away And into Joy turns all our Grief Come thou bright Sun shoot home thy darts Pierce to the Center of our Hearts And make our living Faith love thee Without thy Grace without thy Light Our strength is weakness our day night And we can neither move nor see Lord wash our sinful stains away Water from Heaven our barren Clay Our many mortal Bruises heal To thy sweet Yoke our stiff Necks bow Warm with thy fire our Hearts of Snow And soon our wandring feet repeal O grant thy Faithful dearest Lord Whose only hope is thy sure Word The saving gifts of thy good Spirit Grant us in Life t' obey thy Grace Grant us at Death to see thy Face And Heave'ns Eternal Joyes inherit All Glory to the Sacred Three One ever-living Deity All Power ascribe and Bliss and Praise As at the first when time begun May the same Homage still be done While time does last when time decayes Amen MEDITATION II. HOw glorious O Lord is thy Grace over all the World How admirable are the influences of thy Spirit They who through dulness so slowly understood the often repeated Lessons of their divine Master now when the Spirit descended upon them did with the first swift glance see through all and no mystery could pose nor errour deceive them They who through fear forsook their Lord and fled away from the danger of being his now do rejoice in suffering for his Name and neither Life nor Death can forbid them to confess him They who knew only their Mother tongue and that no better than as simple Fishermen now speak to every Nation in their several language and with their powerful Eloquence ravish their Hearts They who after our Saviours resurrection shut fast the doors for fear of the Jews now in the open Streets and publick Synagogues confidently proclaim the Name of Jesus These were new bottles sill'd with new Wine wine that made them quite forget their former selves Wine that exalted them into a generous Spirit of despising all things for the love of Jesus Wine that in the midst of Racks and Prisons made them often break forth into that sweet extasie no joy like the pain of suffering for Jesus no Life like the death endur'd for his Love. O were there now such tongues of fire to kindle in the world those divine flames O were there now such Hearts in the world to receive the holy sparks that fall from Heaven The Apostle Peter preach't but one Sermon and immediately there were converted to Thee three thousand Souls he preach't again and wrought but one Miracle and five thousand more were added to the Church Thus every day they encreas'd in number and which was better their number encreas'd in Vertue They were all inebriated with the same heavenly Wine and all fill'd with the same Heroick Spirit They sold all they had and brought the price and laid it down at the Apostles feet they liv'd in an Innocent community and call'd nothing their own even in their will and understanding they were all united Every one had enough and that is to be rich none had too much and that is to be free free from the cares that perplex the wealthy free from the temptations that wait on superfluity Hadst thou been there my Soul to have seen the flaming ardour of those first converts it would have made thee utterly asham'd of all sloath and coldness You may easily suppose you might have heard them saying such passionate words as these from a mixture of grief and love Ah dearest Lord why were we not so happy as to be converted by thee while thou livedst amongst us Why not to entertain Salvation when thou broughtest it to our homes and didst preferre our little Nation before all the World Unhappy we in our neglect and perverseness which were the causes of our insidelity We lookt on thy many kind miracles O Lord and did not see them Before our Eyes thou didst give sight to the Blind and our Souls were dark with Sin and prejudice Thou didst cleanse the Leprous and heal all manner of Diseases thou didst raise the Dead and cast out Devils with a Word Yet we alas how many of us blasphem'd thy Name how many conspir'd with thy Bloody Crucifiers We cryed out among the tumultuous rabble Away with him away with him crucifie him crucifie him for we knew thee not then to be the Lord of Glory Blessed be thy holy Spirit who has opened our Eyes and made us see through the veil that eclips'd thy lustre Now we believe thee the Messias we expected now we acknowledge thee the King of Israel MEDITATION III. PRoceed my Soul a little further to meditate on the mighty works of the Holy Spirit and with their greatness admire his power and with their goodness his bounty and Love. When Lord thou didst descend into our wretched World then was that Word of thy faithful Prophet fulfill'd The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid the Calf and the Young Lion and the Fatling shall be together and even a little Child shall lead them They who in the day of our Saviours Passion fiercely persecuted him like Lions and Wolves thou didst easily convert many of them into innocent Sheep and join them with the rest of his harmless Flock Those that were covetous as Wolves thy powerful Grace made them liberal those that were fierce and proud as Lions it made humble and meek Those that had been intemperate as Swine were made sober and they that were lustful as Goats became chast They were all join'd together in the bonds of pure Charity and submitted to the government of the meek and poor Apostles Then was the worship of God not a burden but a delight not a diversion but a business to the ardent love thou didst inspire The Disciples continued daily in the Apostles Doctrine humbly attending to their saving instructions Daily they broke the holy Bread and celebrated the appointed Supper of our Lord inflaming thereby their love to him and confirming their holy Faith and resolutions Daily they assembled to unite their Prayers being fill'd with the Spirit of Grace and Supplications Thus they obey'd thy dictates and thus they encreas'd in the measure of thy Gifts and the strength of thy Graces Such were the fervours of those happy times and Oh how Happy were our times had we those fervours too But our times alas are become miserable by Schisms and heresies and the darkness that covers a great part of the World Ours are become miserable by the defect of Charity and by the scandalous examples of too many Christians Many are scandalous in the Principles which they profess to the disparagement of our Lord's instructions and many others in their vicious Conversations which disparage his wise and pure Precepts Too many alas there are of these yet the Gates of Hell can never prevail against the Power of God Still the same Spirit visits the World and
his Honour may it cause many to have serious and affectionate thoughts of Religious matters may it promote a true and ardent Love to God in the World which will be proportionably attended with Love foâ— our Neighbour may none through Envy or dislike of a few small particulars when they must needs approve the greatest part of it be so guilty as to oppose and hinder its usefulness so preferring the advancement of their private Opinions before the service of Religion in general for promoting the Life and Power of which it is design'd and fitted Let all know I constantly endeavour that it may be a small thing to me to be judg'd by mans judgment which is oft mistaken both in approving and condemning And there is one even the great God who will be the final Judge of us all to whom I am chiefly concern'd to approve my self To him be Glory from us all for ever and ever Amen Devotions FOR Every Day IN THE WEEK The First Part. For Sunday Morning MEDITATION I. WElcome blest Day wherein the Sun of Righteousness arose and chased away the clouds of fear Welcome thou art to my Soul thou Birth-day of our hopes a day of joy and publick refreshment a day of Holiness and solemn Devotion a day of rest and universal Jubilee Welcome to us and our dark World for the healing saving light thou bringest May thy radiant Name shine bright for ever May all the Earth be enlightened with thy beams and every frozen Heart dissolve and sing May all the Generations to come entertain thee with reverence and employ thee in the praise and worship of the Lamb who is the Light of thee This is the Day which our Lord has made let us be glad and rejoyce therein This is the day that he has sanctified to himself and call'd by his own most holy Name Hark O my Soul dost thou not hear the King of Heaven invite thee into his presence He graciously bids thee to suspend the mean Employments of this World to lay aside thy corroding earthly Cares He calls thee to the honour of Communion with himself to spend a day in his most delightful service he desires to entertain thee with unspeakable Joyes in his House of Prayer to feast thee with spiritual Dainties that afford strength and pleasure to the Mind Worthy art thou O Lord of all our time worthy to receive the Praises of all thy Creatures Every moment of our life is bound to bless thee since every moment subsists by thy Goodness Shall others labour so much for Vanity and shall we not rest for the service of our God Shall we employ the whole week on our selves and not offer in gratitude one Day to Thee To thee who bestowest on us all we have and wilt give us hereafter more than we can now receive or hope for A day spent in thy Courts O Lord I will prefer to a thousand that engage me in any other places I will go to the House of my God to the Assembly of his Saints Know ye all the Nations of the world it is the Lord who is the only true God. It is he that hath made us and not we our selves Let us enter into his Gates with thanksgiving and into his Courts with praise Come let us adore our Glorified Saviour Hymn 1. BEhold we come Dear Lord to thee And bow before thy Throne We come to offer on our Knee Our Vows to thee alone Whate're we have whate're we are Thy Bounty freely gave Thou dost us here in mercy spare And wilt hereafter save But O can all our Store afford No better gists for thee Thus we confess thy riches Lord And thus our Poverty 'T is not our Tongue or Knee can pay The mighty debt we ow Far more we should than we can say Far lower should we bow Come then my Soul bring all thy pow'rs And grieve thou hast no more Bring ev'ry day thy choicest hours And thy Great God adore But above all prepare thy heart On this his own blest day In it 's sweet taâ—k to bear thy part And sing and love and pray Glory to Thee Eternal Lord Thrice blessed three in one Thy name at all times be ador'd Till time it self be done Amen MEDITATION II. WHen the Harvest Sun provides a Cloud and seems to rest his wearied beams He seeks not to save the journey of his light he only spares the Reapers head Much less O Lord dost thou who mad'st the Sun seek by the reserve of a day to procure thine own repose Thou hast not commanded the business of the World to cease for one day in seven for that thou art tyred with over-ruling it to thine own glory Thou who createdst all things by a word of thy mouth and sustainest them all in thy hand without feeling any weight Who governest the whole World without any perplexity of thoughts and always remainest the same unchangeable fulness It is not to encrease thine own Eternity that thou takest a portion of our time It is not to receive any advantage to thy self that thou requirest this dayes Worship of us Thy Goodness does friendly bear the Name of the day but thou kindly intendest for us all the profit of it That the wearied hands may be relieved with rest and be enabled to lift themselves up to thee That the ignorant Minds may be taught thy Truth and learn the way to everlasting Happiness That the guilty Consciences may humbly confess their sins and receive an assured Pardon from Thee who hast promised to revive the spirit of the humble and the Heart of the contrite That in this our militant State we may ask and receive of thee grace sufficient for us That all may speak to Thee by Prayer and hear thy Voice by the mouth of their Pastors That the Love-prepared Souls may approach thy bounteous Table and may feast and confirm their Faith and Hopes with that delicious banquet O blessed Lord what excellent and sit means has thy wisdom invented to fit us for and bring us to thy self How well are thy sacred Ordinances suited to our necessities To enlighten our dark Minds to melt our hard Hearts to quicken and consecrate our Affections Thou strengthenest our Faith by thy Word and Sacraments and improvest our Charity both to Thee and one another by our publick Assemblies while we all meet together for the same blest end and by mutual requests and praises encrease our fervours Happy thrice happy are we O merciful God! whom thy Providence favours with these blessings We that may freely resort to thy holy Sanctuary and there sing aloud thy Praises for these great mercies MEDITATION III. COme let us lay aside the cares of this World and take into our Minds the Joys of Heaven Let us empty our Heads of all other Thoughts and prepare that upper Room to entertain our God. Retire we from the many distractions of this Life and recollect and closely unite the forces of our Soul. That
seek after Thee PETITIONS I Therefore do most humbly and constantly seek after thee my God. For all good I fly to Thee the Father of Lights and giver of every good and perfect gift And at this time Lord I ask of Thee that thou would'st alwaies possess my heart with an awful reverence of thy great Name Chase away all levity and carlesness of spirit from me by putting thy fear into my inward parts Humble my too proud and wilful spirit to a ready submission to thy will in all things Make me I pray Thee so to stand in aw of thee and of thy Judgments that I may not dare to sin Those Judgments thou hast often executed on obstinate and impenitent sinners let them be often call'd to my mind let the thoughts of them meet and antidote the temptations to sin Make my fear of them prevent my feeling the like Still O Lord let a lively sensible Conscience cry out aloud when I am tempted and say Dare you commit this evil and sin against God Dare you commit this evil and run upon the fire of divine Vengeance Are you not afraid to provoke his wrath to plunge you into everlasting torments By thy Judgments in the world thou O Lord expectest that the inhabitants thereof should be moved to learn righteousness Grant Lord that I may alwaies do so that so thy Judgments on others may prove mercies to me And let also thy abundant goodness and mercy shown to the penitent and faithful win me to repent and trust in Thee the merciful and Gracious God. Thus prevent me I beseech Thee from being overawed by the terrors of the Lord. Suffer not the Enemy of my Soul to drive me into despair because I am a Sinner dispose me to lay hold of the mercy offer'd by the Redeemer make me to believe and find that humble and penitent Sinners have an Advocate with the Father the righteous Jesus the Christ That he who suffer'd on Earth for our sins is gone to Heaven to make intercession and to plead that satisfaction in the behalf of those that apply themselves to him for his help Incourage me to a steady practice and further pursuit of Holiness by the favours thou hast shown to good men by assurance that I shall be assisted therein and that thou wilt hereafter if not in this life abundantly reward it Thus Lord let it please thee by my hopes and fears which are the great swayers of our natures here to counterpoise my propensity downwards to this earth to keep me in a constant tendency upwards lift me out of the dirt of this world into a happy converse with thee all my dayes Hymn 6. FAin would my thoughts fly up to thee Thy peace sweet Lord to find But when I offer still the world Layes clogs upon my mind Sometimes I climb a little way And thence look down below How nothing there do all things seem Which here make such a show Then round about I turn my eyes To feast my hungry sight I meet with Heaven in every thing In every thing delight I see thy wisdom ruling all And it with joy admire I see my self amidst such hopes As set my heart on fire When I have thus triumpht a while And think to build my nest Some cross conceits come fluttering by And interrupt my rest Then to the earth again I fall And from my low dust cry 'T was not in my wing Lord but thine That I got up so high And now my God whether I rise Or still lye down in dust Both I submit to thy blest Will In both on Thee I trust Guide thou my way who art thy self My Everlasting End That every step or swift or slow Still to thy self may tend To Father Son and Holy Ghost One Consubstantial Three All highest Praise all humblest thanks Now and for ever be Amen For Wednesday Morning MEDITATION I. COme my Soul let us adore the God that governs us him who is absolute King of Heaven and Earth He sees at once the whole frame of all things and thoroughly comprehends their various natures To every Creature he appoints a fit Office and guides all their motions in a perfect order till he has wrought out his glorious design and that he may finish the world in a beauteous close His councels are deep and his particular wayes may be beyond our reach yet all his wayes are wise and just and merciful And if all things come alike to all now yet he will punish wilful sinners with eternal miseries hereafter and bless his servants with eternal happiness Why then do you laugh and rejoyce unhappy wretches who tire your selves in the wayes of sin wayes they are indeed that seem smooth at first but lead to danger and end in ruine Why do you boast your pleasant life who lye asleep in the arms of Death Awake poor Souls and shake off the golden dreams that delude your crazy heads with empty fancies Awake and fill your eyes with penitent tears sadly reflect on the real miseries to which your sins have exposed you Consider whither alas will your Souls be hurry'd when in cold despair you sigh away your last faint breath they shall fly amaz'd from the sight of Heaven and hide their guilty selves in eternal darkness there they shall dwell with intolerable pains wailing and lamenting for ever their understanding shall sit as in a deep dungeon and think on nothing but its own calamities their will shall be heightned to a madness of desire and perpetually wrackt with despair of obtaining their memory shall serve but to renew their sorrows and their whole Souls be drown'd in a Sea of bitterness there every vice shall have its proper torment prodigiously bred out of its own corruption The Lascivious shall burn with unquenchable sires perpetually flaming in the rage of their own lusts the Glutton and Drunkard shall vainly sigh for a drop of water to cool their tongues the furious Cholerick shall rage like mad Dogs to their own only vexation the spiteful Envious shall have thoughts that only gnaw and torment their own minds the desires of the Covetous shall be as thorns in a mans sides the haughty Proud shall be thrown down to the lowest contempt shall be loaded with utter disdain the Slothful shall miserably deplore their lost time and languish with grief for their stupid negligence But O what horrid pangs shall seize them all and wound and pierce the very center of their Souls anguish and trouble shall infect all the whole spirit when they shall see themselves deprived of the bright and blissful Vision of God! when their offended God shall despise and reject them as if they were not his creatures shall cast them away as offensive to his sight and he that made them will not save them will shew them no mercy When they shall see themselves eternally banisht from the sweet and gracious presence of Jesus that he will not be their Saviour because they would not
take him for their King When they shall see that God who made them to enjoy his glory will now cast them into thick deep shades of eternal darkness and the blessed Jesus who came into the world to redeem sinners will say to them Depart from me I know you not Then shall they curse the day of their birth and the unfortunate companions that inveigled them to sin they shall curse this vain deceitful world that draws them on in the wayes of perdition and by a fatal mist cast before their eyes hinders them from foreseeing the perdition they are going to Are these alas they will say the effects of those fond desires whose gratifications we made our chief felicity Alas what do now our wanton liberties avail us what the fugitive pleasures that we so eagerly pursued What comfort receive we from those empty honours from those faithless riches that tempted us to sin they are all of them vanisht away like a shadow and gone as a cloud of smoak that is scattered with the wind But the remorse and punishment of these endure for ever and torture our spirits with perpetual anguish Thus shall they cry and none will regard them thus mourn and there will be none found to pity Such will be the dismal end and consequence of a sinful and impenitent Life Be thankful to God O my Soul whose gracious Providence has given thee warning to avoid these miseries Hymn â— OPen thine Eyes my Soul and see Once more the light returns to thee Look round about and chuse the way Thou mean'st to travel o're to day Think on the dangers thou maist meet And alwayes watch thy sliding feet Think where thou once hast fall'n before And mark the place and fall no more Think on the helps that God bestows And cast to steer thy life by those Think on the sweets thy Soul did feel When thou didst well and do so still Think on the pains that shall torment Those stubborn Souls that ne're repent Think on the joyes that wait above To Crown the head of holy Love. Think what at last will be thy part If thou go'st on where now thou art See life and death set thee to chuse One thou must take and one refuse O my Dear Lord guide thou my course And draw me on with thy sweet force Still make me walk still make me tend By thee my way to thee my end All Glory to the sacred Three One undivided Deity As it has been in ages gone May now and ever still be done Amen MEDITATION II. AS the day will come wherein God will destroy all the workers of Iniquity so the day will come my soul the day will certainly come when the gracious God will reward and crown all that love his commandments and seek the Glory he has made us for Why do you mourn ye children of the light to whom belong the promises of Bliss you who feed on the pleasant Fruits of Piety and the continual feast of a good Conscience Who taste already the sweetness of Hope and hereafter shall be satisfied with the fulness of Fruition What can molest your happy state whom the God of glory has chosen for himself whom He has adopted into his honourable family and design'd for heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven That Blessed Kingdome where all Delights abound and sorrow and tears are banisht away Where none are sick or grow old or dye where all flourish in perfect health and live an immortal Life in all the beauty and vigour of an Eternal Youth Where none are perplext with cares or fears but all dwell secure and free for ever Where we shall no more be subject to chance no more be expos'd to the danger of temptation No more shall we be cross'd by others nor ever disquieted with our own Passions There a serene tranquility shall alwaies dwell within us and innumerable Joyes be round about us Joy in the Excellencies of our glorified Bodies joy in the perfections of our enlarged Souls Joy in the sweet society of Saints joy in the glorious company of Angels Joy in the ravishing sight of our beloved Jesus joy in the blissful Union with the adorable Deity All shall be joy and love and peace and all endure for eternal ages Let then the servants of our Lord rejoyce and sing sweet is the yoke of thy Love dear Lord and light is the burthen of thy Commands But O how far more rich are thy faithful Promises how infinitely greater thy glorious rewards When every divine vertue in us shall there be rewarded with its proper Crown and Glory The humble there shall be highly exalted and the poor in spirit shall be prefer'd to be Kings The meek shall possess that holy Land and the Mourners be comforted with eternal refreshments The clean of Heart shall see the God of purity and the lovers of Peace shall have the priviledge of his Children They who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled and the merciful will be entertain'd with the kind embraces of mercy They who suffer persecution for Righteousness sake shall receive a great Reward they that are Teachers and enlighten others shall shine bright as the Stars They who relinquish any thing for God shall receive an hundred-sold and all the Just shall be in glory for ever Then shall they bless the true Friend that at any time reproved their foolish courses and so was instrumental to convert them to the waies of Bliss they shall bless each charitable hand that was assistant to their happiness They shall praise and admire the provident mercies of their God and sing aloud the victories of his grace With joyful wonder they shall say Is this the effect of those little pains we took are these the Repairs for the petty losses we suffer'd Happy we who deny'd our selves a few Toyes and are now advanc'd to these high felicities Millions of years shall pass away and our Glory shall but then seem to begin Yea when millions of millions are past our glory shall not for all that be nearer to its end Thus shall they all rejoyce and none shall disturb them and all the Hosts of Angels shall joyn with them in the high praises of God. O be very thankful my Soul to the Gracious God whose favourable Providence to thee has brought this felicity to thy knowledge that it may allure thee to the pursuit of it MEDITATION III. AND now my Soul consider what thou hast to do Consider what it is likely to profit thee to gain the whole World and lose thy self See Life and Death here set before thee the rewards of Saints and the pains of Sinners Consider these things and make thy eternal hearty choice choose wisely and thou shalt not need to choose again Choose while thy gracious Lord allows thee time and day lest the night of darkness overtake thy neglect Make a Choice but remember that all Eternity is concern'd and consider well thou hast reason before thou settle
I sound Live glorious King of Heaven By all thy Heaven ador'd Live gracious Saviour of the World Our chief and only Lord. Live and for ever may Thy Throne establisht be For ever may all all Hearts and Tongues Sing Hymns of Praise to thee Amen MEDITATION II. BEhold our faithful Lord has remembred his word He has raised up in the World the long expected Prophet like Moses and put his word in his mouth and he has kindly and sufficiently taught us Light with him is come into the World to lead us through the Wilderness of Life into the true Canaan that is above Admirable wert thou O Lord in thy merciful Promise but infinitely more in thy wonderful performance Thou didst not depute an Angel to supply the place of a Redeemer nor entrust so great a work to the management of a Seraphim but didst thy self bow the Heavens and come down and with thine own blest hands work our Redemption Thy self didst take upon thee our frail Nature and vouchsafe to be born of a humble Virgin condescending to the weaknesses of a Child a Child whose Parents were poor and of no esteem in the World. So did he make himself of no reputation He did not decline the mean entertainment of a Stable O how unfit was that for the Birth of the King of Heaven He contented himself with a Manger instead of a convenient Cradle and with the homely uneasie lodging of a Bed of Straw refusing the soft Accommodations of the Rich to undergoe the inconveniences of a poor Stranger Thus Lord at the cost of thy own ease hast thou instructed us to despise the World. Only the faithful Joseph stood waiting on thee and provided as he was able for his helpless Family Onely thy pious Mother dearly embrac't thee and wrapt thy tender Limbs in little clouts Wonder O Heavens at this Ye Angels who had seen before many wonders for this surpasses all besides Be amazed O Earth and let every Creature there humbly bow the head and knee Bow all and adore this incomprehensible Mystery the Word was made Flesh and dwelt with us But most of all we who are most concern'd the guilty Children of sinful Adam let us bow down our faces to the low dust and all prostrate adore so unspeakable a mercy Behold my Soul thus low my Saviour stoopt for me to check the aspiring pride of my corrupted Nature Behold thus low he stoopt to take me from the ground and raise me to the felicities of his own Kingdom Rise willingly with him my Soul from base sensuality leave the low Earth with thy desires and seek a better Countrey so shall this God not be asham'd to be call'd thy God. Lift up thy Voice too with Joy O my Soul and sing Hosanna to the new-born Jesus With blessed Angels celebrate his gloriously humble birth and say Glory be to God on high for peace on earth and good will towards men Lift up thy Voice aloud O my Soul lift up your Voices all ye his Saints and joyn the Praises of the Church to the Hymns of Heaven MEDITATION III. REjoyce all you the faithful Nations of the Earth when ye hear the sweet Name of our dear Redeemer Rejoyce and with your bended knees and hearts adore the Blessed Jesus He is the Son of the ever-living God equally participating the glories of his Father He is that great Messias whom the Prophets foretold and all the ancient Saints so long expected At length in the fullness of time he came to visit in person our miserable world He came with his hands full of Miracles and every Miracle was full of Mercy full of miraculous good will to an unkind ungrateful world He made the crooked become strait and the lame to walk and leap for joy He opened the ears of the deaf to hear and gave sight to them that were born blind Happy they in the season of their relief who could then hear the Instructions of the Eternal Wisdom and could see thee the Blessed Saviour of the World He loosned the Tongues of the dumb to speak sure their first exercise was his deserved Praise He cleans'd the Leprous by the word of his mouth and heal'd their Diseases who did but touch his Garment To the Poor he revealed the rich treasures of his Gospel and taught the simple the Mysteries of his Kingdom He cast out Devils by his awful command and forc'd them to confess and adore his Person He rais'd the dead from the very Grave to Life the dead that was four dayes buried and was corrupting Nay even himself being slain for us on the Cross and his Tomb made fast and secur'd with a guard he rais'd again by his own victorious power and carried up our nature into the highest Heavens All these stupendious signs O glorious Jesu were done by the hand of thy Almighty mercy to witness thy truth with the Seal of Heaven and endear thy Precepts with obliging Miracles that thus strongly engag'd we might believe on thee and obey thee to the Eternal Salvation of our own Souls PETITIONS O Kind and Merciful Jesu thou didst when on Earth go about doing good as thou didst purposely come hither to do good Thou hast not lost thy goodness we believe since thou art gone to Heaven O let us find that thou hast not still exercise thy goodness and thy power O God in kind and beneficial Miracles O may it please thee to soften many stony hearts into a tender sence of thy great Goodness and their own Duty Raise our dead spirits from this heavy Earth to dwell with thee in the Land of the Living to mind and love Spiritual and Immortal things Open thou our Eyes that we may behold the wondrous things in thy Law strengthen our feeble faculties O Lord by thy all-sufficient grace that we may steadily run the race which shall be set before us strengthen us to encounter successfully all the Enemies of our Salvation that we do not run in vain nor labour in vain Thus Lord let our experience teach us to admire thy bounteous Power that we may daily sing the wonders of thy grace towards our selves and when our dayes shall be exchanged for Eternity let us eternally sing the wonders of thy Glory Whenever thou doest any of these kind things for us open thou our dumb Lips that our Mouths may shew forth thy Praise Glory be to c. For Tuesday Evening MEDITATION I. GOod God how extreamly ungrateful are Mankind How strangely insensible of our manifest Duty Every Creature performs its Duties but we who alone are made capable to understand and know ours Every Creature lives by rule but we who have reasonable Souls to direct our actions We O Lord are most beholden to thee of all the lower Creation and we alone of all prove rebellious against thee The other Creatures live by thy wise rules and so do serve and attain their particular ends And thus does every Creature reach its true dignity and
thou the desire of all Nations We were misled by the errour of our Forefathers we were abus'd by our own blind passions The Kingdom we expected deserves not that Name a short vain and troublesome Prosperity Thy Dominion O Lord is Holiness and Peace and of thy Kingdom there shall be no end Such was the Kingdom thou promisedst to David Thy Throne will I establish for ever Such is the Kingdom thou giv'st to thy Servants they shall live and reign with thee for ever If we love my Soul and seek first this eternal Kingdom all other things shall be added to it This Happy Kingdom we ought to love and seek though nothing else should be added to it Thou art O Lord the true light of the World they who follow Thee walk not in darkness MEDITATION II. RIse Holy Spouse of the Son of God rise and put on thy robes of joy Rise and shine forth for thy Glory is come and the splendour of our Lord strikes bright upon Thee The Gentiles shall walk in the beams of thy light and Kings in the lustre of thy Brightness Lift up thine Eyes round about and behold they gather all together and flock to thee Thy Sons shall come from far and thy Daughters be nurst at thy side Then thou shalt see and flow together thy Heart shall wonder and be enlarged with gladness Because the abundance of the Sea shall be converted unto Thee and the strength of the Gentiles come unto thee The Sons of Strangers shall build up thy Walls and their Kings shall Minister unto Thee The Nation shall perish that will not serve thee and the Kingdom be utterly wasted that refuses thee The Sons of thy afflicters shall come bending before Thee and all they that despised thee bow thimselves down at the soles of thy feet For our Lord shall be thy everlasting light and the dayes of thy Mourning shall end in Glory To thee shall be given the Keys of Heaven and thou shalt shut and open those Eternal Doors Thy Foundation shall be laid on a firm Rock and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against thee A way shall be made so direct and plain that the Passengers though Fools shall not erre therein And the Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of our Lord as the waters cover the Sea. All this we read all this we firmly believe for the mouth of our Lord has spoken it Heaven and Earth shall pass away but not a tittle of his word be disappointed for ever Many of the Sacred Prophesies are already fulfill'd abundantly sufficient to assure us of the rest Already a Virgin has brought forth a Son and given him the Gracious Name of Jesus The Kings of the East have been led to him by a Star and offer'd him Gold and Frankincense and Myrrh His Holy Parents have presented him in the Temple and the devout Simeon was over-joyed to see him In his tender infancy he fled into Egypt and out of Egypt again God brought forth his Son. He past his private Life in Peace and meekness and taught a contradicting People in Patience and Humility He confirm'd his Doctrine with innumerable Miracles and defended the Truth to the last drop of his Blood. He rose again victoriously from the Grave and ascended in Triumph to the Right Hand of his Father And there O Glorious Jesu wilt thou sit and Reign till all thy Enemies become thy footstool Nor has thy Judgement slept O dreadful Lord but with a swift and terrible Vengeance crusht them into ruine Jerusalem long since was made a heap of stones and the Children of thy Crucisiers run wandering over the World But while thou art thus severe in the Predictions of thy Justice thou hast not forgot those of thy Mercy Thousands of that ungrateful City have acknowledg'd Thee their Lord Thousands of that perverse Generation have submitted to thy Scepter Whole Nations of the Gentiles have embrac'd thy Faith and remotest Islands obey'd thy Law. Blessed for ever be thy Name O Lord and blessed be the sweetness of thy Mercy who hast reveal'd thy self to those that knew Thee not and art found of those that sought thee not Who often followest those that fly from thee and never refusest any that come to Thee Thou still exactly performest thy part but we ingrateful wretches how do we comply with ours Where is the profit thou maist justly require to answer the â—are of thy Providence over us Thou hast planted us O Lord in thine own Vineyard and fenced us about with thy Holy Discipline Where is the Fruit we should alwayes be bearing since good works are never out of season Of our selves alas we are very dry and barren and our Nature at best brings forth nothing but leaves In Thee Lord while we remain we live but separated from Thee we are certainly dead and fruitless In thee O Lord is all our hope and that thou wilt have Mercy on the work of thy hands That thou wilt not curse these fruitless branches lest they wither away and be cast into the fire Nor pronounce against us that dreadful Sentence Cut them down why cumber they the ground But mercifully cut them off from their wild stock and graft them in thy self the true Vine And then still water us with the dew of Heaven and bless our low shrubs with thy powerful influence So shall Grapes grow on Thorns and Figs be gather'd from those that were Thistles MEDITATION III. REjoyce in our Lord all you Children of Adam rejoyce in the bounty of his free Grace No longer now confin'd to a few choice Favourites and the narrow compass of a private Family he has thrown down that partition Wall and opened the way of Life to all Mankind That all may believe and love him here and all enjoy and be happy in him hereafter But O my God! what do we see when we look abroad into the wide World We see the sad effects but cannot see the cause why so many Kingdoms lye miserably waste We know O Lord thy wayes are in the deep Abyss and humbly adore thy secret Councels Onely we cannot think of their lamentable condition without pitying their misery and imploring thy mercy Some have not yet so much as heard of thee and others who have heard have refus'd to entertain thee Some who have once acknowledg'd thee have quite fallen away others have corrupted thy Doctrines by mixing with them their own Traditions Many even of those who rightly believe abuse their holy Faith by a wicked Life Thus the far greatest part of wretched Mankind whom thy goodness created after thine own similitude whom thou hast shed thy precious Blood to redeem and to bring them to an everlasting Happiness still fail alas of their true end and die in their sins and everlastingly perish Where O Lord is thy Zeal and the Bowels of thy Mercy Where are thy promises to thy beloved Son Hast thou not said All Nations shall adore him and all the
Tribes of the Earth be blessed in him Hast thou not said thy self O glorious Jesu If I be lifted up I will draw all men after me Hast thou not given thy Disciples express Commission to go into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature When wilt thou again O infinite Charity choose out burning and shining Lights and send them forth over all the World and send them not alone lest they faint by the way or miscarry in the end If thou wilt go with them thy self and guide them by thy Grace and crown their Labours with thy powerful Blessing Oh then what mighty works would be done by them Then shall the humble Vallies be rais'd up and the stubborn Mountains be brought low So shall the crooked paths be made direct and the rough wayes smooth and plain So shall the Glory of God be every where reveal'd and all Flesh shall joyfully see it together the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the bright face of Jesus Christ Happy the times when this shall come to pass happy the eyes that shall see these times Come glorious days wherein that Sun shall shine which enlightens all at once both the Hemisphears PETITIONS REmember O God the Father God of everlasting Truth thy dear Engagements to the Son Remember O God the Son who art the Author and Finisher of our Faith thy gracious Promises to the World. Come holy Jesu in a plentiful effusion of thy Spirit upon us and make that glorious day of Gospel light which we greatly desire and thy Promises give us leave to expect Come and in the largest sence maintain thy Title and be effectively the Saviour of the universal World. Visit O Lord thine own House first and throughly redress what thou findest amiss Make our Lives holy as thou hast made our Faith and let all that name thy Name depart from Iniquity O thou who art the Author of Peace and lover of Concord who did'st so often repeat the Command that thy Disciples should love one another Inspire we beseech thee thy whole Church with a Spirit of Truth Unity and Concord Bring thou into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived Convince us all that the wrath and fury of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God and hasten the time when there shall be no hurting nor destroying in all thy holy Mountain Kindle O Lord in the hearts of Kings and the great Ones of the World an heroick Spirit to advance thy Glory Inflame the hearts of Prelates and the Priests of thy Church with a generous Zeal for the Conversion of Souls Convince them all it is the End and Duty of their places to endeavour the improving of Mankind in vertue and Religion and direct them to the use of such just and gentle means as are suitable to the End and agreeable to thy Word Send forth thy saving light O Lord into the dark corners of the World and bring them from the power of Satan into the Kingdom of God. Remember thy great Love which thou hast shown and the Mercies which seem yet promised to the Jews Let every people bow their Knees to thy great Name Oh blessed Jesu and all Tongues confess thy Greatness Make all to receive thy Truth in the love of it and mix it with Faith that it may become an engrafted Word able to save their Souls These things we crave for the honour of our Advocate and onely Mediator Jesus the Christ Amen Hymn 30. JEsu whose Grace directs thy Priests To keep alive by solemn Feasts The memory of thy great Love O may we here so pass thy days That they at last our Souls may raise To that long Feast with thee above To that long day of sacred Rest Whereon our happy Souls shall feast On thy celestial Joyes and thee Our Bodies too thy Love shall raise Thy self to see and sing thy praise In a blest Immortality Jesu behold three Kings from far Led to thy Cradle by a Star Bring gifts to thee their greater King O guide us by thy Light that we May find thy lov'd Face and to thee Our selves may for thy Tribute bring O thou the pure and spotless Lamb Who to the Temple humbly came Appointed legal Rites to pay Make our proud Heart and stubborn Will Thine and thy Churche's Law fulfill Whate're relucting Natures say Jesu who on the fatal Wood Pourd'st forth thy life's last drop of Blood For us nail'd to a shamefull Cross O! may we bless thy Love and be Ready dear Lord to bear for thee All present grief or pain or loss Dear Lord who by thine own Love slain By thine own Powe'r took'st Life again And from the Sepulcher did'st rise O may thy Death our Spir'its revive And at our Death a new Life give A lasting Life that never dies Jesu who to thy Heaven again Returnd'st in Triumph there to reign Of Men and Angels mighty King O may our parting Souls take flight Up to that Land of Joy and Light And there with Angels ever sing All Glory to the Sacred Three One undivided Deity All honour blessing power and praise O may thy blessed Name shine bright Crown'd with those Beams of beauteous light It s own eternal glorious Rays Amen FOR THE FEASTS OF THE HOLY GHOST For the Morning MEDITATION I. LOrd we are forced to admire the sweet and natural conduct with which thy Providence governs the Children of men Leading them on from one degree to another 'till thou hast brought them up to their highest perfection Thou puttest them to learn in the School of Virtue and disposest their Capacities into several forms In the first Ages when the World was young thou gavest them for their guide the Book of Nature there thy divine Assistance helpt them to read some few plain Lessons of their Duty to thee They saw this admirable frame of Creatures and as far as these could argue they could conclude Sure there is a God the cause of all things certainly there is a Providence that disposes of all things He must be very powerful that made so vast a World and exceeding wise that contriv'd such excellent works He must be goodness it self that did all this for us and we ingrateful Wretches if we will do nothing for him Thus far some few could say and very few could do with those slender Assistances which they then enjoy'd Afterward thou gavest thy People a written Rule which train'd them up in a set form of Discipline which grew and spread into a publick Religion and which was uniformly profest by a whole Nation They had some weak conceit of the Kingdom of Heaven and some imperfect means to bring them thither But for those high supernatural Mysteries that so gloriously exalt the Christian Faith they all alas were blind or in the dark and dangerously exposed to the effects of their own Ignorance wanting those clear Instructious to know their end and those powerful Motives to love
their Hymns Great is the Clemency of our gracious Sovereign to pardon the offences of repenting Sinners Great is the bounty of our glorious Lord to Crown with Rewards his faithful Servants Thousands of Saints attend in his presence and Millions of Angels wait on his Throne all beauteously rang'd in perfect order all joyfully singing the praises of their Creator But look up yet higher O my Soul in thy Contemplations and see the glorified Humanity of thy dear Redeemer that blessed Jesus who died for us on the Cross and now invites us to partake his Crown See and rejoyce in those eternal honours which Heaven and Earth justly pay to their King. Look up once more and if thou could'st look infinitely higher and humbly admire the unconceivable Mystery Wonder now and adore the Sovereign Deity essentially full of his own blest Light full and overflowing into all his Creatures which shine but as little Beams deriv'd from him Bow low thy Head and Knees to him before whom the Seraphims cover their Faces Bow low a humble Heart to him before whom all the happy Saints cast down their Crowns When thou hast seen all this my Soul and staid and dwelt a while among these pleasing wonders then turn thine Eye down towards this Earth again and see the petty things that are wont to entertain our minds What is a name of Honour and a momentary pleasure compar'd to the Bliss of an eternal Paradise What is a bag of Money or a fair Estate if counterballanc'd with the Treasures of Heaven How narrow there do our greatest Kingdoms seem how small a Circle the whole Globe of Earth Cities and Towns appear like little Hills and the busie World but as a Swarm of Ants running up and down and justling one another and making all this stir for a few grains of Corn. O Heaven let me again lift up my Eyes to thee and take a fuller view of that glorious Prospect There I will stand and fix my steady sight till I have lookt my self into this firm judgment All that the most prosperous fortune can here possess or even the largest Fancy possibly imagine all is an idle Dream to those real Joyes an absolute Nothing to that solid Felicity Oh how glorious is the Kingdom of Heaven where our Lord reigns in the midst of his Saints MEDITATION III. IT is true there is I see a glorious State prepar'd above for the Spirits of just men made perfect But how shall we poor dust and ashes and laden too with the burthen of our sins how shall we hope to ascend those higher Regions or obtain a portion in that holy Land Fear not my Soul but send up thy Sighs and Prayers to the gracious King of Saints Seek to him and he will guide thee by his Counsel till he has brought thee also safe to his Glory If thou would'st know what makes the bright Angels so happy his Word will tell thee that they readily obey their Creator If thou would'st know what rais'd the blessed Saints to that high Felicity which they now enjoy it will be told thee They faithfully lov'd their Redeemer and follow'd the Dictates of Love till it brought them thither If thou would'st know what bred in those happy Creatures the excellent Vertues that are thus rewarded if thou could'st hear their acknowledgements thou would'st find them often repeating such as these Blessed for ever be the Grace of our God which alone has wrought all our works in us Blessed for ever be the Bounty of our Lord which first freely gave to us and then as bounteously Crown'd those his own gifts O you blest Saints who are now arriv'd at the quiet Mansions of eternal Joy Rejoyce ye in the King of Saints eternally rejoyce and sing for ever the wondrous mercies of our Lord His blessed hand has wip'd away all tears from your eyes and now you no more shall weep you shall no more complain Now the sad Evening of sorrow is over with you and the day of eternal joy is come Now you no longer shall sigh to be deliver'd out of this dark and tedious Prison but shall dwell for ever in that glorious Light the light which ever springs from the face of God. And fear thou not my Soul though now thou dwellest below and art yet sighing under the weight of Flesh and Blood fear not to ascend at last to this place of joy and take thy happy seat among those joyfull Quires since they once liv'd in this same Vale of Tears and were set to strive with the same unruly passions He that made them overcome can as easily strengthen thee he that has crown'd their victories will as surely glorifie thine Fear not for the way is smoother than the Adversary of thy Soul would make thee believe and the time of thy Warfare perhaps is shorter than even thou thy self art disposed to desire Take the direction of thy Saviour's Word and the direction of the Saints Example to know and love but thine own true Interest which sure can be thought no very hard task And do this but whilest you live which you seldom think too long and this being well done you have no more to do but to rise and sing and rejoyce with them PETITIONS TO thee O Gracious King of Saints and to thy mild Throne we direct our Eyes and Prayers To thee whose Love we know stands ready to meet our wishes will we humbly represent our fears and wants and both alas O Lord will be many while we remain below in this miserable World Often therefore must we make our Addresses to thee till thy Goodness and Mercy shall take us to thy self And when we come to possess thee in Heaven we shall want nothing and dwelling so near thee we shall fear nothing But pity us now O Lord who are lanched on a tempestuous Sea and are so variously toss'd with our passions and lusts that we cannot steer as we should any certain course Pity us who are so blinded by the mists of Ignorance that we know not to what Port we should direct our course to find a harbour of rest Shine thou upon us O Lord with thy beauteous Light and convince us throughly that there is a better World than this a happier People than any that we know here that we may at length begin our course thitherward and be all the while preparing our selves for that blessed Company Behold us O Lord struggling in this Sea of Storms and guide us safely through all our dangers Save us O thou whose power the winds and the Sea obey save us O merciful Lord or else we perish Save us who call on theee in our distresses save us for whom thy immortal Self wert pleas'd to die and graciously receive us into thine own blest arms for thou art O Lord the Haven of our Repose bring us to thy self and our Souls shall be safe Deliver us from that sad and deplorable end which thy Justice has prepar'd for the