increase the same making thy glory the marke wherat to direct all my doings and thy word the rule to kéepe me within the compasse of thy will O Christ heare me O heare me sweet Sauiour which art the Well of life whereof whosoeuer tasteth hee shall neuer see Death Heare me O gracious Redéemer and let me féele inwardly the fruits of my faithfull prayer Amen A Prayer for Loue and Vnitie with all men To liue in loue all men among Giue grace O Christ to old and young LOrd Iesus thou Patterne of true and vnfeined loue yea of loue leading to life euerlasting without whom there can bee no loue or concord amōg men I beseech thee to heare the prayer of me thy poore seruant and that which I aske in spirit vouchsafe to giue me of thy free mercy And because loue is the fulfilling of the Law and the seale of saluation to the consciences of all Christians Furthermore for so much as thou hast commaunded vs to doe good to all men which cannot be vnlesse loue be the lampe to giue vs light I beséech thée to fill my heart with that loue yea to poure that loue abundantly into the hearts of all both old and yong that we may first and principally loue Almightie God the Father thée O Christ the Sonne and the holy Ghost with such a loue as is loath to turne the fauor of God into displeasure his gentlenesse into rigour his mercy into iudgement and his forbearance into vengeance Secondly to loue my Soueraigne Prince whom I am bound in conscience to obey to loue my superiors to loue mine equals to loue mine inferiors to loue mine enemies Finally to loue all and hate none that by this meanes I may dwel in God the Fountaine of loue who of méere loue for the saluation of the soule of man sent thee O my Sauiour into the world to suffer death vp on the crosse euen in the face of his enimies and persecutors Grant this O Christ to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all praise and glory for euermore Amen A Prayer for the hearing and true vnderstanding of the word of God To heare thy word and liue therein Vs to renew O Lord begin LIghten my heart O Lord GOD with the lampe of thy holy and blessed word which is the weapon of euery true Christian souldier and the sword of the spirit to cut off all the temptations of the Diuell the world and the flesh if it be vsed according to thy wil O Lord which art the giuer and author of the same And for so much O Lord as thy worde is the rule whereby wée are bound to direct all our doings and the square whereat to frame the whole course of our life I beséech thée to circumcise my heart that all carnall cogitations and thoughtes expelled and driuen out I may betake my selfe wholy vnto the reading hearing studying folowing of thy word which is the food of our soules the comfortable bread which killeth hunger and the pleasant drinke which quencheth thirst not the hunger thirst of the body against the which it hath pleased thée to prouide most healthfull remedies but the hunger and thirst of the soule which are no way else asswaged but by the vertue and heauenly working of thy word This word O Lord vouchsafe to make florish and fruitifie in vs that thereby wee may bée wonne to the worshipping of thée in true feare vnfained faith and perfect holinesse of life through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen A Praier to God for forgiuenesse of manifold and grieuous sinnes My heart vncleane Lord circumcise And make my soule thy sacrifice IN sinne O Lord was my conception in sinne my education in sinne the whole course of my life Nothing is cleane and vnspotted in mée nothing is sound nothing perfect nothing holy nothing sanctified I am full of sinne and iniquitie my thoughts desires are attainted with sinne my labours and handy works are defiled with wickednes my words and communications are tempered with the leauen of iniquity my hart is corrupt putrified there is nothing sound in me but all mine entrails are infected and poysoned with sin the high way to euerlasting shame death and condemnation O miserable wretch that I am to whom shall I run for succour To whom shall I make my sorrowes knowne Before whom shall I powre my plaintes Art not thou the Samaritane which with the oyle of mercie souplest my festered woundes Art not thou the good Sephearde which bringest home the straying Shéepe to the shéepefold Art not thou the good Captaine which fightest in defence of thy Souldiers O yes Lord thou art euen he and doubtlesse had not the oyle of thy mercy healed my filthy Botches had not thy hand fetcht me home to the flocke had not thy loue and grace ouer shadowed me in danger I had rotted in my filthinesse I had perished in my wandering and I had béen vtterly ouerthrowne in combate O Lord my God circumcise my heart and clense it from all euill thoughts deuises imaginations consentes to sinne Sanctifie my soule renew my spirit and garnish mée with the garment of regeneration that I may become a swéete smelling sacrifice before thée a sacrifice of acceptable incense a sacrifice of holines righteousnes so shall I prayse thée in the assemblie of the iust extoll thy glorious name among thy people Amen A Prayer for to be setled in the Truth Thy Truth send downe Lord from aboue And giue me grace the same to loue ACcording to thy louing kindnesse O Christ heare the praiers of thy seruant that request which Hope inboldeneth mee to make vouchsafe in mercy to grant And because the Deuill is the father of all falshood and lying and thou the fountaine of all truth and righteousnes as thou saiest of thy selfe I am the Way the Truth and the Life therefore I beseech thee O gracious God Sauiour to plant in me the Trueth without the which all entrance into heauenly ioy is stopt vp to banish out of my heart which by nature is a nest of wickednesse all maner of sinne resisting the Truth And for so much as Truth is a pearle of price and a Iewell of great value to the godly the ornament of the faythful and the treasure of the true Christian therefore I beséech thée O Christ giue me grace to thirst after truth to hunger after the taste of that heauenly foode that my desiring soule may be succoured my longing heart refreshed euen with the fulnes of the same And wheras by nature we are bōdslaues of sinne and by that meanes vtter enemies of truth we beseech thee notwithstanding to make vs partakers of mercy and not of iudgement remembring that thy death and bloodshed paid the price of redemption for all mankinde Thou God of truth heare my prayer and let the suite of me thy poore Seruant come before thy presence and that which I haue asked with
that peace which bringeth blisse Their precious peace perpetuall is The authour of This peace is God Who for our sinnes with vs was od For as we know through Adams fall To God his wrath We were in thrall So that hereby this gaine we got Euen death for life ah hellish lot Our owne misdeedes deserueth death And God who giueth life and breath Suppressing peace became our foe And from the heauens aloft did throw His thunderbolts of fearefull threates And in his heate his sword he wheats Even warriour like to strike vs downe For man doth melt when God doth frowne Thus with the Lord we were at ods Ours was the smart the vengeance Gods Which whiles it did endure and last All hope of peace was gone and past Till he from heauen beholding vs With wrethednesse inclosed thus Prouided in this heauy case T' amend our state by his good grace This he vouchaft to bring to passe A wonderous work of his it was From mercie seate he sent his Sonne At whose corruption peace begunn God did ordaine that Christ should die Vpon a Crosse reard vp on hie By losse of life to purchase peace True Christian comfort to increase Among the Iewes betrayd he fell One of the twelue presumd to sell. For thirtie pence his Maisters life The losse whereof abolisht strife The Iewes did lay on him their hands His limbs and ioynts they bound with hands They scoft and mockt him too too bad Their wish and will on him they laid Vpon the Crosse he made his end His soule to God he did commend This sacrifice God highly pleasd And this his rigorous rage apeasd Heere reconcilement first began And peace was made twixt God and man The price of this most perfect peace Which Christian comfort doth increase Declares thereof the dignitie This peace remaynes immortally This peace confirmd twixt God and vs And true attonement sealed thus That through this Pipe of peace may spout And pleasantly in streames run out Such comfort as in thee doe dweâ—l Which are the fountaine and the well The Conduit and the liuely spring Of euery good and healthfull thing Thus Lord if thou vouchafe to worke Ingratitude which loues to lurke Whithin our heartes them to possesse Shall banisht be by thankfullnesse and we shall praise Iehouah then Grant this O God Amen Amen The Locke to this Conduit A Locke to this Conduit of right doth belong Prouided of purpose substantiall and strong Of this Locke t is needfull Christs sheepe to haue skill That opening this Conduit their hearts they might fill With true ioy and gladnesse with peace and with rest And all kind of comfort that we can request FIrst loue the Lord. who formed thee And like himselfe created thee Loue Iesus Christ who thee redeemd So precious he thy soule esteemd Loue him whose loue with losse of life Twixt God and vs cut of the strife Loue him aboue all earthly treasure And lone with loue most kindly measure Loue thou his Saints and holy ones As of his Church the liuely stones Whose head is he his members they Who hates his Saints doe him betray· Loue thou Gods word his Gospell heare Therein of life are riuers cleare It is the pearle whereby was wrought A wonder worthy dayly thought loue vnto all thy neighbours beare And let thy loue shine euery where To all and some to friend and foe To them that seeke thine ouerthrow Loue all hate none to christ commaunds Herein the Law consistes and standes Loue Strangers well no gaudge them beare Remembring once we strangers were Though Denizons now by Gods good grace His loue restord vs to this place Loue vertuous life and goodnesse seeke And like to Christ learne to be meeke Loue lowlinesse and spit at pride Gods spirit in such will not abide Loue to forgiue and to forbeare This is a signe of Christian feare Thy brothers fault though worthy blame Dissemble thou and hide his shame Thus armd with loue thou mayst be hold Sinne Satan Death our enimies old Shall not haue power to doe thee harme God is thy helpe he is thine arme This is the Locke which thou and I And euery one before we die Ought set vpon our hearts and mindes Where treasure lie of sundry kindes Which Locke if we doe seeke to haue It is not Death nor yet the graue Thou shalt abridge our heauenly blisse In Christ our Conduit kept it is Of all therefore this is the summe If to this Conduit we will comme And thence fetch comfort at our need This is if we to pray proceed And aske of God the things we want Beseeching him the same to graunt For Iesus sake his onely Sonne By loue this worke must be begonne Which if we haue then sure we may Before the Lord approch and pray For otherwise all that we doe Is sinne and death belonges thereto This locke of loue O graunt vs then Sweet Sauiour Christ. Amen Amen The Key to this Conduit A Key to this Conduit of Comfort pertaines Whose vse and due seruice whosoeuer disdaines Aloofe from this Conduit them selues let them keepe Christ is not their Shepheard nor they of his Sheepe This Key therefore learne we to vse and possesse Our Shepheard Christ Iesus then may we confesse FIrst â—now thy selfe but flesh and blood Nay nay but art thou halfe so good Know rather this thou art but dust From Earth thou camst to Earth thou must Know thine estate by Adams fall Exild from life to death in thrall To sinne a slaue to Hell a pray Know this and cast all pride away Knowst thou thy selfe a blast of winde And hearst about a lofty winde Knowst thou thy state to be but nought Thy life a threed but slightly wrought And settest vp the Peacocks plume As though nothing should thee consume This knowledge but fond and vaine A better knowledge doth remaine A knowledge which from God proceedes This knowledge guides our thoughtes and deedes This knowledge shewes as in a Glasse That sinne in vs had brought to passe Eternall death and endlesse paine In Hell where damned soules remaine· This knowledge learnes vs likewise this That albeit we did amisse And kindled Gods consuming ire Yet Christ his blood hath quencht that fire So that this knowledge marked well May be supposed to excell All earthly things which passe away As Flowers in hâ—ate of Summers day This knowledge leades vs to the Lord And makes our willes with his t' accord Know God aright know Christ his sonne Know thou the thing he will haue done Know him that made the heauen and earth Aâ—d fed thee since thy day of birth Know him that giâ—es thee in thy need Conuenient Victuals thee to feed Know him in Christ his Sonne first â—orne The sauiour of our soules forlorne Know God the Father onely wise Know him in heart with faythfull eyes Know him whom heauen and earth obey Whose word ordain'd both night and day The world and all that is therein Are lessons where
we may beginn To learne to know him as he is The God of peace and endlesse blisse None other knowledge is required By this great numbers haue aspired Vnto the top of ioyfull state Such knowledge neuer comes too late Know that to stand in feare and awe Are meanes and wayes to keepe the Law This knowledge is the very Kay Without the which we can not pray No comfort can this Conduit giue Looke for no liquor whiles we liue Vnlesse this Key of Knowledgâ— come That is in briefe to shew the summe Except we know the Lord of Host And Christ his Sonn and th' holy Ghost Our selues our wants and dayly neede And pray in hope that we shall speed Our prayers turne to little good Let this be learnd and vnderstood True knowledge Lord Giue vs therfore Which is the Key to ope the doore Of perfect Prayer gushing out With comforts sweet like to a Spout Beginning at the Conduit head For at the Fountaine it is feed This Knowledge graunt vs Iesus then Say people all Amen Amen The Summe or Conclusion POssesse a good Conscience in running thy race Seeke peace and attonement with Gods diuine grace Let Loue be the Iewell and ioy of thy heart And Knowledge instruct thee to learne what thou art Then enter Gods Temple and there humbly pray In hope what thou crauest to carry away Amen FJNIS Graces to be sayde before and after Meate Before Meate O Lord God heauenly Father Creator and feeder of all liuing creatures we humbly and heartily thanke thee for these thy creatures as pledges of thy fauor for the nourishing of our bodies beseeching thee to sanctifie them vnto vs and vs vnto thy selfe that we receiuing them as from thee our soules may also be nourished and fedde with spirituall Manna from Heauen Amen After Meate WEe thanke thee O Lord God Almighty for satisfying and feeding vs with thy blessing at this all other times sanctifie and blesse vs we beseech thee with thy holy spirit grant that wee being refreshed with these thy cretures may follow our lawfull vocation in thy feare and true obedience that when soeuer we die we may die in thy fauour Amen Before Meate BLesse these thy giftes most gracious God From whom all goodnes springs Make cleane our hearts And feede our soules With good and needfull thinges A thankfull heart renew in vs According to thy will Aboue our strength Lord proue vs not But saue vs from all ill Amen After Meate WEe thanke thee most gracious God for this thy feeding our thirsty Bodies so vouchsafe to feede our silly soules with the bread of eternall life that after this life ended we may ascend where Christ is gone before vs. Amen FJNIS The chiefe Poyntes or summarie Contentes of this Booke FIrst a Prayer for Morning and Euening A Prayer A Prayer for the obteining of Grace For thaÌ„kfulnes to God for his graces gifts For loue vnitie with all men For the hearing true Vnderstanding of the word of God To God for forgiuenes of manifold grieuous sinnes To bee setled in the truth To lead our life according to the will of God To fast and abstaine from sinne For grace to forsake euill to follow that which is good For the assistance of the holy Ghost Against wrath malice For obedience to the keeping of Gods commandements For true hearty repentance To the Lord to turne his wrathful displeasure away from vs. For a cleare and quiet conscience To be zealous in the hearing of the worde of God For a patient mind in trouble In time of prosperitie or aduersâ—tie For patience in time of los of goods or lands A thankes giuing for meate dainke clothing For ayde helpe in all extremities neede Against slaunderous euill tongues For peace in time of Warre or other vexation For deliuerance from foes spirituall temporall Of a penitent soule ouer turned with sin To be fâ—eed from al vices Against vaine delights worldly pleasures Of a penitent sinner lamenting his former life so ill spent Of a sorrowfull sinner laying his heart open praying for a firme faith Desiring mercy forgiuenesse To bee prepared against the houre of death To lead our liues according to the Law and will of God To keepe our tongue from speaking ill To fast pray aright Against wilfull sins snares of Satan For feare of the Lord and loue of his word The Contemplation of a sinner The seauen Petitions of the Lords prayer with a briefe exposition thereof drawne out of holy Scripture The Beliefe of a Christian commonly called The Apostles Creede deuided into twelue Articles and expounded The ten Commandements of Almighty God called The two Tables of the Law expounded by sentences and examples The necessary appurtenances belonging to this Conduit and first of the Cesterne to this Conduit is Conscience The Pipe to this Conduit of comfort is Peace The Locke to this Conduit of Comfort is Loue. The Key to this Conduit of Comfort is Knowledge Godly Graces to be sayd before and after meate FINIS