gracious promise and remember their iniquities no more when they shall cry unto him by a lively Faith as to their heavenly Father burning with the zeale of his glorie and kingdome and that all his divine wil may bee so accomplished That then he will open all our blind eyes to see our natural pollution and uncleanness yea to beholde all out filthy sinnes whereby we are defiled and loathsome in the eyes of our heavenly Father and will withall make us to behold the fountaine of his Sonnes blood open to all the house of Israel for sin and for uncleanness Then vvill he make all sorts that are his even all his elect as much to long after that Fountaine as ever any did after the poole of Bethesda and most gladlie to do whatsoeuer he hath apointed for the purging and clensing of themselves and of all his Church from all her iniquities And how to the end that our turning and repentance may be no longer formall as it hath beene for the most part heeretofore when wee have cryed unto the Lord in our troubles to be delivered from our distresse and afterward have returned to our iniquities againe but that it and every part of it may bee sound and unfeigned he will make every one of his owne cry with persecuting Saul Lord what wilt thou that I should doe Then hee will put his Law into our minds and write it in our hearts according to his most gracious and blessed promise when hee intendes to save his Church in such sort as wee have just cause to hope hee is about to doe Hee will cause us tenderly to forgive and pitty one another the Wolfe to dwell with the Lambe and to desire to make all our very enemies partakers of the same mercies and will keep us all that are his that we may no more depart from him The seuenth particular Meditation of the fift generall How wee shall see him delivering his flock from Sathan and dissolving all his cursed workes SEuenthly wee are moreover to Meditate in faith how then he will restraine the rage and power of the Tempter reseuing his poore Lambs out of the jawes of the roaring Lyon How he will then destroy and dissolve all the cursed workes of Sathan discover his depthes and all the wickednesse of his InchaÌ„ters Sorceâ—…ers Charmers Witches aud of all the rest of his crafty malicious and accursed instruments making their madnesse manifest to all and what practises they have used against all even against Christian Kings and Princes Nations and people to harden turne them from the faith as Iannes and Iambres did to harden Pharaoh and as Elimas against the Deputy and Simon Magus against Samaria How these and the Locusts comming out of the bottomlesse pit have caused them to give their power to the Beast and to fight against our Lord Iesus Christ. And furthermore how then hee will cause all their witchcrafts inchantmeÌ„ts to cease as they began so to cease at yâ— first comming of our Saviour in the flesh and chiefly at the comming downe of the holy Ghost and at that powerfull and effectuall spreading of the Gospell in every countrey wheresoever it so came Yea how then all such deceivers shall curse their Gods and gnaw their tougnes for sorrow being inforced with that wretched Balaans who loved the wages of iniquity to acknowledge that there is no sorcerie against Iacob nor any divination against Israel How then wee shall see him whose name is Wonderfull to shew himselfe wonderfull in the saving of his poore Church and Children from the power and fury of the great red Dragon and in delivering us all in an admirable manner from all these innumerable evils which he all his instruments have so long practised so maliciously dreadfully intended do still intend against his poor Church whereupon he so castethout of his mouth all this huge flood of waters after her to cause her to be carried away of the same at once and by which the proud enemies have so cast lots upon all that truly love and beleeve in his name and as certainly determined and set downe our day so soone as ever their opportunity shall serve as Haman had against the Iewes The eight particular Meditation of the fift generall How then hee will declare himselfe sole Monarke and to whom all glory belongs EIghtly we are yet further to Meditate according to this heavenly direction how then he will declare himselfe before all the earth to be the onely absolute Soveraigne Lord and King the sole and mighty Monarch of all the world that all power is his and to him alone belongs all glory and honour when hee shall thus shew himselfe so gloriously for his Church in such a wonderful deliverance in such unexpected and even incredible mercies to her I mean incredible to all humane reason and when hee shall so get himselfe glory uppon his proudest enemyes and make all the world to see that hee hath overturned all their wisdome power and furie making it to serve hereunto and finally that hee hath in all things so farre forth accomplished whatsoever hee hath spoken ever since the beginning And likewise wee are earnestly to meditate to comfort our selves heerein That then he will make it manifest that the greatest enemies of the Church have in all their â—…age not fought agaynst his Children poore wormes dust and ashes for then they had surely prevailed long agoe to have destroyed his whole Church out of the earth but that they have fought even against our Lord Iesus Christ this great King of kings and Lord of lords Thus will hee cause all both men and deuils to acknowledge and â—…say For thine is the kingdome power glory and all the Children of God to sing with all the holie Angels and all the hosst of Heauen Hallelujâ—…h Praise ye the Lord for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth yeâ—… to fall upon their faces before the Throne and to worship our God saying Amâ—…n Blessing glory wisedome thanksgiving honour power and might be unto our God for ever and ever The ninth particular Meditation of the fifâ—… generall How we are never to rest till wee can reioyce and triumph in the assurance of Faith crying â—…oyntly Amen AND to conclude this poynt wee are ever to meditate seriously hereof and never to give our hearts any rest untill we can through the 〈◊〉 of our Faith rejoyce and even triumph continually with the Holy Angels That how impossible soever these things may seeme to flesh and blood and how incredible in the eyes of the world yet he will certainly accomplish theÌ„ all in what time measure and manner shal seeme best to his wisedome accordingly as he hath foretold And that even then when so many of us as have or can but unfeignedly begin to set our selves
prayers mention'd before in the generall Contents are the sumâ—…e of this first Part. The Second Part to succeede in the next place containeth Prayers likewise for all the Churches and people of God scattered thorough the whole world that wee may all seeke to pacifie the Lord by giving him his glorie in returning and submitting our selves wholly unto his Covenant and that we may obtaine by our instant prayers that wâ—…e may ioyntly honour him so walking and beleeving as his heavenly wisedome hath appoynted For this is a thing notoriously observed and acknowledged by all who rightly under stand the state of forraigne parts that as it â—… amongst us for the most part so it hath beene very generally amongst them in all the Churches that they have had onely a bare forme of godlinesse a naked outward profession of the Gospell in word but almost without any power or life thereof more then for a fashion And that this hath not onely thus fleshed our Adversaries to the destruction of the whole Church as dooing a thing meritorious unto God heerein for that they conceyve us to bee but a company of Heretiques in professiâ—…n very Atheistes in our lives but also provoked our blessed God so farre aireâ—…die to leave so many of the Churches into their hands and thus to threaten all the rest even us our selves seeing his kingdome is not in word but in power And therefore so many of us as have made such a carnall profession have not onely shewed foorth a manifest contempt of his heavenly Maiesty and his holy Covenant but put a Scepter of Reede into the hand of our Lord Iesus Christ smitten him uppon the face and trampled his Crowne under our feete and indeede made his and our enemies to blaspheme and thus farre to prevayle and insult over us Whereupon hee hath iustly begunne and threatned us all to take his kingdome from us to give it to another people which would bring foorth the fruite of it and to leave us all to bee trampled under foote by these our Enemyes untill we know by wanting the blessinges which wee have formerly inioyed and the difference betweene his service and the slaverie of his Enemyes As these prayers therefore according to our Saviours direction may serve to prepare the way for all other our prayers and our right accesse unto his glorious Maiestie to come with confident assurance and do proceed un to the first petition of the Lords Prayer and the end of the first Commaundement that we may all give him his due glory performing unto him his inward worshippe which is the fountaine of all true obedience so those that are to follow in the second part the Lord assisting are to go according to the tenour of the same heavenly rule of our Saviour thorow the whole Covenant made with our God both for all his Law and Gospell beginning at the second Commandement so thorow the Law and thorow all the Articles of faith with the doctrine of the Sacraments and other things belonging thereunto That thus all even the poorest servants of God may have matter enough of prayer to be exercised in continually and all to this very end for appeasing the Lordes wrath and reconciling him to all his Churches and Children againe First every one for himselfe and his owne particular to be assured of his own reconciliation to the Lord by the blood of his Son when he can so pray and obey in truth And secondly that every one having attained to this assurance and favour with the Lord may bee exercised dayly as those worthy servants of God Nehemiah Ezra and Daniel in confessing their owne sinnes and the sinnes of all the Churches and people of the Lord and in so crying unto him and importuning him untill wee shall see the ful deliverance and restoring of the Churches in Bohemia Palatinate the rest yea the enlargement of them by the gathering in of the Iew and the remainder of his Israel from the uttermost partes of the earth with the utter razing of Babel and untill we obtaine whatsoever else the Lord hath eyther promised to his people or denounced against his enemies And finally untill we shall everie one see the heavenly Ierusalem and the eternall glory of his Sion The third last part is God willing to containe principally Prayers for this our sinfull Nation that we may first all see and lively apprehend the danger wherein wee stand every moment of drinking at the Lords hand after those other Churches which have tasted so deepely of the cup of his displeasure seeing our sinnes are no lesse but farre greater then theyrs and that specially sith their ensample hath no more prevayled with us Secondly that we may all in time wisely understand the meanes which in his wisedome and mercie hee hath yet left unto us to prevent the execution ready to come forth against us And thirdly that we may euery one use all the meanes thereto each according to our place and calling by turning unfeignedly to the Covenant of our God not onely to prevent and for ever to turne away all the calamities deuised against us by our deadly bloody enemyes but also so to reconcile the Lord unto us that insteede of those miseries which our Enemies so long for to rush upon us hee may make us the happiest and blessedst Nation that ever was in this last Age of the world so to remaine to his eternall glory the comfort example of all the other Churches for evermore To these are also to bee added some speciall Prayers for our particular purposes and ocsions FINIS D. Wh. Rom. 9 2. 2 Sam. 5. 1. Apoc. 12. 7. Ephes. 6. 12. Vers. 11. Iudg. 5. 23. Iudg. 4. 21. 5. 26. Iudg. 5. 1. Exod. 15. 21. Apoc. 5. 13. Ier. 2. 5. The delusion what and the parts of it The first part of the delusion That in Poperie they have moe devotions than wee in our Religion Like that in the Gag for the new Gospeller * This twentie is but one this two and fiftie yeeres By this shamelesse lie judge all the rest Ioh. 8. 44. What is to be understood by Devotions * For their devotions wherewith they cozen the world and extremely oppresse the poore superstitious soules which will have them see them in their Catalogue of their English bookes dispersed within these two yeeres last past with their prices as they are in Mr GEES late discoverie viz. Foot out of the Snare p. 9â—… The second part of the delusion That the Popish devotions are holier than ours The holinesse of devotions wherein Which devotions are best in regard of the matter and forme in generall Ephes. 2. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 19. 1 Ioh. 5. 47. Mat. 16. 18. Mat. 24. 35. In regard of the more particular matter Phil. 3. 8 9. Rom. 3. â—…7 4. 2. A most evident triall according to our Saviours direction Triall by the ends fruits of devotions Triall by the manner 1 Cor. 14. 9 11
THE FOVRTH PART OF THE TRVE WATCH CONTAINING PRAYERS AND TEARES for the CHVRCHES OR A helpe to hold up the hearts and hands of the poorest servants of God untill our Lord Iesus Christ shall have rescued his Glorie Kingdome and People in all the world and fully prepared the way to his most glorious appearing In praying learne to watch in watching pray in watching and praying is our victorie Zech. 4. 6. Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of hosts Hos. 12. 4. He had power over the Angell and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him LONDON Printed for Thomas Pavier 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE AND VERTVOVS Ladies the Ladie ZOVCH wife to the Right Honourable the Lord ZOVCH with her Noble Sisters Ladie DVDLEY and Ladie WINFIEâ—…D all Grace and happinesse IT is too well knowne Right Honourable and Worthie Ladies how both in Court and Countrey the hearts not onely of poore simple women loaden with sinnes buâ—… of our chiefe Ladies and of all other are stollen away so much as the Lord permite from all true allegeance and obedience to our Lord Iesus Christ and his Anoinced to ioyne themselves to the Church of Rome to the endlesse perdition both of their soules and bodies This also is as evident that this is wrought principally by this subtiltie of the old Serpent That they in that Church haue moe holy devotions and doe also spend much more time therein than wee in ours By this enchantment amongst others Satan and his instruments seeke to deuoure not widowes houses alone as those did in the dayes of our Sauiour but in time to swallow us all up quicke unlesse our mightie God stid deliver us from their iawes as hither to he hath done Considering therefore how the Romish Seducers swarme in everie place to the present indangering of all the Churches and people of the Lord even this our nation amongst the rest and having heard moreover by one of speciall note in the Church of God for his learning able to silence the proudest Adversarie that some of our most Honourable and chiefe Ladies have in these the like respects earnestly desired that some amongst us would more seriously labour herein that we might match them even in this kinde not as theirs in blinde vaine superstitions but in true sincere and holy devotions I haue thought it my bounden dutie to tender for the good of all sorts such meditations and prayers as the Lord hath in his mercie beene pleased to vouchsafe unto me in this behalfe This also the rather for that he having long agoe put this verie same care into my heart to seeke hereby as much to save us all as they doe to destroy us all hath now much more enflamed it with an ardent studie hereof upon this religious motion and most honourable desire of those great Personages mentioned to me againe and againe and that in Gods speciall providence as I have taken it to stir me up more earnestly hereunto Let me therefore herein right noble and worthie Ladies humbly beg pardon if I presume upon your truly renowned courtesie and tender and compassionate affection to be more than ordinarie in this my dedication to your Honours upon this important and extraordinarie occasion from this intolerable insulting of the common Adversarie and the pitifull deluding and destroying of multitudes of poore unstable soules and also the endangering of us all to lie open daily more and more unto the butcherly cruelties of Rome when they have thorowly prepared the way by drawing enow unto their part through this and other their cunning stratagems and strong delusions Grant me leaue deare Ladies I beseech you though a thing unusuall in such dedications which are wont usually to bee verie briefe yet to manifest my long studie and earnest desire for the sauing of such of our brethren and sisters as are endangered to be destroyed by this and the like subtilties of Satan to helpe hereby and by our instant prayers for them to pull some of them backe againe from the subtill Serpent unto our Lord Iesus Christ and withall to keepe others from falling away from him even so many of them as belong to the election of grace and to leave the rest of them more without excuse Now is the time that Michael and his Angels strive specially against the Dragon and his Angels about the whole bodie of his Church Now is the time that our Lord Iesus lookes for us all to helpe him and his poore Church to remember our Baptisme vow in a speciall manner to â—…ight manfully under his banner and to stand for him for our selves for our brethren I haue therefore presumed upon the occasion of that their right Christian and tender commiseration to write a generall Epistle to all the plaine and simple-hearted people of our land seduced by those deceiuers or in danger thereof and not onely to them but to all sorts That all may take the better notice of the delusions of Poperie the difference betweene the devotions of the Romish Synagogue and of the true Church of Christ and to make fully known unto them all that they must all either renounce Poperie and professe the Gospell with us or else professe themselues therein to be of Satan and to stand for his religion against our Lord Iesus Christ. That thus all may get out of Babyâ—…on seeke to save themselves and helpe to pull out and save all others And so much the rather for that this verie service hath beene required of me particularly by a truly religious worthie and ancient professour of Christs Gospell in the behalfe of a great and honourable Ladie who hath beene drawen away by this same delusion principally to wit That they have moe holy devotions in their Church than wee in ours and doe spend more time therein Whereupon hee requested mee to write some Epistle to helpe to reclaime her and to bring her backe againe unto us Which service or a greater I could not well denie as God should bee pleased to vouchsafe mee abilitie and opportunitie especially hauing beene long obliged by his ancient loue though the unablest of thousand others And moreouer for that I have likewise stood for many yeeres after a sort bound by promise for the verie like service in effect unto a Gentleman much respected generally of all that are affected to that Romish Religion for his speciall devotion in that superstitious kinde one worthie indeed to be duely respected of all in regard of his good parts of nature learning and also descent if the Lord shall bee pleased to shew him that mercie to reclaime and bring him backe into the bosome of his owne true Church and people againe This have I therefore more heartily wished to accomplish not onely for that I have remained long thus bound by my particular promise unto himselfe as after shall more fully appeare but likewise for that I was specially obliged in dutie both
thou hast called us hereunto that thou acceptest us and our service and that wee may never give thee over untill wee see the deliverance and felicity of thy Sion Grant that so many of us as unfeignedly desire to bee with thy Majesty may never give any rest unto thee nor unto our owne soules untill wee finde our selves so qualified in all things as thou requirest of all such in taking to heart the dishonours done unto thy heavenly Majesty the oppositions against thy most glorious Gospell and also in feeling the necessities of thy Church people more specially in considering aright and sensibly feeling the miserable estate of all them that are under the spirituall bondage Captivitie of Sathan worse ten thousand times then the Captivitie and slavery of the Turke or under the cruellest Tyrants in all the earth Grant likewise that wee may be such in all holy faith and obedience and so frame our prayers that heerein wee may thus farre prevaile with thy holinesse that thou maiest raise up for thy poore Church and Children in every part of the world some Iosephs or some that may be as Daniel Ezra Nehemiah or Hester which may obtaine favour with the Kings and Princes of the earth and by whom thou maiest prepare and incline the hearts of all Monarks Kings and Princes that they may all become Nursing-Fathers and Nursing-Mothers to thy religion and people and that all those of them who in thy mercy are such already by the power of thy heavenly Spirit may bee wholly delivered from all the power and delusions of Sathan and Antichrist and daily more and more inflamed with all holy zeale for thy glory and kingdome and all tender affection towards thy children and chosen flocke as the rage and malice of the Dragon is greater against them knowing he hath but a short time Vouchsafe Oh grecious Father that these all considering aright how thou hast set them up and given them all their dominions authority and power chiefly to this end and the great and dreadfull account they must all certainly make for the same they know not how soone may forthwith seâ—… themselves as thy faithfull Servants Moses Iosuah David Iehosaphat Hezekiah and holy Iosiah for thy glorious Majesty Gospell and people onely according to thy heavenly word and will Grant good Lord that thus thy great name may bee magnified by the powerfull comming of thy kingdome in all the world and by the full accomplishing of all thy heavenly will and good pleasure which in thine eternall counsell thou hast decreed for the speedy gathering forth of all thine elect and finishing of these daies of sin and so for preparing the way to thy glorious comming Good Lord perswade my poore heart and the hearts of every one of thine owne faithfull people of the present necessity of this worke because of the danger of the sodaine approching of thy vengeance ready each houre to rush upon uâ—… like as it hath done upon others which have so professed thy name as weâ—… doe for all our fearfull sinnes and above all for our haiâ—…ous contempt of thy heauenly Gospell and that notwithstanding all thy Fatherly warnings and mercies wee have beene worse and worse unto this day And therefore vouchsafe me this grace that I may not deferre it one day nor houre but now presently whilst thou my Lord and Saviour dost so graciously call me and offer me this mercy I may seeke to bee every way prepared and fitted for it like as thou hast so plainly â—…aught me so lively seâ—… it before my face in yâ— heavenly prayer of thine so as the simplest may read and understand Oh Lord Iesus perswade my heart that refusing or deferring now to come to helpe thee I cannot escape the curse of Meroz howsoever I may escape the present and temporall vengeance at the instant cryes of all other of thy deerest servants and children yet I can never escape the spirituall and eternall wrath Open mine eies that I may see yâ— I am not heerein to wrastle against flesh blood but against principalities and powers and the Princes of darkness of this world which have wrought all these evils chiefly and doe seeke the utter destruction of all thy people and that I am not now to enter the lists with Sathan for my selfe alone but for all the Church that so I may put on all thy compleat Armour to quit my selfe valiantly as one of thy worthyes and ever be carefull to looke to my watch and stand fast expecting Sathans extreamest rage and fury against me especially if hee get never so little advantage Grant unto mee to know undoubtedly that being thus armed and setting my selfe with all speed and cheerfulnesse unto this worke to bee rightly fitted to helpe thee in this greatest service I shall have this high honour to bee of their number of whom thou hast spoken to whom thou hast promised That the innocent shall deliver the land or at least that thou wilt bee to mee a Sanctuary whatsoever come to passe and though I should neither save Sonne nor Daughter yet I shall bee sure to save my owne soule Heare me therefore Oh gracious Father all thy poore children in this our humble suite and in all other things needfull for us or for any member of thy whole Church for the Lord Iesus Christ whom thou hast given for our grand Captaine our onely Mediator and Advocate Amen II. A prayer for increase of our love to all the Children of the Lord and for keeping a continuall fresh remembrance and feeling of their estate Our HVmble us Oh gracious Father that whereas thou hast long taught us this as one of our first lessons in our prayers to cry Oh our Father to keep therby a continuall and ever-fresh remembrance feeling of the estate and necessities of all thy children our Brethren and Sisters wheresoever dispersed and distressed in all the world and so to binde our hearts togither in the bond of love to rejoyce with them that rejoyce mourne with them that mourne and in all things to seeke the same good unto them which wee do vnto our selves yet so many of us notwithstanding do never or very seldome thinke of them or of their miseries and the best of us have so little true feeling and commiseration of their estate how wofull soever it bee to cry unto thee for them as wee ought so long as wee our selves are at ease and in prosperity Good Lord perswade our hearts that if wee truly love thee our heavenly Father we must needs love thy children for thy cause being as deere and precious unto thee as ourselves are even all those that appertaine to thy eternal election wheresoever they be in all the earth Lord Iesus make us know that if wee unfeignedly love thee wee must of necessity likewise love thy members even every one of
sought life as they ought How we may all be prepared in some good measure to helpe the Lord his Church All must perish if they but stand on the other side Obed. 10. 11. Iudg. 5. 23. Conclusion to be thorowly layd to heart to put some more life into every soule to each of these meditations How all the distressed Parts of Gods Church cry to us to come and helpe them Acts. 16. 9 10. And all accursed who come not Iudg. 5. 23. Excluded from the privâ—…idges of Godâ—… poeple How Christ is comming to reward every one according to his works How our Saviour cals to all to come notwithstanding all obiections of unfitnesse Eph. 6. 13. Mar. 2. 3. Luke â—… 18. Psal. 27. 8. Psal. 40. 8. Zac. 13. 9. To pray That beholding the evils against the Lord his people The prevailing of the enemie And hearing the Lord calling as to hâ—…lpe him We may be prepared be admitted to this service To pray to be rightly touched and affected with all these things That we may be able to cry uncessantly untill the Lord shal shew himselfe from heaven for his great name kingdome and people To be perswaded how the Lord seeks out a man To strive to be if not that one man yet as one of Gedeons three-hundred To have these meditations in our hearts To be so qualified as Christ requireth in his prayer That we may prevaile that God may raise up some Iosephs or Daniels By whom the hearts of all Kings and Princes may be inclined to become nursing Fathers to his Church That these all considering how God hath set them up May set themselves as all worthy rulers have doâ—…e for his glory and kingdome That thus his great name may be magnified That every one may be perswaded of the present necessity of this worke Not to deâ—…er it one day To feare the curse upon Meroz Iudg. 5. That otherwise escaping the temporall yet we cannot the eternall vengeance To have our eyes open to see against whom we are to wrastle Not for our selves onely but for all the Church To put on all the compleat Armour of God fâ—…and fast To know our honour setting our selves aright to this service our safety Prayer to be humbled that we have not learned our first les son to have a true feeling of the estate of our brethren To be perswaded that if we love our heavenly Father we must needs love his children If we love Christ we must needs love his members That without this we can never assure our hearts that we are true children members of Christ. But deceive ourselves To know that their sinnes are ours in some sort and so their whole estate To have this fellow-feeling of their estate wheresoever they are And as they are more neerly 〈◊〉 unto us And above all aâ—… they are more specially ordained to be nursing Fathers and Mothers to Gods Church Chiefly who are such already And bound thereto by most bonds That their hearts may be inclined to all Gods Children chiefly to all committed to their charge And that as they more resemble their heavenly Father To have like affections to the Lord. To give that which is deerest unto them for Gods people To have all theirs and our hearts perswaded of the happines hereof and contrarily To pray to be perswaded that the assurance that God is our Father is first to be sought next his glory That assurance alone will quiet the heart fill it with ioy unspeakable And the contrary will fill it with extreame horror And be aâ—… the beginnings of the flashings of hell Iohn 8. 4â—… To this end to know first our owne miserable condition by nature Thus we are but firebrandes of hell untill we be true members of Christ. That we cannot attaine to this assurance untill we feele these two graces repentance and faith For that these are lively evidences of our being in Christ. That we may not deceive our selves in a vaine imagination of faith and repentance That we may never rest untill we finde the new birth in our whole man in all our conversation In our minds Memories Wils Affections Consciences In our whole bodies To be perswaded that God both requires and workes this holinesse in all his elect in some measure That untill this change in some measure never can any attaine this assurance As this increaseth so our assurance To pray to finde in our selves not onely this change but the peculiar markes of Gods children Chiefly those which our Saviour hath taught us to cry for daily whereby we most lively beare his Image To be most zealous for Gods glory 2. To seeke the kingdom of God and his righteousnesse first 3. To seeke onely knowing doing the will of our heavenly Father not our owne To use onely such meanes for obtaining all good things as God himselfe hath ordained Begging and returning all thankes to him for all To be ever mindfull of the rest of our brethren as of our selves And as well touched with their estate as our owne To consider how the carnall worldling hath little or no sense of any of these things To have a lively sense of our sins To groane under the burden of them Never to rest untill we be assured of the remission of our sinnes Which the carnall man makes buâ—… a sport of That we may be able to forgive wrongs and to pray for our enemies That if our enemies hunger wee may feede them And seeke their conversion and salvation 6. To be alwayes afrayd of Sathans temptations To stand alwayes in awe of the Lord least for our securitie he leave us up to him To strive to watch and pray that we fall not into temptation 7. To looke ever â—…o the Lords absolute Soveraignty And to give him the glory of all 8. To be ever and chiefely thinking of eternity 9. That we may not pray looking at any thing in our selves or any other creatures But stripping our selves may come only in Iesus Christ. Our everlasting Amen That we may in Faith cry Amen That we may never give the Lord over till wee find all these in our selves That we may know our selves hereby to be thine and in thy favour as we finde them And contrarily That we can never finde sound comfort To pray to know the right meanes of getting Gods favour growing therein As in the daies of our Saviour and the Primitive Church By the sincere preaching of his Gospell Though the world count it foolishneâ—… The immortall seed Gods mighty power to salvation That this stands not in the inticing speech of mans wisedome but in the plaine evidence of Gods Spirit Aâ—…d why That God nourisheth his children by the same meanes of the word Sacraments Good books Meditations Prayers To seeke to this end the establishing advancement of thy sacred Ministery and to depend thereon Ephes. 4. 11. To stirre up the hearts of Kings and Princes to this holy care
the Nobilitie Gentrie and principall professours in France And likewise to omit that intendment 88. in a like treaty and all other their stratagems of the same nature by which they have so much promoted the Catholike cause as they call it and still doe to this very day and so farre surprized the Church of Christ and prevailed against us all all of them being of the same nature and from the same Author To passe over all these and to leave them all as rightly due to Popery for that lying and murder the two chiefe workes of the Deuill are now well knowne to all the world even to all that will not wittingly put out their owne eyes to be the tâ—…o principall pillars which have alwaies supported and promoted Popery and the kingdome of Antichrist and must now specially if ever heretofore stand him in stead And to come briefly to shew the palpablenesse of this first delusion and that it is of the very same nature with all the former mentioned namely when they say That they have moe holy devotions that is moe bookes and helps for devotions viz. moe holy directions for a true Christian life for the right practise of Christianitie and piety moe helps for holy meditations and contemplations for examining our hearts and lives soundly according to the word of the Lord so for true humiliation repentance for holy praiers thanksgivings and the like than we have I refer all who are willing to know the truth to that catalogue of our devotions even of those which are extant in Print and may be had by all who will use or see them as it is set downe in the end of this booke as it is gathered out of Master Maunsels catalogue dedicated to Q. Elizabeth printed anno 1595. and of those which have beene since Which Catalogue alone to compare it with all the English devotions of the like kindes that they have in the world much more of these which their common sort can come by and make vse of will I hope quite smite off this first head of this killing serpent And especially when the works of some one of our men there mentioned alone being well applied and practised may afford sufficient matter in that kinde to any poore Christian for his whole life to make him a blessed man yea much more blessed than all the devotions of Popery can as will appeare after and what may we thinke then of all the rest of them together And thus much briefly may suffice for the cutting off this first head of this Hydra But the second head of this subtle serpent may seeme more dangerous as it is indeed and more full of deadly poyson to wit that their devotions viz. those commended most unto you by your Church and Iesuites are more holy and better than ours To cut off this therefore likewise as it is a thing more necessarie so it may seeme more difficult But that this may be as easily and surely effected we are wisely to consider wherein the holinesse and goodnesse of all true devotions doe consist This we may doe specially by considering the matter ends and fruits of true devotions For the generall matter those must needs be the holiest and best which are most directly grounded upon the sacred Scriptures that sure foundation of the Prophets and Apostles whereof Iesus Christ is the chiefe corner stone upon which as all the true Church is built so all her devotions against which foundation the gates of hell shall never prevaile more than against Christ himselfe they being holy as his owne Maiestie and heaven and earth may passe but not one jot or tittle in them till all things in them be fulfilled for that such devotions in regard of their matter are the Lords so far forth as they are siâ—…mely grounded upon that sacred word For the more particular matter likewise those must needs be the best which tend most to advance the glory of our God and the scepter and kingdome of our Lord Iesus Christ which most magnifie him giving all our salvation to the rich mercy of our heavenly Father in and through our Lord Iesus Christ alone and so which are most powerfull and effectuall to pull downe all the pride of sinfull man and to make us to renounce all but Christ Iesus alone to account all but losse and dung in regard of any reioycing in our selves of any iustification or merit but onely in Iesus Christ and to be found in him alone not having our owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of God in him So those which most serve to cause us wholly to deny our selves thereby to be made fit to come unto and follow him as his true subiects and disciples and which make most to the saving of all his Church and chosen flocke by him alone and to leave all who will not so receive and follow him and heare his voice onely as his enemies more without excuse And as these so those in like manner which give most full assurance of Gods favour and love and of true pardon of sinne and eternall life by Iesus Christ alone and which thus give most strong and most abundant consolation onely in him Those likewise which are most powerfull and effectuall to increase our faith in him and therewithall our love and all the rest of the graces of God even all parts of true sanctification and repentance which are nothing else but the fruits of our holy faith in him wrought in us by his blessed Spiriâ—… when that we truly beleeve in Christ. Or to speake all more shortly those devotions must needs be best which most frame all to the lively image of our Lord and Saviour and so doe most forme Christ in us to wit which most fashion us to that absolute patterne of true holinesse which is commanded in his blessed word and not to superstition contrary to it and condemned in it And also those whereby we may be best assured to receive most power to prevaile with the Lord and to obtaine all good things from him alone Or yet more for the understanding of all Those must needs be best which doe best direct and help us to performe all our vowes promises made to him and so to walke with him all our daies doing onely that which he requires in all things that so we may be assured of all his promises both for this and the better life to be fully performed to us for the saving our selves and all the people of the Lord. Or most briefly according to our Saviours direction which stands sure for ever in the three first petitions Those which most tend to advance his glory and kingdome with the accomplishment of all his heavenly will alone and not the will of sinfull man must needs be the best of all The reason is for that these three first being obeyed and sought first aright will certainly bring the three latter petitions and
passe over all these and this also that all sorts doe know that their Iesuites and Confessours are the chiefe contrivers and abettours of all their chiefe stratagems and that nothing is done without them And albeit wee are nothing to regard words when their deeds according to their Doctrines and Constitutions are apparent to all the world And that although they may delude little children by affirming that these are not their doctrines if any dare still deny it against the witnesse of his owne heart yet men having their braines in their heads can never bee so besotted unlesse they will wilfully joyne hands with them or suffer their eyes utterly to be put out For that which they say That they are not their Doctrines unlesse wee can shew them out of the Councell of Trent or some of their chiefe Councels can any man imagine that the Councels would openly professe them to proclaime to all the world that they and their Religion is of Satan or can wee thinke or imagine that so many of their Iesuites should publish them unto the world unlesse they were the advice of their Popes and indeed their Doctrine But to passe all these things over and to leave them to their further consideration to worke better upon their consciences what can they yet or any other say to their Doctrines which the Holy Ghost cals Lies through hypocrisie devised to devoure us all Such as this here discovered That they have moe holy devotions than we c. And even for all their Doctrines joyntly to leave it to the consciences of all whether all of those wherein they differ from us and for which they so contend bee not Doctrines meerely devised to please the corrupt nature of man to hold up that Hierarchie of the Pope and tyrannie of that Sea of Rome viz. of their Pope Cardinals Abbots and the rest And also for their bellies and that they may keepe all the world in slaverie and to hide their wickednesse And more specially what their Doctrines are concerning Purgatorie Masses Indulgences Pardons even for the time to come Miracles done by this Saint and that and by this Relique and that and concerning their holy Reliques themselves and so all their doctrines of Equivocation mentall Reservation and the like whether they be not all to speake as the thing is notorious lies to keepe the poore people in ignorance in their blinde devotions and slavery to them yea to muzzle them in their murdering zeale against the true Church Which if it be so then the Assumption is most manifest to all the world even to children and almost to sucking babes That Popery teacheth lying and murder or that which tends thereunto viz. to the destroying of all either soules or bodies or both Now for the truth of all these things I appeale first to the Lord Iesus the Iudge of all to iudge betweene us and that I have written according to the perswasion of my heart grounded upon the word of the Lord and upon their writings and dealings 2. I appeale to the sacred Scriptures by which we and they and all our doctrines must be judged 3. To the universall consent of all the true Church of Christ. 4. To every one who professeth the Gospell according to the doctrine of our Church and our good lawes 5. To their owne hearts and consciences I meane of all the learneder and cunninger sort of them and to the consciences of all when they shall be so awaked as to thinke that they are to appeare before Iesus Christ to give an account For particular proofes of these and other disputes I leave them to the Treatises mentioned before and also to the more learned and them who have better leysure It may be sufficient for me to have made them manifest to all who professe Christs Gospell and who judge indifferently and to leave them and their consciences thus convinced unto the Lords Iudgement feaâ—… And now these things being so I appeale againe to their consciences and the consciences of all the world concerning the evidence and necessitie of these Consectaries 1. Whether the Assumption being true that Religion of theirs be not of the Devill by our Saviours owne reason and therefore that all of them must either renounce and even abjure it or else professe themselves to be of Satans Religion to maintaine it and to fight for him against our Lord Iesus Christ and that they will still doe it 2. Whether all sorts are not bound to seeke to save themselves from that lying and murdering Religion and to use all warrantable and holy means both to reclaime all from it to the end to save them both soules and bodies and also to deliver all the Churches and people of the Lord from the danger of being suddenly surprized and murdered thereby and so far as God inables them any way to take away all the dishonour and provocations of his sacred Majestie which may come thereby as by all other such hainous sinnes This I humbly submit to the judgement of all seeing whosoever is not with our Saviour is against him and that whosoever saves not destroyes That the Magistrates and all in authoritie are the keepers of both the Tables each according to his place and for that the bloud of all must be required at the Pastors and Watchmens haâ—…ds according to the charge committed to every one of them if they be not faithfull in their severall places designed to them by the Lord. Wherefore I intreat them and all others seriously to thinke hereof as in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ before whom I have written in duty to his heavenly maiesty for maintaining his glory and holding up the scepter of our Lord Iesus and in love and duty to all sorts chiefly to all in high place for the saving of all or to leave the obstinate utterly without excuse And thus much also for the proofe of the Assumption and the shutting up of this inclosed Epistle Unto which if this Gentleman or any one for that Honourable Ladie will offer to reply let me but crave this of him whosoever he be which equitie and wisdome will require 1. First to doe it in love and with good advice as in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ without all shifts or devices against the light of his conscience even as I have endevoured and onely for the finding out and maintaining the truth whereunto God willing I shall ever yeeld if any one in any thing shall rightly shew mee my error and I shall moreover acknowledge my oversight 2. And secondly let me request of him that hee will bethinke himselfe wisely for what he pleades and also for whom whether he doe it not even for Satan and for the upholding of his kingdome by his chiefe workes of lying and murder and also to consider against whom he doth it whether it be not against our Lord Iesus Christ and against all his Saints and
people and withall to thinke how hard it is for him to kicke against the prickes and that against the light shining clearely in his heart And yet more also to ponder wisely what it is to give Satan advantage but by one lie only wilfully maintained and especially such a lie as tends but to the murdering of one soule And how much more then when it is to maintaine the Art of lying devised by and for the devill himselfe to hold up his kingdome and to overthrow the kingdome of Christ and for the deceiving and destroying of innumerable soules even of all bewitched by them and tending to the destroying of all the people of the Lord and the rooting them out of the earth How dreadfull it will be to stand before Christ to give answer but for the bloud of one soule alone when Abels bloud the bloud but even of his body alone cries so loud from the earth and makes Cain such a runnagate all his daies to be in hell whilst he was yet here in the earth yea before hee came into that place of torment designed for him and for all other wicked men and chiefly for all liers and murderers to bee tormented there for ever 4. And finally let mee wish him for his credit if he respect nothing else to answer all these books which I have mentioned as well for the cause of the learned as the vnlearned because they are as it were sent of God to manifest the truth hereof and then I have no doubt but he our most blessed and onely wise God will both reply and answer for us still and so maintaine his owne cause as to put them all to silence at least in the pit which they are digging for us and that for evermore Thus have I through the good hand of my God made way to the satisfying of the holy desires of those worthy Personages which wish so Honourably and Christianly unto you that we may match our chiefe Adversaries in our devotions although we doe already as all may plainly see goe so far beyond them in this kinde and also to the end that you who meane plainly and have not your hearts yet tainted with their bloud-thirstie desires all others may perceive how you have been and are deluded and even inchanted in every one of these respects by which scale all may measure the rest of their lying doctrines and devices And withall I hope that I have made it evident to the consciences of all that all sorts must renounce Popery and embrace the Gospell or else professe themselves to be of their father the Devill and that they will fight against Christ. To try if the Lord may be pleased yet to shew them mercy to come out of the snares of Satan either by the cleere manifestation of these delusions of his or by the praiers and teares of many of his people crying jointly for all to hale and pull them out of Egypt and Sodome for what are not the joint praiers of Gods people able to doe Now these things being so this delusion so laid open and the Assumption so plainly proved and demonstrated to the convincing of everie of your consciences as I am fully perswaded before the Lord give me leave in tender commiseration to turne my speech unto you all who dare still stand out against his Majestie Oh bethinke your selves in time what it is to fight against the light of your owne hearts what will follow the wounded conscience when the Lord shall wake it and call it to an account which hee will certainly doe either in this life or so soone as ever you shall depart hence Remember the cases of Cain Saul Iudas for fighting so desperately against the light and so standing forth against the Lord and his most gracious offer of mercie Oh bethinke your selves in time of his terrible and most glorious Majestie against whom you have so fearefully sinned as to provoke him not onely against your selves but against this whole Nation even against us all for your causes in departing from him and his holy Religion to a Religion of such abominations and so manifestly convicted and declared to be of Satan his sworne enemie Remember the dreadfulnesse of his wrath so declared in the irrevocable punishment of the Angels that so fell from him of Adam the old world Sodome and that which shall be so fearefully revealed when Christ shall come with thousand thousands of glorious Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance to all who know him not and who will not yeeld obedience to his heavenly Gospell and much more to all his obstinate enemies Consider well how your sinne is increased not onely being committed so contrarily to your Baptisme vow but also by all the evictions of the abominations of that idolatrous lying and murdering Religion especially in this Nation since the time of the first casting it forth so publikely by Parlament and even untill this verie day and now last of all by this Discoverie of this forged delusion wherein so many others of yours like unto it are included Thinke what it is not onely to bee barred out of Heaven deprived utterly of all the joyes thereof but moreover to be thrust into hell to abide the torment thereof with Satan and his Angels for ever and ever which must needs come upon you if that Religion of Rome bee such and have such supporters as you have or may see set before your faces If you will not reade this but bee as the deafe adder stopping your eares and in stead of Satan hiding away and blinding your owne eyes yet I hope you have each of you some faithfull friends who beleeving the Gospell and perswaded of your delusions as I am will play the parts of faithfull Physitians true loving friends towards such as are indangered by extreme distempers in burning fevers or the like or in extreme perill of perishing by water or fire or any way else viz. which will make these things knowne unto you urge them upon you for your preservation and recoverie so to declare their uttermost love unto you to the end to convert you and bring you to us againe and to our Lord Iesus Christ and so save you from hell though for the present they adventure your displeasure as I also must Howsoever this shall bee my rejoycing and my witnesse for me before the Lord for my dutie towards his heavenly Majestie and towards his Vice-Gerent our royall Soveraigne of my love and dutie towards this Church and Nation and even you all in this behalfe For which entreating him in his rich mercie to make it effectuall I commit it and you to his Grace which works above all that wee can conceive and shall rest ever striving with you I. B. TO EVERIE TRVE CHRISTIAN Soule rightly taking to heart the estate of Christs poore Churches and dispersed Flocke CHristian Reader if thou take to heart the dishonours done unto our most holy God the
will make us cry loud day and night both for them and for ourselves Yea moreouer heerein wee are to striue to bring our harts to a right and wise consideration That as the Lord being displeased against Israel gave Sathan liberty to stand up against David to move him to number his people so to make a way to the just execution of his displeasure for their sinnes and thereby to awake them bring them to repentance so he might thus most justly for a long time have given him liberty to stand up against all the Churches for our coldness and security but against us especially of this sinnefull Nation having so long greeved him by all our heynous prouocations even these threescore yeeres and more and much more may he doe it now most righteously for our so unspeakeable impenitencie and senselesness at this day for that nothing els hath hitherto or can yet awake us And withall we are to labour to bring our hearts to a wise and right consideration of the extreame rage and fury that Sathan now exerciseth roaring upon all the true Churches of Christ as if hee would devoure us at once knowing he hath but a short time and how he hath heereupon thus lately begun to cast out this floud of bloody persecution out of his mouth to carry away all the Churches and Children of God at this once together as he hath done some already How he and his bloody Instruments haue decreed the certaine effecting heereof as God hath made it manifest even by themselves and that to all the world I meane to every one whose eyes the God of this world hath not utterly shut up And to bee euer thinking heereof That onely our blessed God tender Father hath caused the earth hitherto to helpe his Churches and all of us his Children in â—…o opening her mouth and swallowing up the waters albeit so very many of our Brethren abroad haue bin already carried away therby That our course is now as we haue just cause to feare comming amaine like the raging Sea Sathan standing up day and night against every one of us to tempt us all each according to our places callings occasions to provoke him by our sinnes more and more especially by our induration and security dayly increased that so the Lord may leave us likewise into his hand which wee haue just cause to feare according to all his severe denunciations and threats so neerely executed and that to as great miseries as they or any other Churches or people euer indured before as he had almost done The right Meditation of all these will make us cry aloud Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from euill Lord deliver us not over to the tempter for our sinnes to bee thus indurate and prepared for destruction but deliver us from him and from the innumerable evils which he so furiously seekes to bring upon us and upon all our Brethren and which so many other Churches so groane under And yet more then all this wee are never to rest day nor night till our heartes rightly understand and conceiue hereof that as all the miseries now upon or towards the Churches are wholly or principally from the Dragon who hath thus inraged all those whom he hath deceiued to fight against them so our God hath also heerein ordained Pastors and Watchmen both spirituall and temporall to preserve his Children from him and those his Pastors and Watchmen to bee awaked and made more vigilant heereunto by the instant Prayers and cries of his poore people committed to their charge We are ever likewise to be thinking heereof that he that cannot cry for himselfe and for the Watchmen and Churches to be delivered from the tempter and from all these evils Especially from the evill of sinne that it reigne not over him but suffers himselfe to be a servant though it be but of any one sinne and a slave of Sathan therein must indure eternall evils and miseries with him in the Lake for ever and ever The eight particular Meditation of the second generall That the kindgome and glory are Christs that Sathan and Antichrist fight principally against him and against his Church onely for his cause and therefore are sure to be overthrowen 8. ANd yet more still to awaken us to prepare our hearts to this worke wee are to fâ—…iue to bring our soules on further to a right and due consideration that our Lord Iesus Christ is absolute Lord and King that all the kingdomes of the world are our Lords and his Christs and that he must reigne for evermore That Sathan and Antichrist his eldest sonne all their Souldiers in all these bloody warres which they haue so dreadfully begun and do so furiously pursue against all the Churches doe fight onely against his glorious Maiestie and even of hatred against him howsoever these whom Sathan hath so enchanted thinke not so much but rather imagine that they doe God good seruice in it That Sathan Antichrist haue sent forth these croaking Frogs the Iesuits and Seminaries to stir up all the Kings and great men of the earth to give away their power and authority from Christ Iesus to whom it is wholly due and whose they and all their power is to take part and to fight on their side against our Lord Iesus Christ. That it is indeed our Lord Iesus Christ against whom they fight even to thrust him out of his throne and to destroy his people and therefore that wee have just cause to thinke that this same being thus eagerly pursued against him and against all his true members in all the Churches is the very battle of the great day for that it is so set as it was never in such sort before all things being rightly considered And therefore we are wisely to Meditate that howsoever to the end to harden them all and all their Souldiers to their utter destruction he hath permitted them to prevaile thus farre and still raging to pursue his Israel into the heart of the Sea yet we may haue good hope that there is the very place and time where and when he will get himselfe the victory even when once his owne people and Children seeing and feeling their miseries upon them and that there is nothing remaining in regard of any helpe from man but present destruction shall cry aloud unto him as Israel at the Sea That then hee will cause his owne people to stand still and see what he will doe That then he will manifest his power and get himselfe glory upon his owne and his Churches enemies even upon Pharaoh and his hoast and that by his owne right arme That howsoever there are multitudes nations mighty Monarches and Kings against him and these have all one minde to give their power and authority from him unto the Beast untill
unto it in delivering restoring and beautifying of it like as hee hath done in all former Ages And therefore wee are never to rest travelling with our owne hearts in this untill we can principally labour with the Lord for them that they of all other and so all in their places may be indued with all excellent graces not onely to manifest themselves in the first ranke according to their high dignities the true Children of our heavenly Father thus shining before all the rest of their Bretheren for the better prouoking and encouraging of all the rest and the greater glory of the Lord but also with those guifts which are proper and peculiar unto their places and callings And that wee likewise may all of us be very carefull to performe unto them the duties belonging to them in regard of those high places and callings like as the honor and obedience of right appertaining to them so with all true thankfulnesse for all the blessings which wee injoy by them And in our thankfulnesse we â—…e never to rest untill wee can from our soules performe unto them these three specially 1. Acknowledgment of their authoritie from God and that they are in his place 2. Hearty affections as to Gods Lieutenants for his cause 3. Above all instant prayers for them day night And in these our prayers that we can cry for them not onely as for every common member as was saide to bee able to walke before all their people as living Lawes in all holy duties of Christianitie but in those of their particular places and callings and bee furnished with all excellent giftes and endowments of Gods Spirit for their happy managing of the same As first and principally that they may bee made able and resolute to promote the Religion of the Lord alone and all true godlinesse and that with all their power defacing the contrary and destroying all ungodnesse in all their Dominions as did those Worthyes David Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiab and Nehemiah being thereby so renowned and set out for such blessed examples to all succeeding Ages And in the second place that they may procure each way the good of the people committed to them as tender Foster-fathers repressing the wicked being careful that all holy meanes be used every where for the reclaiming and saving every soule in their Dominions and of bringing them in their armes to the Sion and Sanctuary of the Lord and all hinderances thereof removed And that to these ends they may be all as 〈◊〉 Magistrates men of courage fearing God dealing truely hating covetousnesse no respecters of persons And next unto these that we rest not till we bee able to pray likewise for all excelling in any eminency either outward or inward whereby they may doe any speciall service to our Lord Iesus Christ to his Vicegerents or to his poore Church and people As namely That their hearts bee not lifted up by their guifts favours or places as is ordinary in each estate and so wrath come upon them as it did on that good Hezekiah for this very sinnâ—… but that contrarily they may both ever remember and acknowledge all their preferments to be from his heavenly bounty and so to be more humbled by them as having more to answere bee accountable for giving to his divine Majestie alone all the glory thereof And secondly that they may bee inabled as thy deare Children to employ all those guifts carefully as their talents committed unto them by the Lord to that end and purpose as may make most for his glory the furtherance of his Gospell with the greatest benefit and good to our selve and to all the people of the Lord. The second particular Meditation of the third general That we can and use to seeke his honor above all other things SEcondly we must never give the Lord over untill we have brought our harts in order not to seeke our owne honour or greatness nor our selves any way for our selves alone but onely in all things to seeke the honour of our heavenly Father being zealous of his glory And that wee can pray earnestly that our selves and all other may studie to set foorth his glorie before all the sonnes of men euen the glory of his Wisedome Goodness Mercy Iustice Power and Truth shining bright in all his workes both in every creature and also in all his judgements and mercies and chiefely in his heavenly word admiring and extolling his great name in every one of them That we can mourne with holy Moses for all the dishonours done unto him and for all the provocations whereby he is provoked choosing rather to have our names put out of his booke then that his great name shold be blasphemed by his malicious enemics especially in their triumphes for the destruction or miseries of his people The third particular Meditation of the third generall That we seeke his honour chiefely in the aduancement of the Scepter of Iesus Christ. THirdly we are never to rest untill we can rejoyce in the truth of our hearts that we have seâ—… our selves to seek by all our might the advancement of the Scepter of his heavenly kingdome even of the heavenly Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ and so the comming of his kingdome thereby with power first the kingdome of Grace and after the kingdome of Glory desiring earnestly to that end the propagating and spreading of his Gospel over all the world the gathering forth of all his elect from al parts with the saving of all his people seeking all other things onely for him and for his honour that he may reigne as Lord and King That wee never give him rest until wee feele him reigning in our hearts by his blessed Word and Spirit making us to mourne withall for all the despight done unto his heavenly Majesty in the contempt of that his glorious Gospel and chiefly for all the prevaylings of Sathan and Antichrist the setting up againe of their abhominable Idolatry in any place and so for al the outragious wickednesse committed agaynst our Lord Iesus Christ his crowne and dignity and also agaynst his poore people The fourth particular Meditation of the third generall That we seeke to honour him eâ—…er in the full accomplishment of all his heavenly will FOurthly that our hearts beare us witness that wee haue attayned to be such as are wholly set not to seeke the execution of our owne lustes or will but that the whole will and good pleasure of our heavenly Father may bee fulfilled by us and all other his Children especially in all things wherein he hath or shal reveale himselfe what his good pleasure is And that we have begun earnestly to indevor our selves to be as chearful in the right execution and accomplishment thereof in all parts as
order that wee are ever as neere as we can to keepe in the desire of our hearts and in all the requests which we make unto his glorious Majesty The fift generall Meditation Fiftly the power and efficacy of our prayers made and performed in all things according to the heavenly patterne VVE are in this Meditation to have a due consideration pondering hereof that the foure former things being performed according to the rule and direction of our Saviour this fifth will follow of it selfe that is to say that our blessed God will give us a strong assurance to be heard and so that wee shall see the power and efficacy of our prayers in all accordingly which wee are seriously to meditate of untill wee can feele our hearts to pray in faith and in confident boldnesse of his goodnesse to grant our requests The first particular Meditation of the fift generall That when we can so pray he will manifest himselfe our tender Father FIrst that when wee shall joyntly thus cry unto him he will not onely give a witnesse to every one of vs in our soules that hee is our Father and set the seale thereof in our hearts as was saide making us able to call him Abba O Father which is ten thousand times more worth then all our labour herein can be but will moreover shew himselfe to us so praying not to each in particular alone but also to all the Churches in generall that even from heaven to bee our gracious and tender Father yea that hee will so shew himselfe to us as ever he shewed himselfe to Israel or to any of his in former Ages howsoever hee may first humble us and dreadfully awaken us all to make us more earnestly and joyntly to cry unto him The second particular Meditation of the fift generall How hee will from heaven shew us his glory when wee can so pray SEcondly that then wee may truly hope that hee will from heaven once againe shew his glory for his Church more then ever in this last Age of the world now that his owne glorious Majesty and Children are so furiously fought against and that so directly and manifestly that all the world may take notice of it chiefly by Sathan and Antichrist and by all their forces That he will then evidently declare the glorious riches of his Love Wisedome Mercy Power Truth Faithfulnesse and all his Goodnesse both for the rescuing the succouring and saving of all his poore Church from the great red Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet and for maintaining his owne honour and great Name which they doe so oppugne and also in getting himselfe a glorious victory triumph vpon them all as hee did vpon Pharoah Senacherib Haman or any other of his proud enemies or of the enemies of his Church Yea we may then expect that hee will doe this in fighting against them by themselves making their owne rage their ruine their owne counselles their owne confusion and the covering of their faces and in turning all to his owne glory with the greatest joy and happiness to his chosen flock and children for ever The third particular Meditation of the fift generall 3. VVE are withall to meditate infaith How when hee hath prepared and set our hearts in order thus to pray he wil then from heaven cause his owne Kingdome to come with power how thē our Lord Iesus Christ whos 's the kingdome is to whom the Father hath specially committed the governement of it will then advance his owne Scepter the true Scepter of righteousness even his heavenly Gospell amongst his very enemies that then his greatest enemies shall fall downe before him lick the dust in acknowledgement of their owne natural wretchedness and of their willing submission to Iesus Christ or perish for ever How then our Lord and Saviour will once agayne cause Sathan to fall down from heaven like lightning ruinating his kingdom and specially the kingdom of Antichrist how he will consume that great Antichrist by the breath of his mouth and utterly abolish him by the brightness of his comming But the new Hierusalem hee will cause to descend from heaven as a Bride trimmed prepared to meete her Husband and then will he set up and manifest before all the world the glory of his Majesty and of the glorious Kingdome of his Son our Saviour with the felicity and glory of all his Saints in that manner which he hath foretold in his heavenly word and in all things which are not yet accomplished concerning the same every thing in their owne due time and season The fourth particular Meditation of the fift generall FOurthly we are wisely to meditate in faith How then he will accomplish and fulfill all his holy will and counsell even whatsoever he hath spoken by the mouthe of any of his holy Prophets which is not yet come to passe executing both all his judgements upon all his and his Churches enemies performing whatsoever hee hath foretold and promised to his Saints How then he wil certainly put into the hearts of all and namely of the Kings which had formerly given their power vnto the Beast to give all their power and authority to Iesus Christ to fulfill his will for the full execution and performance hereof and that cheerefully wisely faithfully like as i◅ is done in heaven and more specially to every one that can so call up on his blessed name according to the measure of Grace and Power given to each in his place Then he will effectually so encline our hearts as that this shall be our meate and drinke to do his will and that wee shall never depart from him any more The fift particular Meditation of the fift general How hee will then deliver and feed his people FIftly then we are withall heere to meditate in faith and in all confident assurance how he will from heaven declare his fatherly and tender care for all his children thus crying to him to deliver them from all their bondage Famine Sword and other miseries which they have endured by their merciless enemyes whether bodily or spirituall thus wiping away all teares from their eyes so far as shall be most for his owne glory and for their good Then will he feed them with bread as from heaven ministring abundantly al good things unto them according to the dayes wherein they suffered adversitie recompensing thē double into their bosomes in all joy and heavenly felicitie heere to be begun and in an unspeakeable mannar to bee accomplished in the heavens The sixt particular Meditation of the fift generall How then he will clense his people from their sinnes and write his law in their hearts SIxtly we are likewise seriously and ioyfully to bee pondering heereof How then he will forgive all the sinnes of his children according to his
may yet put some more life into all these Meditations and quicken us in our crying to him according to all the prayers following hee calls upon us all to have this specially ever in our hearts and his voyce in it sounding incessâ—…tly in our eares which was in part touched before That as the Spirit and the Bride doe call to our blessed Saviour to come so first all the distressed Churches yea all the members of Christ and all the elect of God which are under the power of Sathan or of any cruell Tyrants or under other miseries doe call and cry to every one of us as the man of Macedonia did to Paul come helpe us Come helpe us by your prayers helpe us by your teares And secondly as the Angell of the Lord said Curse ye Meroz because he came not to helpe the Lord so now hee saith Curse ye all and every one of them who come not to helpe our Lord Iesus Christ who come not to helpe him in his poore members And tell every one who wil not set himselfe at least in the full purpose of his heart to come that hee hath no part in that heavenly prayer of our blessed Saviour nor of the glorious priviledges and promises conteyned in it that hee hath no part or portion in the Brother-hood Inheritance Glory Kingdome Rewardes Promises of this and the better life Remission of sinnes Deliverance from Sathan from the evils which hee seeks to bring on all that hee can have no comfort in that everlasting everliving Amen to whom all Kingdome Power and Glory do onely appertaine but that he is contrarily stripped of each of these and that our Lord Iesus is comming quickly in all Majesty and Glory to give to every one according to his workes to all that come the happinesse of all these blessings to all now refusing to come when he calls the misery of all contrary curses Wherefore hee saith to all Come Come every one thou though be in thy filth loathsome ragges all Leprous worthy to be thrust out of yâ— campe of Israel excluded for evermore yet come strip off those rags by repenâ—…ance wash in the fountaine of my blood which is opened to all the house of Israel and be thou cleane Put on the garment of the righteousnesse of thy Saviour and be glorious put on all the compleat Arm our of my Spirit in the full resolution of thy soule be valiant come helpe me Though thou have no strength but meere desires yet come and thou shalt bee accepted I will not quench the smoaking flax therefore come Though thy desires be never so weake yet come my power shall bee manifested and perfected in thy weaknes Therefore come yea though thou have no grace at all yet come hee tels thee from heaven his Grace is and shall be sufficient for thee And finally though thou have no faith to apprehend this Grace of his but art full of unbeleefe yet ever remember him that said I beleeve Lord Lord helpe my unbeleefe and how he sped and then thou wilt come Yea though thou get others to carry thee thou wilt certainly doe it if thou canst but set before thy face the Palsy-man thou wilt bee glad thâ—…s to come Finally be thinke thy selfe if ever thou canst name but one who thus desired to come to our Saviour in the uprightnesse of his heart neglecting no meanes thereunto who was rejected of him but contrarily how every one so comming hath beene graciously accepted and imbraced of him as the Prodigall Son was of his Father and then try whether his blessed Spirit will not give thee Davids Eccho to answer to him in thy soule Lord I come I come I come to doe thy will Thy will is within my heart Accept the worke of thine ownegrace Amen enen so Lord Iesus I come I come Prayers according to our Sauiours direction chiefly for maintaining and advancing of his glory and kingdome against the râ—…ge of Sathan and Antichrist and for helping his poore distressed Churches with all the members of Iesus Christ scattered over the face of the whole earth and that the whole number of Gods elect may be speedily gathered forth I. A prayer for our preparation that wee may bee made meete to bee admitted and may bee accepted as helpers in this so great a worke AH Lord our most gracious and tender Father in Christ Iesus wee thy unworthy children heere prostrate beholding how thy heavenly Majesty is foughten against thy honour trampled under foote thy kingdome people sought to bee destroyed out of the earth and that by Sathan Antichrist other thy cruell enemies who carrying a mortall hate against thee and against thy Sonne Iesus Christ and so against thy Gospell and people for thy cause alone do seeke that they alone may raigne over us and over all the world in thy place seeing also how thou hast suffered them fearfully to prevaile and still to proceed because of our sins and the sinnes of all other that professe thy name and hearing withall how thou now callest us all who are thine and in any favour with thy Maiesty to helpe thee and the rest of our Brethren and Sisters thy poore children in these their extreame miseries by our prayers and teares doe humbly intreat thee so to prepare and fit us that through our Lord and Saviour wee may be accounted meete to bee admitted to this so great a service Lord open our blind eies that we may have a right view of all these things open likewise our dease eares that we may heare thee calling us unto this duty and touch our dead hearts that they may be truly affected herewith inable us that thus seeing hearing and seeling we may cry unto thee uncessantly untill thou shalt shew thy selfe from heaven to come downe maintaine and defend thine owne causes and children to rescue all thine every where both from that bodily and spirituall tyranny and from all other dreadfull miseries under which they groane and so to judge betweene them betweene thine and their enemies and to get thy selfe a gloryous name and victory in thy due time to thine owne everlasting prayse and glory Oh deere Father perswade our hearts effectually how now at this very day in these fearfull times and extremities of thy poore Church as thou hast beene wont in all former Ages thou seekest out a man that may stand in the breach and how thou lookest for some that may specially bee singled out hereunto to helpe thee and thy poore people Vouchsafe good Lord that every one of us may strive to bee if not that one man yet as some one of Gedeons three hundreth And to this end that all these holy Meditations following and the like may be in our hearts continually That we may never rest untill hereby wee may know assuredly that
in new spoyles How all this which is charged upon them in this behalfe was most apparant in this one thing that heereby they had got into their hands most of the pleasantest fartest things of the Land to uphold their kingdome and to support their wickednesse and so all other their delusions evident by most notorious discoveries remayning uppon perpetuall record to all posterity Lord at length make them and all sorts wisely to understand before it bee too late that if the continuall practise of Sodommy Whoredome Murder Lying Robbing swallowing up whole Nations and all under a clâ—…ake of devouon and piâ—…y could demonstrate a religion most abhominable and accursed then surely Popery must needs bee it That this was then a chiefe part of that Babylon which is called the mother of whoredomes and abhominations of the earth and that in the fâ—…ll hereof was a part of that vengeance verified That Babilon is falne it is falne and is become an habitation of devils a hold of all foule Spirits when as the most of them were afterwards hanted with devils in one roome or other of them Good Lord cause them moreover to bethinke themselves how evidently of the contrary as if it were from heaven and how mightily thou hast maintained proclaimed thy sacred truth and convinced them all and all the whole land concerning the evidence of thy religion professed amongst us by the blood of so many learned and most faithfull Martyes yea by so many of thy Prophets and worthy Preachers in every part of our land so many learned writers unanswerable Make them and all of us to lay to heart at length what they can answer into thee who â—…ast discovered froÌ„ time to time such so many most barbarous and unnaturall 〈◊〉 eyther done or intended by their Iesuites and Seminary Preists and other of that religion and especially to be the fruits of their religion and the practise of their owne grounds and principles Such continuall plotting attempting and practising of murdering of Princes â—…sion of States butchering even their owne friends and kinsmen desolating their owne native Countryes mercilesse massacring old and young noble and ignoble men women and children Lord cause them and all sorts ever to keepe in memory that which was so much triumphed of by them before the victory that outragious insolent and most savage invasion of this our Nation and at the time of a treaty about a marriage and amity chiefly managed by her owne children and native subjects deluded by the principall Fathers and spreaders of that religion Oh let that hellish Powder treason ever be before our faces that wickednesse unto which no name can ever bee found out meete and sufficient to expresse it or able to set forth the nature of it That which was so compact of all the principall workes of the devill both lying murdering and all kinds of cruelty that thou Oh Lord madest them themselves to be trumpeters and publique proclamers by it of the abhominable iniquity of that accursed religion whereby it was contrived and managed and that they themselves should shew to all nations that it is come out of the bottomlesse pit and the very principall religion of Sathan in all the world under such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of holinesse Lord give all thy servants grace wisely to consider of these things and to thinke how fearfull it is not onely for them who adjoyne themselves or turne to a religion of such abhominations but even for us all who have bene so warned thereof so many waies and that from thine owne Majesty in such aboundant compassion and by so many infallible evidences that wee through our negligence in our severall places have suffered it so to grow up againe â—…s thus to indanger us by it and our whole Nation yea even all the Church and people of the Lord besides the dishonouring and provoking thy heavenly Majesty to the uttermost Oh gracious God make them and uâ—… all wisely to consider the wonderfull Testimonyes which thou hast contraâ—…ly granted to thy Gospell in the miraculous continuance of it preservation of our Princes and us with all our peace notwithstanding so innumerable stratagems to have taken them away for so many yeares together how these have beene as infallable arguments of thy favour and love towards us for thy Gospell sake and for thy faithfull servants amongst us as the like were tokens of thy favour towards Iudah or Ierusalem Oh make us to call to mind how many a time thy people amongst us have even wondered at our incredible deliverances and preservations with the defeating of their new hopes and long expected daies and also the new and almost continuall discoveries of their wicked intendments which even they themselves at this day so many as iâ—… whom 〈◊〉 the light of nature 〈◊〉 doâ—… acknowledge and wonder at the miraculous oâ—…turning of all theâ—… counsels to worâ—… for us and against themselves 〈◊〉 this â—…ery day so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 and watchfull eye over us hatred of their wickedâ—… Wherefore Oh blessed Father we humbly in-treat thee to great unto us al true repentance for this amongst all other our fearfull and crying sinnes daily 〈◊〉 up more and more the 〈◊〉 of thine Anoynâ—… our 〈◊〉 Soveraigne with all other in high place and chiefe authority under him and all thy faithfull Ministers and whomsoever it specially concernes to labour that our sinfull Land may be fully purged of it and the evils prevented which thou threatnest against us by the increase and spreading of it Grant that thus wee all joyntly and generally setting thee up in our hearts to worship and adore and to receive thy sacred religion alone may utterly extirpate and abolish all conceite of giving thy honour and soveraignty to that man of sinne or setting up his Idolatry or superstition in place thereof That so wee may remayne thine owne obedient people that thou mayest likewise continue our most gracious God and loving Father and so our most watchfull protector for ever and mayest never repent of the good that thou hast done or further intended towards us but mayest thus make us a most blessed and happy nation and people amongst whom thou alone mayest solely relgne untill thy blessed Sonne shall come in the clouds that then all we who are thine may reigne with thee in the highest heavens for â—…vermore 〈◊〉 us oh most gracious God hâ—…erein and in all other things needfull for us or for any member of the whole Church for our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Amen XIIII An earnest prayer that the Lord would open the eyes of our brethren and sisters seduced by the Iesuites and other Seminary Priests that they may plainly see how palpably they are and have bene deluded by them in what a fearfull estate they all stand under Sathan and Antichrist and may speedily get them from under their Tyranny and betake themselves to the banner of
Sonne our onely Mediator and blessed Redeemer and Saviour Amen FINIS Protestants helpes for Deuotion and matters belonging to the stirring up of the same A AVgustines Meditations Allisons Meditations Art of happinesse Abba Father Abrahams Tryall Alphabet of Prayers Anatomy of the Soule Andersons prayers Anker of Faith Art of meditation B Bradfords Meditations Bezaes Prayers Banes Letters Banes his holy helper Banes his spiritual Armour Bifields Marrow Bifields signes of Saluation Bifields signes of a Wicked man Bound of Fasting Banes on true Happinesse Banes his direction Bifields Treatises Bifields Principles Burning bush Boaring of the Eare. Benefit of Affliction Battell between Vertues and Vices Beautifull Baybush C Christian dayly Sacrifice Crashewes prayers Crowne of life Christian watchfulnesse Chaine of Graces Christian mans walke Christian Combat Christian Sacrifice Contemplations 7. parts Converts Catechisme Couenant betweene God and Man Christians Touchstone Conquest of Temptations Combate betweene Man and Death Christian prayers and meditations Conduite of Comfort M. Cusuerweâ—… of â—…aith Christian Armour by M. Gouge Caluins prayers Castle of the soule Conawayes prayers Cases of Conscience Cases of Conscience D Dauids Sling Diamond of Deuotion Daily exercise of a ChristiaÌ„ Deerings prayers Delights of the Saints Discourse of true happinesse Dauids Key D. Duns Deuotion Death subdued Dialogue betweene the Lord and the Soule Dike on the deceiptfulnes of mans heart Dike of repentance Dike of Conscience Dauids Cast. M. Dod on the Commandements M. Dod on the Lords Supper M. Dods houshold gouerment Dents pathway to Heauen Dents sermon on repentance Dauids Vow Defiance to death Dauids repentance Directions to the waters of Life Directions in our dutie to God and man Diuine Meditations E Euery dayes Sacrifice Eye to heauen Enemy to Security Enemy to Atheisme Estate of a Christian. Exercise for Christian Families Exercise of the faithful soule F Fields prayers Foot-path to Faith Lady Fane her Meditations Fountaine or Well of life Flower of godly Prayers Fruite of Faith Freemans Comfort G Glasse of Vainglory Grounds of Diuinity Grounds of Religion Granadoes Meditations Godly Garden Godly mans assurance Garland of godly Flowers Garden of spirituall Flowers Gods Husbandry Growing in grace Golden Chain by M. Rogers Gouernance of vertue Garden of Felicity H Helpe to Deuotion Hundred heavenly thoughts Heavenly progresse Heavenly Mansion Handful of wholsome hearbs Harbour of Christianity I Imitation of Christ 3. parts Iewell for Gentlewomen Ioy of a good Conscience K. Kings Bath Key of Knowledge Kings Psalmes L Linacars Consolations Life death of M. Stubbs Learne to liue Learne to dye Load starre of life Love of God Life of Religion Lampe of Virginity M Manuel of Prayers Markes of Salvation Meditations and Vowes Martyrs Prayers Melancthons Prayers Marlorats Prayers Markes of Gods Children O Oyle of Scorpions P Practice of Pietâ—… Practice of Christianity Practice of Quietnesse An Inuitation to prayer and the practice of Piety Poore mans rest Poesie of Prayers Pensiue mans practice Princes Prayers Pilgrimes profession Pathway to Paradise Practice of the faithful Pathway to Salvation Pathway to Felicity Pearle of the Gospell Preservatiue against sinne M. Perkins his Treaties Pars Grounds Perfect path to Paradise Path to penitency Progresse to piety Poore mans Pater nostey Pomander of Prayers Paradise of the Soule Pathway to please God Precious Pearle Poore mans Staffe Q Queene Katherines Prayers R Righteous mans evidence Reward of Religion Rocke of Religion Resolves divine Rogers seven Treatises Right godly rules Rosary of Christian Prayers S Sicke mans Medicine Sanctuary of a trobled Soule Supplication of Saints Seaven helpes to heaven Scudder on the Lords prayer Spirituall detraction Simpson on the Psalmes Simeons Sacrifice Suttons Meditations Safegard of the Soule Sicke mans Salve Solace of the Soule Soules watch Spirituall Garden Samuels encounter Samuel Smiths Workes Saints by Calling Ship of Salvation Sacrifice of a Christian soule Seven sobs of a sorowful soule Shield of Salvation Sampsons Prayers Sicke mans Comfort T True Watch. Twines prayers Topsels Meditations Treasure of Gladnesse Triall of Faith Trumpet of the Soule Lad Tirwits prayers Troubled mans Medicine Treatise of Conscience FINIS ¶ See more concerning all these following in M. Maunsels Catalogue dedicated to Queen Elizaebeth imprinted An. Dom. 1595 and sundry others since not mentioned HElpes for suffering adversity and affliction Pag. 2. Preparatiues against Apostacie 4. Col. 2 Catechismes Pag. 28. Col. 2 Treatises and helpes for keeping the Ten Commandements Pag 35. Col. 2 Confessing of Christ. Pag. 37. Col. 2 Treatises of Conscience with comforts for an afflicted Conscience 37. col 2 Treatises of the Creed for helpes for our faith Pag. 40. Col. 2. Helpes against the feare of death how to dye well Pag. 42 Helpes against desperation pag. 43 Directions for a Christian life 44 Of the end of the world and the second comming of Christ. 47 Exercises for a Christian Family and a Christian life pa. 48 Helpes for true Fasting 49 Spirituall preservatiues against the Pestilence 59 Imitation of Christ. 62 Prayers 83 Of Repentance 90 Helpes for preparation vnto the Sacraments of the Lords Supper 93 Holy Sermons in print a multitude 96 Comforts for the sicke 107 108 True Confession of sinne 108 Restitution of a sinner ibid. Of good workes and exhortation to them Pag. 113. ¶ A Table of the particular Meditations of each of the seuen generals 1. Generall Meditation HOw our Saviour looks for some to helpe him in the deliverie and saving of his church and what things are necessary for euery such a helper to know Pag. 12. 2. Generall Meditation 2 Of the present necessitie of this worke and of the lively feeling thereof and how the Lord cals all sorts thereunto 7 Heere in these particular Meditations 1. Concerning the calamities and dangers of our Brethren in all places and those which are threatned towardes our selues with the chiefe meanes of delivery and preservation from them pag. 9 2 How God hath beene wont to get himselfe glorie in saving his Church by Princes and Governours pag. 13. 3 How as Sathan Antichrist have set themselves to fight against Christ and his Kingdome so our Saviour hath ordained Kinges and Princes to hold up his Scepter and to defend and protect his subiects Gospell pa. 15 4 How Sathan and Antichrist set up themselves to bee obeyed and to destroy all out of the earth who seeke to obey Christ truely pag. 18 5 Concerning the innumerable miseries which our Brethren indure being deprived of the outward comforts of this and the better life and how nâ—…e the like may be to us pag. 20. 6 Concerning the general sinnes of the Churches so provoking the Lord and namely the generall abuse of the Gospel and blessings accompanying it and that our sinnes are of all others most heynous for the same pag. 23 7 How Satan exerciseth all his power and tyranny against the Churches spiritually like as he doth outwardly pag. 50 8 How the Kingdom and Glory are our Christs how
14 15. Matt. 6. 7. Our devotions what in generall Their devotions of what sort a See their bookes of their chiefe devotions as they are called by Master Gâ—…E who was best acquainted with them b See their Letanies to our Lady in that booke and namely that sung at the intended â—…panish invasion Their more profound meditations and devotions 2 Thess. 2. 4. 2 Thess. 2. 4. Apoc. 13. 11. c. 14 15 16 17. Scope of all their dâ—…votions Esa. 1. 13. Comparing of them together Particular comparing of them for more evidence 1 Tim. 4 8. Col. 2. 23. Deut. 4. 2. 22. 32. Prov. 30. 6. Apoc. 22. 18. 1 Tim. 4. 1. Iam. 1. 17. Iob 22. Esa. 4. 4. Apoc. 8. 3. Matth. 6. Prov. 19. 2. Rom. 4. end Matth. 6. 7. Rom. 8. 34. 1 Tim. 2. 5. Apoc. â—… 3. Conclusion of this second point 2 Thess. 2. 11 12. The third part of the delusion that they spend more time in their devotions than we in ours Rhâ—…m on Rom. 3. vers 22. sect 7. Mat. 12. 33. Esa. 1. 15. 1 Ioh. 3. 15. Esa. 1. 12. Psal. 50. 16. Iam. 16. 7. Iust complaint against the greatest part of those who prosesse the Gospell Conclusion The further manifestation of that assumption which fully demonstrated all must renounce Popery or be professedly of Sathans Religion Seâ—… Watch Part 3. pag. 340. The Syllogisme grounded upon our Saviours owne words How the Lord manifested the truth of this Assumption that this is their doctrine * Now L. â—… of Licâ—…field Part 3. c. 11. p. 340 341. The Lord himselfe also daily more and more manifesting the truth of it to leave all the obstinate more without excuse Seâ—… the book intituled An admirable discoverie of an horrible attempt standerously â—…hered upon them of Rochell See Foot out of the Snare pag. 25. All their Doctrines lies in hypocrisic 2 Tim. 4. 2. Appeale for the truth of the Assumption Appeale for the evidence of sundrie Consectaries Luk. 11. 23. Ezek. 33. 7 8. * I could wish them all other of the simpler sort to read such little treatises as shew how Popery is against the main grouÌ„ds of Religion and first principles of the Catechisme as namely a little booke called a pill to purge out Popery with the shifts of the Iesuits by Master MVLLâ—…N and the like Request to all opponents Acts 9 5. See Peters enlargement concerning the power of faithfull praier 2 Thess. 1. 7 8 9 10. Psal. 34. 15. Psal. 10 17. 18. Esay 65 24. Iames 1 6. Iames 5 16. 17. 1â—… 2 Kings 2 12. 2 King 13 14. Iob 22 21 22. 3â—… Psal. 9 16. Psal. 50 16 17 To meditate Esay â—…9 26 c. 63. 3 4 5 How our Saviour hath bene wont to look for some to helpe his Church in all her extremities His usual maner then to find out some to stand in the breach and by whom he migat shew himself gloriously for it As Ioseph Some to bee helpers by their prayers and teares Iob 22. â—…0 These henow lookes for Euery one must needes desire to bee of this little number Iude 5 23. Iudg. 7 7. Yet everyone is not fitted for this service Our Saviour hath taught whom they â—…ust be To mediâ—…ate in the second place of the necessitie of seruent prayer at this time aboue all former 3. What a one hee must be 4. How his prayers must be framed 5. The power of such prayers 6. All other unmeet 7. How yet every one must endevour to be an helper To see the necessitie of this dutie by considering 1. The estate of the Churches 2. How the Lord cals for our helpes in teaching us to cry Our Father Our Father which art c. 1. To lay to heart the calamities aud perils of all the churches and people of God at this instant 2. Pet. 1. 4. 2 To seeke to prevent or mitigate the displeasure of our heavenly father To consider how God hath ordained Kings Queenes for nurses to his church Esay 49 23. And the praiers of his people so to incline their hearts 2 Tim. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. Hallowed be thy name As the Lord hath been wont to glorifie his name by Kings and Princes saving his Church so we may now expect If we can give Christ glory in our repentance And the ra ther for that the enemie seeketh to trample his glory under feete Thy kingdome come How the enemies set themselves against Christ. How they have prevailed Resolued to proceed That Antichrist may fit again as God in his Temple That as they thus seeke to lead Christ his armies captives That he hath ordained Kings to hold up his Scepter Apo. 17. 16 17 And to make the whore desolate 4. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen How Sathan Antichrist seeke onely to be obeyed To destroy out of the earth all who obey the lord Nothing but the power of our Lord Iesus Christ of his Vicegerents to hinder it How difficult for us to lay these things to heart And for them who are vnder the triall to submit themselues That we may more commiserate them Giue us this day our daily bread To bring our hearts to a feeling of their miseries Both bodily To thinke how neere the like may be to us How we have deserved to drinke more deeply then any other How we hale on these How the Lord hath hitherto preserved us by Kings and Princes Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us To bring our hearts to a sense of the sinns so provoking the Lord. Chiefly carnal gospeling That the Lord hath is stil so fearfully proceeding for these sins according to the denunciation in his blessed Law Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. Our sinne in not submitting our selvs and seeking to pacific the Lords wrath who hath so 〈◊〉 and so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 that hee might spare us By his Messengers By mercies iudgements Wonderfull preservation deliverances That our sins are so overspred committed with so high a hand Wee worse notwithstanding so many tokens of Gods displeasure No warning serving us To take their miseries oâ—… our owne perils to heart To labor for a feeling That wee are the men prin cipally devoted to destruction Most enâ—…yed by the enemies of the Church Our sinne of carnall Gospelling greater then of other Churches not onely shewing forth But so much denying all power of godlinesse Ashamed to be noted for more carefull profession Causing gods enemies to blaspheme Our sinne increased to the uttermost by our turning against Christ Iesus as against our greatest enemy Though hee haue so uiâ—…ibly protected us This 〈◊〉 apparent that we so many of us seeme deadly to hate all power of godlinesse Manifest in all the odious names wherewith it is branded Not to rest till we have brought our hearts to a seeling of our sins and hovv they are encreased That nothâ—…g keepes bâ—…ck his vengeance but his inâ—…init
mercy And the crie of his servant Which are haue bene so hated 2 Chron. 36. Nothing can give us any true security but our unfeigned repentance Till this nothing but expectation of some dreadfull scourge The remooving of our Candlesticke heavier then all other outward iudgements how we deserve it And to have their Idolatry set up Knives at oâ—… throats Some of these to be feared for want of performance of ouâ—… Coâ—…so oft renewed by vs As in 〈◊〉 Fasts since The peaceable bringing in of our gracious Soveraigne At our deliverance from the hellish Furnace So many wayes witnessed How these must either worke the performance of our promises or arme the Lord against us Not to rest till we have brought our hearts to consider our dissimulation with the Lord. Psal. â—…07 6. 12. 19. â—…3 That we are now so farre further off from repentance That all begin to be almost out of hope oâ—… it How Iudah went further then we Even to a generall renewing the covenant outwardly Yet starting backe The Lord brought that Captivitie Notwithstanding all other meanes of their security To be thinking of the removing the Candlestick from other Churches Though God spare the wâ—…ole at the 〈◊〉 of â—…is deerest Yet everie particular soule not turning and helping must perish Kings Princes ordained and used to bring Gods people to repentance As by Moses c. As by Moses c. To pray therfore as for all of them so chiefly for our dâ—…ead Soveraigne That all may inquire wisely into the causes of all â—…heir evils That all is from the lord to bring us to repentance that hee may spare us And he may take our caus in hand By seeing how our sin is increased And our dangers And by inquiring the meanes to pâ—…isie the wrath And setting themselves to the speedy execution thereof To labour to prevaile for all herein cheefly for our dread Soveraigne bringing thus the greatest deliverance by his hand Lâ—…ad us not into temptation bâ—…t deliver us from evill To Meditate how Sathan having gotten the Church into the wildernes there exerciseth his tyrany on it Sathan seekes to cause all Gods people to fall away or to dissemble for fearâ—… by their miseries To provoke the Lord more against them Or to doubt of Gods favor soundnesse of their religion or faith Or whether they haue any Faith Thence to melancholy distempers To accuse themselves falesly The effect of the right Meditation of these How iustly God may leave Sathan to stand up against us as against Israel Euen against all the Churches but us pâ—…ially How Sathan roares uppon the Churches See Statesmysteries of the Iesuites The earth hitherto caused to helpe the Church Iust feare left our course should bee comming thorow Sathans wonderfull prevailing The right Meditation heereof will make us to cry loude Leade us not c. The fourih branch All the miserâ—…es of the Church chief ly from the Dragon Pastors and Watchmen ordained to preserve Gods Children to bee stirred up heer â—…unto at their cries They that cannot cry to be delivered from the tempter to helpe to deliver their brethreÌ„ must endure all miserie with him For thine is the Kingdome c. To meditate That the Kingdome is our Christs Apoc. 11. 15. Sathan Antichristâ—… sight onely against him Apoc. 16. 23. 24. How they have sent forth their croaÌ„king frogs To stir up all to battle against Christ Iesus To thrust him out of his throne And to destroy all his people We may iust ly thinke this the battle of the great day That though the Lord thus permit them to prevaile to harden them to pursue his people into the Sea Yet there he will get himselfe the victory When his people shall cry unto him Though there be mighty Kings against him and for Antichrist Yet the Lambe sâ—…all over come them That they shall give their power to the Lambe to make the Whore desolate To provoke our selves to more instant crying for the full accomplishment of this To consider how the whore is discovered to all 〈◊〉 mysteries of the Iesuits Layed forth to be visibly beholden of all to be of Sathan by his cheefe workes viz. lying and murther Received her deaths wound by her owne hands in the Powder treason And will fall being spent by her owne violent and bloody rage 4. branch That our Saviour hath clearly foreshewed her destruction of all who receive her marke Revel 19. Made the hoast of heaven to reioyce thereat Made proclamation to all to come to be inriched by her spoiles 5. branch That he will destroy every one that is not on his side Amen To reioyce that Christ is that everlasting Amen Who will performe every word which he hath spoken And is comming quickly After our seeing the order which the Lord takes in saving his Church and necessitie of prayer to be carefull we be such as the Lord calleth to helpe him Our certaine direction by the Lords prayer Our Father That having Christs call in our eares We make sure we be the true children of our heavenly Father by the true marks thereof 2. Pet. 1. 4. The first branch of this meditation more particularly to make this sure That we may not deceive our selves herein we are to thinke What ones we are by nature 1. Cor. 15. 47. Eph. 2. 2. Iohn 8. 44. Eph. 2. 3. 2. What ones we must be by grace 3. That we never rest in using the meanes untill we be such In regard of our miserable estate we stand in till then And more for the horror which will come oâ—… us when our consciences shall be awaked And our blessed estate of the contrary when can we finde our selves Gods Children Meanes cheeâ—…y the word and prayer For obtaining the principall graces Repentance Faith In ouâ—… repentance to 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Change 4. If such yet to labour to increase in our assurance in walking before him in more hprightnes Two lessons to be ever in memory to this end 1. That there is but one narrow way of life Iâ—…numerable leading to destruction 2. That one directed onely by Gods word The generall whereof is comprized in the Catechisme For Faith Conuersation Helpes in ouâ—… iourney the Sacraments For more strength so to walke earnest prayer 5. To pray thus for our Brethren as well as our selves that they may have the same assurance and so manifest themselves for their heavenly Father and for the good of all their Brothren as we doe To remember al ioyntly 6. To pray more specially for all in authority As in Gods owne place For the succour comfort of all the rest of their Brethen Bearing his owne name and ordained for this end Esay 49. That they may chiefly be indued with all excellent graces As in the first ranke Better to provoke all the rest And chiefly those peculiar to their places That we may performe all duties to them of honour Obedience Thankfulnes Therein those three Acknowledgment Hearty
affections Instant prayers That they may be able to walke in their particular callings as before the Lord as living Lawes Furnished with all guifts for managing the same happily 1. For promoting Gods religion 2. Procuring the wealth of his people Exo. 18. 〈◊〉 Next unto Magistrates to pray for all in any eminency Whereby they may doe any speciall service That their hearts be not lift up 2. Chro. 32. 25. 26. But contrarily â—…hore humbled That they may imploy all carefully as their talents committed to that end Hallowed be thy name Never to rest untill we can onely seeke Gods honour And be zealous for it to set it forth And mourne for all the dishonours done unto him as Moses Exo. 32. 31. 32. Num. 14. 13. 17. Thy kingdome come Not to rest till â—…e can most earnestly seeke the comming of Christs kingdome 1. Of Grace 2. Of Glory Desiring the spreading of his Gospell c. Onely for his honor Not resting â—…ll we feele him reigning in our hearts And can mourne for all the despight done to him And Sathans prevailings With all the wickednesse committed against him Thy will bee done That we are wholly set for the knowledge and execution of of Godâ—… will And receiuing thankfully whatsoever triall from his hand Mourning to see his Commandements trampled under foote Give us this day our daily 〈◊〉 Not to rest untill we can in Faith whol ly depend upon our heavenly Father And able to cry for our Brethren Ready to communicate unto them For give us our trespasses as c. That we feele our sins a burthen To drive us to Christ. Having some true feeling of the sins of the Churches which have so provoked the Lord. To try for forgivnesse so for unfeigned repentance to all the Churches That we he such as have a continuall heavinesse in our hearts for the sinneâ—… whereby our heavenly Father is so provoked Such as can forgive and pray for our enemies Lead us not inâ—…o temptation Not to rest untill we have brought our selves in awe To watch pray continually that we fall not into temptation That we doe not onely see our owne danger But also mourne for the prevailingâ—… of Sathan and Antichrist For thinâ—… is the kingdome c. Such as have learned the song of the foure and twenty Elders Rev. 5. 13. And sing the same in our soules Or mourne for our faylings Able to sound Amen in assurance of obtaining Having not onely the first fruites in all graces but indeavouring to grow continually To Meditate That our prayers be framed according to our Saviours direction so neere as we can Then he will make them powerfull 1. That we pray onely to our heavenly Father in the name of Iesus Christ. Without the least looking at our selves or any other creature That we ayme onely at Gods glory not resting till our harts be inflamed with the zeale therof That Christ onely may raigne in all the world For that then we have a certaine assurance of all other things Mat. 6. 33. This is a chiefe fayling of all Gods people In looking more at our selves then his heavenly Maiesty Though he hath directed us that this should be all in all Hag. 1. Want of this deprives of many blessings That we seeke the doing of his heavenly will chiefly for his glory kingdome That for these ends we may do it as the Angels doâ—… To seeke bread chiefly for these ends That we may live onely to his heavenly Maiesty 5 To seeke forgivnesse of our sins to these ends that they may not hinder his mercies But he may heare us in al things concerning his owne glory our good 6 And that he will save us from Sathan that we may live to honor him 7 All still for his glory for his Church That he may be glorified in us we with him To Meditate how the foure former performed aright we shal be assured of this viz. to be heard So praying ioyntly he will give a witnesse to each soule and set to his seale that he is our Father Rom. 8. Shew him selfe to us all from heaven to be our Father Though he more humble us first 2. That he wil also shew us his glory for his Church more then ever formerly in this last age Now that it is so opposed For maintaining his owne great name And getting himselfe a glorious victory This we may expect he will do by themselves To their confusion happiness of his How he will then give us assurance of his kingdome to come with power Ruinate the kingdome of Sathan and Antichrist Luke 10 18. Consume Antichrist Cause the new Ierusalem to come from heaven as a Bride prepared to meete her Husband Apoc. 22. And all in such sort as he hath foretold Thy will bee done c. He will then fulfill whatever not yet accomplished concerning his enemies or his servants And put new chearfulness into all the hearts of his to do all his will Gâ—…ve us this day our dasly bread How hee will deliver his people from all their miseries Feede them from heaven Recompensing them double Forgive us our trespasses as c. To meditate How then he will forgive the sinnes of all his people Make us see our pollutions And the fountaine open to uâ—… all Zach. 13. â—… And to long after it Iohn 5 3. How he wâ—…l then make our Repencance sound Acts. 9. 6. Put his Law in our minds c. Icr. 31. 33. Cause us to forgive and pitty one another Esay 11. 6. Leaâ—… us not into temptation To meditate how then he will restraine the tempter Dissolve his workes Discover his depths of wickednesse Against all nations 2. Tim. 3 â—… How the Kings of the earth who have given their power to the Beast have been deluded Apo. 9. 3. 4. c. 16. 13. â—…4 How he 〈◊〉 then cause their inchantments to 〈◊〉 How all deceivers shall curse their Gods and gâ—…aw their tongues Numb 23. 23. How Christ will be then wonderfull in saving his Church Hester 3. 7. State mysteryes For thine is the kingdome c. To meditate how Christ will then declare his Soveraignety And get himselfe glorie upon his proudest enemies Making all their counsels power to serve him How he will then maniseft that all the enemies have fought against him This will cause all to acknowledge his Soveraignty Rom. 14 His Angels Saâ—…hts to sing Halleâ—… Apoc. 19 6. Apo. 7 11 〈◊〉 Amen Neuer to give over our Meditations and prayers untill we can by them 〈◊〉 â—…n Faith Amen reioycing triumphing in our assurance to bee heard in all Reasons of our assurance from his 1. Commandements 2. Promises 3. Inclining preparing our hearts To meditate How al other are excluded First As All living securely excluded 2 All who do not in commiseration come to help him and his poor church Reasons All such must be separated at the last day 2. All excluded living in any one gross sinne
sathan and Antichrist fight against him and his Church for his cause onely and therefore are sure to be overthrowne pag. 59 9 How our Lord Iesus is that everlasting Amen and comming quickely for the reioycing of his Church pag. 67 The third generall Meditation 3 What manner of ones wee must bee whom the Lord now calleth and whom he will accept and admâ—…t to bee his helpers in this Worke and whose Prayers shall be avayleable with him according to our Saviours direction and warrant pag. 68 Heerein these particular Meditations and marks 1 To make sure that we be the true Children of our heavenly Father and the meanes thereunto pag. 72. 2 That we be such as can and use to seeke Gods honour above all other things whatsoever pag. 86 3 That we use to seeke his Honour chiefely in the advancement of the Scepter and Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. pag. 87 4 That we seeke also to honour him â—…ver in the full accomplishment of all 〈◊〉 Heavenly will pag. 89 5 That we bee such as looke unto and depend upon our heavenly Father alone for all good things pag. 91 6 That wee be such as feele our sinnes and infirmities as in heauie burthen and travailing vnder them do flye ever unto Christ. pag. 93 7 That wee endeavour to pray continually Leade us not into temptation pag. 95 8 That we bee such as can and doe use to sing the song of the 24 Elders Glory Honor c. pag. 97 The fourth generall Meditation 4 Concerning the frame and order of our Prayers that they may be well pleasing as wel as our persons and so wee may be more certaine to prevayle thereby when we follow in all things our Saviours direction pag. 100 Heerein these particular Meditations 1 That we pray onely unto our heavenly Father in the name of Christ. pag. 101 2 That above all and in all we ayme at Gods glorie and the advancement of Christs scepter pag. 102 3 That we seeke the dooings of his heavenly will for his glory and kingdome chiefly not for our selves pag. 105 4 That we seeke all things from him alone chiefely that wee may have wherewith to honor him and advance his Kingdome pag. 106 5 That wee seeke forgivenes for the same ends viz. for his glory and Kingdom and that our sinnes doe not hinder his mercies and so likewise deliverance from Sathan and from all evils pag. 108 The fifth generall Meditation 5 The power and efficacy of our Prayers made and performed in all things according to the heavenly patterne pag. 120 Heerein these particular Meditations 1 That when wee can so ' pray he will manifest himselfe our father setting his seale to our soules that hee is our tender father pag. 111 2 How hee will from Heaven shew us his glory when we can pray so and that more then ever in this last Age. 112 3 How hee will then cause his Kingdome to come with power and ruinate the kingdom of Sathan and Antichrist pag. 115 4 How he will then fulfill whatsoeuer is not yet accomplished concerning his enemies or his servants and put new chearfulnesse into our hearts to doc his wil. pag. 116 5 How he will then deliver his people feede them from Heaven and recompence double unto them pag. 118 6 How then hee will cleanse his people from their sinnes and write his Law in their harts pag. 119 7 He will deliver his stocke from Sathan and dissolue all his cursed works discovering the depths of all his wickednesse pag. 122 8 How then he will declare him selfe sole Monarch to whom all glory belongs and cause all to acknowledge his Soveraigâ—…ty pag. 125 9 How we are never to rest till wee can triumâ—… in the assurance of faith crying ioyntly Amen pag. 128 The sixt generall Meditation 6 How all but those who are so qualified as is mentioned are excluded from helping the Lord and do rather pul down Gods wrath upon his Church Herein these particular Meditations 1 How all living securely are excluded hence and so all who doe not in commiseration strive to come to helpe him and his poore Church 131 Reasons heere of to be seriously thought of 1 All such must be separated at the last day 2 All living in any grosse sinne impenitently are excluded hence for that they are blind and deafe pag 1â—…5 3 All the threatnings in Gods Book against such sinnes and sinners are against them not any promâ—…se to them untill they repent and therfore they are excluded pag. 140 4 For that every notorious sinner helpes to pull down wrath on all pag 143 5 All excluded who have not so much compassion of theyr Brethren in their miseries as to be reâ—…d to adventure them selves for them pag 145 6 All but those who can more lay to heart the causes of God and his people then their own pag. 148 7 All reiected who will not cast away their sinne though as deere as their right eyes and receive the love of every part of Gods truth pag. 150 8 All excluded from this service who but incline to any evill in their hearts pag. 152 9 All but they who endevour in all things to be with our Saviour for that none else can be his true disciples pag. 153 2 The second particular Meditation of the sixt general who may with hope and confidence offer themselves onely they who strive in all things to bee so qualified as hee requireth pag. 155 Reasons that onely such can hope to have acceptance heere pag. 157 The 7. generall Meditation 7 That the Lord notwithstanding gâ—…ciously calles all sorts to helpe herein therefore every one who will not strive to bee of this number must perish pag. 165 Reasons shewing that he cals all to helpe if ever they will see his face with ioy pa. 167 Three speciall Meditations to be ouer in our hearts untill wee be of this number pag. 172 1 That the Lord Iesus standes at the heart of euery impenitent sinner to enter inâ—…knocking lowder now then ever heeretofore pag. 172 He knockes at the heart of everie one reading or hearing this or the like admonition offering mercy to them who will admit him in and having infinite wrath against all who will still repel him 175 2 To thinke what it is for a man to forsake his owne happinesse in reiecting Christs gracious call and to ioyne with sathan against him to his endlesse perdition Pag. 178 3 How God sets heerein before the faces of all life death blessing and cursing life to each one hearkning to his call and comming to helpe death to euery one still hardning his heart pag. 188 Conclusion How all the distressed partes of Gods Church do cry to euery one of us to come and helpe them pag. 192 How our Saviour himselfe calls each to come notwithstanding all obiections of vnfitnes or disability with the answer of euery true Christian heart to his call Lord I come I come pag. 195 These with the