befallen me for thou hast lifted me up very high and from thence hast cast me down that my fall might be the greater 11 My dayes few and evil are passed like a shadow upon a Sun-Dyal that declineth toward the Evening and I that lately seemed to flourish am withered and dryed up like grass without sap for want of thy comfort 12 But thou O Lord which wert and art shalt continue immutable and shalt endure for ever while all transitory things pass and come to nothing and thy glorious works shall be had in remembrance unto all generations even unto the end of the world 13 Thou O Lord who seemest to men to sleep shalt arise in thy strength and have mercy and compassion upon Sion thy Church militant now oppressed with the tyranny of Antichrist for the time to look upon her and favour her is at hand yea the set time which thou hast decreed for her deliverance is or will not be long ere it come 14 For they which be thy true and faithfull Servants take pleasure and delight in her stones their fellow Servants and are glad when they see them prosper and favour and pity the very dust and ruines thereof when they see them under persecution 15 So that when they shall be delivered from their misery the very heathen shall fear and tremble at the Name of the Lord and be converted to him and all the Kings and Potentates on earth which now oppose the truth shall acknowledge thee O Lord to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and be afraid at the greatness of thy glory and Majesty 16 When the Lord by his almighty power shall build up Sion and repair the ruines of his Church he shall then to the confusion of his enemies appear in his glory which they shall not be able to endure 17 He will then in mercy regard and hearken to the prayer of his poor servants and the destitute of his help and not any longer seem to turn away his face from them nor despise their prayer and earnest supplications 18 This mercy of his shall then be recorded and written as a remembrance for the generations to come even to the end of the world which shall attempt the like against his Church and the people yet unborn that shall succeed and be created in ages to come shall praise and magnifie the Lord which only doth marvellous things 19 For he hath in mercy by sending his Son Christ Jesus looked down from the height of his Sanctuary his holy place even from Heaven his Fathers bosom did the Lord Jesus behold the Earth and had compassion upon all the Sons of men 20 To hear and pity the groaning of the Prisoners such as did groan under the burden of the Law and to loose and set at liberty by his passion and intercession those of the posterity of Adam that are appointed to suffer death for not fullfiling the same 21 To the end that they being so delivered may declare and shew the power and the Name of the Lord which is Jesus the Saviour in Sion his Church and magnifie and extol his praise in Ierusalem his holy habitation 22 When the faithful people which are yet dispersed over the face of the Earth are gathered together and made one Congregation and the Kingdoms of the Earth which are yet in darkness are instructed to serve thee the only Lord of Heaven and Earth 23 He even the Lord in the time of this expectation hath weakned and abated my strength so that I can do no good of my self in the way of this my earthly pilgrimage he hath shortned and cut off my dayes by afflicting me for my sin 24 I said yet in this weakness and anguish of my Soul O my God with-draw not now thy mercy from me and take me not away out of this world in the midst of my dayes the chief time of my strength as for thy years as they are from all eternity so shall they endure throughout all generations even for ever 25 Of old at the beginning of time hast thou of thine own power laid and created the Foundations of the Earth the visible World and all things in it and the Heavens and Firmament thereof are the only work of thy Almighty hands and power 26 They even Heaven and Earth and all things in them shall pass away and perish from the form they now have but thou O Lord the Creator of them shalt endure immutable Yea without all doubt all of them as thou hast decreed shall wax old and consume with age like a garment long worn and as a vesture or garment shalt thou by the sound of the last Trump change and dissolve them and they shall yield to thy power and be changed 27 But thou O Lord art the same alwayes unchangeable and thy years being from all Eternity shall have no end but continue for ever 28 The Children and posterity of thy faithful Servants begotten by the seeds-men of thy Word shall continue in grace in this life and their righteous seed shall stand fast and be established for ever together with
it The Transcendency of the Godhead exceeds not only the usual strength of eloquence but of understanding likewise He is Absolute or Simple Without Composition Without Body Spiritual He is all Eye He is all Ear He is all Hand Invisible Because he seeth all things Because he heareth all things Because he worketh all things He is all Foot because he is every where When you hear him named conceive him to be a substance without beginning or end Simple without mixture Infinite Not to be circumscribed to time or place Whither shall I go from thy presence c. Heaven is my Throne c. Where is the place of my rest Do not I fill Heaven and Earth saith the Lord The Spirit of the Lord filleth all the world Deus ubique est totus ubique est AEterna stabilitate in seipso manens totus adesse rebus omnibus potest singulis totus God is every where and wholly every where By eternal stability remaining in himself he is wholly in all things and wholly in every thing Immortal I live for ever I honoured him that liveth for ever He only hath immortality Solus Deus est immortalis quia non est per gratiam sed per naturam Eternal Without beginning Thou art God from everlasting Without end Thou art the same and thy years shall not fail He is called the Ancient of dayes Immutable Not to be changed 1. In his Nature Thou shalt endure I am the Lord I change not Every good and perfect gift cometh from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of changing 2. In his Promises and Decrees The counsel of the Lord shall stand My counsel shall stand The immutability of his counsel saith the Apostle God hath promised who cannot lie Non mutatur Deus qui unus atque idem est mutari non potest God is not changed being one and the same uncapable of change Wise. Nothing hid from him The Lord knoweth the wayes of the righteous The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man His wisdom is infinite No searching of his understanding Loe thou knowest all things Known unto God are all his works O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God The Spirit searcheth all things All things are naked and open to his eyes God knoweth all things Holy No evil or iniquity in him Who is like unto thee O Lord glorious in holiness None holy as the Lord. The holy One of Iacob The holy One Of purer eyes than to behold evil Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts He is an Holy God I am Holy saith God himself True 1. In himself Whatsoever is in him is Truth The Lord is the true God It is life eternal to know thee true God c. Let God be true and every man a liar Ye turned from Idols to serve the true and living God 2. In his works Iust and true are thy wayes Righteous in all his works Iust art thou O Lord and righteous are thy judgements 3. In his words The words of the Lord are pure The Truth of the Lord endureth for ever Good Absolutely Not participating from any other 1. In himself 1. There is none good but God Thou art Good 2. Author of all good to others 2. Every good and perfect gift commeth from the Father of lights The Earth is full of his goodness Glorious Ye shall see the glory of the Lord. The glory of the Lord appeared The sight of his glory was like consuming fire The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people The glory of the Lord filled the House of God The whole Earth is full of his glory His glory is above the Heavens Powerful Working all things in all Almighty He doth great unsearchable and marvellous things without number The fabrique of the Universe is the work of his hands The Heavens beautified with Stars The Earth spacious and adorned The Sea Full of variety of his riches The Sea Stored with Fish c. All made of nothing but by his word Thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Thou in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the Earth Through Faith we understaud that the World was ordained by GOD. Mundus hic est veluti magnus liber divinae Majestatis gloria opera explicans This World may be compared to a great Volume wherein are contained and expressed the works of the Divine Majesty and Glory He is King of Kings Lord of Lords Upholding all the Pillars of the Earth Moving the Heavens Changing the Seasons Dividing the Waters Bringing forth the Winds as out of his Treasury But in this and all other his Attributes Verius cogitatur quam dicitur We may better couceive of them than express them And we speak best of his worth when with a silent admiration we hold our peace according to that of the Psalmist Psal. 65. 1. which St. Hierom hath translated Tibi silet omnis laus DEUS in Sion Yet though the custom of the world is to respect men and things either for the goodness in them or for the benefit which accreweth by them Yet the latter worketh most For let a thing be never so good if it bring no profit it is the less regarded Let us therefore take a view of some other of Gods Attributes and consider whether we have not sufficient cause to serve him for the benefits we reap by him And first of that which cometh by him by the I. Creation In which he made Man and all things else for his service 1. He made him his chief delight He made him after his own Image He made him little lower than the Angels and crowned him with glory and honour putting all things in subjection under his feet This wrought admiration in David When he was not he made him a Man not a Beast but such a Creature as may enjoy Eternity with Him He made the Heaven and rested not He made the Earth and rested not He made the Sun and rested not He made the Moon and rested not He made the Stars and rested not But when he made Man he rested that he might have one Creature whose sins he might remit 2. He made all things for the service of Man For him The Sun riseth and goeth down For him The Moon increaseth For him The Stars arise For him Beasts Fowl and Fish For him Corn and Hearbs For him Hills and Mountains For him Valleys and Fields For him Rivers and Flowers For him Times and Seasons For him Angels and Archangels For him Principalities and Powers For him Thrones and Dominions For him Cherubim
instinct He was Created in the condition of a Son The rest but as bondslaves 3. Of Christians more especially by Grace Regeneration and Adoption by Iesus Christ his Son A Father but what Father There is no Father like unto thee When my Father and Mother forsake me then the Lord taketh me up Thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us Can a Woman forget the fruit of her womb c. Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee A most indulgent Father to whom the Prodigal Son arose and went Whom the insolvent servant besought Though thou be a displeased Father yet a Father thou art Though I be a wastful and disobedient Son yet a Son I am Though I have lost the ingenuity of a Son yet thou hast not lost the compassion and love of a Father A Father of Mercies Whom we find so to be By his inciting us to good Confirming us in it Pardoning our sins Delivering us from tentations Reclaiming us from sin Crowning us with blessings 1. If then thou be our Father in are thy Sons How great what manner of Lord hast thou bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God 2. If thou be our Father and we the Sons of God how great is the honour that we are as it were Gods 3. If thou be our Father then are we Brethren to Angels as also to Men. to Saints as also to Mean to Christ as also to men to Himself as also to Poor men And how great ought our love to be Let no man therefore extoll himself above his brethren nor be ashamed to call any man his Brother whom God hath vouchsafed to call Son 4. If thou be our Father how great is our Hope what are we to expect from thee Even all things which a Father giveth to his Children What are we to render unto thee Even all duty and obedience belonging to Children that thou mayest not repent thee nor we be unworthy either of our Creation or Adoption It is not without some reason from our Saviour that the words Mine or I are not to be found in this Prayer Our is a word of charity and unity It is not My Father as if God were any mans peculiar but our Father the Father of all as he properly is through and in Christ. Our prayers are most powerful with God when we express in them a fellow-feeling of the Necessities of our Neighbours and Sympathize with them in their misery This is Charity Let every one of us therefore be as willing and careful to pray for others as well and as heartily as for himself considering that in so doing he prayeth for him whom Charity hath made as himself Christ bare us and all our sins in his body Let us do the like to one another in word and deed For our Selves Necessity compelleth us to pray My Father For our Brethren Charity inviteth us to pray Our Father In these two words Our and Father the Law and Prophets are comprehended In Father the Love of God In Our the Love of our Neighbour And in these two words the sum of the Gospel is contained In Father our Faith In Our our Charity In these words we have a rule and direction to whom to frame our prayers Unto thee shall all flesh come Who have I in Heaven but thee saith King David He is only able to hear us and to grant our desires It is true we have Earthly Fathers but these leave and forsake us Their hands are shortned We call not to them but to thee which art in Heaven Heaven is thy Throne The Heavens declare thy Glory Not that thou art included in the Heavens only for as Solomon said The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee but as if that were thy Royal Palace where the Elect shall enjoy thy blessed presence Thou art Every where by thy Presence Thou art In Heaven by thy Excellence Thou art in Earth also But they which come to thee must be lifted up higher I have lifted up mine eyes Ultra montes expectare Sursum Corda A word of Hope For if thou be our Father and Lord and King of Heaven then our Hope is that our Inheritance is there also that thou wilt not deny us an Inheritance that hast vouchsafed us the Title of Sons Let us therefore take the wings of the Eagle and be lifted up in our Meditations to Heaven being made heirs thereof Let us look up to Heaven while we are upon Earth Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills whence cometh my help Out of the deep have I called to thee O Lord. A word of Power For thou art in that place from whence at all times thou canst send us Help in danger Good things in need Plagues for our offences And though thou art a Father by thy Love yet art thou in Heaven by thy Majesty and Power Let us not therefore presume upon too much familiarity with him as with a Father but let his word in Heaven keep us in a submiss Reverence For though Father and Son be of near Relation yet a Son of the Earth and a Father in Heaven are of great distance And let us be respective of his awful Majesty and make our petitions to him in fear and trembling in all Humility and Reverence And Let us not be rash with our mouths nor our hearts hasty to utter any thing before him For GOD is in Heaven and we poor Creatures upon Earth which is but his footstool This Petition justly challengeth the first place For being thus intituled and dignified with the honour of Sons we ought primarily to consider our duties what we should render back And what should a Son desire more than the honour of his Father By this word we understand all the Attributes by which God hath manifested himself as his Majesty Iustice Power Truth Mercy Goodness c. Blessed be thou our Lord who hast given this power to men To Hallow Thy Name To Magnifie Thy Name To Glorifie Thy Name Which in it self is Holy Which all thy works in general do sanctifie Which all the unreasonable Creatures do hallow and praise in their kinds Which all reasonable Creatures as Angels and Men do glorifie The Angels and Hosts of Heaven Men that are in Heaven already though In Earth by their works In the Congregations In Afflictions Let us therefore glorifie it also and that not carelesly or slightly but zealously and holily in Thought Word and Profession For the whole scope of our Actions ought to tend to the Glory of GOD only And Lord let thy Name be sanctified by others besides us Dilate this power of sanctifying thy Name communicate it more and more to the Gentiles Make thy Gospel to spread to
From the power of the Dog From the Lyons mouth and the horns of the Unicorns Out of the mire that we sink not From the deep and let not the pit shut her mouth upon us And deliver us not only from him but from his malice also From whatsoever poyson he hath breathed on the Creatures From the enmity of the World Take us not from the world but deliver us from the evil of it From whatsoever is evil in our flesh Deliver us from our selves as we are evil Deliver us also as from the evil of sin so from the evil of punishment From the evils and miseries of this life Especially of the life to come O Lord we are oppressed undertake for us Lord carest thou not that we perish We are brought into bondage by sin Captives to Satan and lyable to thy wrath We are not able to match with our enemies by our own strength Assist us thou and deliver us Deliver us by thy Son and we shall be free He overcame the Devil and the World He overcame them in himself Let him overcome them also in us He overcame the Devil in himself by breaking his head dis-arming him and diminishing his power Let him overcome him in us by giving us the Armour of the Spirit and increasing our strength and grace Deliver us from the evil of sin that it have no dominion over us à parte ante Deliver us from the evil of sin when it hath prevailed over us à parte post And that presently and speedily if that it seem good to thee But if not so soon as we desire yet let thy deliverance come certainly Lest the pit shut her mouth upon us Deliver us from evil especially from that evil that carries with it a shew of good When the Enemy pretends to condemn that which is evil and to approve that which is good From the Devil at Noon-day From Satan transforming himself into an Angel of light From pleasing Errors From sins declining and bending to the right hand savouring of politique wisdom Deliver us O Lords From rebellious hearts From polluted lips Throats like open Sepulchers Tongues talking vanity From evil and lustful eyes From uncircumcised ears Deaf like the Adder From hands slow to good From feet swift to evil From a forehead of brass and a neck of Iron From these and all other evils Deliver us O Lord. Lord be thou our help for vain is the help of man Deliver us so that we may be freed not only freed but free So free from sin that we may be servants to righteousness and so long servants to righteousness that at length we may be adopted into Children heirs and co-heirs with Christ. Thine is the Kingdom The Kingdom is the Lords saith David Two thing are considerable in this Conclusion 1. The Confirmation of our Faith we believe that we are heard of GOD who is able and willing to give what we desire 2. The End whereto we ought to refer whatsoever we desire in our prayers The Praise and Glory of GOD. Thou art a King and wilt hear thy Subjects Thou hast right and authority to bear rule and free command over thy creatures the works of thy hands By thee Kings rule and unto thee must they surrender their Crowns All Potentates are but subordinate to thee thy Vicegerents For though God was pleased to stile Nebuchadnezzar King of Kings as having many petty Kings under him yet is he himself and he only the King of Kings For he ruleth over all as well Kings as others The Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord. Thou art the great King as thou speakest thy self Thou removest and sertest up Kings And thy Kingdom is not temporary or of short continuance as other Kingdoms are but it is an everlasting Kingdom Thy Throne endureth for ever The Lord is King for ever aud ever Thou art the King eternal Thou hast power and strength to manage this Kingdom Thou art mightier than our adversaries Who is able to resist thy power This power of thine hath been felt in all ages Who can do like thee or what God is like thee Thou rulest by thy power for ever And this power is proper only to thee Thou hast spoken it and David hath heard it more than once that power belongeth to God And that no small power neither Great is our Lord and of great power Saint Paul calls it the exceeding greatness of his power His mighty power Moses in his Song calls it glorious power So Saint Paul Therefore thou and thou only canst give us what we ask Great is the glory of the Lord. Glory and honour is in his presence He hath set his glory above the Earth and Heavens also He is rich in glory He is the only King of glory And therefore thou expectest of us that we should give glory to thee And O Lord our intent is to glorifie thee We ask these things as meaning and intending to use them to thy glory and say with the Angels and Quire of Heaven Glory be to God in the highest And with all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth and such as are in the Sea Blessing honour and glory and power be to him that sitteth on the Throne And this Kingdom Power and Glory endureth not for a season only but for ever there shall be no end of it Thy Kingdom is everlasting saith David Thy Power everlastiug say and pray the Angels Thy glory is ever also Let us therefore say with those Heavenly people Allelujah Salvation and Glory and Honour and Power unto the Lord our God Behold O Father we have according to thy Sons directions and form presumed to crave those things which we want We have made our necessities known to thee We stedfastly believe that thou art able to supply our wants We desire of thee that thou wouldst grant us those things which we have craved of thee We look up to thee we sigh and groan and pray thee to confirm our votes and wishes with thy Seal Amen So be it Grant us our Petitions for his sake that sent us to thee and that is a true and faithful witness and in whom all thy Promises are Yea and Amen Honour him in us who deserve of our selves without him no good but much evil at thy hands And say to our Petitions Amen So be it O Almighty LORD and our Heavenly Father whose fatherly power and goodness is seen in the Creation Preservation and Governing of all things and upon whom as a Father we wait and depend for all that is good who art in all places by thy presence but especially in Heaven by thy Excellency
ardent and affectionate prayer didst commend them to the Father thereby shewing what love thou didst bear to them and all others who should believe in thee Make my heart sensible of this love and raise in me an earnest affection to thee that I may be wholly transformed into the love of thee and Be merciful to me O Merciful Saviour Who praying in the Garden didst wholly resign thy self to thy Fathers good pleasure desiring that not thy will but his should be wholly done Give me grace that in all adversity and tribulation I may flee to thee by prayer and ever commit my self to thy providence and good pleasure and Be merciful to me O Sweet Jesu Who didst suffer thy self to be taken and bound as a Malefactor neither didst lamont nor murmur whilst thou wert shamefully entreated by thy Enemies Give me strength after thine example willingly and patiently to endure all adversity and tribulation which shall at any time befall me and Be merciful unto me O Blessed Saviour Who wouldst be forsaken of thine own Disciples in the midst of thy troubles and afflictions Pardon me thy fugitive servant and receive me into thy favour Suffer me not to wander from thee any more But give me such constancy and perseverance that I may continue in thy service to the end of my dayes and Be merciful to me O Merciful Jesu Who standing in the presence of the High Priest didst patiently endure a cruel blow Mortifie in me all angry affections that I be not disquieted when I am injured nor think of revenge but for thy sake may bear all things patiently rendring good for evil and Be merciful to me O Gracious Redeemer Who in the night of thy Passion wouldst be mocked derided and many wayes be despightfully handled Help mine infirmities lend me aid that I faint not under Tentations or Tribulations but give me grace to be thankful to thee for them and Be merciful to me O Blessed Lord Who wouldst not reply to the unjust Accusations of thine Enemies but mildly with a deaf ear wouldst let them pass Grant that no Slanders may move me to impatience but that by thine example I may patiently overcome all that any way defame or injure me and Be merciful to me O Loving Saviour Who being denied by thy Apostle St. Peter didst look on him with the eye of compassion and cause him to bewail his offence with bitter tears Look also on me miserable sinner with the same gracious and moving aspect that I may wash away my sins with the tears of repentance and never deny thee my Lord and Saviour by word or deed and Be merciful to me O Sweet Jesu Who being stripped wouldst be bound to a Pillar and scourged whereby thy blessed body was torn and wounded Heal my wounds by thy stripes take all evil thoughts from me and grant me patience to endure the stroakes of thy Fatherly Visitation and Be merciful to me O Gracious Lord Who after so many wounds received and so much precious blood shed wert mooked and crowned with a Crown of thorns Grant that the remembrance thereof may be imprinted in my heart and that I may love thee for thy exceeding Charity and wholly think of thee wholly contemplate on thy bitter pains and Be merciful to me O Bountiful Jesu Who wert pleased with great pain labour and weariness to carry thine own Cross to Mount Calvary and there to comfort the lamenting Women exhorting them to weep not for thee but themselves and Children Give me grace with a chearful mind to bear any cross thou shalt lay upon me and to bewail with tears my sinful life past and Be merciful to me O Merciful Redeemer Who didst suffer thy sacred hands and feet to be pierced with nails and fastned to the Cross and there didst with great effusion of blood suffer unexpressable torments Grant that I may alwayes with a saithful and thankful heart bear in mind thy exceeding great love who wouldst endure so great and grievous things for me Purge and wash my Soul with those streams of thy most precious blood from all uncleanness and offer them to the Father for a full and plenary satisfaction of all my transgressions and Be merciful to me O Blessed Lord Who in thy bitter pains didst intercede with the Father for thine Enemies which crucified thee saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do Give me grace that according to thy Precept and Practice I may love mine Ememies pray for them and do good to those which do evil unto me and Be merciful to me O Gracious Lord Who being crucified between two Thieves didst promise to the one of them confessing thee the fruition of Paradise Look upon me with the eyes of pitty wherewith thou beheldest that good Thief and grant I may live so that at the end of my dayes I may be found worthy to hear that joyful speech This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise and Be merciful to me O Sweet Jesu Who for the grievousness of torments and exceeding loss of blood didst faint and cry I thirst and wert pleased to drink Gall and Vinegar Let the remembrance of this CuP extinguish in me all inordinate riot and excess Give me the Vertue of Sobriety that all inordinate passions being quenched in me I may wholly thirst after thee and Be merciful to me O Loving Lord Who when thou wert so pleased didst call for death and bending thy head didst commend thy Spirit into the hands of thy Father Grant that the uncertainty of my death may be ever in my thoughts and that I may be ever willing and ready to leave this transitory life when it shall seem good to thee to whose blessed protection I commend my Soul praying thee to Be merciful to me O Blessed Saviour Who with great sorrow of thy friends wert taken down from the Cross laid in the Sepulcher Bury with thee all my evil desires that I may seem dead to those things which displease thee and be wholly delighted in thee my Redeemer and Be merciful to me O Glorious Lord Who after three dayes having overcome and triumphed over Death and Satan didst rise again out of the Grave and visit thy Disciples and Friends Revive me from the death of sin cause me to walk in newness of life and to seek after Heavenly things that when thou comest again I may appear with thee in Glory and Be merciful to me O Merciful Saviour Who forty dayes after thy Resurrectiou didst gloriously and triumphantly ascend into Heaven in the sight of thy Disciples Let it please thy goodness to infuse a longing desire and love of thee into my Soul that it may be elevated in affection to thee and seek those things which are above and Be merciful to me O Gracious Lord Who according to thy Promise before thy Ascension didst send thy Spirit upon thy Disciples and other thy Elect Servants Purifie I beseech thee my heart that the same Spirit finding
us to pray that we continue and increase in it 4. It puts us in mind of our vow in Baptism to believe in the Trinity Lord I believe Help thou my unbelief In God the Father Wherein I consider First His personal Relation to his natural Son and gracious affection to us in him That in Christ we are all his Sons by grace and adoption As many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God The Spirit beareth witness with out spirit that we are the Sons of God No more a Servant but a Son Having predestinated us unto the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ. Almighty Secondly His Saving Power That as he is a Father willing to do us good so he is Omnipatent and able to do us good Even to your old age I am he c. I will bear I will carry and deliver you I am the Lord and none else He is Lord over all Upholding all things Almighty Able to subdue all things unto himself Maker of Heaven and Earth Thirdly His Providence in disposing preserving and governing all things 1. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made He laid the Foundations of the Earth Thou Lord which hast made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is I form the Light and create the Darkness He layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters The Spirit of the Lord hath made me and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life 2. He provideth for the Raven his food c. Thou Lord shalt save both Man and Beast They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness c. Over Sparrows He careth for us In him we live move and have our being 3. He ordereth the world according to equity He judgeth the folk righteously and governeth the Nations upon the earth Thy providence O Father governeth all things He ordereth all things sweetly In Jesus A Saviour He shall save his people from their sins He that beleeveth not in him is condemned Neither is there Salvation in any other By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Christ. Annointed With the Oyl of gladness above his fellows The Lord hath annointed me His onely Son Of God the Father The only begotten of the Father His only begotten Son Our Lord. In right of 1 Creation 2 Redemption 1. By whom he made the World By him were all things created 2. In whom we have redemption Redeemed with his precious Blood Bought with a price Conceived by the Holy Ghost Without the help of Man to help the uncleanness of our conception She was found with Child of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee Angelo nunciante Spiritu adveniente mox verbum in utero mox intraverbum Caro. Upon the Annuntiation or message of an Angel and the Overshadowing of the Holy Ghost the word presently entred into the VVomb and with the word the flesh Born of the Virgin Mary Made the Sonne of Man that we might be the Sonnes of God To purge the uncleanness of our birth He did not abhor the Virgins womb A Virgin shall conceive She shall bring forth a Son And she brought forth her first born Son c. The word was made flesh And when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. S. Bernard saith That God in the assumption of our nature made three mixtures so wonderfull without comparison that never the like were or should be to the end of the world God and Man a Mother and a Virgin Faith and Mans heart Suffered under Pontius Pilate Those things which we should have suffered That we might not suffer them He powred out his soul unto death c. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree He once suffered for sins Was Crucified To take away the Curse of the Law Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us as it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree He humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross. Dead To take away the sharpness and bondage of death To satisfie Gods justice for us The wages of sin is death That he by the grace of God should taste death for every one That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage O Death where is thy sting Buried To take away the corruption of the grave that we might be assured of his death All agree that he was buried in a Sepulcher They took him from a Tree and laid him in a Sepulcher Descended into Hell Whither we ought to have gone that we might not go thither at all Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell Non immerito creditur It is not without cause that we believe saith Saint Augustine upon this Article And Christ according to his Soul was in Hell the Scripture is plain for it being foretold by the Prophet David and evidently expounded by the Apostles Application of that Text Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell And he concludeth peremptorily with this Question Quis ergo nisi infidelis negaverit fuisse apud inferos Christum Who therefore but an Infidel will deny that Christ was in Hell The third day he rose again from the dead That he might raise with him our nature being the first fruits of them which sleep He is risen He is not here Christ being raised from the dead c. And was raised again for our justification By the Trinity 1. By the Father Acts 2. 24. 3. 15. 4. 10. 5. 30. 10. 40. Ephes. â— 20. 1 Pet. 1. 21. 2. By the Son Joh. 10. 17 18. Rom. 14. 3. By the Spirit Rom. 8. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 18. He ascended into Heaven To prepare us a place whereto we had no right To assure us that our flesh is gone before To send us the Holy Spirit He was received up into Heaven He was parted from them and carried up to Heaven We have a High Priest that is Passed into the Heavens He that descended is the same which ascended far above all Heavens I go to prepare a place for you Having boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Iesus And hath raised us up together and made us sit in Heavenly places together I will pray the Father and he shall give you another
iu my Mothers womb that I might come safe into this world and receive the mark and badge of all thine even the Sacrament of Baptism whereby I was cleansed from the guilt of Original sin Amongst a multitude of Infidels dispersed over the face of the Earth thou wouldest have me in the number of the Faithfal even of those to whom so happy a lot hath fallen to be thine regenerated with the water of Baptism From which time I was taken to be thine and that admirable and happy Contract was made between us that thou shouldest be my Lord and I thy Servant thou my Father and I thy Son that thou shouldest perform and shew to me the love of a Father and I to thee the duty of a Son Further O Lord thou didst descend from Heaven to Earth for my sake seeking me in all the ways wherein I had lost my self With thy humanity thou didst ennoble my nature and by thy bonds didst deliver me from bondage Thou didst challenge me from the power of the Devil by delivering thy self into the hands of sinners and didst destroy sin by taking upon thee the form of a sinner With what reverence shall I speak of that other blessed Sacrament which Thou also O Lord hast instituted and ordained for a remedy of all the miseries which have befallen me and the many sins I have committed since my Baptism and for a salve and cure for all my spiritual diseases even the Sacrament of thy most precious Body and Blood And as thou hast bestowed on me all these divine and heavenly blessings so likewise in plentiful manner hast thou heaped on me temporal favours Thou hast from my birth to this hour preserved nourished cloathed and fed me in most abundant manner giving to me the use of all thy creatures for my sustentation Nay what couldest thou have done more for me than thou hast done Or what couldest thou have given me more than thou hast bestowed upon me either of blessings of this world or of the world to come Now having received all these mercies and favours from thee how have I on my part behaved my self in thankfulness to thee for them Have I returned due praise unto thy Majesty for them or carried my self and ordered my life like to one that might any way deserve them O Lord I confess that I have not for such hath been the malice of my heart that instead of shewing my self conformable to thy will I dayly adde sin to sin and iniquity to iniquity heaping up wrath for my self against the day of wrath How can I without tears remember how often thou mightest justly have slain me and yet notwithstanding my sins which call for vengeance no evil hath happened unto me How many souls burn in Hell fire which have sinned far less than I and yet I remain alive What had become of me if thou hadst taken me away with those at the same time How strict had my Iudgement been if thy Iustice had laid hold on me laden with so many sins Who then O Lord hath bound the hands of thy Iustice who hath deprecated for me when I lay thus lulled asleep in the security of my sins What hath pleased thee in me that thou shouldst deal more mercifully with me than with those who in the midst of their dayes in the heat of their youth are taken away from amongst us My sins cryed out against me and thou stoppedst thine ears my offences dayly increased against thee yet thy mercy dayly abounded towards me I sinned thou didst expect me I fled from thee and thou followedst me I was weary in offending thee and thou not weary in expecting me And in the midst of all my sins I ever received many good inspirations and goodly reproofs from thy holy Spirit which checked me in the dissolute course of my life How often hast thou called me with the voice of Love How often hast thou terrified me with threats and fears laying before me the peril of death and the rigour of thy divine Iustice How often hast thou followed me with thy Word preached invited me with thy blessings chastened me with thy scourges compassing me about that I could by no means slee from thee And lastly which is not the least of thy mercies with what patience hast thou waited for my serious Repentance What then O Lord shall I render back to thee for all that thou hast done unto me In that thou hast created me I owe thee all that I am created in that thou hast preserved me and thus long expected my return to thee I owe thee life and all that I am But in that thou hast regenerated sanctified and redeemed me and left those excellent pledges for my salvation I know not what to render unto thee For if the lives of all men and Angels were in my power and that I could offer them unto thee for a sacrifice of praise and thanks yet were it nothing being compared to the least of all thy spiritual blessings bestowed on me VVho therefore will give a fountain of tears to mine eyes that I may lament my great ingratitude and unjust retribution for all these thy manifold blessings heaped upon me Help me thou O Lord and give me grace that I may heartily confess and grievously bewail my hainous offences and transgressions against thee that thou mayest be reconciled to me and in thy abundant mercies shew some pity to me for them I am thy creature O Lord made after thine own Likeness and Image acknowledge thy workmanship for it is thine own In taking away the soyl and filth wherewith it is defiled and stained thou shalt soon perceive it to be thine own handy-work Art not thou a Father of mercies which have neither number end nor measure Although I have shaken off the duty and obedience of a child towards thee yet cast not thou off the love of a Father toward me I beseech thee Although I have done many things whereby thou mightest justly condemn me yet thou hast not lost the means whereby thou mayest mercifully save me If thou forsake me to whom shall I flee who is there to help me besides thy self Acknowledge G Lord a straying sheep Behold I come to thee all wounded thou canst heal me blind thou canst enlighten me full of leprosie thou canst cleanse me and spiritually dead yet thou canst revive me Thy mercy is greater than my sin thy clemency more than my wickedness and thou canst remit more than I can commit Do not then O Lord put me back from thee look not so much upon my sins as upon thy infinite meocies who livest and reignest God of all mercies world without end Another O Almighty Lord God great in thy power and terrible in thy judgements who madest the Heaven the Earth the Sea and all things in them by thy Word whose Power cannot be resisted and whose Mercy is over all thy works All things are under
Father and Holy Spirit world without end Amen Meditations and Prayers after th Sacrament Received IF all the Creatures in the world should offer themselves together with me to praise thee O Lord yet is it certain that we could not give thee sufficient thanks for the least of thy mercies and if together we cannot sufficiently praise thee for the least how much less can I alone perform so great a duty for such inestimable blessings as I have at this time received for vouchsafing to visit me comfort me and honour me with acceptance and admittance to thy blessed Table If Elizabeth the Mother of Iohn Baptist upon the Virgin Maries entrance to her house said Whence is it that the Mother of my Lord should come to me What shall I say whom the Lord himself hath visited and united to him by his blessed Sacrament being a vessel and receptacle of all impurity who hath so often offended despited and neglected him King David wondred why God should so esteem of or visit man but I wonder much more why he should be made man for man abide with him suffer death for him and give himself to him for spiritual food Solomon after he had built a Temple to God reasoned thus But will God dwell indeed on the Earth Behold the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee how much loss this House that I have builded May not I much more marvel that God will not disdain to come and abide in this my poor and wretched Soul What greater benefit of grace what greater argument of his love is there can there be shewed to me Oh my Soul if thou wouldest but throughly conceive the happiness that cometh to thee by this holy Sacrament then consider and well weigh what benefits it bringeth with it By it the Sons of Men are made the Sons of God and all that is earthly or carnal in us is mortified that the Deity may live and abide with us What therefore O my Lord shall I do What thanks shall I render to thee With what fervency shall I love thee For if thou so mighty a Lord hast vouchsafed to love me poor wretched creature how should it be but that I should return love again to thee And how shall I express my love better than in forbearing those things which thou dost abhorr and following those things which thou dost command Give O Lord to this end thy concomitant grace to me whereby I may return a reciprocal love to thee and love those things which are acceptable and avoid those things which are to thee unpleasing Give me a heart which may love thee with so true faithful and constant affection as that nothing under the Sun may separate me from the love of thee Let me not follow the love of the World or delight in the vanities of it any longer but give me power to kill and quench all other love and desires and to love thee only desire thee only and only think of thee and thy Commandements that all my affections and thoughts may be fixed on thee that in all tentations and adversities I may have recourse to thee only and receive all comfort from thee alone who livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Another I Humbly thank thee O sweet Saviour Jesus Christ that thou hast so plentifully refreshed my drie and fainting Soul with the holy Sacrament of thy precious Body and Blood I earnestly intreat thee further that whatsoever is in me vicious or contrary to thy blessed will may by vertue of this blessed Sacrament be rooted out of me that my Soul may become a fit habitation for thy holy Spirit Let it be to me the absolution of my sins the confirmation of my faith and encrease of all thy graces in me the viands of this my peregrination and pilgrimage the only delight of my soul peace and joy in tribulation health and strength in affliction and tentation Let it be a light and guide to my actions and my only comfort in the day of my dissolution Let the Palate of my Soul be so changed thereby that it may relish nothing besides thee Grant also that I may hunger and thirst after this bread of life and cup of salvation and that I may with a pure mind and chast affection receive it often that thereby my soul and body may be preserved to life everlasting to thee be all praise power and dominion ascribed now and for ever Or thus I Yield thee all possible thanks O merciful Lord that of thy own meer goodness and without any merit of mine thou hast so plentifully at this time satisfied me with the extraordinary food of my Soul thy blessed Body and Blood O Lord I heartily repent me of my sins past and am heartily sorry when I consider how unprofitably and wickedly I have spent my life hitherto I desire O Lord to amend what is amiss in me be thou ayding I beseech thee to me that I may not only duly bewail and lament for that which is past but take heed to my wayes for the time to come And to this end O Lord do thou strengthen me with thy spiritual ayd for without thy help and the direction of the Holy Spirit I shall not be able to do any good thing or perform that which is pleasing to thee Grant O Lord that I may hereafter faithfully follow and serve thee who hast at this time so lovingly vouchsafed to come to me And because through my infirmity I cannot follow thee as I would be pleased to assist me with thy power aud draw me after thee Let my Soul be so strengthned by vertue of this Sacrament that it may esteem nothing pleasing or delightful in comparison of thee that it may lust after no transitory thing nor be disquieted with any worldly cross but by thy assisting grace I may overcome all the difficulties of this life and bless thee in the life to come Or thus O Blessed Lord Iesus who of thy unspeakable Love hast condescended to my infirmity and vouchsafed in these mysteries to come unto me and hast made me partaker of thy blessed Body and Blood I humbly intreat thee of thy infinite goodness not to look back upon my sinful life past and to give me grace to obey thy Commandements hereafter and not to return to those former sins as a Dog to his vomit Grant that this most holy Sacrament may be to me life and salvation and not turn to my greater punishment and condemnation Grant that it may cleanse my Soul from sin past and strengthen me against all tentations to come Grant that it may be so wholesome and nourishing to me that I may walk in the strength thereof all the dayes of my life and at last be brought by thy merits to that place of Glory where thou dost reign together with the Father and the Blessed Spirit forever Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy
everlasting 4. His Patience to us daily offending him and new crucifying his Son again 5. His Mildness and Lenity in correcting us to Amendment not to Destruction 6. His Mercy in forgiving our offences in promising protection and rewards to his servants And tell me if these be not sufficient motives to perswade us to his service if our hearts be not hardned And if we ask what it is to be the servants of God The Answer is plain and easie for as it is in the case of a Master Temporal so is it in the Spiritual To do the Will of our Lord and Master This is the will of GOD even your sanctification To fear keep his Commandements This Commandement is double 1. To keep innocency and to do that which is right 2. And to do no evil They are put both in one Verse by God himself I have set before thee life and good death and evil And by the Prophet David Flee evil and do that which is good Now that his Precepts should be kept there is great reason Because they are just and holy All his Commandements are just True and righteous are thy Iudgements Iust art thou O Lord and righteous are thy Iudgements 1. For the first part of his Will To keep that which he commandeth To follow that which is good Many motives there are to perswade us to it 1. For the peace which good men have 1. With God They are reconciled to him We have peace with him 2. With Men. When the wayes of man please the Lord he will make his enemies also at peace with him 3. With our Selves Having mortified our affections and placed them on heavenly things we are troubled with nothing but all things are quiet about us Great is the peace that they have which keep Gods Law The work of Iustice shall be Peace The Kingdom of GOD is righteousness and peace 4. 4. In our Consciences inward Peace The testimony of a good Conscience was Saint Paul's rejoycing A good Conscience is a continual feast It shuns no mans sight The Heathen had some feeling of this Peace A life well spent bringeth such comfort that either sickness toucheth them not or the grief of it little troubles them Socrates said That he lived without perturbation whose conscience reproved him not And Byas That he lived without fear that had a good conscience And though such a man have fear it is not desperate or grievous but religious and holy Which kind of fear disquieteth not but comforteth For the best hope is joyned with such a fear 2. For the comfort they have in the Holy Ghost There is sprung up a light for the righteous and joyful gladness to such as be true hearted The voice of joy and health is in the dwellings of the righteous They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures as out of the River All vertues and graces of the Spirit assist them as the blood of the veins do the heart 1. Faith whereby they discern the good and evil of the life to come and adhere to the promises of God made in Christ Iesus So that they account not the afflictions of this life worthy of the glory which shall be revealed to them 2. Hope whereby they expect their reward joyfully Rejoycing in hope Who so trusteth in the Lord mercy embraceth him on every side Blessed is the man that hath set his hope in the Lord. Blessed are all they that wait for him Cast not away your confidence which hath great reward 3. Love to God Which breeds contempt of the World Accounting all things dung and loss to win him Take good heed therefore to your selves that you love the Lord your God The Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation c. 4. Alacrity in Obedience to his Commandements The heart of the wise meditateth obedience This is better than sacrifice Wee will do all things which the Lord hath commanded us I have set God before me Wherefore my heart was glad My heart and flesh rejoyce in the living God 5. Humility in all their actions which makes them acceptable in the sight of God When we have done all we are able to doe we are to say that we are unprofitable servants He hath regarded the lowliness of his Handmaiden He hath exalted the humble and meek Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven He that humbleth himself shall be exalted 6. Patience in their tribulations which are accidents common to Gods Children For our life is like a troubled Sea There is nothing so unstable and no joy in it is secure but many dangers and sorrows attend it But God being a skilfull Physician and knowing well the state of our souls will minister no more of those bitter potions than we are able to bear nor than are needfull nor more than we may with patience endure Though he feed us with the bread of tears and giveth us tears to drink yet he will give it in measure as a token of his love in our correction to amendment not to confusion For tribulation polisheth the soul it wipes off all the filth it makes us fervent in prayer humble in thoughts and pure in conscience Adversity openeth the eyes which prosperity closeth up but GOD suffereth the just not to be overwhelmed with grief For though many be the tribulations of the righteous yet the Lord delivereth them out of all If their sorrowes encrease he lendeth strength whereby they not only bear them patiently but joyfully insomuch as they look not on the pain but the reward Not on the affliction but the Crown Not on the bitterness of the Medicine but the health attained by it Nor on the smart of correction but the Corrector Who chasteneth whomsoever he loveth And they shall be able to say with Iob Shall we receive good at the hands of God and not receive evil Knowing that the punishment they receive is not equivalent to that which their sins have deserved and withall they consider the bitterness of Christs Passion in comparison whereof all their tribulations are nothing not to be mentioned Lastly They have this assured confidence That the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever And that the Lord will save them that with patience wait on him 7. In regard that God heareth the prayers of the just Man by sin is become subject to many Infirmities Wants Necessities And hath no remedy to cure them nor means to relieve them but to God by prayer Now this advantage the godly and servants of GOD
Womans Daughter were delivered from the Devil The Mans Son were delivered from the Devil The sick were made whole The Widow of Sarepthas Son were revived The Shunamites Son were revived The Rulers Daughter were revived Dorcas were revived The Publican obtained Remission of sins The Thief obtained Paradise S. Stephen obtained Heaven And lastly That it is the surest remedy to the godly in time of affliction appeareth by our Saviours example who when he was in such straits that he said Undequaque trist is anima mea usque ad mortem My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death went aside and fell thrice on his face and prayed warning his sleepy Disciples to do the like Now Seeing that for these respects pray we must in the next place we are to consider How Prayer is to be made that it turn not to sin 1. Prayer must be made to God and to none other 1. Because God hath so commanded For Prayer is a part of his Service and Worship and his Service and Glory he will impart to none else Him only shalt thou serve And Whatsoever you shall ask of my Father not of Angels Saints or the like 2. In regard of his Glory and Majesty wherein he excelleth all others and ought therefore above all to be prayed unto 3. In regard of his singular Knowledge for he knoweth our necessities better than we our selves 4. In regard of his Power and Ability to help us 5. In regard of his willingness and readiness to relieve us 6. In respect of the practice of all the Saints and of Christ himself Of Hanna of David of the Saints of Christ. 7. In regard of the absurdity in praying to those which cannot help themselves much less us For to which of the Saints or Angels can be properly said Our Father which art in Heaven or Hallowed be thy Name c. But to GOD alone is this service to be done for he only saveth us and besides him is no Saviour And all this must be done in Christ Iesus without whom though Moses and Samuel should intercede yet GOD would not pardon but destroy for as no work of devotion can be acceptable to God without Him so our sins are so odious that except our prayes be offered by the mediation of Christ Iesus they will never be accepted by God We have an High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God c. Secondly Our Prayes ought to be made in Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin and whosoever desireth to have good success in his Prayers ought to believe and not to pray waveringly This Faith makes our Prayers acceptable For Prayer being the testimony of our Faith how will our Faith appear if we doubt in our Prayers Si Fides deficit oratio perit Our Saviour said to the Petitioner for his deaf and dumb Son If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth And to his Disciples All things whatsoever you shall ask in Prayers believing you shall receive Which lesson St. Iames also teacheth If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God c. But let him ask in Faith Saint Iohn saith This is the confidence we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Saint Paul also biddeth us Come with the same confidence that we may obtain mercy Again As Faith is the foundation of all Vertues required in Prayer so Hope certain and assured is to be fixed and setled in us when we pray that God will perform the promises which he hath made and that he will hear and grant those things which we shall desire according to his will for the Devil is apt to perswade us that our Prayers are in vain either because God regardeth them not or that it is needless to pray to Him who knoweth before what we want or that whether we pray or not all things shall come to pass as God hath decreed and in these respects that there is no profit in our Prayers All which are but illusions and clearly against the rule of truth and practice of the Saints In te speraverunt saith David Our Fathers hoped in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them The Reubenites cryed to God in battel and he was intreated of them because they put their trust in him Indeed as Saint Bernard saith a sinners prayers are hindered two ways either with too little or too much light He hath no light which neither seeth nor confesseth his sins and he hath too much which seeing them despaireth of Gods mercy Neither of these can be said to pray How then The sinner ought so to temper his light that he may not only see and confess his sins but pray that they may and hope that they will be forgiven For it is in Prayer as in Repentance Nemo potest agere poenitentiam qui non speravit indulgentiam No man can truly repent that hath no hope of pardon for that he repenteth of And none can be said to pray well who hopeth not of Gods favour in that for which he petitioneth And that our Prayers may the better ascend they are to put on the wings of Charity which is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit For without this quality our Prayers will prove cold heavy and lumpish and will return empty unto us This Charity is two-fold First towards God Secondly towards our Neighbour 1. Towards God in keeping his Commandements for our Saviour saith He that keepeth my Commandements is he that loveth me And the Apostle saith We receive of him because we keep his Commandements that is we love him so that we are both to offend him 2. Towards our Neighbour which Charity is also manifested two ways 1. In forgiving all injuries received from him or by his means after our Saviours rule When you stand praying forgive if you have ought against any that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you our trespasses And again If you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if you forgive not men their trespasses either will your Father forgive your trespasses 2. Secondly In praying for his wants and supplying them to oâ—â— powers according to Saint Iames direction Pray for one another And to Saint Paul's I exhort that first Prayers c. be made for all men And to encourage us to relieve them our Saviour pronounceth a blessing â—â— all that are charitable in that kind Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy So that by this we may plainly see that if we be uncharitable our Prayer will be barren and unfruitful Fifthly Humility must accompany these former Vertues We must acknowledge our selves
God and our Neighbour Humility of body and soul Perseverance Fervency of Spirit our souls and bodies attending to what we pray for and in due Time and Place praying aright both for temporal and spiritual blessings we shall no doubt by the mercy of God through the mediation intercession and merits of Iesus Christ obtain in his good time all things which shall be needful and expedient for us Prayer divided into parts DEvotions and Prayers are either publick or private 1. Private prayers are whereby every particular Man prayeth to God for those things which he wanteth In which kind of devotion we ought at all times to exercise our selves because at all times we stand in need of Gods particular assistance and therefore we are tyed or limited herein neither to time nor place for whether it be in the night or morning mid-day or evening at home or abroad in the City or Country in our beds or at our work if we call upon him faithfully he will hear us 2. Publick Prayers are whereby the whole Congregation meet in a place Dedicated to Gods honour as well to praise his Name as to pray for those things which shall be needful For although Christians ought to pray privately yet ought they not in the mean time to neglect the publick worship and service of God in the Church For from the beginning it was held and observed as a duty required and therefore before the erection and dedication of Temples and Churches the Patriarchs and holymen erected Altars in certain places where at set times of the day they might offer Sacrifices and publick Prayer to God In the second of Ioel you shall find a set and prescribed Form of Prayer for the Minister to use together with the place and the Congregation that were to assist In the New Testament also our Saviour Christ himself to encourage this holy duty of publick Prayer hath promised his presence amongst those that shall be assembled and gathered together after this manner Therefore whosoever shall neglect these publick Assemblies sheweth and discovereth thereby how little he regardeth Christs company or presence These Prayers are also distinguished into these parts 1. Invocation 2. Confession 3. Thanksgiving Invocation consisteth of 1. Petitions for the good of our own Souls in Spiritual things Bodies in Temporal things 2. Intercessions either in praying for the good of others or against the evil of others 3. Deprecations against evils Spiritual Temporal Confession is threesold 1. Of our Faith 2. Of the Glory of God 3. Of our own Sins Thanksgiving is either 1. For deliverance from evil 2. For benefits received To these may be added Imprecation either 1. Against the enemies of God incorrigible and irreconcileable 2. Against the enemies of our Souls incorrigible and irreconcileable So that these Rules be observed 1. That it be not used for private hate or revenge 2. That we rejoyce not in any mans Destruction 3. That we aim at their Correction The use of the Lords Prayer BEcause that our Saviour Christ hath taught us how to pray and hath put the very words as it were into our mouths which we should use in praying I think it necessary to begin with the same which he hath left unto us 1. In respect of the Excellency of the Author of it who was no less than God 2. In respect of the Perfection of the work it self the Prayer for it comprehendeth in it Petitions for all things which we stand in need of 3. In respect of the Efficacy of this Prayer in working for it cannot choose but prevail and work much with God for none knew the mind and disposition of God better than he which composed it which was God And let it not lose any part of the due praise which belongeth to it in regard of the compendiousness or shortness of it for it deserveth the more honour because though it be short yet it is also copious and plentiful in matter and therefore the more absolute and perfect It is not therefore without cause that the Antients have given so many excellent Attributes to it As the Abridgement of the Gospel and our Faith The Interpretation of our Desires and Hopes The very Bond of Charity And an inexhaustible Treasury Yet let not any Man think that our Saviour prescribed us this Prayer as that we should use no other but be tyed to the very words contained in it but this we must conceive that he made it to bridle our desires that though we make our Petitions and frame them according to our several necessities yet to keep us in compass that we exceed not the limits nor vary from the extent and bounds of this Prayer The Use of it is twofold 1. That we might be instructed by it what is necessary in general to require of God and not without need seeing we being naturally blind in spiritual things know not what is fit to ask and many times we crave those things as Zebedees Children did which are unworthy both of God and our selves and might prove hurtful also to us if they should be granted And therefore under certain general heads he hath bounded the desires of the flesh and taught us after what manner and rule we should square all our Petitions For whatsoever we shall desire against the directions therein contained dis-a-greeth from the will of God and therefore is neither good holy nor profitable 2. That we may be able thereby to conceive frame and make all our Prayers according to our several necessities and after that Petition which sitteth us as our occasions shall alter The Lords Prayer Analysed A Father not a Lord. One being a name of love The other of dignity A Father not a Iudge One being a name of Goodness Comfortable O 〈◊〉 sub quo nomini desperandum The â—â—her of Power Terrible Who is able to resist his Power It is too proud a salutation For how much are we By Nature Dust and Ashes By Sin Bond-slaves to Satan So much are we below him Who then durst be so bold as to call the Father but that Christ did command it For exceeding great is thy Majesty And exceeding great is our Poverty He is exalted above the Heavens and his glory is above all the Earth He humbleth himself when he beholdeth the things in Heaven And we are but worms and leaves driven to and fro with the wind A wind that passeth away and commeth not again Yet we are bold to call thee Father for we come not of our selves thy Son Christ hath taught us the form Take notice of the words they are thy Sons 1. Father of all Creatures In their Creation Preservation Governing 2. Of Mankind which he formed after his own Image Other Creatures are but as a shadow to Man For he endued him with understanding And the Creatures not so To him he gave precepts to order his life To the Creatures only by blind
root out dissipate ours and establish thine let thy will over-master ours conform our wills to thine Turn our Nill into thy Will In Earth as in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name In Earth as in Heaven Thy Kingdom come In Earth as in Heaven Thy Will be done Let Heaven be the Pattern and Rule to Earth in all things Let us begin to be on Earth as we would be in Heaven hereafter 1. As by thy blessed Angels Oh that we might do thy will and no less thy will now than they that hope to be like them hereafter 2. As thy Saints Who are Heavenly even Heaven upon Earth 3. As the inward Man The Spirit which is from Heaven that professeth it self delighted in doing thy will that complaineth that it is hindred from doing it Oh that the old Adam made of the Earth had been so ready to do it In Earth in all the Earth But especially in this part of the Earth where we live We are Earth and of the Earth let thy will be done in us As in Heaven not as much or as well Nor with equal proportion but likeness Nor in as great measure but with like affectinn willingly readily faithfully Let us imitate though we cannot equal We beg thy grace to do thy will as thy Angels and Saints do it But because many things hinder us we say with Saint Augustine Give us power and ability to do thy commands and then command us what thou pleasest And if our condition in this life will not admit so much yet Lord accept our desires which cry to thee Thy will be done And if our desires be unperfect also yet hear our cry in the Prophets words Our souls have longed to desire thy Laws and Commandements alwayes Here we may consider 1. First The excellent order and method of this Prayer For what ought a Son before all things and with more fervency desire than the Honour of his Father the Prosperity of his Kingdom and Obedience to his Will 2. And in the next place what is more proper to Children than to ask Bread of their Father or what more necessary for them And in this Petition we are 1. To depend wholly upon his Providence 2. To acknowledge him the Giver of it only 3. Lastly We are Patiently to expect it from him In it we consider also 1. What he is to give Bread 2. What manner of Bread Our Bread Daily Bread 3. To whom he is to give it To us 4. When to give it To day There is in us a double Nature or Substance which requires two sorts of Bread 1. The Soul hath her viands to be provided The Bread of Angels The Bread of Heaven the Word the Bread of Life Christ Iesus in the Flesh. Lord give us of this Bread evermore 2. The Body also craveth its sustenance its Bread that is all the necessaries of this life Our Belly is a troublesome Clyent and except it be satisfied likewise it draweth our minds from thee Thou O Father hast promised to add all things if we first seek thy Kingdom Behold we have sought it give us therefore Bread either fine middle sort or course which of them shall seem good to thee And give us that which may feed and not choak us either with the care of them or neglect of Thee Give us frugal sober Bread not dainty fare Bread necessary not superfluous For we are not to take thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof In this word Bread are contained all things necessary and conducing to the maintenance and preservation of our lives As Breathing it self Vescitur aura aetherea Sleep to refresh our weary bodies Honest hearts by which we get our maintenance And a competency of estate are all particulars of that which is contained in the word Bread And with Bread give us O Lord The Staff of Bread Health of Body Wholesome Air. Content of Mind Convenient Dwelling Peace in our Dayes and the like Ours as proper to Children by a double right of Prayer Labour Yet so ours as first Thine Thine by gift because thou wilt not because thou art our Debtor Ours for use For neither Thou nor thy Angels need this Bread But we being of corporeal substance need corporeal sustenance We being Travellers need our Viands For our necessity not for superfluity which may profit the soul not hurt the body which may nourish the soul not destroy the body If the LORD will be with me and will keep me in the way that I shall go and will give me Bread to eat and Rayment to put on so that I return in peace then the Lord shall be my God Two things have I required of thee deny me not them before I dye Remove far from me vanity and lies Give me neither poverty nor riches feed me with food convenient for me Lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord Or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain When we say Ours we speak not as if it were due to us but of thy bounty given to us and gotten and acquired by our labour according to thine institution Ours by labour For if we be droans if unprofitable burthens to the Earth it is not ours it belongs to others If it be gotten by fraud violence or constraint it is not ours It is surreptitious And that Bread is full of gravel Let us therefore follow our vocations and not make thee associate in our sin by requiring Bread being our selves idle and sloathful or fraudulent and deceitful So ours as if we have more than we need and any thing remain more than is necessary for our estate and condition we impart and communicate it to those which want And if we shall with-hold that which is superfluous from the poor and needy we shall be thieves of that which is our own It is therefore ours so that it may be other mens by and through our hands Give it thou Bless thou the labours of our hands for there are which labour and yet want But when it comes of thy gift a blessing come with it and without thy providence our labours are in vain the rather because we are too prone to sacrifice to our own nets and ascribe the enjoying it to our own labours Therefore open thou thy Barnes open thou thy Treasury For when thou openest thy hand every thing is filled with thy good Except thou give it we shall have no benefit by it it will nourish no more than a stone Give it thou for on thee we depend to day and to morrow and all our life Give it thou not retribute or pay It is no Debt Bread and all other thy blessings are Donatives Give it Thou Break it thou and give it let not us take it our selves For if thou
thy power and rule both in Heaven and Earth Thou shewest mercy on whom thou wilt art pitiful to whom thou pleasest and wouldst not the death of a sinner neither delightest in the destruction of any O God rich in mercy who out of thy extraordinary love to Mankind even when we were thine Enemies didst send thine only Son into the world that every one that believed on him might not perish but have life everlasting Have mercy upon me have mercy upon me according to thy mercy and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away my offenses Holy Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son I have turned from thee and have broken all thy Commandements I have not walked aright but have gone after mine own lusts choosing those wayes which thou hast forbidden me to tread in Neither O Lord have I feared thine anger but have been in all things disobedient unto thee and have hardned my heart against thee I have hated instruction and cast thy sayings behind me Truth hath found no place in me and my hands have been the workers of much wickedness I have spoken vainly idlely and wickedly I have brought forth deceit and meditated the way of untruth I have provoked thy wrath against me by accustoming my self to do the work of the flesh and rejecting the good motions of the Spirit Woe unto me rebellious wretch that I have committed these wicked acts against thee so loving so good so gracious a God to the utter destruction of my soul without thy mercy in Christ Iesus In remembrance and confidence whereof O Lord I come to thee and humbly intreat thee that thou wouldest not reject a contrite humble miserable and repentant sinner who at this time earnestly invocateth thy Name Return a little O Lord and be intreated for my manifold sins do not unto me according to the multitude of them neither reward me according to my transgressions Let my humble Prayers sighs and groans come into thy presence and according to thy promises receive me again into thy favour For O Father I am one of those whom thy only Son redeemed with his most precious blood O Lord my soul doth loath my life by reason of my manifold sins and I humble my self under thy mighty hand because I know that in thine anger thou shewest mercy and in time of trouble thou dost forgive offences And behold O Lord that I confess my sins beseeching thee for thy goodness to do unto me according to thy wonted mercy I am confounded and ashamed to lift up mine eyes unto thee because my sins have prevented my prayers and have ascended up to thee before them Against thee O Lord have I sinned and done much evil in thy sight Yet wherefore should I dye in my sins seeing it is not thy pleasure that any sinner should dye but turn unto thee and live For thou art good and gracious and savest those who are altogether unworthy out of the abundance of thy mercy in Christ Iesus the Righteous For although thine anger against sinners is unsufferable and who may abide it Yet thy mercy towards offenders is unsearchable and who can find out the depth thereof or describe it Our Fathers in their troubles cryed unto thee and thou didst deliver them they put their trust in thee and were not confounded And though they by their offences have justly provoked thine anger yet upon their humiliation thou didst remember thy Covenant and ease them of their afflictions O Lord be merciful also unto me for I am miserable and wretched Heal my soul for I have sinned against thee My soul is very much disquieted within me How long Lord will it be ere thou look upon me and deliver it Lighten mine eyes for I have too long slept in death and my sins have too long had dominion over me Return O Lord at the last and be gracious unto me O deliver my soul and have mercy upon me And all my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee To thee be all Honour Praise and Glory World without end Another O Lord Iesus Christ the only Physician of sick souls who in the fulness of God came into this World not to call the just but sinners to Repentance Behold me the most wretched of all sinners who with as much humility as I am able in the confidence of thy great goodness cast my self before the foot-stool of thy Majesty confessing my great and grievous offences And if the Publican in the Gospel durst not lift up his eyes to heaven but stood a far off and smote his brest saying Lord be merciful to me a sinner what shall I doe whose sins surpass the greatest sinners offences For all my inward and outward parts are wholly depraved and nothing that is good remaineth in me And when I look into the book of my conscience I find that I have abominably polluted the garment of innocency which I received at my Baptism I have put all my strength to offend thee with all the members I have For my feet have been swift to evil and flow to good mine eyes open to vanity and shut to that which is truly amiable My hands stretched to covetousness and closed from the works of mercy mine ears ready to hear evil and stopped to the good motions of the Spirit and my soul the noblest part in me which hath eyes to contemplate the glory of thy Majesty I have turned away from the consideration of thy Excellency to the vain and transitory things of this life I have given liberty to whatsoever mine eyes have desired and have not resisted the unclean passions of my heart so that the whole course of my life hath been a continual warfare against the. How often have I returned as a dog to the vomit and as a sow washed to the myre I am that Fool which hath said in his heart there is no God For I have lived so dissolutely that I have made plain demonstration by my behaviour That I believed thou either wert not at all or else couldst do nothing at all Thou O Lord hast often called me and I have neglected thy voice Thou hast expected me and I have abused thy patience Thou hast given me the treasure of a long time to repent and I have consumed it wastefully Thou hast stricken me and I have not been sensible of thy hand Thou hast afflicted me and I have made no use of thy correction Thou didst sweat to make me clean and I still remain in my pollution I am hardned as well with thy punishments as with thy blessings being rebellious to the one and unthankful for the other And what shall I further say but that my heart soul thoughts and body are all impure and defiled and that of all sinners I am the chief unworthy Earth
Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth hee with mercy and living kindness Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things c. Motives to Thanksgiving IT is not the least part of the Duty of a Christian in the sight of God to be thankful to him for the benefits he daily bestoweth upon us For as God is kind merciful and loving to us so he expecteth that we should render back thanks to him for those blessings which we receive from him For we have nothing else to retribute to him but a thankful memorial of his blessings And this King David well understood when he said What shall I render to the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will offer to thee the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving c. As therefore we ought to be diligent in Prayer for those things we want so ought we also to be perpetually thankful for them when we have obtained what we desire And when we have done al that we can we cannot give him due praise and thanks for the least part of that which we daily receive For if we respect that which is past present or to come we shall still meet with matter enough which expresseth his goodness and love to us and exacteth this Duty from us If we consider that which is past then we shall soon perceive that but for him we had not been at all nor been preserved hitherto amongst so many dangers without his protection If that which is present we cannot but acknowledge that by his alone goodness we live and enjoy those blessings wherewith we are loaded beyond desert If that which is to come he is our hope of all good things which we desire or expect either for this life or for the life to come And as God accounteth Thanksgiving a Duty so he taketh it for an Honour done unto him if we perform it He hath so much esteemed of it alwayes even from the beginning that he reputed and accounted it above the rest of the Sacrifices offered unto him Besides we may consider that in the Law God himself instituted a peculiar and special Sacrifice of oblation of thanks For the Feast of the Paschal Lamb was no other thing but an Eucharistical or thankful service in remembrance of the wonderfull deliverance of the Jews from their servitude Our Saviour also instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist for a perpetual remembrance and memorial of all his benefits to Mankind especially of our Redemption by his death Hester established a Feast to preserve a thankfull memory of the Jews deliverance from the plots of Haman And in brief it was generally evermore the practice of Gods Saints to express this Duty as may be seen by many Songs Hymnes Psalms and Prayers of Thanksgiving which are left unto us in the Scriptures as patterns for us to imitate Of Moses and Miriam Of Moses alone Of Deborah Of Hanna Of David in divers places of the Psalms Of good King Ezechias Of Jonas Of the Prophet Habakkuk Of the three Chirldren Of the Angels Of Zachary Of the Blessed Virgin Mary Of the Church And of the Elders And after those examples of necessity we must frame our selves for be sure of this That whensoever praise and thanks shall sail and be wantiug on our parts towards God then presently God will withdraw his hand of mercy and bounty from us Thanksgiving I Thank thee O merciful Father Lord of Heaven and Earth for all thy mercies and favours continually heaped upon me for that thou hast not only created me after thine own Image and likeness and given to me a body with all the parts and members thereof and a soul with all the powers and faculties thereof that with them and by them I might know love and serve thee but that thou hast so graciously preserved both body and soul from time to time from all dangers Thou hast alwayes been my refuge in tribulations and my defence and succour in adversities When I went astray thou didst reduce me into the right away when I offended thee thou didst gently correct me when I was sad thou didst comfort me and when for the grievousness of my sins I was ready to despair thou of thy mercy and compassion didst strengthen me and keep me from utter ruine I acknowledge O Lord thy more than fatherly indulgence toward me from my birth to this present time for unless thou of thy goodness hadst upheld me I had long ere this time been drowned and overwhelmed in the bottomless gulf of my sins But thou hast delivered me from the jawes of the roaring Lyon who hath daily sought to devour me and hast defended me from all his snares and assaults And as thou hast of thy mercy preserved my soul from destruction so thou hast oftentimes delivered my body from the gates of death when many sicknesses and infirmities took hold of me I thank thee also O Lord for all other thy temporal blessings which thou in plentiful manner hast heaped on me as Food Rayment Wealth Possessions and Children For my health and liberty for the prerogative which thou hast given me over all thy creatures in their subjection to my service and use I thank thee also O sweet Saviour for the infinite work of my Redemption and for thy exceeding great love in accomplishing that great work that thou wouldest suffer so many torments sorrows labours and griefs yea so bitter and disgraceful a death even the death of Malefactors to redeem me from a most desperate and certain state of damnation which I most justly have fallen into to a state of glory and immortality which I by no means could have deserved I thank thee also O Lord most holy for all other thy spiritual graces and blessings as my Regeneration Vocation Sanctification for thy blessed Sacraments for my Preservation and hope of Glorification O Lord I am not sufficient to render unto thee condign thanks and praises for all these thy mercies yet accept I humbly pray thee these poor and weak thanks which I offer unto thee according to my bounden duty and service For as there is no hour of my life wherein I do not enjoy thy favours and taste of thy goodness so if my frailty would permit I should spend no time of my life without remembring them and praising and blessing thee for the same Glory be therefore to thee O Lord my Creator Glory be to thee O Iesus my Redeemer Glory be to thee O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier Glory to the high and undivided Trinity whose works are inseparable and whose dominion endureth world without end Another ALmighty and everliving God I humbly thank thy Heavenly Majesty for all thy blessings which thou hast vouchsafed to me poor and sinful
mysteries of life eternal for converting us from evil conversation to newness of life and for sanctifying us to life everlasting for directing us in the works of truth and governing us in our temporal affairs O glorious and sacred Trinity infuse into us we beseech thee such measure of thy grace that we may be dayly mindfull of all these thy blessings Pardon all our former ingratitude and negligence in that we have been no more zealous to love thee nor more carefull to serve thee and so forgetfull to thank thee for all thy benefits and mercies Illuminate our hearts that we may firmly beleeve in thee devoutly call upon thee and obediently execute thy holy Will that at the last we may by the merits and passion of thee O Saviour attain to that heavenly Mansion where thou O blessed Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity abidest world without end I thank thee O Lord For my Creation my being my well being That I am indued with Reason That I am A civil man A Christian. Freeborn Ingenious Of honest Parents That I am sound in mind Senses Body That I am well brought up taught I thank thee For thy gifts of Nature Grace Estate For delivering me from Danger Infamy Trouble For the health of my body A Competency of Estates Friends Children Kindred I thank thee O Lord For thy Redemption Regeneration Instruction Vocation Consolation Illumination Iustification Hope of glorification For thy patience toward me For thy Grace preventing me For Governing me For thy Continual care over me For Strengthning me in tentation For Reproving me in evil For Assisting me in good For the Conjunction of my heart For the hopes of pardon for my sins For the benefits I have received For any good done by me For all those that have done me good by their Writings Sermons Conferences Prayers Examples Reproofs Injuries For all and every of these and for all other known or unknown remembred or forgotten I confess and will confess thee I bless and will bless thee I thank and will thank thee as the Author and Giver of them all Seven Psalms of Thanksgiving Paraphrased Psalm 8. O Lord our God Creator and Preserver of all things how excellent glorious and reverend is thy great and holy Name not in one particular Nation only but in all the Kingdoms of the Earth who as thou hast magnified thy Name in the Earth so hast thou set and extolled thy glory above the Heavens also 2 Out of the mouths and tongues of babes and sucklings even very Infants hast thou because men of riper years and understanding neglect thy glory ordained strength and given little Children ability to praise thee because of the malice of thine Enemies the principalities of this world that thou mightest by this thy great wisdom and power still the tongues suppress the blasphemous speeches of the Enemy and Avenger when he shall see that by such weak means thou canst effect so great matters 3 When I consider and duly weigh thy Heavens and the glorious frame thereof the work of thy fingers made and created only by thee together with the Moon and the Stars and other beautiful Lights of Heaven which thou at the beginning of time hast ordained of nothing I cannot but in the depth of admiration say 4 What is man for whose use and service thou hast made them and all things in this world and him to serve thee That thou so great and glorious a God art mindful of him in so large a manner and what is the Son of man the posterity of sinful Adam that thou in such measure of mercy visitest and regardest him 5 For if I look unto his Creation and consider whose Image he beareth I find that thou hast made him in all respects very little lower in degree than the pure Angels who are honoured with thy presence and hast of thy bounty and especial favour crowned him with glory and honour in making him so glorious a Creature 6 Thou madest and hast appointed him also thy Vicegerent on Earth to have dominion and command over thy Creatures the works of thy hands and Creation thou hast subjected and put all things which thou hast made under his feet to obey and serve him 7 All Sheep and Oxen Beasts for his food and sustentation yea and not those only but the untamed beasts of the field also hast thou made plyable and serviceable to him 8 The Fowl of the Air some for food and some for pleasure and delight and the Fish of the vast Sea which is stored with variety and whatsoever else passeth swimmeth or liveth through the unknown pathes of the Sea are also created by thee to serve him 9 O Lord our Lord when I seriously consider thy power and wisdom in thy work of Creation and the especial honour and favour thou shewest to Mankind in giving him this large Commission over the rest of thy Creatures I cannot but admire and say how excellent and great is thy Name and Power in all the Kingdomes of the World There is none O Lord worthy to be compared to thee Glory be to the Father to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. Psalm 30. I Will extoll thee and praise thy Name O Lord as long as I live and not without great cause for thou in thy mercy hast lifted me up and endowed me with thy blessings and hast not made no nor suffered my Foes to work their will against me who intended if thou hadst forsaken me to rejoyce and triumph over me 2 O Lord my God and Saviour I cryed and made my humble supplication unto thee in my trouble and adversity and thou of thy accustomed goodness didst graciously hear me and hast healed me of all mine infirmities 3 O Lord thou by the power of thy grace hast brought up and restored to life my sinful soul from the grave of perdition whereinto my sins had well nigh cast me Thou hast in thy love to me kept me alive and preserved me from many dangerous sicknesses that I should not yet go down into the pit of death but live and praise thy holy Name 4 Sing and rejoyce unto the Lord our God O ye Saints and faithful people of his who have with me felt and tasted of his mercy and give thanks together with me at the remembrance and consideration of his holiness 5 For his anger and displeasure endureth towards sinners but a moment and short space if they truly turn unto to him and if we seriously consider his mercies we shall find that in his favour is life to those that lye desparately sick in their sins if he but touch them with his finger of grace as for weeping heaviness and affliction it may and of necessity must sometime befall his servants but yet it shall endure and afflict them for a night a little while only but joy and comfort commeth again to refresh them in the morning by sending the light of his countenance upon them 6 And
Dan. 9.14 Psal. 119. 137. 75. Psal. 12 7. 117. 2. Mat 19. 17. Ps. 119 68 Jam. 1. 17. Psal. 33. 5. Exo. 16.7 10. Exod. 22. 17. Lev. 9. 23. 2 Chro. 5. 14. Esa. 6. 3. Ps. 113.4 Gen. 17.1 43 14. 2 Cor 6. 18. Job 5. 9. Ps. 104.24 Psal. 33.6 74. 17. 102. 25. Heb. 11.3 Clem. Alex Apo. 19. 16. S. August Gen. 1.27 Psal. â— 5 6. â— Ambr. â— Psal. 8. Arist. Mat. 1. 5. Psal. 944 Psa. 91. â— 2 Reg. 6. Ps. 103.13 Esa. 49.15 Jo. 10.11 Esa. 40,11 Eze. 39. 10. Ps. 23.1.2 Wis 14.3 Mat. 10.29 Ps. 147 9. Ps. 145.15 1 Pet. 5 7. Act. 17.28 Ps. 144.5 Pro. 8.17 Joh. 18.21 1 Joh. 4. 10. 19. Esa. 65.1 Ro. 58.10 Jer. 31. 3. S. Bern. Io. 3. 1. 1 Pet. 3.18 Isa. 53.12 Gal. 3. 13. Phil. 2.8 Ps. 111.9 139. 10. Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 3.20 Ge. 15.16 Ps. 95.10 Act. 13.18 Jonas 3. Exo. 34.6 Ps. 16.15 103. 8. Joel 2.13 Jonas 4.2 Neh. 9.17 Neh. 9.31 Lam. 3.22 Abac. 32. Ezec. 18. 23 32. 33. 11. Ps. 89 33. 103. 10. Lu. 6. 36. 2 Cor. 1.3 Psal. 22.4 Eph. 24. Rom. 5. 20 Ps. 130 7. Luk. 1 78. Ps. 106.43 Ma. 18.27 1 Pet. 1.3 Ps. 97.10 Phi. 2.27 Ps. 79.10 Tit. 3. 5. Pro. 8.12 8. 21. Ps. 97.10 102. 28. Mar. 10. 29 30. Ps. 34.16 Zac. 2. 8 Ps. 34.19 Ecclus. 2. 8. Lam. 3.25 Pro. 5.8.9 Ps. 9. 10. Ps. 1. 31. 1 Thes. 43 Deu. 5.29 Ps. 37.38 Eclus 7.10 Deut. 30. 15. Ps. 37.27 Rom. 7. 12 Ps. 119.75 Apo. 17.7 Psal. 119. Rom. 5.1 Râ—o 16.7 Psal. 112. 165. Isa. 48. 18. 32. 17. Ro. 14.17 2 Cor. 1. 12. Pro. 15. 15 S. Hier. Tully Socrates Byas Ps. 97 11 118. 15. 36. 8. Ro. 8. 18. 1. 20. 5 10 Gal. 5. 5. Act. 10.43 Jer. 31.34 Rom. 12. 12. Ps. 31.11 40. 5. Esa. 30.18 Heb. 10. 35. Phil. 3. 8. Jos. 23.11 Rom. 5.5 Ro. 8. 35. Pro. 10. 8. 1 Reg. 15 22. Exo. 19.8 Psal. 16. 9 10. 84. 2. Luc. 1.48 52. Mat. 5. 5 6. Ps. 80. 5. Pro. 12 2. 10. Psal. 9.18 Ps. 34.14 50. 15. Mat 7. 7. Esa. 58 9. 65. 24. Pro. 3.16 Pro. 43.9 37. 25. Deut. 28.1 2 Cor. 6. 10. Eccl. 1.13 Pro. 14 32 Sap. 4.7 Esa. 57.2 Apoc. 14. 13. 1 Cor. 15 â— Gal. 5.17 Ps. 19.10 110. 19. Eccl. 2.8 10. Levit. 26. Ps. 19.10 1.9 Deut. 30. 11. Mat. 11.30 1 Joh. 5.3 Sap. 7.22 Esa. 40.29 31. Ezec. 11. 19. Deu. 30.6 Gen. 19. Rom. 8.35 Act. 5.41 Eccl. 11.8 Baruch 3. 16. Psal. 14. 3 4. Hosea 4. 1 2. S. Bern 1 Joh. 2. 15 Colos. 3.2 Eccles. 1. 2. Psal. 4. 1. 1 Cor. 2.9 Pro. 3 16. Ps. 112 6. 119. 1. 119. 2. Ps. 37.20 Sap. 14.9 Jer. 5. Esa. 59.2 Num. 14. 18. Exod. 24. 7. 20. 5. Hos. 4. 6â— Deut. 32. 20. Esa. 5. 51 Zac. 11.9 Hos. 5.12 Esa. 42.14 Gen. 3. 19. 7. Num. 16. Levit. 10. 1 Sam. 4. Acts 5. Luc. 23. Esa. 1.15 Job 25. 9. Ps. 66.16 Job 35.12 Pro. 28 9. Esa 59.2 Lam. 3.44 Eze. 8. 18. Sam. 13 4 Esa. 57.20 21. Jam. 4 1 2 Pro. 28.1 Job 15.21 S. Chrysost. S. Aug. S. Ambr. S. Isid. Eccles. 10. 12. 44. 9. Sip. 3. 16. S. Isid. Ps. 100. â— Heb. 10. 22. Psal. 2â— 11 Deut. 13.4 Heb. 4. 11. 16. In regard of Gods Precept Ps. 50.15 Mat. 12.18 Esa. 55.6 Jam. 5.13 1 Thes. 5. 17. Colos 4.2 His Promise Mat. 7. 7. Jo. 16.23 Ps. 91.15 Esa. 65.24 Example of Christ. Mat. 14. 23. 26. 39. Jo. 11 47. Mat. 1.35 The Necessity Rom. 7. 14. The Dignity Ephr. Benefit Exod. 17. 1 Sam. 7. Judith 13. 1 Chr. 5. 20. 2 Chr. 14 20. 2 Kings 19. 15. 2 Chr. 33. 15. 1 Sam. 1. 9. 1 Kin. 18. James 5. Exod. 32. Numbers 21. 7. Jonas 3. 2 Kin. 20. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Jonas 2. Mat. 8.25 Acts 12. Acts 16. 2 Sam. 24. Luc. 12. Mat. 8. Mat. 9 20. Luc. 18. Mat. 15. 17. Acts 28. 1 Kin. 18. 2 Kin. 14. Mar. 9. Acts 7. Luc. 18. 23. Acts 7. Mar. 26. 36. Mat. 14. 34. Directions how to pray 1 To God only Deu. 9.13 Mat. 4.10 Joh 19.23 4. 21. Psa. 24.8 96. 6.99.2 104. 1 Luc. 11.13 Esa. 40. 10. 12. Psal 66.2 Psal. 17.6 18.6 103. Esa. 46.4 1 Sam. 1. 15. Psal. 25.1 73.25.5.1 77.1 Psal. 22.41 Mar. 14. 23 Esa. 43. 11. 45. 5. In Christ. Heb. 4.14 2 In Faith S. August Mat. 9.23 Jam. 2.5.6 1 Joh. 5.14 Heb. 4.16 3 In Hope Psal. 22.4 1 Chron. 5. 20. 4 In Charity Gal. 5.22 John 14. 21 23. 1 John 5. 22. Mat. 11. 25. 6. 14 15. Tim. 5. 16. 1 Tim. â— 1. Mat. 5. 7. 5 In Humility Gen. 32. 10. Luc. 18. Ps. 51.17 Ecclus. 35. 17. Luc. 1. 52. Esa. 66.2 Ps. 34. 1-â— Luc. 1.48 Gen. 13.2 1 Ki. 8.22 Lu. 18. 13. Ex. 17.11 Dan. 6.01 Act. 7. 60. 9. 40. Ps. 95. 6. Mat. 26. 39. Lu. 22.41 Joh. 11.41 Ro. 6 19â— 1 Cor. 11. 4. 6 In Perseverance Luc. 11.8 18. Ps. 40. 1. Mat. 15. 28. Col. 4. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 17. 1 Ki. 19.4 2 Reg. 2. 11. S. Bern. Luc. 11.9 Ps. 27.14 Ferventy Diligence Attention Prov. â—â— Pro 4.23 Rom. 8. 26. Mat. 6. 6. Ephr. Syr. 1 Sam. 1. Basil serm in Martyr Iulitiam Ecclus. 18 23. The time 1 Th. 5.17 Col. 4. 3. Eph. 6.18 Lu. 11.18 Nu. 28. 3. Ps. 55 18. 119.164 Dan. 6.10 Mar. 1.35 Ps. 63. 1. Act. 2. 15. 10. 9. 3. 1. Ps. 119.62 The place Ex. 20.24 1 Tim. 2.8 Mar. 1.35 Mat. 14. 23. Mat. 26. 36. Gen. 24. 63. Act 10. Ps. 111.1 Acts 3. 1. 22. 17. Mat. 6. 6. To pray aright Jam. 4. 3. Spiritual Blessings Temporal Mat. 6.10 26. 39. Mat. 8. 2. S. Bern. In serm 5. quadrag Ex. 29.39 Joel 2. Mar. 18 20. Mat. 20 21 Our Father Ro. 9. 19. Father Ge. 18.27 Ps. 57.3 113. 4. Job 13.25 Ps. 78.40 Father Gen. 1.26 9. 6. Eph. 1. Jam. 1.18 1 Pet. 3. 23. Father Ps. 27. 12. Esa. 63.16 49. 15. Lu. 15.18 Mat. 18. 26. Father 2 Cor. 1.3 1 Joh. 3.1 Heb. 2.12 Mat 7.11 Our 〈◊〉 1 Pet. Which are in Heaven Ps. 65.2 Esa. 66.1 Mat. 5.34 Ps. 19.1 1 Reg. 8. 27. Jer. 23.23 Esa. 66.1 Ps. 121.1 In Heaven Ps. 25. 1. 121. 1. 123. 1. 131. 1. In Heaven Eccl. 5.2 Esa. 66.22 Hallowed be thy Name Name Ps. 103.2 104. 31. 145. 10. Esa. 43. 9. Ps. 97. 5 6 Isa. 6.2 3. Psal. 103. 20 21. Mat. 5. 16. Ps. 149 1. Job 1 20. Exo. 9.16 Thine Ps. 115.1 Rev. 4.12 1 Sa. 2.30 2 Th. 1.12 Ro. 8. 15. Luc. 15. 18. Jos. 7.19 Psal. 8. 9. Rev. 4. 8. Thy Kingdom come Luc. 2.29 Phil. 1.23 Rev. 22. 20. Luc. 19. 14. Let thy Kingdom come Ro. 8. 18. Esa. 64 1. Lu. 10.34 2. 19. 2 Tit. 13. 2 Tim. 4. 18. Re. 22.20 Come Ps. 35. 3. Thy will be done Ro. 9. 19. Acts 9. 5. Ps. 103.20 Thy will Act. 21.14 Jam. 4.15 In Earth as in Heaven As in Heaven Lu. 20.36 In
Earth As in Heaven Psal. 119. Give us this day our daily Bread Esa. 55.2 Jer. 15.16 Ps. 65.4 Heb. 5.13 14. Jo. 6. 33. 35. 48. Jo. 6. 3,4 Mat. 6.33 Ro. 13.14 Bread Lu. 26.26 1 Reg. 19. 8. Psal. 6.2 91. 16. Pro. 15. Our Bread Bread Gen. 28. 20. Ps. 30. 7 8 9. Pro. 30. 7 8 9. Our Pro. 20.17 Ours Give Hab. 1. 16. Ps. 104.28 Give Give Give us This day Heb. 3. Gen. 41. Pro. 6. 6. 1 Tim. 5.8 Jo. 16 1◠And forgive us our Trespasses Esa. 27.9 1 Jo. 1.8 1 Jo. 1. 9. Esa. 39.2 Jer. 5. 25. Lam. 3.44 Jo. 9. 31. Forgive Ps. 28.13 Lev. 5. 5. 36. 40. 42. 1 Jo. 1. 9. Ps. 32. 5 2 Sam. 12. 13. Lu. 15.21 18. 10. 7. 48. Jude 6. Our Trespasses or Debts And forgive Deut. 29. 18. Heb. 12. 15. Forgive us Ro. 15.30 Forgive us Act. 7.66 2 Tim. 4. 16. As we forgive c. As we And lead us not into Tentation Gen. 22.1 Job 1. Ex. 15.25.16.4 10. 20. Deut. 8.2 16. 23. 3. 2 Pet. 2.22 1 Pet. 4 2. Mar. 20. 44. 1 Pet. 5.8 1 Cor. 10 33 Jam 1.13 Ecclus. 3. 26. Lead us not Into Tentation But deliver us from evil From evil Ps. 68. 1. 89. 23. 22. 20. 21. 69. 15. 16. From evil From evil Esa. 38.14 Mat. 8. 25 From evil From evil 2 Cor. 11. 14. Deliver us from evil Hos. 7. 16. Esa. 6. 5. Ps. 5. 10. 144. 11. Mat. 7. 22. Ps. 58. 4. Heb. 12. 2. Ro. 3. 15. Jer. 3. 3 Ps. 60. 11. Thine is the Kingdom Ps. 22. 18. 1 Chron. 29. 11. Thine is the Kingdom Ps. 8. 15. Eze. 26.7 1 Tim. 6. 15. Re. 17. 14 Re. 11. 15. Ps. 10.19 Mal. 1. 14 Dan. 2. 21 Ps. 145. 11 Dan. 7. 27 Heb. 1.18 Ps. 10. 16. 1 Tim. 1. 17 Power Ro. 9. 19. Mic. 7. 18. Ps 66. 7. 62. 11. 147. 5. Eph. 1. 19. Exo. 15 6. Col. 1. 11 2 Th. 1.9 And Glory Ps. 138.5 1 Chron. 16. 27. Psal. 8. 1. 113. 4. 148. 13. Ro. 9.23 Ps. 24. 10. Mat. 2. 2 Luc. 2.14 Rev. 5.13 For ever and ever Ps. 10. 16. Rev. 7.12 5. 13. 19. 1. Amen Rev. 1. 5. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Our Father which art in Heaven Psal. 8. Hallowed be thy Name Eph. 1.4 Mat. 5. 16. Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us Psal. 130. Mat. 18. And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from evil Luc. 1.15 For thine is the Kingdom the Power And Glory For ever and ever Amen Ps. 119 51 94. 12. 119. 18. Rom. 7.18 Ps. 119.52 1 Pet. 5.5 Luc. 8.15 Gen. 6. 8. Heb. 12. 17. 2 Cor. 6.1 Heb. 12. 15. Act. 13.43 2 Pet. 3.18 2 Cor. 7. 11. 2 Pet. 1.5 Luc. 2.21 Phil. 1.23 Ro. 4.16 2 Cor. 1. 10. Mat. 6. 9. Eph. 1. 5. Mat. 25.25 Rom. 13. 13. 1 Tim. 6. 8. Ps. 128.3 Ps. 119 5. 1 Joh. 2.2 Ephes. 6. Ps. 147.9 1 Tim. 6.8 2 Cor. 9.8 Jam. 3.13 Mat. 3.17 Ps. 119.5 Mat. 6.36 Gen. 1.26 Ps. 6. 6. 149. 5. Eph. 5.11 Ps. 10 4◠Repeat the sins thou canst call to mind Ro. 7. 19. Ps. 143.2 2 Cor. 1.3 Eze. 33. 11. Cant. 1.4 2 Pet. 2. 22. Psal. 31.5 Psal. 17.8 Psal. 13.4 Ps. 141.1 55. 10. 〈◊〉 1. Esa. 38.1 Pro. 24.16 Luc. 17.4 Psal. 13.4 Psal. 91.5 Cant. 5. Ps. 139.12 Esa. 14.19 Psal. 71.1 Psal. 4. 9. Psal. 5.5 Jer. 31.33 Psal. 17.8 John 2. Gen. 2. Eph. 6. 6. Col. 3 21. Gen. 2.22 Pro. 31. 1 Pet. 3. Exod. 20. Ps. 128.6 Gen. 3.10 Ps. 124.6 Psal. 25.6 Esa. 38.3 Philip. 7. Col. 3.22 Joh. 14.6 Gen. 28. 20. Tob. 5. Psal. 38. ◠44. 23. 51 11. 69. 18. 40. 14. 38. 21. 119. 31. Psal. 39. 25. 2. 27. 12. 64. 1. Eph. 4.19 Act. 28.27 Pro. 7.13 Esa. 48.4 Tit. 1.16 1 Joh. 5.16 Mat. 12. 32. J◠1. 21. Heb. 12 1. 1 Joh. 2.16 Mat. 6.2 Ecclus. 51 5. Apo. 6.6 Mat. 25. 41. 8. 12. Jude 6. Apo. 20. 10. 14. 11. Luc. 10.33 Levit. 26. 25. Jer. 4.112 Ps. 19.9 1 Chr. 21. 15. Ezech. 9. 2 Chro. 7. 13 14. 1 Kings 8. Dan. 19 8. S. August Heb. 11.1 Joh. 3.16 Acts 4.12 Heb. 5.9 Mar. 1.15 Rp. Latim Ser. 4 7 coram Rege Jam. 2.26 1 Cor. 13. S. Aug. S. Aug. 1 Cor. 13. 2. Heb. 11.6 1 Joh. 3 33 Act. 16.31 Joh. 6.29 S. Greg. S. Aug. Ser. 181. de tempore Heb. 1. 5. Joh. 1.12 Rom. 1.16 Gal. 4. 6. Ephe. 1.5 Esa. 46.4 45.6 Ro. 10.12 Heb. 1. 3. Gen. 17.1 43. 34. 2 Cor. 6. 18. Phil. 3.21 Gen. 1.2 Psal. 33.6 104. 5. Act. 4. 24. Esa. 45.7 Ps. 104.3 Job 33. 4. Job 38. 41. Psal. 36.7 Psal. 8. Mar. 10. 39. 1 Pet. 5 7. Act. 17.28 Sap. 9. 3. Psal. 67.4 Sap. 4. 〈◊〉 81. Mat. 1.21 Heb. 7. 25. Joh. 3.18 Act. 4.12 Act. 5.19 Psal. 45.8 Heb. 1. 9. Esa. 61.1 Joh. 1.14 Heb. 1. 2 Joh. 3.16 Heb. 1. 2. Col. 1. 17. Eph. 1 7. Col. 1.14 1 Pet. 1. 19. 1 Co 6. 20. 7.23 Mat. 1.18 20. Luc. 1.35 S. Greg. Esa. 7.14 Mat. 1.21 Luc. 1.30 Luc. 2. 7. Joh. 1.14 Gal. 4. 4. S. Bern. Esa. 53. 12 1 Pet. 2. 24. 3. 18. Gal. 3. 13 Deut. 21. 23. Phil. 28. Rom. 6.23 Heb. 2. 9. 14. 1 Cor. 15. 55. Mat. 27. 60. Mar. 15. 46. Lu. 23.53 Joh. 19.40 Act. 13.29 Ps. 16.11 S. August Ep. 99. Ps. 16.11 Acts 2.34 1 Cor. 15. 20. Mar. 28.6 Mar. 16.6 Luc. 24.4 Joh. 20. Rom. 6. 3. 4. 25. Ma◠16. 19. Lu. 24.51 Heb. 4.1 Eph. 4 10. Joh. 14.2 Heb. 10. 19. Eph. 2. 6. Joh. 14.16 16. 7. Mar. 16.9 Col. 3.1 Ro. 8.24 Heb. 7.25 9.24 Joh. 14.3 Eph. 5 23. Eph. 1.20 Mat. 24. 30. Mal. 3. 5. Jude 14. Joh. 5.23 Mat. 26. 64. Act. 17.31 1 Thes. 4. 16 17. Lu. 12.12 Joh. 14.26 16. 13 1 Cor. 6. 11. Esa. 11.2 1 Joh. 2.27 Joh. 3. 5. 16. 8. 1 Joh. 2.27 Joh. 16.13 Gen. 20.6 Rom. 8. 26 Joh. 14. 16 Acts 9. 31. Rom. 8. 15 26 2 Cor. 1.22 Eph. 1.13 14. Joh. 14.23 6. 55 56. 1 Joh. 1. 3. 7. Ep. 4. 4. 12. Rom. 8 1 Cor. 1 30. Job 19 25 Joh. 5.28 6. 40. Lu 20.16 Joh. 16 22 17. 3. Apo. 21. 4. 1 Th. 5. 19 Eph. 4 30 Act. 7. 51. Mat. 32.5 Luc. 17.6 Mat. 17. 20. 1 Tim. 1. 5 Eph. 3. 11. Jam. 2.26 Gen. 1. Ecclus 43 Psal. 145. Rom. 1.20 Joh. 17. 5. Gen. 14.18 21. 33. Luc. 1.37 Gen. 18.4 Jer. 23.24 Psal. 13 9. Joh. 21.17 2 Ki. 8.29 Ro. 11.33 Ps. 117.2 Mat. 24. 35. Ps. 111.3 119. 156. 130. 4. 17. 7. 13. 6. Gen. 3. 15 Eus. a. 7. Matthew Mark Luke John Mat. 18. 23. Lu. 18 10 Luc. 15.4 8. Lu. 15.21 Mat. 20 9. Joh. 3.17 12. 47. Luc. 9. 36. Luc. 5. 32. Mat. 9.13 18. 11. Luc. 19.10 Mat. 11.8 Joh. 6.37 Lu. 23. 74 Luc. 43.
should any longer sustain me or that I should expect any thing from thee but thy severest Iudgement For if thou sparedst not Lucifer and his Angels for one only sin Pride but didst cast them from Heaven to be reserved for everlasting chains of darknesse unto the Iudgement of the great Day what can I hope or look for that have offended thee not in one offence alone but in all kind of transgressions For my sins are in number numberless insomuch that I hate my self for my madness that from so noble a liberty I am fallen into so base a servitude and find my self overwhelmed with the horrible dread of thy fearful Iudgements Yet when I behold and consider that infinite mercy of thine which surpasseth all the rest of thy works I am a little refreshed and my Soul is a little comforted and revived For as by the examination of the hainousness of my sins and the strictness of thy Iustice I did almost despair So considering and weighing the testimonies of thy Servants left upon record for the comfort of poor distressed souls I am somewhat again cheared and raised up For besides those places of consolation and many more I find by divers Parables and Similitudes of thine own how ready and propense thou art to receive and pardon the Penitent As by the lost Penny the lost Sheep and by the Prodigal Son whose Image I find in my self and whose life mine doth fully parallel Wherefore O Lord I humbly intreat thee to restore me thy lost Son to thy favour and withall to give me the true sense and knowledge of the innocency I have lost I do not desire that thou shouldest deal so kindly with me as that Father did with his Son but I shall be happy and glad if thou wilt entertain me as one of the meanest of thy hired servants My hope and confidence is that thou wilt pitty me because thou art the fountain of pitty and compassion Behold me therefore with the eyes of pitty look on me and ease me who come unto thee laden with the heavy burden of my sins pardon them and save me for thy infinite mercy and remember not my sins but thine own sufferings think not on me as a proud and rebellious Malefactor but as an humble and penitent Convert Look on me with those eyes of compassion wherewith thou didst sometime behold Mary Magdalen Peter and the good Thief Give me true knowledge of my sins with the first true contrition with the second and receive me with the third into thy Heavenly Paradise Let thy obedience satisfie for my rebellions thy innocency for my guilt thy humility for my arrogancy thy fasting for my intemperance and thy justice for my iniquity Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me whole and restore me to thy former grace Purifie purge and cleanse me from mine offences and open mine eyes that I may clearly see mine own pollution and make me to grieve that I have not grieved for my sins as I ought to have done And as thou hast by thy long-suffering hitherto expected my repentance so of thy infinite mercy and goodness pardon me repenting and grant me grace that I may be afraid to offend thee hereafter Hear me O sweet Saviour make intercession for me to the Father with whom and the Holy Spirit thou dost live and reign coequal and coeternal Lord God world without end Amen Confession of Sins I confess O Lord That I was shaped in wickedness and in sin my Mother conceived me That I was brought forth in uncleanness That I am a root of bitterness A wild vine of Sodom A branch of the wild olive The child of wrath A vessel of dishonour and perdition That my heart is rebellious like a starting bow That my throat is an open sepulcher venting all folly That I am of polluted lips That my tongue talketh nothing but vanity That mine eyes are evil prone to lust That mine ears are uncircumcised and like to the deaf Adder That I have a forhead of brass and a neck of iron That my hands are slow to good That my feet are swift to evil I have sinned against thee O Lord and in thy sight not fearing thy Majesty My Sins are In quantity Large and of a great size Of long continuance From my Mothers breasts Deep Heavy Like a burden Like lead Stretching to Heaven with their cry Many in number Like the Stars More than the hairs of my head The sands of the Sea Oftentimes reiterated As a Fountain casting out water Till they became as a habit As red as scarlet and crimson I am sold under sin Till they become natural to me Like the AEthiopians skin The Leopards spots In quality The worst of sins Strong like cords and cart-ropes Gaining nothing thereby For a handful of barley a little bread Committing sin with greediness Sin upon sin With impudence Not being ashamed Knowing it to be sin Giving offence thereby Unthankfully Like the Dog to the vomit Like the Sow to the mire Therefore O Lord because thou art just and thy judgements true I reap the fruit of my foolishness For what fruit have I in those things whereof I am ashamed My dayes are consumed in vanity and my years in the bitternesse of my soul. And now there is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sin My heart trembleth also with remembrance of thy Iudgements I feel bitterness above the bitterness of death in that I have forsaken thee O God and that thou hast forsaken me Woe unto me rebellious Wretch for thus doing See and consider O Lord how vile I am become for my Soul abhorreth to live I have roared for the disquietness of my heart And what shall I now say or wherein shall I open my mouth What shall I answer seeing I have done these things Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me out of this body of death When I have not what I can further say or do this only remaineth this is my last refuge that I direct mine eyes to thee Out of the deep have I called to thee O Lord Lord hear my voice If thou Lord shouldest be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it Enter not into judgement with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Wherefore O Lord I appeal from Thee to Thee From Thee a just Iudge To Thee a merciful Father From the Throne of thy Iustice To the Seat of thy Mercy O Lord be pleased to admit of this appeal If thou do not I perish And O Lord carest thou not that I perish