assault of this death that we through the same may not passe into the second and euerlasting death But if so be that those which spent their time in buying and selling and other lawfull affaires were so consumed in GODS wrath what may others expect that spend euen their whole time in things vtterly vnlawfull If those missed the right way how shall these enter into that gate which leades vnto eternall life which is so straight Math. 7.13 that fewe there be that finde it Or doth a man in his extreamity thinke to find some precious thing which in his strong health hee neuer looked after Doth hee thinke after his departure Royally to be entertained by that King with whom in his life time hee neuer sought to be acquainted This is somewhat too late and chanceth very seldome Let no man therefore continue in his impietie in hope to conuert himselfe to God on his death-bed This presumption is the most dangerous poyson that the deuill can minister to any man We must learne out of the holy Scripture that he that all his life-time hath beene a thorne-Bush or a Thistle doth not vsually afterwards bring foorth Figges or Grapes And that the tree that bringeth not forth good fruits Math. 7.16.19 is hewen downe and cast into the fire Therefore let vs with Iesus Syrachs sonne while wee are yet young ere euer we goe astray Ecclus. 51.13 desire wisedom openly in our prayers Humble thy selfe saith hee also before thou be sicke and in the time of sinnes shew repentance Let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vowes in due time and deferre not vntill death to be iustified Before thou prayest Ecclus. 18.21 c. prepare thy selfe and be not as one that tempteth the Lord. For it will not auaile a man afterwards with Balaam to wish to dye the death of the Righteous Num. 25.10 who hath not before with Iacob endeauoured to leade the life of the righteous Therefore Isaiah warnes vs and sayes Seeke you the Lord while he may be found Isaiah 55.6 For that words be but winde is here a true prouerbe Not euery one saith the Iudge himselfe that saith vnto me Math. 7.21 Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in heauen Wherefore it seemes we may sooner in Christian charity feare the end of a carelesse man that onely calls and prayes to GOD at his last houre then of a godly man who in his extreamity by reason of a burning Feauer dyeth in a raging phrensie But is there no hope then of a sinfull mans repentance towards the last period of his life Yes certainly and that out of the very words of the afore-named Iudge Hee doth not shut out all those that haue not done his Fathers will as if it were too late to doe it at the last houre but those onely which doe not the will of the Father which is in heauen pointing as with his gracious finger to this that it is neuer too late to doe his Fathers will And this is his will that the wicked forsake his way and the vnrighteous man his thoughts Isaiah 55.7 and that hee returne vnto the Lord. That is that by earnest repentance hee continually striue to attaine vnto sincere conuersion which consisteth in an vnfained loathing of our deparauâ—d nature and hatred of all our transgressions and euill lustes And withall an earnest longing to be by Christ our onely Sauiour receiued sanctified and iustified And lastly to haue a constant purpose to vse all meanes throughout the whole course of our life though it yet should last-an hundred yeares to obserue all occasions for keeping Gods commandements And that not for feare of that punishment which shall befall all transgressours but out of that meere loue and affection which like good children wee beare vnto our heauenly Father And then saith the Prophet Will God be mercifull vnto vs Ier. 1â— â— for with him is much forgiuenesse We must then follow the example of the valiant Champions and wrastlers in olde time who for many dayes together before hand caused their bodies to be rubbed annointed and exercised yea tyed themselues to a certaine strict course of dyet and then they presented themselues so prepared in the famous Olympian games to fight or wrastle in open view for honour In like manner must wee long afore prepare our soules couragiously to fight with Death at the appointed time that when it assaile vs it may not hurt vs. 2 Point The armes or sting of death But how may we secure our selues against it By two manner of meanes Wee must disarme it and arme our selues We must diligently enquire wherewithall it can hurt vs and hauing found it out seeke to bereaue it thereof The Philistims were subtill enough to giue Sampson no rest till they had vnderstood wherein his great strength consisted As soone as his Philistine darling heard that it consisted in his haire she presently plaid the Barber and cut it off Then was Sampson weake as another man saith the Scripture Iudg. 16.17 Now wherein the power of Death consisteth the Apostle hath shewed to vs to wit in the sting this is the dart wherewithall Death peirceth our soules 1 Cor. 15.56 And this sting faith he are our sinnes Whosoeuer then will deale prudently and prouidently must endeauour to bereaue Death of this sting Not when it comes to struggle with him and when hee lyes on his death-bed for then it stingeth too deepe But hee must doe this before it comes to assaile him The ancient Poets faigned Faith in Christ that Pallas the Goddesse of wisedome bore a shield that turned all those that gazed on it into stone But wee know that the holy Apostle Paul who was a seruant of the Sonne of God the true wisedome of his heauenly Father hath shewed vs the true shield Eph. 6.16 wherewith wee may bee able to quench all the fierie darts of the wicked to wit in trusting in Iesus Christ This faith then is termed and is really the right shield against which the force of the hellish sting of death shall not bee able to preuaile though it assaile vs with as much fury as may bee For to commence at the beginning when the first man through infidelity did transgresse his Creators ordinance hee with all his future Progenie lost the right of being termed the Sonne of God And so cast himselfe and vs all who resemble him in dayly disobedience out of Gods mercy into his eternall wrath Wherein we should also haue remained for euer had not the diuine wisedome otherwise prouided This alone hath deuised a remedie and hath ordained that the eternall Sonne of God as the fittest person in Trinity to restore man vnto his lost title of a Sonne should assume humane nature And this not onely that therein hee might yeeld perfect obedience vnto God but for this end chiefly that he
OF DEATH A TRVE DESCRIPTION And against it A good Preparation Together with A sweet Consolation for the suruiuing Mourners By IAMES COLE Merchant Printed at London by A. M. 1629. TO THE RIGHT Worthy his much respected friends Mr. Iohn Milleward Esquire one of the Captaines of this famous Cittie Mr. Iohn Awbrey Mr. Edmond Page Mâ— William Gillie Mr William Middelton and Mr Iohn Bludworth D. H. Merchant wisheth all happinesse in soule and body in this worâ—d and eteâ—nâ—ll glory and blisse in the world to come EXcuse mee I pray which am now the hand of my deceased friend that I commend these his Religious Instructions vnto your Patronages and Embracements The long time of your acquaintance honest mutuall traffique and former pious conuersation may iustly challenge it both of the Author and my selfe Yee often haue taken and built your credit on his word in your bought Wares which the effect hath confirmed to your profit Once more beleeue him and buy these his MeditatioÌ„s on his word the price is but your acceptance reading and application And if thus you will vse and trie these his last Marchandizes they will prooue vnto you of infinite worth and price for by them you shall obtaine that precious Pearle and hidden treasure of which the Gospell mentions It was your charitable Christian loue that accompanied his mortall body to his last home and it was his louing care here to direct those that followed him and others to the graue lest they should too long make their aboade with the Gaderenian among the tombes The graue is but a passage not a dwelling place It doth but preserue the pledge of our bodies vntill the day of resurrection Therefore those that truly follow deceased Christians follow them not onely vnto the dore of death and entrance of the graue but through death vnto life through the graue vnto heauen And lest death the way to life should seeme too terrible and rather affright from the way then inuite vnto it This our friend and charitable Author shewes and proues here that in respect of the body the soule the world the last Iudgement it properly is not to be feared And further to embolden the weake faith of a trembling Christian hee vnmaskes and vnarmes death hee so describes her and prepares our bodies to embrace her that death is no more death but victory no more the obiect of feare but desire Wherefore hauing thus farre set in a word the description of her description before you I dare no longer detaine you from the victory of her If you please but to follow either the prescription or example of this our louing friend through death vnto life through the graue vnto heauen J dare promise that you will attaine my wish all happinesse here and eternall glory hereafter Jn confidence whereof I rest London this 10. of Iune 1629. Your well-wishing friend DIERICK HOSTE In commendation of the Author and his Booke NOthing more sure to vs then once pale death to see Why then are we so blinde not once to thinke thereon What more vncertaine then when this our chance may be Why then goe we on still as if shee should touch none In seasonable time this Bookâ— is come to light To driue out of our hearts deaths feare and anguish still It is a Christian part t' instruct vs in the right How we may arme our selues against that feared ill For though at euery one grim death ne're leaues to ayme Yet in this Treatise small from her quite taken is Her sting Which iustly makes to tremble without blame But to vs that are Christs she brings eternall bliss O worthy Israelite thou hast spied out full well That this great Anakim cannot hinder at all To winne that Canaan of heau'n and there to dwell For IESVS CHRIST hath wrought that Giants great downefall How can we now reward thy loue O Author kinde Who in thy life time shun'dst mens praise from laud didst flie Thy pious vertuous life wee 'll euer beare in minde Which now the Lord hath crown'd with blisse eternally D. H. Of the zealous Author his much respected Vnkle and his comfortable Description SHall I reioyce because his Penne doth teach Vs how die and heauenly blisse to reach Or shall I mourne because to be our guide His worthy selfe he hath to vs denâ—â—d Longer on earth His words perswade beliefe Farther confirmance but augments our griefe His Booke suffu'd that pointing Mercurie He needed not to guid vs and to die His life wee wanted more that could vs tell That hee that liued godly should die well Yet what it was I dare not well set downe For feare his ashes modesty shâ—uld frowne But let them speake that comment on his name A man of pious learned vpright fame Whose words and deedes did so concurre in one That what he said t' was true t' was sure t was done Whose vertuous presence was so pretious deere That most did wish he still might haue beene heere But loe his liberall charity If thus His company was gratefull vnto vs He shewes vs how we may enioy it still And striues our wishes happier to fulfill Then we conceiue He cann't descend againe We must ascend and there by him remaine Thus while we enter his societie Ours will be Saints and Angels companie But lest wee should vnskilfull Pilgrims stray Not knowing how to goe which is the way Lest that our eyes waxe dim'd by sinfull slime That we perceiu'd not which way he did clime Behold in this good legacie of his He shewes vs the true way through death to blisse Lest we should feare th'aff ighting face of death And quake to heare the fare-well of our breath To his olde Mate he doth vnmaske the fiend Shewes her sting forcelesse prooues our foe our friend So that we bold mâ—y gaze her in the face And that we fear'd so much with ioy embrace She is no euill thing but naturall According to Gods will common to all The bodie 's but a sleepe it feeles no paine The soule dies not but mounts vnto the traine Of heauenly Saints Why should earths vanities Detaine vs from these happy glorious skies Or feare of iudgement by it we receiue A ioy which mortall minde cannot conceiue Therefore when sicknesse pale doth enter in By Gods command vsherd by in-bred sinne That messenger of death thy house befit Thy body soule and all to welcome it Thy selfe striue well to arme death to vnarme By shunning sinne with faith and feare no harme Repent and pray and to thy heauenly peace And certaine comfort will thy faith encrease So that death shall thy soule not terrifie But be to thee a wished victorie Which brings thee to a ioyfull Paradise Before the Lambe aboue the starrie skies There is our Author now and there doth shine Like a cleare starre our once Marchant-diuine There he 's in his reward If we desire To beare a pâ—rt in that celestiall quire Let vs these his directions embrace
call the righteous Math. 9.12 13. but sinners to repentance for sayes he the whole neede not the Physitian but they that are sicke Let vs only earnestly runne after him Call on him by faith as did the sick the blinde the lame as St. Mathew hath distinctly set downe and wee may yet be cured with them Yea rather before them for our Sauiour came into the world to heale the sicknesse of the soule and did but heale their bodily diseases thereby to moue them to giue him leaue to take their soules in hand And by these externall things he would haue vs to feele his infinite loue Salomons words indeed befit him well who telleth vs that Lone couereth all sinnes Pro. 10.12 Sinne indeed is so strong that it did hinder man from entring into heauen into which as yet hee neuer had set foote But the loue of God was of farregreater might that caused him to send his onely begotten Sonne into the world out of heauen 1 Ioh. 4.9 where he was in all glory and that to this end that euen the feeblest might liue through him This incomprehensible loue St. Paul termeth the riches of his grace Eph. 1.7 These riches then and this infinite treasure of his loue is the true wedding grament Mat. 22.12 that will hide all our sores at the wedding of the King and will richly adorne all wretched and forlorne soules notwithstanding any estate of pouerty or misery that their sin haâ—h brought them to if onely they can sit it vnto themselues by faith Therefore if the deuill assaile vs Iam. 4.7 let vs resist him saith the Apostle and he will flee from vs. If hee doe obiect and testifie against vs that we haue not with Maries zeale chosen the better part Let vs constantly hope that neuerthelesse Ioh. 11.5 seruing Christ with Marthas vprightnesse wee may notwithstaÌ„ding be beloued of him If he shall suggest vnto vs that we must not thinke to see that vnspeakeable ioy of the third heauen which was shewed Paul to that Elect vessell of God Luk. 23.46 yet let vs constantly trust that we shall enioy that blisse in Paradise which was granted to the Thiefe on the Crosse If hee tempt vs with the text of Holy writ that GOD doth not heare the prayers of sinners Mich. 3.4 let vs answere him with Holy writ againe Math. 4.10 Depart from me Sathan God sweares by himselfe Ezech. 33.11 that hee hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked man turne from his way and liue yea there is more ioy in heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth Luk. 15.7 then ouer ninety and nine iust persons which neede no repentance Therefore let vs turne our hearts to God Rom. 8.25 hope for that we see not and expect it with patience Doe we not heare from Christ himselfe that Iamentable voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Luk. 23.48 Yet presently after that Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Wee must also know that this our trembling for feare of Gods wrath is a token that wee doe not with worldlings carelesly neglect our sinnes or seeke to hide them from Gods sight But that we feele them with Dauid and doe confesse them vnto him and therefore may hope with him that the Lord forgiueth vs our transgressions Psal 32.5 Wee haue with the Prodigall serued the world and the deuill but now in our pouerty and agonie wee cry out with him Father I haue sinned against heauen and in thy sight Luk. 15.20.21 and am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne wherefore wee must expect that our heauenly Father will be moued with compassion and receiue vs with a kisse This straying Prodigall childe when hee so spake knew not whether his Father would receiue him into fauour againe or not yet hee found good successe with it Wherefore let vs for whose instruction and encouragement this is recorded assuredly hope that if we doe the like God will likewise receiue vs. For to haue compassion on his children is the true nature of a father which that we may assure our selues to finde in God our Lord Iesus Christ to our great comfort puts this name in our mouth in the very beginning of our prayers Let vs then cry out without ceasing Math. 6.9 Our Father forgiue vs our trespasses deliuer vs from euill and wee doubtlesse in him shall finde the right affection and effects of a Father Let vs obserue also the two Disciples that had in a manner lost both faith and hope and trauailing towards Emaus were troubled in their soules concerning the death of Iesus Christ who they had hoped as they complained should haue deliuered Israell Luk. 24.21 but now seemed to haue lost that hope And out of the aboundance of their heart their mouth vttered these things vnto a stranger in the field Now what befell them Did the Lord reiect them because they told him this euen to his face No hee tooke pitty rather on their infidelity and was with them ere they thought on him And so let vs hope beyond hope that our Redeemer mercifully now stands and beholds our perplexity though we see him not And that he in due time will very kindly and assuredly let vs feele his compassion and ayde Yea if God sent the Prophet Nathan 2 Sam. 12.7 to that King that priuately by adulterie and murther had sinned against him and if he prepared a crowing Cocke Math. 26.75 for that Apostle that publiquely had denied him and beheld them both with the eye of his compassion before euer they thorowly perceiued their owne sins or euer thought of repentance O may not we then beleeue that he will haue mercy on vs who haue our heart harder prest downe by our sinnes then if a milstone lay on it and lie now sighing to be releast Yea we must beleeue it when the Sauiour of the world himselfe saith it Behold hee is so mercifull vnto those whose hearts are sore opprest with the burthen of their sinnes that he doth not stay till they finde him But hee seekes them and cries out himselfe with a loude voyce Come vnto me all yee that labour and are heauie laden Math. 11.28 To what end to oppresse them no certainly I will giue you rest saith he Let a man obserue this well and ruminate priuately on it and his heart shall be forced to powre out secretly before the Lord either these or the like words A comfortable meditation O Lord Iesu Almighty God the onely Sauiour of the world doest thou call mee wilt thou refresh me Thou thy selfe in whose power onely the sauing and condemning of my soule doth consist Doest thou promise me this who art truth it selfe and that because I finde my selfe loaden wiâ—h many sins O Lord what or whom neede I then to feare I come I come I am he whom thou callest Behold I
And to receiue and enioy this glory there is no other way but by death Death onely fetches vs and brings vs thither Now as a young Prince liuing some-where in banishment would exceedingly reioyce to see a messenger sent by the King his father to fetch him home and to set him on his Throne Euen so ought a childe of God to reioyce when God sends vnto him his Messenger Death to fetch him vnto his eternall kingdome Yea so much the more then such a Prince by how much the more the Kingdome of heauen doth excell all the Kingdomes of the world For it is better to be one day in the Palace of heauen sayes Dauid then else-where a thousand Psal 84.11 Priuiledge of the life to come For what haue we on the face of the earth that should make vs desire to stay here If we giue ouer this life which is but temporall and full of miserie and trouble wee obtaine a life on high where there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying Reu. 21.4 neither shall there be any more paine If heere wee depart from our earthly parents we are entertained there of our heauenly Father Math. 5.45 If heere wee leaue our chiefest friends and kindred wee meete there with our brethren in Christ cloathed in long white garments Reu. 7.9 If heere wee loose our Gardens and faire Pallaces wee finde our selues there in Paradise where the tree of life is continually growing If heere we remoue out of a famous Citie wee become there Citizens of the heauenly Ierusalem Heb. 12.22 Or if here we forgoe our Princely honours there we are named children of the most high Luk. 6.35 Yea if here we forsake euen an earthly Kingdome we possesse there a heauenly Kingdome Luk. 1.33 whereof there shall be no end The seeing of God When further wee proceede and consider that we are promised there to see God and that we shall see him as he is Math. 5.8 how can wee but hope to see the holy Trinity with full satisfaction 1 Ioh. 3 2. Wee shall see him in whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy Psal 16.11 and who shall say then vnto vs Enter into thy masters ioy Math. 25.21 O what an vnexpressable ioy will this bee What can our mindes imagine or hearts wish more If the Queene of Seba cryed out that those men were happy which stoode before Salomon to heare his wisedome 1 Reg. 10.8 how happy will those be that shall stand before Iesus who is the wisedome of his heauenly Father And if Iohn the Baptist leaped for very ioy at the presence of Christ Luk. 1.44 while he was yet in his mothers wombe And Simeon was satisfied when hee had but seene the childe in the Temple Luk. 2.30 what ioy and satiety will those receiue that shall see him sit at the right hand of his Father in eternall glory The three Apostles of our Lord when they had but a very small resemblance therof in that short transfiguration of Christ how soone did they forget set light by the world with all her appurtenances cried out Master it is good for vs to be here Luk. 9.33 and let vs heere build vs tabernacles What doe those Apostles now feele Or what doe they say now with all those that perfectly behold his glory and dwell in it The honour of our soules When we farther yet consider that we our selues shall obtaine there the Crowne of glory 1 Pet. 5.4 that fadeth not away as Peter speakes And that Gods children being by Christ iustified shall shine forth as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Math. â—3 43 and be as the Angels of God in heauen Math. 22. â—0 yea are there to raigne for euer and euer Reu. 22.5 What heart what soule can chuse but long exceedingly to forgoe this world and to attaine to the presence of God Dauid cries out As the Hart panteth after the water brookes Psal 42.1 so panteth my soule after thee O God My soule thirsteth for God for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before God Now that which he longed for euery true beleeuer after this life once ended shall for euer enjoy The meeting of the body and sâ—ule together But whosoeuer farther will cast his eyes on the generall resurrection of the dead may finde yet farther matter of ioy and comfort Euery one may in some sort conceiue how vnspeakeably these two old friends soule and body will reioyce when after many ages they shall meete againe and perceiue that each of them is in a happy estate 1 Cor. 15.45 But chiefly when this corruptible shall haue put on incorruption and this mortall shall haue put on immortality and bee partaker with the soule of heauenly delight Yea the Lord Iesus shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 What is there in heauen or in earth more excellent or what can bee imagined that deserues rather to be desired Yea with our corporall eyes we shall behold Christ This it was euen this I say was it wherewith Iob comforted himselfe in his long continued miserie and which did releeue him in his greatest agony I know sayes he that my Redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand at the latter day vpon earth and though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God Iob 19.26 whoâ— I shall see for my selfe and mine eyes shall behold and not another Stephen the Martyr had assurance hereof in this life for hee being full of the holy Ghost sayes the Scripture looked vp stedfastly into heauen Acts 7.55 and sawe the glory of God and Iesus standing on the right hand of God With this firâ—t Martyr of Christ let vs then coÌ„tinually cast our harts eies of faith towards heauen and fixe them wholly on Christ crying out with him Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Yea when wee can neither crie nor speake any more Let vs all with Hanna 1 Sam. 1.15 powre out our soules before him And the Spirit will make intercession for vs Rom. 8.26 with groaning which cannot be vttered and wee doubtlesse with the afore-said Stephen shall see heauen open and when our time comes with him dye in the Lord. Yet if it shall please God after all our good preparation An appendix to lift vs as he did the fore-mentioned Ezechias from our bâ—d againe and to restore vs to health let vs take good heede that we doe not neglect likewise with the same King Es 38.20 to sing songs in the house of the Lord all the dayes of our life that is euermore to be thankfull vnto him to serue him and to praise him So the diseased person whom Iesus had healed at Ierusalem was presently found in the Temple Ioh. 5.14 The Prophet Dauid teacheth vs
in his hundred and sixteenth Psalme that being released we should call vpon him as long as we liue walke before him Psal 116. and pay our vowes vnto him in the presence of all his people which Psalme throughout ought then to be our meditation and our practise For wee doe neglect this and forgetting God and all godlinesse returne againe to our euill wayes wee must expect some greater punishment This the Lord demonstrates vnto vs in his words to the forenamed diseased person To whom because wee should not thinke it sufficient sometimes to appeare in the Temple hee said Sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee That is worse then the sicknesse of eight and thirty yeares continuance which hee had endured before Behold how sorely he is threatned that after his release vngratefully rushes againe into his former sinne God graunt vs a better heart Finall conclusion To conclude all that hath beene said as we in the first part haue shewed that the death of the body is not hurtfull to man and in that respect ought not to be fearefull so we suppose that in this second part wee haue declared by what meanes we may make the same to be very profitable vnto vs and haue shewed in the first place how that wee must settle our house by a decent ordering of our goods that we ought to inure our body to a patient suffering of paine and that we must prepare our soules by a timely preparation to meet death couragiously After that we haue taught how we ought to disarme it and so to strengthen our selues through Christian faith that its sting may not pricke our soule and bring it to the second death And withall we haue endeauoured to establish the wauering soule in this faith and to relieue the troubled consciences with comfortable speeches and examples that may instruct them And lastly wee haue made it apparent that death openeth a dore for our soule to a life truly happy which shee shall receiue with all aduantage honour and perfect ioy from her Sauiour in heauen and shall possesse vnto all eternity Wherefore we iustly conclude that all Christian soules haue great reason to waxe weary of this temporall troublesome and sinfull life and earnestly to say with the holy Apostle Wee desire rather to remoue out of the body Rom. 5. â— and be with Christ Let vs then lift vp our soules to him and heartily entreate him that he would come quickly Yea Lord Iesu come The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with vs all Reu. 22.20 Amen A SHORT PRAYER CONCEIVED BY THE Author for his Seruant that lay a dying An. 1623. O Almighty God and most mercifull Father that hast created and by thy wisdome doest preserue and gouerne all things we poore sinners prostrate our selues at thy feete to powre out our Prayers for a sicke creature whom it hath pleased thee to cast into the snares of death But in doing thus our owne vnworthinesse representeth it selfe to our eyes What are we that we should dare to entreate for one who in thy sight it may be is holier and better then wee our selues are and we consequently haue more neede that some other should pray for vs. Notwithstanding O wise and most mercifull Lord seeing that thou hast commanded vs for to pray one for an other sanctifie wee pray thee our heart and guide our tongue that our weake prayers may be acceptable vnto thee Whereby wee desire of thee that thou wouldest fauourably behold this our brother lying in great distresse Doe not behold in him that corruption which as well by originall sinne as by dayly transgression hee is fallen into But O Lord regard him as thy creature and as the worke of thine owne hands Cast not thine eyes on his owne deformity but on the worke of thy mercy whereby thou hast renewed thine image in him Forgiue vs forgiue him all his sinnes and transgressions for his names sake whom thou hast mercifully appointed to bee a ransome for vs before the foundation of the world and reuealed in due time to wit Iesus Christ who descended from heauen to take on him mans nature and in the same to suffer for vs and by suffering to saue those that beleeue in him Grant him O Father and grant each of vs to bee of that little flocke which through his merrits is elected to saluation Strengthen him in faith that he as a member of Christ may assure himselfe that he is partaker of all his merits We entreat thee for our selues we entreat thee for him as our brother in Christ and especiall for him as one to whom our lone is confirmed by a long continuance of dwelling and liuing together O Lord we pray for him as for our owne soule Be mercifull vnto him Let him tast of thy meekenesse Let him feele in his soule that thou hast quitted him of all his sinnes and turned thy wrath from him Strengthen him in body strengthen him in soule Shew thy power in this wealie flesh of his Touch his tongue that he may call on thee and declare his good hope euen in this his greatest frailty Or at the least O God so infuse thy diuine light into his Spirit that it may driue away all dazeling and darknesse from him Turne away from him all distrust and distresse of minde O Lord be mercifull vnto him And by this example teach vs wisdome that we in our greatest prosperity may flye all vaine arrogancie beholding here what a tender worme man is when thou doest but visite him with sicknes But at this present O Father comfort him that feeles this by experience Strengthen him and mercifully receiue him into thy protection Shield him from the arrowes of that wicked one that still is wandring about but chiefely assaulting vs in our greatest extreamity Set him free O Lord and if it seeme good vnto thee restore vnto him his former health If not send thine Angels vnto him â—hat they in due time may bring his soule into thy bosome Let him with Stephen if not with bodily eyes yet with the eyes of faith see his Sauiour standing in heauen euen ready to receiue his soule This we desire this we begge of thee O Lord for thy Sonne our Sauiours sake euen in that prayer which he hath endited for vs and begunne with that comfortable word Our Father Our Father that art in heauen heare vs whom thou hast vouchsafed to name thy children Hallowed among vs be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen euen in this our weakest brother Giue vs this day our dayly bread not that of our body onely but the Spirituall and necessary foode also of our soules Forgiue him and forgiue vs our trespasses as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Lead vs not into temptation take compassion on our weakenesse that hardly can resist any thing But deliuer vs all from euill For thine onely O Father is the Kingdome