Christs bodie and bloud in the Sacrament no foode for children but men in riper yeares that can examine themselues 6 Bread and wine are designed and set apart for the holy Communion Christs body and bloud designed and appointed by God for man his redemption and satisfaction 7 Bread and wine layed vpon the Communion table Christs body and bloud layed vpon the Altar of the crosse 8 Bread and wine consecrated by the Priest and exhibited to the Communicants Christs body and bloud consecrated by the eternall Spirit and offered to his Father 9 Bread broken wine poured out Christs body bruised and torne and his bloud poured out 10 Bread and wine giuen by the Minister Christs body and bloud giuen by the Father 11 Bread and wine taken into the hands of the faithfull Communicant Christs body and bloud receiued by faith and applyed 12 Bread and wine eaten and drunke with the mouth Christs body and bloud fed vpon in the heart 13 Bread and wine vnited to the substance of our body and made one with vs. Christs body and bloud vnited to vs made one with vs by an vnspeakable and inseparable coniunction 14 Bread and wine sustaine and nourish the body to a temporall life Christs body and bloud nourish and preserue body and soule to eternall life 15 Bread and wine increase the substance of one body Christs body and bloud worthily receiued increase faith and all spirituall graces in the soule Short pravers to be vsed in the very act of receiuing or a little before Lord make me a worthy partaker of these most holy mysteries Prepare me before Assist me in Comfort and confirme me after the receiuing of this heauenly foode Lord 1 Renew my repentance 2 Confirme my faith 3 Perfect my charitie 4 Increase my knowledge 5 Fasten my intention 6 Quicken my deuotion Lord giue me I humbly beseech thee 1 Sorrow for my sin 2 Thirst of thy grace 3 Knowledge in thy mysteries 4 Faith in thy promises 5 Loue to thy members 6 Thankfulnesse for this inestimable fauour thou vouchsafest me inbidding me to thine owne Table A short thanksgiuing after the Communion to be vsed in the seate or at the Lords Table GRacious Redeemer I most heartily thank thee for these pledges of thy loue and tokens of thy fauour and seales of the generall pardon for all my sins And I vow by the helpe of thy strengthening grace from henceforth euer to abstaine euen from all appearance of euill neuer willingly to offend thee in thought word or deed How shouâ—â—â— sinne against thee who hast died for me and washed my sinnes in thy bloud which I haue now receiued to my vnspeakable comfort Another Affect me with a taste of this heauenly food and continue the rellish of it in the mouth of my soule make me for euer hereafter loath the worlds delicacies the fleshes baites and the diuels morsels especially the forbidden fruite of c. Here name thy secret and bosome sinnes which thou hast bene last or most ouertaken with Another Welcome blessed and heauenly guest my dearest Lord and bountifull Sauiour I bow the knees of my heart vnto thee I put my hands vnder thy sacred feete pierced with nailes for me I lay downe before thee the keyes of my euerlasting doore Enter high Lord of heauen and earth take possession of all my inner roomes Comâ—â—nd and rule all the faculties of my soule and members of my body especially the hidden roome of my heart Liue and dwell with me here below by faith till I come to dwell with thee for euer aboue in heauen So bee it How is it that my Lord is come himselfe to visite me Can a sinfull man expect of God such grace much lesse deserue it Wilt thou conuerse with Publicans and such sinners as I am Nay wilt thou not onely eate with them but suffer thy selfe to be eaten of them I am astonished at this thy wonderfull humilitie and vnconceiueable loue Lord make me for euer mindfull of it thankfull for it Amen Glorie be to God on high on earth peace and eternall comfort in my conscience I am fed now with thy body and my heart is cheared with the cup of the new Testament in thy bloud Now I am incorporated into thy mysticall body and am made flesh of thy flesh bone of thy bone Lord let nothing be euer able to separate me from this but sith all things worke for the good of thy chosen let all things more and more vnite me to thee that I may grow from grace to grace and strength to strength till I come to the fuu measure of thy perfect age Amen I haue now eaten of this bread and drunke of this cup according to thine holy ordinance Lord grant that I may feele in my soule the effect of this spirituall refection by the confirming of my faith assurance of my hope enlargement of my loue and my increase in spirituall strength against all tentations At my conception and birth thou gauest me my selfe ô Lord and now according to thy promise in the Sacrament thou hast giuen me thy selfe and by faith I haue receiued thee I can do no lesse and I would I could do more then giue my selfe wholly vnto thee Refuse me not who hast giuen thy selfe for me and vnto me Take me into thy fauour and seruice Keepe mee in thy Church which is thy house continually and protect me against all my bodily and ghostly enemies A larger forme of Thanksgiuing after thou returnest to thy house or chamber from receiuing the Communion I Yeeld vnto thee ô most bountifull gracious and euerliuing Lord and Sauiour the greatest thanks my heart can conceiue or tongue expresse for this inestimable fauour that thou vouchsafest to bid me to thine owne Table and there hast feasted my soule with the true Manna that came downe from heauen the foode of Angels thine owne blessed body and bloud O knit my heart and affections for euer vnto thee who hast substantially and inseparably vnited thy selfe vnto mankind by taking flesh from vs in thine incarnation and giuing vs thy flesh in this sacred institution What shall be able to separate me from thee or from thy members who by thy Spirit and vertue of this Sacrament am truly incorporated into thee and made a member of thy mysticall body How can I question thy loue who hast giuen me this pledge of thy fauour How can I forget thy bitter death and passion whereof thou hast instituted so liuely a memoriall How can I doubt of thy promises whereof thou hast giuen such a seale How should I distrust my future inheritance whereof thou hast giuen me this earnest I know thou wilt denie me no good thing who hast giuen me thy selfe I know that I shall liue eternally and blessedly because by thy faith working in and through this Sacrament I receiue the seede of immortalitie I am truly made partaker of thy naturall yea and a liuely part
me and the paines of hell gat hold vpon me I found trouble and sorrow Psal. 116. 3. The Kings of the earth set themselues and the Rulers take councell together against the Lord and against his Christ. Psal. 2. 2. Mine enemies whisper together against mee against me doe they deuise hurt Psal. 41. 7. l Yea mine own familiar friends in whom I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lift vp his heele against me ver 9. I am like a Pelican in the Wildernesse and an Owle in the Desart Psal. 102. 6. I watch and am alone as a Sparrow on the house top ver 7. My louers and my friends stand aloofe from my stroke and my Kinsmen stand a farre off Psal. 38. 11. Mine enemies reproch mee all the day long and they that are mad vpon mee are sworne against me Psal. 102. 8. But I as a deafe man heard not and as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth Psal. 39. 13. I am as a worme and no man a reproch to men and despised of the people Psal. 22. 6. All they that see me laugh mee to scorne they shout out their lips and shake their heads saying ver 7. He trusted in the Lord that he would deliuer him let him deliuer him seeing he delighted in him Psal. 22. 8. Many Oxen came about me strong Bulls of Basan haue beset me round ver 12. They gaped vpon mee with their mouthes as it were a ramping and roaring Lyon ver 13. Thy wrath lyeth hard vpon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waues Psal. 88. 7. I am powred out like water all my bones are out of ioynt Psal. 22. 14. They pierced my hands and my feet Psal. 22. 16. My strength is dryed vp like a Pot-sheard and my tongue cleueth to my gums ver 15. Reproch hath broken my heart and I am full of heauinesse I looked for some to haue pitty on me but there was none for comforters but I found none Psal. 69. 20. They gaue me gall to eat and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke ver 21. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22. 1. Into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal. 31. 5. Thou keepest all my bones so that not one of them is broken Psal. 34. 20. My heart is like wax it is melted in the middest of my bowels Psal. 22. 14. They part my garments among them and on my vesture doe they cast lots Psal. 22. 18. Thou hast layed me in the lowest pit in a place of darknesse and in the deepe Psal. 88. 5. Free among the dead like to them that bee wounded and lye in the graue which be out of remembrance and are cut away from thine hand The close out of Ieremiah IS it nothing to you all yee that passe by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his wrath Lam. 1. 12. A Prayer for Good-friday DEarest Redeemer the Mediatour of Heauen and Earth who this day werest placed on the Crosse betweene them both with thine armes stretched abroad to embrace and thy head bowed downe as it were to kisse all that come vnto thee I humbly prostrate my selfe at thy feet desiring in vnfained repentance with my teares to wash those thy wounds that bled for my sinne and in a liuely faith to touch the print of thy nailes and thrust my finger into the hole of thy side thereby to take reall and corporall possession of thee that I may with Thomas truely call thee My Lord and my God my dread and my loue my surety and my ransome my Sacrifice and my Priest my Aduocate and my Iudge my desire and my contentment the life of my hope here and hope of my life hereafter Before I was thine for thy hands haue made me and fashioned me but now sith thou hast offered thy selfe to be my pledge and thy bloud for my ransome thou art truly mine My Lord and my God O let the Speare which ranne thee thorow fasten my heart to thy Crosse Let the nailes which printed thy flesh imprint thy loue in my soule let the thornes which pricked thy temples not suffer the temples of mine head to take any rest in sinne let the vineger which was giuen thee melt my adamantine heart into sorrow let the Spunge which was offered thee on the Crosse wipe out all my debts out of thy Fathers Tables Let others goe on forward if they please I will stay still at the Crosse and take no other Lesson for I desire no other Pulpit then that tree no other Preacher then thy crucified body no other Text then thy death and passion no other parts then thy wounds no other amplification then thy extension no other notes then thy markes no other points then thy nailes no other booke then thy opened side The first Adam did eat the fruit of the forbidden tree therefore thou the second Adam hangedst vpon a Tree By his fall all mankinde were so sorely wounded that the whole head was sicke and the whole heart faint from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there was nothing but wounds and bruses and sores full of corruption therefore thy whole head was pained thy whole heart wounded from the sole of thy foot which was gored with nailes to the crowne of the head which was pricked with thornes there was nothing but cuts and stripes and markes and skars and sores and wounds in thy whole body Because our heads plotted and deuised wickednesse on thy head was platted a Crowne of thornes Because our eyes burned with lust thy eyes were bedewed with teares Because we belched out blasphemies against God thy face was spit vpon Because our bodies haue beene stretched want only vpon our soft beds thy body was stretched vpon the hard Crosse. O Lord our eares haue offended thee by listening to want on Musicke prophane speeches and songs therefore thou suffredst in thine eare by hearing scoffes and blasphemous taunts Wee haue offended God in our smell by luxurious perfumes and sweete odours therefore thou sufferedst in thy smell by the stench of Golgotha Our taste had offended in gluttony and drunkennesse therefore thou sufferedst in thy taste by gall and vineger Because our feet were swift to shed bloud thy feet were nailed to the crosse Because our hands were defiled thy hands were bathed in bloud Because all parts of our bodies offended thou wast punished in all parts in thy temples with thornes on thy cheekes with buffets in thy ioints with straines in thy flesh with stripes Lastly because our hearts most grieuously offended in vnchaste malicious couetous ambitious thoughts desires and affections and piercing our selues with worldly cares therefore thou wast most grieuously punished in thy heart which was run thorow with the Speare If all the sufferings
of Martyrs since the worlds beginning were put in one skale and thine in the other thy Passion would beare them all down for thou barest the full weight of thy Father's heauiest hand Neuer were there sufferings like thy sufferings because neuer such a Sufferer the torments being infinitely improued by the Bearer Neuer sweat like thy sweat because neuer any had a burthen like to thine Neuer teares like thy teares because shed for them who thirsted for thy bloud Neuer torments like thy torments because neuer flesh so pure and tender as thy flesh Neuer horrour like to thy horrour being forsaken of thy Father because neuer loue like to thy loue of him Neuer sorrow like to thy sorrow because neuer sense and apprehension like to thy sense and apprehension of the infinite displeasure of God for the sinnes of mankinde O my most bountifull Redeemer who bestowedst largely and wast bestowed liberally for me it concerneth mee to know how much I stood thee in For how should I estimate thy loue if I cannot cast the totall of the Debt thou diddest discharge for mee But no heart can conceiue what sorrow thou conceiuedst no tongue can expresse what griefe thou diddest expresse by thy bloudy teares and those thy strong cries when thou complainedst that thy soule was heauy vnto death prayedst thy Father if it were possible to let this 〈◊〉 passe from thee I am appaled at thine agony I am astonished or thy feare I am amazed at thy patience I am rauished at thy loue My heart riseth my veines swell my bloud boiles within me against thy Persecuters If it were in my power I would put them all to millions of torments I would inflict a thousand deaths vpon Iudas that betrayed thee and Pilat that condemned thee and the enuious Scribes and Pharisees that layed snares for thee and the periured witnesses that gaue false euidence against thee and that execrable rout that preferred a murtherer before thee and the barbarous Souldiers that spit vpon thee and buffeted thee and the bloudy executioners of the Iewish malice and Romane cruelty that hanged and nayled and goared thee But when I diue deepe into thy bloudy passion I finde my selfe as deepe in the guilt of thy bloud-shedding as they They were in that but accessaries but I by my sinnes was a principall in the death of the Lord of Life My sinnes by their tongues and hands did all this villany outrage vpon thee Their nailes and speares pierced but the flesh but my sinnes pierced thy very soule My sinnes my sinnes O Lord by their hands crucified thee wherefore I condemne mine eyes to continuall teares my heart to perpetuall sighs and my thoughts to euerlasting pensiuenesse What shall I doe to wash away the guilt of thy bloud which alone can take away the guilt of my sinnes Verily I should bee vtterly swallowed vp in this gulfe but that the price of thy bloud hath satisfied as for all other sins so for the guilt of spilling it selfe And now my anger and feare and trouble anguish are all turned into ioy and comfort and loue admiration of the infinite wisdome of thy Father in prouiding such a remedy and his iustice in requiring such a satisfaction but most of all thy infinite loue making so full payment of the infinite debt of my sinnes What can I do what can I suffer enough for thee Gracious God to all the rest of thy blessings spirituall temporall conferred vpō me purchased by thy sufferings adde this one aboue the rest the special gift of the remembrance of these thy sufferings that wheresoeuer I am whatsoeuer I doe I may haue thy passion in my heart and thy wounds bleeding afresh in my mind with an infinite hatred of sinne that procured them and loue of thy goodnesse who induredst them for me Thy Church since thou leftest her is a widdow and I am as one of her dead children not as the Samaritan was halfe dead but whole dead in my sinnes and transgressions Thou Lord art the true Elias who raisedst and doest raise from death this Widdowes children to life by stretching thy body ouer them O my gracious Lord apply thy Body stretched this day on the Crosse to me Lay thy head to my head thy hands to my hands thy feet to my feet and thy heart to my heart that I may receiue warmth from thy bloud and ease from thy stripes and health from thy wounds and spirit from thy breath and strength from thy grace to stand vp from the dead and walke with thee from hence forth in newnesse of life So bee it Amen The weeke dayes Deuotions THe first day being the Christian Sabbath preceded the Festiualls whither I referre thee The others here follow in their order Munday's Deuotion being the second day from the Creation The Father worketh The worke of Creation on this day AGaine God said Let there be a Firmament in the middest of the waters and let it separate the waters from the waters Gen. 1. 3. Then God made the Firmament and separated the waters that were vnder the Firmament from the waters that were aboue the Firmament and it was so and God called the Firmament Heauen ver 7. So the euening and the morning were the 2. day ver 8. And I worke THe worke of redemption this day prophesied of in the Epistle Isa. 50. 6. I gaue my backe vnto the smiters my cheeks to the nippers I hid not my face from shame spitting c. Related in the Gospell Mat. 27. 1 2. When the morning was come all the chiefe Priests and the Elders of the People tooke counsell against Iesus to put him to death For thine instruction meditate In the morning vpon the worke of Creation In the euening vpon the worke of Redemption For thy comfort apply the Vse of the one Benefit of the other For thy corrction reproue thy Abuse of the one Vnthankfulnesse for the other Quicken Thy thankes by the Hymne Thine obedience by the admonition Thy zeale and deuotion by the prayer ensuing THE HYMNE HAue I not remembred thee in my bed and thought vpon thee when I was waking Psal 63. 7. Because thou hast beene my helper therefore vnder the shadow of thy wings will I reioyce ver 8. My soule hangeth vpon thee thy right hand hath vpholden me ver 9. Saue me O God for the waters are come in euen to my soule Psal. 69. 1. I stick fast in the deepe mire where no ground is I am come into deepe waters so that the flouds runne ouer me ver 2. My misdeeds preuaile against me O be thou mercifull vnto my sinnes Psal. 65. 3. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and receiuest vnto thee he shall dwell in thy Courts and shall bee satisfied with the pleasures of thine House euen of thy holy Temple ver 4. Thou shalt shew vs wonderfull things in thy righteousnesse O God of our saluation thou that art the hope of all the ends of
Man is a worme and the sonne of man is a worme Surely euery man liuing is altogether vanity Psal. 39. 11. All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse then nothing and vanity Isa. 40. 17. He knoweth our frame hee remembreth that wee are but dust Psal. 103. 14. Man that is borne of a woman hath but few dayes and is full of misery Iob 14. 1. Is not mans life a warfare vpon earth Are not his dayes also as the dayes of an hireling Iob 7. 1. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. Euery imagination of the thoughts of mans heart are only euill continually Gen. 6. 5. There is no man that sinneth not 1 Kings 8. 46. Who can bring a cleane thing out of an vncleane Iob 14. 4. They are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good no not one Psalme 143. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceiue mee Psal. 51. 5. Who knoweth how oft hee offendeth Cleanse thou me from my secret finnes Psal. 19. 12. If thou Lord shalt marke what is done amisse who may stand Psal. 130. 3. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing bee iustified Ps. 143. 2. We are al as an vncleane thing and all our righâ—eousnesse is as filthy raggs Isa. 64. 6. Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne Pro. 20. 9. For the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne Gal. 3. 22. In many things wee offend all Iames 3. 2. If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. 1. Iohn 1. 8. Without me ye can do nothing Ioh. 15. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3. 5. The Lord is nigh vnto all them that call vpon him yea all such as call vpon him faithfully Psal. 145. 18. All things whatsoeuer ye shall aske in prayer beleeuing ye shall receiue Math. 21. 22. Let him aske in faith nothing waâ—ering Iames 1. 6. Thou hast bene pretious in my sight and I haue loued thee Isa. 43. 4. God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Ioh. 3. 16. As the Father hath loued mee so I haue loued you Ioh. 15. 9. After that the kindnesse and loue of God our Sauiour towards man appeared c. Tit. 3. 4. To him that loued vs and washed vs from our sins in his owne bloud Ren. 1. 5. The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse truth Exod. 34. 6. The Lord your God is gracious and mercifull and will not turne away his face from you if you returne to him 2. Chro. 30. 9 For thy great mercies sake thou diddest not vtterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and mercifull God Nehe. 9. 31. The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and plentifull in mercy Psal. 103. 8. ver 11. 13. 17. Who is a God like vnto thee that pardâ—neth iniquitie and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage hee retaineth not his anger for euer because he delighteth in mercâ—e Micah 7. 18. He will turne againe he will haue compassion vpon vs hee wil subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sinnes into the depths of the sea ver 19. Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth to repentance Rom. 2. 4. God is not slacke as some men count slacknesse but is long-suffering to vs ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance 2. Pet. 3. 9. The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head Gen. 3. 15. He forgiueth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy â—iseases Psal. 103. 3. He will not alway chide nor keepeth hee his anger for euer ver 9. His anger endureth but for a moment in his fauour is life weeping may endure for a night but ioy cometh in the morning Psal. 30. 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psal. 126. 5. Though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Isa. 1. 18. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with euerlasting kindnesse will I haue mercy on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer Isa. 54. 8. If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes which he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do all that which is lawfull and right he shall surely liue he shall not dâ—o Eze. 18. 21. Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God not that he should returne from his wayes and liue ver 23. As I liue saith the Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue Eze. 33 11. I will betroth thee vnto me foreuer yea I will betroth thee vnto me in righteousnesse in iudgement and in louing kindnesse and in mercie Hos. 2. 19. A bruised reede shall hee not breake and smoking flaxe shall he not quench Math. 12. 20. Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie laden and I will giue you rest Math 11. 28. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 1. To him that is able to do exceeding abundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke be glorie c. Ephes. 3. 20. I am God all-sufficient walke before me and bee thou perfect Genes 17. 1. Abraham being fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to performe Romanes 4. 21. God is able to make all grace abound towards you that you alwayes hauing sufficiencie in all things may abound to euery good worke 2. Cor. 9. 8. The same Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him Rom. 10. 12. Thus it becometh vs to fulfill all righteousnesse Math. 3. 15. Which of you conuiâ—ceth mee of sinne Ioh. 18. 46. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 19. He hath made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5. 21. He was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sinne Heb. 4. 15. Such an high Priest became vs who is holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7. 26. He did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth 1. Pet. 2. 22. With the Lord is mercy and plenteous redemption Psal. 130. 7. The chastisement of our peace was vpon him Isa. 53. 5.
7. Purge me with Hysope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Psal. 51. 7. I will purge away thy drosse and take away all thy Tinnâ— Isa. 1. 25. For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified Iohn 17. 19. Being sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 16. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified 1. Cor. 6. 11. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word Eph. 5. 26. For by one offering he hath perfected them for euer that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. To them that are sanctified by God the Father c. Iude 1. 1. I know that my redeemer liueth c. Iob 19. 25. Though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God ver 26. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsell and afterwards receiue me to glorie Psal. 73. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast giuen me bee with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17. 24. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Math. 25. 34. Feare not little flocke for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Luke 12. 32. If so be we suffer with him we shall also bee glorified together with him Rom. 8. 17. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glorie that shall be reuealed in vs ver 18. Whom he iustifieth them also he glorifieth ver 30. Who shall change our vile bodie that it may be fashioned to his glorious body Phil. 3. 21. I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith 2. Tim. 4. 7. Henceforth there is layed vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but vnto them also that loue his appearing ver 8. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal. 103. 2. Which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thy diseases ver 3. O Lord thou hast brought vp my soule from the graue thou hast kept me aliue that I should not go downe to the pit Psal. 30. 3. The Lord killeth and maketh aliue c. 1. Sam. 2 6. It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect Psal. 18. 32. He teacheth my hands to warre so that a bow of steele is broken by mine armes ver 34. Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things and maketh thee young and lustie as an Eagle Psal. 103. 5. Come and let vs returne vnto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale vs he hath smitten and he will bind vs vp Hos. 6. 1. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan and now I am become two bands Genes 32. 10. Also the Lord gaue Iob twise as much as he had before Iob 42. 10. Charge the rich in this world that they bee not high minded nor trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God who giueth vs richly all things to enioy 1. Ti. 6. 17. Thou hast set me at libertie when I was in thrall Psal 4. 1. Cornelius a iust man and of good report Acts 10. 22. And these all hauing obtained a good report through faith receiued not the promises Hebrewes 11. 39. Oyntment and perfume reioyce the heart so doth the sweetnes of a mans friend by heartie counsell Prou. 27â—9 Then came to Iob all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had bene of his acquaintance c. Iob 42. 11. Thou Lord onely makest mee dwell in safetie Psal. 4. 8. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide vnder the shadow of the Almightie Psal. 91. 1. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psal. 121. 4. The Lord shall preserue thee from all euill he shall preserue thy soule A preparatorie Hymne collected out of diuerse Psalmes where in the deuout soule desireth Accessea. Audienceb. Assistancec. Acceptanced. a Thou sayest seeke ye my face my heart said vnto thee thy face Lord will I seeke Psal. 27. 8. Hide not thy face farre from mee nor put thy seruant away in anger ver 9. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal. 51. 11. b Heare ô Lord when I crie vnto thee haue mercy also vpon me and answer me Psal. 27. 7. Ponder my words ô Lord consider my meditation Psal. 5. 1. My heart is enditing a good matter my tongue is the pen of a ready writer Psal. 45. 1. c O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal. 51. 15. Let my prayer bee set forth before thee as incense and the lifting vp of my hands as an euening sacrifice Psal. 141. 2. Set a watch ô Lord before my mouth and keepe the doore of my lips ver 3. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight ô Lord my strength and my redeemer Psal. 19. 14. A preparatorie Prayer wherein all the conditions requisite in Prayer are expressed and prayed for HEauenly Father whose gift it is that I can aske any good gift at thy hands without whose grace I cannot desire thy healthfull and sauing grace Infuse into my heart the Spirit of supplication that in an awfull reuerence of thy Maiestie out of a true sence and feeling of my wants and infirmities and a liuely faith in thy promises I may with chearefulnesse of mind and feruencie of Deuotion and constant perseuerance lift vp a pure and plaine heart vnto thee at all times humbly intreating thy souereigne bountie for such things onely as thou in thy eternall wisdome hast pre-ordained to giue and calling vpon thee in such order and manner as thou hast prescribed me to aske in that absolute patterne of all prayer set downe in the Gospell by my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. In whose name mediation and words I crie Abba Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy Name c. A preparation to the hearing of the word GOd in his infinite wisedome hath so disposed the meanes of our saluation that the soueraigne Antidote against sinne death is conueyed into the soule through the same passage whereby the deadly poyson first entered Death stole in at the eare by suggestion of the euill spirit and now life in the hearing of the word passeth in at the same gate of the soule by the operation of the holy Spirit Hast thou an eare ô Christian by thy profession for the diuell and none for God An eare to receiue poyson dropped in and not to
come then that which is in part shall be abolished 1 Cor. 13. 10. Loue doth neuer fall away though that prophecying be abolished or that tongues cease c. ver 8. I pray that they all may be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee euen that they may be also one in vs c. Ioh. 17. 21. An Hymne for the Sabbath Euening REturne to thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee Psal. 116. 7. In Gods Word will I reioyce in the Lords Word will I comfort me Psal. 56. 10. The words of the Lord are pure words like as siluer which from the earth is tryed and purified seauen times in the fire Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will bee alway praysing thee They will goe from strength to strength and to the God of Gods appeareth euery one of them in Sion Psal. 84. 47. I will giue thankes to the Lord in the Congregation from the ground of the heart Psal. 68 26. Vnto thee ô God I will pay my vowes vnto thee will I giue thanks Psal. 56. 12. Shew the light of thy countenance vpon thy seruant and teach me thy Statutes Psalme 119. An Euening Prayer for the Sabbath HOly holy holy Lord God Almighty which was which art and which art to come hallow my nature that I may hallow thy Name As thou impartest thy goodnes to me whereby I liue and moue in thee so I beseech thee communicate to mee some measure of thy holinesse that I may liue and moue to thee Let thy Spirit of grace possesse my body and soule that the desires of my minde and thoughts of my heart and words of my lipps may be holinesse vnto thee Sanctifie me that I may glorifie thee And first with ioy and thankfulnesse I acknowledge it a special testimony of thy loue that thou hast giuen me liberty and meanes to keepe a holy Sabbath vnto thee to meete in thy House to offer vp my ioynt-prayers and thanks-giuing with thy holy congregation to confesse my sinnes to professe my faith to lay open my wants to cheere vp my selfe by singing the sweete songs of Sion to heare thy sacred Word read and Preached whereby my faith hath beene strengthened in the misteries of saluation my hope established in the promises of thy Gospell and my life set forward in a setled course of holinesse and righteousnesse whereby the Kingdome of sinne and Satan is beate down and destroyed and the Kingdome of Christ built vp in me By this thy Word the carelesse sinner is admonished the ignorant instructed the presumptuous terrified and the penitent comforted the power of sinne is abated the force of temptations weakned the motions of the spirit quickned grace reuined and my Election assured by these insallible Marks and tokens thereof set before me in holy Scriptures Blessed bee thy Name for it this day thy Word hath dwelt with me richly in all wisedome The dispenser of thy misteries hath scattered many Doctrines like so many pearles among thy people Lord grant that with Mary I keepe these and all thy sayings in my heart and make vse of them in my life and receiue comfort from them at my death And here I would proceed to intreate at thy hands the continuance and increase of thy spiritual and temporall blessings vpon mee but my sinnes lye at the doore of my conscience and affright mee My heart smites mee for my failings in the performance of the duties of thy Sabbath My deuout Meditations haue bin stefled in the wombe that bare them my prayers haue not beene without distractions my hearing without wearisomenesse nor my almes-deeds without grudging Pardon deare Father my want of preparation before I come to thine house of intention and Zeale at thy seruice and want of Meditation and Application of those things which I heard there since I came thence Bury I beseech thee these slips and all other my sins especially of this weeke and day in the night of eternall obliuion Ease me of the burden of them that I may more securely repose my body and soule vpon thy gracious protection to take their naturall refreshing by sleepe whereby I may bee enabled and strengthened to doe thee better seruice the next day in walking carefully diligently conscionably and constantly in the waies of thy commandements and the duties of my calling The close out of Scripture Now the very God of peace sanctify mee throughout and I pray God that my whole spirit and soule and body may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ Amen THE PRACTICE of Extraordinarie DEVOTION In the Religious obseruation of Christian Feasts as namely our Lords Birth Circumcision Epiphanie Resurrection Ascension Sending downe the Holy Ghost Fasts as namely Ashwednesday Good friday By Daniel Featly Doctor in Diuinity LONDON Printed by G. M. and R. B. for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at his shop at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1626. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE and Religious Ladie the Countesse of DENBIGH May it please your Honour YOur conference with me about my conference with the Iesuites and your gracious acceptation of the relation and defence thereof left in me such an impression of the Character of your Noble and Religious disposition that I euer since desired the aduantage of some good opportunitie to testifie my dutifull respect to your Honour The truth of God receiueth not onely support but great honour from the patronage and countenance of great Personages and she much glorieth in finding so strong a Champion euen in the weaker sexe Albeit the Sun-beames are alwayes most bright in themselues yet they neuer appeare so glorious to vs as when they fall vpon crystall glasse or pretious stones In like sort Religion and vertue the raies of diuine light in the soule although they shine alwayes brightly in themselues yet they neuer seeme so conspicuous and resplendent as when they receiue some luster from the subiect when Nobilitie of birth and minde concurre when ornaments of bodie and soule meete when eminencie of grace eminency of conditions toyne in one and reflect mutually each on the other And verily if your more then or dinarie fauour and respect to the Ministers of the Gospell and to my selfe in particular had not made this my voluntarie oblation a necessarie obligation to your Ladiship yet your constancie in the truth and loue to Sion and her solemne and sacred assemblies might iustly challenge to your Honour the Dedication of this part of my HAND-MAIDES Taske which is to furnish Christian fastes and feasts with proper MEDITATIONS HYMNES and PRAYERS As our bodie liues to the soule by which it liueth so our soule should liue to God by whom it liueth And no otherwise is the life of the bodie preserued by heate and moisture then the life of the soule is maintained and kept by the heate of diuine loue and radicall moisture of teares bedewing the heart
conscience and the cleare light of the Gospel to guide my feete into the way of peace This light conuinceth the errours of my vnderstanding the deprauation of my will the disorder of my affections the impurity of my thoghts the vanity of my desires the deceitfulnesse of my heart the wickednes of all my wayes This light sheweth mee what I was in my birth slime and filthinesse what in my life vanity and folly and what in my death stench rottennesse This light discouereth vnto me that I haue nothing which I haue not receiued that without Christ I can doe nothing that in me that is in my body dwelleth no good that I am not able of my selfe as of my self think a good thought that I cannot desire to thinke nor haue wil to desire nor grace to will any good My comforts are rare my crosses frequent my pleasures momentary my paines permanent my gifts small my wants and infirmities great my helpes weake my assaults strong my good deeds few and they tainted with imperfections my sinnes infinite Let these considerations O Lord humble me in my selfe that Christ may raise me wound mee in my selfe that Christ may heale me burden mee in my selfe that Christ may ease me kill mee in my owne conceits that Christ may quicken me make mee most vile in mine own eyes that I may bee most deare and precious in his O Lord which as vpon this day createdst the clouds to raine vpon the earth showre downe thy graces abundantly into my heart to mollifie it that the seede of the Word may take deepe root downeward in humility and spring vpward in hope and spread abroad by charity and fructifie in all kindes of good workes Lord who this day separatedst the waters from the waters separate I beseech thee and distinguish betweene the waters of teares which I shed for my sinnes and those others which I shed for worldly crosses and calamities Cast away the one and put the the other into thy bottle Lord who this day madest the heauens or ayre without which I cannot liue naturally no not for a moment infuse into my heart the Spirit of grace without which spiritually I cannot breathe in my prayers nor sigh nor so much as moue any facultie or part of soule or body vnto thee As oft as I take in or let out the aire which I breathe let mee receiue in grace from thee and breathe out praise vnto thee Amen The close out of Scripture The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with me 2. Cor. 13. vlt. The Euening's Deuotion for Munday THE HYMNE Heare me O Lord in the multitude of thy mercies euen in the truth of thy saluation Psal. 69. 14. Let not the water floods drowne mee nor the deepe swallow me vp and let not the pit shut her mouth vpon mee verse 16. Thou diddest diuide the sea through thy power and brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters Psal. 74. 14. Thou smoest the heads of Leuiathan in pieces and gauest him to be meate for the people in the wildernesse verse 15. Thou broughtest out fountaines and waters out of the hard Rocks thou driedst vp mighty waters verse 16. Thou art the God that doth wonders and hast declared thy power among the people Psal. 77. 14. The waters saw thee O God the waters saw thee and were afraid the depths also were troubled verse 16. The clouds powred out water the aire thundered and thine arrowes went abroad verse 17. The voice of thy thunder was heard round about the lightnings shone vpon the ground the earth was moued verse 18. Thou bringest forth clouds from the ends of the world and sendest forth Lightnings with the raine bringing the windes out of his treasures Psal. 135. The springs of water were seene and the foundations of the round world were discouered at thy chiding O Lord at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure Psal. 18. 15. Thy way is in the Sea and thy pathes in the great waters and thy footsteps are not knowne Psal. 77. 19. THE ADMONITION for Munday's Euening being an exhortation to meeknes THE ANALYSIS The speciall Arguments to perswade meeknes set downe in Scripture are drawne from 1. The causes Impulsiue 1 Diuine precepts 2 humane frailty Exemplary God the Father Sonne H. Ghost The Saints The creatures in which nature hath patern'd this vertue 2 The effects 1 Peace With God With men 2 Wealth 3 Wisedome and spiritual vnderstanding 4 Sanctifying graces the fruits of the Spirit 5 Blessednesse THE TEXTS PVt them in minde c. Tit. 3. 1. That they be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekenesse to all men verse 2. If any man bee ouertaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6. 1. I beseech you that yee walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with lowlinesse and meeknesse with long suffering forbearing one another in loue Ephes. 4. 2. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloued the bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse long-suffering Col. 3. 12. Forbearing one another forgiuing one another if any man haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue you so also doe ye verse 13. But thou O man of God flye these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith patience meekenesse 1. Tim. 6. 11. Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but rather giue place vnto wrath For it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord Rom. 12. 19. Wherefore my beloued Brethren let euery man bee swift to heare slow to speake and slow to wrath Iam. 1. 19. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God verse 20. Look diligently least any man faile of the grace of God least any root of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you and thereby many be defiled Heb 12. 15. Consider thy selfe least thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. Let him among you that is without sinne cast the first stone Ioh. 8. 7. Hee shall haue iudgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy reioyceth against iudgement Iam. 3. 13. And they heard the voice of the Lord in the coole of the day walking in the garden c. Gen. 3. 8. And after the earthquake there was a fire but God was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice verse 12. in which voice God was And it was so when Eliah heard it c. verse 13. Neuerthelesse for thy great mercies sake thou diddest not vtterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and mercifull God Nehem. 9. 31. God said to Ionah Doest thou well to be angry for thy Gourd Ion. 4. 9. Thou hast pitie on the Gourd for which thou hast not laboured which came in a night and perished in a night verse 10. And should not I spare Nineueh that great
correcting and liberally prouiding for me euer since the day thou breathedst into me the breath of life Giue me yet more O Lord. What wilt thou giue me Giue mee a thankefull heart for all these inestimable fauours of thine infinite loue that I may continually blesse thee for thy continuall blessings with the dew of thy grace descending vpon me alwaies beginning the day with thy mercy and ending it with thy praise Blessed Redeemer who wert this day sold for thirty pieces of Siluer redeeme me from the thraldome of sinne and neuer suffer mee with Ahab to sell my selfe to worke wickednesse against thee Let the heinousnesse of Iudas his sinne and the horrour of his punishment deterre me from betraying thy truth for any worldly aduantage whatsoeuer O Bread of Life which hungredst for my sake O Source of the Springs of Libanon who thirstedst for my sake O Ioy of all mankinde which sorrowedst for me O Truth it selfe and fidelity which wast by false trechery betrayed for my sake O the true Wedding garment which wast stript for mee O the Redemption and ransome of the world who wert sold for my sake O the Life and Resurrection of all that hope in thee who dyedst for me imprint thy loue so deepe into my heart that neither hunger nor thirst nor sorrow nor nakednesse nor trechery nor thraldome nor hope of reward nor feare of persecution nor life nor death may race it out Was it not enough O Lord to become man for mee but thou must become a seruant Was it not enough as a seruant to bee scourged for me but must thou also like a bondslaue bee sold for me that am a bond-slaue of Satan sold vnder sinne Was it not too much to be sold but must thou bee sold at so vile a price as thirty pieces of siluer Was no means thought meane enough to abase thee The cheaper thou wert sold the dearer I cost thee for thou gauest not onely thy liberty and life but thy estimation also for mee The lower thou wert abased the higher thou hast exalted mee The lesse was giuen for thee the more I owe thee who wert content to bee prized solow and made of no reputation for me O strange ransome The Redeemer is sold that the sold bond-slaue may be redeemed O admirable iudgement The righteous is condemned that the vnrighteous may righteously bee acquitted O wonderfull cure The Physician is sicke and dyeth that the Patient may liue Meâ—ke Sauiour thou foresawest that the Diuell would enter into Iudas before hee entered Thou knewest that hee would betray thee yet thou chosest him that hee would lift vp his foot against thee yet thou shoddest him with the preparation of the Gospell of peace that hee would sell thee yet thou trustedst him with thy Purse that the poyson of Aspes was vnder his lip yet thou sufferedst him to touch thy Lips in which there was no guile and seale them with a kisse and gently vnsealing them thou saidst no more to him but Friend how camest thou hither Doest thou betray the Sonne of man with a kisse Sweet Sauiour how wilt thou entertaine thy friends when thou thus intreatedst thy trecherous seruant Thou who wert so good to him that was so bad as worse neuer was how will thy grace and goodnesse abound to them that excell in vertue If thou sufferedst a Traitor to kisse thee thou wilt neuer resuse to cheere vp the drooping countenance of a penitent sinner with a kisse Thy Espouse emboldneth me to beg that kindnesse of thee which she did Let him kisse me with the kisses of his lips Kisse thou me with a kisse of loue but let me neuer kisse thee with the kisse of Iudas Let mee neuer draw neere to thee with my lips and be farre from thee in my heart but first draw â—y heart then my body soule vnto thee Thou requirest the heart and searchest the heart and 〈◊〉 the heart and acceptest of no seruice or sacrifice without it Lord giue me a cleane heart and 〈◊〉 a right Spirit within me that I may giue thee such a heart as thou requirest Clense the thoughts and affections and intentions of my heart from all impurity impiety iniquity in-sincerity fraud and hypocrisie Let all the thoughts of my heart bee pure the desires holy the intentions sincere the affections vnfained and let all my words and works be hearty O let my heart be alwaies fixed vpon thee possessed with thee established in thee true vnto thee vpright towards thee and sincere for thee that in the great Day when the secrets of all hearts shall bee manifested my heart may not condemne mee but thou approue it and accept it and fill it with such ioyes as neuer entred into the heart of man So be it Amen The close out of Scripture Thanks bee giuen to the Father which hath made me meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. Who hath deliuered me from the power of darknesse and hath translated mee into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne ver 13. In whom I haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes ver 14. Thursday's Deuotion being the fifth day from the Creation The Father worketh Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Creation on this day SO afterward God said Let the waters bring forth in abundance euery creeping thing that hath life and let the Fowle flye vpon the earth in the open Firmament of the Heauen Gen. 1. â—0 Then God created the great Whales and euery thing liuing and mouing which the waters brought forth in abundance according to their kinde and euery feathered Fowle according to his kinde and God saw that it was good ver 21. Then God blessed them saying Bring forth fruit multiply fill the waters in the Seas and let the Fowles multiply in the earth v. 2â— So the Euening and the Morning were the fifth day And I worke Ioh. 5. 17. The worke of Redemption on this day THen came the Day of vnleuened bread when the Passouer must be sacrificed Luke 22. 7. And be sent Peter and Iohn saying Goe and prepare vs the Passouer that we may eat it ver 8. And they said c. v. 9. Then he said vnto them Behold c. v. 10. And say to the goood man of the house The Master saith vnto thee Where is the lodging where I shall eat my Passouer with my Disciples ver 11. Then he shall shew you a great high Chamber c. ver 12. So they went and found as hee had said vnto them and neade ready the Passouer ver 13. And he tooke Bread and when he had giuen thankes hee brake it and gaue to them saying This is my Body which is giuen for you doe this in remembrance of me ver 19. Likewise also after Supper hee tooke the Cup saying This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you ver 20. And he came out and went as he was wont to
the day following gauest thy selfe for mee on the Crosse giue me a speciall saith to receiue thee and retaine thee and applie continually thy feare to embolden me thine Agonie to comfort me thy nakednesse to cloathe me thy cōdemning to quit me thy bloud to clense me thy wounds to heale me and thy death to quicken me O let not the worke of thy hands bee plucked out of thy hands Let not the purchase of thy bloud be morgaged to the diuell Let not thy teares and bloud bee shed in vaine Let not thy sighes and groanes be breathed out to no purpose Let not thine agonie and sweate let not thy taking and binding let not thy arraigning and condemning let not thy stripping and scourging let not thy buffetting and being spit vpon let not thy pricking and goaring let not thy crucifying dying want their effects in me What should I not do or suffer for thee who wert martired in all parts of thy body and faculties of thy soule for me In thy minde by apprehension of thy Fathers wrath in thy affections by feare and sorrow euen vnto death in thy inward parts by thine agonie in thy outward by thy torments in thy head by thornes in thy cheekes by buffets in thy face by spettle in thy eares by blasphemies in thy smell by the stench of Golgotha in thy taste by gall and vineger in thy handes and feete by nailes in thy bodie by stripes in thy side by the launce and in thy ioynts by the crosse O Lord who hast called me to the knowledge of thy truth and by thy Spirit imprinted thy loue in my heart by those nailes which fastened thee to the Crosse. Let nothing euer be able to separate me from thy loue not tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor height nor depth nor things present nor things to come nor life nor death for I know that all things worke for the best to them that loue thee I cannot suffer the thousandth part of that for thee which thou hast suffered for mee I cannot suffer the least part of that which I deserue for my sins I cannot suffer any thing which the Apostles and Prophets haue not suffered before me I cannot suffer so much as may any way counter-ballance the massie crowne of glory prepared for me for my light and momentarie afflictions are no way worthy the glorie that shall be reuealed vpon me hereafter And for the present what are afflictions or crosses or persecutions or mockes or disgraces but the common lot of thy children the discipline of thy schoole the physicke for my soule the pledge of thy loue the badge for my profession the incentiues of my deuotion the triall of my faith the exercise of my patience the testimonie of my constancie the marke of my conformitie with thee When I am thus chastened I am iudged of thee that I be not condemned of the world Shall tribulation therefore or anguish or bands or imprisonment or stripes or banishment separate me from thy loue Nay sith I know they befall me by thy prouidence and are mitigated by thy mercie and directed by thy loue for my greater good they shall rather vnite me faster to thee How shall I denie thee who art the Lord that bought me◠How should I grieue thy Spirit which comforteth me in all my griefes How should I set that bloud at nought which was the price of my redemption How shold I euer willingly offend thee who art my peace hast reconciled me to thy Father and payed my ransome with thy dearest hearts bloud How can I euer forget thee who remembrest me at all times in all places in my iournies by thy conduct at home by thy safe-guard in my prayers by thy assistance in my afflictions by thy comforts in my board by thy bountie in my bed by thy protection and in all my wayes by thy support To this thy gracious prouidence and care which continually watcheth ouer all thine Elect I commend my sleepe and rest this night beseeching thee so to order it and me that whether I sleepe or wake whether I labour or rest whether I lye downe or rise vp all may be done vnder thy protection in thy feare to thy glorie So be it Amen The close out of Scripture TO him that is able to keepe me that I fall not and to present me faultlesse before the presence of his glory with ioy Iud 24. That is to God onely wise my Sauiour be glorie and maiestie and dominion and power c. ver 24. The Deuotion for Friday The Father worketh The work of creation on this day MOreouer God sayd Let the earth bring forth the liuing thing according to his kind cattell and that which creepeth and the beast of the earth according to his kind and it was so Gen. 1. 24. And God made the beast of the earth according to his kind and the cattel according to his kind and euery creeping thing of the earth according to his kind and God saw that it was good ver 25. Furthermore God sayd Let vs make man in our owne Image according to our likenes and let him rule ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the Fowle of the Heauen and ouer the beasts and ouer all the earth and ouer euery thing that crcepeth moueth on the earth ver 26. Thus God created the man in his Image In the Image of God created hee him hee created them male and female ver 27. And God blessed them and God sayd to them Bring forth fruit and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and rule ouer the fish of the Sea and ouer the fowle of the heauen and ouer euery beast that moueth vpon the earth ver 28. And God sayd Behold I haue giuen to you euery herbe bearing seede which is vpon all the earth and euery tree wherein is the fruit of a tree bearing seed that shall be to you for meate ver 29. Likewise to euery beast of the earth and to euery sowle of the heauen and euery thing that moueth vpon the earth which hath life in it selfe euery greene herbe shall be for meat and it was so ver 30. And God saw all that he had made and loe it was very good So the Euening the Morning were the sixt day ver 31. AND I WORKE The worke of Redemption on this day Matth. 27. the whole Chap. as also Luke 23. Mar. 15. Ioh. 19. When he was reuiled he reuiled not againe when he suffered hee threatned not but committed himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously Who his owne selfe bore our sinnes in his owne body on the tree ver 24. For thine instruction meditate In the Morning on the worke of thy Creation In the Euening on the work of thy Redemption wrought on this day For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the benefit of both For thy correction check thy selfe for thy Defacing Gods Image stamped in thee at thy Creation Trampling vnder foote Christ's blood the price of
houlding thy deere purchase O let not thy hate of sinne extinguish thy loue to thy creature Let not any thing that I haue done preiudice thee in the merit of that which thou hast suffered for me My sins deserued eternall wrath of thy Father but thou hast borne it My wonton delights and impure pleasures deserued stripes and wounds but thou hast receiued them My hainous crimes deserued death but thou hast suffered it for me This day my first parent Adam was made a liuing soule and this day thou the second Adam wert made a quickning Spirit This day he sinned in a garden and this day thou sorrowedst in the garden This day he tooke the fruite of the forbidden tree and this day thou wert hung vpon the accursed tree This day he was cast into a dead sleepe and his side opened and his wite Eue formed of his ribbe was flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone this day also thou wert cast into a deadly sleepe and thy side opened and thy Spouse the Catholicke Church brought foorth not by water onely but by water and bloud the water of regeneration and bloud of explation and sanctification This day Adam brought the curse vpon himselfe and all his posterity this day thou prouidedst an euerlasting blessing for thy selfe and all thy members That which he lost thou hast regayned with aduantage that which he did thou hast suffered for that which I owed thou hast discharged on the very day by taking all his and our debts vpon thee and laying downe an al-sufficient price to satisfie for them O giue me an hand of faith to receiue so much of this infinite sum as may discharge my debt and strengthen this my hand that I may hold it fast and tender it to thy Father and receiue from him an absolute and generall acquittance signed with thy blood and sealed with thy Crosse bearing date the very day of thy consummation of all things at thy death If thou bad'st required a greater thing we should haue done it for what will not a man doe for his life How much more when thou â—arest belieue and liue cast your selues vpon me and I will saue you from drowning in euerlasting perdition receiue the price of your ransome and bee freed When thou holdest out the golden Scapter of thy grace if wee will not take hold on it wee deserue double dâ—mnation for refusing so easy a meanes of saluation Adam belieued Eue and Eue the Serpent to her and our ruine why should not I much rather belieue thy Church thy Spouse and thy Spouse thy Word to saluation What should with-hold my faith from apprehending my hope from exâ—ecting the promises of thy Gospell confirmed by so many miracles testâ—fied by the Church in all Ages signed with the blood of so many Martyrs and 〈◊〉 to my soule and conscience by the holy Spirit Doth it shake and stagger my faith that thy workes recorded in holy Scriptures so farre transcend nature and the mysteries of sauing truth soare aboue humane reason But this demonstrateth rather faith to be faith and thee ô God to be true God Faith is not faith if reason comprehend it God cannot be God if nature limit him Am I the more auerse from embracing thy Gospell because it crosseth and checketh my naturall dispositions and in clinations But the cause is most euident thy Law is iust holy and pure but I am wicked prophane and impure The physick is for the most part the better which the patient liketh worst because it exasperateth the paine for the time Haue I the lesse loue and liking to the most holy faith because it restraineth my carnall liberty and abridgeth mee or altogether depriueth mee of worldly comforts and contentments But am I not spirit as welâ— as flesh Haue I not a Law in my minde controlling the Law of my members Is it not much better to sowe vnto the Spirit that I may reape peace ioy and life euerlasting then sowe to the flesh and of the flesh reape nothing but corruption Thy Gospell ô gracious God restraineth my carnall but enlargeth my spirituall liberty it denieth mee sinfull but it promiseth me holy delights and pleasures it moderateth the desire and vse of temporarie comforts and ioyes but assureth mee that my heart shall be filled with eternall Am I ready to be beaten off from my holy profession and beliefe by blowes and strokes persecutions losses imprisonment banishment scorne of the world and disgrace This should make mee hold it the faster for the Gospell foretelleth that these things should befall true bâ—lieuers and it is an honour to mee to beare the â—adge of mâ—â—profession and to drinke with thee my Sauiour in thine owne Cup. It is my profession to be thy Souldier and he is no Souldier that endureth not hardnesse I can expect no crowne without a Conquest no Conquest without a battaile no battaile without blowes and wounds and what are these light and momentary afflictions to an eternall weight of glory Thus doth thâ— Word conquer my reason and yet it will not yeeld I resolue to belieue Lord strengthen my resolution I doe belieue Lord helpe mine vnbelief All things past haue so come to passe as the Oracles of thy truth fore-shewed they should and how then can I doubt of things future reuealed in them The deluge was foretold 120 yeeres before and at the prefixed time it ouerranne the whole world Thy peoples bondage in Aegypt for 400 yeeres and their after deliuery is no otherwise described by Moses then it was in a dreame many Ages before deliuered to Abraham Thou calledst thy Shepheard Cyrus and thine annointed Iosias by name to their functions long before either of them or their forefathers were conceiued The 4 famous Monarchs pictured out in Nebuchadnezzars Image succeeded in their order The Assyrian represented by the golden head the Persian by the siluer armes and shoulders the Grecian by the thighs of brasse and the Romane by the leggs of yron And do we not see at this day the stumpe of that Image and the feete partly yron in the Turkish and partly of clay in the Germane Empire Thy Birth and Death ô Sauiour was fore shadowed in Types and fore-spoken of by Prophets euer since the world began and since thy comming into the flesh and finishing all things at thy death in Ierusalem Not a syllable or one iot of any of thy words haue passed without their accomplishment Ierusalem is destroyed the Temple made euen with the ground and neuer could be built againe The Iewes are dispersed into all nations The Gospell is preached through the whole world the man of sinne is euery day more and more discouered and why should I not then belieue as certainly that the heauens shall passe away shortly with heate and the elements melt with fire and thy signe bee seene in the clowdes and those that are in their graues be awaked with the sound of the last Trumpe and meete thee in the aire
mee in mind of thy rest from thy workes and assure me thereby of an euerlasting Sabbath in heauen from my works Into which rest that I may enter stirre vp my good desires in me raise my thoughts and affections to the things that are abâ—ue Renew mee according to the Image of thy Sonne and frame my life to a heauenly conuersation Enlighten my vnderstanding sanctifie my will moderate my desires gouerne my affections mortifie my fleshly members and destroy the man of sinne in me and deliuer me from this bodie of death Worke in me a feare of thy power and loue of thy goodnes and zeale of thy glorie and thirst of thy grace an earnest desire and constant resolution as much as in me lyeth to approue my selfe to thee in all things and frame all my actions to the rule of thy word Heare me I beseech thee for my selfe and for thy Church and thy Church for me and Christ for vs all c. saying Righteous Father keepe them from euill sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth The close out of Scripture The glorie which thou hast giuen me giue them that they may bee one as thou and I are one So bee it heauenly Father for thy Sonn's sake by the grace of thy holy Spirit To whom be all honour praise glorie and thanksgiuing from euerlasting to euerlasting Amen AN ADMONITION for the Sabbath Euening THE ANALYSIS The fittest subiect of contemplation on the Sabbath is the meditation on the eternall Sabbath in heauen of which the Sabbath on earth is a type Consider it two wayes Priuately there is No sinne No tempter or temptation No thraldome or seruitude No labour or toyle No sorrow or griefe No paine or torment No night or darkenesse No death No curse No feare Positiuely there are Euerlasting habitations Indefiezable estates of inheritance Royall honours and dignities Inualuable wealth and riches Vnspeakable ioyes and pleasures in the Sight and fruition of God Societie with Christ Companie with all Saints Angels Glorification of our bodies PerfectioÌ„ of our soules in Knowledge Righteousnesse Loue vnion with God THE TEXTS WE looke for a new heauen and a new earth according to his promises in which dwelleth righteousnes 2. Pet. 3. 13. The Dragon fought with his Angels Reu. 12. 7. But they preuitled not neither was their place found any more in heauen ver 8. And the Dragon that old Serpent called the Diuell and Satan was cast out c. ver 9. Reioyce yee heauens and yee that dwell in them The creature shall be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8. 21. There remaineth a rest for the people of God Heb. 4 9. Bessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours Reu. 14. 13. God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Reu. 7. 17. They shall hunger no more nor thirst any more neither shall the Sun-light on them nor any heate Reu. 7. 16. And there shall bee no night there and they shall neede no candle nor the light of the Sunne for the Lord God giueth them light c. Reu. 22. 5. There shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the first things are passed Reu. 21. 4. And there shall be no more curse but the Throne of God and of the Lambe shall be in it Reu. 22. 3. Your ioy shall no man take away from you Ioh. 16. 22. That they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. For we know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a building giuen of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5. 1. An inheritance immortall and vndefiled that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for you 1. Pet 1. 4. They striue for a corruptible but wee for an incorruptible crowne 1. Cor. 9. 25. When the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare ye shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glorie 1. Pet. 5. 4. Take inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you Mat. 25. 34. It is your Fathers pleasure to giue you the kingdome Luk. 12. 32 They shall raigne for euermore Reu. 22. 5. And the building of the wall was of Iasper and the Citie was pure gold like to cleare glasse Reu. 21. 18. And the foundations of the walls were garnished with all manner of precious stones ver 19. And the gates were twelue pearles ver 21. The things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither can enter into mans heart to conceiue are which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2. 9. In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. 12. They shall bee satisfied with the fulnesse of thy house and thou shalt giue them drink out of the riuer of thy pleasures Psal. 36. 8. For with thee is the well of life c. verse 9. I know that my redeemer liueth and I shall see God in my flesh Ioh. 19. 25. Now we see in a glasse darkly but then wee shall see face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. And they shall see his face and his name shall bee in their foreheads Reu. 22. 4. As for me I will behold thy presence in righteousnesse and when I awake vp after thy likenesse I shall be satisfied with it Ps. 17. 16. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen may bee where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17. 24. These follow the Lambe wheresoeuer he goeth Reuelation 14. 4. Wee are come to the Mount Sion and to the City of the liuing God and to the celestiall Ierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels Heb. 12. 22. And to the Congregation of the first-borne which are written in heauen c. verse 23. This corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15. 13. The glory of the earthly is one and the glory of the heauenly is another verse 40. There is one glory of the Sun and another of the Moone and another glory of the Starres for one starre differeth from another starre in glory verse 41. So also is the resurrection of the dead c. verse 42. He shall change our vile body and make it fashioned like vnto his glorious body Philippians 3. 21. They that be wise shall shine as the firmament and they that turne many to righteousnesse as the starres for euer Daniel 12. 3. Now I know but in part but then I shall know as I am knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. We are come to the congregation of the first-borne which are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirits of iust and perfect men Heb. 12. 23. When that which is perfect shall
my soule they being now vailed with thy flesh This day thou diddest vnite thy selfe to me naturally and substantially and becamest truly flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone Vnite me to thee this day spiritually and make me a true member of thy mysticall body that I may bee flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone Lord thou diddest this day participate of my humane nature make me this day participate by grace of thy diuine as farre as I am capable thereof and impart and communicate vnto mee the merrit of all thy actions and benefit of all thy sufferings in this thy nature O my Lord my God who by assuming flesh vnto thy diuine person hast sanctified it and highly aduanced it farre aboue all creatures keepe me from defiling my flesh with sinfull pollutions or abasing and inthralling it to Satan O Sonne of God who by thy incarnate nature becamest the Sonne of Man make me the sinfull sonne of man by grace and adoption to become the Sonne of God And as thou this day according to the words of thine Angel wert borne to me bee borne also in mee that from hence forth I liue not but thou in me Let thy spirit quicken me thy flesh nourish me thy wisdome guide me thy grace sanctifie me and thy Word instruct me Let the holy Ghost of whom thou wast conceiued beget thee in mee by the immortall seede of thy Word Let my faith conceiue thee my profession bring thee forth my loue embrace thee and Deuotion entertaine and continually keepe thee with mee till thy second comming So come vnto me Lord Iesus come quickly THE Feast of our Lord's Circumcision OR New-yeares dayes Deuotion The ground of this Feast are The type thereof in the old The accōplishmēt in the new Testament PARALELL The Type And Abraham circumcised Isaak when he was eight daies old as God commanded him Gen. 21. 4. The accomplishment And when the eight dayes were accomplished that they shuld circumcise the child his name was then called IESVS Luk. 2. 21. Meditate ô deuout Christian 1 For thine instruction vpon the circumcision of thy Sauiour 2 For thy comfort applie to thy selfe the 3 For thy correctiō examine the circumcision of thy heart and quicken thine 1 Obedience by the exhortation 2 Thankfulnes by the hymne 3 Zeale deuotiō by the praier THE ADMONITION for New-yeeres day THE ANALYSIS wee ought to desire striue and pray for the circumcision of the heart 1 In respect of GOD who Desireth it a Commandeth it b Loueth it c Obserueth it d Praiseth it e Rewardeth it f Brandeth the contrarie g 2 In respect of man's heart which needeth it 1 Because it is most corrupt and impure 2 Because it is most deceitfull THE TEXTS a MY son giue me thy heart Prou. 23. 16. vid. Ier. 4. 4. b Circumcise the fore-skinne of your hearts Deut. 10. 16. O Ierusalem clense thy heart Ier. 4. 4. c Clense your hearts yee sinners Iames 4. 8. Behold thou louest truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. d God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh vpon the outward appearance but God seeth the heart 1 Sam. 16. 7. e The circumcision is of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2. 29. In whom yee are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the sinfull body of the flesh through the circumcision of the flesh Col. 2. 11. Beware of the concision For wee are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus and haue no confidence in the flesh Philippians 3. 3. f The good Lord be mercifull to him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord his God 1 Chron. 30. 19. He will doe good to such as be good and true of heart Psal. 125. 4. There is sprung vp a light for the righteous and ioyfull gladnesse to such as bee true hearted Psal. 99. 12. g The eyes of the Lord behold the earth to shew himselfe strong with them that are of perfect heart towards him 1 Chron. 16. 9. Yee of vncircumcised eares and hearts haue alwaies resisted c. Acts. 7. The peruerse in heart are an abomination to the Lord. Pro. 11. 20. All the imaginations of mans heart are onely euill continually Gen. 6. The heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things Ier. 17. 9. The Psalme for New-yeeres day OSing vnto the Lord a new song sing vnto the Lord all the whole earth Psal. 96. 1. Sing vnto the Lord and praise his name be telling of his saluation from day to day verse 2. The heauent declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Psal. 19. 1. One day telleth another and one night certifieth another v. 2. There is neither speech nor language but their voice is heard among them verse 3. Their sound is gone out into all lands and their words vnto the end of the world verse 4. In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the sunne which commeth forth as a bridegroome out of his chamber and reioyceth as a gyant to runne his course verse 5. He appointeth the Moone for certaine seasons and the Sunne knoweth his going downe Psal. 104. 19. O Lord how manifold are thy workes In wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches verse 24. So is the great and wide c. verse 25. vsque ad 〈◊〉 When thou lettest thy breath goe forth they are made and thou shalt renew the face of the earth verse 30. The glorious Maiesty of the Lord shall endure for euer the Lord shall reioyce in his workes verse 31. Thou crownest the earth with thy goodnesse and thy cloudes drop fatnesse Psal. 65. 12. They shall drop vpon the dwellings of the wildernesse and the little hills shall reioyce of euery side verse 13. The flocks also shall bee full of sheepe the valleys also shall stand so thick with corne that they shall laugh and sing verse 14. The day is thine and the night is thine thou hast prepared the light of the sunne Psal. 74. 17. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth thou hast made summer and winter verse 18. The Prayer for New-yeeres day MOst tender and compassionate Lord now first knowne by thy name Iesu who being the true vine which yeeldest the wine that gladdeth the heart wast pruned this day with the sharpe knife of circumcision and bleddest for me haue pitty and compassion on mee who with weeping eyes and a bleeding heart come vnto thee beseeching thee that those drops of blood which fell from thee this day may satisfie for the sinne of my birth and the whole streame that ranne from all the parts of thy body in the Garden and on the Crosse may expiate all my numberlesse actuall sinnes whether they be sinnes of lighter tincture or of a Scarlet dye Sinnes like beames or sinnes like moates Sinnes conceiued
in the heart onely or sinnes brought forth into act Sinnes in my beliefe or sinnes in my life Sinnes once committed or often repeated Sinnes before or after my calling Sinnes of impiety against thee or sinnes of iniquity against my neighbour or sins of impurity against mine owne flesh for of all these I haue a great loade They are more in number then the haires of my head they are a burden too heauy for me to beare They lie vpon my conscience like so many Talents of lead and would presse mee downe to hell did not thy mercy take hold of the hand of my faith to support me in hope euen aboue hope How should I hope if I thinke vpon thy greatnesse How should I not hope if I think vpon thy goodnesse How should I hope if I weigh my sinnes How should I not hope if I weigh thy merits How should I hope if I consider my actions How should I not hope if I consider thy passions How should I hope if I number my transgressions How should I not hope if I number thy blessings and fauours towards mee How should I hope if I remember how oft I haue refused grace after it hath bin offered to mee How can I but hope if I remember how oft grace hath bin offered mee after I refused it And still hope I wil as long as thou reteinest thy name Iesu which this day thou receiuedst when thou offeredst the first fruits of thy blood for my sin without which thou couldest not haue bin my Iesus For so fowle and festered were my soares that nothing could heale them but a bloody knife But why should this bloody instrument be applyed to thy purest tenderest immaculate flesh made all of Virgins blood There was no superfluity to be pared off in thee no ranke blood to bee let out The superfluous skinne was on me yet the knife is on thee The festered sores were in my body yet the Launce is in thy flesh Thou hast the paine I the ease thou the smart I the cure O wonderfull cure O more wonderfull loue Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings as thou hast ordained so maist thou iustly chalenge praise who in thy infancy madest such an assay of my redemption and tendered the earnest of thy blood for me Not nine dayes old thou sheddest dropps of blood for me farre more precious then so many drops of the richest balsamom to cure my wounds Let all flesh praise thee who healedst it by thy wounds Eternall thankes be giuen to thee for thy circumcision whereby thou hast abolished circumcision it selfe and prouided mee an easier remedy of originall sinne the sacred lauer of regeneration Water now serueth insteede of blood and a gentle rubbing of the flesh for cutting and wounding it By the circumcision of thy flesh thou hast also merited for me the fulfilling of thy fathers promise and condition of his couenant to circumcise the foreskinne of our hearts By this thy razor thou hast fitted the tables of my heart now write thy lawes loue in them By receiuing this seale of the couenant in thy flesh thou hast sealed to me thy care of mee in thy nonage First ô Lord I am euerlastingly to praise thee for taking my flesh vp on thee and next for leauing part of it with mee as a pledg of thy loue thou bearedst for me from thy mothers wombe In thy infancy thou bleddest for me in thy twelfth yere thou arguedst for me in thy youth thou obeyedst for me and in thy ripe perfect age thou sufferedst and dyedst for me To thee therefore as it is my bounden duty I offer the budds of my childe-hood the blossoms of my youth and the fruits of my age As thou betimes didst set to the worke of my redemption and and on those termes acceptedst the name Iesus so let me betimes giue my name to thee and enter into thy seruice Let mee beare thy yoke euen from my youth Lord who this day wert circumcised in the flesh circumcise me in the heart that I may in purity sincerity and vprightnesse of heart walke before thee all the dayes of my life Neither circumcise my heart onely but my eares eyes hands heart and feete that no superfluity of maliciousnesse nor impurity remaine in me Now thou hast renewed the face of the earth renew this day and repaire thy decaied Image in me Thou hast begunne a new yeere beginne in me a new reformation Make me I beseech thee a cleane heart and renew a right spirit within me The yeere like the serpent hath cast off his old skinne and put on a new let mee also cast off my old man and put on the new man and from this day to my old age and death walke in newnesse of life that I may be a fit guest to be admitted into the new heauen where dwelleth righteousnesse and to be entertained at thy table and drinke new wine with thee in thy heauenly Kingdome for euermore Amen THE FEAST OF EPIPHANY OR TWELFE-DAYE'S DEVOTION The ground of this feast Prophecie in the old History in the new Testament of our Lords manifestation to the gentiles PARALELL Prophecie There shall come a starre out of Iacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel Num. 24. 17. History Lo the starre which they saw in the east went before them till it came to the place where the childe was Mat. 2. 9. When they saw the starre they were exceeding glad and went into the house and found the childe with Mary his mother verse 10. The daughter of Tyre shall bee there with a gift like as the rich also among the people shall doe homage before thy face with presents Psal. 45. 12. They fel down and worshipped him Mat. 2. 11. Kings shall bring presents vnto thee Psal. 68 29. The kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts Psal. 72. 10. And opened their treasures and presented to him c. Mat. 2. 11. All thy garments smel of Mirrh Aloes and Cassia Psal. 45. 9. To him shall be giuen of the gould of Arabia c. Psal. 72. 15. Gold and incense Mirrh Mat. 2. 11. For thy instruction meditate on the Prophecy Historie of Christ's manifestatiō For thy comfort apply to thy selfe the benefits thereof For thy correction reprooue thy backwardnesse in comming to Christ and honouring him with thy substance Quicken Thy Charitie by the admonition Thy FAITH by the Psalme Thy Zeale and deuotion by the prayer THE ADMONITION for Twelfe-day THE ANALYSIS We ought freely and liberally to offer to God and his Church because we haue in Scriptures Commandements for it Examples of it Promises vnto it Threats to the cōtrary THE TEXTS TAke from among you an offering to the Lord Whosoeuer is of a willing heart let him bring it an offering of the Lord c. Exod. 35. 5. Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase Prou. 3. 9. Be reconciled to thy brother and then
compared vnto her verse 11. Follow after loue and couet spirituall things 1. Cor. 14. 1. Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are in the earth Col. 3. 2. My soule breaketh out for the very feruent desire that it hath alway to thy iudgements Psal. 119. 26. My soule is a thirst for God euen for the liuing God Psal. 42. 1 2. One thing is needfull Mary hath chosen that good part which shal not be taken away from her Luke 10. 41. From the time of Iohn Baptist hitherto the Kingdome of heauen hath suffered viclence and the violent take it by force Math. 1. 12. Length of dayes is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory Prou. 3. 16. Seeke yee first the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all other things shall be added vnto you Mat. 6. 33. Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things hauing promise of the life that now is and that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. If from thence thou seeke the Lord thou shalt finde him Deut. 4. 29. Her wayes are the wayes as pleasure and all her paths are peace Pro. 3. 17. She is a Tree of life to them that lay hold vpon her and happy is euery one that reteineth her verse 18. Your heart shall liue that seeke good Psal. 69. 33. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Mat. 5. 6. The Kingdome of Heauen is like to a Merchant man that seeketh good pearles Mat. 3. 45. Who hauing found a Pearle of great price went and fold all that he had and bought it verse 46. The Prayer for Tuesday Euening composed of Petitions sutable to the the sufferings of Christ on this day Motiues to seeke after the meanes of our saluation agreeable to the precedent exhortation BLessed Redeemer who trodest the wine-presse of thy father's wrath alone reconcile mee to thy Father and of a child of wrath make mee a child of grace and sonne of desires Thou who trodest the wine-presse alone no Arch-angell or Angel or any creature in heauen or in earth being ioyned with thee in that worke Giue mee a taste of the new wine of thy Gospel to cheere vp and reuiue my drooping spirits and comfort my heauy and sorrowfull heart Thou which camest with thy garments red from Bozra yea as red as bloud Cloath mee with thy red garment died in thine owne bloud Couer my nakednesse deformities wounds and sores from the sight of thy Father Thy garment is no narrow nor scanty garment it is large enough to couer thee and all thine Elect. It is the wedding garment without which none shall euer be admitted into the Kings Supper but bee bound hand and foot and cast into outward darknesse where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth And this doome we all deserued for wee were borne naked and voide of all good and we lay a long time wallowing in our owne bloud and filth and no eye pittied vs till it pleased thee of meere loue and compassion to take vpon thee a nature of infirmities to cure all the infirmities of our nature and to cloath thy selfe with flesh that thou mightest beare off our blowes and receiue the stroakes of diuine iustice that wee should haue endured and deadded them in thine owne body O what shall I returne vnto thee by way of thankefull acknowledgement of such thy loue I can render thee nothing but that which thou hast giuen me I can render thee nothing that is not thy due before I can render thee nothing but that which thou puttest into my heart to render it to thee Wherefore I huÌ„bly beseech thee by thy grace to enflame my heart with thy loue to incite mee to perpetuall praise thanksgiuing to kindle in me an euerlasting desire to approue my self vnto thee more and more tie thy loue vnto me O let nothing be so precious to me as thy fauour nothing so fearfull as thy displeasure nothing so hatefull as sin nothing so desirable as thy grace Let me not now like a little child run in the dirt soile my cloathes and take many a fal in pursuite of a Butter-fly or a bubble of Sope appearing glorious in the aire but suddenly vanishing to nothing Let mee not be so foolish as to lay the foundation of my happinesse in sinking sands or goe about to chase a vanishing shadow Let me enter into a serious consideration of the vanitie of the world and the deceitfulnesse of riches and shame of pleasures and folly of sports and leuity of honours and danger of greatnesse and account of all Perswade mee by thy Spirit out of thy Word that I haue heere no abiding Citie but seeke for one hereafter That I am a stranger and pilgrim here vpon earth and therefore howsoeuer I haue heretofore mis-spent my time and mis-placed my affections and spilt my labours and lost my selfe in following earthly vanities yet let me now take the right way to true contentment Let all my trauailes be towards heauen all my trade for spiritual merchandise all my labour for the meate that perisheth not all my searching for the pearle of the Gospell all my seeking for the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Let mee desire temporall blessings onely for spirituall ends wealth that I may he rich in good workes preferment to aduance the honour of the Gospell health strength the better to enable mee to doe thee seruice length of dayes that I may praise thee in the Land of the liuing Lord whose life was sought this day to destroy it seeke thou mine to saue it Lord who this day wâ—rt anointed to thy death and buriall anoint me with thy Spirit to eternall life Saue mee from the hands of all mine enemies that I may serue thee without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life Guard mee by thy prouidence that securely reposing my soule on thy mercy for my absolution from sinne and my bodie on thy power for deliuerance from all dangers I may so by rest and sleepe refresh and strengthen both that I may rise the next morning more cheerefully to trauaile in the wayes of thy lawes and workes of thy commandements So be it Amen The close out of Scripture Vnto him that is able to doe exceeding aboundantly aboue all that I aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in me be glory in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout all ages world without end Ephes. 3. 20 21. enemies for I fly to thee to helpe me verse 9. Be mercifull vnto mee and blesse mee and shew the light of thy countenance vpon mee and be mercifull vnto me Psal. 67. 1. God is the Lord who hath shewed vs light binde the sacrifice with cords to the hornes
vnto you good measure pressed downe and running ouer Luke 6. 38. Whosoeuer shall giue to drink vnto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple verily he shall not lose his reward THE PRAYER FOR Wednesday morning composed of 1. Petitions sutable to the worke of the day 2. Motiues to workes of mercy agreeable to the precedent exhortation O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Thou madest so much of him that thou madest all creatures for him the Fowles of the Aire Fish in the Sea and Beasts of the Field to furnish his Table and clothe his nakednesse and serue his vse The earth thou createdst to sustaine him the water to wash and coole him the aire to breath him the fire to warme him the Flowers to refresh him the Herbes to cure him the Fruits and Graines to nourish him the Mines to inrich him the precious Stones to adorne him yea the glorious Lamps of Heauen The Sunne and Moone to light him the one in the Day the other in the Night and both to measure his time to direct his husbandry to recreate him in his trauells to ripen his fruits and increase his store Nay which farre surpasseth the glorious beames of the Sunne and his comfortable light thou gauest him a sure light of prophecy before the day dawne and the day-starre arose in the Firmament of the Church and afterwards causedst the Sunne of righteousnesse to arise vpon him to shine in his heart in this life by grace and in Heauen by glory for euermore Shall I not reioyce in this light Shall I not open all the Casements of my soule to let it in Shall I not account their feet beautifull and the ground happy on which they tread who bring me tidings of this wonderfull Light Shall I not loue thee aboue all things who hast preferred mee aboue all things Shall I not serue thee with all the faculties of my body and soule who makest all thy Creatures serue me What pretext can I haue for my ingratitude and disobedience to thee so gracious a Lord and Master I cannot pleade ignorance of thy Deity for the Heauens declare thy glory and the Firmament sheweth thy handy-worke I cannot pretend ignorance of thy Law for thou hast put thy Word into my mouth and written thy Law in my heart I cannot alledge that I neuer heard of or saw the Light of thy Gospell for the light came into the world and shined in the darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not Neuer had any Nation a more bright Sun-shine of the Gospell then ours But we loue darkenesse more then light because our deeds are euill And because we loue darkenesse more then light thou mightest most iustly haue already cast vs into outward darkenesse But there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared there is Balme in Gilead to cure cur deadly wounds there is Vnctim in Christ there is saluation in Iesus there is redemption in his bloud there is satisfaction in his death there is merit in his perfect obedience there is hope in his resurrection and ascension and euerlasting comfort in his sitting at the right hand of his Father to make intercession for vs. O Eternall Aduocate pleade my muse Thou who out of thy pierced side openedst to all the inhabitants of the earth a Fountaine for sinne and vncleannesse wash mee from my wickednesse and clense me from my sinne grant me thy peace which thou promisest thy chosen that my heart bee not troubled Make an atonement for mee and bring me into fauour with thy Father and my Father thy God and my God And because all my hope is in thy mercy Lord let me imitate that vertue in thee which I implore Let mee patterne that grace in my life which saueth my life Let mee from my heart forgiue my brethren their trespasses compassionate their infirmities relieue their necessities ease their crosses and beare their burthens Let the hungry haue neuer a iust action against me at thy Barre for not giuing them meate nor the thirsty for not giuing them drinke nor the naked for not clothing them nor the sicke and imprisoned for not visiting them nor the fatherlesse and widowes for not protecting defending them Let me who need abundant mercy shew abundant mercy Let me mete such measure to my brethren as I expect from thee As a good childe let mee follow the example of my heauenly Father who as on this day caused the Sunne to rise vpon the Iust and the vniust So let the light of my knowledge and heat of my loue be extended to all but especially to those of the houshold of faith And as the Sun shineth vpon my body so make thy countenance shine vpon my soule As the Sunne draweth vp exhalations from the earth so raise thou my thoughts and desires from earthy comforts to heauenly obiects As the Sunne melteth Snow and Ice so melt thou my heart frozen in the dregs of sinne As the Snnne dispelleth all mists of darkenesse and cleereth the Aire from all Fogs and noysome Vapours so let thy Spirit disped all errors of my vnderstanding and cleere my will from all fogs and fumes of noysome lusts Giue mee grace to keepe a regular constant and vnwearied course vpon earth as the Sunne doth in Heauen and to grow in grace and increase in heauenly wisdome as the Sunne ascendeth higher and shineth still brighter till it bee high Noone Lastly the Sunne reioyceth as a Gyant to runne his course So grant that I may cheerefully runne and finish my race and after I haue finished it receiue the reward of the Righteous who shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdome of the Father for euermore Amen The close out of Scripture Grant Lord that I may bee filled with the knowledge of thy Will in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding Col. 1. 9. That I may walke worthy of thee please thee in all things being fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of thee ver 10. Strengthened with all might through thy glorious power vnto all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnesse ver 11. The Deuotion for Wednesdayes Euening THE HYMNE O Giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is gracious and his mercy endureth for euer Psal. 136. 1. Which onely doth wonders for his mercy indureth for euer ver 4. Which by his excellent wisedome made the Heauens for his mercy endureth for euer ver 5. Which made great lights for his mercy endureth for euer ver 7. The Sunne to rule the day for his mercy endureth for euer ver 8. The Moone and the Stars to gouerne the night for his mercy endureth for euer ver 9. He telleth the number of the Starres and calleth them by their names Psal. 147. 4. He appointed the Moone for certaine seasons and the Sun knoweth his going downe Psal. 104. 19. Thou makest darknesse that
I belieue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Is it not as easy for thee to raise mee out of ashes as at the first to reare me out of the dust to send backe my Spirit into my body as at the first to breathe it in I see the seede in the ground the plants in the garden dye before they rise and spring vp I see wormes and flies and diuerse other creatures that spend the winter season in a kinde of death reuiue in the Spring I see my selfe dead euery night and aliue in the morning Why then should I call in question this Article of my beliefe of all most comfortable Lord who this euening dist cast Adam into a dead sleepe and thy selfe fellest asleepe on the bedde of thy Crosse and awakedst him againe and raisedst thy selfe out of thy sleepe of death sanctifie my rest and sleepe this night vnto me that I may by it not only be strengthened in my body and reuiued from my bed of slumber to rise to my labour and trauell the next morning but also more confirmed in my faith touching the resurrection of this my body out of the bedde of the graue at the last day So bee it Amen The close out of Scripture To him that loued vs and washed our sinnes in his blood and made vs Kings and Priests to God euen his Father bee glory and dominion for euermore Amen Reu. 1. 5 6. Saturdayes Deuotion The Father resteth from the workes of Creation IN the seauenth day God ended his worke which he had made and the seauenth day he rested from all his worke which he had made Gen. 2. 2. So God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because that in it hee had rested from all his worke which God had created and made verse 3. The Sonne resteth in the Sepulcher ANd when the euen was come there came a rich man of Arimathea named Ioseph who had also himselfe bin Iesus's Disciple Mat. 27. 57. He went to Pilate and asked the body of Iesus And Pilate commanded the body to bee deliuered verse 58. So Ioseph tooke the body and wrapped it in a cleane linnen cloth verse 59. And put it in his new Tombe which he had hewen out in a Rocke and rolled a great stone to the doore of the Sepulcher and departed verse 60. And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary sitting ouer against the Sepulcher verse 61. Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation the chiefe Priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate verse 62. Saying Sir we remember that that deceiuer sayed while hee was yet aliue After three dayes I will rise againe verse 63. Command therefore that the Sepulcher be made sure vntill the third day left his Disciples come by night and steale him away and say vnto the people He is risen from the dead so the last error will bee worse then the first verse 64. Pilate saide vnto them Yee haue a watch goe your way make it as sure as you can verse 65. So they went and made the Sepulcher sure sealing the stone and setting a watch verse 66. For thine instruction meditate In the morning on the Father's rest from works of Creation In the euening on the Sonn's works of Redemption For thy comfort apply the benefits of both to thy selfe which are A holy rest here and happy rest hereafter Euerlasting For thy correction reprooue thy prophaning God's holy Sabbath by First Worldly businesse Secondly Carnal pleasures Thirdly Omitting holy duties Fourthly Performing them Negligently Vnwillingly Quicken thy Preparation to holy duties by the Psalme Constancy in life and death by the Admonition Zeale Deuotion and resolution by the Prayer ensuing The Hymne for Saturday Morning I Haue remembred thy Name ô Lord in the night season and haue kept thy Law Psal. 119. 57. I thought on my waies and turned my feete to thy testimonies verse 59. I preuented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word v. 147. Heare my voice according to thy louing kindnesse ô Lord quicken mee according to thy iudgements verse 149. Seauen times a day doe I praise thee according to thy righteous iudgement v. 164. Great peace haue they that loue thy Law and nothing shall offend them verse 165. I haue longed for thy saluation ô Lord thy Law is my delight verse 174. Deliuer me ô Lord from the wicked which is a sword of thine Psal. 17. 13. From men which are thy hand ô Lord from men of the world which haue their portion in this life and whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasures verse 14. My heart is pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen vpon me Psal. 55. 4. Fearefulnesse and trembling are come vpon me and horror hath ouerwhelmed me v. 5. O that I had wings like a Doue for then would I fly away and be at rest v. 6. I would hasten my escape from the windy storme and tempest v. 8. An Admonition for Saturday Morning being an exhortation to perseuerance the twelfth BEATITVDE All that expect the reward of Pietie must striue and pray for perseuerance and abhorre and shunne falling away from grace because in Scripture The one is Commanded by God Commended in his Saints Encouraged vnto by promises of Certaine reward Saluation Assured cōfort An incorruptible Crowne of glorie The other is Vehemently disswaded Seuerely censured Dreadfully threatned Eternally punished THE TEXTS VVAtch yee therefore and pray continually Luk. 21. 36. Continue yee in loue Ioh 15. 9. Take heede to thy selfe and to thy Doctrine continue in them 1 Tim 4. 16. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast bin assured of 2 Tim 3. 14. Let vs hold fast our profession Heb. 4. 14. Hold fast till I come Reu. 2. 25. Reioycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12. 12. Dearely beloued and longed for my ioy and crowne stand fast in the Lord Phil. 4. 1. Paul and Barnabas perswaded them to continue in the grace of God Acts 13. 43. Confirming the soules of the disciple◠and exhorting them to continue in aith Act. 14. 22. But ye brethren be not wearie in well doing 2. Thess. 3. 13. Let brotherly loue continue Heb. 13. 1. Stand fast in one spirit with one minde striuing together for the faith of the Gospel Phil. 1. 17. Therefore my brethren be ye stedfast vnmoueable alwayes aboūding in the worke of the Lord 1. Cor. 15. 28. Watch ye stand fast in the faith acquit you like men 1. Cor. 16. 13. Stand fast therefore in the libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free Gal. 5. 1. Wherefore take vnto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the euill day and hauing done all stand fast Eph. 6. 13. Brethren stand fast hold the traditions which ye haue beene taught 2. Thess. 2. 13. Whom resist steadfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Ye therefore seeing ye know these things beware lest yee also
sake and for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soule out of trouble Psal. 143. 11. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified v. 2. O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth but according to thy mercy thinke vpon me ô Lord for thy goodnesse Psal. 25. 6. Deliuer me from all mine offences and make me not a rebuke to the foolish Psal. 39. 9. O teach mee to number my daies that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome Psal. 90. 12. An Admonition to the Sicke THE ANALYSIS Euery good Christian ought to struggle with his infirmities labour to compass his minde to meet patience in sicknesse especially considering that sicknes is 1 His heauenly Fathers visitation whose 1 Power cannot bee resisted 2 Will must be obeyed 3 Goodnesse must bee acknowledged in sending vs good as well as euill 2 A deserued scourge for his sinne 3 Seat in loue to him for his good 1 To weane him from the loue of the world 2 To strengthen the spirit in him and tame the flesh 3 To breed in him a loathing and detestation of sin in generall the cause of all afflictions 4 To call him home and bring him to a sence acknowledgement of his particular sinne 5 To proue the truth and sincerity of his faith and loue 6 To saue him from eternall punishment for his sinne 7 To make him seeke more earnestly to God who will be found of him and if his appointed time bee not come manifest his glory in deliuering him frō the very iawes of death THE TEXTS VVEe haue had Fathers of our flesh which corrected vs and wee gaue them reuerence shall wee not much rather be in subiection to the Father of Spirits and liue Heb. 12. 9. Who hath euer resisted his wil Rom. 9. 19. He is able to subdue all things to himselfe Phil. 3. 21. Hee draweth the mighty with his power he riseth vp and no man is sure of life Iob 24. 21. Will hee pleade against mee with his great power Iob 23. 6. God is greater then man Iob 33. 12. Why doest thou striue against him for hee giueth not account of any of his matters v. 13. Thy will be done c. Mat. 6. 10. Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Mat 26. 39. Yet not as I will but as thou wilt v. 16. I held my peace because it was thy doing Psal. 39. 10. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts c. 1 Pet. 3. 11. Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creator 1 Pet. 3. 19. Wee haue receiued good at the hands of God and shall wee not receiue euill Iob 2. 10. Affliction commeth not forth of the dust neither doth trauaile come forth of the ground Iob 5. 6. I will make thee sicke in smiting thee because of thy sinne Micha 6. 13. Man suffereth for his sinne Lam. 3. 39. Wee know that all things worke together for good to them that loue God Rom. 8. 28. The heate beate vpon the head of IONAS that he fainted and wished in himselfe to dye and said It is better for me to die then to liue Ionah 4. 8. And ELIAH requested that he might die It is enough Lord take away my life I am no better then my Fathers 1 Kings 19. 4. We that are in this Tabernacle doe groane being burdened 2 Cor. 5. 4. That I should not bee exalted aboue measure there was giuen me a Thorne in the flesh 2 Cor. 12. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for when I am weake then am I strong v. 10 Though our outward man decay our inward man is renewed c. 2 Cor. 4. 16. My wounds stinke and are corrupt through my foolishnesse Psal. 38. 5. vid. Psal. 38. 4. Let vs search and trie our waies and turne againe to the Lord Lam. 3. 40. I truly am set in the Plague and my heauinesse is euer in my sight Psal. 38. 17. I will confesse my wickednesse and be sorrie for my sinne verse 18. The people turneth not to him that smiteth them Isa 9. 13. see Ezra 9. 13. The thing that I so greatly feared is fallen vpon me Iob 3. 25. We haue transgressed and rebelled and thou hast not pardoned Lam. 3. 42. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Iob 13. 15. He shall also be my saluation for an hypocrite shall not stand before him v. 16. And though all this be come vpon vs yet doe we not forget thee nor behaue our selues frowardly in thy couenant Psal. 44. 18. Our heart is not turned backe neither our steps gon out of the way v. 19. No not when thou hast smitten vs into the place of dragons and couered vs with the shadow of death v. 20. We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. I will bee vnto Ephraim as a Lyon and as a roaring Lyon to the house of Iudah I will teare and goe away Hosea 5. 14. I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offences and seeke my face In their affliction they will seeke me early v. 15. Hee would haue filled his bellie with the huskes that the swine did eate and no man gaue vnto him Luke 15. 16. And when he came to himself he said How many hired seruants in my Father's house haue meate enough and I perish with hunger v. 17. I will arise and goe to my Father c. v. 18. When in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel and sought him hee was found of them 2 Chron. 15. 4. In wrath or in the middest of iudgement thou remembrest mercy Abak 3. 2. Ikill and make aliue I wound and I heale Deut. 32. 39. The Lord bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp 1 Sam. 2. 6. This man was borne blinde that the worke of God might bee shewed in him Ioh. 9. 8. This sicknesse is not vnto death but for the glory of God that the Son of God might bee glorified thereby Ioh. 11. 4. For wee had the Sentence of death in our selues that wee should not trust in our selues but in God that raiseth the dead 2. Cor. 1. 9 10. Who hath deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer in whom wee trust that he will yet deliuer vs ver 11. A Prayer for the Sicke FAithfull Creator and preseruer of all men especially of thine Elect whom thou smitest in mercie and chastenest in loue and correctest in tender compassion and wounding and healing againe killing and reuiuing bringing downe to the gates of hell and raising vp from thence againe Look downe I beseech thee vpon thy poore prostrated seruant grieuously punished and afflicted in body with the smart
of my paine and much more troubled and terrified in minde with the sence of my sinne and feare of thy heauie displeasure My paines and pangs of my sicknes O Lord are bitter yet the remembrance of my sin is more bitter vnto mee and the apprehension of thy wrath far exceedeth both Whilest I enioyed health and prosperitie the ioy of all my ioyes was in thy loue and so now in my misery sicknes the sorrow of all my sorrowes and anguish of all my paines is in the feeling of thy wrath This is the very venome of the arrow that sticketh in me It is gall to my taste and wormwood to my mouth and the sharpest vineger in my festered sores and a burning fire in my bones I confesse to thy glory and my shame that of very faithfulnesse and goodnesse to mee thou hast layd this scourge vpon me to the end that by the stripes of my flesh my spirit might be healed and saued in the day of my Lord IESV I fostered snakes secretly in my bosome I cherished priuate sin in my conscience now they haue stung me I tooke too much delight in worldly comforts and therefore thou hast sawced them with sorrowes My wanton flesh pampered vp with ease and daintie fare spurned at thy word and grew head-strong against thy Spirit and therefore thou hast tamed it with the sharpe whip I was in a kind of a spirituall Lethargie till thou didst awake me with the stroke of thy hand There grew a Call ouer my conscience which this thy chastisement hath plucked away I felt an Itch of impure lusts desires in all parts of my soule but thy Rod hath killed it I valued not the benefit of health as I should haue done and therefore thou hast taught me it by my paine In my prosperity I remembred not the afflictions of my brethren and therefore thou hast afflicted mee like vnto them I wept not for the calamities of thy people I shed no teares for the publike ruines of the Church and therefore thou hast drawne from mee abundance of them for my priuate griefes I put from mee still the euill day and therefore thou hast brought it neere vnto mee All this haue I done and therefore most iustly all this do I suffer And because I know that it is good for mee thus to be disciplined by thee I humble my selfe vnder thy mighty hand and kisse this thy Rod which imprints in my flesh a sence of my sinne and a marke of thy loue and maketh my body black and blew but I trust through thy grace shall make my soule appeare faire and beautifull in thine eyes Oh that I could frame my selfe to perfect patience that my abiding thy will might as wel please thee as my disobeying thy will hath displeased thee My spirit is willing but my flesh is weake I striue with the rebellions of my heart and corruptions but they are too strong for mee Faine would I silence all clamorous passions and let patience haue her full worke vpon me but the loathsomenesse and painfulnesse and tediousnesse of my disease drowne all my ghostly comforts and make me euen rore for the disquietnes of my heart O Lord thou knowest all my desires and my groanes are not hid from thee Thou knowest whereof I am made thou vnderstandest that I am but dust wilt thou contend with dust ashes O Father of mercy and God of all consolation lay no more vpon me then thou wilt giue me ability to beare Either asswage and diminish my paine or increase my strength either shorten my sicknesse or lengthen I beseech thee my patience I acknowledge my many sins deserue many strokes grieuous sins smart strokes but my flesh is not of yron nor my sinews of brasse nor my heart of Oke to endure so many blowes and re-iterated cuts of thy axe Neither could my sufferings if I could endure as much for sin as any of thy blessed Saints and Martyrs haue suffered for righteousnesse thereby satisfie for the least of my sins For thy Maiesty is infinite and my offences therefore infinite thy mercy toward me is infinite and my ingratitude towards thee thereby made infinite Thy law eternall and my gilt consequently for the breach thereof eternall But thy Son a person of infinite dignity out of his infinite loue to mankinde hath layed downe his life a price of infinite value to discharge the infinite debt of my sins Wherefore I beseech thee looke not vpon my sin but vpon thy Son weigh not my transgressions but his merits Thy iustice is fully satisfied by him O confirme thy mercies vnto me As I haue in the cup of trembling tasted thy iustice my sins so grant that in the cup of saluation I may taste thy mercie and my Sauiour's merits Blesse all the meates and drinks and medicines which I shall receiue from the hand of the Physitian to the repaire and recouery of my bodily health and sanctifie all the bitter potions which thou hast and shalt minister vnto mee to the restoring of my soule 's health Comfort my fainting Spirit and strengthen my feeble knees and support my weake hands and reuiue my deaded heart and so powerfully assist me with thy Spirit of strength that I may with confidence call vpon thee with patience endure this tryal with hope expect thy good pleasure with wisedome make vse of this thy visitation and with thankfulnesse euer praise thy goodnesse and mercy for my safe recouery if it may stand with thy blessed will whereunto I fully submit and wholy resigne my selfe now and for euer Amen The Sicke-mans Deuotion after his Recouerie The Admonition or Exhortation to Thanksgiuing THE ANALYSIS For perpetuall Thanksgiuing a gratefull acknowledgement of God's blessing we haue in Scripture 1 Examples of CHRIST The Angels The Saints In heauen On earth 2 Reasons drawn from the consideration of God his Precepts Promises Benefits Past. Present To come THE TEXTS I Thanke thee ô Father Lord of heauen and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them vnto babes Mat. 11. 25. And he tooke the seuen loaues and the fishes and gaue thankes and brake them Mar. 5. 36. And he tooke the cup and when he had giuen thankes he gaue it to them Mat. 26. 27. And when he had giuen thanks he tooke bread and brake it Luk. 22. 19. And all the Angels that stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the foure beasts fell downe on their faces before the Throne and worshipped God saying Reuel 7. 11. Amen Blessing and glorie and wisedome and thanksgiuing and honour and power and might be vnto God for euer v. â—2 Glorie be to God on high on earth peace and good will towards men Those beasts gaue glorie and honour and thanks to him that sate on the Throne who liueth for euer Reuel 4. 9. And he blessed him and said Blessed be
paines I beganne to distaste them all I grew out of loue with this life and entertained death in my most serious thoughts and I perswaded my selfe that those thoughts of death shall neuer dye in me but still liue in my memory and vpon euery good occasion bee stirred vp and reuiued to prepare and dispose mee to my last end that so I may see that Basyliske first and kill it before it see and kill mee O death how bitter is thy remembrance in the pride of health O life how bitter is thy remembrance in the misery of sicknesse Verily I had vtterly fainted vnder my Crosse and my soule had bin put to silence I had sowned and giuen vp not onely my Ghost but thy holy Spirit of comfort if thou hadst not stayed me with flagons and comforted mee with apples and in my hottest fits cooled me with the sweete gales of thy grace I had fallen not onely with Iob to curse the day of my birth but to question the truth of thy Promises But euerlasting thanks bee vnto thee who gauest me victorie ouer that fearefull tentation and by thy holy Spirit didst call to my mind all those sweet promises of thy Gospell whereby I receiued comfort and recouered strength And now I am assured and more then euer before perswaded that neither height nor depth nor principality nor power nor paine nor pleasure nor sicknes nor health nor life nor death nor things present nor things to come shall euer be able to separate me from thy loue in CHRIST IESVS The close out of Scripture I Said in the cutting off of my dayes I shall goe to the gate of the graue I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres Isa. 38. 10. I sayd I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing I shall behold man no more with the Inhabitants of the world ver 11. Behold for peace I had great bitternesse but thou hast in loue to my soule deliuered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast my sins behind thy backe ver 17. For the graue cannot praise thee death cannot confess thee they that goe downe to the pit cannot hope for thy truth ver 18. The liuing the liuing hee shall prayse thee as I doe this day verse 19. The dying-mans deuotion Suppart vlt. The Admonitions The man that is breathing out his last gaspe needeth◠1 MEeke patience to endure God's good pleasure Of which see the Admonitions for Good-Fridaie for Thursday Euening and for the sicke before 2 Godly sorrow for all the sinnes of his life wherby he hath grieuously displeased his heauenly Father Of which see the Admonition for Tuesday morning 3 Assured confidence to commit his Soule to God as a faithfull Creator Of which see the Admonition for the Child-bearing woman after her deliuery 4 Constant perseuerance to hold on to the end Of which see the Admonition for Saturday morning 5 Liuely apprehension of the ioyes of heauen and powers of the world to come Of which see the Meditation for the Sabbath Euening 6 Christian resolution cheerfully to lay downe his Tabernacle and go willingly to the Father of spirits Of which see the Admonition for Saturday Euening 7 A peaceable disposition to forgiue all his enemies and depart in peace as with God so also with all men Of which see the Admonition for Thursday Morning 8 A charitable and compassionate aflection to consider the poore and destitute according to his estate and wealth to help and succour them that so by their prayers he may be receiued into euerlasting habitations Of which see the Exhortation for Wednesday morning In the extremity of bitter pangs consider ô deuout Christian 1 Thy sins deserue a sharper scourge yet 2 All thou sufferest is nothing to what Christ endured for thee 3 Other Saints and holy Martyrs haue abided a harder tryall and more grieuous afflictions many more terrible conflicts and yet haue been more then Conquerours through Christ. 4 It is a thousand times better to be corrected here though neuer so seuerely then eternally tormented in hell 5 God wil not lay more vpō thee thē he will giue thee ability to beare therfore will vndoubtedly asswage thy paine or increase thy patience 6 The extremity of thy paines wil be but a short time for God wil either take them from thee by recouering thee or thee from them by deliuering thee out of the body 7 The more grieuous thy paines are the greater thy reward shall be if thou patiently endure them THE TEXTS IT is the Lords mercy that wee are not vtterly consumed because his compassion fails not Lam. 3. 20. If thou Lord shalt marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand or who may abide it Psalm 130. 3. He hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs after our iniquities Psal. 103. 10. Like as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him ver 13. For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are but dust ver 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulnes hath surprized the hypocrites who shall dwell with the deuouring fire who among vs shall dwel with euerlasting burning I◠33. Topheth is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared Hee hath made it deep and large the pile therof is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a streame of Brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 30. 33. A fire is kindled in mine anger and it shall burne to the lowest hell Deut. 32. 22. The Sonne of man shall send his Angells and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and them which doe iniquity Mat. 13. 41. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth verse 42. Whose fan is in his hand and hee will throughly purge his floore and gather his wheat into his garner but burne vp the chaffe with vnquenchable fire Mat. 3. 12. Suffering the vengeance of eternall fire Iud. 7. Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and coole my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Luk. 16. 24. Where the worme dyeth not and the fire is not quenched Mar. 9. 44. 46. In flaming fire taking vengeance of them that knowe not God 2. Thes. 1. 8. Binde him hand and foot cast him into vtter darknes there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. To whom the mist of darknes is reserued for euer 2. Pet. 2. He hath reserued in euerlasting chaines of darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day Iud. 6. 〈◊〉 same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lambe Reu. 14. 10. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp for euer and euer ver 12. These both were
beleeueth in him should not perish Ioh. 3. 15. The Father hath committed all iudgement to the Sonne that all men should honour the Sonne as the Father Ioh. 5. 23. There is another that beareth witnesse of me and I know that the witnesse he witnesseth of me is true Ioh. 5. 32. The Father who hath sent me himselfe beareth witnesse of me Ioh. 5. 37. The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedeck Psal. 110. 4. God willing more aboundantly to shew to the heires of promise the immutabilitie of his counsell confirmed it with an oath Heb. 6. 17. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might haue a strong consolation who haue flied for refuge to lay hold vpon the hope set before vs ver 18. Go into all the world he that beleeueth and is baptized shall be saued he that beleeueth not shall be damned Mar. 16. 16. Verily I say vnto you if any man keepe my sayings he shall neuer see death Ioh 8. 51. I am the resurrection and the life he that beleeueth in me though he were dead yet shall he liue Ioh. 11. 25. And whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die v. 26. For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe that they also might be sanctified through the truth Ioh. 17. 19. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word ver 20. The Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. He which stablisheth vs with Christ and hath annointed vs 2. Cor. 1. 21. Who hath also sealed vs and giuen the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts ver 22. He that wrought vs for the selfe same thing is God who also hath giuen vnto vs the earnest of the Spirit After that ye beleeued ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Eph. 1. 13. Which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the purchased possession vnto the praise of his glorie ver 14. He that receiued his testimonie hath set to his seale that God is true Ioh. 3. 33. He receiued the seale of righteousnesse Rom. 4. 11. Grieue not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4. â—0 If ye haue faith and doubt not ye shall not onely do this which is done to the figge-tree but also if ye say to this mountaine Be thou remoued and be thou cast into the sea it shall be done Mat. 21. 21. If I had all faith so that I could remoue mountaines c. 1. Cor. 1â— 2. Thesâ— signes shall follow them that beleeue in my Name they shall cast out diuels they shall speake with new tongues Mar. 16 17. They shall take vp serpents and if they drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay hands on the sicke and they shall recouer ver 18. Verily verily I say vnto you he that beleeueth on me the workes which I do shall he do also and greater workes then these shall he do Ioh. 14. 12. See Heb. 11 from the 14. verse to the 35. Aboue all take the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fierie darts of the wicked Eph. 6. 16. Your aduersarie the diuell as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuour 1. Pet. 5. 8. Whom resist stedfast in the faith ver 9. This is the victorie that ouer-commeth the world euen our faith 1. Ioh. 5. 4. Who is he that ouercometh the world He that beleeueth c. ver 5. For ye are the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ Gal. 3. 26. God who knoweth the heart bore them witnesse giuing them the holy Ghost as he did vnto vs Acts 15. 8. And put no difference betweene vs and them purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 9. Whosoeuer beleeueth in me shall not be ashamed Rom. 9. 33. Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and pretious and he that beleeueth on him shall not be confounded 1. Pet. 2. 6. See Isa. 28. 16. Psal. 118. 22. Mat. 21. 42. Acts 4. 12. Iesus seeing his faith said Son be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiuen thee Mat. 9. 2. Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole ver 21. Behold his soule which is lifted vp in him is not vpright but the Iust shall liue by his faith Heb. 2. 4. And Abraham beleeued in the Lord and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. And by him all that beleeue are iustified from all things from which ye could not be iustified by the Law of Moses Acts 13. 39. The righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. 21. Euen the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Iesus Christ to all that beleeue ver 22. Whom God hath set foorth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud ver 25. It is one God which iustifieth circumcision by faith and vncircumcision through faith ver 30. To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4. 5. 6 7. 8. verses Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God Rom. 5. 1. With the heart man beleeueth to righteousnesse Rom 10. 10. Knowing that a man is not iustified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ that 〈…〉 iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the workes of the law Gal. 2. 16. Who are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation 1. Pet. 1. 5. For by grace ye are saued through faith Eph 2. 8. Receiuing the end of our faith the saluation of our soules 1. Pet. 1. 9. I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith 2. Tim. 4. 7. From hence foorth is laide vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that loue his comming ver 8. Be faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee a crowne of life Reuel 2. 10. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Psal. 2. vlt. Verily I say vnto you whosoeuer heareth my word and beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ioh. 5. 24. THE PRAYER FOR Friday Euening composed of Petitions sutable to the worke of the day Motiues to faith in Christ agreeable to the precedent exhortation MOst bountifull and mercifull Lord God who this day createdst man and redeemedst him formedst and reformedst him inspiredst him with the breath of life and expiredst and diedst for him vpon the Crosse shew thy selfe a faithfull Creator in preseruing thine owne workes and a faithfull Redeemer in