THE IMITATION of DAVID His godly and constant resolution in bearing all his trialls troubles and afflictions being a King Whose example of faith patience hope obedience and deliueries thankfulnesse and prayer is left euen for Princes Potentates and all true Christians to imitate Collected by way of Meditations and Prayers out of the 27. Psalme By I N. LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Richard Whittakers and George Latham 1624. TO THE HIGH and most noble CHARLES Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall and of Yorke and Earle of Chester bee here in this life truest honour highest happinesse and most perfect peace and after this life eternall glory in the Heauens I Know not how to excuse mee most gracious Prince in that I haue presumed to attempt a matter of so high and diuine a subiect considering what I am and to aduenture it to your Highnesse knowing who you are but that my heart was willing ouercame a weake vnderstanding which first it may please your Highnesse of your princely clemency to accept namely the will and to pardon the deed for I may truly protest that I intended herein nothing lesse than to be thought desirous to seeme so impudent as to giue your Highnesse the least or to thinke that you needed any other aduice or counsell in this behalfe than that which you haue so plentifully receiued from him that gaue strength vnto Dauid and wisdome vnto Salomon his son together with the sweet fructifying seed which hath beene so diuinely sowne in your Princely breasts by the wisdome of our second Salomon your most pious and most truly religious Father Humbly beseeching your Highnes to conceiue no other intention in me than an vnwillingnesse to let slip the Interim of my sequestred imploiments in your Highnesse seruice much against my will without some exercise inwardly comfortable though outwardly little profitable yet if any thing vsefull though but to the vulgar it may pray your Princely fauour being done your Highnesse seruice depending beseeching the length of daies to lengthen your daies to his glory your honor and comfort of such as feare God Your Highnesse most humble seruant Iohn Norden TO THE MOST Illustrious Religious and most royally borne Princesse E ETernall happinesse Hearts true content L Long life in peace and plenty permanent I Internall and externall be her graces S Such as to which Heauens Angels daigne imbraces A Amids her foâ—s Iehouah be her shield B By Sea and Land in trenches and in field E Engrau'd b'Elizaes Image in her brest T That Queens that farre in fame surmounts the best H Here then shall highest honour crowne her crest Q Quiuers of Dauids arrowes may she haue V Vpon her head Heauens helmet her to saue EE Earth Aire and Seas all Elements and Winde N Nourish her happinesse the Heau'ns her minde E Estraited neuer let her foes her finde O Order her actions all Iehouah right F Fix in her heart the Target of thy might B Breake thou the rankes and Armies of her foes O O draw thy sword fight for her where she goes H Hem her about with Angels of thy might E Embrace her loue her soone restore her right M Make great thy name in marching on her side I Inthrall her foes and snare them in their pride A Assist her still and still be thou her guide As heartily wisheth her Highnesse faithfully deuoted Io. Norden The Table A Motiue to the Reader touching Meditation and Praier Of Meditation Of Prayer A Premeditation touching the argument of the 27. Psalme pag. 1. Meditation the first The Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strengâ—h of my life of whom shall I be afraid 11 A Prayer that God will be our light and our saluation in all our troubles and dangers 30 Meditation the second When the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stumbled and fell If an host pitched against me my heart should not be afraid though warre be raised against me I will trust in thee 35 A Prayer to God that hee will defend vs from our enemies 56 Meditation the third Oâ—e thing haue I desired of the Lord â—hat I will â—â—qâ—ire euen that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my liâ—e to behold the beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple 64 A 〈◊〉 for spirituall knowledge and increase of our holy desires to visit the Temple of God to heare his Word to pray vnto him and to praise him 92 Meditation the fourth In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Tabernacle in the secret place of his Pauilion shall he hide mee and set me vpon a rocke 99 A Prayer in whatsoeuer trouble 128 Meditation the fifth That he will now lift vp mine head aboue mine enemies round about me therefore will I offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of ioy I will sing and praise the Lord. 136 A Prayer with thanksgiuing to God for defence from enemies in that they haue not preuailed against vs. 156 Meditation the sixth Hearken vnto my voice O Lord when I cry haue mercy vpon me and heare me 164 A Prayer that God will haue mercy vpon vs and heare vs. 182 Meditation the seuenth When thou saidst seeke ye my face mine heart answered vnto thee O Lord I will seeke thy face 189 A Prayer that God will neuer hide his face from vs. 197 Meditation the eighth Hide not thy face from mee nor cast thy seruant away in displeasure thou hast beene my succour leaue me not nor forsake me O God of my saluation 206 A Prayer that God will bee alwaies neere vnto vs in our afflictions and not to hide his face and fauour from vs. 225 Meditation the ninth Though my father and my mother forsake mee thou Lord wilt take me vp 232 A Prayer that God will shew himselfe our Father in all our troubles and afflictions when all other helpe faileth 245 Meditation the tenth Teach me thy way O Lord and leade me in a right path because of mine enemies 254 A Prayer that God will be pleased to direct vs in his waies and leade vs vprightly because of our enemies 275 Meditation the eleuenth Giue mee not ouer to the lust of mine enemies for there are false witnesses risen vp against me and such as speake cruelly 282 A Prayer that God will preserue vs from our enemies that they preuaile not against vs and to preuent vs of false witnesses 297 Meditation the twelfth I should haue fainted except I had beleeued to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing 305 A Prayer that God will not forsake vs in our troubles and that our faith faile vs not 320 Meditaâ—ion the thirteenth Hope in the Lord be strong and hee shall comfort thine heart and trust in the Lord 328 A Prayer for strength patience and hope in troubles 352 A Prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes reformation of life
and comfort in affliction 359 An effectuall Prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes 370 A Prayer for the morning with thanks for rest and safety 382 A Prayer to be vsed before a man goes to his rest 387 A MOTIVE to the Reader touching Meditation and Prayer First of Meditation MEditation is an inward action of the soule wherin the faithfull exercise themselues especially vpon the Word and promise of God vpon Heauen and heauenly things arising by the attentiue hearing or serious reading of the same Word deliberate consideration of the truth and infallibility of Gods promises contained therein and the assured performance of them touching their future blessed and glorious being after this life whereof the faithfull heart being assured through the testimony of Gods holy Spirit it delights in nothing so much as continually to thinke and meditate of the same according to the words of Christ Where our treasure is there are our hearts and thereof wee continually thinke DAVID had his heart set vpon his treasure hid with Christ aboue which made him to meditate cheerefully to sing O how loue I the Law of the Lord It is my continuall meditation yea I will meditate in thy precepts and consider thy waies So did Salomon cry out Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel who spake with his mouth to Dauid my father and with his hand hath performed it 1 King 8. 15 16. All the promises of God in Scripture doe administer vnto the faithfull matter of continuall meditation and serious consideration and among many of his promises his promse of defence and deliuery of his in the time of danger trouble and affliction is to be often considered for that it concerneth especially the children of God that are most afflicted who considering the waies of God to be mercy and truth and that what he promiseth he will assuredly performe cannot but worke patience and patience hope and how can he bee without continuall holy Meditation whose heart is with God from whom he hopeth his helpe will come but in Gods owne time and therefore though wee hope we may not make haste though he promise to defend vs from danger deliuer vs in trouble he will not so answer our expectations as if wee knew the time when or the manner how to be releeued or defended better than he He will exercise his owne children awhile to proue their patience faith and obedience to cause vs to meditate and ponder his word and promise till hee haue sufficiently tried our constant assurance of his timely deliuery for it is his property to come to helpe his when they thinke hee hath most forgotten them How suffered he Dauid a man chosen after his owne heart to bee enuironed with infinite dangers in so much as he thought God had forsaken him altogether and forgotten him and therefore cries out How long wilt thou forget me Lord for euer and againe hee confessed that God had giuen him his hearts desire and that hee had not denied the request of his lips whereby appeareth that the sorce of liuely faith holy meditation and diuine prayer are able to make God offended God appeased suddenly to remoue sorrow and so bring ioy God hath promised to be a defence to the faithfull in whatsoeuer dangers yet if we wel weigh and consider the course of Gods dealing with his owne children and duly meditate of his power prouidence and wisdome wee shall finde that hee doth not alwaies come immediatly at the call of his dearest children DAVID was banished and persecuted long Ioseph was imprisoned long they both prayed for deliuery yet continued in a hard estate which was an argument in humane reason that God cared not for them and aboue them both was innocent Iob long and many waies afflicted God saw his miseries and heard his prayers but he left him yet to be an example to vs of like expectation of Gods timely releeuing vs and in his good time he made Dauid a King and Ioseph the chiefe vnder Pharaoh in Aegypt and restored Iob to his former yea to farre greater glory Thus doth God try his dearest children to occasion them to know and acknowledge that howsoeuer hee seeme to absent himselfe from them in their deepest dangers and to seeme deafe as it were vnto their prayers he yet hath an eie both on them and their enemies hee was a shelter vnto Dauid and curbed Saul he saw Ioseph in prison but with his liberty prepared his aduancement He saw Iobs afflictions but kept a hooke in Satans nosthrills that all that he did against Iob serued to his finall comfort Though therefore it happen the faithfull to be straited and enuironed with so many and mighty enemies and troopes of troubles that there appeareth no euasion no deliuery by any visible meanes yet there remaineth holy Meditation patient deliberation and serious consideration of Gods wonderfull deliuerances of his in all like dangers Consider Dauid and all his troubles and you shall finde hee fainted not but depended onely vpon the promises and prouidence of God with a godly resolution to wait the issue of his hope onely meditating on Gods promises and considering his waies and how he had before dealt with Abraham Izaak Iaacob Noah Lot Moses and other faithfull fathers before him the meditation and consideration of whose wonderfull deliueries cannot but work assurance in any beleeuing heart in like manner though by vnlike and hidden meanes in good time to be deliuered and therefore saith Dauid by way of meditation and confirmation of his and consequently our faith in God Our Fathers trusted in thee they called vpon thee and were heard they prayed vnto thee and thou deliueredst them out of all their troubles as if hee should say in himselfe by way of Meditation I finde by the Word of God that he hath deliuered many before my time that trusted in him called vpon him in greater dangers than I am in why then should I doubt or despaire of like deliuery I trust in him as these fathers trusted I call vpon and pray vnto him as they did therefore surely hee will heare me and helpe me in time conuenient thus did Dauid meditate in his troubles God commanded Iaacob to returne from Laban his Vncle into his countrie and Kindred from whom and whence he fled promising to doe him good Gen. 32. 9. Could Iaacob doe lesse than meditate and tâ—inke seriously of this command and promise of God considering hee was to returne to his desperatly malicious brother Esau who sought to murther him yet vpon due Meditation and consideration of Gods faithfull promise of defending him and doing him good hee ouercame feare by faithfull prayer and the Lord appeased his brothers malice towards him Examples of like nature are plentifull in holy Scriptures as of Mordecay and the Iewes Ester 7. of the Bethulians Iudith 7. and many others Holy meditation is most necessary and an especiall Motiue to faithfull prayer and prayer can neuer be so powerfull as vpon holy
if pouerty or want oppresse thée as it did sometimes Dauid feare not he will reléeue thée for hée preserueth with little as with much hée fed many thousands with little meanes and when they were all well filled there was taken vp in the remainder more then was before they had eaten He increased the Oile and Meale of the poore Widow that she fed her selfe and hers and paid her debts with the remainder Hee brought water out of the stones and out of the dry Jaw-bone of an Asse Hée fed his children with Bread from Heauen and sent them Quailes in the hungry Wildernesse He sent abundance of wheat extraordinarily vnto distressed Samaria This is he euen that great God that is the sustainer of my life my light and my saluation and not mine alone but the God of all that faithfully séek him in their distresse Should I then feare though I be enuironed with enemies though I were in distresse nay should I feare though I were in penury and want though I were imprisoned for the constant profession of Christs truth did he not breake the fetters and opened he not the very iron gates and cast the watchmen in a slumber to fetch Peter out of prison did he not giue Ioseph and Paul fauour with their Jailors of whom or of what then may the faithfull bee afraid what crosses what troubles what afflictions what threats of tyrants can make Gods children afraid though the seas rage and rose though the world be in confused combustion though the mountains cleaue in sunder though the heauens melt though he that made all consume all I will not feare The Lord high mighty he is the strength of my life nay he is to mee life it selfe who then or what can without him force my death If he take away this life he hath prouided for me a better and permanent whom or what shall I be afraid of then Shall I be afraid of Hell or Satan Hée my Lord in Christ my light and my saluation hath conquered both Satan and Hell what néed I feare A Prayer that God will be our light and our saluation in all our troubles and dangers O Lord who art the light that neuer goeth out whereby thou guidest and gouernest those that acknowledge their owne darknesse thou art the strength that neuer groweth weake whereby thou sauest defendest thine from the hands of all that hate them Bee thou my light O Lord and lighten my darknesse that I may walke in that light and neuer goe astray for there is no agreement betweene error and thy truth giue mee therefore heauenly knowledge and I shall not be ignorant of that which I ought to know and assist me with thy diuine grace and I shall practise that which thou hast taught me to know Be thou my strength then whom need I to feare stand thou on my side and then of whom should I be afraid Stretch forth thy hand and hold me vp thou hast a mighty arme and strong is thy right hand in thee therefore I trust and will not feare what man can doe vnto me Be not farre from mee O my God for thou seest my troubles and knowest my dangers neglect me not but hasten to helpe me giue care vnto me and saue me and let not mine enemies haue their desires against mee nor triumph ouer me though they be many and in shew far too mighty for me yet in comparison of thy strength they are weake and of no strength they trust in their Chariots munition and multitudes but I trust in thee and in thy strength alone only praying thee to blesse vnto me the ordinary and lawfull meanes which it shall please thee to raise vp in thy wisdome for my defence Though I doe know and doe acknowledge that as a horse of it selfe is a vaine helpe to deliuer his rider by his great strength or swiftnesse so are all outward visible and carnall meanes vnable to defend mee without thee and vnlesse thou blesse the vse of them and dispose and manage them in thy wisdome for my defence they are also vaine Therefore come I vnto thee my God my strength my light and my saluation who hast promised and art able to send euen from Heauen to saue me Thou canst command an host of Angels to campe about mee though enuironed with many and mighty aduersaries yet hauing thee on my side I know there shall be more with mee than with them while I am vnder thy protecting wings I am safe I will not feare Giue thine Angels charge of me therefore O Lord to keepe defend me shew thy power in my weaknesse and the weaknes of mine enemies by thy strength then though an host pitch against me my heart shall not bee afraid though war be raised against me I will trust in thee my Lord my light my strength and my saluation VERSE 2. and 3. 2. When the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon mee to eat vp my flesh they stumbled and fell 3. If an host pitched against me my heart should not be afraid though warre be raised against me I will trust in thee IN all actions Experience is as the mother of knowledge and knowledge the ground of Assurance which made Dauid strong in his resolution to encounter Goliah hauing formerly found that God assisted him in two seuerall dangers the one in killing a Beare the other in ouercomming a Lion two strong fierce and deuouring beasts and that when he was but young and a Shepherd yet it seemeth he had learned to feare God and to trust in him for that he acknowledged that he ouercame them not by his owne proper power but by the power of God which two conquests wrought in him-assurance that by the same aid hee should vanquish that monster of men Goliah though his vgly presence and furniture of armes amazed the whole host of Israel Dauid yet not daunted hauing a strong faith in God vndertooke the combat and preuailed though that monster scorned him and threatning that hee would giue his flesh to be deuoured of the Fowles of the aire and wilde beasts of the field which by the aid of him in whom Dauid trusted came contrarily to passe for Dauid tooke off his head and disarmed him and left his carkasse to the Fowles of the aire whereby he more and more increased in faith strength and courage and bold to assure himselfe that as this monster stumbled and fell at his flying stone that would haue eaten vp his flesh so should all his wicked enemies and foes when they should come vpon him to eat vp his flesh namely to take away his life they should euen so stumble and fall as by experience he after found that God still defended him so that to the praise of God hee sung When the wicked euen mine enemies and my foes came vpon me to eat vp my flesh they stumbled and fell When Saul a mighty King sought Dauids life to destroy it first by his owne hand
or abuse vs to complaine to him and he will redresse it If we bée sicke he knoweth our diseases he is our Physician and knoweth whether life or death be fittest for vs. If we die he will restore vs to life eternall therefore may wée fréely cast our care vpon him for hee careth for vs. Fathers saith Salomon are the glory of their children How much more shall the God of all glory our heauenly Father be a glory to vs his children who hath prouided for vs an inheritance which no man can depriue vs of yea a Kingdome whose glory shall haue no end The remembrance of our futurâ— enioying it is as a most deepe Sea of comfort in this inferiour Kingdome of crosses It cannot bee fadomed with the line of mans capacity what hee hath promised hee will performe for his children therefore may we stand assured and boldly affirme that though the fathers and mothers of the faithfull doe forsake them that God will take charge of them A Prayer that God will shew himselfe our father in all our troubles and afflictions when all other helpe faileth O Gracious Lord God most mercifull and louing Father from whom proceedeth euery good and perfect gift and who of thine owne will hast begotten vs with the Word of truth shew thy selfe a father vnto mee who am depriued of father and mother from all helpe and comfort in this life beset on all sides with troubles dangers and many afflictions relying only vpon thy prouidence shew thy selfe vnto me a father a powerfull and protecting father as thou diddest vnto Ioseph who being depriued of father and mother hated of his brethren sold as a slaue falsly accused sharply imprisoned hauing none to helpe him or to comfort him forsaken of all his friends yet when all helpe failed thou tookest him into thy protection and directedst him in thy waies he became louing vnto thee as a sonne obedient vnto thee as a seruant he waited on thee as vpon a most faithfull father hee called vpon thee and thou heardest him and gauest him the honour of a sonne euen in this life holinesse and honour testifying vnto him that thou his father hadst a respect vnto his faith constancy and wrongs neuer leauing him nor forsaking him to teach vs O Lord faithfully to depend vpon thy mercy power and prouidence in whatsoeuer danger I was left vnto thee as soone as I was borne and thou like a most louing father tookest me vp hast hitherunto kept me O forsake mee not for if thou my father leaue me and forsake mee who will or can take charge of me I am many waies afflicted and full of sorrow not so much for my troubles as for that I haue sinned and offended thee so louing a God as thou Hast beene vnto me euer vnto this day but now louing Father I seeme destitute of thy fauour of thy releeuing hand I am he â—ily oppressed and what I endure is not hid from thee and thou onely knowest how to releeue me my father my mother and all my friends haue forsaken me Dauid being thus destitute he resorted vnto thee confessing that when his father and his mother forsooke him thou tookest him vp and is thyr fatherly affection dead and discontinued in Dauid No no louing art thou still powerfull art thou still and helpfull art thou still for thy faithfulnesse and thy truth and thy power and thy prouidence are for euer and happy yea most happy is he that hath thee his releeuing and helping father for nothing is wanting to him that is thus cast vpon thee He hath not only the promise but the assurance of thy presence and loue both in this life and the life to come Yet gracious Father among all men it goeth hardest with thine owne children often troubled much abused deeply distressed falsly accused scoffingly derided and many crosses cruell calamities and great afflictions follow them I am enforced to vndergoe the burthen of infinite trialls as if thou hadst not onely not taken mee vp but vtterly cast mee off And were it not that I truly know thee to bee my father in that thou so fatherly yet sharply correctest me I could not but faint but thy grace sustaineth mee and doth inwardly comfort mee else should I vtterly despaire O my father take mee into thy protection leaue me not forsake mee not for I am brought very low and there is none that careth for mee there is none willing to adde any comfort but sorrow vnto my soule there is neither father nor mother neither friend nor helper to commiserate mine estate but thou whom I only trust for thy promises tend to mine encouragement to cast my care vpon thee who hast willed all that are oppressed to come to thee and be eased But Lord what booteth it mee to seeke thee when I cannot finde thee to pray vnto thee when thou seemest to refuse to heare me Haue I so deepely offended thee that neither my repentance can pacifie thee the mediation of thy Sonne reconcile thee nor my faithfull prayers preuaile with thee Is thy mercy come to an end Hast thou no more blessings for thy children O wretch that I am Why doe I thus reason with thee am I able to ouer-rule thee with my words Shall I teach thee what thou shouldest doe No Lord I only bewray mine ignorance by my words which can no further preuaile with thee than thou in thy wisdome and mercy thinkest fit for mee Therefore will I close my lips I will keepe silence and wait both thy pleasure and leisure for thou hast a time to be angry and a time to hee pacified I will rest with patience and commit my selfe vnto thee in obedience and if thou lay a greater burthen vpon mee then yet I beare if thou suffer mee to sinke and to bee cleane ouerwhelmed with more bitter waters than yet I feele I will yet trust in thee though my body perish and all outward helpe faile mee preserue my soule O Lord for thou art the father of it and respectest it farre aboue my carnall parâ—â— yet both make but one body yet may the one prosper when the other may perish But I know that such is thy care of both that rather than thou wilt permit me vtterly to bee confounded thou wilt euen send from Heauen and saue me Be it vnto me euen as thou wilt O God my strength and my saluation VERSE 11. Teach mee thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of mine enemies IT is the property of an enemy to bée alwaies prying into the life of him hee hates and to obserue whatsoeuer faults hée doth commit though he himselfe bée quilty of more and to publish and proclaime them to the world to his vttermost disgrace And therefore it behooueth all men especially a man that hath enemies as Dauid had to looke vnto his waies lest by the errors of his life they take aduantage and so make his cause otherwise good séeme the worst