by Day They Curse that Traytor Life and Limb Tho Curse themselves in Curfing him The Thief and Slanderer are almost the same The one steals my Goods the other my good Name The one lives in Scorn the other dies in Shame But from these dark som Clouds Good Lord deliver us Let them not interpose betwixt thy Glory and us For thou alone art our Creator in whom we trust Some trust too much in their doing well In seeking Heaven they find the flames of Hell But the pure of Heart have Power to refuse Being endow'd with Wisdom the Evil and Good to chuse He that gives Wisdom to refuse Inspires the Art which to chuse ' In thee O King my pensive Soul respires ' Thou art the fulness of my choice desires ' Thou art that Sacred Spring whose Waters burst ' In streams to him that seeks with Holy Thirst ' Thrice happy Man Thrice happy Thirst to bring The fainting Soul to so sweet a Spring God is just what his deep Counsel wild His Prophets told and justice hath fulfill'd But Man the Child of ruin to avoid Less dangers by a greater is destroy'd Whose Spring is like a Flower for a Days delight At Noon we flourish and we fade at Night If Plants be cropt because their Fruits are small Think you to Thrive that bears no Fruit all But who so Fruitful is and worthy to Drink this Shall be receiv'd unto Eternal Bliss Such cannot Dye the Sacred Nine deny All Souls that merits Fame shall ever Dye For these must survive for their self clos'd Eyes That now lie slumbering in the dust shall rise The highest Heavens have Decreed to Bless The Fruitful Souls and with a fair success For that they built their Bliss not on the blaze of Glory Nor seated their Happiness in things transitory O Lord how great is the Power of thy Hand Glorious is thy Name in every Land Great God Unlimited are thy Confines And assistest Man in his good Designs Thy Mercies like the dew of Hermon Hill Or like the Oyntment dropping downward still Thy Love is boundless thou art apt and free To turn to Man when Man returns to thee â— Sacred Subject of a Meditation Thy Works are full of Admiration Thy Judgments all are just severe and sure They quite cut off or else by lancing Cure. ' My Faith not Merits hath assur'd thee mine Thy Love not my Desert hath made me thine Unworthy I whose drousie Soul rejected Thy precious Favours and secure neglected Thy glorious Presence how am I become A Bride befitting so Divine a Groom ' It is no Merit no Desert of mine Thy Love thy Love alone hath made me thine Since then the bounty of thy dear Election Have styl'd me thine Oh let the sweet reflection ' Of thy Illustrious Beams my Soul inspire ' And with thy Spirit inflame my hot Desire ' Unite our Souls oh let thy secret rest ' Make a perpetual home within my Breast ' Instruct me so that I may gain the skill 'To suit my Service to thy secret Will. Then shall my Soul that suffers through dispite Of Error and rude Ignorance have right Then shall my Soul injoy within this Breast A Holy Sabboth of Eternal rest And my dearest Spouse shall Seal me on his Heart So sure that envious Earth may never part Our joyn'd Souls let not the World remove My chast Desires from so chast a Love. ' All you that wish the bountiful encrease ' Of dearest Pleasures and Divinest Peace ' I charge you all if ought my charge may move ' Your tender Hearts not to disturb my Love ' Vex not his gentle Spirit nor bereave ' Him of his Joys that is so apt to grieve That he may teach his living Plants to thrive And such as are a dying to revive He walks about such tender Plants To smell their Odours and supply their wants That he may leave his secret Spirit in their Breast As Earnest of an Everlasting rest To thy Creatour hast my Soul and let thy Sacreâ— Vows Plight Holy Contracts with so sweet a Spouse His Left Hand 's full of Treasure and his Right Of Peace and Honor and unknown Delight Then shall it please our gracious Lord To Crown with Audience his suppliants Word O Glory chace Disloyal Thoughts let not thiâ— World allure My chast Desires from a Spouse so pure He 'l endow my ardent Soul with sweetness and inspire With Heavenly ravishment my rapt Desires O let all times be prosperous and all places Be Witness to our undefil'd imbraces Sure is the Knot that true Religion ties And Love that 's rightly grounded never dies ' If Error lead not my dull Thoughts amiss ' My genius tells me where my true Love is ' He 's busie labouring in the flowry Banks ' Inspiring Sweetness and receiving Thanks ' Watering those Plants whose tender Root are dry ' And Pruning such whose Crests aspire too high ' Transplanting Grafting Reaping from some ' And covering others that are newly come Then take from each to make one perfect Grace Yet would my Love out-shine that borrow'd Face So perfect are his Graces so Divine So full of Heaven are those fair looks of thine O Sacred Symetry O rare Connexion Of many Perfects to make one Perfection O let my Lips like a perpetual Story Divulge thy Graces and declare thy Glory Hear comes a Critick close thy Page Thou art no Subject for this Age Thou hast no Guilt that does require That thou should'st lurk nor yet retire Thou hast no Lustre of thy own But what 's deriv'd from Heaven alone Fear not thy Heaven instructed Page Will either please or teach the Age For the Wise with ease shall riddle out Which is the voice of Wonder which of Doubt For God sends an Angel to protect As well from Evil as to Good direct O thou the beginning and the end before whom Things past and present and things to come Are all alike O prosper my Designs And let thy Spirit inrich my feeble Lines Rejoyce my Soul and give my Pen the Art Wisely to move and me an understanding Heart Earthly Glories are scarce worth craving to obtain They are Happinesses that must be lost again Gasp not for Honour wish no blazing Glory For these will perish in an Ages Story Nor yet for Power Power may be carv'd To Fools as well as thee that hast deserv'd Thirst not for Lands nor Mony wish for none For Wealth is neither lasting nor our own Riches are fair Inticements to deceive us They flatter while we live and dying leave us What fit of Madness makes us love them thus We leave our lives and pleasure leaveth us Pleasure is fleeting still and makes no stay It lends a smile or twain and steals away The pleasures of this World soon abate They are lively emblems of our own Estate Which like a Banquet at a Funeral show But sweeten Grief and serve to flatter Woe How slight a
again 2 Sam. 14 41. Then let not the place of thy Death trouble thee for the Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Death lost her Sting in the Side of our Saviour The Day of Death is the Day of Jubilee and frees us from all these Evils God kisseth the Righteous in their Deaths and as it were sucks in those Souls which he breathed into them Deut. 34. 15. It is certain that the Soul so soon as it is separated from the Body is presented to God and receives an irrevocable Doom either of Woe or Weal Those that Honour me I will Honour saith the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 30. Blessed and happy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power but they shall be Precious with God and Christ and shall Reign with him The Angels which kept not their first Estate he hath reserved in everlasting Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the great Day Iude 6. The Joy of our Heart is ceased and the Crown is fallen from our Head Lam. 5. 15 16. In the Days of his Flesh when he had offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong Crying and Tears unto him that was able to save him from Death and was heard in that he feared Heb. 5. 7. The Heavens shall be opened and those everlasting Doors shall be lift up that the King of Glory may go forth with his Angels to Judge the World and return back again with his Saints when he hath Judged it In the Day of Judgment a good Conscience will stand us in more stead than a Mint of Treasure therefore with St. Ierome let us make it our business That whether we Eat or Drink or whatsoever we do we may think we hear the last Trumpet sounding in our Ears saying Arise ye Dead and come to Judgment let us therefore appeal from the Bar of Gods Justice to the Bowels of his Mercy beseeching him in that Day to deal with the Souls of his Servants not as a severe Judge but as a Merciful Jesus Amen Prayers for the Sick. O Lord look down from Heaven behold visit and relieve this thy Servant look upon him with the Eyes of Mercy give him Comfort and sure Confidence in thee defend him from the Danger of the Enemy and keep him in perpetuaâ—â— Peace and Safety through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen HEar us Almighty and most Merciful God and Saviour extend thy accustomed Goodness tâ— this thy Servant who is grieved with Sickness Sanctifie we beseech thee this thy Fatherly Correction to him that the sense of his Weakness may adâ—â— Strength to his Faith and Seriousness to his Repentance that if it shall be thy good Pleasure to restore him to his former Health he may lead thâ— residue of his Life in thy Fear and to thy Glory or give him Grace so to take this thy Heavenly visiâ—tation that after this painful Life ended he may dwell with thee in Life everlasting through Jesuâ— Christ our Lord. Amen O Father of Mercyes and God of all Consolation lay no more upon him or her therâ— thou wilt inable him to bear with Patience Courage and Contentment either asswage his Painâ— or increase his Patience bless all those means thaâ— have been or shall be used for his recovery eitheâ— shorten his Sickness or else give him Grace anâ— Strength to bear it deliver him from the bitteâ— Pangs of Eternal Death and from the Gates of Helâ— take from him the Sting of his Consciences and thâ— extremity of Sickness Anguish or Agony that 〈◊〉 withdraw his mind from thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen DEliver him from all Dangers and Distress from Pain and Punishment Bodily and Ghostly and from all the Sins and Misdeeds which by the Maâ—ice of the Devil or his own Frailty he have at any time committed against thee That it may please thee not to lay to his Charge what in Concupiscence of the Eye Pride of Life Vanity or Superfluity he hath committed against thee That it may please thee not to lay to his Charge what in the Fierceness of his Wroth or in the eagerness of an Angry Spirit he hath committed against thee That it may please thee not to lay to his Charge what in Vain and Idle Words in the Looseness and Slipperiness of the Tongue he hath committed against thee That it may please thee to make him Partaker of all the Mercies and Promises in Christ Jesus That it may please the to vouchsafe his Soul the Estate of Joy Bliss and Happiness with all thy blessed Saints in thy Heavenly Kingdom That it may please thee to give him Peace and a part in the blessed Resurrection of Life and Glory we commend his Soul into thy Hands beseeching thee that it may be pretious â—n thy sight O let not the Blood of Christ that was â—shed for all Men be spilt in vain to any but let it be effectual to the Salvation of every Soul for thy own Bowels and Compassion sake Amen IN the midst of Life we are in Death Of whom then may we seek for Succor but of thee O Lord Who for our Sins are most justly displeased with us yet O Lord most Holy O God most Mighty O Holy and most Merciful Father deliver us not over to the bitter Pains of Eternal Death Thou knowest Lord the Secrets of our Hearts O shut not up against us the Ears of thy Mercy but spare us O Lord most Holy O Saviour most mighty O Immortal and mosâ— Merciful Redeemour Thou most Worthy Judge Eternal suffer us not in our last Hour for any Pains of Death to fall from thee though he hath Sinned yet he seeketh thee and thou Lord never failest them that seek thee Let not the Guiltiness of a Sinneâ— more prevail to condemn than the Gracious Goodness of a most Merciful Father to Aquit and to Pardon O let not the Unrighteousness of Man make thâ— Goodness of God of none effect O Lord no not so remember not the Unkindnesess of this thy Child so as thereby thou forgottest the Compassion and Kindness of a Father Do not so think on our Sins that thou thereby forget thine own Nature and Property which is always to have Mercy and Forgive Do not so remember our Sins that thou thereby remember not thy own Name which is Jesus a most Loving and Kind Saviour Lord is thy Life in our Life hath not sufficiently appeared yet let not thy Death lose the full Power and Effecacy thereof Suffer not O Lord in both so great a price to perish lose not that O Lord which thou hast redeemed since thou comest to redeem that which was lost that which was so dear to thee to redeem suffer not to be lost as a thing of no Value OH Most Merciful and Blessed Saviour have Mercy upon the Soul of this thy Servant remember not his Ignorance nor the Sins of his Youth but according to thy great Mercies remember him in the Mercies
and Glories of thy Kingdom Thou O Lord hast opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers let the Everlasting Gates be opened and receive his Soul let the Angels who Rejoyce at the Conversion of a Sinner Triumph â—nd be Exalted in his Deliverance and Salvation make him partaker of the Benefits of thy Holy Incarnation Life and Sanctity Passion and Death Resurrection and Assension and of all the Prayers of the Church of the Joy of the Elect and all the Fruits of the Blessed Communion of Saints and daily add to the number of thy beatified Servants such as shall be saved that thy coming may be hastned and the expectation of the Saints may be fulfiled and the Glory of thee our Lord Jesus be advanced all the whole Church Singing Praises to the Honour of thy Holy Name who Livest and Reignest ever one God World without end Amen OH Most Merciful Jesu who didst die to redeem us from Death and Damnation have Mercy upon this thy Servant whom thy Hand has visited with Sickness of thy Goodness be pleased to forgive him all his Sins and Seal his hopes of Glory with the refreshments of thy Holy Spirit Lord give him Strength and Confidence in thee asswage his Pain repel the assaults of his Gostly Enemies by thy Mercies and a Guard of Holy Angels preserve him in the Unity of the Church keep his Senses intire his Understanding right give him a great measure of Contrition true Faith a well grounded Hope and abundance of Charity give him a quiet and a joyful departure let thy Ministring Spirits conveigh his Soul to the Mansions of Peace and Rest there with certainty to expect a joyful Resurrection to the fulness of Joy at thy right Hand where there is pleasure for evermore Amen A Prayer for a Penitent O Thou who still remainest the same Richfulness in thy self and the same bright Glory to all the Blessed have Mercy upon me and all Mankind in the 〈◊〉 and full Pardon and forgiveness of all our Sins that ever we have committed from our Infancy to this present Moment and indue us with thy preventing and assisting Grace that we never fall into those Sins of the which we have Repented but fill us with thy Holy Spirit that we may increase in all Goodness in the Spirit of Might of Wisdom and Counsel Knowledge Piety and thy Holy Fear that we may do all such good Works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in by the assisting Power and Might of thy Holy Strength which we beseech thee constantly to afford us to our last Breath that when we shall breathe out our Souls they may be received instantly to Glory And this we begg for thy sake who didst begin to Bleed and Suffer for our Sin even thee O Blessed Jesus who tookest that Heavenly Name thy Blessed purpose to Proclaim Oh! may we bow our Heartâ— and Knee bright King of Names to Glorious thee who thus beginest our Bliss thus carriedest on our Happiness to thee all Praise be paid O Great Misterious Three for ever Live and ever be Obeyed Beloved Adored by Men and Angels all abroad Hallelujah O Lord make us eminent Examples of Perfect Christianity and kindle in our Hearts Zealous Emulations of thy Grace that here immitating thy Life O Christ we may be constant in the Truth to our last Breath that in our Mouths there may not at any time be found a lie that we may be worthy to be presented without spot before thy Throne O God and thou maiest exalt us to thy Kingdom and there admit us to tast of thosâ— Glorious Joys which incurcel thy Blessed Thronâ— above to which we are Intituled by the Suffering oâ— Christ our Lord. Oh give us true Repentance that wâ— may not fail of attaining of them though I have noâ— been strong enough to be perfectly Innocent Yet makâ— me Humble enough to be truly Penitent make mâ— Heartily sorry that ever I have done amiss and never again dare to do that for which I am sorry but perpetually Watch and Change my Thoughts to more diligent and concerning Cares how to redeem my mispent Time with Sighs and Tears and Prayers and prepare our Understanding to assent to thy Truths and our Wills to follow thy Divine Inspirations that thou O God maiest fill our Memories with innumerable Mercies and our whole Souls with the Glory of his adorable Atributes that thy Blessed Spirit may come and breathe thy spacious Odor into our Hearts in these dull Regions here beneath to fill our Souls with thy sweet Grace and Inspire us to give all possible Glory to that secret Three One ever Living Sovereign Lord as at the first still may be Beloved Praised Feared and Adored Hallelujah O Lord open the Eyes of our Understanding and shew us thy clear and supernatural Light even 〈◊〉 thou didst to the Apostles together with the whole Army of Martyrs that we may confidently â—ffirm to others what we know so Infallibily cerâ—ain our selves And be pleased to infuse into all â—â—ens Hearts the fulness of thine own Divine Charity that every one may instruct his Family and with Courage and Patience overcome their Oppressors that being thus Illuminated with a pure and clear â—â—ight and inflamed with the ferver of Grace â—hey may mightily shew forth thy Glory and Conâ—ert many Souls to thee that thy Grace may run â—nd be Glorious over all the World and thy Holy â—pirit be aimable in the Hearts of every Creature â—hat all dulness may be removed from them and they â—nay with swift Glances understand the sweet Will 〈◊〉 their Divine Master that they may Daily more and â—ore increase in Virtue and be inebriated with thy â—eavenly Wine and filled with an Heroick Spirit â—â—at may keep alive in their Hearts the Primitive Grace Grant this O God who art still the same and with an equal Spirit Governs the World replenish us all we beseech thee with the Holy Ghost which warms without scorching and shines without dimâ—ess and inlightens without consuming Kindle in every one of our Hearts this Holy Spirit of Meekness Peace and Unity that all the World may know that we belong to thee That exercising those Virtues of Meekness Long Suffering Patience Contentedness and Charity thou maiest difuse thy Holy Joy into our Breast that may fill our Hearts with Strength and undaunted Courage that may duly qualify us to ascend to those satisfing Joys above where all our Faculties shall be exercised in Adoring and Worshiping thee O Lord our God who wilt fill our Souls full of Joy and Ravish our Hearts with overflowing Pleasures and make us ever give Glory to Father Son and Holy Ghost the undivided Three One equal Glory one same Praise from henceforth and for ever be Hallelujah A Prayer for the Rich and Noble O Lord I beseech thee make the Great and Honourable become Good and Just O suffer them never to consent nor combine with the Counsel of the Wicked but teach the Rich and