thou keep'st not strict watch Be much in the exercise of thy Weapons especially the Sword of the Spirit viz. the Word and learn to imitate thy Captain he repels Sathans blows with a Scriptum est It 's written O Christian quit thy â—lf like a man Nay in a word Be in the exercise of all thy Armour least by disuse and disaccustom'dness thereunto thou be to seek when thou shouldst be upon thy Guard Let nothing offend thee neither Prosperity nor Adversity Strength nor Weakness Let not Insidelity prevail over thee He that hath sent thy Captain and given him how shall he not with him freely give thee all things O blessed King and Captain that hath left poor Christians such a Store-house such a Magazine O Christian set upon thy Warfare make use much of that powerful Javelin Prayer Get the art of casting it that in case at any time thou standest in need and be in a strait thou mayst make use of the same And let me caution thee against two things that thou be not too secure in time of thy Peace and Prosperity nor too much careful in time of Trouble and Adversity And now for thy Prosperity and Success thou need'st not be afraid for thy King and Captain will be all in all to thee and for thee So sight on EZEKIEL chap. 37. v. 3. Son of man can these dry Bones Lord Soul The Prayers of a Righteous Man availeth much A broken Heart Mercâ—ntâ— Mori Far well Vaine World A Direction to an Holy Life THough 't is true that never any Man was or can be saved by the Merits of his own Righteousness or Holiness yet 't is as great and as infallible a truth that never any was or can be saved without Holiness Shall I instance The most Righteous Abel the Meekest Moses the most patient Job the Holiest David the Wisest Solomon the Strongest Sampson nay the most Evangelical Prophets and Apostles were they saved by their own Righteousness Nay neither were they saved without their own Righteousness which is palpably evident in Scripture But a little to demonstrate the nature of Holiness It is that that makes us resemble God our Creator and Maker its Nature also is such as that it always aims at God its Center As it is of and from God so it always draws the Soul to God It is a sure guiding Thred to direct the Soul thorow the Nocturnal Labyrinth of a crooked World to the Celestial Canaan of splendid Glory and permanent Happiness Moreover It is Diametrically oppugnant to all Evils in a word It differs â—â—om all Sin and Evil as Light doth from â—arkness What communion has God with Belial And know O Man or Woman whosoever thou art Holiness is indispensably necessary if thou desire to be Happy Wouldst thou be Happy or wouldst thou not Wouldst thou enjoy God or wouldst thou not If thou wouldst not shut and lay by for I do not desire to aggravate thy Torments for know that the Word read or preached will be the savor of Life unto Life or the savor of Death unto Death If thou wouldst be directed in that Narrow Way that leads to Happiness here is a few Directions for thee But methinks I hear thee say How comes it to be of such indispensable necessity to be so holy Answer Of the many Reasons together with Arguments that might be drawn from both Sacred and Prophane Writings I shall prefix only two with some Scriptures 1. The first is Because otherwise there is no appearing before God it â—eing the ordinary way God has appointed Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men â—â—d Holiness without which no Man shall â—ee the Lord. Without Holiness there can undoubtedly be no Happiness without Piety there can be no Purity and without Purity no coming to God for God is one that can behold no unclean thing and without coming to God nothing but misery Moreover he loseth all the advantages in respect of this life in particular that honour that God doth dignifie his people with It is Moses's great Title God gives him viz. My Servant It is in Scripture accounted by the Evangelist John an honour to bear Christ's Shooes much more an honour to suffer for Christ They that honour me I will honour 2. The comforts of this life the pleasures and delights that otherwise he might enjoy I mean not outward but inward pleasures and comforts which are the true Nay in a word Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of this life and that which is to come 2. So long as a man remains going on in a way of impiety and unholiness he is not only kept from the beholding of God's face or countenance in any of God's Ordinances but also he doth more and more every day incur God's wrath displeasure and anger against him Psal 1.11 God is angry with the wicked every day Nay further he ingages himself more and confirms himself to be a Servant of the Devil and so instead of listing himself under the Banner of Christ he lists himself under the Banner of Satan and consequently becomes Col. 1.21 the enemy of God and his ways and not only an enemy but enmity it self Rom. 8.7 and can a man or woman be supposed to be in a good condition whilst at variance with God who is but as chaff before the wind and as stubble before the fire As I said before many Reasons and Arguments to prove the necessity of an holy Life might be drawn from Sacred and Prophane Writings and Arguments even from a Principle of Morality or humane Reason but seeing it is not our design at this time to produce them since so many Worthies have so palpably demonstrated and proved it with invinceable Arguments even as a Cloud of Witnesses we shall only note some few Scriptures which will stop the mouths of the most bloody Noro's tyrannizing Pharaoh's subtle Ahitophel's and persecuting Saul's Heb. 12.14 fore-cited Psal 93.5 Holiness becomes thine house for ever Rom. 6.19 22. 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 3.13 and 4.13 Lev. 5.15 c. But indeed the best Motive to an holy Life is the consideration of the effects of Death of which in its place The first thing that I shall do shall be to give some few Directions in order to an holy Life whereby to get a better and nearer intimacy with God and to ingage the Heart more to love God and God more to love again or rather indeed God to love first and then the heart to love again for God must first love or else we cannot love him God must first work both to will and to do of his own good pleasure After acquaintance with God to keep up holy communion with him the first and best way will be to improve this acquaintance as much as in us hes for sure I am that though a man have attained to a competent knowledge of the things of God and hath found some Beams of God's radient love breaking out and breathing
punishment was greater than the punishment of Sodom O holy Lord open mine Eyes that I may see the evil of that sin for whom Young Men and Virgins were slain with the Sword the Virgins were trodden down as in a Wine-press O give me chastity of mind and purity of heart and let the inward man have the chief adorning Let me be adorned with that modesty and shamefastness that becomes those that profess the Gospel of Christ not with embroidred Garments and costly Apparels Help me to consider that there is no communion betwixt Light and Darkness Sin and Holiness Help me to live to that end for which I was created Help me always to bear in mind my Creator in the days of my Virginity that I may mark thy Law to do it O preserve me from the ways of sin and let death and judgement put me in mind of the great work I have to do that I may so act in this life as that I may live for ever hereafter with thee in Heaven in eternal bliss purchased by the precious Blood of Christ to whom be glory for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer MOst great and powerful Lord God whose ways are in the deep Seas and paths in the deep Waters and whose Footsteps are not known yet sets the bounds and limits of the raging Sea and sayest Hitherto shalt thou go and no farther and raiseth a storm and allayeth it let thy good providence keep me in the middest thereof and though the Sea rageth and roareth yet let thy everlasting strength environ and surround me so that I may be hid and be safe and being safe I may both with heart and soul sing forth his praise that hath been graciously pleased to preserve me amidst the tempests of the raging Seas but most of all I earnestly desire thee that thou wouldst keep me from the roaring rage of Sin and Sathan and as thou boundest the Sea so bind up Sathan that he may not be able to do me any harm that he may not tempt me to do any thing that may bring dishonour to thy Name either by distrust or otherwise O let me discern much of thy self O Lord in the Depths that I may bless thee in thee Land of the Living When Mans Wisdom and Power faileth stand thou up and deliver thy Servant when the Billows and Storms are raging do thou quell them so shalt thou rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant and at last bring me to the desired Haven for thy Sons sake to whom be everlasting strength ascribed for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer after a safe Voyage MOst powerful Lord God thou art the powerful preserver of thy Creatures thy power is not limited and thou art the same yesterday to day and for ever thy hand is not shortened thou savest both by Sea and Land thou that savedst Israel of old by bringing them thorow the Red Sea thou hast preserved me amidst all the Billows of raging Waves of the immense Ocean thou never failest those that trust in thee O let thy mercies engage me to praise thee that I may cry out Come and I will tell you what the Lord has done for my Soul and let this great deliverance enjoyn me to trust God for the future in the greatest of straits O help me to praise thee whilst I have any being O Let my Soul praise thee for this experienced mercy Open my mouth Lord and fill it with praises that I may sing unto the mighty God of Jacob the Redeemer of Israel O give me the Spirit of praises that I may extol the name Jehovah O Lord help me to love thee more every day and admire that Love that thou hast shewn and dost shew unto me every day O govern my affections words and actions and help me so to stear my course as that I may at length be brought to the Haven in Canaan for Christs sake alone the Strength of my Salvation and Hope Amen The Widdows Prayer MOst holy Lord thou art the fountain of all Comfort and God of all Consolation and changest not all the comfort of thy sorrowful Hand-maid is in thy self thou art able to make up all the losses and breaches thy providence has made O supply all that comfort thou hast taken away and thou that hast promised to be a Father to the Fatherless and an Husband to the Widdow be a Father to my Fatherless Children and an Husband to me a poor destitute Widdow Make up all my wants in thy self and pardon that sin contracted between us and pardon that negligence of seeking after better comforts than any this life affords pardon that inordinate care that was used by me in reference to the World and guide and support thy poor distressed Servant by thy Spirit O help me to sit silently under thy chastizing Rod and that because it is the dictate of thine own will and say thou Lord hast done it and say with thy Servant Job that emblem of patience The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. Let this last be an instigation to put me in mind of my last end and to consider the brevity of this frail life that thereby I may be taught to number my Days that I may both know how frail I am and may apply my heart unto Wisdom that I may bear in mind the great concerns of Eternity strengthen my Faith enlarge my Desire raise and elevate my Affections enflame my Love let Sin be most loathsome Grace most beautiful the World less desirable These and what thou knowest to be more necessary for me grant for Christs sake Amen The Orphans Prayer RIghteous Lord take thou charge of thy desolate Creature be thou a Father to the Fatherless thou art Righteous but I have sinned and therefore this sorrow hath taken hold on me my neglect of Duty hath removed away this Mercy O pardon and remove my Guilt and remember thy Promise to the Fatherless O save me for I am thine I desire none but thee be thou my Comfort and Guid unto Death Help me to be more an obedient Child to honour thee in my Generation Supply my wants and necessities and make up all in thy self and help me to eye thee as a God in Covenant and let me know that I am reconciled unto thy self by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant and let Mortality be swallowed up of Life and Lord help me though little in respect of Stature that I may be tall in respect of Grace and knowing that I have a great journey to take that I may set out be-times to enquire-the way and that when my Glass is run I may have finished my Masters Work and my Course with Joy and O that I may never cease Labouring until I have finished my Work knowing that they that run in a Race run all but one gets the Prize O let O Lord Integrity and Sincerity preserve me and that for Christs sake Amen
we find manifested all along in the Scripture He carries on his design in the Old World in the incestuous Sodom by Pharaoh towards the Children of Israel nay even by the Patriarks David and Solomon as far as he can and thus he assaults and prevails in a great measure Nay no wonder if he assaults these poor Creatures when he attempts to set upon Christ himself Having prevailed so against the first Adam he 'll see what he can do to the second but blessed be God The Seed of the Woman has bruised the Serpents Head Thus we see how this Roaring Lyon goes about seeking whom he may devour what Souls he can ensnare and entrap He environs and surrounds the Earth to the intent he may devour Moreover He has two Attendants viz. 1. The World 2. The Flesh to carry on his hellish designs and plots against poor Saints and the destruction of every Christian that endeavours to build up the Kingdom of Christ And first he makes use of the World that is 1. The World it self the love whereof chokes that vigor and liveliness that is or ought to be in a Christian 2. Wicked Men in the World in whom he acts and soments all the venom he can both for the hindrance of the Gospels propagation and the destruction of those that seek to be enlightened by it to bring them to the true knowledge of God and his way Dismal is it to think how far he hath and at this very day doth prevail by them But blessed be God that hath set his King upon his Holy Hill of Sion Psal 2.6 Secondly Our inbred Corruptions that is that that is called the Flesh out of which proceeds an innumerable multitudâ— of destructive lusts that keep a constanâ— hostility against a poor Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 and these he makes his baits to catch Souls He suits his baits 1. According to our constitutions and natural inclinations 2. To our conditions First To our constitutions If they be inclining to Melancholy he tempts to Despair if to Sanguine he tempts to Anger If our Constitutions be Chearful he tempts to Lasciviousness And so look what our Constitutions and Natural Inclinations are accordingly he suits his Baits and Temptations Secondly To our Conditions If a â—ans Estate increase so that he hath a competent portion of the things of this World he tempts him either to that destructive sin viz. Covetousness which is tâ—â— root of Evils and this he shrowds undâ—â— the Name of Good-husbandry or tâ— Luxurious Prodigality and Pride and this he covers with the Name of Good-fellow-ship Nay in a word No Time Place Degree Age Constitution Condition wherein and against and according to whom he doth not suit his poisonous baits and exerciseth his utmost policy and endeavours to ruin poor Souls Blessed be God that he hath not left us ignorant of his Devices but thrice blessed be his Name that he has not left us Naked but has left us his own Armory Eph. 6. and that of proof which is able to defend us from all the siery darts of this so potent an enemy The parts whereof are 1. The Helmet of Salvation 2. The Breast-plate of Righteousness 3. The Shield of Faith 4. The Girdle of Truth 5. The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word 6. The Shoes of the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace 7. And lastly The Engine of Prayer Now let us see of what use all theâ— are to a Christian 1. The Helmet of Salvation That iâ— a constant expectation and desire of â—ernal Happiness This is of great â—se unto us to support us and beaâ— up our fainting Spirits under all Trial and Temptations without the hope of which a Christian would utterly despond This is that that made so many Martyrs endure the most exquisite Torments from the hands of Bloody Tyrants Heb. 11. 2. The Breast-plate of Righteousness This is walking in Holiness and Blamelesness this is that Proof-piece that bears a Christian out and keeps off all the false Imputations and Slanders that the Devil and Wicked Men his Agents can forge or invent against a Christian 4. The Shield of Faith That is A firm believing and trusting of God for the accomplishment of his Promises This keeps off the Fire-balls and Darts of Sathan viz. Carnal Confidence Presumption Security Insidelity and Despair c. 5. The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God This wounds Sathan and cuts in sunder the concatenating knots of his various Temptations by which he seeks to entangle Souls This discovers all his Devices With this Sword our Saviour â—oil'd this Champion he oppos'd him with a Scriptum est It is written 6. The Shoes of the Preparation of the Goâ—pel of Peace This is assurance of Acceptation and Peace with God through Jesuâ— Christ according to that Holy Doctrine held forth in the Gospel He that is shod with these Shoes is sit for his Journey to Canaan thorow all his Oppugnants knowing that God who is at peace with him is both able and willing to be his conduct and deliverer from them all 7. Prayer This is that brings success to and a blessing upon all the rest and enables a Christian through Gods Free Grace and Mercy to make use of all other the pieces of the Armory Thus we see how Christ our Captain has fortified us he has not left us to fight without Weapons without Armour and that of Proof nay he himself has led the Van he underwent all the hardship in this Warfare and has as it were given the Devil his deaths wound He has conquer'd Hell also and the Grave he 's the Triumphant King and Captain He has unstinged Death he has only left us some small work to do and that he has promised to help us in Christian therefore be of good courage let nonâ— make thee afraid thy foes may environ thee and enemies rage against theâ— yet be not dismayed thy Cause is good thy Captain is Victorious and what thou art not able to do he 'll do iâ— for thee But it may be thou l't say Thou canst not tell whether Christ will be willing to accept thee for his Soldier or not Willing yes if thou art willing but 't is rather to be feared thou art not willing because thou makest this objection If he were not willing to what end would he call and invite thee O Christian do not doubt but come make no delay Go to this Magazine and invest thy self herewith and thy Captain will maintain thee if thou art willing though thou art weak he 'll fight for thee only take notice that if ever thou look backward thou art but a dead man Press forward towards the Mark for thou hast no Armour to defend thy back-parts O Christian be valiant and take notice of this that if thou resist the Devil he is not able to with-stand thee he 'll flee from thee Be upon thy watch for thy enemy is subtil and will watch his opportunity if
upon his Soul if not improved will not only damp the heart and make it cold but will cause God to withdraw himself from that Soul He so soon as he finds his love and kindness slighted cannot but withdraw coming into that Soul and hide himself This very cause we find amongst men where one hath done a kindness for another it may be voluntarily out of love if he finds that he be slighted and kindness be slighted and disregarded how can such an one but take it ill and repent him of both the kindness done and hinder him from giving or doing any thing more and that not without good ground of Reason Ingratum est qui bene merenti non reponit Unthankful is he that doth not either reward a kindness received at one time or another if able or at least express a willing mind by a continued acknowledgment thereof Obj. But you will say How or what shall a man do to improve this acquaintance with God that thereby he may obtain a fuller fruition of and have more communion with God Ans The best and safest way will be First of all to be careful to speak think or do nothing that tends to the dishonour of God or his ways God cannot but take it very unkindly from any one for whom he hath done so much and towards whom his tender Bowels has been expatiated and inlarged to whom he has unspeably demonstrated his infinite care and tenderness of affection from time to time to be either badly or malignantly spoke of or hardly thought on or injuriously wronged any way For indeed how can it otherwise be expected whom should God have to be his friends but they to whom he has extended a multiplicity of kindness of whom should God be honoured but by them whom he has honoured and indeed there is none that has done any thing for God but he will reward it and that infinitely an hundred-fold and there is a finite number for an infinite Matth. 19.29 For we have his Word and Promise for it and he is one that cannot Lye 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour And indeed they that do not care for honouring God may expect that God will not care for honouring them but adds immediately and that palpably But they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Secondly Be sure always in all your affairs to set the Lord always before your eyes questioning with your selves how you shall answer any thing you do when called before the great Tribunal of the most high God whether it be neither the cause to incur his displeasure or wound your Soul and Conscience and this we find holy David in the practise of Psal 26 8. I have set the Lord always before me We find Job in this same practise Job 31.14 What shall I do when God riseth up or when he visiteth what shall I answer him We find Joseph making use of this Engine to resist the Devil in the temptation of his Mistress How shall I do this great evil and sin against God Gen. 39.9 We find these three Worthies always upon their watch with this Javelin and indeed it is the reason many times why men run into so many wicked and diabolical practises and so help forward the Devils designs and temptations and congratulate the lusts of the flesh because they do not either rightly conceive what God is or else not set him before their eyes 3. Let Morning and Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise be offered up unto God To which purpose we have composed a few short Prayers for every day in the week and also for other occasions Ps 92.1 2. Beware to be found prayerless Families that call not on Gods Name for why should there be wrath upon your Families Jer. 10.25 O miserable Families that are without God in the world that are without Family Prayer What have you so many Family wants Family sins Family mercies every day every moment and no Family Prayers What is it to pray with all prayer and supplication to have no prayer Beware to say I have no time what hast thou all thy time for hast thou it on purpose to serve thy God and art careful for nothing less than to serve and glorifie him in it O beware of this hath God commanded to pray continually or without ceasing that is always to be in a praying frame and art thou no more solicitous to obey Gods command In a word Prayer is the procurer of all our Mercies Jer. 29.12 2 Sam. 7.2 9. It will be very requisite that some preparation be made 1. It will be of great use to examine how you have spent your time if at Night how you have walked with God if in the Morning how kind God hath been unto you in keeping you from all spiritual and corporal enemies and consider farther how God might have thrown you into Hell I remember I have read concerning a Heathen that used every night to set an hours time apart to examine himself how he had spent the anteceding day and to beg of the gods to pardon both his mispent time and intreat for a supply of his wants And shall an Heathen shame those that profess to be the Souldiers of Christ Consider what Mercies you have received or what you stand in need of most and let the Vitals of your Soul be most for that only let it be with an holy submission to the will of God in and for all things especially in Temporals or in things conducing to the Body 4. When thou appear'st before God let it be with an elated esteem of the Greatness Holiness and Purity of God and with a regardless esteem of thy self the best way to come unto God is by a self-debasement seeing by a self-ambition of being as god's knowing good and evil all mankind lost Heaven and so involved themselves into a delapsed condition and indeed we can imitate Christ no more than in an humble deportment to God-ward in all our Supplications Moreover so long as we come in the humility of our heart to God we have Gods ingagement that he will not turn us off he will accept us The first step to Exaltation is by Humility and Self-abasement and abandoning all self-ishness and the best and chiefest way to the attainment of this is by the admiring thoughts of God not only in respect of his creating providential Power in first creating all things of nothing of no Being to make a Being of a confused Chaos to form a fair and splendid Fabrick as the Greek word signifies I say not only in respect of that great and magnificent Power by which all things were made and also that providential Power by which all things are preserved and kept but also in respect of the more magnificent and powerful and infinite wise contrivance of the second and new Creation I mean of that procuring a possibility whereby man might be restored and redeemed from that lapsed and unspeakably
have leaves without fruit shew without substance and if Christless and graceless Devils will e're long be their Associates the worms to destroy their Bodies and the worm Conscience that never dies to gnaw upon their Souls to all Eternity Every Creature that has been abused that now groans under sin will that day come in as a witness to attest against those unmerciful Creatures All things that have been abused that ought to have been used to the Glory of God as the Apostle speaks will testifie the just Judgment of God the Meat Drink Apparel that have been so vainly spent and consumed the very Time Place and Room shall witness against the Whore-monger and Adulterer whom God will judge All these things God will make use of as Evidences against those that shall have consumed and spent them upon their own lusts 16. Endeavour still after an higher Attainment of Perfection The Soul that grows in Grace is the Soul that God will delight in and love Mercies improved is the way to engage God to love and to grant a further supply of Mercy As none can be impossible it is so holy as God and perfect as God for so we must understand when he says Be ye holy as I am holy not that any man can be as holy as God but he must be understood in respect of perfectio partium non graduum so none is to rest in any Attainment until they come to the Center until they enjoy all that the precious Blood of Christ can purchase for them I have read a notable Story wherein we have by way of discourse betwixt a Begger and a Divine a notable Example of Self-resignation and an high Attainment of Perfection I mean as I said before perfectio partium non graduum of parts not of degrees for it can be no otherwise it is impossible to be as perfect as God Which is as follows There was a certain Divine famous in Learning and Piety that did earnestly importune God by prayer for some time together conceiving that he had not the true knowledge of the ways of God notwithstanding his much Learning attained belong Studies begging that God would give him to know more of him and himself and that God would direct him to some that would teach him the way of Truth and being inâ—lamed at a certain time with vehemency of desire a Voice as was supposed spake thus to him Go forth to the Church yard and there thou mayest find a man that can teach thee the way And going forth he found there a certain Beggar with patched and torn Apparel and filthy dirty feet whose cloaths were not worth three half-pence whom he spake thus unto Divine God give thee a good morning Beggar Sir I do not remember that ever I had an evil one Div. God make thee fortunate and prosperous Why speakest thou on this manner Beg. Neither was I unprosperous neither was I ever unhappy Div. God save thee speak now plainly Beg. Truly Sir I will do it willingly Sir Thou didst wish me a prosperous and good Motning and I answered I never had an evil one for when I am pinched with hunger I praise God if I suffer cold if it snow if it hail or rain if the weather be fair or foul I praise God and therefore there never happened any sad or evil Morning to me Thou didst likewise wish that I might be fortunate I said I was never unfortunate because whatever God gave me I suffered or whatever hapned to me whether it were agreeable to me or otherwise were it sweet or bitter to me I gladly received it at his hands as the best and therefore I was never unfortunate Thou saidst moreover that God would be eased to make me happy whereunto I likewise answered That I never had been unhappy for I am fully resolved through his Grace to adhere and cleave to the will of God abandoning mine own will into which I have so wholly poured out my will that whatsoever he will I may will the same and for this cause as I said I was never unhappy being that I will cleave to his will only and have wholly resigned mine own proper will Div. This is very strange but what I pray thee wouldest thou do if the Lord of Majesty should cast thee into the bottomless pit couldst thou be content with his will Beg. Drown me in the bottomless pit Why certainly if he should I have two arms by which I would still embrace him the one is true Humility and that I lay under him and by him I am united to his sacred Humanity The other and that is the right one which is Love which is united to his Divinity and also by this Love from himself I hold him so fast that he would go down to Hell with me and it is much better for me to be in Hell with God than in Heaven without him By this the Divine learned That the most compendious way to God is a true Resignation with profound Humility Hereupon the Divine spake again to the Beggar and asked him Div. Whence comest thou Beg. From God Div. Where foundest thou God Beg. Even there where I left all the Creatures Div. I pray thee friend Who art thou Beg. Who am I Truly I am a King and Jesus himself crowned me with Peace Power and Rest Div. A King Where is thy Kingdom Beg. Sir the Kingdom of Heaven is within me that is in my Soul and I can now and and do by his power not mine own in me so govern and command all my inward Parts and Senses that all the Assections and Powers of the Old Man in my Soul are conquered and are in subjection to me which Kingdom no man can doubt but is better than all the Kingdoms and Glories in the World Divine What brought thee to this Perfection Beg. My sublime Meditations and union with that great God of Peace and improvement of Mercies to his Glory and by growing in Grace adding one Grace to another and I could rest in nothing less than an assurance of God's Love and this I have found I have forsaken the unquiet World and in him I have peace of Conscience and therein I rest And thus we see to what an excellency of Perfection may be attained But to conclude our Discourse I shall give thee in five words though very comprehensively the whole duty of a Christian 1. Be much in the Mortification work Get thy Corruptions subdued and mortifie all sin in thee otherwise thou shalt nay canst not have a communion with God 2. Be sure above all things to get thy self in favour with Christ for withal thou must understand of and from him thy Salvation is and doth proceed he it is that hath purchased both thy Salvation it self the way also and the means thereunto and without him thou canst do nothing 3. Bear much in mind the great day of accompt that thou may'st give up thy accompt with joy otherwise thou wilt never be
as that I may ingage thee to prosper all my undertakings in the remaining part of it undertaking nothing but what may be pleasing to thy self and consonant to thy Will and Word Let my labours be sweetned by thy blessing and support me under all Help me to be useful in the place and station where thou hast set me that I may not be branded with the name of a cumber-ground All this and what thou the only wise God knowest necessary for me I humbly beg for Jesus Christ's sake Amen A Prayer for Monday Evening GRacious Lord I humbly thank thee that thou hast been pleased this day to preserve me and to support me under all my undertakings and concerns and that thou hast given me health and strength and liberty and life all which are in thy hand and at thy disposal Lord let the consideration of these things instigate my dull heart to praise thee O Lord in all thy dealings with the Sons of Men there is matter both of prayses and rejoycing Lord thou never dealest with thy People but in a way of love not in a way of Judgment but Mercy If thou shouldest have marked strictly what I have done amiss I have done more amiss and against thee than ever I can or have done for thee in the course of my whole life I beseech thee O Lord pass by all my offences and let them all be washed away in the Blood of that immaculate Lamb Christ Jesus O Lord I bless thee for thy watchful Eye of Providence how much of thy goodness has been manifested this day to me ward In the Morning thou affordest Mercies and in the Evening thou withholdâ—st not thy hand O let Morning and Evening Mercies be of use to bring my Soul into a nearer communion with thy self Let all the bedewings of both right hand and left hand Mercies the blessing of the upper and neather Springs of spiritual Mercies and temporal Mercies be continued and sanctified to me that I may being forth fruit anserable to the pains God the great Husbandman has taken with me and cost he has laid out upon me Lord that I may not be as a fruitless Vine that bears either no grapes or else wilde grapes but O that I may bring forth grapes in clusters fruit much fruit and good fruit Lord now wilt thou be pleased to pass by the negligence of this day and let my defects be made up in him that is fulness it self Jesus Christ and as I am about to betake me to my repose Lord let me acquiesce in thee and grant that lying down I may sanctifie thee in my heart and lying down in peace and rising again I may know and say the Lord sustains me and that for Christ Jesus sake Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Morning GRacious Lord God who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy Goodness and makest the hearts of thy people glad thereby O who is a God like unto thy self a God glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises doing wonders The Heavens declare thy Glorâ— the Firmament sheweth the work of thine hands day unto day sheweth thy wisdom and night unto night uttereth knowledge that thy Name may be exalted above all the gods O Lord let thy wisdom be manifested in and upon me and let a powerful operation of thy Spirit be manifested in the renewing of my heart and mortifying the corruptions of the Old Man that my will may be changed and that the spirit of the Prince of the Power of the Air that worketh in the children of disobedience may be dispossessed Extinguish all the revivings of mortified Iusts O Lord thou knowest that this work is a very hard work such a work as none can do but thy self therefore grant thy assistance And as thou art pleased to renew my strength night by night by moderate sleep and rest Lord renew my spiritual strength that I may be more than a Conqueror over all my carnal corruptions through Jesus Christ O Lord wilt thou pardon all my vain thoughts this night past whatsoever has been disconsonant to the Will and Word of thy Sacred Mâ—iesty O Lord these things thou knowest arise from the Principles of a corrupt nature mortifie them I pray thee for me seeing the work of the new Creation is by and of thy self the heart-work is to be done by a more potent hand than man's Subdue my corruptions renew my will streng then my judgment illuminate my understanding and capacitate me for every good word and work Thou Lord hast preserved me this night past preserve me this day and undertake for me and let all my undertakings be blessed by thee in and through thy Son Christ Jesus Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Evening INfinitely wise God thou hast manifested abundantly thy loving kindness unto me though I sinful dust and ashes have provoked thee by my many miscarriages not only this day but every day Lord I bless thee for thy Providential care over me this day and for that ability under all my Undertakings by which thou hast sustain'd me and kept me by thy free Grace and Mercy not that there was any thing in me that might move thee so to do Lord let all these Mercies be so remembred by me as that they may be a means to stir me up to a more active and lively frame of Spirit to act more in those things that may conduce to thy Honour O Lord I have lived but not to thy self O pardon all my unprositableness my barrenness and leanness let the bedewings of thy Spirit so water my parched Soul that I may be more fertile under the same I confess I have been a very Truant in Christ's School yet Lord thou hast not dealt with me according to my failings but according to the riches of thy free streams of Grace and Love O let not my sins stop that Fountain running towards me but let the Fountain that is set open for sin and uncleanness wash my sins all away O Lord let me be washed white in the Blood of the Lamb and let the searlet crimson stains that sin has made in my poor Soul be washed out Let not my unworthiness this day prevent my night Mercies let not thy Providential care desist to me-ward but rather forgive my sins and offences and let my miserable failings move thee to pity me O do it for thy Names sake Thou Lord hast said thou wilt blot out the sins of thy people for thy Names sake O accomplish this rich Promise to me-ward that I being sensible of thy great forgiveness I may be greatly moved to love thee 'T is said Mary loved much because she had been forgiven much Lord let my rest be sweet unto me that being refreshed thereby I may the next morning be caused to rejoyce in thee and praise thy Name Let this nights rest put me in mind to seek Christ that I may have everlasting rest through him All which I beg for his sake alone the purchaser and procurer
only true in the Moral Law 't is denied in the Ceremonial These Types before Moses shewing the bounty of the Messiah were abolisht at his comming as Circumcision given to Abraham In like manner the Sacrifices either commanded to our first Parents or practised by them Object 5. The Laws given by God before the Fall were not Types of the Bounties of Christ all grant the promise of the Messiah being not as then given although the condition of the whole humane race was one and the same The Seventh days Sabbath was instituted before the Fall of Mankind therefore it is universal and perpetual Resp Per distinctionem materiis which is true concerning the Moral Law whose natural knowledge was imprinted in the mind of man in the Creation but not concerning the Seventh day Sabbaths Ceremony which after the fall in the Mosaical Law is made a type of the benefits of the Messiah And besides all this other Ceremonies whether instituted before or after by the Messias were made obnoctious to change for God will not let them remain under the shaddows the things themselves being exhibited 3. What are the causes of the institution of the Sabbath 1. For the Publick Worship of God in his Church 2. For the preservation of the Ecclesiastical Ministry which teacheth what we are to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of us 3. That the type in the Old might denote or represent the spiritual in the New Testament Ezek. 20.12 4. That there might be an ordinary exercise of Prayer of Confession and of Obedience toward God 5. By reason of the Seventh days circumstance to wit that it might put us in mind both of our great Creation and Redemption Work 6. That on that day the greatest Works of Liberality and Benignity might be exercised toward our Neighbour 7. Because of that Corporal Rest of both Man and Beast of Bruits indeed because of Man 8. That the Israelites might be known by this mark from other Countries 4. What are the Works of the Sabbath commanded or forbidden Or how the Sabbath is kept or violated 1. The Sabbath is sanctified when Works are done and holily observed which God has commanded 2. The Sabbath is profaned when Works are either neglected or abused in the use of them or hindred by a profane violence The Works whereby the Sabbath is either sanctified or profaned are these 1. First Rightly to instruct the Church concerning God viz. What he is and What his Will is viz. What Duties either Negative or Affirmative he requires of man On the contrary 1. Neglect of Publick or Private Instruction Isa 56.10 2. Depravation or Diminution of the Doctrine that ought to be taught Ezek. 34.2 2 Cor. 2.17 3. Secondly Administring the Sacraments according to Divine Institution Unto which we ought to come being lawfully called by the Ministers of the Church as the Vice-gerents of God and that especially on the Lords Day On the contrary Omitting or neglecting instructing the Church to use the Sacraments and an illegal Administration of the same viz. By a detracting from or adding to the Essentials of Worship appointed of God or any thing in them or excluding any that ought to come to receive or pertake or to encourage those that ought not or not to teach the lawful use of them 3. Thirdly Diligently to learn the True Doctrine That is to attend on and hear the Doctrine of God 1 Tim. 4.16 and daily to meditate in the same The Contraries 1. Contempt or neglect of the Doctrine by either being absent at Assemblies or not regarding the Ministers or not meditating on or inquiring into the Doctrine of Christ 2. Neglect of knowing the Doctrine either by Ministers or people 3. Curiosities either by prying into Gods secrets or unnecessary things or novelties Luke 12 48. Prov. 25.27 1 Tim. 4.7 2 Tim. 4.3 Tit. 3.9 4. Fourthly To use the Sacraments according to Divine instruction Acts 20.7 Repugnants to this 1. The omission or contempt of the Sacraments 2. Profanation of the Sacraments when they are either used not after the same way or not by them whom God hath instituted 3. Asuperstitious use of them 5. Fifthly Invocation of God publickly Wherein we adjoyn confession or giving of thanks and our desires with the Church Repugnants 1. Neglect of Prayers of the Church 2. Hypocrisie in Prayers of the Church without attention or affection 3. A recitation of Prayers that edifie not 1 Cor. 14.17 6. Sixthly Charity and Bounty towards the Poor that is giving Alms or doing works of Mercy towards the Needy with delight and singleness of heart Repugnants 1. Neglect or contempt of the Poor 2. Ostentation and shew in giving which Christ condemns 7. Seventhly Honour of the Ecclesiastical Ministry which comprehends 1. Reverence 2. Love 3. Obediencee 4. Gratitude 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Equity in bearing with the infirmities of Ministers Family Prayers For every day in the WEEK A Prayer for the Sabbath Omost holy great and glorious God thou that art the rest of thy poor Creatures the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whom thou hast instituted Lord of the Sabbath in whose strength we desire to approach thy holy presence this thy holy Sabbath-day a day of thy own appointment wherein thou wilt be found in an especial manner and as it is to be a day of rest for all flesh after thine own institution Lord help us not only to rest from our ordinary Labours and Imployments but from any thing that may be disconsonant to thy Will and Word not doing our own actions nor speaking our own words nor thinking our own thoughts that thereby we being prepared according to the preparation of thy Sanctuary may be in the Spirit on the Lords Day to meet with thee and by meeting with thee we may hear thee communicate some sweet truth to us whereby we may be drawn nigher to thy self by the blood of Christ And seeing thou wast pleased Lord to honour this day by the Resurrection of our blessed Redeemer let us have more evidence from thy self this day that we are risen with him having conquered by him Death Grave Hell and Sin O let us see him whom our sins have pierced that we by faith may mortifie that that crucified him and let us have a glimpse of our beloved in his glory and let us this day hearken to his voice that we may know to love what he loves and hate what he hates to be in love with sanctity and holiness and to be at enmity with every similitude of sin which will hinder our services this day in his name to be as a sweet smell in Gods Nostrils Help us to hold fast our hope and confidence in God unto the end and let that considence be a perfect assurance that we have an interest in Jesus Let the word preached be mixed with saith let it be quick and powerful and piercing that it may accomplish that end for which it was sent Let not
Satan come and catch away the Seed but O that it may be as seed sown in good and honest hearts bringing forth fruit with patience meet for repentance and let it be for the weakning of sin but for the strengthening of faith and grace Let thy Word be as Manna for our poor Souls to feed upon for the week to come that thereby we may grow up in grace as we grow in years Let thy word be a sutable word unto every one of our conditions and come thou into our Souls with it with the freest influence of thy Spirit that we may of a truth meet with God communicating of himself unto us by his Word and Spirit And as the Soul is separated from the Body by Death so let sin be separated from our Souls by thy Word and Spirit O let it be separate from our Souls or else it will separate the Souls of us poor Creatures from God Let thy Minister who is thy Messenger be strengthened and touch his tongue with a coal from thine Altar that he may preach experimental truth to the hearts of us poor Creatures that desire to attend on thine Ordinances O let us taste and see how gracious the Lord is and let us have cause to say It is good to draw nigh to God in his own Ordinances on his own Day And let this day of rest be a certain pledge of an eternal rest purchased by our great high Priest who is preparing a place for his select ones O that this thy day may be spent in the performances of holy duties in praise and thanksgiving the work of thine appointment Unvail some secret this day let us be drawn nigher every day unto thy self Let us be so enlightened that sin may decay and grace may be renewed in us Let us come hungering and thursting after Spiritual Food for our Souls so that in the close of this day we by a grounded experience may say that God has satisfied our hungring Souls with refreshing influences from Heaven thorow the Blood of Jesus Christ in whose words we conclude our imperfect requests as he himself has taught us saying Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for the Sabbath MOst Holy and ever Blessed Lord God who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence fill the Souls of thy poor empty Creatures with the presence of thy Grace and let thy good Spirit bring to our remembrance the truths that we by thy providence have heard this thy day that we may lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives that we may be of those blessed ones that hear thy word and keep it and bring forth fruit in abundance and let it take root in our hearts downward and bring forth fruit upward Establish our Souls in the practice of Holiness without which we can never come to see thy self and let the power of sin be weakened but let Grace be strengthened every day Pardon that unpreparedness that we have intruded into thy presence with and that irreverence whilst under thy Ordinances and that carelesness after that we all have been guilty of Pardon our forgetfulness and pardon our imperfection in the perfection of Christ our weakness in the strength of Christ that thereby we may find acceptance with thee who art all fulness and in whose hands is all perfection Fill our Souls with the fulness of God and let the bedewings of thy Spirit and Word cause us to grow in our spiritual stature Help us to prize the priviledge of the Gospel at an inestimable rate and give us repentance from dead works that we may be changed from darkness unto light and from the power of sin unto God And help us to manifest in our lives and conversation what is the hope of our calling that we may be in Heaven whilst on Earth Pardon the sins of our holy things sins of omission and commission sins against thy Law and sins against thy Gospel Give us Wisdom to direct and teach us Righteousness to establish us Redemption to deliver us from the jaws of Sin and Hell Strengthen our weak Faith enlarge our shallow Capacities quiet our disturbed Consciences tread down Satan under our feet and subjugate our Necks under thy Yoak and help us to resign our selves to thy Will and fit us for Eternity at last that after these Sabbaths be ended here we may begin an everlasting Sabbath with the God of Sabbaths where we shall admire thy self in Christ in whose Name we conclude our imperfect requests in his own words as he hath taught us saying Our Father c. A Prayer for Monday Morning BLessed Lord thou renewest thy mercies every Morning it is of thy mercy that one day more is added to us poor Creatures Thou art he on whom depends our being rest life and all thou has been pleased to cause us to acquiesce in and under thy protection for our refreshment O Lord preserve us this day under the shadow of thy wing and keep us in thy ways and let thy watchful providence be an instigation to an holy walking and to redeem the time seeing the days are evil and to live as ever before the Eye of thy All-seeing Providence Keep us from sin and enable us to live with thankful hearts bearing in mind the acts of thy Spirit and the daily Mercies we enjoy help us to shew a thankfulness for Mercies received and humility for and under Afflictions Let the bitterness of Sin and the loveliness of Holiness make deep impression on the hearts of thy poor Creatures Let the great work of Salvation be much meditated upon that that work daily may be propagated by us with fear and trembling Let union and communion with Christ be our great design Let our Natures be changed Deliver us from a dark understanding and hardness of heart stupid consciences together with unmortisied wills Help us to be wise for the future wherein we have done foolishly and help us wisely to improve our Talents in every opportunity Let thy mercies constrain us to love fear and obey thee Subdue us wholly to thy self that our affections may be elevated from the Earth and transplanted into Heaven Help us in every transaction in our lives to consider that with thee every action is poised and thoughts words and works reviewed and taken notice of O that the affairs of this day and all the week to come may be no obstruction to the work of our immortal Souls And grant that every day that passes over our heads we may be a step nearer to thy self Preserve us by thy Grace and Spirit until it shall be thy will to translate us into that Glory that is prepared for them that wait for the coming of Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Monday Evening MOst Holy Eternal and ever Blessed Lord God in whom all our springs are it is good to draw nigh to thy self Thou that never slumberest nor sleepest suffer us not to sleep the sleep of Death The Day thou hast
appointed for Man to Labour in and the Night for Man to Rest into thy hands we commit our selves and desire to acquiesce in thee Let us be put in mind of the everlasting rest by every nights rest we enjoy Help us to make it our business to do our great work we have to do before the night of Death and the Grave overtake us O let not opportunities neglected and mispent be hindrances of the present and future enjoyments and opportunities Let not the abuse of time extinguish diminish or shorten our time Let not sin prevent our mercies neither let the guilt of sin nor punishment for the same overtake us at the same time Let not the sins of the day past mercies prevent us in night mercies but let them all be pardoned in the Blood of Jesus Preserve us this night and let the mercies of the night fit us for an humble walking with thee the day following that nights mercies and days mercies may be of such use unto us that we by both may be fitted for an enjoyment of thy self both here and hereafter Keep us from the vanity of our minds Keep us from all our Enemies Spiritual and Corporal let the roaring Lion be chained up that goes about seeking whom he may devour and let us acquiesce under the shadow of thy wings that we may both lie down and rise again in peace knowing the Lord sustains us for the sake of him that procures us all our happiness our mercies and blessings Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Morning HOly God it is not the least of thy mercies that thou commandest us to seek thee let us not think it a burden but a priviledge that we are admited in way of duty to call on thee not only to beg mercies of thee but to give thee thanks for mercies received We thank thee that thou out of thy Benignity hast been pleased to afford us thy providential protection this night past wherein we are brought to a farther experience of thy love Let every mercy be farther engagements to praise thee Thou our Lord hast made us to sleep in safety and hast made us to experience that unless thou keep the City the Watch-men watch in vain and that it is the blessing of thee our God that has preserved us this night past O Lord Let us in all our undertakings this day know that it is not rising up early and sitting up late and eating the Bread of carefulness that will do only the Lord that blesses what we undertake O Lord Act for us this day and help us in all that we do that it may be to thy praise O that our hearts and lives might speak forth thy praise for the renovation of mercies every morning and that our eyes may be towards thy self for all our strength in all our affairs this day that whatsoever we do all may be to the praise of our God Let our work prosper in our hands and let us find that God acts for us Help us to observe all the passages of thy providences that every day we may experience more of thy power that thereby we may be drawn out to fear thee and say surely the Lord is God and that he has made us and not we our selves and that he makes all work together for the best to them that love him O bless us in the beginning and in the close of this day bless us in our goings out and comings in bless us in our labours Let our pains and diligence put us in mind of our great work our industry for terrestrial put us in mind of celestial gain and help us with all our gettings to get understanding that we may be wise for our selves Deliver us from the infection of sin and enable us to keep our selves spotless from covetousness or any thing that is disconsonant to thy will in Christ Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Evening MOst gracious Lord thou art he and there is none else Thou hearest the Prayers of poor Creatures at all times and upon all occasions thou art near and ready to incline thine ear and to have mercy and forgive all the sinful miscarriages of thy poor Creatures Truly thou art good and dost good our Souls experience it every day thou art slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil O that we could walk so closely with thee as never to offend thee To whom Lord belongs praises but to thine own self who hast in all our concerts been our Agent for us O Lord let our Souls delight in thy self Let it be our recreation to do thy will And now O Lord we would commit our selves into thy hand desiring thy Providence to keep us thy Spirit to bless us that whether sleeping or waking we may be thine Refresh these frail Bodies of ours with quiet rest that our Bodies being refreshed we may both with Soul and Body which are thine sing forth thy praises Help us to meditate upon thy truths even on our Beds that we may spend many watchful hours about the great concerns of our everlasting Souls And help us laying our Heads to our Pillows to sanctifie thee in our hearts and when we awake the next morning we may awake in the same manner knowing that Sathan is ready to suggest some temptation and thereby steal away our hearts making the World or the Flesh our objects Help us always to study most to please God and displease Sathan and to give Sathan no ground knowing that so long as we resist him he thou Lord hast said shall slie from us Let us rest in thy self seeing thy Name is a strong Tower and they that flee into it are safe from sins dominion keep us from Sathans temptations defend us from our evil hearts secure us and sanctifie our hearts and send a bedewing of thy holy Spirit upon us to sweeten our troubles and sanctifie our mercies in Christ Jesus Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Morning HEavenly Father by whom and from whom all our strong consolations through Grace are enjoyed by us worthless Creatures sleeping and waking we are secured from the terrors of the night and those amazements wherewith thou sometimes hast amazed them that were better than our selves are O save us by thy Grace and prepare us for Glory deliver us from the sinners cursed questions What is the Almighty that we should serve him Or What profit shall we have if we pray unto him How oft are their Candles put out Give us grace to live to thee shewing the truth of Grace by dealing righteously towards all men that so keeping the faith in purity of conscience having our hope and heart fixed on thy self we may rejoyce in and call upon thy Name who only art a present help in time of trouble Preserve us in this wilderness the World until we shall attain to the Heavenly Canaan O let our Souls be more and more in love with Holiness to live the Life of Christ and the Life of the
of the victory over Death and Hell and all the incumbrances this side Heaven with a sanctified expectation after him who is the procurer of all my happiness in whom my Soul desires to acquisece both here and hereafter O help me Lord to sing a new song of praise to that spotless Lamb that hath not spared to pour out that precious Blood to reconcile an angry God to despicable Dust and Clay to make known an invisible God to poor blind stupid Creatures and that mortality might be swallowed up of life he was holy harmless and undefiled seperate from sinners to the end he might fulfil all righteousness that he might be a meet high Priest a sufficient Saviour of sinners who by his own example left us a pattern of humility to be submissive to the will of our Father and to contemn the World and to subjugate our selves to his Cross Oh! holy Father thou that hast said them that come unto thee in thy Sons Name thou wilt not cast out that gavest life to poor worthless dying Creatures ready to drop into Hell and that life is thine own Son that is able to save to the uttermost all that come to him O give ability to a poor drooping Creature that he may recover his strength before he go hence and be no more that I may yet praise thee in the Land of the living and that I may regain that precious time that I have been so lavish of Redeem my strength that I may work out my Salvation with fear and trembling O sanctifie me throughout and change me and let me have the New Creation wrought upon me and in me that I may yet acknowledge thy great power in and through thy Son in whose Name I farther call on thee in the words of his own institution saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer in time of War O Holy Great and Glorious Lord God of Hosts thou that hast of old appeared for thy Churches and Servants and that art for ever worthy to be praised that hast wrought great deliverances for the relieving of them that were in straits to the admiration of thy very enemies by whose power thy Servants have run through Troops having thy shield of Salvation by thy power one hath chased a thousand and thine enemies hearts have melted away yea even of the most valiant If thou appear for us Lord we shall prevail O be gracious unto us and shew thy self for us Give courage and wisdom to all our Commanders and Souldiers Gird them with strength and teach their hands to fight Direct their Consultations prosper their Enterprises suffer not deserved vengeance to break out upon us deliver us not to a merciless enemy Say unto our Armies Let no mans heart fail for fear of neither number nor power of the enemy Let all our trust of Victory be in the Lord of Hosts thou that art Lord of Lords and King of Kings Get thy self Honour in the Destruction of those that are Peace-Disturbers let thy hand become glorious to dash in pieces the most potent enemies and in the greatness of thine excellency overthrow those that are instigated against us and let it be known that there is none like unto thee that art glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises doing Wonders so shall we record thy righteous Acts. O help and deliver us that we may tell thy Deeds among the Nations and let not our enemy escape least they say our own hands hath saved us Thou the God of Peace grant us Peace here and everlasting Peace hereafter through Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Children O Most glorious Lord God insinite in Wisdom and Goodness thou art the great Creator Redeemer and Preserver of Man I thy poor Servant bewail my Youth and time of Vanity Notwithstanding my Parents care in Education Instruction and Correction I have sinned greatly against thy self O pardon also Lord my unthankfulness toward them for all their Care Cost Pains Crys and Tears with respect to my everlasting welfare O cause me with thankfulness to fear love honour and obey them in order to the obedience due to thy self Lord keep me from snares of evil company and temptations of the same and from youthful lust and let me be a delight to those that fear thee Let me be furnished with treasures of Wisdom and Holiness and pardon all the sins of my corrupt heart and life and be a reconciled Father unto me and let me be able to know thee as a God in Covenant and renew me in the inner Man in the Spirit of my Mind Enlighten my dark understanding quicken my dead heart purifie my impure conscience mortifie and rectifie my will Let all my sinful carnal Love or rather Lust be quenched and vain Pleasures turned into sweet Delights for God Hear me in every respect as thou knowest mâ— condition requires in the Name of thy dear Son in whose words I farther call on thee Our Father c. A Prayer for Servants O Most gracious Lord God thou art the great preserver of those that truly trust in thy mercy deliver us from sin and the bondage of Sathan help us to obey our Master according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of our God with good will from the heart Make us submissive and obedient to our Governors keep us from Self-will and Pride from Murmurings and unreverent Speeches from Falshod Slothfulness and all Deceit and help us cheerfully and willinglly to do our Duty as believing that thou O Lord art the avenger of all unfaithful Dealers O pardon the neglect of our immortal Souls and of the great work for which we were Created and Redeemed Help us with all our hearts and strength that we may attain to the reward of that Glory prepared for all those that look and long for the appearance of Christ and to enjoy his presence with the Angels and Saints in Glory and all this we humbly beg and hope for on the accompt and merits of Jesus in whose own words we farther call on thee as he hath taught us saying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Virgin BLessed and Holy Lord preserve me thy Servant and give me grace with those Wise Virgins to make ready my Lamp and Oyl in my Vessel that at what hour the Bride-groom shall come I may be found ready prepared with those undefiled Virgins that follow the Lamb. Deliver me from the sins of Pride that common sin far different from that Plainness Simplicity and Modesty of old O help me thy Servant to walk circumspectly O cleanse and purge me keep me blameless cause me to hate the Garment spotted by the Flesh let the Pride of the Daughters of Jerusalem so severely threatned awake those that tread in their steps they were haughty and walked with stretched-out Necks and wandring Eyes and mincing as they went whose
The unconverted Sinners Prayer for a full Conviction of the dangerous state he is in GReat Gracious and most Righteous Lord God blessed for ever be thine unspeakable mercy that desirest not the Death of the worst of Sinners that turn unto thee to live for ever Oh thou that of Persecutors madest glorious Martyrs of an Adultress madest an humble Penitent O shew forth thy Long-suffering Patience and Forbearance upon me Deliver me from all my Sins from thy Wrath to come and that Eternal Judgment that ends in Hell with Devils and damned Impenitents Leave me not in the state of Devils without hope of pardon O pardon that great sin of setting more by Meat and Drink and beastly Pleasures than by thee the God that made me a rational Creature that slighted endless Glory that took more care of an Earthly Tabernacle than an Immortal Soul that took more care to avoid Shame Poverty and Sickness than to avoid everlasting Shame Pain and Horror in Hell Blessed be the Lord that will not leave such sinners as my self to die in their sins but pluck such sire-brands out of the jaws of Hell and gives them to know the evil of sin O that I were once fit to taste and see how gracious the Lord is to believers to them alone he is precious the fairest of Ten thousands O guid my feet into those untrodden paths that lead to the Fountain of Living Waters set open for sinners to wash in and be purged from their filthiness O give me faith to see him whom my sins have pierced Give me the grace and spirit of supplication to mourn after him without which grace I have not nor can have no hope of pardon For what communion hath darkness with light O possess my Soul with this belief That without holiness there can be no happiness without fanctity no salvation nor without heavenly-mindedness no Heaven O be it so unto thy servant for his sake that suffered for great nay the greatest of sinners of whom I am the chief that I may live to praise thee and admire the riches of thy immense and boundless love to Eternity Amen A Prayer for power to believe O Glorious and Merciful Lord God whose abundant and unspeakable goodness has been extended to poor man before he had a being in the World Let the beams of thy loving kindness environ me and as thou hast been pleased to convince me of sin righteousness and iudgment O help me to believe in him whose mercy extends to the ends of the Earth and that I may take iâ—â—â—â— on him by the hand of faith that it may be the substance of things not seen to take holâ— on the rich promise laid down in thy word concerning thy Son who is mighty to save all them that come unto God by him and to accept him in all his Offices as King and Law-giver to rule and defend me as Pâ—ieâ—t to sacrifice for me as Prophet to reveal the will of God unto me Help me to trust in thy holy Spirit to mortifie and kill my sin in me and to illuminate and sanctifie and quicken me that thereby I may be rendered meet for serving thee here and enjoy thee hereafter O help me to demonstrare out of my Conversation what is the hope of my Calling and establish me in a constant belief of Salvation by the apprehension of a renewed mind from fleshly and transitory joys to an heavenly and permanent happiness where there are pleasures for evermore Help thy poor Creature to be Conquerer yea more than Conquerer through Jesus Christ over Devil World and Flesh that I may be renewed in the spirit of my mind Possess me with the New Birth strengthen all my inward Faculties my Faith my Love and Zeal and whereas my desire was to run from God it may now be to run unto him and cast my self upon him for all in Christ Jesus Amen The Converts Prayer MOst powerful Lord God thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory thy ways are perfect and pure Let God be true and every one a liar Blessed be thy Name for thy unspeakable kindness and love to me who am less than the least of all thy mercies Thou hast been pleased to bring me out of darkness and shadow of death and lead me into the way of peace and out of darkness into thy mervellous light and to bring me into the Kingdom of thy dear Son O the immensity the breadth and length depth and height of the loving kindness of God in the Lord Jesus Christ that wast pleased of a Bond-slave to make a Free-denizon of Heaven of a Prisoner of Hell and Death one at Liberty and delivered me from that Eternal Wrath to come Oh! the free mercy of God that hath withholden death from seizing upon me the which if it had where had I been Oh happy and blessed was it that thou shouldst put out thine hand and touch me with the rod of thine affliction so that I may say It is good for me that I was afflicted O blessed Redeemer give me thy Spirit without which I am undone to apply the precious Blood of the New Covenant to my Soul without which I can do nothing that thy good Spirit may direct me into the way everlasting to know God and Jesus Christ which is Life Eternal Inflame me with love to thy self thy Laws and Commandments Preserve me from the sin of Presumption let the love of Holiness in me express it self in the abandoning all and every similitude of sin from my heart that I may abhor that viz. Sin that once was so amiable to me Let thy strength appear in my weakness and let thy grace be sufficient for me Accommodate me with a resolvedness to follow thee Let Christ Heaven and Glory be my Object and my Mark to aim at Let Christ be my Center upon whose account I conclude my imperfect requests in his own words Our Father c. Considerations of Death 1. COnsider That all the Pleasures Treasures and Comforts of this Life as Wife Children Goods Gold Friends Lands Livings large Possessions Dignity Honours sumptuous Fare and pleasant Prospects spacious Walks delicate Gardens nay even the World it self in its lustre and all that is therein on which thou hast doted so much and squandered so much time in shall and must all at the stroke of Death be extinguished the which Heaven it self or any created Power cannot prevent but will quite be obliterated and for ever lost never more to be minded or meddled with or enjoyed either in this World or the World to come but in as much as we must give an account of our using and abusing of them When our breath goeth forth out of our Bodies our thoughts perish and therefore make it thy business and think it thy chiefest prudence to wean thy affections from this fading World by little and little with a resolute and holy violence least thou find it harder to part with all at once 2.
inconceivable delight to all Eternity in another World with St. Chrysostom chuse rather the punishments of Hell than offend Christ Of the pains of Sense 1. COnsider the horror anxiousness heart-corroding and too late vain repentance that will torment thy Soul for thy so sinful transacted life when thou thinkest how many precious opportunities thou mightest have improved for thy Souls eternal good but hast wilfully cast them away how many a good Sermon and Soul-market thou didst negligently go through How many dreadful things thou hast committed How many necessary duties thou hast omitted How thou hast dishonoured God grieved Friends and Relations and when thou wast call'd upon to repent thou wouldst not turn and live Ah! I say such considerations as these will then tear thy Soul to pieces and be a great part of thy Hell 2. And as to the things thou doest at present feel they will be unexpressible There is no tongue can express or heart conceive the extremity and exquisiteness of it all that the angry Arm of an Almighty power can inflict upon thee O sinner shall be inflicted upon thee to the full In a word If the several pains of Discases and Maladies incident to our Nature nay and add to it all the most exquisite and unheard of Tortures c. be collected all into one extream anguish yet it will be nothing to the Torment which shall ever possess and plague the least part of a damned Body And as for the Soul let all the griefs horrors and dispairs that ever rent in pieces any heavy heart and vexed consciences c. be heapt together into one extream Terror it would all fall infinitely short of that desperate rage and restless anguish which shall eternally torture the least and lowest faculty of the Soul Oh what rational man that hath Understanding Affections and Senses would not tremble at such thoughts as these and seriously project how to evade all this 3. As to the everlastingness of these Tortures consider that that will be another Hell to thee O Eternity Eternity upon which depends the height length breadth and depth of immortality in the World to come even two Eternities the one infinitely Blessed and the other infinitely Cursed the loss of everlasting joys and lying in eternal flames and never ending pleasures or pains follow the well or mispending this moment upon Earth With what unwearied Care and Watchfulness ought we to watch all the days of our appointed time to make our Calling and Election sure With what industry and diligence to ply this Moment to fit us for that Eternity Of the Joys of Heaven THe excellency of Heaven no mortal Heart no finite Head can possibly Conceive or Comprehend The Eye of Man hath seen Wonderful Things and the Ear heard most Delicious and Ravishing Melody the Heart can Conceive and Imagine strange Felicities yet cannot Apprehend this Our Gracious God in his Holy and unsearchable Wisdom doth detain from the Eye of our Understanding a full comprehension of the most Glorious state above to Exercise in the mean time our Faith Love Obedience Patience c. Heaven is caled a great City a Place most Glorious above all Comparison and Conceit Wherein many Mansions are Prepared for many thousands of glorified bodies after the last day besides the numberless numbers of blessed Angels Oh with what infinite sweet Delight may glorious Souls be Drowned in the Imaginations of these Felicities whilst in this vale of Tears Heaven is called the Kingdom of God of his own making who doth all things like himself It is called an Inheritance a rich and glorious Inheritance an Inheritance of the Saints in Light an Inheritance incorruptible a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life a Crown of Glory an exceeding Eternal weight of Glory fulness of Joys Everlasting Pleasures Who would not be ravisht with the very thoughts of this eternal and matchless Glory to which all other things are but as loss and dung and in comparison of whom are not worthy mentioning Of the Beauty and Blessedness of Glorfied Bodies THey shall be made like the Glorious Body of Christ and that is Honour enough and Happiness too besides their freedom from all Defects and Imperfections they shall be like the Angels of God in Heaven Pains Miseries and all Evils they shall have an Everlasting Redemption from and shall be Crowned Gloriously with many possitive Prerogatives c. 1. Imortality Glorified bodies cannot possibly die 2. Incorruptibleness never more to be obnoxious to the least Corruption or Putrefaction or Dissolution They shall be Spiritual and Heavenly as the Angels in Heaven and in all things subject to the Spirit of God Of the Happiness of the Soul WE shall know as we are known our Memory shall be perfected we shall be beatifically enlightned with a clear and glorious sight of God himself which Divines call a Beatifical Vision It is sufficient that in Heaven we shall see him face to face whose very Countenance to behold is the life of the Soul It ravisheth the Soul and fills it yea as full as ever it can hold or contain insomuch as some that have had but a glimpse of it whilest in this lower Orb have cryed out Enough enough Lord I can hold no more And if so full by one glance here what shall it be when immerg'd in the middest of that boundless Ocean of Immortality and Glory that for its Immensity can never be defined Paul when taken up in the Third Heaven saw things unutterable not to be express'd by any mortal man as if he should have said If any one should ask me what I saw I saw things a thousand times beyond what I or any montal man can express or imagine O the heighth breadth length and depth of that glory that is prepared for the Saints before the foundation of the the World Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what great things are laid up for them that love God O happy Soul that shall be drowned in this boundless happiness No wonder if the sense of this makes Martyrs to rejoyce in their sufferings Paul desired to be dissolved A Consolatary Discourse OR A DIALOGUE between CHRIST and a Disquiet SOVL Christ MY Beloved why fearest thou and art so disquieted within thy self do'st thou well to be angry with my Chastisement And why art thou offended that I should make thee like unto my self causing thee to walk in that way of inward and outward griefs which I did tread before thee Why refusest thou to take up my Cross and follow me and to taste of that Cup that I drank before thee Soul O Lord give me of that Spirit of thine and that trouble with thee and for thee shall be sweet unto me Whatsoever thou didst bear it was for me and if I were so disposed as I should then would I be content to bear all that thou my God shouldst lay upon me But ah
Power working in thy Soul Have I not sprinkled thy Conscience with my pacifying Blood from which hath flowed an attestation of good things such a sense of mercy as many times hath filled thy heart with Joy and thy mouth with a song of Praise Have not I stirred thee up in great fervency to call on the Name of the Lord Have I not made thee to give my Name a publick testimony with thine own disadvantage and how oft hath thine heart been effectually moved at the hearing of my Word in such sort as it hath wrought in thee an holy remorse and inward contrition for thy sins which hath broken out into tears Have I not made thee a wrestler against thine inordinate lusts Have I not given thee strength many a time to stand against Sathans tentations whereas if I had left thee to thy self how oft hadst thou been made a prey to thine enemy Rememberest thou not that the Tempter hath assaulted thee but I have withdrawn the occasion of thy sin and when the occasion served did I not restrain and hold back the Tempter yea when both the occasion and the Tempter were present have I not filled thy heart with the fear and love of my Name and so kept thee from sinning against me And whereas many times thou of thy weakness hast offended did I not with a melting Heart and a mourning Eye raise thee again and renew my former familiarity with thee so that thou canst never say from the first hour I began to renew thee that I suffered thee to lie in thy sins as have done others that are strangers to my Grace And many notable effects of my workings in thee thou canst not deny Are not these undoubted tokens of my Grace in thee Will Nature do such things Mayest not thou feel that by these I have begun to apply to thee my merit for the remission of thy sins and my vertue for quickning thee to a new life Therefore think of thy self as basely as thou wilt but let the work of my Grace be esteemed of thee according to the excellency of it Be humble and cast down when thou lookest upon thine own corruption I find no fault with thee but I rejoyce at the new workmanship I have begun in thee Indeed if there were nothing in thee but that which thou hast of Nature thy estate were miserable but seeing thou seest a new workmanship in thee be comforted Art thou so in darkness that there is no light in thee that besides it there is not in thee a will to do good also and a love to righteousness If thou sayest thou hast no sin in thee thou art a liar and thinkest thou that I who have begun to translate thee from darkness to light and to make thee a new creature will leave thee until I have done my work in and upon thee Therefore beloved give not ear to thine own Corruption and Satan as to take their testimony against thee or to make thee think that my pledges that I have given thee are not worthy of credit that by them thou shouldest be assured of mercy Soul I cannot deny O Lord but that many times I have felt the sweetness of thy consolations which have greatly rejoyced my Soul But alas my grief is so much the greater that by mine own default I should now be deprived of them for I have grieved thy holy Spirit yea I have done what I could to quench him and therefore it is that the Comforter who was wont to refresh my Soul is away nor can I feel his presence with me as before Christ Because I am not changed therefore is it that the Sons of Jacob are not consumed Many indeed are the changes whereunto ye are subject but I remain the same and there is no shadow of alteration in me James 1.17 Be not afraid O my well beloved neither esteem thy self to be rejected of me albeit I sometimes hide my Face from thee all my ways are mercy and truth to mine It is for thee that sometimes I go from thee and it is for thee that again I turn unto thee for if I come it is for thy consolation that continual heaviness through manifold temptations should not oppress thee How oft hast thou found this when thou wast sick of love I have strengthened thee with the Flaggons of Wine and comforted thee with my Apples my fruit hath been sweet in thy mouth and I have put my left hand under thy head and with my right hand I have embraced thee Can. 2. But least the greatness of my consolations should exalt thee to disdain thy Brother and offend me by imputing that to thine own disposition I have again drawn these glorious feelings from thee give me the praise that I know best what is expedient for thee Had my servant Paul need to be humbled with the buffets of Sathan lest he should be exalted above measure by the greatness of his Revelations and hast not thou need that by my inward exercises I should hold thee humble If my comfort were always present with thee thou wouldest think that thy Heaven and permanent City were on Earth and so cease to inquire for a better to come Thou wouldest take the place of thy Banishment for thy home and the Earnest for the Principal Summe which I have promised thee Consider this wifely with thy self that albeit I smile not alike on thee at all times and fill thee not always with my Joys yet I always love thee if thou continue in my Love for whom I love I love unto the end If I close my Chamber door upon thee it is not to hold thee out it is to learn thee to knock If I cover my self with many vails that thou canst not see a glance of my loving Countenance 't is only to stir thee up to seek me and if sometimes I seem to go from thee 't is to provoke thee to follow me that thou mayest make haste from the Earth to Heaven where thou shalt injoy me without intermission Was Joseph so wise as to conceal his tender affection from his Brethren till he brought them to an humble acknowledgment of their sin And was he again so loving as when he saw them so humbled his affection was enflamed and compelled him to reveal himself unto them And thinkest thou that I am less wise and loving in dealing with mine I gave at first sharp answers to that Woman of Canaans Petitions and so will I to deal roughly seemingly with those whom I love and to be angry even at their Prayers but in the end I will make my love manifest to them and with mine endless mercies imbrace them Soul Suffer me yet once again Lord to speak unto thee that thou mayest answer me and I shall complain no more If we saw that such were our Disposition as thy holy Word doth require in us then should thy comforts rejoyce us but alas how far am I from that which I should be my
us of the evils that we have committed that God may repent him of the evils that he hath threatned 80. 'T is certain that wicked men sin if they pray not and it is true that even their Prayers are sin Prov. 15.8 Evening Meditations and Ejaculations coming in from ones Imployment O How good God has been to me this day in preserving me he might have struck me dead or have let me fall into some danger or other and yet has kept me from spiritual and temporal enemies and from the accidents attending on the trail nature of poor mortal Creatures O bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Meditations in time of undressing ones self I am puting off my Cloths O Lord it may be the last time O help me to put off my sins those rags that make me so deformed in thy sight O strip me of this depraved nature that all men are guilty of and invested with Being undressed a Meditation Lord I am naked and bare before thee and so are the secrets of all men and before whom all secrets shall be disclosed Lord disclose all the secrets of my treacherous heart that I may bewail what sins are not repented of Getting into Bed a Meditation It may be the last time that I shall lie down O put me in mind Lord of my lying down in the dust when the Worms shall be my Bed-fellows my Grave my Bed and the Grass my Cloths to cover me Going to Sleep a Meditation It may be I may sleep an everlasting sleep Lord let me whether sleeping or waking acquiesce in thee and let me by this rest be mindful of that everlasting rest for thy Saints Guard me with Angels that I may sleep secure Morning Meditations Awakened out of Sleep O God how mightst thou have made my Bed my Grave my Sleep my Death and yet I am presâ—rved by thy good hand of providenâ—â— blessed be thâ— Name Lord. O Lord as thou hast awaked me out of Tempered Sleep O let my Spiritual Eyes be opened that I may be more awakened out of the sleep of Sin Arising O Lord let my Arising put me in mind of the first Re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ion to wiâ— from Sin and of the seâ—â—â—nd that is at the last day that by 〈◊〉 Arising of the one I may Arise with comfort aâ— the other Putting on the Doublet Lord help me to put on the Breast-plate of Righteousness that I may be able to resist all the â—iery darts of Sathan Putting on the Breeches Help me O Lord to gird my Loyns with Righteousness Putting on Stockings and Shoes O Lord help me to get my Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Putting on the Coat Draw out my heart Lord to praise thee for thy Clothing me let me be clothed with the Garments of Righteousness cover me O Lord with the skirt of thy loving kindness Washing Lord wash me from all my sins in that Fountain that 's set open for sin and for uncleanness and help me to wash my hands in innocency Combing the Head and Brushing the Cloths Lord take away all that rust and dirt that sticks so close to my Soul and make me clean and then I shall be clean indeed Putting on the Band. Lord let thy wisdom be as a chain about my Neck A short Meditation before Prayer before one go to Work O what a reasonable thing is it that I should seeing God renews his Mercy every Morning renew my Acknowledgements in Prayer and Praises both for received Mercies and an Engagement for future Mercies O Lord let my Desires be as a Morning Sacrifice and the early smoak of my incense renew those leagues my sins this night may have broken Before Work Lord seeing thou hast dealt so kindly with me this night as to preserve me and keep me and bring me to my Imployment let my Actions all be to thy Glory and whatsoever I do it may be according as thou requirest in thy Word that doing nothing but what is or tends to thy Glory in a lawful Imployment I may be prospered in all my Deeds A Valediction to the World and its Inhabitants VAin World adieu whose chanting charms entice And keep me from the things of better price I now am bent for new discoveries In Lands that are beyond the azure Skies My faith a City fair hath in her eye Whose Subjects all are Saints thither go I There shall this drossie Flesh and Blood refin'd Immortal grow and free from â—ears of mind Where whilst my Saviours presence my mind chears My heart shall vent no sighs my eyes no tears But fill'd with joyes from age to age I 'll sing Sweet Allelujahs to my God and King 2. To Servants Farewel my Servants though my Covenant Requires attendance from you none I 'll want Your Master and mine own I go to see He calls me home but mourn you not for me I must confess a truant I have been Yet he hath sworn he 'll pay my wages in Serve I him but the twinkling of an eye I shall have wages paid eternally His Debtor deep and desperate was I Vntil he sent his Son for me to die O love stronger than death my Soul away Make speed 〈◊〉 thy dâ—ar Master for thee stay 3. To Intimate Friends Farewel my mind 's embeseâ—'d darlings dear I highly price you yâ—â— must needs forbear From imaging your enjâ—â—mâ—nt for I am call'd By the great Friend of Friends to be install'd With his triumphâ—â—â— friends that are above In the great Principality of Love Detain me not nor 〈◊〉 this an offence The King of Kings commands me I must hence 4. To Brothers Sisters and Kindred Farewel my Flesh and Blood my Kindred dear Whose homogeniâ—â— pâ—rts at first one were Till Rib made Eve made two who still one were Millions of millions now in number are I have attain'd new consanguinity Who sing sweet Requiems eternally To the enthroned Souls not to be cy'd By Mortal Opticks they are glorisi'd Heaven 's their Foot stool their Seat the Glorious Flore Of his great Throne that reigns for evermore 5. To Father Farewel my beings instrumental cause Assign'd by the Author of Divine Laws Who my new Father is and old one was Ere you were so to whem I now do pass Methinks with sorrow sore oppress's my heart To think that from you I aâ— last must part But O why do I grieve To go to him That gave his Son a ransom for my sin And by whose wonderfully great affection Made Love sole ground of my poor Souls election Father if you are loath I gone should be Come but to him you 'll surely come to me 6. To Mother Farewel dear Mold wherein I mortal clay Fram'd was that bar'st me nine â—onâ—ths night and day And after grievous travel gav'st me pass When by the eternal Potter I fram'd was Into this vail of tears thy torments bind me To boundless love yet thee must leave behind me Oh let me flee and haste thee after me To dwell together in solicity 7. To Children Farewel sweet implings death's sweet writ of ease Doth me remove from you th' Epitomes Of me and my dear second farewel I Must have a residence beyond the skie You therefore I commit unto your Father Who will you keep and unto me will gather You if you faithful be unto the death And give you crowns of life for transient breath In Heaven with Angels Saints and Martyrs throng To sing for ever Sions Lamb 's sweet Song 8. To Wife Farewel my better half life of my life And sub-celestial comfort dearest Wife One heart in two in parting we must cleave As we made one of two at meeting leave Spare these heart-melting cries let crys with tears Thy frailties to bewail sound in Gods ears Swim in those streams unto that harbour where The presence of our King thy heart will cheer I do but go before and thee expect Among the number of the Lords Elect. 9. To all joyntly Farewel World Servants Relations near Brothers and Sisters all my Kindred dear Father Mother Children and dear Wife All whom I dearly lov'd as my own life I must be gone I must depart from hence Seeing it is for my good you will not take offence My King and Captain calls me to install In Heaven above free from all slavish thrall Once more adieu unto you all until We shall together meet on Sions Hill Where we all joyntly shall loud praises sing Vnto our God our Saviour and our King FINIS