and the Lord will be with the good 10 Lastly make not an occupation of any recreation The longest vse of pleasure is but short but the paines of pleasure abused are eternall Vse therefore lawfull recreation so farre forth as it makes thee the fitter in body and minde to doe more chearefully the seruice of God and the duties of thy calling Thy worke is great thy time is but short And hee who will recompence euery man according to his workes standeth at the doore Thinke how much worke is behinde how slow thou hast vvrought in the time which is past and what a reckoning thou shouldest make if thy Master should call thee this day to thine accounts Be therefore carefull hence-forth to make the most aduantage of thy short time that remaines as a man vvould of an olde Lease that were neere expiring and when thou disposest to recreate thy selfe remember how small a time is allotted for thy life and that therefore much of that is not to be consumed in idlenesse sports playes and toyish vanities seeing the whole is but a short while though it be all spent in doing the best good that thou canst for a man was not created for sports playes and recreation but zealously to serue GOD in Religion and conscionably to serue his neighbour in his vocation and by both to acertaine himselfe of eternall saluation Esteeme therefore the losse of time one of the greatest losses Redeeme it carefully to spend it wisely that when that time commeth that thou maiest be no longer a steward on earth thy Master may welcome thee with an Euge bone serue and giue thee a better in Heauen where thou shalt ioyfully enioy thy Masters ioyes for euermore Meditations for the Euening At Euening when thou preparest thy selfe to take thy rest meditate on these few points 1 THat seeing thy daies are numbred there is one more of thy number spent and thou art now the neerer to thy ende by a day 2 Sit downe a while before thou goest to bed and consider with thy selfe what memorable thing thou hast seene heard or read that day more then thou sawest heardest or knewest before and make thy best vse of them but especially call to minde what sinne thou hast committed that day against GOD or Man and what good thou hast omitted and humble thy selfe for both If thou findest that thou hast done any goodnesse acknowledge it to be Gods grace and giue him the glory and count that day lost wherein thou hast not done some good 3 If by frailty or strong temptation thou shalt perceiue that thou hast committed any grieuous sinne or fault presume not to sleepe till thou haue vpon thy knees made a perticular reconciliation with God in Christ for the same both by confessing the fault and by feruent praying for the pardon of the same Thus making thy score euen with Christ euery night thou shalt haue the lesse to account for when thou art to make thy finall reckoning before his Maiesty in the Iudgement day 4 If thou haue fallen out with any in the day let not the Sunne goe downe on thine anger that night If thy conscience tels thee that thou hast wronged him acknowledge thine offence and entreate him to forgiue thee If hee haue wronged thee offer him reconciliation and if hee will not be reconciled yet do thou from thy heart forgiue him Matth. 5.23 But in any case presume not to be thine owne reuenger For in so doing thou doest God a double iniury First in offering to take his sword of Iustice out of his hand as though he were not iust hauing reserued the execution of vengeance to himselfe Secondly in vsurping authority ouer his seruant without referring the cause to his hearing and censure being his and thy Master Besides thou art too partiall to be a Reuenger For if thou be to execute reuenge on thy selfe thou wilt doe it too lightly if on thy enemy too heauily It belongeth therefore to God to reuenge to thee to forgiue And in testimony that thou hast freely forgiuen him pray vnto God for the forgiuenesse of his fault and the amendment of his life and the next time that occasion is offered and it lyes in thy power doe him good and reioyce in doing it for hee that doth good to his enemies shewes himselfe the childe of GOD and his reward is with GOD his Father 5 Vse not sleepe as a meanes to satiate the foggy lithernesse of thy flesh but as a medicine to refresh thy tyred senses and members Sufficient sleepe quickeneth the minde and reuiueth the body but immoderate sleepe dulleth the one and fatneth the other 6 Remember that many goe to bed and neuer rise againe till they be wakened and raised vp by the fearefull sound of the last trumpet But he that sleepeth and wakeneth with praier sleepeth and wakeneth with Christ. If therefore thou desirest to sleepe securely and safely yeeld vp thy selfe into the hands of God whilest thou art waking and so goe to bed with a reuerence of Gods maiesty and consideration of thine owne misery which thou maiest imprint in thy heart in some measure by these meanes and the like meditations Read a Chapter in the same order as was prescribed in the morning and when thou hast done kneele downe on both thy knees at thy bed side or some other conuenient place in thy Chamber and lifting vp thy heart thine eyes and hands to thy heauenly Father in the name and mediation of his holy Sonne IESVS pray vnto him if thou haue the gift of praier 1 Confessing thy sinnes especially those which thou hast committed that day 2 Caruing most earnestly for Christ his sake pardon and forgiuenesse for them 3 Requesting the assistance of his holy spirit for amendment of life 4 In giuing thankes for benefits receiued especially for thy preseruation that day 5 Praying for rest and protection that night 6 Remembring the state of the Church the King and the Royall Posterity our Ministers and Magistrates and all our brethren visited or persecuted 7 Lastly commending thy selfe and all thine to his gracious custody All which thou maiest do in these or the like words A praier for the Euening O Most gracious God and louing Father who art about my bed and knowest my down lying and mine vprising and art neere vnto all that call vpon thee in truth and sincerity I wetched sinner doe beseech thee to looke vpon me with the eies of thy mercy and not to behold mee as I am in my selfe For then thou shalt see but an vncleane and defiled creature conceiued in sinne and liuing in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift vp mine eies to heauen knowing how grieuously I haue sinned against heauen and before thee For O Lord I haue transgressed al thy commandements and righteous lawes not onely through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through wilfull
thy name is a strong tower of defence vnto all those that trust therein I here recommend my selfe and all that doe belong vnto me vnto thy holy protection and custodie If it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleepe O Lord for Christ his sake haue mercy vpon me and receiue my soule into thy heauenly Kingdome And if it be thy blessed pleasure to adde more dayes vnto my life O Lord adde more amendement vnto my dayes and weane my mind from the loue of the world and worldly vanities and cause mee more and more to settle my conuersation on Heauen and heauenly things And perfect daily in mee that good worke which thou hast begun to the glory of thy Name and the saluation of my sinfull Soule O Lord I beseech thee likewise saue and defend from all euill and danger thy whole Church the Kings Maiestie the Queene the Prince Charles together with the Princely Count Palatine of Rhene and the religious Princesse Elizabeth his Wife keepe them all in the sinceritie of thy Truth and prosper them in all grace and happinesse Blesse the Nobilitie Ministers and Magistrates of these Churches Kingdomes each of them with those graces which are expedient for their place and calling And be thou ô Lord a comfort and consolation to all thy people whom thou hast thought meete to visit vvith any kinde of sicknesse crosse or calamitie Hasten O Father the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Make mee euer mindfull of my last end and of the reckoning that I am to make vnto thee therein And in the meane while carefull so to follow Christ in the regeneration during this life as that with Christ I may haue a portion in the resurrection of the iust when this mortall life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou O Father knowest to be requisite and necessary for me I humbly beg and craue at thy hands in the Name and mediation of Iesus Christ thy Sonne and in that forme of Prayer which hee himselfe hath taught me to say vnto thee Our Father which art in Heauen c. Another shorter Euening Prayer O Eternall GOD and heauenly father if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospell and the examples of Peter Magdalene the Publicane the Prodigall childe and many other penitent sinners that thou art so full of compassion and so ready to forgiue the greatest sinners who are heauiest laden with sinne at what time soeuer they returne vnto thee with penitent hearts lamenting their sinnes and imploring thy grace I should despaire for mine owne sinnes and be vtterly discouraged from presuming to come vnto thy presence considering the hardnesse of my heart the vnrulinesse of my affections and the vncleannesse of my conuersation by meanes whereof I haue transgressed all thy lawes and deserued thy curse which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearefull disease my soule to languish with the death of sinne my good name to be traduced with scandalous reproaches and make mine estate lyable to all manner of crosses and casualities And I confesse Lord that thy mercy is the cause that I haue not beene long agoe confounded But O my God as thy mercy onely staied thy iudgement from falling vpon mee hitherto so I humbly beseech thee in the bowels of the mercy of Iesus Christ in whom onely thou art well pleased that thou wilt not deale with mee according to my deserts but that thou wouldest freely and fully remit vnto mee all my sinnes and transgressions and that thou wouldest washe them cleane from me vvith the vertue of that most precious blood which thy sonne Iesus Christ hath shed for me For hee alone is the Phisition and his bloud onely is the medicine that can heale my sickenesse And he is the true brazen Serpent that can cure that poison wherewith the firy Serpents of my sinnes haue stung and poisoned my sicke and wounded soule And giue mee I beseech thee thine holy spirit which may assure me of mine adoption and that may confirme my faith encrease my repentance enlighten my vnderstanding purifie my heart rectifie my will and affections and so sanctifie me throughout that my whole body soule and spirit may be kept vnblameable vntill the glorious comming of my Lord Iesus Christ. And now O Lord I giue thee hearty thankes and praise for that thou hast this day preserued me from all harmes and perils notwithstanding all my sinnes and ill deserts And I beseech thee likewise defend me this night from the roaring Lion which night and day seeketh to deuoure me Watch thou O Lord ouer me this night to keepe mee from his temptations and tyrannie and let thy mercy shield me from his vnappeaseable rage and malice And to this end I commend my selfe into thy hands and protection beseeching thee O my Lord and God not to suffer Satan nor any of his euill members to haue power to doe vnto me any hurt or violence this night And grant good Lord that whether I sleepe or wake liue or die I may sleepe wake liue and die vnto thee and to the glory of thy name and the saluation of my soule Lord blesse and defend all thy chosen people euery where Graunt our King a long happy raigne ouer vs. Blesse the Queene Prince Charles the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the vertuous Princesse Elizabeth his wife together with all our Magistrates and Ministers comfort them who are in any misery neede or sickenesse Good Lord giue me grace to be one of those wise Virgins which may haue my heart prepared like a Lampe furnished with the Oyle of Faith and light of good works to meet the Lord Iesus the sweet bridegroome of my soule at his second and sodaine comming in glory Grant this good Father for Christ Iesus sake my only Sauiour and Mediator in whose blessed name and in whose owne words I call vpon thee as he hath taught me Our Father which c. Afterwards say Thy grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O Holy and blessed spirit be with me and dwell in my heart this night and euermore Amen Then rising vp in a holy reuerence meditate as thou art putting off thy cloathes Things to be Meditated vpon as thou art putting off thy cloathes 1 THat the day is comming when thou must be as barely vnstript of al that thou hast in the world as thou art now of thy cloathes thou hast therefore heere but the vse of all things as a Steward for a time and that vpon accounts Whilest therefore thou art trusted with this Stewardship be wise and faithfull 2 When thou seest thy bed let it put thee in minde of thy graue which is now the bed of Christ For Christ by laying his holy body to rest three daies and three
remembrance of me and in doing this thou shalt shew thy selfe best mindefull and thankefull for his death For as oft as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this cup yee shall shew the Lords death vntil he come And let this bee the chiefe ende whereunto both thy receiuing and liuing tendeth that thou maiest be a holy Christian zealous of good workes purged from sinne to liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world that thou maiest be acceptable to God profitable to thy brethren and comfortable vnto thine own soule Thus farre of the manner of glorifying God in thy life Now followeth the Practise of Piety in glorifying God in the time of sickenesse and when thou art called to die in the Lord. AS soone as thou perceiuest thy selfe to be visited with any sicknesse meditate with thy selfe 1 That misery commeth not forth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth Sicknesse comes not by hap or chance as the Philistimes supposed that their Mise and Emeroides came but from mans wickednesse vvhich as sparkles breaketh out Man suffereth saith Ieremie for his sinnes Fooles saith Dauid by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted As therefore Salomon aduised a man to carry himselfe towards an earthly Prince If the spirit of him that ruleth rise vp against thee leaue not thy place for gentlenesse pacifieth great sins so counsell I thee to deale with the Prince of Princes If the spirit of him that ruleth heauen and earth rise vp against thee let not thy heart despaire for repentance pacifieth great sins And whosoeuer returneth in his affliction to the Lord God of Israel and seekes him he will be found of him 2 Shut too thy Chamber doore Examine thine owne Heart vpon thy bed Search and try thy wayes Search as diligently for thy capitall sinne as Ioshua did for Achan till thou findest it for albeit GOD when he beginneth to chasten his Children hath respect to all their sinnes yet vvhen his anger is incensed he chiefely taketh occasion to chasten and enter vvith them into Iudgement for some one grieuous sinne wherein they haue liued without Repentance 3 When thou hast thus considered all thy sinnes put thy selfe before the Iudgement seate of God as a fellon or murtherer standing at the Bar of an earthly Iudge and with griefe and sorrow of heart confesse vnto God all thy knowne sinnes especially thy Capitall offences wherewith GOD is chiefely displeased Lay them open with all the circumstances of the time place and manner how they were committed as may most serue to aggrauate the hainousnesse of thy sinnes and to shew the contrition of thy heart for the same Lift vp thine hand and acknowledge thy selfe before the righteous Iudge of heauen and earth guilty of eternall death and damnation for those thy hainous sinnes and transgressions And hauing thus accused and iudged thy selfe cast downe thy selfe before the Foote-stoole of his Throne of Grace assuring thy selfe that whatsoeuer the Kings of Israel be yet the GOD of Israel is a mercifull God And cry vnto him from a penitent and faithfull heart for mercy and forgiuenesse as eager and earnest as euer thou knewest a malefactor being to receiue his sentence crying vnto the Iudge for fauour and pardon vowing amendement of life and by the assistance of his Grace neuer to commit the like sinne any more All vvhich thou maist doe in these or the like words A Prayer when one begins to be sicke O Most righteous Iudge yet in Iesus Christ my gracious Father I wretched sinner doe here returne vnto thee though driuen with paine and sicknesse like the prodigall childe with want and hunger I acknowledge that this sicknesse and paine comes not by blinde chance or fortune but by thy diuine prouidence and speciall appointment It is the stroke of thy heauie hand vvhich my sinnes haue iustly deserued and the things that I feared are now fallen vpon mee Yet I doe vvell perceiue that in wrath thou remembrest mercie When I consider how many and how hainous are my sinnes and how few and easie are thy corrections Thou mightest haue strucken me with some fearefull and sodaine death vvhereby I should not haue had eyther time or space to haue called vpon thee for grace and mercy and so I should haue perished in my sinnes and beene for euer condemned in Hell But thou O Lord visitest mee vvith such a Fatherly chastisement as thou vsest to visit thy dearest children whom thou best louest giuing mee by this sicknesse both warning and time to repent and to sue vnto thee for grace and pardon I take not therefore O Lord this thy visitation as any signe of thy wrath or hatred but as an assured pledge and token of thy fauour and louing kindnes whereby thou dost vvith thy temporall Iudgements draw mee to iudge my selfe and to repent of my wicked life that I should not be condemned with the godlesse and vnpenitent vvorld For thy holy Word assures mee that whom thou louest thou thus chastenest and that thou scourgest euery Sonne that thou receiuest That if I endure thy chastening thou offerest thy selfe vnto me as vnto a sonne and that all that continue in sinne and yet escape without correction whereof all thy Children are partakers are Bastards and not sonnes and that thou chastenest mee for my profit that I may be a partaker of thy holinesse O Lord how full of goodnesse is thy nature that hast dealt with mee so gratiously in the time of my health and prosperitie and now being prouoked by my sinnes and vnthankefulnesse hast such fatherly and profitable ends in inflicting vpon me this sicknesse and correction I confesse Lord that thou doest iustly afflict my body with sicknesse for my soule was sicke before of long prosperitie and surfetted with ease peace plentie and fulnesse of bread And now O Lord I lament and mourne for my sinnes I acknowledge my wickednesse and mine iniquities are alwayes in my sight Oh what a vvretched sinner am I void of all goodnesse by nature and full of euill by sinfull custome Oh what a world of sinne haue I committed against thee whilest thy long sufferance expected my conuersion and thy blessings wooed mee to repentance Yet O my God seeing it is thy propertie more to respect the goodnesse of thine owne nature then the deserts of sinners I beseech thee O Father for thy Sonne Iesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that all-sauing death which he hath voluntarily suffered for all which beleeue in him haue mercy vpon me according to the multitude of thy mercies turne thy face away from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquitie cast me not out of thy presence neither reward mee according to my deserts for if thou doest reiect mee who will receiue me or who will succour me if thou dost forsake mee
But thou O Lord art the helper of the helplesse and in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy for though my sinnes be exceeding great yet thy mercy O Lord farre exceedeth them all neither can I commit so many as thy Grace can remit and pardon Wash therefore O Christ my sins with the vertue of thy pretious bloud especially those sinnes vvhich from a penitent heart I haue confessed vnto thee but chiefely O Lord for Christ his sake forgiue mee And seeing that of thy loue thou diddest lay downe thy life for my ransome vvhen I vvas thine enemie Oh saue now the price of thine owne bloud vvhen it shall cost thee but a smile vpon mee or a gratious appearance in thy Fathers sight in my behalfe Reconcile mee once againe O mercifull Mediatour vnto thy Father for though there be nothing in mee that can please him yet I know that in thee and for thy sake hee is well pleased with all whom thou acceptest and louest And if it be thy blessed vvill remoue this sickenesse from mee and restore mee to my former health againe that I may liue longer to set forth thy glory and to be a comfort to my Friends vvhich depend vpon mee and procure to my selfe a more setled assurance of that heauenly inheritance vvhich thou hast prepared for mee And then Lord thou shalt see how religiously and wisely I shall redeeme the time which heretofore I haue so lewdly and prophanely spent and to the end that I may the sooner and the easier be deliuered from this paine and sicknes direct mee O Lord I beseech thee by thy diuine prouidence to such a Physitian and helper as that by thy blessing vpon thy meanes I may recouer my former health and welfare againe And good Lord vouchsafe that as thou hast sent this sicknesse vnto mee so thou wouldest likewise be pleased to send thy holy spirit into my heart whereby this present sicknesse may be sanctified vnto me that I may vse it as thy schoole wherein I may learne to know the greatnesse of my misery and the riches of thy mercy that I may be so humbled at the one that I despaire not of the other and that I may so renounce all confidence of helpe in my selfe or in any other creature that I may onely put the whole rest of my saluation in thy all sufficient merits And forasmuch as thou knowest Lord how weake a vessell I am full of frailty and imperfections and that by nature I am angry and froward vnder euery crosse and affliction O Lord who art the giuer of all good gifts arme me with patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure and of thy mercy lay no more vpon me then I shall be able to endure and suffer Giue me grace to behaue my selfe in all patience loue and meekenesse vnto those that shall come and visit mee that I may thankefully receiue and willingly embrace all good counsels consolations from them and that they may likewise see in me such good examples of patience and heare from me such godly lessons of comfort as may bee arguments of my Christian faith and profession and instructions vnto them how to behaue themselues when it shal please thee to visit them with the like affliction or sickenesse I know O Lord I haue deserued to die and I desire not longer to liue then to amend my wicked life and in some better measure to set forth thy glory Therefore O Father if it bee thy blessed will restore mee to health againe and grant me a longer life But if thou hast according to thine eternall decree appointed by this sickenesse to call for mee out of this transitory life I resigne my selfe into thy hands and holy pleasure thy blessed will be done whether it be by life or by death Onely I beseech thee of thy mercy forgiue mee all my sinnes and prepare my poore soule that by a true faith and vnfeigned repentance shâ—e may bee ready against the time that thou shalt call for her out of my sicke and sinfull body O heauenly Father who art the hearer of prayers heare thou in heauen this my prayer and in this extremity grant me these requests not for any worthinesse that is in me but for the merits of thy beloued Sonne Iesus my onely Sauiour and Mediator for whose sake thou hast promised to heare vs and to grant whatsoeuer we shall aske of thee in his Name In his name therefore and in his owne words I conclude this my vnperfect Prayer saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. Hauing thus reconciled thy selfe with GOD in Christ 1 Let thy next care be to set thy house in order as Isay aduised king Ezechias making thy last Will and Testament if it bee not already made If it be made then peruse it confirme it and for auoyding all doubts and contention publish it before witnesses that if God call for thee out of this life it may stand in force and vnalterable as thy last Will and Testament and so deliuer it locked or sealed vp in some Boxe to the keeping of a faithfull friend in the presence of honest witnesses 2 But in making thy Testament take a religious Diuines aduise how to bestow thy beneuolence and some honest Lawyers counsell to contriue it according to Law Dispatch this before thy sickenesse doth encrease and thy memory decay lest otherwise thy Testament prooues a dotement and another mans fancy rather then thy will 3 To preuent many inconueniences let me recommend to thy discretion two things 1 If God haue blessed thee with any competent state of wealth make thy Will in thy health time It will neither put thee further from thy goods nor hasten thee sooner to thy death but it will bee a great ease to thy minde in freeing thee from a great trouble when thou shalt haue most need of quiet for when thy house is set in order thou shalt be better enabled to set thy soule in order and to dispose of thy iourney towards GOD. 2 If thou hast children giue to euery one of them a portion according to thine ability in thy life time that thy life may seeme an ease and not a yoake vnto them yet so giue as that thy children may still bee beholding vnto thee and not thou vnto them But if thou keepe all in thy hands whilest thou liuest they may thanke death and not thee for the portion that thou leauest them If thou hast no children and the Lord haue blessed thee with a great portion of the goods of this world and if thou meane to bestow them vpon any charitable or pious vses put not ouer that good worke to the trust of others seeing thou seest how most of other mens Executors prooue almost Executioners And if friends be so vnfaithfull in a mans life How much greater cause hast thou to distrust their fidelity after thy death Lamentable experience sheweth how many dâ—admens Wils haue
bee in distresse and misery whereby wee learne to haue a fellow-feeling of their calamities and to condole their estate as if wee suffered with them And for this cause CHRIST himselfe would suffer and bee tempted in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted that he might be a mercifull high Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities For none can so hartily bemone the misery of another as he who first suffered himselfe the same affliction Hereupon a sinner in miserie may boldly say vnto Christ Non ignare mali miseris succurrito Christe Our frailty sith O Christ thou didst perceiue Condole our state who still in frailties cleaue 8 God vseth our sicknesses and afflictions as meanes and examples both to manifest vnto others the faith and vertues which hee hath bestowed vpon vs as also to strengthen those who haue not receiued so great a measure of faith as wee For there can bee no greater encouragement to a weake Christian then to behold a true professour in the extreamest sickenesse of his body supported with greater patience and consolation in his soule And the comfortable and blessed departure of such a man will arme him against the feare of death and assure him that the hope of the godlie is a farre more pretious thing then that flesh and bloud can vnderstand or mortall eyes beholde in this vale of misery And were it not that wee did see many of those whom we know to be the vndoubted children of GOD to haue endured such affliction and calamities before vs. The greatnesse of the miseries and crosses which oft times wee endure would make vs doubt whether we be the children of GOD or no. And to this purpose Saint Iames saith GOD made Iob and the Prophets an example of suffering aduersity and of long patience 9 By afflictions GOD makes vs conformable to the Image of Christ his sonne who being the Captaine of our saluation was made perfect through sufferings And therefore he first bare the Crosse in shame before hee was crowned with glory and did first taste gall before he did eate the honey combe and was first derided king of the Iewes by the Souldiers in the High priests hal before he was saluted King of glory by the Angles in his Fathers Courte And the more liuely our heauenly Father shal perceiue the image of his naturall Son to appeare in vs the better he will loue vs and when wee haue for a time borne his likenesse in his sufferings and fought and ouercome we shall be crowned by Christ and with Christ sit in his throne and of Christ receiue the pretious white stone and morning starre that shal make vs shine like Christ for euer in his glory 10 Lastly that the godly may bee humbled in respect of their owne state and misery and God glorified by deliuering them out of their troubles and afflictions when we call vpon him for his helpe and succour For though that there is no man so pure but if the Lord will straightly marke iniquities hee shall finde in him iust cause to punish him for his sin Yet the Lord in mercy doth not alwaies in the affliction of his children respect their sinnes but sometimes layeth afflictions and crosses vpon them for his glories sake Thus our Sauiour Christ told his Disciples that the man was not borne blind for his owne or his Parents sinnes but that the worke of God should be shewed on him So hee told them likewise that Lazarus sickenesse was not vnto the death but for the glory of God O the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God which turneth those afflictions which are the shame and punishment due to our sinnes to bee the subiect of his honour and glory These are the blessed and profitable endes wherefore God sendeth sickenesse and afflictions vpon his children whereby it may plainely appeare that afflictions are not signes either of Gods hatred or of our reprobation but rather tokens and pledges of his fatherly loue vnto his children whom he loueth and therefore chasteneth them in this life where vpon repentance there remaines hope of pardon rather then to referre the punishment to that life where there is no hope of pardon nor ende of punishment For this cause the Christians in the Primitiue Church were wont to giue God great thankes for afflicting them in this life So the Apostles reioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christs name Act. 5.41 And the Christian Hebrewes suffered with ioy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in heauen a better and an induring substance Heb. 10.34 And in respect of these holy endes the Apostle saith That though no affliction for the present seemeth ioyous but grieuous yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them who are thereby exercised Pray therefore heartily that as God hath sent vnto thee this sickenesse so it would please him to come himselfe vnto thee with thy sickenesse by teaching thee to make those sanctifyed vses of it for which hee hath inflicted the same vpon thee Meditation for one that is recouered from sickenesse IF GOD hath of his mercy heard thy prayers and restored thee to thy health againe consider vvith thy selfe 1 That thou hast now receiued from GOD as it were another life Spend it therefore to the honour of God in newnesse of life Let thy sinne die with thy sickenesse but liue thou by grace to holinesse 2 Be not the more secure that thou art restored to health neither insult in thy selfe that thou hast escaped death but thinke rather that GOD seeing how vnprepared thou wast hath of his mercy heard thy prayer spared thee and giuen thee some little longer time of respite that thou maiest both amend thy life and put thy selfe in a better readinesse against the time that he shall call for thee without further delay out of this world For though thou hast escaped this It may be thou shalt not escape the next sickensse 3 Consider how fearefull a reckoning thou haddest made before the Iudgement seat of Christ by this time if thou haddest dyed of this sicknesse Spend therefore the time that remaines so as that thou maiest be able to make a more cheerefull account of thy life when it must be expired indeed 4 Put not farre off the day of death thou knowest not for all this how neere it is at hand and being so fairely warned be wiser for if thou be taken vnprouided the next time thy excuse will be lesse and thy iudgement greater 5 Remember that thou hast vowed amendment and newnesse of life Thou hast vowed a vow vnto God defer not to pay it for hee delighteth not in fooles pay therefore that thou hast vowed The vncleane spirit is cast out Oh let him not re-enter with seuen worse then himselfe Thou hast sighed out the groanes of contrition thou hast wept the teares of repentance thou art washed in
whose sake he hath promised to grant whatsoeuer wee shall aske of him as sure as GOD is true hee will not Though Ninâ—uies-sinnes had prouoked the Lord to send out his senteÌ„ce against them yet vpon their repentance hee called it againe and spared the Citie how much more if thou likewise repentest will he spare thee seeing his sentence is not yet gone forth against thee If hee deferred the Iudgement all Ahabs dayes for the externall shew onely vvhich hee made of Humiliation how much more vvill hee cleane turne away his vengeance if thou wilt vnfainedly repent of thy sinne and returne vnto him for Grace and Mercie He offered his mercy vnto Caine vvho murthered his innocent Brother If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted as if hee should haue said If thou wilt leaue thy enuie and malice and offer vnto mee from a faithfull and contrite heart both thou and thine Oblation also shall be acceptable vnto mee And to Iudas that so treacherously betrayed him in calling him friend a sweete appellation of loue and vvhen Iudas offered hee willingly consented vvith that mouth wherein neuer was found guile to kisse those dissembling lips vnder which lurked the poyson of Aspes Had Iudas apprehended this word friend out of the mouth of Christ as Benhadad did the vvord Brother from the mouth of Achab doubtlesse Iudas should haue found the God of Israel more mercifull then Benhadad found the King of Israel But God vvas more displeased with Caine for despairing of his mercy then for murthering his Brother and vvith Iudas for hanging himselfe then for betraying his Master in that they would make the sinnes of mortall men greater then the infinite mercy of the eternall GOD or as if they could be more sinnefull then GOD was mercifull Whereas the least drop of Christs bloud is of more merit to procure Gods mercy for thy saluation then all the sinnes that thou hast committed can be of force to prouoke his wrath to thy damnation If Sathan shall suggest that all this is true of Gods mercy but that it doth not belong vnto thee because that thy sinnes are greater then other mens as being sinnes of knowledge and of many yeares continuance and such as whereby others haue beene vndone and all for the most part committed wilfully and presumptuously against God and thy conscience And therefore though he will be mercifull vnto others yet he will not be mercifull vnto thee meditate 1 That many who are now in heauen most blessed and glorious Saints committed in the same kinde kinde vvhen they liued on earth as great and greater sinnes then euer thou hast committed and continued before they repented in those sinnes as long as euer thou hast done As therefore all their sins and the continuance in them could not hinder gods mercy vpon their repentance from forgiuing their sins and receiuing them into fauour no more shall thy sins and continuance therein hinder him from being mercifull vnto thee if thou dost repent as they did yea vpon thy repentance euery one of their examples is a pledge that hee vvill doe the same vnto thee that hee did vnto them For as the least sinne in Gods Iustice without Repentance is damnable so the greatest sinne vpon repentance is in his Mercy pardonable Thy greatest and inueteratest sinnes are but the sinnes of a man but the least of his mercies is the mercy of God Because thou knowest thine owne sinnes thou doubtest whether they shall be pardoned Marke how this doubtfull case is resolued by GOD himselfe Many in Isayes daies thought as thou dost that they had continued so long in sinne that it was too late for them now to seeke to returne vnto GOD for grace and mercy But GOD answereth them Seeke yee the Lord whilest he may be found call yee vpon him whilest hee is neere As if hee had said Whilest life lasteth and my Word is preached I am neere to be found of all that seeke mee and pray vnto mee The people reply But vvee O Lord are grieuous sinners and therefore dare not presume to call vpon thy Name or to come neere thine Holinesse To this the LORD answereth Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquitie his thoughts and let him returne vnto mee and I will haue mercy vpon him and be his God and I will pardon him aboundantly But wee would thinke say the people that if our sinnes vvere but ordinarie sinnes this promise of mercy might belong vnto vs. But because our sinnes are so great and of such long continuance therefore vve feare least vvhen wee appeare before GOD he vvill reiect vs. To this GOD answereth againe My thoughts of mercy are not your thoughts neyther are your wayes of pardoning my wayes for as the Heauens are higher then the Earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts If therefore euery Sinner in the World were a world of such sinners as thou art doe thou but yet what GOD bids thee repent and beleeue and the bloud of Iesus Christ being the bloud of God will clense both thee and them from all your sinnes 2 That as God did foresee all the sinnes which the world should commit and yet all those could not hinder him from louing the world so That hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the death to saue as many of the world as would beleeue and repent much lesse shall thy sinnes being the sinnes of the least Member of the vvorld be able to hinder GOD from louing thy soule and forgiuing thy sinnes if thou dost repent and beleeue 3 That if hee loued thee so deare vvhen thou vvast his enemie that hee paid for thee so deare a price as the spilling of his heart bloud how can he now but be gracious vnto thee when to saue thee vvill cost him but the casting of a gracious looke vpon thee Looke not thou therefore to the greatnesse of thy sinnes but to the infinitenesse of his mercy which is so surpassing great that if thou puttest all thine owne grieuous sinnes together and adde vnto those the sins of Caine and Iudas and put vnto them all the sinnes of all the Reprobates in the world doubtlesse it would be a huge heape Yet compare this huge heape vvith the infinite Mercy of GOD and there will be no more comparison betwixt them then betwixt the least Mole-hill and the greatest Mountaine in a Country The cry of the grieuousest sinnes that euer wee read of could neuer reach vp higher then vnto heauen as the cry of the sinnes of Sodome but the Mercy of God saith Dauid reacheth vp higher then the Heauens and so ouer-toppeth all our sinnes And if his mercy be greater then all his workes it must needes be greater then all thy sinnes And so long as his mercy is greater then the sinnes of the whole world doe thou but repent
badnesse thy iustice and my iniustice the impiety of my flesh the piety of thy nature And now O blessed Lord that thou hast endured all this for my sake What shall I render vnto thee for all thy benefits bestowed vpon me a sinfull soule Indeede Lord I acknowledge that I owe thee already for my creation more then I am able to pay for I am in that respect bound with all my powers and affections to loue and to adore thee If I owed my selfe vnto thee for giuing me my selfe in my creation what shall I now render vnto thee for giuing thy selfe for me to so cruell a death to procure my Redemption Great was the benefit that thou wouldest create mee of nothing but what tongue can sufficiently expresse the greatnesse of this grace that thou didst redeeme mee with so deere a price when I was worse then nothing Surely O Lord if I cannot pay the thanks which I owe thee and who can pay thee who bestowest thy graces without either respect of merit or regard of measure It is the aboundance of thy blessings that makes me such a bankerupt that I am so farre vnable to pay the principall that I cannot possibly pay so much as the interest of thy loue But O my Lord thou knowest that since the losse of thine image by the fall of my first vnhappy parents I cannot loue thee with all my might and my minde as I should Therefore as thou didst first cast thy loue vpon mee when I was a childe of wrath and the lumpe of the lost and condemned world so now I beseech thee shed abroad thy loue by thy spirit through all my faculties and affections that though I can neuer pay thee in that measure of loue which thou hast deserued yet I may endeauour to repay thee in such a manner as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy that I may in truth of heart loue my neighbour for thy sake and loue thee aboue all for thine owne sake Let nothing be pleasant vnto me but that which is pleasing vnto thee And sweet Sauiour suffer me neuer to be lost nor cast away whom thou hast bought so dearely with thine own most precious blood O Lord let me neuer forget thine infinite loue and this vnspeakeable benefit of my redemption without which it had beene better for me neuer to haue been then to haue any being And seeing that thou hast vouchsafed me the assistance of thy holy spirit suffer me O heauenly Father who art the Father of spirits in the mediation of thy Sonne to speake a few words in the eares of my Lord. If thou O Father despisest mee for mine iniquities as I haue deserued yet be mercifull vnto me for the merits of thy Sonne who so much for me hath suffered What if thou seest nothing in me but misery which might moue anger and passion Yet behold the merits of thy Sonne and thou shalt see enough to moue thee to mercy and compassion Behold the mystery of his incarnation and remit the misery of my transgression And as oft as the wounds of thy Sonne appeare in thy sight Oh let the woes of my sinnes be hid from thy presence As oft as the rednesse of his bloud glisters in thine eyes Oh let the guiltinesse of my sinnes bee blotted out of thy Booke The wantonnesse of my flesh prouoked thee vnto wrath Oh let the chastitie of his flesh perswade thee vnto mercy that as my flesh seduced me to sinne so his flesh may reduce me vnto thy fauour My disobedience hath deserued a great reuenge but his obedience merits a greater waight of mercy for what can man deserue to suffer which GOD made man cannot merit to haue forgiuen When I consider the greatnesse of thy passion then doe I see the truenesse of that saying that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue the chiefest sinners Dar'st thou then O Caine say that thy sins are greater then may be forgiuen Thou liest like a murderer The mercies of one Christ are able to forgiue a whole world of Caines if they will beleeue and repent The sinnes of all sinners are finite the mercies of GOD are infinite Therefore O Father for the bitter death and blody passion sake which thy son Iesus Christ hath suffered for me and I haue now remembred vnto thee pardon and forgiue thou vnto me all my sins and deliuer me from the curse and vengeance which they haue iustly deserued And through his merites make me O Lord a partaker of thy mercy It is thy mercy that I so earnestly knocke for Neither shal mine importunity cease to call and knocke with the man that would borrow the loaues vntill thou arise and open vnto me thy gates of grace And if thou wilt not bestow on me the loaues yet O Lord deny mee not the crummes of thy mercy and those shal suffice thy hungry handmaide And seeing thou requirest nothing for all thy benefits but that I loue thee in the truth of my inward heart whereof a nâ—w creature is the truest outward testimony and that it is as easie for thee to make me a new creature as to bid me to be such Create in me O Christ a new heart and renew in me a right spirit and then thou shalt see how mortifying old Adam and his corrupt lusts I wil serue thee as thy new creature in a new life after a new way with a new tongue and new manners with new words and new works to the glory of thy Name and the winning of other sinfull soules vnto thy Faith by my deuoute example Keepe me for euer O my Sauiour from the torments of Hell and tyranny of the Diuell And when I am to depart this life send thy holy Angels to carry mee as they did the soule of Lazarus into thy kingdome Receiue me then into that most ioyful paradise which thou didst promise vnto the penitent theefe which at his last gaspe vpon the Crosse so deuoutly begged thy mercy and admission into thy kingdome Grant this O Christ for thine owne names sake to whom as it is most due I ascribe all glory and honour praise and dominion both now and for euer Amen FINIS Errata GEntle Reader some faults haue escaped vnespied they are not many Where thou meetest them lend thy helping hand to mend them these few especially Page 49. line 18. read differs not pag. 3â—3 in 〈◊〉 Egoâ— Ego pag. 63â— last line as 〈…〉 pag. 68â— li. 16. for internall reâ— integrall FINIS a 1 Tim. 6.15 Apoc. 17.14 b 1 Sam. 20 20. c 2 Chron. 34.3 * Qui monet vt facias quod iam facis ipse monendo laudat hortatu coÌ„probat actae suo d Cor. 8.7 Mat. 25.1 c. 2 Tim. 3.4 * ExempluÌ„ accidit Domino testâ— muâ—ieris quae Theatrum aeâ—â—ijâ— inde cum Daemonio redijâ— Itaque in eâ—orcismo cùm oneraretur immundus spiritus quod ausus est fideâ—em aggredi constantèr iustissimè quidem inquit feci
sort agree to any creature but to God alone These are two Simplenesse and Infinitenesse Simplenesse is that whereby God is void of all compoposition diuision multiplication accidents or parts compounding either sensible or intelligible so that what euer he is he is the same Essentially It hinders not Gods simplenesse that he is three because God is three not by composition of parts but by coexistence of Persons Infinitenesse is that whereby all things in God are void of all measure limitation and bonds aboue and beneath before and after From these two doe necessarily flow three other Absolute attributes 1 Vnmeasurablenesse or vbiquitie whereby he is of infinite extension filling heauen and Earth containing all places and not contained of any space place or bounds and being no where absent is euery where present There are foure degrees of Gods presence the first is vniuersall by which God is repletiuely euery where inclusiuely no where Secondly Speciall by which God is said to be in heauen because that there his power wisedome and goodnesse is in a more excellent manner seene and enioyed as also because that vsually hee doth from thence poure both his blessings and iudgements Thirdly more speciall by which God dwelleth in his Saints Fourthly most speciall and altogether singular by which the whole fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth in Christ bodilie 2 Vnchangeablenesse whereby God is void of all change both in respect of his essence and will 3 Eternitie whereby God is without beginning of dayes or end of time and without all bounds of praecession or succession Thus farre of the absolute Attributes now of the Relatiue or such which haue reference to the Creatures Those are fiue 1 Life 2 Vnderstanding 3 Will 4 Power 5 Maiestie 1 THE Life of God is that by which as by a most pure and perpetuall act hee not onely liueth of himselfe but is also that euer and ouer-flowing fountaine of Life from which all creatures deriue their liues so as that in him they liue moue breathe and haue their beeing And because onely his Life differs from his Essence therefore GOD is said onely to haue immortalitie 1 Tim. 6.16 2 The Vnderstanding or Knowledge of GOD is that whereby by one pure act he most perfectly knoweth in himselfe all things that euer were are or shall be Yea the thoughts and imaginations of all mens hearts This Knowledge of God is eyther generall by which God knoweth simply all things eternally the good by himselfe the euill by the good opposite to it imposing to things contingent the Lot of contingencie and to things necessary the Law of necessitie And thus knowing all things in and of himselfe he is the cause of all the knowledge that is in all both men and Angels Secondly speciall called the knowledge of approbation by which hee perticularly knoweth and gratiously acknowledgeth onely his Elect for his owne Vnderstanding also contaynes the Wisedome of God by which hee most wisely created all things of nothing in number measure and waight still ruleth disposeth them to serue his owne most holy purpose and glory 3 The Will of God is that whereby of necessitie hee willeth himselfe as the soueraigne good and by willing himselfe willeth most freely all other good things which are out of himselfe The Will of God though in it selfe it be but one as is his Essence yet in respect of the diuersitie of obiects and effects it is called in the Scriptures by diuers names as 1 Loue whereby is meant Gods eternal good-will whereby hee ordeineth his elect to bee freely saued through Christ and bestoweth on them all necessary graces for this life that to come taking pleasure in their persons and seruice 2 Iustice is Gods constant will whereby hee recompenceth men and Angels according to their workes punishing the impenitent according to their deserts called the iustice of his wrath and rewarding the faithful according to his promises called the Iustice of his grace 3 Mercy which is Gods meere good-wil and ready affection to forgiue a penitent sinner notwithstanding all his sinnes and ill deserts 4 Goodnesse whereby God willingly communicateth his good with his creatures and because hee communicates it freely it is termed Grace 5 Truth whereby God willeth constantly those things which he willeth effecting and performing all things which he hath spoken in his appointed time 6 Patience whereby God willingly forbeareth to punish the wicked so long as it may stand with his Iustice and vntill their sinnes bee ripened 7 Holinesse wherby Gods nature is separated from all prophanesse and abhorreth all filthynesse and so being wholly pure in himselfe delighteth in the inward and outward purity and chastity of his seruants which hee infuseth into them 8 Anger wherby is meant Gods most certaine and iust will in chastening the elect and in reuenging and punishing the reprobate for the iniuries they offer to him and his chosen and when GOD will punish with rigor and seuerity then it is termed Wrath temporall to the elect eternall to the Reprobates 4 The Power of God is that whereby he can simply and freely doe whatsoeuer he will that is agreeable to his nature and whereby as he hath made so he still ruleth heauen and earth and all things therein This Almighty power of God is either absolute by which hee can will and doe more then he willeth or doth Matth. 3.9 20.53 Rom. 9.18 Or actuall by which God doth indeed whatsoeuer hee will and hindreth whatsoeuer he will not haue done Psalm 115.3 5 Maiestie is that by which God of his owne absolute and free authoritie raigneth and ruleth as Lord and King ouer all creatures visible and inuisible Hauing both the right and propriety in all things as from whom and for whom are all things as also such a plenitude of power that he can pardon the offences of all whom hee will haue spared and subdue all his Enemies whom hee will haue plagued and destroied without being bound to render to any creature a reason of his doing but making his owne most holy and iust will his onely most perfect and eternall law From all these attributes ariseth one which is Gods soueraigne Blessednesse or perfection Blessednesse is that perfect and vnmeasurable possession of ioy and glory which God hath in himselfe for euer and is the cause of all the blisse and perfection that euery creature enioieth in his measure There are other Attributes figuratiuely and improperly ascribed vnto God in the holy Scriptures as by an Anthropomorphosis the members of a man eies eares nosthrils mouth hands feete c. or the senses and actions of man as seeing hearing smelling working walking striking c. By an Anthropopatheia the affections and passions of a man as gladnesse griefe ioy sorrow loue
hatred c. Or by an Analogia as when he is named a Lion a rocke a tower a Buckler c. Whose signification euery commentary will expresse Of all these Attributes wee must hold these generall Rules 1 NO Attributes can sufficiently expresse the Essence of GOD because it is infinite and ineffable Whatsoeuer therefore is spoken of God is not God but serueth rather to helpe our weake vnderstanding to conceiue in our reason and to vtter in our speech the Maiestie of his Diuine Nature so farre as hee hath vouchsafed to reueale himselfe vnto vs in his Word 2 All the Attributes of God belong to euery of the three Persons as well as to the Essence it selfe with the limitation of a Personall proprietie as the Mercy of the Father is Mercy begetting the Mercy of the Sonne is Mercy begotten the Mercy of the Holy Ghost is Mercy proceeding and so of the rest 3 The Essentiall Attributes of God differ not from his Essence Because they are so in the Essence that they are the very Essence it selfe In God therefore there is nothing which is not eyther his Essence or a Person 4 The Essentiall Attributes of GOD differ not Essentially nor really one from another because whatsoeuer is in God is one most simple Essence and one admits no diuision but onely in our reason and vnderstanding which being not able to know earthly things by one simple Act without the help of many distinct acts must of necessitie haue the helpe of many distinct Acts to know the incomprehensible GOD. Therefore to speake properly there are not in God many Attributes but one onely which is nothing else but the Diuine Essence it selfe by vvhat Attribute soeuer you call it But in respect of our reason they are said to be so many different Attributes for our Vnderstanding conceiues by the name of Mercy a thing differing from that which is called Iustice. The Essentiall Attributes of God are not therefore really inseparable 5 The Essentiall Attributes of GOD are not parts or qualities of the diuine Essence nor Accidents in the Essence as in a Subiect but the very whole and entire Essence of God So that euery such Attribute is not aliud aliud another and another thing but one and the same thing There are therefore no Quantities in God by which hee may be said to be so much and so much nor Qualities by which he may be said to be such and such but whatsoeuer God is hee is such and the same by his Essence By his Essence hee is wise and therefore Wisedome it selfe by his Essence hee is God and therefore Goodnesse it selfe by his Essence hee is mercifull and therefore Mercy it selfe by his Essence hee is iust and therefore Iustice it selfe c. In a word GOD is great without Quantitie good true and iust without Qualitie mercifull without passion an Act without motion euery-where present without site without time the first and the last the Lord of all Creatures from whom all receiue themselues and all the good they haue yet neyther needeth nor receiueth hee any encrease of goodnes or happinesse from any other This is the plaine description of God so farre as hee hath reuealed himselfe to vs in his Word This Doctrine of all others euery true Practitioner of Pietie must competently know and necessarily beleeue for foure speciall vses 1 That wee may discerne our true and onely God from all false Gods and Idols for this description of God is properly knowne onely to his Church in whom he hath thus graciously manifested himselfe 2 To possesse our hearts with a greater awe of his Maiestie whilest we admire him for his simplenesse and infinitenesse adore him for his vnmeasurablenesse vnchangeablenesse and eternitie seeke wisedome from his vnderstanding and knowledge submit our selues to his blessed will and pleasure loue him for his loue mercy goodnesse and patience trust to his Word because of his truth feare him for his power Iustice and anger reuerence him for his holinesse and praise him for his blessednesse and to depend all our life on him who is the onely author of our life beeing and all the good things which wee haue 3 To stirre vs vp to imitate the Diuine Spirit in his holy Attributes and to beare in some measure the Image of his Wisedome Loue Goodnes Iustice Mercy Truth Patience Zeale and Anger against sinne that we may be wise louing iust mercifull true patient and zealous as our God is 4 Lastly that wee may in our Prayers and Meditations conceiue aright of his diuine Maiestie and not according to those grosse and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in mens braines as when they conceiue GOD to be like an old man sitting in a chaire and the blessed Trinitie to be like that tripartitae Idoll which Papists haue painted in their Church-windowes When therefore thou art to pray vnto God let thine heart speake vnto him as to that eternall infinite almightie holy wise iust mercifull Spirit and most perfect indiuisible Essence of three ssuerall Persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost who being present in all places ruleth Heauen and Earth vnderstandeth all mens harts knoweth all mens miseries and is onely able to bestow on vs all graces which we want and to deliuer all penitent sinners who with faithfull harts seeke for Christs sake his help out of all their afflictions and troubles whatsoeuer The ignorance of this true knowledge of GOD makes many to make an Idoll of the true God and is the onely cause why so many doe professe all other parts of Gods worship and religion with so much irreuerence and hypocrisie whereas if they did truely know GOD they durst not but come to his holy Seruice and comming serue him with feare and reuerence for so farre doth a man feare God as he knoweth him and then doth a man truely know God when hee ioynes practise to speculation And that is First when a man doth so acknowledge and celebrate Gods Maiestie as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word Secondly when from the true and liuely sense of Gods Attributes there is bred in a mans heart a loue awe and confidence in God for saith God himselfe If I be a Father where is my honour If I be a Lord where is my feare O taste and see that the Lord â—s good saith Dauid Hee that hath not by experience tasted his goodnes knowes not how good hee is Hee saith Iohn that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him So farre therefore as wee imitate God in his Goodnesse Loue Iustice Mercy Patience and other Attributes so farre doe vvee know him Thirdly when with inward groanes and the serious desires of our hearts wee long to attaine to the perfect and plenarie knowledge of his Maiestie
not matters of so great moment for if they were such great and wise men would not set so little by them Heereupon they thinke that Religion is not a matter of necessity And therefore where they should like Christians rowe against the streame of impiety towards heauen they suffer themselues to be carried with the multitude downe right to Hell thinking it impossible that God will suffer so many to be damned Whereas if the God of this world had not blinded the eies of their minds the holy Scriptures would teach them that Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called c. but that for the most part the poore receiue the Gospell and that fewe rich men shall be saued And That howsoeuer many are called yet the chosen are but few Neither did the multitude euer saue any from damnation As God hath aduanced men in greatnesse aboue others so doth God expect that they in religion and piety should goe before others otherwise greatnesse abused in the time of their stewardship shal turn to their greater condemnation in the day of their accounts At what time sinfull great and mighty men aswell as the poorest slaues and bondmen shall wish that the rockes and mountaines shall fal vpon them and hide them from the presence of the Iudge and from his iust deserued wrath It will prooue but a miserable solace to haue a great company of great men partakers with thee of thine eternall torments The multitude of sinners doth not extenuate but aggrauate sinne as in Sodome Better it is therefore with a few to be saued in the Arke then with the whole world to be drowned in the floud Walke with the few goodly in the Scriptures narrow path to heauen but crowde not with the godlesse multitude in the broad way to hell Let not the examples of irreligious great men hinder thy repentance for their greatnesse cannot at that day exempt themselues from their owne most grieuous punishments The third hinderance of Pietie 3 The long escaping of deserued punishment in this life Because sentence saith Salomon is not speedily executed against an euill worker therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to doe euill not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth them to repentance But when his patience is abused and mans sinnes are ripened his Iustice will at once both beginne and make an ende of the sinner and hee will recompence the slownesse of his delay with the grieuousnesse of his punishment Though they were suffered to runne on the score all the daies of their life yet they shall be sure to pay the vtmost farthing at the day of their death And whilest they suppose themselues to be free from iudgement they are already smitten with the heauiest of Gods Iugdements a heart that cannot repent The stone in the râ—ines or bladder is a greeuous paine that kils many a mans body but there is no disease to the stone in the heart whereof Nabal dyed and killeth millions of Soules They refuse the triall of Christ and his Crosse but they are stoned by hels executioner to eternall death Because many Nobles and Gentlemen are not smitten with present Iudgements for their outragious Swearing Adultery drunkennesse oppression prophanesse of the Sabbath and disgraceful neglect of Gods worship and seruice they beginne to doubt of diuine prouidence and iâ—stice Both which two eyes they would as willingly put out in God as the Philistims boared out the eyes of Sampson It is greatly therefore to be feared lest they will prouoke the Lord to cry out against them as Sampson against the Philistimes By neglecting the Law and walking after their owne hearts they put out as much as in them lieth the eies of my Prouidence and iustice Leade me therefore to those chiefe pillars vvhereupon the Realme standeth that I may pull the Realme vpon their heads and be at once auenged of them for my two eies Let not Gods patience hinder thy repentance but because he is so patient therfore doe thou the rather repent The fourth hinderance of Pietie 4 The presumption of Gods mercy For when men are iustly conuinced of their sinnes forthwith they betake themselues to this shield Christ is mercifull so that euery sinner makes Christ the Patrone of his sinne as though hee had come into the world to bolster sinne and not to destroy the workes of the Diuel Herevpon the carnall Christian presumeth that though hee continueth a while longer in his sinne God will not shorten his daies But what is this but to be an Implicite Atheist Doubting that either GOD seeth not his sinnes or if he doth that he is not Iust. For if hee beleeueth that God is iust how can he thinke that God who for sinne so seuerely punisheth others can loue him who still loueth to continue in sinne True it is Christ is mercifull But to whom onely to them that repent and turne from iniquity in Iacob But if any man blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not be mercifull to him c. O madde men who dare blesse themselues when God pronounceth them accursed Looke therefore how farre thou art from finding repentance in thy self so farre art thou from any assurance of finding mercy in Christ. Let therefore the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vnto the Lord and hee will haue mercy vpon him and to our God for hee is very ready to forgiue Despaire is nothing so dangerous as presumption For we reade not in al the Scriptures of aboue three or foure whom roaring Despaire ouerthrew But secure Presumption hath sent millions to perdition without any noise As therefore the Damsels of Israel sang in their daunces Saul hath kild his thousands and Dauid his tenne thousands so may I say that despaire of Gods mercy hath damned thousands but the presumption of Gods mercy hath damned tenne thousands and sent them quicke to hell where now they remaine in eternall torments without all helpe of ease or hope of redemption God spared the thiefe but not his fellow God spared one that no man might despaire God spared but one that no man should presume Ioyfull assurance to a sinner that repents no comfort to him that remaines impenitent God is infinite in mercy but to them onely who turne from their sinnes to serue him in holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12.14 To keepe thee therefore from the hinderance of presumption remember that as Christ is a Sauiour so Moses is an accuser Liue therefore as though there were no Gospel die as though there were no law Passe thy life as though thou wert vnder the conduct
against Heauen and before thee and how that wee haue beene borne in sinne and doe daily breake thy holy Lawes and Commandements contrary to our knowledge and Consciences albeit that we know that thou art our Creator who hast made vs our Redeemer who hast bought vs with the bloud of thine onely begotten Sonne and our Comforter who bestowest vpon vs all the good and holy graces which wee enioy in our soules and bodies And if thou shouldest but deale with vs as our vvickednesse and vnthankfulnesse haue deserued what other thing might vve O Lord expect from thee but shame and confusion in this life and in the vvorld to come wrath and euerlasting condemnation Yet O Lord in the obedience of thy Commandement and in the confidence which wee haue in thy vnspeakeable and endlesse mercy in thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ we thy poore Seruants appealing from thy Throne of Iustice where wee are iustly lost and condemned to thy throne of Grace where mercy raigneth to pardon abounding sinne doe from the bottome of our hearts most humbly beseech thee to remit and forgiue vnto vs all our offences and misdeedes that by the vertue of the precious bloud of IESVS CHRIST thine innocent Lambe which hee so aboundantly shed to take away the sinnes of the world all our sins both originall and actuall may be so clensed and washed from vs as that they may neuer be laid to our charge nor neuer haue power to rise vp in Iudgement against vs. And we beseech thee good Father for Christ his death and passions sake that thou wilt not suffer to fall vpon vs that fearefull curse and vengeance which thy Law hath threatned and our sins haue iustly deserued And for as much O Lord as wee are taught by thy word that Idolaters Adulterers couetous men contentious persons drunkards gluttons and such like inordinate liuers shall not inherite the kingdome of God poure the grace of thy holy spirit into our harts whereby we may be enlightened to see the filthinesse of our sinnes to abhorre them and may be more and more stirred vp to liue in newnesse of life and loue of thy Maiestie so that vvee may daily encrease in the obedience of thy word and in a conscionable care of keeping thy Commandements And now O Lord vvee render vnto thee most heartie thanks for that thou hast elected created redeemed called iustified and sanctified vs in good measure in this life and giuen vs an assured hope that thou vvilt glorifie vs in thy heauenly Kingdome vvhen this mortall life is ended Likewise vve thanke thee for our life health wealth libertie prosperitie and peace especially ô Lord for the continuance of thy holy Gospell among vs and for sparing vs so long and granting vs so gracious a time of Repentance Also vve praise thee for all other thy mercies bestowed vpon vs more especially for preseruing vs this night past from all dangers that might haue befallen our soules or bodies And seeing thou hast now brought vs safe to the beginning of this day vve beseech thee protect and direct vs in the same Blesse and defend vs in our going out and comming in this day and euermore Shield vs O LORD from the temptations of the Diuell and grant vs the custodie of thy holy Angels to defend and direct vs in all our wayes And to this end wee recommend our selues and all those that belong vnto vs and are abroad from vs into thy hands and almightie tuition Lord defend them from all euill prosper them in all graces and fill them with thy goodnesse Preserue vs likewise this day from falling into any grosse sinne especially those vvhereunto our natures are most prone Set a watch before the doore of our lips that vve offend not thy Maiestie by any rash or false oathes or by any lewde or lying speeches giue vnto vs patient mindes pure and chast hearts and all other graces of thy Spirit vvhich thou knowest to be needfull for vs that vvee may the better be enabled to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse And seeing that all mans labour without thy blessing is in vaine blesse euery one of vs in our seuerall places and callings direct thou the works of our hands vpon vs euen prosper thou our handy-worke for except thou guide vs vvith thy grace our endeuours can haue no good successe And prouide for vs all things which thou O Father knowest to bee needfull for euery one of vs in our soules and bodies this day And grant that wee may so passe through the pilgrimage of this short life that our hearts being not setled vpon any transitorie things which we meete with in the way our soules may euery day bee more and more rauished with the loue of our home and thine euerlasting Kingdome Defend likewise O Lord thy vniuersall Church and euery particuler member thereof especially wee beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches and Kingdomes wherein wee liue Preserue and defend from all euils and dangers our gracious King the Queene our hopefull Prince Charles together with the Princely Palsgraue of Rhene and religious Princesse Elizabeth his wife Multiply their daies in blisse and felicity and afterwards crowne them with euerlasting ioy and glory Blesse all our Ministers and Magistrates with all graces needful for their places and gouerne thou them that they may gouerne vs in peace and godlinesse And of thy mercy O Lord comfort all our brethren that are destressed sicke or any way comfortlesse especially those who are afflicted either with an euill conscience because they haue sinned against thy word or for a good conscience because they will not sinne against thy truth Make the first to know that not one drop of the blood of Christ was a drop of vengeance but all drops of grace powerfull to procure pardon vpon repentance for the greatest sinnes of the chiefest sinner in the world And for the other let not O Lord thy long sufferance either too much discourage them or too much encourage their enemies but grant them patience in suffering and a gracious and speedy deliuerance which way may stand best with their comfort and thy glory Giue euery one of vs grace to be alwaies mindefull of his last end and to be prepared with faith and repentance as with a wedding garment against the time that thou shalt call for vs out of this sinnefull world And that in the meane while we may so in all things and aboue all things seeke thy glory that when this mortall life is ended wee may then be made partakers of immortality and life eternall in thy most blessed and glorious Kingdome These and all other graces which thou O Father seest to be necessary for vs and for thy whole Church wee humbly begge and craue at thy hands concluding this our imperfect prayer in that absolute forme of prayer which Christ himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father c. After Prayers let euery one of thy Houshold taking
recompence mee according to my desert the earth as weary of such a sinfull burthen should open her mouth and swallow mee vp like one of Dathans family into the bottomlesse pit of hel For if thou didst not spare the naturall branches those Angels of glorious excellency but hurledst them downe from the heauenly habitations into the paines of hellish darkenesse to be kept vnto damnation when they sinned but once against thy Maiesty and didst expell our first Parents out of Paradice when they did but transgresse one of thy lawes Alas what vengeance may I expect who haue not offended in one sinne onely heaping dayly sinne vpon sinne without any true repentance drinking iniquity as it were water euer powring in but neuer powring out any filthynesse and haue trangressed not one but all thy holy lawes and commandements Yea this present day which thou hast straightly commanded mee to keep holy to thy praise and worship I haue not so religiously kept and obserued nor prepared my soule in that holynesse and chastitie of heart as was fit to meete thy blessed Maiesty in the holy assembly of thy Saints I haue not attended to the preaching of thy word nor to the administration of thy Sacraments with that humility reuerence and deuotion that I should For though I was present at those holy exercises in my body yet Lord I was ouertaken with much drowsinesse and when I was awake my minde was so distracted and carried away with vaine and wordly thoughts that my soule seemed to bee absent and out of the Church I haue not so duely as I should meditated with my selfe nor conferred with my Family vpon those good instructions which we haue heard and receiued out of thy holy word by the publike Ministry For default whereof Sathan hath stolne the most part of these instructions out of my heart and I wretched creature haue forgotten them as though they had neuer beene heard And my family doth not thriue in knowledge and sanctification vnder my gouernment as they should Though I know where many of my poore brethren liue in want and necessitie and some in paine and comfortlesse yet I haue not remembred to relieue the one with my almes nor the other with consolations but I haue feasted my selfe and satisfied mine owne lusts I haue spent the most part of the day in idle talke vaine sports and exercises Yea Lord I haue c. And for all these my sinnes my conscience cries guilty thy law condemnes me and I am in thy hand to receiue the sentence and curse that is due to the wilfull breach of so holy a commandement But what if I am by thy Law condemned yet Lord thy Gospell assures me that thy mercy is aboue all thy workes that thy grace transcendes thy Law and thy goodnesse delighteth there to raigne vvhere sinnes doe most abound in the multitude therefore of thy mercies and merits of Iesus Christ my Sauiour I beseech thee O Lord who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner to pardon and forgiue me all those my sins and all the errours of this day and of my whole life and free my soule from that curse and iudgement which is due vnto mee for them Thou that didst iustifie the contrite Publican for foure words of confession and receiuedst the Prodigall childe when hee had spent all the stocke of thy grace into fauour vpon his repentance pardon my sinnes likewise O Lord and suffer me not to perish for my trangressions Oh spare me and receiue me into thy fauour againe Wilt thou O Lord reiect me who hast receiued all Publicans harlots and sinners that vpon repentance sued to thee for grace Shall I alone bee excluded from thy mercy Farre be it from me to thinke so For thou art the same GOD of mercy vnto mee that thou wast vnto them and thy compassions neuer faile Wherfore O Lord deale not with mee after my merits but according to thy great mercy Execute not thy seuere iustice against mee a sinner but exercise thy long sufferance in forbearing thine owne creature I haue nothing to present vnto thee for a satisfaction but onely the bloudy wounds and bitter death and passion which thy blessed Sonne my onely Sauiour hath suffered for mee Him in whom onely thou art well pleased I offer vnto thee for all my sinnes wherewith thou art displeased Hee is my Mediatour the request of whose bloud speaking better things then that of Abel thy mercy can neuer gaine-say Illuminate my vnderstanding and sanctifie my heart with thy holy spirit that may bring to my remembrance all those good and profitable lessons which this day and at other times haue beene taught me out of thy holy word that I may remember thy commandements to keepe them thy iudgements to auoyde them and thy sweet promises to relye vpon them in time of misery and distresse And now O Lord I resigne my selfe to thy most holy will Oh receiue mee into thy fauour and so draw me by thy grace vnto thy selfe that I may as well be thine by loue and imitation as by calling and creation And giue me grace so to keepe holy thy Sabbaths in this life as that when this life is ended I may with all thy Saints and Angels celebrate an eternall Sabbath of ioyes and praise to the honour of thy most glorious name in thy heauenly Kingdome for euermore Amen And then calling thy family together shut vp the Sabbath with the Meditations and Prayers before prescribed for thy Family And the Lord will giue thee that night a more sweet and quiet rest then ordinary and prosper thee the better in all the labours of the weeke following Thus farre of the ordinary practise of Piety both in priuate and publike Now followeth the extraordinary Practise of Piety whereby God is glorified in our liues THe extraordinary practise of Piety consists eyther in Fasting or in Feasting 1 Of the Practise of Pietie in Fasting There are diuers kindes of Fasting First a constrained Fast as vvhen men eyther haue not foode to eate as in the Famine of Samaria or hauing foode cannot eate it for heauinesse or sickenesse as it befell them who were in the Ship with Saint Paul This is rather Famine then Fasting Secondly A naturall Fast which wee vnder-take Physically for the health of our body Thirdly A ciuile Fast which the Magistrate enioyneth for the better maintenance of the Common-wealth that by vsing Fish as well as Flesh there may be greater plenty of both Fourthly A miraculous Fast as the fortie dayes fast of Moses and Elias the types and of Christ the substance This is rather to be admired then imitated Fiftly A daily Fast when a man is carefull to vse the creatures of GOD with such moderation that hee is not made heauier but more cheerefull to serue God and
not fasted that day And remember that he that soweth plenteously shall reape plenteously and that this is a speciall sowing day Let thy Fasting so afflict thee that it may refresh a poore Christian and reioyce that thou hast dined and supped in another or rather that thou hast feasted hungry Christ in his poore members In giuing Almes obserue two things first the Rules secondly the Rewards 1 Rules in giuing of Almes and doing good workes 1 They must be done in obedience of Gods Commandements Not because wee thinke it to be good but because God requireth vs to do such and such a good deed for such obedience of the worker God preferreth before all Sacrifices and the greatest workes 2 They must proceede from Faith else they cannot please God nay without faith the most specious workes are but shining sinnes and Pharisies Almes 3 Thou must not thinke by thy good vvorkes and Almes to merit Heauen for in vaine had the Sonne of GOD shed his bloud if Heauen could haue beene purchased eyther for Money or Meate Thou must therefore seeke Heauens possession by the purchase of Christs bloud not by the merits of thine owne workes For eternall life is the gift of GOD through Iesus Christ. Yet euery true Christian that beleeues to be saued and hopes to come to heauen must doe good workes as the Apostle saith for necessary vses which are foure First that God may be glorified Secondly that thou maist shew thy selfe thankefull for thy Redemption Thirdly that thou maist make sure thine Election vnto thy selfe Fourthly that thou maist winne others by thy holy deuotion to thinke the better of thy Christian profession And for these vses wee are said to be Gods Workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good work and that God hath ordained vs to walke in 4 Thou must not giue thine almes to impudent Vagabonds vvho liue in wilfull idlenesse and filthinesse but to the religious and honest poore who are eyther sicke or olde that they cannot worke or such who vvorke but their vvorke cannot competently maintaine them seeke out these in the backe Lanes and relieue them But if thou meetest one that asketh an Almes for Iesus sake and knowest him not to be vnworthy deny him not for it is better to giue vnto tenne Counterfeits then to suffer Christ to goe in one poore Saint vnrelieued Looke not on the Person but giue thine Almes as vnto Christ in the partie 2 Of the Rewards of Almes-deedes and good workes 1 Almes are a speciall meanes to moue God in mercie to turne away his temporall Iudgements from vs vvhen wee by a true Faith that sheweth it selfe by such fruits doe returne vnto him 2 Mercifull Almes-givers shall be the Children of the Highest and be like GOD their Father who is the Father of Mercies They shall be his Stewards to dispose his goods his Hands to distribute his Almes and if it be so great an honour to be the Kings Almner how much greater is it to be the God of heauens Almes-giuer 3 When all this World shall forsake vs then onely good Workes and good Angels shall accompany vs the one to receiue their reward the other to deliuerâ— their charge 4 Liberalitie in Almes deâ—des is our surest foundation in this life that wee shall obtaine in eternall life a liberal reward through the Mercy and Merits of Christ. Lastly by Almes deedes wee feede and relieue Christ in his Members and Christ at the last day will acknowledge our loue and reward vs in his Mercy and then it shall appeare that what vvee gaue to the poore vvas not lost but lent vnto the Lord. What greater motiues can a Christian wish to excite him to be a liberall Almes-giuer Thus farre of the Manner of Fasting Now follow the Ends. 3 Of the Ends of Fasting The true ends of Fasting are not to merit Gods fauour or eternall life for that vve haue onely of the gift of God through Christ. Nor to place Religion in bodily abstinence for fasting in it selfe is not the worship of GOD but an helpe to further vs the better to worship GOD. But the true ends of fasting are three First to subdue our flesh to the Spirit but not so to weaken our bodies as that wee are made vnfit to doe the necessarie duties of our calling A good man saith Salomon is mercifull to his beast Prou. 12.10 much more to his owne body Secondly that we may more deuoutly contemplate Gods holy Will and feruently poure forth our soules vnto him by prayer for as there are some kinde of Diuels so there are also some kinde of sinnes which cannot be subdued but by Fasting ioyned vnto prayer Mat. 17.22 Thirdly that by our serious humiliation and iudging of our selues we may escape the Iudgement of the Lord not for the merit of our fasting which is none but for the Mercy of God who hath promised to remoue his iudgements from vs vvhen wee by Fasting doe vnfainedly humble our selues vnto him And indeede no Childe of God euer conscionably vsed this holy exercise but in the end hee obtained his request at the hand of GOD both in receiuing graces which hee wanted as appeares in the examples of Annah Iehosaphat Nehemiah Daniel Esdra Hester as also in turning away Iudgements threatned or fallen vpon him as may be seene in the examples of the Israelites the Niniuites Rehoboam Achaâ— Ezechia Manasses Hee who gaue his deare Sonne from heauen to the death to ransome vs when wee were his Enemies thinks nothing too deere on Earth to bestow vpon vs vvhen vve humble our selues being made his reconciled Friends and Children Thus farre of the priuate Fast. 2 Of the publique Fast. A Publike Fast is when by the authoritie of the Magistrate eyther the whole Church within his dominion or some speciall congregation whom it concerneth doe assemble themselues together to performe the fore-mentioned duties of Humiliation eyther for the remouing of some publique calamitie threatned or already inflicted vpon them as the sword inuasion famine pestilence or other fearefull sicknesse or else for the obtaining of some publique blessing for the good of the Church as to craue the assistance of his holy Spirit in the election and ordination of fit and able Pastors c. or for the tryall of truth and execution of Iustice in matters of difficultie and great importance c. When any euill is to be remoued the Pastors are to lay open vnto the people by the euidence of Gods Word the sinnes which were the speciall causes of that calamitie call vpon them to repent and publish vnto them the mercies of God in Christ vpon their Repentance The people must heare the voice of Gods Messengers with hartie sorrow for their sinnes earnestly begge Pardon in Christ and promise vnfained amendâ—ment
that without faith wee cannot be perswaded in our consciences that our receiuing is acceptable vnto God 3 Of vnfained repentance requisite for a true Communicant True Repentance is a holy change of the minde when vpon the feeling sight of Gods mercy and of a mans owne misery hee turneth from all his known and secret sinnes to serue God in holinesse and righteousnesse all the rest of his daies For as he that is glutted with meat is not apt to eat bread so hee that is stuffed with sinnes is not fit to receiue Christ. And a conscience defiled with wilfull filthinesse makes the vse of all holy things vnholy vnto vs. Our sacrificed spotlesse Passeouer cannot bee eaten with the sowre leauen of malice and wickednes saith Paul 1 Cor. 5.8 Neither can the olde bottles of our corrupt and impure consciences retaine the new wine of Christs precious bloud as our Sauiour saith Mar. 2.22 Wee must therefore truely repent if we will bee worthy partakers 2 The duties to be performed in respect of our neighbour is Charity Charity is a hearty forgiuing of others who haue offended vs and after reconciliation an outward vnfained testifying of the inward affections of our hearts by gestures words and deeds as oft as we meete and occasion is offred For first without loue to our neighbour no sacrifice is acceptable vnto GOD. Secondly because one chiefe end wherefore the Lords Supper was ordained is to confirme Christians loue one towards an other Thirdly no man can assure himselfe that his owne sinnes are forgiuen of God if his heart cannot yeelde to forgiue the faults of men that haue offended him Thus farre of the first sort of duties which we are to performe before wee come to the Lords Table called Preparation 2 Of the second sort of duties which a worthy Communicant is to performe at the receiuing of the Lords Supper called Meditation THis exercise of spirituall Meditation consists in diuers points First when the Sermon is ended and the banquet of the Lords Supper begins to be celebrated meditate with thy selfe how thou art inuited by Christ to be a guest at his holy table and how louingly he inuiteth thee Hoe euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters of life c. Come buy wine and milke without money and without price eate yee that which is good let your soule delight it selfe in fatnesse Take ye eate ye This is my body which was broken for you drinke yee all of this for this is my blood which was shed for the remission of your sinnes What greater honor can be vouchsafed then to be admitted to sit at the Lords own Table What better fare can be affoorded then to feede of the Lords owne body and bloud If Dauid thought it to be the greatest fauour that he could shew vnto good Barzallaâ— for all the kindenesse that hee shewed vnto him in his troubles to offer him That he should feed with him at his owne Table in Ierusalem how much greater fauour ought we to account it when Christ doth indeede feede vs in the Church at his owne Table and that with his owne most holy body and bloud Secondly as Abraham vvhen hee vvent â—p to thy Mount to sacrifice Isaak his Sonne left his Seruants beneath in the Valley so vvhen thou commest to the Spirituall Sacrifice of the Lords Supper lay aside all earthly thoughts and cogitations that thou maist wholy contemplate of Christ and offer vp thy Soule vnto him vvho sacrificed both his Soule and Body for thee Thirdly meditate vvith thy selfe how precious and venerable is the Body and Bloud of the Sonne of God vvho is the Ruler of Heauen and Earth the Lord at vvhose becke the Angels tremble and by whom both the quicke and dead shall be iudged at the last day and thou among the rest And how that it is hee who hauing beene crucified for thy sinnes offereth now to be receiued by faith into thy soule On the other side consider how sinfull a Creature thou art how altogether vnworthy of so holy a Guest how ill deseruing to taste of such sacred foode hauing beene conceiued in filthinesse and wallowing euer since in the mire of Iniquitie bearing the Name of a Christian but doing the Workes of the Diuell adoring CHRIST with an Aue Rex in thy mouth but spitting Oathes in his face and crucifying him anew vvith thy gracelesse actions Fourthly ponder then with what face darest thou offer to touch so holy a body with such defiled hands or to drinke such precious blood with so lewde and lying a mouth or to lodge so blessed a guest in so vncleane a stable For if the Bethshemites vvere slaine for but looking irreuerently into the Arke of the olde Testament what Iudgement mayest thou iustly expect who with such iâ—â—ure eies and heart art come to see and receiue the Arke of the New Testament in which dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily If Vzza for but touching though not without zeale the Arke of the Couenant was stricken with sudden death What stroake of diuine Iudgement maiest thou not feare that so rudely with vncleane hands doest presume to handle the Arke of the eternall Testament wherein is hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge If Iohn Baptist the holiest man that was borne of a woman thought himselfe vnworthy to beare his shooes O Lord how vnworthy is such a prophane wretch as thou art to eate his holy flesh and to drinke his precious bloud If the blessed Apostle S. Peter seeing but a glympse of Christs Almightie Power thought himselfe vnworthy to stand in the same Bâ—ate with him how vnworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou maist behold the infinitenesse of his Grace and Mercy displayed If the Centurion thought that the roofe of his house was not vvorthy to harbour so diuine a Guest what roome can there be fit vnder thy ribs for Christs holinesse to dwell in If the bloud-issued sicke woman feared to touch the Hemme of his Garment how shouldest thou tremble to eate his flesh and to drinke his all-healing bloud Yet if thou commest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charitie abhorring thy sins past and purposing vnfainedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sinnes affright thee for they shall be neuer laid vnto thy charge and this Sacrament shall seale vnto thy Soule that all thy sinnes and the Iudgements due vnto them are fully pardoned and cleane washed away by the bloud of Christ. For this Sacrament vvas not ordained for them who are perfect but to helpe penitent sinners vnto perfection Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And he saith that the whole neede not the Physitian but they that are sicke Those hath Christ called and when they came them hath hee euer helped Witnesse the whole Gospell which testifieth that not one sinner
of late either beene quite concealed vtterly ouerthrowne or by cauils and quirckes of Law frustrated or altered whereas by the Law of God the will of the dead should not be violated but all his godly intentions conscionably performed and fulfilled as in the sight of God Who in the day of the Resurrection will bee a iust Iudge both of the quicke and dead And if any thing should hap in his Will to be ambiguous or doubtfull it should be construed as it might come neerest to the honour of GOD and the honest intention of the Testator But let the vengeance due to such vnchristian deedes light on the Actors that doe them not on the kingdome wherein they are suffered to be done And let other Rich men bee warned by such wretched examples not to marry their mindes to their money as that they will doe no good with their goodes till death diuorceth them Considering therefore the shortnesse of thine owne life and the vncertainety of others iust dealings after thy death in these vniust daies Let me aduise thee whom GOD hath blessed with ability and an intent to doe good to become in thy life time thine owne Administrator make thine owne handes thine Executors and thine owne eies thy ouerseers cause thy lanthorne to giue her light before thee and not behinde thee giue God the glory and thou shalt receiue of him in due time the reward which of his grace mercy he hath promised to thy good workes 4 Hauing thus set thy house and soule in order if the determined number of thy daies be not expired God will either haue mercy vpon thee and say Spare him O killing malady that he goe not downe into the pit for I haue receiued a reconciliation Or els his Fatherly prouidence will direct thee to such a Physitian and to such meanes as that by his blessing vpon their endeauours thou shalt recouer and bee restored to thy former health againe But in any wise take heede that thou nor none for thee send vnto sorcerers wisards â—harmers or enchaunters for helpe for this were to leaue the God of Israel and to goe to Baalzebub the God of Ekron for helpe as did wicked Ahaziah and to breake thy vow which thou hast made with the blessed Trinity in thy Baptisme and bee sure that GOD will neuer giue a blessing by those meanes which he hath accursed But if hee permits Satan to cure thy body feare lest it tend to the damnation of thy soule thou art tried beware 5 When thou hast sent for the Physitian take heede that thou put not thy trust rather in the Physitian then in the Lord as Aza did of whom it is said that hee sought not the Lord in his disease but to the Physitians which is a kinde of Idolatrie that will increase the Lords anger and make the Physicke receiued vneffectuall Vse therefore the Physitian as Gods Instrument and Physicke as Gods meanes And seeing it is not lawfull without Prayer to vse ordinarie foode 1 Tim. 4.4 much lesse extraordinary Physicke whose good effect depends vpon the blessing of GOD. Before thou takest thy Physicke pray therefore heartily vnto GOD to blesse it vnto thy vse in these or the like vvords A Prayer before taking of Physicke O Mercifull Father who art the Lord of health and of sickenesse of life and of death who killest and makest aliue who bringest downe to the graue and raisest vp againe I come vnto thee as to the onely Physitian who canst cure my soule from sinne and my body from sicknesse I desire neither life nor death but referre my selfe to thy most holy will For though wee must needes dye and bring dead our liues are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe Yet hath thy gratious prouidence whilest life remaineth appointed meanes vvhich thou vvilt haue thy children to vse and by the lawfull vse thereof to expect thy blessing vpon thine owne meanes to the curing of their sicknesse and restitution of their health And now O Lord in this my necessitie I haue according to thine ordinance sent for thy seruant the Physitian vvho hath prepared for mee this Physicke which I receiue as meanes sent from thy fatherly hand I beseech thee therefore that as by thy blessing on a lumpe of dry figs thou didst heale Ezekias sore that he recouered and by seauen times washing in the Riuer of Iordane didst clense Naaman the Syrian of his Leprosie and diddest restore the man that was blinde from his birth by annoynting his eyes with clay and spittle and sending him to wash in the poole of Siloam and by touching the hand of Peters wiues mother didst cure her of her Feauer and didst restore the Woman that touched the hemme of thy Garment from her bloudy issue So it would please thee of thine infinite goodnesse and mercy to sanctifie this Physicke to my vse and to giue such a blessing vnto it that it may if it be thy will and pleasure remoue this my sickenesse and paine and restore mee to health and strength againe But if the number of those dayes vvhich thou hast appointed for me to liue in this vale of misery be at an end and that thou hast sent this sickenesse as thy Messenger to call for mee out of this mortall life then Lord let thy blessed will be done for I submit my will to thy most holy pleasure Onely I beseech thee encrease my Faith and patience and let thy graâ—e and mercy be neuer wanting vnto mee but in the midst of all extremities assist mee with thy holy Spirit that I may willingly and chearefully resigne vp my Soule the price of thine owne bloud into thy most gracious hands and custodie Grant this O Father for Iesus Christ his sake to whom vvith thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory both now and euermore Amen Meditations for the sicke WHilest thy sicknes remaineth vse often for thy comfort these few Meditations taken from the ends wherefore GOD sendeth afflictions to his children Those are tenne 1 That by afflictions God may not onely correct our sinnes past but also vvorke in vs a deeper loathing of our naturall corruption and so preuent vs from falling into many other sins which otherwise vvee would commit like a good Father vvho suffers his tender Babe to scorch his finger in a candle that hee may the rather learne to beware of falling into a greater fire So that the childe of God may say with Dauid It is good for me that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy Statutes for before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keepe thy Word And indeede saith S. Paul wee are chastened of the Lord because wee should not be condemned with the World With one Crosse God maketh two cures the chastisement of sinnes past the preuention of
the poole of Bethesda streaming with fiue bloudy wounds not of a troubling Angell but of the Angell of Gods presence troubled with the wrath due to thy sinnes who descended into hell to restore thee to sauing health and heauen Returne not now with the Dogge to thine owne vomit nor like the washed sow to wallow againe in the mire of thy former sinnes and vncleannesse lest being intangled and ouercome againe with the filthinesse of sinne which now thou hast escaped thy latter ende prooue worse then thy first beginning Twice therefore doth our Sauiour Christ giue the same cautionary warning to healed sinners First to the man cured of his 38 yeeres disease Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing fall vnto thee Secondly to the woman taken in adultery Neither doe I condemne thee Goe thy way and sinne no more Teaching vs how dangerous a thing it is to relapse and fall againe into the former excesse of riot Take heede therefore vnto thy wayes and pray for grace that thou maiest apply thy heart vnto wisdome during that small number of dayes which yet remaine behinde And for thy present mercy and health imitate the thankefull Leaper and returne vnto God this or the like thanksgiuing A thankesgiuing to be said of one that is recouered from sickenesse O Gracious and mercifull Father who art the Lord of health and sickenesse of life and of death who killest and makest aliue who bringest downe to the graue and raisest vp againe who art the onely preseruer of all those that trust in thee I thy poore and vnworthy seruant hauing now by experience of my painefull sicknesse felt the gieuousnesse of misery due vnto sinne and the greatnesse of thy mercy in forgiuing sinners and perceiuing with what a fatherly compassiion thou hast heard my prayers and restored me to my health and strength againe doe heere vpon the bended knees of my heart returne with the thankefull Leaper to acknowledge thee alone to bee the God of my health and saluation and to giue thee the praise and glory for my strength and deliuerance out of that grieuous disease and malady and for thus turning my mourning into mirth my sickenesse into health and my death into life My sinnes deserued punishments and thou hast corrected me but hast not giuen me ouer vnto death I looked from the day to the night when thou wouldest make an end of me I did chatter like a Crane or a Swallow I mourned as a Doue when the bitternesse of sickenesse oppressed me I lifted vp mine eies vnto thee O Lord and thou didst comfort me for thou didst cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe and didst deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption and when I found no helpe in my selfe nor in any other creature saying I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres I shall see man no more among the inhabitants of the world then didst thou restore mee to health againe and gauest life vnto mee I found thee O Lord ready to saue me And now Lord I confesse that I can neuer yeelde vnto thee such a measure of thanks as thou hast for this benefit deserued at my hands And seeing that I can neuer bee able to repay thy goodnes with acceptable workâ— Oh that I could with Mary Magdalen testifie the â—oue and thankfulnes of my heart with abounding teares Oh what shall I be able to render vnto thee O Lord for al these benefits which thou hast bestowed vpon my soule Surely as in my sickenesse when I had nothing else to giue vnto thee I offered Christ and his merits vnto thee as a ransome for my sins so being now restored by thy grace vnto my health and strength and hauing no better thing to giue behold O Lord I doe heere offer vp my selfe vnto thee beseeching thee so to assist mee with thy holy spirit that the remainder of my life may wholly be spent in setting foorth thy praise and glory O Lord forgiue mee my former follies and vnthankefulnesse that I was not more careful to loue thee according to thy goodnesse nor to serue thee according to thy will nor to obey thee according to thy commandements nor to thanke thee according to thy benefits And seeing thou knowest that of my selfe I am not sufficient so much as to thinke a good thought much lesse to doe that which is good and acceptable in thy sight assist mee with thy grace and holy spirit that I may in my prosperity as deuoutely spend my health in thy seruice as I was eranest in my sickenesse to beg it at thy hands And suffer mee neuer to forget eyther this thy mercy in restoring mee to my health or those vowes and promises which I haue made vnto thee in my sickenesse With my new health renew in me O Lord a right spirit which may free mee from the slauery of sinne and establish my heart in the seruice of grace Worke in mee a greater detestation of all sinnes which were the causes of thy anger and my sicknesse and increase my faith in Jesus Christ who is the author of my health and saluation Let thy good spirit leade me in the way that I should walke and teach me to deny all vngodlines and worldly lusts to liue soberly righteously and godly in this world that others by my example may thinke better of thy truth And sith this time which I haue yet to liue is but a little respite and small remnant of daies which cannot long continue teach me O my God so to number my daies that I may apply my heart to that spiritual wisdome which directeth to saluation And to this end make me more zealous then I haue beene in religion more deuout in praier more feruent in spirit more carefull to heare and profit by the preaching of thy Gospell more helpefull to my poore brethren more watchfull ouer my waies more faithfull in my calling and euery way more aboundant in all good workes Let me in the ioyfull time of prosperity feare the euill day of affliction in the time of health thinke of sicknesse in the time of sickenesse make my selfe ready for death and when death approcheth prepare my selfe for iudgement Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulnesse vnto thee for thy grace and mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottome of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the foure beasts and twenty foure Elders and al the creatures in Heauen and on the Earth acknowledge to be due vnto thee O Father which sitteth vpon the throne and to the Lambe thy Sonne who sitteth at thy right hand and to the holy spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinitie of persons in vnity of substance all praise honour glory and power from this time forth and for euermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy sickenesse be like to encrease vnto death
vpon me till thou callest for my soule and then to carry her as they did the soule of Lazarus into thy heauenly kingdome And as the time of my departure shall approach neerer vnto me so grant O Lord that my soule may drawe neerer vnto thee And that I may ioyfully commend her into thy hands as into the hands of a louing Father and mercifull Redeemer and at that instant O Lord graciously receiue my spirit All which that I may doe assist me I beseech thee with thy grace and let thy holy spirit continue with me vnto the end and in the end for Iesus Christ his sake thy Sonne my Lord and onely Sauiour In whose name I giue thee thy glory and begge these things at thy hand in that prayer which he himselfe hath taught me Our Father c. Meditations against despaire or doubting of Gods mercy IT is found by continuall experience that neere the time of death when the children of GOD are weakest then Sathan makes the greatest flourish of his strength and assailes them with his strongest temptations For hee knoweth that either he must now or neuer preuaile for if their soules once get to heauen he shall neuer vâ—xe nor trouble them any more And therefore he will now bestirre himselfe as much as he can and labour to set before their eyes all the grosse sinnes which euer they committed and the iudgements of God which are due vnto them thereby to driue them if he can to despaire which is a grieuouser sinne then all the sinnes that they committed or hee can accuse them of If Sathan therefore trouble thy conscience more towards thy death then in thy life time 1 Confesse thy sins vnto GOD not onely in generall but also in particular 2 Make satisfaction vnto those men whom thou hast wronged if thou bee able And if thou doest iniuriously or fraudulently detaine or keepe in thy possession any lands or goods that of right doe belong vnto any Widow or Fatherlesse childe presume not as thou tenderest thy soules health to looke Christ the righteous Iudge in the face vnlesse thou doest first make a restitution thereof to the right owners For the Law of God vnder the penalty of his curse requireth thee to restore whatsoeuer was giuen thee to keepe or which was committed to thy trust or whatsoeuer by robbery or violent oppression thou tookest from thy neighbour with a fift part for amends added to the principall And vnlesse that like Zacheus thou doest make restitution of such goods and lands according to Gods law thou canst neuer truly repent and without true Repentance thou canst neuer bee saued But though by the temptation of the Diuell thou hast done wrong and iniury yet if thou doest truly repent and make restitution to thy power the Lord hath promised to bee mercifull vnto thee to heare the praiers of his faithfull ministers for thee to forgiue thee thy trespasse and sinne and to receiue thy soule in the merits of Christs blood as a Lambe without blemish 3 Aske GOD for Christ his sake pardon and forgiuenesse And then these troubles of minde are no discouragements but rather comforts exercises not punishments They are assurances vnto thee that thou art in the right way for the way to Heauen is by the gates of Hell that is by suffering paines in the body and such doubtings in the minde that thy estate in this life being euery way made bitter the ioyes of eternall life may relish vnto thee better and more sweet If Satan tell thee that thou hast no faith because thou hast no feeling meditate 1 That the truest faith hath oftentimes the least feeling and greatest doubts but so long as thou hatest such doubtings they shall not be laide vnto thy charge for they belong to the flesh from which thou art diuorced When thy flesh shall perish thy weake inward man which hates them and loues the Lord Iesus shall be saued 2 That it is a better faith to beleeue without feeling then with feeling The least faith so much as a graine of mustard seed so much as is in an infant baptized is inough to saue the soule which loueth CHRIST and beleeueth in him 3 That the child of God which desireth to feâ—le the assurance of Gods fauour shall haue his desire when God shall see it to bee for his good for God hath promised to giue them the water of life who thirst for it Wee haue an example in Master Glouer the holy Martyr who could haue no comfortable feeling till hee came to the sight of the stake and then cryed out and clapped his hands for ioy to his friend saying O Austen hee is come he is come meaning the feeling ioy of faith and the holy Ghost Tarry therefore the Lordâ— leasure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart If Sathan shall aggrauate vnto thee the greatnesse the multitude and hainousnesse of thy sinnes meditate 1 That vpon true repentance it is as easie with GOD to forgiue the greatest sinne as the least and he is as willing to forgiue many as to pardon one And his mercy shineth more in pardoning great sinners then small offenders as appeares in the examples of Manasses Magdalene Peter Paul c. And where sinne most abounded there doth his grace reioyce to abound much more 2 That GOD did neuer forsake any man till that a man did first forsake GOD as appeares in the examples of Caine Saul Achitophel Ahazia Iudas c. 3 That God calleth all euen those sinners who are heauy laden with sinne and that he did neuer deny his mercy to any sinner that asked his mercy with a penitent heart This the history of the Gospel witnesseth There came vnto Christ all sorts of sicke sinners the blinde lame halâ— leapers such as were sicke of palsies dropsies bloudy flixes such as were lunaticks and possessed with vncleane spirits and Diuels Yet of all those not one that came and asked his mercie and helpe went away without his errant If mercy hee asked mercy he found were his sinne neuer so great were his disease neuer so grieuous Nay he offered and gaue his mercy to many who neuer asked it being moued onely with the bowels of his owne compassion and the sight of their misery as to the woman of Samaria the widow of Naim and to the sicke-man that lay at the poole of Bethesda who had beene 38. yeeres sicke If he thus willingly gaue his mercy to them that did not aske it and was found of them as the Prophet saith that sought him not will he deny mercy vnto thee who doest so earnestly pray for it with teares and doest like the poore Publican so haâ—tily knocke for it with penitent fists vpon a brused and broken heart Especially when thou prayest to thy Father in the name and mediation of Christ for
him briefly these or the like questions Questions to be asked of a sicke man that is like to die DOest thou beleeue that Almighty God the Trinity of Persons in vnity of Essence hath by his power made heauen and earth and all things therein and that he doth still by his diuine prouidence gouerne the same So that nothing comes to passe in the world nor to thy selfe but what his diuine hand and counsell had determined before to be done Doest thou confesse that thou hast transgressed and broken the holy commandements of Almighty God in thought word and deede and hast deserued for breaking his holy lawes the Curse of God which containeth all the miseries of this life and euerlasting torments in Hell fire when this life is ended if so be that GOD should deale with thee according to thy deserts 3 Art thou not sorry in thy heart that thou hast so broken his Lawes and neglected his seruice and worship and so much followed the world and thine owne vaine pleasures And wouldest thou not leade a holier life if thou wert to begin againe 4 Doest thou not from thy heart desire to be reconciled vnto GOD in Iesus Christ his blessed sonne thy Mediator who is at the right hand of God in heauen now appearing for thee in the sight of God and making request vnto him for thy Soule 5 Doest thou renounce all confidence in all other Mediators or Intercessors Saints or Angels beleeuing that Iesus Christ the only Mediator of the new Testament is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them And wilt thou with Dauid say vnto Christ Whom haue I in heauen but thee And there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee 6 Doest thou confidently beleeue and hope to be saued by the onely merits of that bloody death and passion which thy Sauiour Iesus Christ hath suffered for thee not putting any hope of saluation in thine owne merits nor in any other meanes or creatures being assuredly perswaded that there is not saluation in any other And that there is none other name vnder heauen whereby thou must be saued 7 Doest thou heartily forgiue all vvrongs and offences done or offered vnto thee by any manner of person whatsoeuer And doest thou as willingly from thy heart aske forgiuenesse of them whom thou hast grieuously wronged in word or deede And dost thou cast out of thy heart all malice and hatred which thou hast borne to any body that thou maist appeare before the face of Christ the Prince of Peace in perfect loue and charitie 8 Doth thy Conscience tell thee of any thing which thou hast wrongfully taken and dost still with-hold from any Widow or fatherlesse children or from any other person whomsoeuer Be assured that vnlesse thou shalt restore like Zacheus those goods and Land if thou be able thou canst not truely repent and without true repentance thou canst not be saued nor looke CHRIST in the face when thou shalt appeare before his Iudgement-seate 9 Doest thou firmely beleeue that thy body shall be raised vp out of the Graue at the sound of the last Trumpet And that thy body and soule shall be vnited together againe in the Resurrection day to appeare before the Lord Iesus Christ and thence to goe vvith him into the Kingdome of Heauen to liue in euerlasting blisse and glory If the sicke party shall answere to all these questions like a faithfull Christian then let all who are present ioyne together and pray for him in these or the like words A Prayer to be said for the sicke by them who visite him O Mercifull Father who art the Lord and giuer of life and to whom belongs the issues of death we thy children here assembled doe acknowledge that in respect of our manifolde sinnes vvee are not worthy to aske any blessing for our selues at thy hands much lesse to become suiters to thy Maiestie in the behalfe of others yet because thou hast commanded vs to pray one for another especially for the sicke and hast promised that the prayers of the righteous shall auaile much with thee In the Obedience therefore of thy Commandement and confidence of thy gracious promise we are bold to become humble suiters vnto thy diuine Maiestie in the behalfe of this our deere Brother or Sister vvhom thou hast visited vvith the chastisement of thine owne fatherly hand Wee could gladly wish the restitution of his health and a longer continuance of his life and Christian Fellowship amongst vs but for as much as it appeareth as farre as wee can discerne that thou hast appointed by this visitation to call for him out of this mortall life wee submit our wils to thy blessed will and humbly entreate for Iesus Christ his sake and the merits of his bitter death and Passion which hee hath suffered for him that thou wouldst pardon and forgiue vnto him all his sinnes as vvell that wherein he was conceiued and borne as also all the offences and transgressions which euer since to this day and houre hee hath committed in thought word and deede against thy diuine Maiestie Cast them behinde thy back remoue them as farre from thy presence as the East is from the West Blot them out of thy remembrance lay them not to his charge vvash them away vvith the bloud of Christ that they may no more be seene and deliuer him from all the Iudgements which are due vnto him for his sinnes that they may neuer trouble his conscience nor rise in iudgement against his Soule and impute vnto him the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ wherby hee may appeare righteous in thy sight And in his extremitie at this time vvee beseech thee looke downe from heauen vpon him with those Eyes of Grace and compassion wherewith thou art vvont to looke vpon thy Children in their affliction and miserie Pittie thy wounded seruant like the good Samaritane for here is a sicke Soule that needeth the helpe of such a heauenly Physitian O Lord encrease his Faith that hee may beleeue that Christ dyed for him and that his bloud cleanseth him from all his sinnes and eyther asswage his paine or else encrease his patience to endure thy blessed vvill and pleasure And good Lord lay no more vpon him then thou shalt enable him to beare Heaue him vp vnto thy selfe with those sighes and groanes vvhich cannot be expressed Make him now to feele vvhat is the hope of his Calling and vvhat is the exceeding greatnesse of thy Mercy and power towards them that beleeue in thee And in his weakenesse O Lord shew thou thy strength Defend him against the suggestions and temptations of Sathan who as hee hath all his life time will now in his weakenesse especially seeke to assaile him and to deuoure him Oh saue his soule and reproue Satan command thy holy Angels to be about him to aide him to chase away
all euill malignant Spirits farre from him Make him more and more to loath this world and to desire to be loosed and to be with Christ. And when that good houre and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life giue him grace peaceably and ioyfully to yeeld vp his Soule into thy mercifull hands and doe thou receiue her into thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry her into thy Kingdome Make his last houre his best houre his last words his best words and his last thoughts his best thoughts And when the sight of his eyes are gone and his tongue shall faile to doe his office graunt O Lord that his Soule may with Stephen behold Iesus Christ in Heauen ready to receiue him and that thy Spirit within him may make requests for him with sighes which cannot be expressed Teach vs in him to reade and see our owne end and mortalitie and therefore to be carefull to prepare our selues for our last ends and put our selues in a readidinesse against the time that thou shalt call for vs in the like manner Thus Lord wee recommend this our deare Brother or Sister thy sicke Seruant vnto thy eternall grace and mercie in that Prayer vvhich Christ our Sauiour hath taught vnto vs. Our Father which art in Heauen c. Thy Grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with vs all and especially with this thy sicke seruant to the end and in the end Amen Let them reade often vnto the sicke some speciall Chapters of the holy Scriptures as The three first Chapters of the Booke of Iob. The 34. Chapter of Deutronomie The two last Chapters of Ioshua The 17. Chapter of the first of Kings The 2.4 and 13. Chapters of the second of Kings The 14. and 19. Chapters of Iob. The 38.40 and 65. Chapters of Isay. The Historie of the Passion of Christ. The 8. Chapter to the Romanes The 15. Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians The 4. of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians The 5. Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians The first and last Chapters of S. Iames. The 11. and 12. to the Hebrewes The first Epistle of Peter The three first and the three last Chapters of the Reuelation or some of these And so exhorting the sicke partie to waite vpon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a ioyfull meeting in the Kingdome of Heauen and a blessed Resurrection at the last day they may depart at their pleasure in the peace of God Consolations against Impatiencie in sicknesse IF in thy sicknesse by extremitie of paine thou be driuen to Impatiencie meditate 1 That thy sinnes haue deserued the paines of Hell therefore thou maist vvith greater patience endure these fatherly corrections 2 That these are the scourges of thy Heauenly Father and the rod in his hand If thou diddest suffer with reuerence being a child the correction of thy earthly Parents how much rather shouldest thou now subiect thy selfe being the child of God to the chastisements of thy heauenly Father seeing it is for thine eternall good 3 That Christ suffered in his Soule and body farre grieuouser paines for thee therefore thou must more vvillingly suffer his blessed pleasure for thine owne good Therefore saith Peter Christ suffered for you leauing you an example that ye should follow his steps And Let vs saith Saint Paul runne with ioy the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our Faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the Crosse c. 4 That these afflictions which now you suffer are none other but such which are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world as witnesseth Peter Yea Iobs afflictions were farre more grieuous There is not one of the Saints vvhich now are at rest in heauenly ioyes but endured as much as you doe before they went thither yea many of them willingly suffered all the torments that Tyrants could inflict vpon them that they might come to those Heauenly ioyes whereunto you are now called And you haue a promise that the God of all grace after that you haue suffered a while will make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you And that God of his fidelitie will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that yee may be able to beare it 5 That God hath determined the time when thy affliction shall end as vvell as the time when it beganne Thirty eight yeeres were appointed to the sicke man at Bethesda's Poole Twelue yeeres to the Woman with the bloudy Issue Three Moneths to Moses Tenne dayes tribulation to the Angell of the Church of Smyrna Three dayes plague to Dauid Yea the number of the godly mans teares are registred in Gods Booke and the quantitie kept in his bottle The time of our troubles saith Christ is but a modicum Gods Anger lasts but a Moment saith Dauid A little season saith the Lord and therefore cals all the time of our paine but the houre of sorrow Dauid for the swiftnesse thereof compares our present trouble to a Brooke And Athanasius to a Shower Compare the longest misery that man endures in this life to the eternitie of heauenly Ioyes and they vvill appeare to be nothing And as the sight of a Sonne safe borne makes the Mother forget all her former deadly paine so the sight of Christ in Heauen vvho was borne for thee will make all these pangs of death to be quite forgotten as if they had neuer been like Stephen who as soone as hee saw Christ forgat his owne woundes with the horrour of the Graue and terrour of the stones and sweetly yeelded his Soule into the hands of his Sauiour Forget thine owne paine thinke of Christs wounds Be faithfull vnto the death and hee will giue thee the Crowne of eternall life 6 That you are now called to Repetitions in Christs Schoole to see how much Faith Patience and godlinesse you haue learned all this while and whether you can like Iob receiue at the hand of God some euill as vvell as you haue hitherto receiued a great deale of good as therefore you haue alwayes prayed Thy Will be done so be not now offended at this which is done by his holy will 7 That all things shall worke together for the best to them that loue God insomuch that neyther death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers c. shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Assure your selfe that euery pang is a preuention of the paines of Hell euery respite an earnest of
and more meanes to comfort thee The spirituall sigh vpon the seauenth thought O Lord my sinnes haue deserued the paines of hell and eternall death much more these fatherly corrections wherewith thou doest afflict me But O blessed Lambe of God which takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon me and wash away all my filthy sinnes with thy most precious blood and receiue my soule into thy heauenly kingdome for into thy handâ— O Father I commend my spirit and thou hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth The sicke person ought now to send for some Godly and Religious Pastor IN any wise remember if conueniently it may be to send for some godly and religious Pastor not onely to pray for thee at thy death for GOD in such a case hath promised to beare the Praiers of the righteous Prophets and Elders of the Church But also vpon thy confession and vnfaigned repentance to absolue thee of thy sinnes For as Christ hath giuen him a calling to baptize thee vnto repentance for the remission of thy sinnes so hath he likewise giuen him a calling and power and authority vpon repentance â—o absolue thee from thy sinnes I will giue thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be lâ—â—sed in heauen And againe Verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer yee bind in earth shall be â—ound in heauen whatsoeuer yee loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen And againe receiue yee the holy Ghost whosoeuer sinnes yeare◠〈◊〉 they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes yee retaine they are retained This doctrine was as ancient in the Church of God as Iob for Elihu tels him That when God strikes a man with malady â—n his bed so that his soule draweth neere the graue and his life to the buriâ—rs If there beâ— any messenger with him or an interpreter one of a thousand to declare vnto man his righteousnesse then will hee haue mercy vpon him c. And answerable heereunto saith Saint Iames if the sicke 〈◊〉 committed sinnes vpon his repentance and the praier of the Elders they shall be forgiuen him These haue power â—o shut heauen and to deliuer the scandalous impenitent sinner 〈◊〉 Satan For the weaponâ— of their war faâ—â— are 〈◊〉 carnall but mighty through God to cast downe c. and to haue vengeance in readinesse against all disobedience They haue the key of loosing therefore the power of absoluing The Bishops and Pastors of the Church doe not forgiue sinnes by any absolute power of their owne for so onely Christ their master forgiueth sinnes but ministerially as the seruants of Christ and stewards to whose fidelity their Lord and Master hath committed his keyes and that is when they doe declare and pronounce either publikely or priuately by the word of God what bindeth what looseth and the 〈◊〉 of God to penitent 〈◊〉 or his iudgement to impenitent and obstinate personâ— and so doe apply the generall promiseâ— or threatnings to the penitent or impenitent For CHRIST from heauen doth by them as by his Ministers on Earth declare whom hee remitteth and bindeth and to whom he will open the gates of heauen and against whom he will shut them And therefore it is not said whose sinne yee signifie to be remitted but whose sinnes yee remit they then doe remit sinnes because Christ by their ministry 〈…〉 aâ— Christ by his Disciples loâ—sed Lazarus Iob. â—â— 44 And as no water could wash away 〈…〉 but the waters of 〈…〉 though other riuers 〈◊〉 cleare because the promise was annexed vnto the 〈◊〉 of Iordane and not of â—â—ther Riuers so though another man may pronounce the same words yet haue they not the like efficacie and power to worke on the conscience as vvhen they are pronounced from the mouth of Christs Ministers because that the promise is annexed to the Word of God in their mouthes for them hath he chosen separated and set apart for this worke and to them hee hath committed the ministerie and word of reconciliation by their holy calling and ordination they haue receiued the holy Ghost and the Ministeriall power of binding and loosing They are font forth of the holy Ghost for this worke wherunto he hath called them And Christ giues his Ministers power to forgiue sins to the penitent in the same words that he teacheth vs in the Lords Prayer to desire God to forgiue vs our sins to assure all penitent sinners that God by his Ministers absolution doth fully through the merits of Christs bloud forgiue them all their sinnes So that what Christ decreeth in heauen in foro Iudicij the same hee declareth on earth by his reconciling Ministers in foro paenitentiae So that as GOD hath reconciled the world to himselfe by Iesus Christ so hath he saith the Apostle giuen vnto vs the ministery of this reconciliation Hee that sent them to baptise saying Goe and teach all nations baptising them c. sent them also to remit sinnes saying As my Father sent mee so send 〈…〉 whosoeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted vnto them c. As therefore none can baptise though he vse the same Water words but onely the lawfull Minister whom Christ hath called and authorised to this diuine and Ministeriall Function So though others may comfort vvith good words yet none can absolue from sinne but onely those to whom Christ hath committed the holy ministerie and word of reconciliation and of their absolution Christ speaketh he that heareth you heareth me In a doubtfull title thou wilt aske the counsell of thy skilfull Lawyer in perill of sickenesse thou wilt know the aduise of thy learned Physitian and is there no danger in dread of damnation for a sinner to be his owne Iudge Iudicious Caluin teacheth this point of doctrine most plainely Etsi omnes mutuò nos debeamus consolari c. Although saith he we ought to comfort and confirme one another in the confidence of Gods mercy yet we see that the Ministers are appointed as witnesses and sureties to acertaine our consciences of the remission of sinnes insomuch as they are said to remit sinnes and to loose soules Let euery faithfull man therefore remember that it is his duty if inwardly he be vexed and afflicted with the sence of his sins not to neglect that Remedy which is offered vnto him by the Lord to wit that for the easing of his Conscience he make priuate confession of his sinnes vnto his Pastor and that he desire his priuate indeuour for the application of some comfort vnto his soule whose office it is both publikely and priuately to administer Euangelicall Consolation to Gods people Beza highly commendeth this practise and Luther saith
a spoonefull of supping to releeue languishing nature The wretched soule seeing her selfe thus desolate and altogether destitute of friēds helpe and comfort and knowing that within an houre shee must be in euerlasting paines retires her selfe to the heart which of all members is Primum viuens vltimum moriens from whence shee makes this dolefull lamentation with her selfe O miserable caitiffe that I am How doe the Sorrowes of death compasse me How doe the floudes of Belial make me afraid Now haue indeed the snares both of the first and second death ouertaken me at once Oh how sodainlie hath death stollen vpon me with insensible degrees Like the Sunne which the eie perceiues not to mooue though it bee most swift of motion How doth Death wreake on me his spite without pitty The GOD of mercie hath vtterly forsaken me and the Deuill who knowes no mercy waites for to take me How often haue I been warned of this dolefull day by the faithfull Preachers of Gods word and I made but a iest thereat What profit haue I now of all my pride fine house and faire apparell what 's become of the sweet relish of all my delicious fare All the wordly goods which I so carefully gathered would I now giue for a good conscience which I so carelesly neglected And what ioy remaines now of all my former fleshly pleasures wherein I placed my cheefe delight Those foolish pleasures were but deceitfull dreames and now they are past like vanishing shadowes but to thinke of those eternall paines which I must endure for those short pleasures paines me an Hell before I enter into Hell Yet iustly I confesse as I haue deserued I am serued that being made after Gods Image a reasonable soule able to iudge mine owne estate and hauing mercy so often offered and I entreated to receiue it I neglected Gods grace and preferred the pleasures of sin before the religious care of pleasing GOD lewdly spending my short time without considering what accounts I should make of my last end And now all the pleasures of my life being put together counteruaile not the lest part of my present paines My ioies were but momentany and gone before I could scarse enioy them my miseries are eternall and neuer shall know end Oh that I had spent the houres that I consumed in carding dicing playing and other vile exercises in reading the Scriptures in hearing Sermons in receiuing the Communion in weeping for my sins in fasting watching praying and in preparing my soule that I might haue now departed in the assured hope of euerlasting saluation Oh that I were now to beginne my life againe how would I contemne the world and the vanities thereof how religiouslie and purely would I leade my life how would I frequent the Church and sanctifie the Lords day If Satan should offer me all the treasures pleasures and promotions of this world he should neuer entice mee to forget these terrors of this last dreadfull houre But O corrupt carkasse and stinking carrion How hath the Deuil deluded vs and how haue we serued and deceiued each other and pulled swift damnation vpon vs both Now is my case more miserable then the beast that perisheth in a ditch for I must goe to answere before the iudgement seate of the righteous Iudge of heauen and earth where I shall haue none to speake for mee and these wicked fiends who are priuy to al my euil deeds will accuse me and I cannot excuse my selfe My owne heart already condemnes mee I must needes therefore be damned before his iudgment seat and from thence be carried by these infernall fiendes into that horrible prison of endlesse torments and vtter darkenesse where I shall neuer more see light that first most excellent thing that God made I who gloried heretofore in being a libertine am now inclosed in the very clawes of Satan as the trembling Partriges within the griping talents of the rauenenous Falcon. Where shall I logde to night and who shall be my companions Oh horror to thinke Griefe to consider Oh cursed be the day wherein I was borne let not the day wherin my mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man that shewed my Father saying a child is borne vnto thee and comforted him Cursed be that man because he slew mee not Oh that my mother might haue beene my graue or her wombe a perpetual conception How is it that I came forth of the wombe to endure these hellish sorrowes and that my daies should thus end with eternall shame Cursed be the day that I was first vnited to so lewd a body O that I had but so much fauour as that I might neuer see thee more Our parting is bitter and dolefull but our meeting againe to receiue at that dreadfull day the fulnesse of our deserued vengeance will be farre more terrible and intollerable But what meane I thus by too late lamentation to seeke to prolong time My lost houre is come I heare the heart strings breake this filthy house of clay fals on my head heere is neither hope helpe nor place of any longer abiding And must I needes be gon Then filthy carkase Oh filthy carkasse with fareill farewell I leaue thee And so all-trembling shee commeth foorth and foorthwith is seised vpon by Infernall fiendes who carry her with violence torrents simil◠to the bottomlesse lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Where she is kept as a prisoner in torments till the generall iudgement of the great day The loathsome carkase is afterwards laid in the graue In which action for the most part the dead bury the dead that is They who are dead in sinne bury them who are dead for sinne And thus the godlesse and vnregenerated wordling who made earth his Paradice his belly his God his lust his law as in his life he sowed vanitie so he is now dead and reapeth misery In his prosperity he neglected to serue GOD In his aduersity GOD refuseth to saue him And the Deuill whom he long serued now at length paies him his wages Detestable was his life damnable his death The Deuill hath his soule the graue hath his carkasse in which pit of corruption den of death and dungeon of sorrow let vs leaue the miserable caitiffe rotting with his mouth full of earth his belly full of wormes and his carkasse ful of stench expecting a fearefull resurrection when his shall be reunited with the soule that as they sinned together so they may be eternally tormented together Thus farre of the miseries of the soule and body in death which is but cursednesse in part Now followes the fulnesse cursednesse which is the misery of the soule and body after death Meditations of the misery of a man after death which is the fulnesse of Cursednesse THe fulnesse when it fals vpon a Creature not able to beare the burnt thereof presseth him down to that bottomlesse deepe of the endlesse wrath of Almightie God which is called
thy haste be neuer so much or thy businesse neuer so great yet goe not about it nor out of thy dores till thou hast at least vsed this or the like short prayer A briefe Prayer for the Morning O Merciful father for Iesus Christ his sake I beseech thee forgiue me all my knowne and secret sins which in thought word or deede I haue coÌ„mitted against thy diuine Maiesty And deliuer me from al those iudgements which are due vnto mee for them and sanctifie my heart with thy holy spirit that I may hence foorth leade a more godly and religious life And heere O Lord I praise thy holy name for that thou hast refreshed me this night with moderate sleepe and rest I beseech thee likewise defend me this day from all perils and dangers of body and soule And to this end I commend my selfe and all my actions vnto thy blessed protection and gouernment beseeching thee that whether I liue or die I may liue and die to thy glory and the saluation of my poore soule which thou hast bought with thy precious bloud Blesse me therefore O Lord in my goying out and comming in and grant that whatsoeuer I shall thinke speake or take in hand this day may tend to the glory of thy name the good of others and the comfort of mine owne conscience when I shall come to make before thee my last accounts Grant this O heauenly father for Iesus Christ thy Sonnes fake In whose blessed name I giue thee thy glory and beg at thy hands all other graces which thou seest to be needfull for mee this day and euer in that praier which Christ himselfe hath taught me saying Our Father which art in heauen c. Meditations directing a Christian how he may walke all the day with God like Enoch HAuing thus begâ—n keep all the day after as diligent a watch as thou canst ouer all thy thoughts words and actions which thou maiest easily doe by crauing the assistance of Gods holy spirit and obseruing these few rules First for thy thoughts 1 BE carefull to suppresse euery sinne in the first motion Dash Babylons children whilest they are young against the stones Tread betimes the Cockatrice egge lest it breake out into a Serpâ—nt Let sinne be to the heart a stranger not a home-dweller Take heede of falling oft into the same sin lest the custome of sinning take away the conscience of sinne and then shalt thou waxe so impudently wicked that thou wilt neither feare God nor reuerence man 2 Suffer not thy minde to feedde it selfe vpon any imagination which is either vnpossible for thee to doe or vnprofitable if it be done but rather thinke of the vvorlds vanitie to contemne it of death to expect it of iudgement to auoide it of hell to escape it and of heauen to desire it 3 Desire not to fulfill thy minde in all things but learne to deny thy selfe those desires though neuer so pleasing to thy nature which being attained will draw either scandall on thy Religion or hatred to thy Person Consider in euery thing the ende before thou attempt the Action 4 Labour daily more and more to see thine owne misery through vnbeleefe selfe-loue and wilfull breaches of Gods law and the necessity of Gods mercy through the merits of Christs passion to be such that if thou wert demanded What is the vilest creature vpon the earth thy Conscience may answere mine owne selfe by reason of my great sinnes And that if on the other side thou wert asked What thou esteemest to be the most precious thing in the world Thy heart might answere One drop of Christs blood to wash away my sinnes And as thou tendrest the saluation of thy soule liue not in any wilfull filthinesse For true faith and the purpose of sinning can neuer stand together 5 Approue thy selfe to be a true seruant of Christ not onely in thy generall calling as in the frequent vse of the Word and Sacraments but also in thy particular in making conscience to eschue euery knowne sinne and to obey God in euery one of his commandements like Iosiah who turned to God with all his heart according to all the Law of Moses And Zacharie and Elizabeth who walked in all the commandements of God without reproofe But if at any time through frailty thou slippest into any sinne Lye not in it but speedily rise out of it by vnfained repentance Praying for pardon til thy conscience be pacified thy hatred of sinne increased and thy purpose of amendement confirmed 6 Beware of affecting popularitie by adulation the end neuer proues good And though attayned by due desert yet mannage it wisely lest it prooue more dangerous then contempt For States desire but to keepe downe whom they contemne for their vnworthinesse but to cut off whom they enuy for their greatnessâ— He therefore is truely prudent who considering the premises neither affecteth nor neglecteth popularity But in any wise take heede of harbouring a discontented minde for it may worke thee more woe then thou art aware of It is a speciall mercy in the multitude of so many blessings as thou doest enioy to haue some crosses God giues thee many blessings lest through want being his childe thou shouldest despaire And hee sends thee some crosses lest by too much prosperity playing the foole thou shouldest presume Many who haue mounted to great dignities would haue contented themselues with meaner had they knowne their great dangers Loue therefore competencie rather then eminencie And in all thy will haue euer an eye to Gods will least thy self-action turnes to thine owne destruction Happy the man who in this short life is least knowne of the world so that hee doth truely know God and himselfe Whatsoeuer crosse therefore thou hast to discontent thee remember that it is lesse then thy sinnes haue deserued Count therefore Christ thy chiefest ioy and sinne thy greatest griefe estimate no want to the want of Grace nor any losse to the losse of Gods fauour And then the discontentment for outward things shall the lesse perplexe thine inward minde And as oft as Sathan shall offer any motion of discontentment to thy minde remember Saint Pauls admonition Wee brought nothing into this World and it is certaine that wee can carry nothing out And hauing foode and raiment let vs be therewith content But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition Pray therefore with wise Agur O Lord giue me neyther pouertie nor riches feede mee with foode conuenient for mee least I be too full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord Or least I be poore and steale and take the Name of my God in vaine 7 Bestow no more thought vpon worldly things then thou needes must for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thine estate but still
presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I haue wounded my conscience and grieued thy holy spirit by whom thou hast sealed mee to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soule and body to be the temples of the holy Ghost I wretched sinner haue defiled both vvith all manner of pollution and vncleannesse My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanitie mine eares in hearing impure and vnchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and euill speaking my hands are so ful of impuritie that I am ashamed to lift them vp vnto thee and my feet haue carried mee after mine owne wayes my vnderstanding and reasoning which are so quicke in all earthly matters are only blinde and stupide when I come to meditate or discourse of spirituall and heauenly things my memory which should be the treasurie of all goodnesse is not so apt to remember any thing as those things vvhich are vile and vaine Yea Lord by wofull experience I finde that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only euill continually And these my sinnes are more in number then the haires which grow vpon mine head and they haue growne ouer me like a loathsome leprie that from the crowne of my head to the sole of my feet there remaines no part vvhich they haue not infected They make mee seeme vile in mine owne eyes how much more abhominable must I then appeare in thy sight And the custome of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sinne pulled vpon me such dulnesse of sense and hardnesse of hart that thy iudgements denounced against my sinnes by the faithfull Preachers of thy Word doe not terrifie me to returne vnto thee by vnfained repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldst but deale with me according to thy iustice and my desert I should vtterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercie thou hast spared mee so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloudy Passionâ— sake which Iesus Christ hath suffered for mee that thou wouldest pardon and forgiue vnto mee all my sinnes and offences and open vnto mee that euer-streaming fountaine of the bloud of Christ which thou hast promised to open vnder the New Testament to the penitent of the house of Dauid that all my sinnes and vncleannesse may be so bathed in his bloud buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they neuer be more seene to shame me in this life or to condemne mee before thy Iudgement-seate in the world which is to come And forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that it is not in man to turne his owne heart vnlesse thou doest first giue him grace to conuert And seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid mee to be such O my God giue mee grace to doe what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt finde me willing to doe thy blessed will And to this end giue vnto me thine holy spirit which thou hast promiseâ— to giue to the worlds end vnto all thine elect people And let the same thy holy spirit purge my heart heale my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soule and body that they may become the Temples of the holy Ghost to serue thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of my life That when by the direction assistance of thy holy spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may cheerefully leaue this world and resigne my Soule into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enioying euerlasting life with thee in thine Heauenly Kingdome which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who loue the Lord Iesus and expect his appearing In the meane while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy spirit worke in mee such a serious repentance as that I may with teares lament my sinnes past vvith griefe of heart be humbled for my sinnes present and vvith all mine endeuour resist the like filthy sinnes in time to come And let the same thy holy spirit likewise keepe mee in the vnitie of thy Church Leade mee in the truth of thy Word and preserue me that I neuer swarue from the same to Poperie nor any other error or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy Truth and set forth thy Praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy meâ—cy thou hast already bestowed vpon mee and giue vnto mee a patient spirit a chaste heart a contented minde pure affections wife behauiour and all other graces which thou seest to be necessary for me to gouerne my heart in thy feare and to guide all my life in thy fauour that whether I liue or dye I may liue and dye vnto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render vnto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thankes for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously plentifully thou hast bestowed vpon my soule and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Iustification Sanctification and Preseruation from my childe-hoode vntill this present day and houre and for the firme hope which thou hast giuen me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperitie and more especially for that thou hast defended mee this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soule furnishing mee with all necessary good things that I stand in neede of And as thou hast ordained the day for man to trauaile in and the night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee sanctifie vnto mee this nights rest and sleepe that I may enioy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit That so this dull and wearied body of mine being refreshed with moderate sleepe and rest I may be the better enabled to vvalke before thee doing all such good workes as thou hast appointed when it shall please thee by thy diuine power to waken mee the next morning And whilest I sleepe doe thou O Lord who art the keeper of Israel that neuer slumbrest nor sleepest watch ouer mee in thy holy prouidence to protect mee from all danger so that neyther the euill Angels of Sathan nor any wicked enemy may haue any power to doe me any harme or euill And to this end giue a charge vnto thy holy Angels that they at thine appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safetie as thou hast promised that they should doe about them that feare thy Name And knowing that
through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen After euery meale be carefull of thy selfe and Familie as Iob was for himselfe and his Children Iob 1.4 least that in the chearefulnesse of eating and drinking some speech hath slipped out which might be eyther offensiue to God or iniurious to Man And therefore with the like comely gesture and reuerence giue thankes vnto God and pray in this manner BLessed be thy holy name O Lord our GOD for these thy good benefits wherewith thou hast so plentifully at this time refreshed our bodies O Lord vouchsafe likewise to feede our soules with the spirituall foodâ— of thy holy Word and spirit vnto life euerlasting Lord defend and saue thy vvhole Church our gracious King Queene our Noble Prince the Prince Palatine of Rhene and the Lady Elizabeth his Wife Forgiue vs our sinnes and vnthankefulnesse passe by our manifold infirmities make vs all mindfull of our last ends and of the reckoning that wee are to make to thee therein And in the meane while grant vnto vs health peace and truth in Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Or thus BLessed be thy holy name O Lord for these thy good benefits vvherewith thou hast refreshed vs at this time Lord forgiue vs all our sinnes and frailties saue defend thy whole Church our King Queene and royall posteritie and grant vs health peace and truth in Christ our onely Sauiour Amen Or thus WE giue thee thanks O heauenly Father for feeding our bodies so gratiously with thy good Creatures to this temporall life beseeching thee likewise to feede our soules with thy holy Word vnto life euerlasting Defend O Lord thine vniuersall Church the King Queene and their royall Posteritie and graunt vs continuance of thy grace and mercy in Christ our onely Sauiour Amen The Practise of Pietie at Euening At euening when the due time of repairing to rest approacheth call together againe all thy Family Reade a Chapter in the same manner that was prescribed in the morning Then in the holy imitation of our Lord and his Disciples sing a Psalme But in singing of Psalmes eyther after Supper or at any other time obserue these Rules Rules to be obserued in singing of Psalmes 1 BEware of singing diuine Psalmes for an ordinary recreation as doe men of impure spirits vvho sing holy Psalmes intermingled with prophane Ballads They are Gods word take them not in thy mouth in vaine 2 Remember to sing Dauids Psalmes with Dauids spirit 3 Practise Saint Pauls rule I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the vnderstanding also 4 As you sing vncouer your heads and behaue your selues in comely reuerence as in the sight of God singing to God in Gods owne words But be sure that the matter makes more melodie in your hearts then the Musicke in your eares for the singing with a grace in our hearts is that which the Lord is delighted withall according to that olde verse Non vox sed votum non musica chordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans psallit in aure Dei T' is not the voyce but vow Sound hart not sounding string True zeale not outward show That in Gods eare doth ring 5 Thou maist if thou thinke good sing all the Psalmes ouer in order for all are most diuine and comfortable But if thou vvilt chuse some speciall Psalmes as more fit for some times and purposes and such as by the oft vsage thy people may the easilier commit to memorie Then sing In the Morning Psal. 3.5.16.22.144 In the Euening Psal. 4.127.141 For mercy after a sinne committed 51.103 In sicknesse or heauinesse Psal. 6.13.88.90 91.137.146 When thou art recouered Psal. 30.32 On the Sabbath day Psal. 19.92.95 In time of ioy Psal. 80.98.107.136.145 Before Sermon Psal. 1.12.147 The 1. and 5. Part of the 119. After Sermon any Psalme which concerneth the chiefe argument of the Sermon At the Communion Psal. 22.23.103.111.113 For spirituall solace Psal. 15.19.25.46.67.112.116 After wrong and disgrace receiued Psal. 42.69.70.140.144 After the Psalme all kneeling downe in reuerend manner as is before described let the Father of the Familie or the chiefest in his absence pray thus Euening Prayer for a Familie O Eternall GOD and most graciour Father wee thine vnworthy Seruants here assembled doe cast downe our selues at the foote-stoole of thy grace acknowledgeing that wee haue inherited our Fathers corruption and actually in thought word and deed transgressed all thy holy commandements So that in vs naturally there dwelleth nothing that is good for our hearts are full of secret pride anger impatiency dissembling lying lust vanity prophanenesse distrust too much loue of our selues and the world too little loue of thee and thy Kingdome but empty and voide of faith loue patience and euery spirituall grace If thou therefore shouldest but enter into iudgement with vs and search out our naturall corruptions and obserue all the cursed fruits and effects that we haue deriued from thence Satan might iustly challenge vs for his owne and wee could not expect any thing from thy Maiestie but thy wrath and our condemnation which we haue long agoe deserued But good Father for Iesus Christ thy deare Sonnes sake in whom onely thou art well pleased and for the merits of that bitter death and bloody passion which wee beleeue that he hath suffered for vs haue mercy vpon vs pardon and forgiue vs all our sinnes and free vs from the shame and confusion which are due vnto vs for them that they may neuer seaze vpon vs to our confusion in this life nor to our condemnation in the world which is to come And forasmuch as thou hast created vs to serue thee as all other creatures to serue vs so wee beseech thee inspire thy holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectuall working we may haue the inward sight and feeling of our sinnes and naturall corruptions and that wee may not be blinded in them through custome as the Reprobates are but that wee may more and more loath them and be heartily grieued for them endeauouring by the vse of al good meanes to ouercome and get out of them Oh let me feele the power of Christs death killing sinne in our mortall bodies and the vertue of his resurrection raising vp our soules to newnesse of life Conuert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our mindes and purifie our nature and suffer vs not to be drowned in the streame of those filthy vices and sinfull pleasures of this time wherewith thousands are caried headlong to eternall destruction but dayly frame vs more and more to the likenesse of thy Sonne Iesus Christ that in righteousnesse and true holinesse wee may so serue and glorifie thee that liuing in thy feare and dying in thy fauour we may in thine appointed time attaine to the blessed resurrection of the iust vnto eternal life In the meane while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet
promises of the Gospell and our repentance from dead workes the assurance of our hope in thy promises our feare of thy name the hatred of all our sinnes and our loue vnto thy children especially those whom we shall see to stand in neede of our helpe and comfort That so by the fruits of piety and a righteous life we may bee assured that thy holy spirit doth dwell in vs and that wee are thy children by grace and adoption And grant vs good Father the continuance of health peace maintenance and all other outward things so farre forth as thy diuine wisdome shall thinke meet and necessary for euery one of vs. And heere O Lord according to our bounden dutie we confesse that thou hast beene exceeding mercifull vnto vs all in things of this life but infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life and therefore wee doe heere from our very soules render vnto thee all humble and hearty thankes for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed vpon our soules bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of lights from whom we haue receiued all these good and perfect gifts and vnto thee alone for them wee ascribe to be due all glory honour and praise both now and euermore But more especially wee praise thy diuine maiesty for that thou hast defended vs this day from all perils and dangers so that none of those iudgements which our sinnes haue deserued haue fallen vpon any one of vs. Good Lord forgiue vs the sinnes which this day wee haue committed against thy diuine Maiesty and our Brethren and for Christ his sake be reconciled vnto vs for them And wee beseech thee likewise of the same thine infinite goodnesse and mercy to defend and protect vs and all that belong vnto vs this night from all danger of fire robbery terrours of euill Angels or any other feare or perill which for our sinnes might iustly fall vpon vs. And that wee may be safe vnder the shadow of thy wings we heere commend our bodies and soules and all that wee haue vnto thine Almighty protection Lord blesse and defend both vs and them from all euill And whilest wee sleepe doe thou O Father who neuer slumbrest nor sleepest watch ouer thy children and giue a charge to thy holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our house and dwelling to guard vs from all dangers That sleeping with thee wee may in the next morning be wakned by thee and so being refreshed with moderate sleepe we may be the fitter to set foorth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings And we beseech thee O Lord to bee mercifull likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquillity of these Kingdomes wherin we liue turning from vs those plagues which the crying sinnes of this Nation doe cry for Preserue our religious King Iames from all dangers and conspiracies blesse and prosper the Queene our hopefull Prince Charles The Princely Palsgraue of Rhene and the gracious Princesse Elizabeth his deare wife all our Magistrates and Ministers all that feare thee and call vpon thy name all our Christian brethren and sisters that suffer sickenesse or any other affliction or misery especially those who any where doe suffer persecution for the testimony of the holy Gospell grant them patience to beare thy crosse and deliuerance when and which way it shall seeme best to thy diuine wisdome And Lord suffer vs neuer to forget our last endes and those reckonings which then we must render vnto thee In health and prosperity make vs mindefull of sickenesse and of the euill day that is behinde that these things may not ouertake vs as a snare but that we may in good measure likewise Virgins be found prepared for the comming of Christ the sweet bridegroome of our soules And now O Lord most holy and iust we confesse that there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sinne shouldest heare the praier of sinners but for his sake onely who suffered for sinne and sinned not In the onely mediation therefore of thine eternall Sonne Iesus our Lord and Sauiour wee humbly begge these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needfull for vs shutting vp those our imperfect requests in that most holy praier vvhich Christ himselfe hath taught vs to say vnto thee Our Father c. Thy grace O Lord Iesus Christ thy loue O heauenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy and blessed Spirit be with vs and remaine with vs this night and for euermore Amen Then saluting one another as becommeth Christians who are the vessels of Grace and temples of the holy Ghost Let them in the feare of God depart euery one to his rest vsing some of the former priuate meditations for Euening Thus farre of the Householders publike practise of Piety with his Family euery day Now followeth his practise of Piety with the Church on the Saboth day Meditations of the true manner of practising Pietie on the Sabbath day ALmighty God will haue himselfe worshipped not onely in a priuate manner by priuate persons and Families but also in a more publike sort of all the godly ioyned together in a visible Church that by this meanes he may be knowne not onely to be God and Lord of euery singular person but also of the Creatures of the whole vniuersall world Quest. But why doe not we Christians vnder the new keepe the Sabbath on the same seauenth day vvhereon it was kept vnder the Old Testament I answere because that our Lord Iesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law it selfe commands vs to heare did alter it from that seauenth day to this first day of the vveeke whereon wee keepe the Sabbath For the holy Euangelist notes that our Lord came into the middest of the holy assembly on the two first dayes of the two weekes immediately following his Resurrection and then blessed the Church breathed on the Apostles the holy Ghost and gaue them the ministeriall Keyes and power of binding and remitting sinnes And so it is most probable he did in a solemne manner euery first day of the weeke during the fortie dayes hee continued on earth betweene his Resurrection and Ascention for the fiftieth day after being the first of the weeke the Apostles were assembled during which time hee gaue Commandements vnto the Apostles and spake vnto them those things which appertaine to the Kingdome of God that is instructed them how they should throughout the Churches vvhich were to be conuerted change the Sabbath to the Lords day the bodily sacrifices of beasts to the spirituall sacrifices of praise prayer and contrite hearts the Leuiticall Priesthood of the Law to the Christian Ministry of the Gospell the Iewish Temples and Sinagogues to Churches and Oratories the olde Sacraments of Circumcision and Passeouer to Baptisme and the Lords Supper c. as may appeare by the like phrase Acts 19.8 and Acts 28.23
in the Church euer since the Apostles time Ignatius Bishop of Antioch liuing in S. Iohns time saith Let euery one that loueth Christ keepe holy the Lords day renowned by his Resurrection which is the Queene of dayes in which death is ouercome and life is sprung vp in Christ. Iustine Martyr vvho liued not long after him sheweth how the Christians kept their Sabbath on the Lords day as we doe Origen who liued about 180. yeeres after Christ shewes the reason why the Sabbath is translated to the Lords day Augustine saith that the Lords day was declared vnto the Church by the Resurrection of the Lord vpon that day Et ex illo caepit habere festiuitatem suam and by Christ it was first ordained to be kept holy And in another place that the Apostles appointed the Lords day to be kept with all religious solemnitie because that vpon that day our Redeemer rose from the dead which also is therefore called the Lords day As therefore Dauid said of the Citie of God so may I say of the Lords day Glorious things are spoken of the day of the Lord for it vvas the birth-day of the vvorld the first day vvherein all Creatures beganne to haue being In it Light was drawne out of darknesse In it the Law vvas giuen on Mount Sinai In it the Lord rose from death to life In it the Saints came out of their graues assuring that on it Christians should rise to newnesse of life In it the Holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles And it is very probable that on the seauenth day when the 7. Trumpets haue blowne the cursed Iericho of this world shall fall and our true Iesus shall giue vs the promised possession of the heauenly Canaan He that would see the vniforme consent of Antiquity and practise of the Primitiue Church in this point let him reade Eusebius Ecclesisticall history Lib. 4. cap. 23. Tertullian lib. de Idololatria cap. 14. Chrysost. Serm. 5. de resurrectione Constiâ—â—â— Apost lib. 7. cap. 37. Cyrill in Iohan. lib. 12. cap. 58. Of this iudgement are all the sound new writers see Fox on the Apoc. 1.10 Bucer in Mat 12.11 Gualt in Malach. 3. hom 23. Fulke on the Rhemish Test. Apo. 1.10 Chem. Exam. Conc. Trid. par 4. de diebus festis Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Armin Thes. in 4. precept and innumerable others Learned Iunius shal speake for al. Quamobrâ—m cum dies dominicus c. Wherefore seeing the Lords day is both by the fact of Christ viz. his resurrection and of often appearing to his Disciples vpon that day by the example and institution of the Apostles and by the continuall practise of the Ancient Church and by the testimony of the Scripture obserued and substituted into the place of the Iewish Sabbath Inepté faciunt they doe foolishly who say that the obseruation of the Lords day is of Tradition and not from the Scripture that by this meanes they might establish the traditions of men And againe The cause of this change is the resurrection of Christ and the benefit of the restoring of the Church by Christ the remembrance of which benefit did succeede into the place of the memory of the creation Non humana traditione sed Christi ipsius obseruatione instituto not by the tradition of man but by the obseruation and appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on euery eight day after vnto his ascention into heauen did appeare vnto his Disciples and came into their assemblies 9 Because that the Lord himselfe expoundeth the end of the Sabath to bee a signe and document for euer betwixt him and his people that he is Iehouah by whom they are sanctified and therefore must only of theÌ„ be worshipped and vpon the paine of death chargeth his people for euer to keep this memoriall vnuiolated But this end is morall and perpetuall Therefore the Sabath is morall and perpetuall What God hath perpetually sanctified Let â—â— man euer presume to make common or prophane Vpon this ground it is that the Commandement termes this day the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And GOD himselfe cals it his holy day And vpon the same ground likewise the oldâ— Testament consecrated all their Sabaths and Holy daies to the worship and honour of God alone To dedicate therefore a Sabbath to the honour of any creature is grosse Idolatry For the first Table makes it a part of Gods worship to haue a Sabbath to his honour So doth Leuit. 23.3.37.38 c. and Ezek. 20.20 Neh. 9.14 the Sabbath is put for the whole worship of GOD. And our Sauiour teacheth that We must worship the Lord God onely Matth. 4. and therefore keep a Sabbath to the onely honour of GOD. The holy Ghost notes it as one of Ieroboams greatest sinnes That he ordained a feast from the deuise of his owne heart 1 King 12.33 And God threatneth to visit Israel for keeping the daies of Baalim That is of Lords as Papists doe of Saints Hos. 2.13 but saith that such forget him And so indeede none are lesse carefull in keeping the Lords Sabbath then they who are most superstitious obseruers of mens holy daies The Church of Rome therefore commits grosse Idolatry First in taking vpon her to ordayne Sabbaths which belongs onely vnto the Lord of the Sabbath to doe Secondly in dedicating those Holy-daies to the honour of Creatures which in effect is to make them sanctifying Gods Thirdly in tying to these daies Gods worship Praiers fasting and merit Fourthly in exacting on these daies of mens inuention a greater measure of solemnity and sanctification then vpon the Lords day which is Gods commandement which in effect is to preferre Antichrist before Christ. Our Church hath iustly abolished all superstitious and Idolatrous Feasts and onely retaines a few holy dayes to the honour of God alone and easing of seruants Deut 5.14 though long custome forceth to vse the olde names for ciuill distinction as Luke vsed the profane names of Castor and Pollux Act. 28.11 and Christians of Fortunatus 1 Cor. 16.17 Mercurius Rom. 16.14 and Iewes of Mardocheus day 2 Macab 15.37 10 Lastly the examples of Gods Iudgements on Sabbath-breakers may sufficiently seale vnto them whose hearts are not seared how wrathfully Almighty God is displeased with them who are wilfull profaners of the Lords day The Lord who is otherwise the GOD of mercy commanded Moses to stone to death the man who of a presumptuous minde would openly goe to gather sticks on the Sabbath day The fact was small True but his sinne was the greater that for so small an occasion would presume to breake so great a commandement Nichanor offering to fight against the Iewes on the Sabath day was slaine himselfe and 35000. of his men A husband man grinding Corne vpon the Lords day had his Meale burned to ashes Another carrying Corne on this
manner how and person with whom it was committed Secondly the Maiesty of God against whom it was done and the rather because thou didest such things against him since he became a Father vnto thee and bestowed so many sweet blessings in bountifull manner vpon thee Thirdly in considering the curses which GOD hath threatned for thy sinne how grieuously GOD hath plagued others for the same faults and how that no meaâ—es in heauen or earth could deliuer thee from being eternally damned for them had not the Sonne of God so louingly dyed for thee Lastly that if GOD loues thee hee must chasten thee ere it be long with some grieuous affliction vnlesse thou doest preuent him by speedy and vnfained repentance Let these and the like considerations so pricke thy heart with sorrow that melting for remorse within thee it may be dissolued into a fountaine of teares trickling downe thy mournfull cheekes This mourning is the beginning of true fasting and therefore oft times put for fasting the first and principall part for the whole action 2 Of the bewailing of thine owne estate Bewailing or lamentation is the powring out of the inward mourning of the heart by the outward moanes of the voice and teares of the eyes With such filial earnestnesse and importunity in prayer as our heauenly father well pleased Nay when it is the fruits of his spirit and the effects of our faith hee cannot be displeased with it For if hee heard the moanes which extremity wrung from Ismael and Hagar and heareth the cry of the young Rauens and roaring of Lyons how much rather will hee heare the mournefull lamentation which his owne children make vnto him in their miserie 3 Of the humble confession of sinnes In this action thou must deale plainely with God and acknowledge all thine offences not onely in generall but also in particuler this hath been the manner of all Gods children in their fasts First because that without Confession thou hast no promise of mercy or forgiuenesse of sinnes Secondly that so thou maiest acknowledge GOD to be iust and thy selfe vnrighteous Thirdly that by the numbring of thy sinnes thy heart may be the more humbled and pulled downe Fourthly that it may appeare that thou art truely penitent for till GOD hath giuen thee grace to repent thou wilt be more ashamed to confesse thy fault then to commit thy sinne The plainer thou dealest in this respect with God the more gracious will GOD deale with thee for if thou doâ—st acknowledge thy sinnes God is faithfull and iust to forgiue thee thy sinnes and the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne will cleanse thee from all thy sinnes To helpe thee the better to performe these 3. parts of penitency thou maist diligently reade such Chapters and portions of the holy Scriptures as doe chiefly concerne thy particuler sinnes that thou maiest see Gods curse and iudgements on others for the like sinnes and bee the more humbled thy selfe Thus farre of the first part of Repentance which is Penitencie The other Part which is Amendement of life consists First in deuoute Prayer Secondly in deuoute Actions The deuout Prayer which we make in time of fasting is either Deprecation of euill or crauing needefull good things Deprecation of euil is when thou beseechest GOD for Christ thy mediator sake to pardon vnto thee those sins which thou hast confessed and to turne from thee those Iudgements which are due vnto thee for thy sinnes And as Benhadad because hee heard That the King of Israel was mercyful prostrated himselfe vnto him with a Rope about his necke so because thou knowest that the King of heauen is mercifull cast downe thy selfe in his presence in all true signes of humiliation especially seeing he calleth vpon thee to come vnto him in thy troubles and doubtlesse thou shall finde him mercifull The Crauing of needefull good things is First a feruent and faithfull begging of God to seale by his spirit in thy heart the assurance of the forgiuenesse of all thy sins Secondly to renewe thy heart by the holy Ghost so that sinne may daily decay and righteousnesse more and more increase in thee Lastly in desiring a supply of faith patience chastity and all other graces which thou waâ—â—est and an increase of those which God of his mercy hath bestowed vpon thee already Thus farre of Prayer in fasting The deuoute Actions in fasting are two First Auoiding euill Secondly doing good 1 Of auoiding euill This Abstinence from euill is that which is chiefly signified by thy abstinence from foode c. and is the cheife ende of fasting as the Niniuites very well knew A day of fast and not fasting from sinne the Lord abhorreth It is not the vacuity of the stomacke but the puritie of the heart that GOD respecteth If therefore thou wouldest haue God to turne from thee the euill of affliction thou must first turne away from thy selfe the euill of transgression And vvithout this fasting from euil thy fast sauours more noysome to God then thy breath doth to man This made God so often to reiect the fast of the Iewes And as thou must endeauour to auoide all sinne so especially that sinne wherewith thou hast prouoked God either to shake his rod at thee or already to lay his chastening hand vpon thee And doe this with a resolution by the assistance of Gods grace neuer to commit those sins againe For vvhat shall it profit a man by abstinence to humble his body if his minde swels with pride Or to forbeare wine and strong drinke and to be drunke with wrath and malice Or to let no flesh goe into thy belly when lies slanders and ribauldrie vvhich are vvorse then any meate comes out at thy mouth To abstaine from meate and to doe mischiefe is the Diuels fast vvho doth euill and is euer hungry 2 Of doing good workes The good workes vvhich as a Christian thou must doe euery day but especially on thy fasting day are either the workes of Piety to GOD or the works of Charity tovvards thy brethren First the workes of Pietie to GOD are the Practise of all the former duties in the sincerity of a good Conscience and in the sight of GOD. Secondly the workeâ— of Charity towards our brethren are forgiuing wrongs remitting debts to the poore that are not vvell able to pay but especially in giuing Almes to the poore that vvant reliefe and sustenance Else wee shall vnder pretence of godlinesse practise miserablenesse like those who will pinch their owne bellies to defraud their labouring Seruants of their due allowance As therefore Christ ioyned Fasting Prayer and Almes together in precept so must thou ioyne them together with Cornelius in practise And therefore be sure to giue at the least so much to the poore on thy Fasting day as thou vvouldest haue spent in thine owne diet if thou haddest
which was the Lord. Some receiue the spirituall grace without the outward signe as the Saint-Theefe on the Crosse and innumerable of the faithfull who dying desire it but cannot receiue it through some externall impediments but the worthy Receiuers to their comfort receiue both in the Lords Supper Christ chose Bread and Wine rather then any other Elements to be the outward signes in this blessed Sacrament first because they are easiest for all sorts to attaine vnto secondly to teach vs that as mans temporall life is chiefely nourished by bread and cherished by wine so are our soules by his body and bloud sustained and quickned vnto eternall life Hee appointed Wine vvith the Bread to be the outward signe in this Sacrament to teach vs first that as the perfect nourishment of mans Body consists both of meate and drinke so Christ is vnto our soules not in part but in perfection both saluation and nourishment secondly that by seeing the Sacramentall Wine apart from the Bread wee should remember how all his precious bloud was spild out of his blessed body for the remission of our sinnes The outward Signes the Pastor giues in the Church and thou dost eate vvith the mouth of thy body the spirituall grace Christ reacheth from Heauen and thou must eate it with the mouth of thy Faith 3 Of the Ends for which this holy Sacrament was ordained The excellent and admirable Ends or fruits for vvhich this blessed Sacrament vvas ordayned are seauen Of the first end of the Lords Supper 1 To keepe Christians in a continuall remembrance of that propitiatory sacrifice which Christ once for all offered by his death vpon the crosse to reconcile vs vnto GOD. Doe this saith Christ in remembrance of me And saith the Apostle As oft as yee shall eat this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come And he saith that by this Sacrament and the preaching of the word Iesus Christ was so euidently set forth before the eies of the Galathians as if he had beene crucified among them For the whole action representeth Christs death the breaking of the bread blessed the crucifying of his blessed body and the pouring forth of the sanctified wine the shedding of his holy bloud Christ was once in himselfe really offered but as oft as this Sacrament is celebrated so oft is hee spiritually offered by the faithful Hence the Lords Supper is called a propitiatorie sacrifice not preperly and really but figuratiuely because it is a memoriall of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ offered vpon the Crosse. And to distinguish it from that reall sacrifice the Fathers call it the vnbloudy Sacrifice It is also called the Eucharist because that the Church in this action offereth vnto God the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing for her redemption effected by the true and onely expiatory sacrifice of Christ vpon the Crosse. If the sight of Moabs King sacrificing on his walles his owne sonne to moue his gods to rescue his life 2 King 3.27 mooued the assayling Kings to such pitty that they ceast their assault and raised their siege how should the spirituall sight of God the Father sacrificing on the Crosse his onely begotten sonne to saue thy soule mooue thee to loue God thy Redeemer and to leaue sinne that could not in iustice be expiated by any meaner ransome Of the second end of the Lords Supper 2 To confirme our faith for God by this Sacrament doth signifie and seale vnto vs from heauen that according to the promise and new couenant which he hath made in Christ he will truely receiue into his grace and mercy all penitent beleeuers who duely receiue this holy Sacrament and that for the merits of the death and passion of Christ hee will as verily forgiue them all their sinnes as they are made partakers of this Sacrament In this respect the holy Sacrament is called the seale of the new Couenant and remission of sins In our greatest doubts wee may therefore receiuing this Sacrament vndoubtedly say with Sampsons mother If the Lord would kill vs hee would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meat-offering at our hands neither would he haue shewed all these things nor would at this time haue told vs such things as these Of the 3. ende of the Lords Supper 3 To bee a pledge and symbole of the most neere effectuall communion which Christians haue with Christ. The cuppe of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is a most effectuall signe and pledge of our Communion with Christ. This vnion is called abiding in vs ioyning to the Lord dwelling in our hearts and set forth in the holy Scriptures by diuers Similies First of the Vine and branches Secondly of the head and body Thirdly of the foundation and building Fourthly of one Loafe confected of many graines Fiftly of the matrimoniall vnion twixt man and wife and such like And it is threefold betwixt Christ and Christians The first is naturall betwixt our humane nature and Christs diuine nature in the person of the vvord The second is mysticall betwixt our persons absent from the Lord and the person of Christ God and Man into one mysticall body The third is celestiall betwixt our persons present with the Lord and the person of Christ in a body glorified these three coniunctions depend each vpon other For had not our nature beene first hypostatically vnited to the nature of GOD in the second person wee could neuer haue been vnited to Christ in a mysticall body And if wee be not in this life though absent vnited to Christ by a mysticall vnion wee shall neuer haue communion of glory with him in his heauenly presence The mysticall communion chiefly heere meant is wrought betwixt Christ and vs by the Spirit of Christ apprehending vs and by our faith stirred vp by the same spirit apprehending Christ againe Both which Saint Paul doth most liuely expresse I follow after If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus How can hee fall away that holdeth and is so firmely holden This vnion he shall best vnderstand in his minde who doth most feele it in his heart But of all other times this vnion is best felt and most confirmed when wee doe duely receiue the Lords Supper For then we shall sensibly feele our hearts knit vnto Christ and the desires of our soules drawn by faith and the holy Ghost as by the cordes of loue neerer and neerer to his holinesse From this Communion with Christ there followeth to the faithfull many vnspeakeable benefits As first Christ tooke by imputation al their sinnes and guiltinesse vpon him to satisfie Gods iustice for them and he freely giues by imputation vnto vs all his righteousnesse in this life and all his
oath of fidelity to serue the one onely true God and to admit no other propitiatory sacrifice for sinnes but that one reall sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered and by which he finished the sacrifice of the Law and effected eternall redemption and righteousnesse for all beleeuers And so to remaine for euer a publike marke of profession to distinguish Christians from all sects and false religions And seeing that in the Masse there is a strange Christ adored not hee that was borne of the Vigin Marie but one that is made of a wafer Cake and that the offering vp of this breaden-god is thrust vpon the Church as a propitiatorie sacrifice for the Quicke and the dead all true Christians vpon the danger of wilfull periury before the Lord chiefe-Iustice of heauen and earth are to detest the Masse as that Idoll of indignation which is most derogatory to the all-sufficient World-sauing-merits of Christs death and passion For by receiuing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we al sweare that all reall sacrifices are ended by our Lords death and that his body and bloud once crucified and shed is the perpetuall food and nourishment of our Soules 2. How to consider thine owne vnworthinesse A Man shall best perceiue his owne vnworthinesse by examining his life according to the tenne Commandements of Almighty GOD. Search therefore what duties thou hast omitted and what vices thou hast committed contrary to euery one of the Commandements remembring that without repentance and Gods mercy in Christ the Curse of God containing all the miseries of this life and euerlasting torments in Hel fire when this is ended is due to the breach of the least of Gods commandements And hauing taken a due surueigh both of thy sins miseries retire to some secret place and there putting thy selfe in the sight of the Iudge as a guilty malefactor standing at the Barre to receiue his sentence bowing thy knees to the earth smiting thy breast with thy fists and bedewing thy cheekes with thy teares confesse thy sins and humbly aske him mercie and forgiuenesse in these or the like wordes An humble Confession of sins to be made vnto God before the receiuing of the holy Communion O GOD and heauenly Father when I consider the goodnesse which thou hast euer shewed vnto me and the wickednesse which I haue committed against heauen and against thee I am ashamed of my selfe and confusion seemes to couer my face as a vaile for which of thy commandements haue I not transgressed Oh Lord I stand heere guilty of the breach of all thy holy Lawes For the loue of my heart hath not so entirely cleaued vnto thy Maiesty as to vaine and earthly things I haue not feared thy iudgements to deterre me from sinnes nor trusted to thy promises to keepe from doubting of my temporall or from despairing of mine eternall state I haue made the rule of thy diuine worship to be what my minde thought fit not what thy word prescribed finding my heart more proane to remember my blessed Sauiour in a painted picture of mans deuise rather then to behold him crucified in his Word and Sacraments after his owne ordinance Where I should neuer vse thy name whereat all knees doe bow but with religious reuerence nor any part of thy worship without due preparation and zeale I haue blasphemously abused thy holy name to rash and customary oathes yea I haue vsed oathes by thy sacred name as false couers of my filthy sinnes And I haue been present at thy seruice oft times more for ceremony then conscience and to please men more then to please thee my gracious GOD. Where I should sanctifie thy Sabath day by being present at the publike exercises of the Church and by meditating priuately on the word and workes of GOD and by visiting the sicke and relieuing of my poore brethren Alas I haue thought those holy Exercises a burden because they hindred my vaine sports yea I haue spent many of thy Sabbaths in my owne prophane pleasures without being present at any part of thy diuine worship Where I should haue giuen all due reuerence to my Naturall Ecclesiasticall and Politique Parents I haue not shewed that measure of duetie and affection to my Parents which their care and kindnesse hath deserued I haue not had thy Ministers in such singular loue for their workes sake as I ought but I haue taunted at their zeale and hated them because they reproued mee iustly And I haue carryed my selfe contemptuously against my Magistrates Ministers though I knew that it is thine ordinance that I should be obedient vnto them Where I should be slow to wrath and ready to forgiue offences and not suffered the Sunne to goe downe vpon my wrath but to doe good for euill louing my very enemies for thy sake I alas for one sory word haue burst out into open rage harbouring thoughts of mischiefe in my heart I haue preferred to feede on mine owne malice rather then to eate of thy holy Supper Where I should keepe my minde from all filthy lusts and my body from all vncleannesse O Lord I haue defiled both and made my heart a Cage of all impure thoughts and my minde a very Stie of the vncleane Spirit Yea the remedie which thou Lord hast ordained for continencie could not containe me vvithin the bounds of Chastitie for by doating on beautie whose ground is but dust Sathan hath bewitched my flesh to lust after strange flesh Where I should haue liued in vprightnesse giuing euery man his due being contented vvith mine owne estate and liuing conscionably in my lawfull calling should be ready according to mine abilitie to lend and giue vnto the poore ô Lord I haue by oppression extortion Bribes cauilation and other indirect dealings vnder pretence of my Calling and Office robbed and purloyned from my fellow Christians yea I haue deceiued and suffered Christ where I vvas trusted many a time in his poore members to stand hungry cold naked at my dore and hungry cold and naked to goe away succourlesse as hee came and when the leanenesse of his cheekes pleaded pitty the hardnes of my hart would shew no compassion Where I should haue made conscience to speake the truth in simplicitie vvithout any falshood prudently iudging aright and charitably construing all things in the best part and should haue defended the good name and credit of my neighbour alas vile wretch that I am I haue belyed and slaundered my fellow-Brother and as soone as I heard an ill report I made my tongue the instrument of the Diuell to blazon that abroad vnto others before I knew the truth of it my selfe I was so farre from speaking a good word in defence of his good name that it tickled my heart in secret to heare one that I
enuied to be taxed with such a blemish though I knew that otherwise the graces of God shined in him in aboundant measure I made â—ests of officious and aduantage of pernitious lyes herein shewing my selfe a right Cretian rather then an vpright Christian. And lastly O Lord where I should haue rested fully contented vvith that portion which thy Maiestie thought meetest to bestow vpon me in this Pilgrimage and reioyced in an others good as in mine owne Alas my life hath beene nothing else but a greedy lusting after this neighbours house and that neighbours land yea secretly vvishing such a man dead that I might haue his liuing or office coueting rather those things which thou hast bestowed on another rather then being thankefull for that which thou hast giuen vnto my selfe Thus I O Lord who am a carnall sinner and sold vnder sinne haue transgressed all thy holy and spiritual commandements from the first to the last from the greatest vnto the least and here I stand guiltie before thy Iudgement-seate of all the breaches of all thy lawes and therefore lyable to thy Curse and to all the miseries that Iustice can poure forth vpon so cursed a creature And whither shall I goe for deliuerance from this miserie Angels blush at my rebellion and will not helpe mee Men are guilty of the like transgression and cannot helpe themselues Shall I then despaire vvith Caine or make away my selfe with Iudas No Lord for that were but to end the miseries of this life and to beginne the endlesse torments of Hell I will rather appeale to thy Throane of Grace where Mercy raignes to pardon abounding sinnes and out of the depth of my miseries I will cry with Dauid for the depth of thy mercies Though thou shouldest kill me with afflictions yet will I like Iob put my trust in thee Though thou shouldest drowne me in the Sea of thy displeasure with Ionas yet will I catch such hold on thy Mercy that I will be taken vp dead clasping her with both my hands And though thou shouldest cast mee into the bowels of Hell as Ionas into the Belly of the Whale yet from thence would I cry vnto thee O God the Father of Heauen O Iesus Christ the Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier three Persons and one eternall God haue mercy vpon mee a miserable sinner And seeing the goodnesse of thine owne nature first moued thee to send thine onely begotten Son to dye for my sinnes that by his death I might be reconciled to thy Maiestie O reiect not now my penitent Soule who being displeased with her selfe for sinne desireth to returne to serue and please thee in newnesse of life and reach from Heauen thy helping hand to saue mee thy poore seruant who am like Peter ready to sincke in the Sea of my sinnes and miserie Wash away the multitude of my sinnes with the merits of that bloud which I beleeue that thou hast so abundantly shed for penitent sinners And now that I am to receiue this day the blessed Sacrament of thy precious body and bloud O Lord I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit by thy Sacrament seale vnto my soule that by the merits of thy Death and Passion all my sinnes are so freely and fully remitted and forgiuen that the curses and Iudgements which my sins haue deserued may neuer haue power eyther to confound me in this life or to condemne me in the world which is to come For my stedfast faith is that thou hast dyed for my sinnes and risen againe for my iustification This I beleeue O Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe Worke in mee likewise I beseech thee an vnfained Repentance that I may heartily bewaile my former sins and loath them and serue thee hence forth in newnesse of life and greater measure of holy deuotion And let my soule neuer forget the infinite loue of so sweete a Sauiour that hath laid downe his life to redeeme so vile a Sinner And grant Lord that hauing receiued these seales and pledges of my Communion with thee thou maist henceforth so dwell by thy Spirit in mee that I so liue by Faith in thee and that I may walke all the dayes of my life in godlinesse and pietie towards thee and in Christian loue and charitie towards all my neighbours that liuing in thy feare I may dye in thy fauour and after death be made partaker of eternall life through Iesus Christ my Lord and onely Sauiour Amen 3 Of the meanes whereby thou maist become a worthy Receiuer THese Meanes are dueties of two sorts the former respecting GOD the later our Neighbour Those vvhich respect GOD are three first sound knowledge secondly true faith thirdly vnfained repentance That which respecteth our neighbour is but one sincere Charitie 1 Of sound knowledge requisite in a worthy communicant Sound knowledge is a sanctified vnderstanding of the first Principles of Religion As first of the Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Godhead Secondly of the Creation of Man and his fall Thirdly of the curse and misery due to sinne Fourthly of the natures and offices of Christ and redemption by faith in his death especially of the doctrine of the Sacraments sealing the same vnto vs. For as an house cannot be built vnlesse the foundation bee first laid no more can Religion stand vnlesse it bee first grounded vpon the certaine knowledge of Gods word Secondly if wee know not Gods will we can neither beleeue nor doe the same For as wordly businesses cannot be done but by them who haue skill therein so without knowledge must men be much more ignorant in diuine and spirituall matters And yet in temporall things a man may doe much by the light of nature But in religious mysteries the more we relye vpon naturall reason the further we are from comprehending spirituall truth Which discouers the feareful estate of those who receiue without knowledge and the more fearefull estate of those Pastors who minister vnto them without Catechising 2 Of sincere faith required to make a worthy communicant Sincere faith is not a bare knowledge of the Scriptures first grounds of Religion for that Diuels and Reprobates haue in an excellent measure and doe beleeue it and tremble But a true perswasion as of all those things whatsoeuer the Lord hath reuealed in his word so also a particular application vnto a mans owne soule of all the promises of mercy which God hath made in Christ to all beleeuing sinners And consequently that Christ and all his merits doe belong vnto him as well as to any other For first if wee haue not the righteousnesse of Faith the Sacrament seales nothing vnto vs and euery man in the Lords Supper receiueth so much as hee beleeueth Secondly because that without Faith we communicating on earth cannot apprehend Christ in heauen For as he dwelleth in vs by faith so by faith we must likewise eate him Thirdly because
vvho came to Christ for mercy went euer away vvithout his errand Bathe thou likewise thy sicke Soule in this fountaine of Christs bloud and doubtlesse according to his promise Zach. 13.1 thou shalt be healed of all thy sinnes and vncleannesse Not sinners therefore but they who are vnwilling to repent of their sinnes are debarred this Sacrament Fiftly meditate that Christ left this Sacrament vnto vs as the chiefest token pledge of his loue not when wee vvould haue made him a King Iohn 6.15 which might haue seemed a requitall of kindnesse but vvhen Iudas and the High Priest were conspiring his death therefore vvholy of his meere fauour When Nathan would shew Dauid how entirely the poore man loued his sheepe that was killed by the rich man hee gaue her said hee to eate of his owne morsels and of his owne Cup to drinke 2 Sam. 12.3 and must not then the loue of Christ to his Church be vnspeakeable when hee giues her his owne flesh to eate and his owne bloud to drinke for her spirituall and eternall nourishment If then there be any loue in thine heart take the Cuppe of saluation into thy hand and pledge his loue with loue againe Psal. 116.11 Sixtly when the Minister beginneth the holy consecration of the Sacrament then lay aside all praying reading and all other cogitations whatsoeuer and settle thy meditation onely vpon those holy actions and rites which according to Christs Institution are vsed in and about the holy Sacrament For it hath pleased God considering our weaknesse to appoint those rites as meanes the better to lift vp our mindes to the serious contemplation of his heauenly graces When therefore thou seest the Minister putting apart Bread and Wine on the Lords Table and consecrating them by Prayers and the rehearsall of Christs Institution to be a holy Sacrament of the blessed Body and Bloud of Christ then meditate how GOD the Father of his meere loue to mankinde set apart and sealed his onely begotten Sonne to be the all-sufficient meanes and onely Mediator to redeeme vs from sinne and to reconcile vs to his grace and to bring vs to his Glory When thou seest the Minister breake the Bread being blessed thou must meditate that Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of GOD was put to death and his blessed Soule and Body vvith the sense of Gods anger broken asunder for thy sinnes as verely as thou now seest the holy Sacrament to be broken before thine eyes And withall call to minde the hainousnesse of thy sinnes and the greatnesse of Gods hatred against the same seeing Gods Iustice could not be satisfied but by such a Sacrifice When the Minister hath blessed and broken the Sacrament and is addressing himselfe to distribute it then meditate The King who is the Master of the feast stands at the Table to see his guests and looketh vpon thee whether thou hast on thee thy Wedding garment thinke also that all the holy Angels who attend vpon the Elect in the Church and doe desire to behold the celebration of these holy Mysteries doe obserue thy reuerence and behauiour Let thy Soule therefore whilest the Minister bringeth the Sacrament vnto thee offer this or the like short Prayer vnto Christ. A sweet Soliloquie to be said betwixt the Consecration and receiuing of the Sacrament IS it true indeed that GOD will dwell on earth behold the Heauen and the Heauen of Heauens are not able to containe thee how much more vnable is the soule of such a sinfull câ—itife as I am to receiue thee But seeing it is thy blessed pleasure to come thus to suppe with me and to dwell in mee I cannot for ioy but burst out and say What is man that thou art so mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou so regardest him What fauour soeuer thou vouchsafest mee in the abundance of thy Grace I will freely confesse what I am in the wretchednesse of my Nature I am in a vvord a carnall Creature vvhose very soule is sold vnder sinne a wretched man compassed about with a body of death yet Lord seeing thou callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I haue thrust my selfe in among the rest and seeing thou callest all with their heauiest loades I see no reason why I should stay behinde O Lord I am sicke and whither should I goe but vnto thee the Physitian of my Soule Thou hast cured many but neuer didst thou meete vvith a more miserable patient for I am more leaprous then Gehazi more vncleane then Magdalene more blinde in Soule then Bartimeus vvas in Body for I haue liued all this while and neuer seene the true light of thy Word My Soule runnes with a greater fluxe of sinne then vvas the Hemorisse issue of bloud Mephiboseth was not more lame to goe then my soule is to walke after thee in loue Ieroboams Arme was not more withered to strike the Prophet then my hand is maimed to relieue the poore Cure me O Lord and thou shalt doe as great a worke as in curing them all And though I haue all their sinnes and sores yet Lord so abundant is thy grace so great is thy skill that if thou wilt thou canst with a word forgiue the one and heale the other And vvhy should I doubt of thy good will when to saue mee will cost thee now but one louing smile vvho shewedst thy selfe so willing to redeem me though it should cost thee all thy heart bloud and now offerest so gratiously vnto mee the assured pledge of my redemption by thy bloud Who am I O Lord God and what is my merit that thou hast bought me with so deare a price It is meerely thy mercie and I O Lord am not worthy the least of all thy mercies much lesse to be a partaker of this holy Sacrament the greatest Pledge of the greatest mercy that euer thou diddest bestow vpon those sonnes of men whom thou louest How might I in respect of mine owne vnworthynesse cry out for feare at the sight of thy holy Sacrament as the Philistimes did when they saw the Arke of God come into the assembly Woe now vnto me a sinner But that thy Angel doth comfort me as he did the women Feare thou not for I know that thou seekest Iesus which was crucified It is thou indeed that my soule seeketh after And heere thou offerest thy selfe vnto me in thy blessed Sacrament If therefore ELIZABETH thought her selfe so much honoured at thy presence in the wombe of thy blessed mother that the babe sprange in her bellie for ioy how should my soule leape within mee for ioy now that thou commest by thy holy Sacrament to dwell in my heart for euer Oh what an honour is this that not the mother of my Lord but my Lord himselfe should come thus to visit me Indeede Lord I confesse with the faithfull Centurion that I am not worthy that thou shouldest
there is no doubt of pardon If Sathan shall obiect that thou hast many times vowed to repent and hast made a shew of Repentance for the time and yet didst fall to the same sinnes againe and againe and that all thy Repentance was but fained and a mocking of God And that seeing thou hast so often broken thy vowes therfore God hath with-drawn his mercy and hath changed his loue c. meditate 1 That though this were true which indeede is haynous yet it is no sufficient cause vvhy thou shouldest despaire seeing that this is the common case of all the Children of God in this life vvho vow so oft to forbâ—are some sinnes till perceiuing their weakenesse not able to performe it then vow that they will vow no more Their vowes shew the desires of their spirituall man their breakings the weakenesse of their corrupt flesh And our oft slips to the same sinnes Christ fore-saw vvhen hee taught vs to pray daily O Father forgiue vs our trespasses And why doth Christ enioyne thee who art but sinfull man to forgiue thy brother seauen times in a day if hee shall returne seauen times in a day and say it repenteth mee But to assure thee that hee being the God of mercy and goodnesse it selfe will forgiue vnto thee thy seuenty times seuen folde sinnes a day which thou hast committed against him if thou returne vnto him by true repentance The Israelites were cured by looking though with weake eies on the brasen Serpent as oft as they were stung by the fiery Serpent in the wildernesse to assure thee that vpon thy teares of repentance thou shalt be recouered by faith in Christ as oft as thou art wounded to death by Sinne. 2 That thy saluation is grounded not vpon the constancy of thine obedience but vpon the firmenesse of Gods couenant Though thou variest with GOD and the couenant bee broken on thy behalfe yet it is firme on Gods part and therefore all is safe enough if thou wilt returne for there is no variablenesse with him neither shadow of change He hath locked vp thy saluation and made it sure in his owne vnchangeable purpose and hath deliuered to thy keeping the keyes which are Faith and Repentance and whilest thou hast them thou maiest perswade thy selfe that thy saluation is sure and safe For whom God loueth hee loueth to the end and neuer repenteth of bestowing his loue on them who repent and beleeue Lastly if Satan shall perswade thee that thou hast been doubting a long time and that it is best for thee now to despaire seeing thy sinnes encrease and thy iudgements draweth neere meditate 1 That no sinne though neuer so great should bee a cause to moue any Christian to despaire so long as Gods mercy by so many millions of degrees is greater and that euery penitent and beleeuing sinner hath the pardon of all his sinnes confirmed by the Word and Oath of GOD two immutable things wherein it is vnpossible that God should lye His Word is that at what time soeuer a sinner whosoeuer doth repent of his sin whatsoeuer for both time sinnes and sinners are indefinite from the bottome of his heart God will blot forth all his sinnes out of his remembraâ—ce that they shall be mentioned vnto him no more If we will not take his word which GOD forbid wee should doubt of he hath giuen vs his oath As I liue I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue as if he had said Will yee not beleeue my word I sweare by my life that I delight not to damne any sinner for his sinnes but rather to saue him vpon his conuersion and repentance The meditation hereof moued Tertullian to exclaime Oh how happy are wee when God sweareth that hee will not our damnation Oh what miserable wretches are wee if wee will not beleeue God when he sweareth this truth vnto vs Listen O drooping spirit whose soule is assailed with waues of faithlesse despaire how happy were it to see many like thee and Hezechias who mourne like doues for the sence of sinne and chatter like Cranes and Swallowes for the feare of Gods anger rather then to behold many who die like beasts without any feeling of their owne estate or any feare of Gods wrath or tribunall seate before which they are to appeare Comfort thy selfe O languishing soule for if this earth hath any for whom Christ spilt his bloud on the Crosse thou assuredly art one Cheere vp therfore thy selfe in the all-sufficient attonement of the bloud of the Lambe which speaketh better things then that of Abel And pray for those who neuer yet obtained the grace to haue such a sense with detestation of sinne Thou art one indeed for whom Christ dyed and from whom a wounded spirit iudging rather according to his feeling then his faith hath wrung that dolefull voice of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And doubt not but ere long thou shalt as truely raigne with him as now thou doest suffer with him for Yea and Amen hath spoken it No sinne barres a man from saluation but onely incredulity and impenitencie nothing makes the sin against the holy Ghost vnpardonable but want of repentance Thy vnfained desire to repent is as acceptable vnto God as the perfectst repentance that thou couldest wish to performe vnto him Meditate on these Euangelicall comforts and thou shalt see that in the very agony of death GOD will so assist thee with his spirit that when Saâ—an looketh for the greatest victory he shall receiue the foulest foile yea when the eye-strings are broken that thou canst not see the light Iesus Christ will appeare vnto thee to comfort thy soule and his holy Angels will carry thee into his heauenly kingdome Then shall thy friends behold thee like Manoahs Angell doing wonders indeed when they shall see a fraile man in his greatest weakenesse by the meere assistance of Gods Spirit ouercomming the strength of sin the bitternesse of death and all the power of Satan and in the fire of Faith and perfume of Praier ascend vp with Angels victoriously into Heauen An admonition to them who come to visit the sicke THey who come to visit the sicke must haue a speciall care not to stand dumbe and staring in the sicke persons face to disquiet him nor yet to speake idly and to aske vnprofitable questions as most doe If they see therefore that the sicke party is like to die let them not dissemble but louingly and discreetly admonish him of his weakenesse and to prepare for eternall life One houre well spent when a mans life is almost out-spent may gaine a man the assurance of eternal life Sooth him not vvith the vaine hope of this life least thou betray his soule to eternall death Admonish him plainely of his estate and aske