wisdome and humblenesse and obedience and mortification and zeale and faith and hope and all graces that may change me from sinne to sanctity from darkenesse to light and from coldnesse to a more perfect zeale to serue thée in all things Teach me O Lord teach mée to execute my vocation truely and perfectly and giue such issue and blessed successe to all my endeauours labours purposes and procéedings as I may discharge my duety in obedience to thy diuine Maiestie to my brethren in loue and equity and to my selfe and mine in godly care and true piety And let thy holy Spirit so guide and gouerne mée this day and for euer that I may more and more fructifie increase in all godlinesse vntil thou shalt cut off this corruptible life After which good Father in the merits of thy Son let me inhabite euermore inherite that heauenly City new Ierusalem where thou sittest and raignest one God with whom shall liue all thine elect in ioyes vnspeakable for euer Amen O Lord increase our Faith A Morning Prayer where the FAMILY assembles O Almighty God full of loue and pitty the chiefest comfort that any sinfull soule can haue when wée miserable sinners here met together doe consider of thy great mercy and goodnesse which we haue euer since our births and before found and daily doe finde at the hands of thy diuine Maiesty together with our great vnthankfulnesse euery way to thée againe for the same we must néedes confesse and euen from the bottom of our hearts doe acknowledge that most vnspeakeable is thy mercy in sparing vs to liue vntill this morning before which time thou mightest iustly haue consumed vs. But O deare God of thy frée mercies before the foundation of the World was laid thou hast chosen and elected vs for thy Children and hast to our endlesse comfort certified and made knowne the same vnto our spirits by thy spirit by whom and not of our selues wee now cry vnto thée Abba father and for our Redemption hast sent thine owne Sonne to shed his most precious bloud vpon the Crosse no other meanes being whereby wée could be saued Thou hast by thy holy Spirit wrought Faith in our hearts to beléeue by him and in him to be iustified before thée and in some measure begunne the death of sinne in vs and wrought our sanctification and of thy frée fauour we enioy the benefit of thy Word the freedome of conscience great peace and plenty in outward things with many and infinite other benefits waking and sléeping at home and abroad in our selues and our friends for all which instead of thankefulnesse wee become the more disobedient not doing that wée ought to doe but with pleasure and profit with vanity and selfe-loue wée are carried away spending our daies in iniquity carelesnesse and vnféeling of our sinne and there is no goodnesse in vs yet is there mercy with thée O Lord and pardon vpon repentance Wherefore we here this Morning met together before thy Maiesty humbly confesse our wants and most entirely beséech thée for Jesus Christs sake to haue mercy vpon vs Haue mercy vpon vs most mercifull Father and forgiue vs all that is past strengthen vs hereafter that daily both in bodies and soules we may glorifie thée more then we haue done yéelding thankes for daily benefits and striuing in holinesse and righteousnes to please thée all the dayes of our life But because we cannot but offend and fall diuers wayes and euery day good Lord for thy mercy sake pierce our hearts with a féeling of the same and neuer suffer vs to goe on with dull and dead soules not séeing nor sighing for our offences As a speciall meanes to kéepe vs in obedience before thée O deare Father worke in vs a continuall remembrance and an effectuall consideration that wée shall not alwayes liue here in this wretched world that doth much please vs now but that a day wil come when the trumpe shall sound the Dead shall arise and all wée shall appeare before the Tribunall seat of Judgement there to receiue according to our déedes without respect of Persons oh good Lord giue vs a remembrance and a féeling of that vnspeakeable comfort and eternall waight of glory which in that day shall be giuen vnto vs if in this day wée serue and please thée and contrariwise euen terrifle our cousciences and let vs as it were see before our faces the dreadfull Judgements and the fearefull Torments that both in Body and Soule they shall be sure to haue for euermore which in this life doe not serue and please thée but follow their owne fancies and wicked delights giue vs an hatred of sinne and a true loue of righteousnesse blesse thy Word euermore with fruit vnto our soules when we heare it giue vs a desire to heare it often and to practise it faithfully and obediently and keepe our hearts euer free from disūmulation and counterfeit holinesse prepare our hearts diligently to watch for the comming of thy Sonne make vs ready fit and willing to meete him in the clouds if thou wilt that we liue to his comming if it please thee in the meane time to call vs let vs with ioy yeeld our bodies to the earth and receiue our soules vnto thy selfe vntill the day when both our bodies and soules shall be remitted and bee totally glorified with thee in Heauen And let this day be a day of our true reformation and repentance that we becomming new creatures may serue thee in holinesse all the dayes of our liues yeelding thee most humble and hearty thankes for thy goodnesse to vs this night let thy mercifull eye looke vpon vs this day and so keep vs bodies and soules that being occupied in our seuerall callings we may be safe by thee from all our Enemies and liue to thee in feare that we may die in thy fauour and liue hereafter with thee in glory which grant and all things in the meane time necessary for soules and bodies for Christ his sake in whose name we ask them saying as he hath taught vs Our Father vvhich art in heauen hallovved be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy Will be done in earth as it is in Heauen Giue vs this day our daily Bread And forgiue vs our trespasses as vve forgiue them that trespasse against vs and lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill For thine is the Kingdome the povver and the glory for euer and euer Amen Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arme O Lord be still our defence thy mercy louing kindnesse in Iesus Christ our saluation thy true and holy vvord our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation vnto the end and in the end Amen The Lord blesse vs and saue vs and make his face to shine vpon vs and be mercifull vnto vs the Lord turne his fauourable countenance tovvards vs this day and euermore Amen A priuate Prayer for the EVENING The Motiue I Will lay
the holy Ghost praised for euermore Amen O Lord increase my Faith A very comfortable and most patheticall Prayer to be said of such as are in greatest distresse and danger hauing wife and children and in debt not able to maintaine and relieue the one or to satisfie the other O Most mighty mercifull and all-knowing Father the fountaine of all comfort and consolation who findest out in thy déepe and all-searching knowledge all the sinnes that are or can be committed amongst the children of men howsoeuer hidden and secret I doe confesse vnto thée against my selfe that I haue grieuously offended thée by my manifold transgressions and thereby haue drawne vpon mée a most intollerable weight of thy deserued wrath and fearefull indignation insomuch as if thou maist not be pleased to mittigate thy â—ury towards me I shall faint and fall and shall not be able to lift vp my head any more in hope of thy fauour for deare Father in Jesus Christ I am weake and am not able to beare thy heauy displeasure by mine owne power or merit And therefore good Father lay not vpon mée the punishments which I haue deserued take away thy heauy hand of correction and as thou art patient and long in suffering the sinnes of thy weake children he yet patient with mée and send thine holy Spirit to season me anew that I may bring forth now the fruits of amendment of life So shall thy punishment cease and comfort increase though I am heset with no small or few dangers before mée behinde mée on my right hand and on my left I am beset with perils so that which way soeuer I séeme to runne or howsoeuer I couet to escape I fall into dangers What shal I doe Lord in these miseries I stand amazed at the consideration what will become of me languishing in fear while there is none to helpe I liue where none but mortall creatures are and what can they doe to my comfort Lord that haue their breath in their nostrils They mooue and breathe and liue and speake but little auaileth their helpe vnlesse thou that guidest and gouernest the hearts of all vouchsafe to moue them to commiseration and patience with mée I haue sinned Lord against thée and am indebted vnto men and cannot be released and all commeth of my sins Father pardon thou me so shalt thou in thy renewed loue send mée new reliefe Raise me meanes to satisfie men or qualifie their extremities that they may be patient vntill thy helpe come And in the meane time teach mee O teach mée the way that I should chuse Direct mée Lord what course I shall take for thou Lord art wise and prouident and mercifull and all goodnes commeth of thée Therefore O Lord instruct mée by the inward working of thy holy Spirit to doe this or that and make mée obedient vnto thy will so shall all returne to my good Raise vp some gracious meanes Lord for my succor for thou knowest though I be but one man whose ruine can be but as the death of the least creature in the censure of such as feele not nor partake of my griefes neither will my ouerthrow grieue such as haue no share of my miseries Some there be yet deare Father whom thou knowest that shall taste of the bitternesse of my fall and therefore Lord consider in mercy and although none of them Lord that shall féele the smart of my calamities but haue also added sinne vnto my sinne and so aggrauated thy displeasure against vs yet in thy Christ forgiue vs all and reclaime vs all by thy gentle corrections not by thy furious iudgements And as a sparrow Lord lighteth not on the ground nor one haire falleth from our heads without thy prouidedre so I know Lord that nothing shall befall mée but what thou hast decréed euen for my good both in this life and in the life to come Thou hast neuer Lord dealt so sharpely with any but vpon serious repentance they haue receiued comfort they haue tasted of thy loue and of inward peace So worke Lord in these my tryals and by these my crosses and dangers that I be neither inwardly too much afflicted with feare and sorrow nor outwardly too much cast downe with want but as I taste of thy correcting rod so I may also flude thy supporting staffe Lord thou art moued by a better Mediator then are my complaints Oh heare me for him and heare him for mée me Lord for his sake and him for thy promise sake lest I remaining here in this vale of continuall miseries where there is no true or liuely helper I vtterly perish in my troubles It is no true helpe Lord that commeth not of true compassion and there is no true compassion without true féeling of anothers miseries but how far Lord that is from the hearts of many thou knowest and I féele it And therefore euery heart truely moued to true commiseration is first moued by thée Oh moue them therefore moue thou such as thou pleasest to vse as instruments of thy will for my good so shall I vse it and accept it as thy goodnesse to thy glory But Lord the course of thy prouidence teacheth vs that thou wilt not haue thy dearest children to be lifted vp by the fulnesse of earthly things aboue that which becommeth the humble to kéepe them still in awe of thy corrections Forere while O Lord I thought of seife-peace little fearing further perils nor to be thus chased anew as I am by such as séeke to molest mée and to exact that from me by rigour which thou knowest I am not yet able to performe though thou féest the inward destres of my heart willing by my best lawfull endeuours to obtaine the meanes to satisfie al men their due and it grieueth mee that I cannot doe as they require And therefore O louing Father as thou well knowest what is wanting supply it in thy mercies in thy good time before I be confounded altogether and before I goe hence and be no more séene As thou blessest mée O Lord by the labours of my hands so thou knowest I yéelde to them to whom it is due And therefore Lord sith they will not haue patience with mée of their owne accord worke their hearts to be more pliable to my entreates or else which I aske especially if it please thée raise vp meanes for me that I may be enabled to pay them all wherein thy will be done I haue séene thy saluation and deliuery already in great dangers and thy promise and thy power and thy prouidence are still in force and thy mercy is no whit diminished therefore Lord remember thy mercies and looke on mée and as thou saidst vnto the blinde man in the Gospell Receiue thy â—ight and he saw so Lord say to mée Receiue comfort and reliefe and I shall receiue it thy word is thy will and thy will is thy worke therefore speake and thy will shall be done to restore mee to constancy let
in righteousnesse Pro. 25. 5. VVE render and yéelde vnto thée all possible thanks O Lord of mercy King of all Kings and Kingdomes of the Earth for as a great blessing vnto vs thou hast placed ouer vs in this Realme so â—ure a guide of true Religion IAMES by thy heauenly prouidence our gracious King vnder whom enioying frée liberty of the true seruice of thée wée rest in a quiet estate both of body and minde wée humbly beséech thée to behold with thy eyes of mercy the same thy Seruant our Soueraigne Lord and Gouernour to replenish his heart with the grace of thy holy Spirit that hee by the working thereof being inclined to the setting forth of thy Word may walke according to the truth of the same sincerely that wée thy Seruants and vnder thée his Subiects séeing his godly examples may be ashamed to fall from that true forme of honoring thy Name which for thy glory through thy grace by the rule of thy holy Word is prescribed vnto vs and vouchsafe to stir vp in him zeale of thy glory a desire to establish whatsoeuer wanteth in this Church of England for the increase of true and sincere Discipline Let no ignorance abide in his Royall heart but inrich him with diuine and heauenly Knowledge giue him an obedient minde abounding with all humility towards thy diuine Maiestie saue and defend him from the tyranny of forraigne Powrr and Authoritie and from all such as professe not inwardly vnfaigned zeale of thy Gospell giue him godly Counsellors and such zealous and true hearted Ministers of thy Will that hee and wée may sincerely serue thée in this life and in the end for euermore raigne with thée in thy heauenly Kingdome for Jesus Christ his sake our onely Aduocate Amen A Prayer for obedience vnto God Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when his voyâ—e is obayed Behold to obay is better then sacrifice to harken is better then the fat of Rams 1 Sam. 15. 22. Paul commendeth the obedience of the Romans Rom. 16. 19. Obay my voyce saith God and I will be your God and ye shall be my people Ier. 7. 23. O God the Gouernour of Heauen and Earth thou that rulest in the highest that only canst doe all things and raignest for euer at whose becke the Pillers of Heauen shake and all Creatures tremble I miserable creature framed of the earth do with great feare and trembling prostrate my selfe before the â—hrone of thy Maiesty acknowledging and confessing my wickednesse and wayes abhominable in thy sight Without thée I thinke not a good thought without thée I doe no good worke without thée I am worse then a worme of the earth yea a beast in thy sight I render vnto thée thanks O God that thou hast vouchsafed mée that knowledge that I may sée and know that I am nothing and vnable to doe any thing without thée Thou art the Potter I the Clay such as thou pleasest to haue me be such canst thou form and fashion me if thou makest me blessed thou shewest thy mercy and grace if thou cast me into hell thou shewest thy iustice executest thy iudgement neither is it my duty to contradict thée why or for what reason thou doest it for thou hast mercy vpon him whom thou louest These things I consider with my selfe O Lord and I feare thy iudgmeÌ„ts depend only on thy mercy Forasmuch therefore as all my safetie and saluation relieth wholy on thee and consisteth in thy hand and power and thou hast shewed thy selfe a mercifull long-suffering God to the whole world hast testified the same indéede in that thou wouldest thy onely Sonne Christ Jesus the innocent should die for our offences should wipe away our sins with his bloud on the Crosse and since thou hast taught vs in al our perturbations and afflictions to call vpon thée craue thy grace and mercy for that thou wilt giue vs althings which we shall aske in the name of thy Sonne I come vnto thée being drosse and clay O mercifull and celestial Father humbly beséeching thée that thou wilt in thy mercy make of this vnworthy carkasse of mine an habitation for thy holy spirit that though I line in the earth I may haue my conuersation holy as in the Heauens O mercifull and most louing Father grant me forgiuenesse of all my sinnes through the death of thy beloued Sâ—n Jesus Christ make me to please thée increase in mee all heauenly vertues and grant that I may perseuere in the same to the end increase in mee that faith and loue towards thée which thou hast begun in me kindle my affections towards thée more and more in liuely obedience that by thy helpe and presence of thy grace I may obtaine euerlasting life which thou hast promised vs of thy méere goodnesse to the end I may praise thée and giue thée thanks in thy celestiall Kingdome for euer and euer Amen O Lord increase my Faith A Prayer to be confirmed in the way of Righteousnesse God is the fountaine of righteousnesse and he that giueth himselfe to righteousnesse is knowne to be borne of him 1 Iohn 2. 29. O Gracious Lord God louing in Jesus Christ Redéemer of mankinde who is the Way the Truth and the Life I humbly begge at thy hands that I may neuer wander nor goe astray from thée who art the way neither at any time to distrust thy promises who art the truth performest whatsoeuer thou dost promise thou art eternall Life more to be destred then any thing in heauen or in earth by thée wée haue learned the true and direct way to eternall saluation thou diddest instruct and teach vs readily how to beléeue what to doe what to hope and in whom we ought to trust by thée we haue learned how vnhappy wée were borne through our first Father Adam by thée we are taught that there is no hope of saluation except by faith in thée we take hold of our frée redemption and adoption in Christ. Thou art the onely light that shâ—nest to all Creatures in the Desert of this World conduding them through the ignorance of their minds from the Egyptian darknes to that blessed Land which thou promisest vnto the méeke and such as follow thée in humility For in vs was nothing but vtter darknesse who neither could discerne our calamitie neither knew from whence to séek the remedy of our misery Thou didst enter into the World in the shape of a Seruant and didst take vpon thée our nature that thy brightnesse might disperse the cloud of our ignorance that by thy precepts thou mightst directour féet in the way of peace by the examples of thy life in thy humility thou didst limit out a path for vs to immortality making it easie for vs to tread in by thy heauenly way so becamest thou vnto vs a way that leadeth to Life in which lest we should be wearied thou hast assured vs by
oflife with such sincerity and bolduesse as neither feare nor affection may hinder the same that we thy flocke may fructifie and increase our knowledge in Faith thereby and more and more desire to féede at that the Table of thy Word and be filled open my heart as thou didst Lidyacs that I may attend with diligence to the preaching of thy Word Send forth store of Labourers O good Lord into thy Haruest which by their carefull paines and faithfull endeuours may gather the dispersed sheaues of thy Church into thy celestiall Barne and banish from this wholesome worke all such as are not sent from thée and come not truly to edifie but rather to reape their owne gaine making as it were maâ—… chandise of thy holy Word teaching in stead of truth the tradition of men Lord vouchsafe grace into the lips of those that are now prepared to declare thy will grace into our hearts that are present to heare it that they by teaching truely and we by following effectually may through Christ obtaine of thée remission of our sinnes past light instead of darkenesse peace for trouble and heauenly happinesse in stead of worldly felicitie that tasting the swéetnesse of celestiall comfort we may despise terrestriall and after this life ended enioy the perfect ioyes of eternall felicity through Jesus Christ our Sauiour and Redéemer O Lord increase our Faith A Prayer after the Preaching of the holy Word Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Luke 11. 28. The hearers of the Lavv are not righteous but the doers of the Lavv shall be iustified Rom. 2. 13. Be ye doers of the word not hearers onely deceiuing your selues Rom. 1. 22. O Heauenly Father and most mercifull God séeing that wee haue now receiued the benefit of the hearing of thy heauenly and holy word by the mouth of thy Minister the fruits whereof doetend to the perfection of a godly life and a godly life is the way to eternall life in Christ our Lord vouchsafe O good Father we humbly beséech thée to imprint in our hearts the gladsome and most comfortable tidings which wée haue heard and receiued this day of thée by the mouth of thy Minister and grant that in faith vnfained â—t may lay vp the same in our vnderstanding and remembrance lest that forgetting the same and neglecting the exercise of a godly life wée be taken away as trées that beare no truit and so be cast into the fire therefore we most humbly pray and beséech thée that thou wouldest send vs thy holy Spirit the Comforter which may retaine the good tidings of the Gospell in our hearts wherby we may appeare as trées bearing good fruits and so be preserued vntill the comming of our Lord Jesus who will then receiue vs and giue vs the inheritance which he hath purchased for as many as beléeue in his most holy Word Amen O Lord increase our Faith A Prayer for the Sabbath day at night O euerlasting and mercifull God I giue thée thankes from the bottome of my heart that of thy mercy thou hast nourished and preserued me by thy diuine power and gouerned me by thy Word holy Spirit this day and all this wéeke yea and at all other times of my life protected me by thy power and prouidence and I most humbly beséech thée for the merits of Christ Jesus to couer and bury all my misdéedes which heretofore I haue committed in thought word and déede against thy diuine Maiestie in the death of thy Sonne Forgiue O Lord the euill that I haue committed supply the good which I haue omitted restore what I haue lost heale my sores cleanse my filthinesse lighten my darkenesse and alter the whole state of my minde that nothing may be wanting to good purposes in me nor any thing lurke in mee which may offend thée Water O Lord the séede of thy holy Word which I haue receiued this day with the dew of thy grace that with sound iudgement and godly deuotion I may practise such things as are pleasing to thy diuine Maiestie and that my heart being alwayes obedient to thy Commandements I may passe my time in peace through thy protection O Lord stretch out thy hand ouer me and of thy accustomed goodnes defend me this night Kéepe me from searefull and wicked dreames vnprofitable cares idle cogitations and outward violence Compasse me about on euery side with thy grace that when I shall either take care for things of this life or carefully séeke for those things which appertaine vnto the Kingdome of heauen I may heare the voyce of thy holy Spirit sounding in my heart from the mouth of the Apostie The Lord shall relieue thee in all thy necessities and yeelde thee a Crowne of eternall glory with Christ his beloued in the heauens Grant O Lord this and all other graces méete for me euen for Jesus Christs sake my onely Lord and Sauiour Amen O Lord increase my Faith A Prayer to be said before a man begins his Labour or enter into the execution of any profession OMnipotent God and most mercifull Father since thou hast commanded that all humane creatures shall labour and eate their bread in the sweat of their browes while they abide in this life and yet séeing no man can prosper without thy blessing or receiue any good successe in his affaires we humbly beséech thée that thou wouldest blesse our labours in such sort as therby we may haue iust occasion to confesse thy goodnesse assistance and fatherly care which thou takest of vs. Let thy holy Spirit O Lord be our guide to the end we may faithfully exercise the workes of our estate and vocation without any fraud or deceit giue vs grace rather to regard the following of thine ordinance then to satisfie the appetite of our owne sinfull flesh which couets to enrich it selfe by any meanes whatsoeuer Neuerthelesse if it be thy pleasure to blesse and prosper our endeuours grant vs also chéerefull dispositions to helpe and relieue such as are in distresse according to thy talents best owed vpon vs. And let vs kéepe within the bounds of humility not puffing our selues vp aboue the poore and needy by that which we enioy by thy bounty and goodnes But if thy good pleasure be so to deale with vs as to abase and impouerish vs farre beyond that which our weake nature can beare yet vouchsafe to enrich vs with cleauing faithfully to thy promises whereby we shall no way fall into distrust but rather be more certainely assured that thou wilt neuer forsake vs in the extremity of our wants and calamities inable vs to performe truely the duties of our callings giue vs the vse of all our limmes and senses with an holy endeuour to performe our callings and patience to attend thy leasure to replenish vs both with temperall and spirituall comforts receiuing thereby daily new occasion to giue thée praise and thankes and to expect all things from thée Heare vs
O Father of mercy for thy deare Sonne Christ Jesus sake our Lord and Sauiour Amen O Lord increase our Faith and blesse our labours A Thankes-giuing or Prayer to be vsed after a mans labour is finished O My gracious Lord God I yéeld vnto thée harty thankes because thou hast preserued me from imminent and infinite dangers which might otherwise haue happened to oppresse and vtterly ouerthrowne me if thou Lord hadst not carefully regarded and kept me from many inconueniences Therefore now O most louing Father I humbly intreate and beseech thée for Jesus Christs sake to pardon all the faults wherein I haue offended thée in the time of my labour or otherwise correct me not in thine anger nor punish me in thy heauy displeasure worke in me so by the power of thy holy Spirit that hence forth I may walke in greater integrity and carefully performe those duties which are required in my vocation and calling to the end that though I labour with my body yet in spirit I may be led by thy spirit to loue serue and glorifie thy name in all my doings words and thoughts Direct and guide me by thy holy Word in all truth and honest conuersation among men neuer swaruing from thy commandements that in the end I may attaine euerlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen Lord euermore increase and confirme my Faith in thee A generall Confession of sins and of the vanities of carnall delights If we acknowledge our sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse If we say we haue not sinned we make him a lyer and his word is not in vs 1 Iohn 1. 9. 10. O God Almighty and al-knowing Father the fountaine of all comfort and consolation I confesse against my selfe as euermore I haue done that I haue grieuously offended thée by my manifold transgressions and haue thereby drawne downe a most heauy waight of thine importable iudgements vpon me vnder the burthen whereof I cannot but faint and fall vnlesse thou set to thy helping hand of mercy in Jesus Christ to support mée for good Father I am weake and cannot beare thy displeasure I am ignorant and know not which way to turne mée vnlesse thou point out the way vnto me by thy holy Spirit directing mée within as thy Word teacheth me without For it is not euery one that heareth that vnderstandeth not euery one that vnderstandeth that can practise and performe what thou commandest for who so is not guided by a better line then that of flesh and bloud mistaketh the right path and treadeth the way of vanitie whose end is death yet for the time it is most swéete and pleasing to the outward man the man vnsanctified and vnregenerate because hee loueth to be sed with the dainties of this life as with honor preferment riches health friends and worldly delights estéeming these the earnest-penny here of Heauen to come and that wants and pouerty and sicknesse and enemies and imprisonments and crosses are euen here the entrance into Hell it selfe So foolish are they O Lord and ignorant whom thou guidest not in thy way And this hath béene my foolishnesse and my misconceit of the seuerall estates of men in this life euen vnto this day But hauing now found by due triall and experience the foolishnesse of such as put their delight in these transttory fickle and vncertaine vanities doe disclaime all confidence in them and doe heartily and most vnfainedly abhorre and detest the deceiuing baits of temporall and carnall delights and doe wholly betake me vnto the swéet sauing sanctuarie of thy wisedome and prouidence wherein howsoeuer the worldly minded doe contrarily iudge is truest safety happinesse and securitie for therein beare Father is the true feéling and founded hope of future eternall felicitie thy wisedome O Father is the wisedome of the Spirit the Spirit the sanctifier of the Soule the minde and affections which being sanctified begetteth true feare of thée and that feare is the beginning of that sacred wisedome which guideth and gouerneth the whole man in the blessed way the way to life euen vnto Christ himselfe who is the Way the Truth and the Life O Lord increase our Faith A Prayer for humiliation and sorrow after sinne committed O Lord my God and most louing Father in Jesus Christ I confesse and acknowledge that mine offences are increased and my sinnes are growne vp vnto the heauens that I am ashamed to lift vp mine eyes to thée admiring at thy influite mercy in forbearing to punish me knowing that I am worthy to be swallowed vp or swept away with some extraordinary and sudden iudgement And now O Lord especially hauing so grosely sinned against thée and done so great euill in thy sight how haue I vile wretch that I am wounded mine owne conscience how hâ—ue I laid my selfe open to the malice and enuy of the Diuell what a disgrace and slander haue I brought vpon my Profession what an offence and scandall haue I giuen vnto others what a toy will this be to the wicked that they haue now by meÌ„ gotten something to speake euill of But aboue al O Lord how haue I dishonoured thée whose fauours haue béene so many and so innumerable towards me I know not how to expresse my detestable sinnes and the hainous and hideous natures of them when I thinke vpon thy patience vpon the meanes of grace which thou hast afforded mee vpon the light of knowledge which thou hast giuen mee vpon the good motions which thou hast from time to time stirred vp in mee vpon the profession which I make vpon the sundry vowes and promises of better obedience with which I haue linked my selfe vnto thy Maiestie vpon the diuers admonitions which by thy prouidence I know haue béene vsed to mée by thy Seruants purposely to preuent and stop this euill in mée mée thinketh I may call it rebellion which is as the sinne of witchcraft or presumption in the highest degrée O Lord I sée my sinnes and know them to bée exceeding great neuerthelesse I cannot so lament them so grieue for them so detest and abhorre them as I should Striue O gracious God strike I beséech thée my flinty heart make it euen to melt within mée at the sight of mine owne transgression Settle in it that godly sorrow which causeth Repentance vnto saluation Humble my soule vnder thy mighty hand and suffer me not to fréeze in the dregges of mine owne corruptions make my head full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares which may runne downe like a Riuer day and night O let me take no rest nor suffer the apple of mine eye to cease cause me to powre out my heart like water before thy face that I may by all meanes testifie the vnfained griefe of my Soule that I haue so displeased thée And grant O Lord that I may not sorrow so much because of hell condemnation which J haue
them there will be much required and that our sinnes will be the greater and our iudgement the more heauy if we make not right vse of this thy mercy And concerning the Watch-man whom thou hast appointed ouer our soules wée beséech thée to inlarge his heart to increase his gifts and to replenish him yet with a fuller measure of thy Graces Giue him O Lord the true zeale and spirit of Paul that he may with all boldnesse of spéech giue vnto vs thy Gospell and publish euen the secrets thereof for the edifying and comfort of our soules Make him powerfull in the holy Scriptures like Apolloes that by the power thereof hée may both conuict our consciences and stoppe the mouthes of all gaine-sayers Powre into him thy holy Spirit the word of wisedome and knowledge that he may rightly iudge of our estates and vnderstand what things are most expedient and necessary for vs and so may speake to our consciences finding vs out in our speciall sinnes and directing vs in those holy courses from which wée haue chiefely strayed Let his words pricke our hearts forward that wée may not be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Make him firme and constant in the best courses that he may not be as a Réede shaken with the winde but as a sure foundation that by his perseuerance in good workes our hearts may be the better established And wée beséech thée O Christ who commandest the Starres and holdest them in thy right hand to defend him from vnreasonable and euill men and from the wrongs and iniuries of the wicked enemies of thy truth for doubtlesse men of corrupt mindes will resist the Truth with all their power Therefore good Lord blesse his labour to the calling and conuerting of those which are elected vnto saluation Make our hearts flexible to yéelde true obedience to thy Word deliuered from his mouth that wée may receiue it not as the word of a man but as it is indéede thy Word and make it also effectuall in vs that wée may not onely be professors and hearers of thy holy will but also practisers and continuall performers of the same And teach vs to reuerence him wée beséech thée and to loue him for his profession and workes sake not sparing our goods to relieue him knowing it is a small thing for him to â—eape our earthly things who soweth amongst vs spiritual food for our soules In all our Supplications make vs mindefull of him without ceasing that his studies may be directed his endeauours guided and his labours in thy worke blessed to the glory of thy holy name and the saluation both of him and of vs which heare him All which we humbly and earnestly begge at thy fatherly hands for thy deare Sonnes sake who hath ordained Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of his Saints and who is the supreme and soueraigne Bishop of all our soules to whom be all praise honour and glory now and for euermore Amen O Lord increase our Faith A Prayer for the true obseruation of the Commandements of the Lord. O Omnipotent and euerlasting God maker of heauen and earth who hast froÌ„ the very beginning promised to be our Lord and our God our fortresse our buckler and defence our castle refuge who hast brought vs with a mighty and strong hand with an out-stretched arme out of the land wherein we were strangers and liued in bondage vnder the yoake and tyranny of Antichrist and Satan into the land that floweth with milke and hony and of true Religion wherewith thou feédest the Soules of the faithfull ones to their vnspeakeable comfort grant that as through thy mercy and loue thou vouchsafest to bring vs into this world and to frame vs to thine owne image and likenesse so wée may account thée as our onely God worshipping none other besides thée making our selues none image of any likenesse either of things aboue or things beneath nor to séeke helpe at the hands of any as a God beside thée who as by thy mighty power thou broughtest the children of Israel out of Egypt by the hands of Moses and Aaron where they were in bondage and were continually oppressed with sundry kinds of vexations both of body and minde so thou hast vouchsafed to bring vs and deliuer vs from a greater bondage and slauery euenfrom the power of Sathan vnder whose tyranny wée rested and now escaped not by any other pollicie strength or power but by the bloud-shedding of thine only Sonne Jesus Christ who tooke vpon him the death of the Crosse for our sakes to bring vs from darkenesse wherein we walked according to the wil of the flesh vnto the true knowledge of thée againe and to redéeme vs out of the bondage of sin into the land of righteousnes from blind ignorance to the bright shining day-starre of thy heauenly will who art not onely a most louing and most gentle Father but also a most sharpe punisher and reuenger who art not onely desirous that we should come vnto thée but art also most iealous ouer vs lest wée should séeke or follow any other gods besides thée yea in all our afflictions and troubles thou wilt that wée séeke onely thée and being relieued to attribute the onely meane thereof vnto thy selfe whereby thou hast promised to be mercifull vnto thousands that â—oue thée feare thée séeke thée and truely take hold of thée as their onely God and againe threatnest vengeance on the third and fourth generation of them that hate thee and follow strange gods neglecting thy Commandements O God vouchsafe that wée neuer put our féete towards any strange gods appeare their helpe neuer so likely and plentifull but that it may both now and euer continue in our harts to confesse both in word conuersation that there is none other God besides thée who art a most gracious and louing Father Haue mercy vpon vs O Lord haue mercy vpon vs and so vouchsafe to direct vs in all our doings cogitations and words as we may alwayes and in all things fulfill thy will without taking thy most holy and most glorious Name in vaine by blasphemous spéeches dishonouring the same kéepe vs most louing Father not onely from the most detestable sinne of periurie whereby thy holy Name is often defaced and as it were trodden vnder-foote as in making it the author of abhominable falshoods and lyes but from all friuolous and vaine eathes which to the great griefe of thy Children and dishonour of thy Name are most vncomely in the mouthes of such as vnreuerently and rashly vse it euen in common spéeches without any vrgent cause whereby they fall into the most hainous sinne of taking thy most glorious Name in vaine O Lord forgiue vs and grant that we may vse such a reuerent manner and godly order in triall of matters in controuersie as we may be alwayes true hallowers and not abusers of thy Name therein And forasmuch as thou within sixe dayes didst finish all things in the
and horrible tentations would entrap me when the whole World forsakes mée and all things set themselues against mée then strengthen mée I beséech thée that I forsake not thée my Sauiour and fall from hope of thy frée mercy O comfort my heart with an inward assurance and seale of mine Adoption in thy Sonne in whom the forgiuenesse of sinnes is promised vnto all Beléeuers Call to memory thy holy Couenant entered into with vs at our Baptisme and the promise thereunto annexed Hee which beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued and grant that wée may euermore consider the same to our perpetuall comfort Amen A comfortable Prayer against back-sliding in Religion and for increase of Faith most worthy often to be said of euery Christian. O Almighty Eternall God which hast in thy Word commanded that we should beware of falling from thy grace and hast also witnessed that the end of those which goe backe from thy Word after they haue once knowne the way of righteousnesse will be excéeding fearefull Haue mercy therefore on mee O Lord I most humbly pray thée for I finde in my selfe great weakenesse no power haue I of my selfe to perseuere in goodnesse I beginne to wauer in my iudgement and to grow doubtfull euen of those things which I heretofore haue embraced with fulnesse of perswasion The exercises of godlinesse are not so pleasant vnto me as they haue béen a strange kinde of dulnesse stealeth vpon me and I haue no such life and spirit in matters of Religion as in times past I haue had and to what a wofull passe these things may come though I haue much hope when I thinke vpon thy mercy yet well may I feare when I looke into my selfe I confesse that thy goodnes is great in that thou makest my heart within mee to smart for these things and doest not suffer me to run on without stay into that hellish and infernall Pit in which I should be soone plunged if thou shouldest once leaue mée to my owne weakenesse Therefore O Lord I beséech thée to quicken my dull heart kindle those sparkes which are euen vpon quenching and like vtterly to goe out vnlesse it shall please thée to reuiue them make strong my thoughts and conscience make mée able more and more to sée the Truth in cases of Religion and to discerne things that differ from the same Giue mée vnderstanding to know both good and euill giue mée also increase of zeale that I may spring vp in grace and thriue in godlines vntil I come to that measure to which thou hast appointed mee to come in Christ Jesus let â—eé not in these key-colde and decaying times be carried away with euery blast of doctrine through the subtiltie and wilâ—nesse of those which lie in waite to beguile mée suffer neither the cares of this vaine world to wither and dry vp thy graces in mée nor transitory pleasures to entrap mée nor euill examples to misguide me nor mine owne sloathfull and heauy nature to make mée grow weary of well-doing but make mée so to burne in loue with heauenly things that I may not satisfle myselfe with any measure either of knowledge or practice but may rather still be ashamed of my selfe that I make no better procéedings and so may euer desire and striue to more perfection To this end enkindle in mee affection more and more by the hearing and reading of thy heauenly and holy Word earnest praying intentiue and feruent meditation carefull watching ouer mine owne soule following the example of godly men and imitating their gracious and holy conuersation As thy promises O Lord and most mercifull Father haue encouraged mée thus to pray so I he séech thée let it be thy gracious will to accept of these my humble petitions which procéede from a contrite a sorrowfull heart so shall my soule magnifie thée and my tongue set forth thy praises with ioyfull lips and that in Jesus Christ thy Sonne and my Sauiour Amen A most Christian and comfortable Consultation and sweete resolution what course in time of deepest distresse men ought to take worthy of all men to be considered to their vnspeakable comfort Read and Regard IT is a general complaint among the distressed children of men that great and dangerous is the triall to be long visited with the punishing hand of our high and powerful God especially notwithstanding the many instant cries and humble petitions of the afflicted soule who finding no ease nor feeling any comfort but contrariwise troubles miseries crosses griefes to increase daily thinking himselfe vtterly forgotten of God or méerely to be hated of him the silly afflicted soule thus bewrapped with feare féeling of his miseries many times fainteth and so falleth from faith in God to séek succour at the hands of mortall men and finding that to be a course of cold comfort with whom neither prayers take place nor endeauours preuaile he then pressed downe as vnder the burden of vtter despaire of any succour is moued oftentimes to frame his affections to contriue vnlawfull meanes by his naturall and corrupt conceit that his owne will and wit may shape some course to a hauen of more secure rest and so hoysing the sayles of his owne peruerse imaginations betaketh himselfe to the main sea of his vngodly deuices tâ—l at the length instead of a happy hoped harbour he suddenly sinketh and is swallowed vp of the ougly deuouring gulfe of irrecuperable confusion For the world as a sea tossing the weake ones that saile therein trieth the inclinations of all and approueth and condemneth but not according to the right rule of Christian reason and godly wisedome but after a sensuall manner of false iudgement affirmeth such as saile with a full fore-winde of prosperity here to be onely blessed happy and beloued of God and such as are becalmed with distresse and miseries with crosses and calamities and kéepe not the glorious way with the worldly-minded to be hated and accursed of him And this wretched and false censure of carnall men driues many weake soules vpon the rocks of bitter ruine euen when they dreame of a course of swéetest happinesse For as Dauid found Psalme 49. 18. much more this age affoordeth the experience that men doe praise them that make much of themselues namely such as wallow in the delights and pleasures of the flesh But them they estéeme mad men and fooles and cast-awayes and accursed that liue in a base and low and poore and ignominious estate though neuer so contented the foolishnesse of worldly men is wisedome and the true wisdome of the poore is foolishnesse with the worlds flatterers And this is that dangerous rocke vpon which oftentimes euen the godly make shipwracke when they consult with flesh and bloud which argueth it the safest course to become licentious to imbrace vanity and to studie the profitable and praised arts of flattery and dissimulation to walke the broad way to preferment to scale the wals of wealth and estimation
Mordecay deliuered Susanna cleared and the Iudges stoned Euery Kingdome is this great Gods and hée raigneth ouer all Nations hée controlleth and is not controlled he â—â—iteth and is not resisted thée aduanceth and none can throw them downe O my Soule feare and serue and loue and reuerence obey this great God this Lord high and terrible that approueth himselfe a King ouer all the earth being guarded with such inuincible power and maiesty that hée can strike Saul to the ground with his terrible voyce and againe raise Saul with a louing and kinde hand O Lord how terrible art thou in thy works Through the infinite greatnesse of thy power thou hast made all things and preseruest all men insomuch as all such as séeme to deny thée thy power and prouidence the fooles that say in their harts there is no God are made mute and put to silence and both their will and their practises made all subiect vnto thy will and pleasure What then shall I rest amazed at the friuolous inuentions of fleshly men that séeme by their owne power to build themselues Babels on earth working terrour to the poore by their pride and practice impiety without any remorse of conscience No I will kéepe silence and neither mine owne wants nor sorrowes nor dangers nor the worlds ignominious taunts at my base estate shall wrest me from this glorious God from this powerfull Iehouah from this so louing and kinde a father that feareth not the strength and forces of millions of Kings but shieldeth and defendeth his by his mighty hand and kéepeth them safe in the flaming fire in the raging seas and in the strength of the Lyons pawes Let this God I say arise and chase his enemies and cherish his little ones and pull downe the proud and set vp the simple and scatter the wicked that they dwel not beyond his time appointed to tyrannize ouer his chosen vpon the earth The Chariots of this God are twenty thousand Angels the Lord himselfe being among them the generall worker of all good for all his and of all iudgement against the vniust All the gods that are estéemed as Gods among men are but Idols but the Lord he is God that hath couered himselfe with light as with a garment whereby hée discouereth all darkenesse infidelity disobedience and sinne he findeth out the faithlesse howsoeuer they dissemble zeale and approueth them not most godly that are most glorious nor them reprobates that the world reiecteth but through the light of his most high wisdome and prouidence he yéeldeth to euery one his owne to him that doth well life and reliefe and succour and patience and rest and peace but vnto the wicked sorrow and anguish and tribulations and a worme euer deuouring in perpetuall horror in hell fire O my soule be therefore patient in these transitory troubles in these momentany afflictions stand fast faint not feare not flie not but féed on hope for a strong helpe commeth for this smal suffering thou shalt receiue a perpetuall and most admirable waight of glory O my soule now consider whom hast thou in heauen but this God or whom or what desirest thou in earth in comparison of him for hée is the portion of thine inheritance he filleth the cup of saluation vnto thée for euer therefore I feare not neither will I faint for this God hath promised neither to faile me nor forsake me There is none like vnto God Oh righteous people which rideth vpon the heauens for thy helpe and on the clouds in his glory The eternall God is thy refuge and vnder his arme thou art for euer he shall cast out the enemy before thee and will say Destroy them Deuteronomy 33. 26. 27. O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his Iudgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11. 33. Of him and through him and for him are all things to him be glory for euer Amen Vers. 36. They inherited not the Land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou didst fauour them Psal. 44. 3. A sweet Meditation concerning the knowledge and prouidence of God whereby the soules of the distressed members of Christ are so quickened through faith in Christ that they rest assured that God hauing foreseene all things cannot but in mercy bring all their sorrowes to a ioyfull and wished end IT is in vaine I sée for me a wretched creature to striue with my powerfull Creator If I should séeme to bide me from him and to séeke to escape his rod and corrections he being alwayes solitary I doe but deceiue my selfe for he is in all places and with all persons and knoweth the wayes of men searcheth the hidden thoughts within and soeth mine actions without the workes of his children hée séeth and approueth the euill actions of the reprobates hée séeth and condemneth yea this righteous God tryeth the very hearts and reynes he findes out the hidden dissimulation of hypocrites pretend they neuer so great denotion and sanctity Should I therefore thinke to colour my sinnes with the painted shew of dissimulate holinesse could I performe it so farre as men might approue of all my sayings and allow all my doings and that I were held iust No no for if my inner parts be not perfect hée in his most absolute knowledge findeth me a deceiuer and so will make mine euils at the last breake out as the morning light O my soule therefore as thou tenderest thy saluation to come and my comfort here in this life leaue off to sinne in secret and flie al shewes of impiety and regard truth and imbrace iustice and follow good euen with thy most inward affection and let neither my hand nor mine eye nor mine eare nor my tongue be instruments of iniquity but rather of sincere piety and of a sanctified life The cause of misery is sin the way to obtaine mercy is repentance and a reformed conuersation How canst thou looke for loue that louest not to liue well and how canst thou liue and not lacke many yea all Gods blessings inward and outward vnlesse thou loue him and reforme thy selfe before him that séeth thy loose behauiour towards him Thou art in outward pouerty because thou art full of inward impiety thou hast many enemies because thou art enemy to God and thy dangers encrease daily because thou dwellest not in God nor Gods Spirit in thée Thou sayest thou art Gods and yet vngodly thou sayest thou fearest him and yet thou still offendest him thou thinkest thou shouldest receiue what good thou destrest and yet thou destrest amisse and deseruest euill God knoweth who are his and who are not his and none know they are Gods but who know God and serue him rightly The righteous onely he knoweth and their wants and the vnrighteous he despiseth because of their sins wherein they say Tush
the Lord will not regard it O Lord thou séest and beholdest thou findest out and considerest all mens wayes mischiefe and wrong equity and iustice are before thée and thou takest the causes of men into thy hands and thou giuest iust iudgement because thou onely knowest the truth of euery mans cause The poore commit themselues to this God that knoweth them to this God that séeth them and to this God that pittieth them and prouideth for them The Lord looketh downe from heauen vpon all men such is the force of his knowledge that hée knoweth in man more then the heart of man it selfe for he fashioneth the heart and vnderstandeth all my thoughts long before they be conceiued within me And therefore my soule prepare thée to patience addresse thée to praise God and continue in prayer be not idle to meditate good things that the Lords goodnes may be thy goodnesse that his loue may be thy life and his prouidence thy protection for as hée knoweth thy going and marketh well thy wandring when thy féele follow value things and fatherly correcteth thée for them so doth hée behold thy teares and heareth thy groanes which thou makest for sinne committed against him and healeth thée and comforteth thée Yet all things are so hidden in the treasure-house of his prouidence that the naturall man séeth not the meanes how to be cured when hée is sicke how to be raised againe being brought low how to be defended hauing many mighty enemies But the Spirit of God discerneth and as he is God knowing all things done so he is a God fore-séeing al things to be done hereafter And hée séeing mée in my mothers wombe before I was any thing or dained for me then what I receiue now therefore my hope must not faile but take hold of his ancient loue wherein hée first created me to liue in him and by him and therfore Oh that I might be able truely to serue him that hée might louingly relieue me still that I might faithfully obey him that hee might fatherly helpe me still He is the good shepheard Oh that I were a good shéepe of his pasture hee féedeth and guideth and holdeth vp and comforteth and maintaineth all that are his hée looseth none that are his he confoundeth none that are his neither doth he forsake any of his vnto the end Within his fold is his fauour and in his fauour is life and in that life is liberty and in that liberty is reliefe and in that reliefe true peace and in that peace the assurance of saluation and in that assurance the ioy and comfort of the Spirit whereby euery outward vnsauory thing is made inwardly swéet euery crosse hath his comfort and euery tryall and temptation and sorrow and griefe is turned to the vnspeakable good of the shéepe of his pasture Therefore O my soule sigh no more sorrow no more be no more pensiue at outward pouerty fret no more at the worlds miseries dismay no more for thy many sinnes but striue to stand in the fauour of this God and he will set thée frée and banish thy feare and fill thy Cup and féede thée with the hid treasures of his neuer-failing loue O Lord increase my Faith God knoweth the hearts of all men Acts 1. 24. 15. 8. The foundation of God remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let euery one that calleth on the Name of the Lord depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. vers 19. Thou hast counted my wandrings and put my teares into thy bottle Psal. 56. 8. A Godly Meditation of the Word of God whereby men distressed may be strongly resolued to cast off all feare and to cast all their care on God that careth for them according to his promise in his Word OH what am I that I should conceiue of any happinesse or glory or ioy or comfort to be giuen mee either in this earth below or in the heauens aboue for I am a man of corrupt conuersation my heart is fraught within mée with corruption my soule is defiled and my whole man polluted Is it not therefore my iust portion to haue here misery and calamity and crosses and enemies and euils innumerable to follow me for my sinne and to vexe me for mine iniquities so hath the Lord threatned in his word Most true it is that right it were that I should receiue these vnsauoury things of this life and to be depriued of the Land of them that liue for euer if I should receiue according to my deseruings for death is due for sinne O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this danger of death that shall neuer haue end Surely when I looke into this book of mine owne wayes and workes and wantonnes and wicked life I sée nothing but danger and feare and sorrow and death it selfe written therein how then my poore soule vnhappy soule wretched soule how canst thou escape oh tremble and feare for i◠thou finde not fauour thou are fallen for euer and for euer forlorne Where then wilt thou séeke for succour to whom wilt thou flye for grace to the weake and wicked and wofull World or wanton worldlings No my Soule flye from these feeble friends and looke into and consider and beléeue and imbrace the Word of God taste that Bread of life drinke of that Fountaine that floweth from the liuely Spirit of truth thou shalt liue It is a pure Word and will purifie thée it is a liuely Word and will reuiue thée the Word of truth and will teach thée the Word of comfort and will recomfort thée O my soule what thing is so precious as this Word that bringeth the glad tidings of thy saluation thou deseruing damnation of Life thou deseruing death of Comfort thou deseruing confusion and of mercy endlesse thou deseruing miseries infinite It is a Word full of consolation to such as are sorry for their sinnes and séeke after righteousnesse a Word of terror to the obstinate it is a killing sword vnto the wicked and sauing shield vnto Gods children the sauour of Life vnto life to them that are his and the sauour of Death vnto death to the wicked It is more to be desired then the purest gold or swéetest hony Come vnto me saith this Word and I will refresh you Seeke saith this Word and you shall finde rest for your soules O my Soule here then to thy rest here is thy safety and here is thy saciety and here is thy life and liberty and here shalt thou dwell as vpon the Mountaine of Peace vpon the Rocke of Reliefe and Hill of continuall Helpe This is the Staffe to stay thée by this is the Weapon to defend thee with this is the Way to walke in and this is the Foode to relieue thée withall Oh reioyce therefore in the Lord O my soule because of his Word by which he assureth thée of health if thou be sicke of comfort when thou art sad of defence
perils crosses and afflictions that now doe assatle mée on the right hand and on the left within mée and without me and am neuer frée from one calamity or other But it is good for me to be here humbled that I may be there aduanced where I wish spéedily to come It is good that I was in want here that I might séeke heauenly necessaries It is good that the World did discourage me that I might flie to God that comforteth me It is good that I am daily killed here that I might liue continually there Now therefore O my soule stand vp feare not faint not at this worlds crosses but giue glory to this great God praise this high and helping God séeke him while it is to day driue not off to pray to this God notwithstanding any hope thou hast in mortall men nor reiect not his gracious means who in fauour infinite and mercy endlesse moueth the hearts of men in this life to doe good vnto such as hée séeth distressed he can finde out and afford infinite meanes to succour them that are his and will not leaue them forsaken in danger for hée euen here giueth mée his blessings as pledges of his neuer-failing lout that being visited in his mercy with timely comforts here I may assure me of greater blessings in Heauen where they are prepared beyond all that I can aske or thinke O Lord God of Hosts who is like vnto thee who hast established thy Kingdome with truth and equity with mercy and iudgement thou hast a mighty arme strong is thine hand and high is thy right hand who so is vnder thy protection he is safe and hée that trusteth in thée mercy imbraceth him on euery side Oh blessed art thou O my soule if thou canst reioyce in the Lord he is thy Father he is thy helper walke therefore in the light of his countenance and be patient wait in hope till these stormes be past and then shalt thou haue that quiet rest that he hath â—repared in heauen for thée O Lord increase my Faith Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus If yee be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Col. 3. 1. Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on the earth Vers. 2. A consideration of the dangerous estate of the impenitent wicked ones after this life notwithstanding their wealth and power and great glory which they haue here where they seeme to triumph ouer poore â—istressed men Read and consider yee Rich and Poore IT is a strange temptation vnto a man when he findeth himselfe still afflicted notwithstanding he séeketh helpe continually at the hands of God and the more when he séeth that such as neither serue God or feare God such as are wanton and wicked and hardened in sinne to prosper and to flourish in this life and to haue all things that their hearts can desire Dauid beholding this began a little to stagger and was ready to giue ouer his godly beginning and to end with the wicked and as long as he tooke no better regard but onely as naturall wisdome led him he commended their estates because they were rich and wanted nothing they were healthfull and lusty and their goods did increase which Worldlings hold true happinesse But when Dauid considered their greatnesse as it was discouered vnto him by the light of true knowledge hée then altered his conceit of these Men and renounced their wayes and hated their workes and auoided their company and betooke himselfe to prayer as the thing whereby hee should preuaile better then with all the wealth the world could yéelde him And surely the present time affordeth vnto vs that now liue no lesse cause of vigilent regard that we be not carried away with the World whose glory is imbraced whose power is practised whose policy is preferred and whose happinesse is had in greatest esteeme insomuch as who so is poore or helplesse or distressed or endangered in the World by worldlings is censured a cast-away a reprobate a man forsaken of God It is not vertue nor godly life nor inward zeale nor any good quality of the spirit that hath any fauour in the World but the rich and glorious and men of countenance and of power and of office and of gay attire that be accounted Gods fauourites As for such as are ragged they are not regarded such as are base in shew are accounted base in déede So that Gods children haue the least share of the worlds liberality and the impudent and shamelesse and wicked and worst men are they that possesse and vsurpe the earth and earthly glory But alas short and slippery is this glorious shew of theirs they are as Cedaâ—s that ouer-shaddow the low bushes for a while but they shall be as stubble in the Furnace when the â—re is put to their rootes They are now as deuouring shée Beares and as raging Lyons but the time commeth wherein the Lord will smite them vpon their iaw-bones and will pull out the téeth of these mercilesse wretches They haue set themselues in glory but God shall turne it to shame they haue fastened their footing as they thinke neuer to be moued but the Lord will make their standing vnsure and their wayes slippery and their dayes short and their end horrible And howsoeuer they now make boast of their owne hearts wickednes and though they séeme to contend with God and subdue his members and make no reckoning of his Saints or thinke there is no God God will finde them out and he wil rebuke them with a perpetuall rebuke and put out their name for euer not onely out of the Earth which they hold their Heauen but euen out of Heauen and his Booke of life Who yet are commended and estéemed and aduanced and reuerenced but these men of least merit Onely their riches and their bribes and their flattery win them dignity and preferment and honour and fauour and what may fill them full of all tokens of perdition But this is a heauy weight of temptation to the poore that deserue to be made rich for vertues for the low that ought to be raised for praise-worthy qualities when they sée that the worst are preferred for reward and the best reiected for want Surely this World may be compared to the Poole of Bethesda into which what diseased person stept first was healed but the strongest and best limmed and hée that had best helpes had alwayes the benefit of the healing so now in this Puddle of worldly partiality not the first that commeth is preferred nor the most fit but the most liberall giuer But there is a Judge that sitteth and séeth how the Worlds wealthy ones make others wealthy not for worthinesse but for gaine What striuing and strugling and working and inuenting and swearing and paines-taking is there about the Phylosophers stone Many a man
rich in godly zeale And be not grieued though by this alteration you become poore for a messe of portage to one fearing God is better then all the riches of the wicked Hée is not poore who loueth God for God loueth him and in his loue is life and liberty and liuely reliese But who so feareth not God haue be neuer so great abundance is a begger a cast-away and a reprobate from the ioyes of heauen the least of which cannot be purchased with millions of kingdomes the least of them more worth then all your gold and siluer and lands and possessions and offices and honour and what else the whole world which deceiueth you can afford The Booke of God is full of terrible and sharpe threates against mercilesse rich men and many woes the Lord that loueth the lowly pronounceth against the proud And what a iudgement it is that their hearts are shut vp that they cannot consider their end to be as the Oxe that is fattened for the slaughter who delighteth in the déepe féedings while the Butcher determineth his death as the couetous and wanton and wicked ones take pleasure in their vanities while their death and destruction commeth without redemption But if these men will not heare nor conceiue nor consider the perill of their estate if they will not while the Lord may be found séeke to returne that they may be saued their iudgement and destruction and reprobation will be the more iust O Lord increase my Faith Why boastest thou thy selfe in thy wickednesse O man of power Psalme 52. 1. The Lord shall destroy thee for euer he shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy tabernacle and roote thee out of the land of the liuing Verse 5. An exhortatiue Conclusion wherein the afflicted are stirred vp to patience and not to be ashamed of their miseries and base estate so long as they endeuour to doe their duties in their seuerall callings and stay themselues vpon Gods prouidence AS the man that is borne blinde cannot iudge of colours nor the dease man distinguish of sounds no more can a man that hath béene kept blinde and muffled with the mask of this worlds pleasures and become dumbe with his secure estate here discerne the things of God hée cannot distinguish betwéene Woe be vnto you rich because you haue your consolation here And Blessed are the poore for they shall receiue comfort These things are not so heard nor so regarded of Worldlings as might bring them to a true and liuely consideration that there is a woe and a blessing pronounced that there is fire and water set before them and life and death offered them But as Children that haue no more discretion then Moses being an Infant who refused a Crowne and tooke burning coales doe reiect the better things as drosse and imbrace the worst as most dâ—are and precious and therefore preferre their Oxen and their Farmes and their heapes of transitorie vanities before the swéete banquet of a contented estate And so farre they are from the true conceit of Gods purpose in punishing man that they censure crosses that light vpon other men as curses and the glory and riches and mucke and pelfe of their owne to be giuen them because they and none else are blessed whereby many times the deare Children of God are put to a déepe agony when they heare and perceiue the taunts and reproofes that the world and worldlings cast at them for their pouerty and base estates sake They stand before the worlds Gallant-ones as Dauids men that had the shirts of their garments cut to their buttocks as men derided and scoffed and as cast-awayes and men forlorne and forsaken of all men and cast downe and confounded by God himselfe in regard whereof many times the poore though indéede the very Children of God are so ashamed of their estate as they be forced not onely to auoide the familiarity of the wealthy but euen to be séene of them a farre off nay rather they hide themselues as men cast off or drosse from the gold where indéede the Word of Truth findeth them out and approueth them the refined gold and the worldly-minded straw and stubble prouided withall that hée that is cast downe must not so iustifie himselfe as to argue himselfe the childe of God because hée is cast downe because hée is made poore or because hée hath enemies or sicknesse or want or persecution for all these things may happen also vnto the reprobate for as sin is the ground of all our afflictions and our offences the cause of Gods displeasure and Gods displeasure powreth forth crosses and curses too vpon sinners So must euery man carefully consider how hee standeth in his troubles whether hee haue fallen into the same by his own riot or lasciuious and wanton life by his vngodly conuersation and neglect of the feare of God for which things sake the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience and he powreth out of the cup of his indignation vpon them either in iudgement because their condemnation shall here begin and so be perpetuall or else to reclaime them from their wicked waies that they may be saued And he that findeth himselfe in his conceit lest deseruing afflictions because he either féeleth not or findeth or will not acknowledge that he is such a sinner that deserueth so great punishment as many times lighteth vpon other men let him think that he in thus iustifying of his owne wayes is in a dangerous state It is the pride of the heart which God that searcheth it well séeth and considereth that such a one is in a perillous way if hée be not humbled And surely godly Dauid himselfe was gone a little that way and God saw that hée must pull downe this chosen vesell of his before hée would tread his steps as he should for as he confesseth himselfe Before I vvas corrected I vvent avvry So that our troubles and miseries and all the aduerse things that may befall vs are Gods corrections to his children to reforme them but his iudgements are messengers of his vtter renunciation to the obstinate who by his punishments waxe worse and worse and who murmure and grudge at the course that hée taketh with them to amend them as did the rebellious Israelites whom hée often visited in mercy before hée entred into iudgement against them So that none that standeth may say hée cannot fall none that are high may say they cannot be brought low for all haue sinned and all haue néede of correction all are sicke and all haue néede of Physicke all haue gone astray and therefore all haue néede to be reclaimed Who then will be ashamed of Gods visitation who will be impatient when afflictions come Surely none but the man that knoweth not God none but hée that loueth this world more then heauen and the pleasures of this life more then the ioyes of the life to come Dauid was not ashamed of Gods corrections for hée praised
it as a great benefit and tooke it as an high blessing and said it was good for him Was it good for him and ill for vs was it profitable to him and hurtfull to vs No and therefore Paul was not ashamed of his crosses for crosses make vs the companions of the blessed Children of God nay they make vs the more like to our elder brother Christ Jesus who finished our Redemptions through the Crosse and made the way to the ioyes of heauen through afflictions and he that is ashamed to follow him that way he cannot come to him at all hée will not know him and therefore he shall neuer enter into that holy place hée shall neuer attaine vnto that rest that shall be endlesse and most ioyfull in the heauens How vnsauory therefore soeuer our troubles séeme wée must be patient and neuer giue ouer to cry vnto our helping Father nor to vse our best endeauours in our callings which God will blesse staying our selues in hope vpon his promises Let vs neuer dismay for God that maketh this little wound without doth it to cure a greater within and while hée séemeth to kill vs it is that wée may liue euer and while hée suffereth vs to be here ignominious it is that wée may become all glorious with him in heauen The poore man cryeth and the Lord heareth him and saueth him out of all his troubles Psal. 34. 6. The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them Vers. 6. Taste ye and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him Vers. 8. A Prayer to be vsed of a sicke man O Almighty and euerlasting God who although thou art still in thy iudgement yet art thou a mercifull God to the soule that séeketh théeth infinite in thy mercy and plenteous in redemption for though thou send sicknesse yet wilt thou shew pitty according to the multitude of thy compassions for thou dost not willingly chastice and afflict the children of men therefore I poore wretched sinner which am but dust earth and ashes vnworthy the least of thy fauours doe fréely confesse to thy glory and mine owne shame that I am conceiued and borne in sinne that originall corruption stayning and infecting my whole nature hath depriued mée of all holinesse and left in mee an inclination to all euill and that I haue by mine innumerable transgressions in thought word and déede broken all thy holy Commandements and therefore besides all other euils I haue iustly drawne this sickenesse and these diseases vpon me yet not withstand séeing that thou such is thy excéeding great mercy hast no pleasure in the miseries and destruction of thy Children but doest onely by affliction try correct humble and reforme them for there present and euerlasting good I doe therefore most dear and louing Father most humbly beséech thy heauenly Maiesty to pardon my sins the onely causes of my misery and affliction increase and perfect in me all graces that concerne saluation assist mée with the counsell and comfort of thy sacred Spirit and conuert this my visitation to mine amendment and saluation of my soule in Christ. If it be thy good pleasure and will O Lord restore me to my perfect and former health that I may not onely performe my good purposes and pay my vowes which my lips haue promised and my mouth hath spoken in my affliction but also henceforth grow vp in grace in obedience in holinesse vntill I come to the end of mine hope which is the saluation of my Soule But if it be thy will and decrée by this chastisement to finish my dayes I most humbly and earnestly intreat thée O my God as the outward man decaieth to renew in me the inner man and to grant that as the body dyeth so thy grace may liue and reuiue in me Shut not the eies of my mind but open them and make mee vnderstand what the hope of my heauenly calling is and what is the riches of the glorions inheritance that thou hast prepared for me that I may liue in thy faith and obedience and end my life in thy fauour and when this life endeth remaine and raigne with thée in glory for euer Uouchsafe to be a Father to my family kinsfolke and posterity plant thy feare in their hearts confirme them in thy grace and giue them all things competently necessary for the maintenance of this present life Harken O Lord to these my prayers and grant me all other things which thy heauenly wisdome séeth necessary for my soule or body for thy dearly beloued Sons sake To whom with thy Maiesty and God the holy Ghost be rendred and ascribed all honour and glory now and for euer Amen O Lord increase my Faith A Prayer for Patience in sicknesse and truely to expresse sorrow for sinne O My most louing and mercifull Father God omnipotent who art nigh vnto all those that call vpon thée in truth thou art a present helpe in time of trouble all powerfull full of wisdome and compassion wonderfully surpassing all earthly Parents I poore miserable wretch long troubled with grieuous sickenesse and so sore vexed with paine and torment that neither my body can take any sleepe or rest nor my Spirit feele any ease or comfort doe here in the onely merit and mediation of Jesus Christ present and humble my selfe before thée humbly begging and intreating for fauour and mercy at thy hands Worke in my heart by thy holy Spirit godly sorrow and repentance for all mine offences impute none of them vnto mée but let mée féele and be assured in my conscience that the guilt and punishment of them are remoued Be thou my Physition to cure and heale mée auert and turne this present sicknesse into a soueraigne medicine and this vehement and grieuous paine into a fatherly and gentle visitation let thy strength appeare in my weakenesse let thy power be perfected in mine infirmity and so arme mée in this my temptation with the gift of Patience and long-suffering that I be not with-drawne from the constant practice of holy dueties neither yéelde vnto mine owne passions and the suggestions of Sathan To this end powre downe thy blessed and sacred Spirit into mine heart â—each assist and direct mée that hée may open to the eyes of my minde the righteousnesse of thy Judgements that I may in all willingnesse aâ—… knowledge the equity of the same that he may bring to my remembrance the cruell and most bitter paines and torments of my mercifull Lord and Sauiour Jesus who by his death hath swallowed the very dregges of thy wrath and by the merit and vertue of it hath so tempered and swéetned the Cup of affliction vnto â— manifest vnto mée the glorious and heauenly happinesse and holinesse of thy Saints and Seruants in heauen that the certaine assurance hope and expectation thereof may abundantly excéede and take away all my present griâ—ie and torment I beséech thée O Lord according to
wicked innocent but rather to visit their iniquities yet haue wée this comfort that thy mercy to the humble euer rests vnmeasurable and vnmoueable though thou spakest to the Prophet against thine own people being disobedient to thée saying Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet haue I no heart to this people Driue them away that they may goe out of my sight some vnto death some to the sword and some to captiuity yet we know O our good God that when as Ephraim was heard â—amenting and praying heartily in his distresse thou thoughtest then vpon mercy as a Father pittying his owne children This thy clemency to others incourageth vs to cry for thy mercies in this our misery vpon our repentance both for vs ours and the whole Land Uouchsafe O louing Sauiour to represse the vehement heate of thy fire with godly pitty stay thine hand from our destruction thou art long suffering good gracious and vnwilling sinners should perish Be intreated therefore O Lord most glorious to bid th ne Angels cease from punishing looke forth-with vpon this Land good Father pitty the infected people thereof that wée altogether may say The Lord liueth for euer worthy of praise because hee hath béene mercifull vnto sinners Amen O Lord increase my Faith If not Infected pray thus IT pleased thée O heauenly Father who art Lord of life and death once to plague the Egyptians and yet to spare the Israelites in the borders of Gosen onely because thou plaguest where thou pleasest So with the pestilence now hast thou infected euen from Dan to Beersheba yet my selfe and diuers others in this place rest safe from this so pestilent an Infection protected and kept as yet safe therefrom onely by thy hand onely by thy goodnesse for our sinnes we confesse stand vp as rampired walls against vs and deserue no lesse then theirs whom already thou hast bruised with a iust measure of thy Judgements O gracious Lord God stirre vs vp to â—hew our hearts throughly thankefull vnto thée that in thankesgiuing and praise we may go before others which in paines and plagues doe goe before 〈◊〉 And as in mercy thou hast drawne â—…knesse from our bodies so in loâ—e to our soules make vs loath the vaine delights of this life that we may faithfully seâ—ue and séeke thée in these our dayes of health wherein wée obtaine thy mercy inioy thy fauour and rest preserued from the pestilence wherewith many of our Brethren lie perplexed beside sundry thousands whom the graâ—t hath swallowed Blesse vs still O Lord our God blesse vs O Father without within be thou our guard thy Word our guide thy Spirit our comfort and thy Son our Sauiour Lord stand by vs for our good continually that when the world repineth at thy Judgements when the wicked swell in their impatiency when the vnregenerate grudge and murmure at thy plagues and punishments wherewith thou chastisest and correctest thy deare Children that euen then wée may haue and inioy quietnesse of heart and peace of conscience neuer to be dismaied or to distrust thy prouidence ouer vs but still to leaâ—e stedfastly vnto thée and rest vpon thée and the rock of thy Truth This confidence Lord grant vs and thy protection from this couragious disease that raigneth that wée may chearefully â—ound forth thy diuine praises amongst men vnto the praise of thy grace in Christ Jesus To whom our Sauiour and Redéemer with thée the blessed Father of vs all and the holy Spirit the Sanctifiâ—r of our soules thrée persons yet one diuine essence be giuen all laâ—d glory and thankes in this world and in that to come for euer Amen O Lord increase my Faith A Prayer in the time of Tempests and vnseasonable Weather God bringeth vp the cloudes from the ends of the earth and maketh the lightnings with the raine he draweth forth the windâ—s out of his treasures Psal. 135. 7. Hee commandeth and raiseth the stormie windes and it lifteth vp the waues of the seâ— Psal. 107. 25. But he ariseth and rebuketh the windes and the sea and maketh them calme Mat. 8. 26. Marke 4. 39. By his word he stilleth the winde and by his counsell appealeth the deepe Ecclus 43. 23. O Most mighty and mercifull Lord God let all the powers of the earth blesse thée and praise thee their euer-liuing God in thine holy and heauenly habitation for thou O Lord sittest on high in the Throne of thy Maiesty and makest thy strength and might knowne to all Nations thy voyce is vpon the waters From thée O God procéedeth Thunder thy voyce maketh the Wildernesse to tremble yea thou makest the mighty hils to tremble and shake the Earth trembleth and quaketh the foundations also of the Mountaines moue and shake when thou art displeased there commeth out of thy nostrils smoke and out of thy mouth a consuming fire thou makest darkenesse thy secret place and at the glory of thy presence the Clouds passe away thou thunderest from the heauens and giuest out thy voyce thou drawest forth the Windes out of thy treasures and commandest them backe againe to their places all things are in subiection vnto thée thy workes magnifie thée O Lord yea they tremble at thy presence the Mountaines and Hils dread thée when thou art displeased yea the whole world is afraid The Waters O God know thée and are afraid yea the depths tremble thy voyce O Lord diuideth the fiery flames O Lord thy voice maketh the Wildernes to tremble Thou remainest King foreuer thou wilt giue strength vnto thy People and blesse them with peace O most mercifull God shaddow vs from thy displeasure which is too vehement and intollerable let thy countenance shine vpon vs and haue mercy on vs protect thou our houses and vs that we be neither consumed by fire nor drowned by waters send not vpon the earth such vntemperate or vntimely Showres or any other vnseasonable weather whereby the Fruits thereof may be hurt or our soules harmed O God the Father which diddest send thy onely Sonne to die the death of the Crosse for my sake preserue mée and grant vnto me a blessed end O God the Son which didst suffer for my sake the heauy death of the Crosse defend me and O God the holy Ghost comfort mée blesse and kéepe mée from all dangers from this time forth and for euer Amen O Lord increase my Faith A Prayer for Peace in true RELIGION Behold saith the Lord I will extend peace vpon my Church like a floud as one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and yee shall be comforted in Ierusalem Esay 66. 12. 13. These things haue I spoken to you saith Christ that yee in mee might haue peace in the world yee shall haue affliction but be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world Iohn 16. 33. O Most high and glorious God who art the Authour of Peace from whom doe procéede holy counsels and righteous destres giue vnto vs thy Seruants that Peace