Lord God wee humbly pray thee for Christ Jesus sake to pardon all our sins and failings in our dueties this day strengthen our faiths unto our ends and in our ends Suffer us not for any tryals to fall from thee neither lay thou more upon us then thou wilt make us able to beare cheerfully create clean hearts in us renew right spirits mortifie all our corrupt affections subdue and subject them all to thy holy will and pleasure enable us daily more carefully and holily to serve thee so that the neerer we draw unto our deaths the more conâ—idently we may rest assured of immortality and eternal life in the world to come assist us with a measure of thy grace proportionable to our tryals so that at our last houre against all the feares and terrors paines and sorrows of death we may be enabled to render up our soules into thy gracious hands in full assurance of thy mercy and our redemption and salvation in Jesus Christ. Blesse the universall Church specially that part thereof in Great Britan and Ireland let thy blessing and mercy rest on this family from the first to the last Keep us bodies and soules forgive all our sins let our sleep be refreshing and comfortable this night grant us grace to plant all our confidence in thee that wee may love thee fear thee and rest in thee assured of thy gracious protection whose providence sleepeth not into thy hands O Lord wee commend and commit our selves bodies and soules all that we have and are sleeping waking living and dying let us be ever thine through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN An Evening Praier for a Family more enlarged O Lord God great and glorious who hast made the heavens thy throne and the earth thy foot-stoole God of justice and mercy terrible in thy wrath against obstinate sinners but long-suffering and of great mercy to them who with sincere hearts can seek thee and thy saving health our miseries compell us and thine owne gracious mercy inviteth us wretched creatures to call upon thee in the day of trouble But O Lord thou art a God of pure eies and canst not behold iniquity and wickednesse in which as we are conceived and born the children of wrath disobedience so have we continually walked therein and wherewithall shall we now come before our Lord and how our selves before the high God a thousand burnt-offerings and ten thousand rivers of oile cannot satisfie an infinite justice for the sinne of one soule and we are a sinful nation a people laden with iniquity wee have forsaken the covenants of our God and provoked the holy one of Israel to anger wee have gone backward and revolted more and more from the sole of the foot unto the head there is no soundnesse in us but dangerous wounds bruises and putrifying sores ripe for the lancet of thy judgments so that we deserve to have this good land laid waste that we who have forsaken thee should as thou hast threatned be consumed with the sword famine and pestilence until this numerous people be leâ—t as a cottage in vineyard a besieged city like Sodom and Gomorrha sad monuments of the fire of thine indignation that thou shouldst take no delight in us when we tread in thy courts and appear before thee with petitions for mercy but that our oblations of praise and incense of praiers should be abomination and our solemne assemblies a tâ—ouble and wearinesse unto thee that when wee spread forth our hands and make many praiers with strong cries thou shouldst hide away thy face from our miseries and stop thine ears to our cries as we have done ours to those gracious conditions of mercy which thou hast continually offered us by thy Prophets whom thou sentest to warn us that wee might retur from our vaine and unprofitable wayes and not die wee humbly acknowledge that such are we that the severest curses of the law and all the judgments sealed up therein are due to us confusion and helplesse destruction in this present woâ—â—d and unspeakable torments in hell fire in the eternity to come And now whereas wee must all appeare before thy judgement seat what shall wee plead before thee O thou great and just Iudge of all the world what can wee but guilty what shall wee say unto thee O merciful preserver of men what can wee more then be merciful unto us for our Lord Jesus sake Wee know O Lord that wee neither doe nor can deserve any favour at thy gracious hands whom wee have so often and so wilfully provoked to shew thy justice on our sinnes but therefore didst thou give thy sonne Christ Jesus that his merits might satisfie for us wee condemne our selves that thou maist spare us for his sake who dyed not in vaine O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us deale with us according to thy name wee have sinned against thee O thou hope of Israel and the saviour thereof in the time of trouble wee acknowledge our sinnes are for greatnesse unmeasurable and for multitude innumerable but as is the price of our redemption so are thy mercies infinite abhorre us not for thine owne mercy sake thou art our strength and refuge in the day of affliction correct us not in thine anger chasten us not in thy heavy displeasure but heale us that we may be saved Lord though we have many waies failed yet thou knowest all things thou knowest that the desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee through thine owne grace giving us that desire we would above all things in the world become so holy that we might no more displease thee O our God who only canst make us holy and unblameable give us ability to do that which thou hast given us grace to desire thou hast caused us to put our confidence in thee O God who canst not deceive trust let us not be disappointed of our hope restrain not from us thy zeal thy strength and the multitude of thy mercies and compassions O Lord our God if thou wilt thou canst make us clean cleanse us from all our iniquities that we may put away the wickedness of our doings from before thine eies that we may indeed cease to do evil and learn to do well that thou mayest make our scarlet sins twice died in original and actual guilt white as snow in Salmon that we may consent and obey and so enjoy the good things of this land and not be devoured by the sword as we are this day for our transgressions Though we deserve that the fire of thine anger should consume us as the stubble that our root should be as rottennesse and that our blossom when we hope should go up as the dust until our cities become desolate and our houses without a man because we have cast away the law of the Lord of hostes yet O Lord unto thee belongeth mercy and the issues from death though thou hast been terrible in thy
no sanctuary for a troubled soul but only Gods favourable presence till hee return and comfort nothing can So terrible in the meane time is this affliction that the desperate Judas took death for his sanctuary against that which to him was more tolerable then death how heavily it sitteth upon the hearts of Gods elect may appeare in the words of Job and others Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in soule which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more then for hid treasures which rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they can finde the grave See Jer. 20. 14 15 16 17 18. 1 King 19. 4. Jonah 4. 8. 3. The conscience is the knowledge of the heart knowing that which God knoweth with it it is a divine light in us which we cannot extinguish if wee would a supream court in us above us a silent register of all we do or say a thousand witnesses accusing or excusing an impartial Judge which cannot be bribed to justifie the wicked or condemn the just the first revenge of impiety wherein none guilty can be absolved though there were none other Judge 4. In true peace of conscience the heart is cheerful in every estate and condition Rom. 5. 1. 3. it feareth no judge nor witnesse it is a continuall feast the soules Eden the mindes faire haven an unvalueable possession which maketh every owner happy a riches which shall never be taken away the first fruits of heaven an immoveable comfort as no winde can move or shake the sun beams so can neither life nor death prosperity or adversity this as long as this is safe though men receive many sharpe charges as did the citizens of Ai yet are they confident to resist they can resolve with Job though he kill me yet will I trust in him but if that faile and the smoke arise thence their hearts fail them 5. God woundeth and healeth it is his justice and mercy wee wound our selves by sin and God healeth us by afflictions as Chirurgions doe with the lancet and cautery Sins are the theeves which spoil us and leave us wounded by the way till the good Samaritan come with his wine and oile to cleanse supple and binde up our wounds he smiteth the conscience with sense of his anger danger and bitter smart to make us sensible of our sins and bring us to a loathing of them this he doth sometimes by external afflictions sometimes by the word of the Spirit the word preached wounding the heart terrifying the conscience and then Peters hearers cry out Men and brethren what shall wee do sometimes by smiting the conscience with an inward sense and apprehension of his fierce wrath and severe judgements imminent in which an horrible feare overtaketh them like the earth-quake at Horeâ— preceding the still voice of mercy in sense of a spiritual disertion while he hideth away his face spiritual wants or permission to some grievous tentation cold fits of despair and buffeting by the messengers of Satan in all which though there be meanes of comfort appointed yet none can prevaile till the spirit of God the comforter return and heale the same hand giveth vulnus opemque the wound and plaister as it was said the Assyrians and Jareb could not heal Judah and Ephraim of their wound so no creature can the wounded spirit till he who correcteth in measure cometh and bindeth up he onely hee healeth the broken hearts and bindeth up their wounds even hee who was wounded for our sins and bruised for our iniquities by whose stripes wee are healed 1. There are some things principally wounding and afflicting the conscience coming up like those Philistim spoilers in three companies to destroy and drive men into despair first apprehension of Gods wrath for some grievous sins committed so â—ain having murdered his brother cryed My sinne or punishment is greater then I can beare Judas having betrayed Christ durst not come to him to beg mercy because he apprehended an implacable anger in Christ it is true that the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience for their sinnes that his wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men that the impenitent by their hardnesse of heart treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath that there shall be indignation and wrath to them that obey not the trueth but when thou who art of a wounded spirit and broken heart hast well considered it may be thou shalt finde that these things concerne thee not but those who live in sin and so would do 2. The second thing wounding the conscience is sense of spiritual wants as of hope faith assurance of salvation the spirit of sanctification praier c. which being Gods grace and the presence of his holy Spirit in the regenerate may yet for the time be an hidden treasure an immortall seed under the frozen clods without any appearance of life and the saints may weep and complain like Magdalen in the garden of the losse of Christ when he is with them speaketh to them and they know him not 3. The third is fear of some strong tentations and trials in which the afflicted and affrighted conscience startleth as the Disciples when Jesus slept in the storm their ship filled with waves and ready to founder in the sea or like Peter on the water when he saw the rough billows coming and cryeth out Save Master we perish when 't is sure enough they cannot perish who are with Christ. Now concerning him that will receive any solid comfort in any of these cases it is very necessary that he 1. Well consider that state in which he seemeth to be 2. Examine his conscience throughly 3. Practice some rules proper for any of these estates Concerning the conscience afflicted with the apprehension of Gods anger against his sinnes let him consider that 1. As God is just so is he merciful he is no inexorable Radamanth he is easie to be entreated concerning whom we have a word more sure then any testimony of man God sufficiently known to himselfe onely hath thus proclamed himself Exod. 34. 6. The Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodnesse and trueth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression Now if that which others said of the Kings of Israël that they were mercifull Kings could perswade them to seek mercy and desire quarter that they might be saved how much more should that which God who cannot lie as fame can and commonly doth hath declared of himself move the afflicted soule to submit and beg mercy of him more ready to grant it then wee are or can be to entreat it for aske it wee never could except his preventing grace moved us thereto 2. God
parity of manners conciliateth love but Gods love createth our likenesse to him hence is it that the most excellent creatures love him most whereby they are made such some think that ardency of love denominateth those Angells which stand in Gods presence Seraphim certaine it is such are we as is our love our manners are not estimable by that which we knowe but by that we love good or evill love maketh us such if we love God we are godly if the world worldly if sinne sinfulf all men the best of all doe sinne but the wicked only love sinne looke how the glasses species are as is the posture thereof if you turne it to heaven you see only heaven in it if to the earth only earth so is it in our love the soules looking-glasse wherein we may see and judge of our selves 6. Without this love there can be no true happinesse for the wrath of God the severity of his justice remaineth for those who hate him give him all that a sinfull soule can desire make him times minion the worlds favorite you can make him nothing better then a devill But with the love of God though a man may possibly seeme or be said unhappy he cannot be so for all things worke together for good to them that love God prosperity adversity life death all things shall finally advantage them he that seeketh the love of God must looke for many enemies but contrary to their intentions they shall doe him good the love of the world is sweet at first but bitternesse in the end and the love of God hath many sharpe trialls at first but in the end shall be most comfortable This love is that divine Elixer which maketh the vile pretious an indeficient treasure which whosoever hath can never lack that which is good he that hath it not can never be the better for all hee hath what good or salvation can he expect who is so unhappy as not to love the fountaine of all blessednesse what can hee reasonably feare who loveth an omniscient and righteous God who is a pleanteous rewarder of those that love him Though we cannot be saved for any desert of Love to God for it is his mercy not our merit wee cannot be saved without it if any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be anathema maranatha 1. Cor 16. 22. 7. So excellent is this one possession that Paul counted all but meere losse for it dying Joshua left this as the chiefe legacie to his friends and family concerning whom hee resolved as for me and my house we will serve the Lord take good heed therefore unto your selves that yee love the Lord your God he need no more it is better to love God then to be heire of the world if thou canst not know this living thou shalt when thou art dying let my children faithfully love God I wish them no greater blessing who with my soule pray they may be truly blessed A Prayer for love to God O Lord God Almightie great and glorious who art cloathed with Majestie the beauty of holinesse perfection of beauty who hath filled heaven earth with the gratious effects of love and goodnesse I thy poore creature prostrating my selfe before thy mercy seat humbly acknowledge the many sinnes which render me utterly unworthy ever to appeare before thee specially that great ingratitude which maketh me ashamed to speake unto thee who art the searcher of all hearts yet in assurance of my acceptance in the son of thy love who now sitting at thy right hand maketh requests for me I am bold to pray thee to fill my heart with thy love which is better then all things that with my soule I may desire thee in the night with my spirit within me seeke thee early O Lord though the remainder of sinne in me create me many distractions though fraile flesh and blood starteth at the apprehension and feare of thy just judgments or murmur at the bitternes of thy present corrections yet thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee though with a fraile yet with a sincere heart and love with thine owne spirit infused into me O Lord my soule thirsteth after thee and thy holy presence in my sanctification and full assurance of thy mercy Therefore according to thine owne promise who caâ—st not deceive sanctifie me herein that I may love thee more and more cleanse me from all my sinnes create that purity of heart in me which may assure me of a capacity to behold thy goodnesse in the land of the living fill my lips with grace diffusive of it selfe to thy glory and the ministration of grace to the hearers guide me in the whole course of my life in that holinesse which may please thee disburden my conscience of all that guilt which leaveth me in any feare of that way by which thou hast appointed me to come unto thee and thy kingdome of glory that no afflictions paines feaâ—es or terrours of life or death may be able to separate me from thy love in Christ Jesus Blessed Lord only assure me of thy love and let thy holy will bee done with me I am thine thou madest me to thine owne image thou redeemedst and repairedst the same by thy free spirit when I was dead in trespasses and sinnes thou neither madest redeemâ—dst nor sanctifiedst me for my selfe therefore when thou doest that with me which shall best please thee in the advancement of thy glory in my salvation thou makest me happy in the end of my creation redemption and sanctification Lord it was thine owne free love which by revealing thy selfe and the inestimable riches of thy mercy to mee made me knowe what I had to love in thee neither didst thou finde in me any thing worthy of thee but the effects of thine owne love which in my election before I was determined to make me an object of thy mercy therefore thou who art Love didst set thine own image on me thou best knowest that I am of my selfe but worthlesse dust and earth and by my sinnes a masse of corruption such as onely can displease thee and deserve thine anger but O Lord God of mercy who foundest me a child of wrath and madest me a sonne an enemy and reconciledst me by the death of thy holy sonne Jesus accomplish the worke of thine owne mercy in me and love me still give mee an heart to love thee so above all with all my soule minde and might love that which thou hast wrought in my heart cherish thine owne graces in me though my love be full of imperfections yet thy worke is perfect in thee is no shadow of change Lord for thine owne loves sake now make me such as thou maist love me to eternitie through the merits of thy sonne Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN CHAP. XVII § 1. Of love to our selves of the kindes thereof § 2. Of Love to our
family 4. That they be docible and ingenious modest willing in meeknesse to learn and obey their Masters wills an ignorant servant is troublesome but a proud and immorigerous intolerable 5. That they be not slothful and negligent 6. That they be not qâ—arrelsom or contentious or unjust accusers of their fellowes 7. That they be not murmurers or querulous persons or rude answerers again Tit. 2. 2. 8. That they be not hearkners after their Masters counsels too full of eies or busie inquisitors into those things which are above the sphere of their duety it is many times a servants wisedome not to know what he knoweth 9. That they be not given to drunkennesse ryot intemperance luxury or subject to passion he that will be a good servant to others must first be his own master The Motives hereto are 1. God's expresse command Colos. 3. 22. Ephes. 6. 5 c. where that moveth not I know not what can Obedience to thy Master is shewing thy selfe a servant of Christ and doing the will of God Eph. 6. 6. 2. This adorneth the doctrine of God Tit. 2. 10. 3. Therefore the grace of God hath appeared to all men bond and free Tit. 2. 11. 4. If servants be faithful they shall receive the reward of the Lord Col. 3. 24. 5. Hee that doth wrong to his Master shall receive the like God will revenge it Col. 3. 25. 6. A false and trecherous servant is odious to God and man commonly branded with an indelible note of infamy as an unthankfull deceiver of trust 7. The name of God and his doctrine are blasphemed by that servant who professing to be a Christian is false injurious or unprofitable to his Master because that sacred profession is not to him a spurre to duety but a cloak of hypocrisie After reading some of the Psalmes and a Chapter of the Old or New Testament to thy Family use this or the like Prayer A short Morning Prayer with a Family O Almighty God and most merciful Father wee render thee all humble and hearty thanks as for all thy mercies and favours temporal and eternal from time to time bestowed upon us so particularly for thy gracious preservation of us this night past beseeching thee to give us also a prudent and holy use of this favor to thy glory the good example of our brethren and the assurance of our consciences before thee And as thou hast been pleased to bring us safe to the begining of this â—lay so we pray thee holy Father to continue thy providence and thy merâ—y to us therein keep us safe in bodies soules and all that thou hast given us blesse us in our several labours and endeavors let thy blessing be upon all that which thou hast given us for our use and comfort make thy creatures good and successeful to us direct us in that way wherein thou wouldst have us walke that being counselled and guided by thy good spirit which cannot erre we may in all that which we speak or dâ— keepe the testimony of a good conscience doing and saying that onely which is pleasing in thy sight and walking prudently and unblameably toward all men and holily and sincerely before thee our all-seeing God Let not our hearts decline to any evil waies but give us grace ever and in every undertaking to remember our ends wherein wee must give a strict account of all our actions words and thoughts and seriously to consider that for ought wee know this day may be our last so framing our lives and conversations that at our last houre which thy providence hath set every one of us we may be found busied in a faithful watch as careful servants continually expecting the coming of our Lord that wee may with our Lord Jesus on whom wee have beleeved enter into that joy which thou hast prepared for all them who love and loâ—ke for his comming These and all other things which thou knowest more needful for â—s wee beg at thy merciful hands for Jesus Christ his sake in that holy and perfect form which himselfe hath taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the most comfortable fellowship of God the holy Ghost be with us all to direct guide and keep us this day and evermore Amen Another Morning Praier for a Family O Lord God merciful long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and trueth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving transgression and sinne unto the penitent but not acquitting the guilty and obstinate sinner wee thy poore servants through thy mercy sparing us this day appearing before thee humbly acknowledge our selves to be most vile and loathsome in thy sight not only in respect of our original corruption which we have brought into the world with us but also for our actual sinnes which we have multiplied beyond all weight and number thou art a God of pure eies and inviolable justice how shall we appeare before thee who cannot stand in the judgment of our own consciences Lord what have we more then the hearty acknowledgment of our own unworthinesse to present thee How can wee hope to prevent the curse which goeth forth over the face of the earth to cut off on this side and that 〈◊〉 afflict families and nations with sorrowes and destructions but only by condemning our selves and flying from thy justice to thy mercy our sinâ— are great and grievous but O merciful God where sinne and misery abound thy grace doth more abound and where none are able to satisfie thy justice the greatnesse of the debt can make no difference whether 500 or 50 when neither hath to pay thy mercy equally closeth an unequal account in a free forgivenesse of both Seeing theâ— for this end thou hast opened the treasures of thy mercy in Christ Jesus coming into the world to save sinners wee humbly and confidently acknowledge that of those sinners wee are chiefe Lord thou knowest there is salvation in none other look not therefore on that which we have done or can perform but on that which hee hath done and suffered for us we are indeed subject to the curse for that we many waies transgresse thy holy lawes but therefore was thy holy Jesus made a curse for us that hee might redeem us from the curse of the Law that the blessing might come on us through him in our being made heires thereof and receiving the promise of the spirit the earnest and seale of our redemption through faith Wee condemne our selves that Christ may justifie us that we may be found in him not appearing in our owne righteousness which is at best but as a soon vanishing morning cloud and in the severity of thy judgement as a silthy polluted garment in which we could expect no other sentence then Depart yee cursed into everlasting fire therefore we renounce our selves that we may be clothed with his righteousnesse which is by faith in him
delighteth not in the death of sinners but in their conversion and as experience teacheth if wee may know who is welcome to the master of a family by the countenance and deportments of the servants and attendants then we may know how welcome a penitent sinner is to God by this that the Angels of heaven doe much rejoice at it 3. If he would have destroyed thee how often might he have taken thee away in thy sins but now that he giveth thee this time it is to lead thee to repentance that second table of ship-wrackt souls and to salvation Rom. 2. 4. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Ezek. 18. 21 30. Repentance is never too late if serious 4. He terrifieth with present sense of his anger against sinne that men may be stirred up to repentance and forsaking their sinne wherein they shall be more assured of the mercy of God and their salvation as the stormes often shaking the trees doe thereby more fasten them and give them better root so is it here as the windes purifie the aire and water by their agitation so doth God the mindes of his saints by afflictions feare of his judgments and sorrows 2 Cor. 7. 11. Psal. 119. 67 71. It is Gods mercy to terrifie thee now that thou maist repent and be saved the most unhappy condition of the sinner is when God concealeth his anger to the last and giveth the impenitent over as incorrigible Isai. 1. 5. so that if thou hadst no remorse of conscience thy case were desperate but this conflict in the soule concludeth another power in thee resisting finne whence thou maist be assured of thy regeneration because however weakly the spirit of God doth yet expresse it selfe to thee yet it is certain he can never be overcome 5. All men have sinned come short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus It is not therefore any mans own righteousnesse that must or can save him Blessed is the man whose sins are covered and to whom the Lord imputeth no sin not who hath no sinne for on those termes none could be blessed It is not in the geatnesse or smalnesse of the debt where 50. or 500. are equally forgiven and where an infinite Majestie if offended in the least Never any of the Saints were saved because they had lesse sins then thou who fearest Gods wrath because thine are great and appeare so to thy conscience because some they had and he that breaketh one commandement is guilty of all and subject to the curse of the law which is to those that continue not in all things written in the law to do them A little wound to the heart will as surely kill as the deepest and of the greatest orifice a shelfe of little sands will as surely bilge the ship as the greatest rocks a little postern gate unguarded will let in the enemy the smallest sinnes if not covered by faith and cured by repentance will destroy the soule When we consider Noah's drunkennesse David's murder and adultery Solomon's idolatry Manasses murder witch-craft and idolatry Paul's persecution Peter's denial of Christ it may appeare that these fell into the acts of some more grosse sinnes then thou canst charge thy conscience withall and that if Gods justice should proceed according to the rigour of his law no flesh living could be saved therefore is Christ the end of the law to every one that beleeveth as he was to Abraham David Peter Paul and all those that are saved when wee lay hold on him and his merits by Gods own covenant of grace the rigour and curse of the law is suspended hee therefore gave us Christ with this condition that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ for if God justifie who shall condemne 6. No sinne is so great as God's mercy and Christ's merit all actions of the creature are finite but his mercy and Christ's merit are infinite a drop holdeth some proportion with the sea because both are finite but finites with infinites hold none Feare not then if thou canst repent and beleeve there is balme in Gilead a plaister incomparably bigger then the wound onely despaire condemneth 7. Humility is the foundation of religion God giveth grace to the humble but resisteth the proud when the subtle tempter cannot prevaile in his perswasions to evil hee insinuateth himselfe into the minde of them who have done some good by his mischievous suggestions lifting it up to a secret admiration of the same untill it be deprived of grace and the fruit thereof The poore publican in his humility not daring to lift up an eie toward that heavenly Majesty he had so grievously offended having nothing to say but only God be merciful to me a sinner went home justified rather then the proud Pharisee who boasted of much sanctity Humility is the securest vertue pride the worme at the root of religion eating up the very life thereof now because it is a very hard thing for corrupt man to have any thing better then ordinary and not to be lifted up in minde above his opinion of others for the same therefore God justly permitteth his deare children sometimes to their own strength like a tender nurse a little with-drawing her hand from the childe to make it feele it owne weaknesse thereby to check a more dangerous presuming so that falling into some broad and disgraceful sinne they may learn in humility safely to distrust their own strength and depend upon God better was Peter weeping then presuming to lay down his life for Christs sake then he fell but now he rose again If the considerations of thy sinnes do throughly humble thee thou hast attained a good effect of a bad cause 8. God would have the great failings and grievous sinnes of some of his elect to stand upon record that wee might conclude from these instances as well as God's promises that if we can repent of sinnes as purple as they wee also shall finde mercy But this is here deeply considerable that wee never think of any of these to presumption but to move us to repentance and faith in him who freely forgiveth the penitent not the obstinate presumptuous sinner and is with nothing more offended then despair of his mercy which is a secret questioning the trueth of his promises and impenitency which is the undoubted issue of unbeliefe indeed there is no greater injury to God's mercy then in despair thereof to continue in sinne seeing his trueth is engaged for our pardon if we beleeve and repent he hath not said in vaine Isai. 1. 18. Though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow 9. Consider why hee sent Christ into the world because he
sinners death but his conversion Lord convert my soule remove my sins frame my heart affections and life according to thine own will thou who hearest the poor and despisest not the wretched captive visit all that are bound Lord our redeemer hear them in an acceptable time and help them in the day of salvation preserve the oppressed and despised of men say unto the prisoners Goe forth and to them that are in darknesse Shew your selves binde up the broken hearted proclaime liberty to the captives and opening the prison to them that are shut up comfort them that mourne let their deep sighing come before thee according to the greatnesse of thy power preserve thou them that are appointed to dye Lord lift thou up my head enlarge my feet bring me out of bondage that I may live to serve and praise thee in the assemblies of thy servants however thou pleasest to dispose of mee let all my sufferings redound to thy glory and my salvation give me patience to endure constancy to depend on thee firme faith to apprehend thy promises and hope to expect thy saving health Consider my weaknesse and lay no more upon mee then thou wilt enable mee to bear cheerfully sanctifie my afflictions and make them good to mee in the fruits of righteousnesse which thou hast laid up for all those who rest on thee Heare mee O Lord let my cry come unto thee and have mercy upon me through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN A Morning Praier for prisoners O Eternal and Almighty God Creator Preserver and Governer of all things in heaven and earth before whom the Thrones and Dominions Powers Cherubims and Seraphims vaile their faces with their wings not able to behold the brightnesse of thy Majesty nor to comprehend thy being known to none but thine owne infinite wisedome At the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure the earth is moved and the pillars of heaven doe tremble yet in thy unspeakable mercy thou vouchsafest to looke downe from thy throne of glory and to take care for man yea the poorest and most despised among the sonnes of men and not only to bow downe a gracious eare to their petitions but to command them to call upon thee that thou maist relieve and deliver them to this end hast thou made so many instances of that word of thine The fervent praier of the righteous availeth much Such praiers have divided the Seas and made their swelling waves stand on heapes beat down the armies of aliants stopped the mouthes of lions restrained the devouring flames opened and shut heaven made the Sunne and Moone stand still converted the revengeful malice of enemies into pity and compassion broken the heavy yokes of bondage shaken off the chaines opened the prison doores and delivered those that were appointed to death so that thou hast not in â—ain sayed Call upon mee in the day of thy trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Lord thy mercy is not changed thine arme shortened nor thine eare heavy only our sins have separated between thee and us this is that filthy leprosie over-spreading every part and faculty of our bodies and souls which hath covered our mouths and hindred our praies from thy graecious presence turning away thy merciful eares so that as wee have not hearkned when thou spakest unto us by thy Prophets to warn us from the waies of death and destruction so thou maist justly refuse to heare our cries But O Lord God if thy mercy could have been hindred by mans sin thou hadst never elected him to salvation for thou fore-sawest all things from eternity to all times to come If any evil could have overcome thy goodnesse thou hadst never redeemed us with so great a price as the blood of thy sonne Jesus for thou fore-knewest that they to whom thou sentest him as a redeemer would crucifie the Lord of life if the iniquity of an impious world could intercept thy bounty this sun should not shine nor thy rain descend upon the wicked neither wouldst thou have preserved us this night past that we might now meet to call upon thee for mercy and deliveraâ—ce if thy justice had not given place to mercy we therefore humbly acknowledge thy goodnesse and our own vilenesse and unworthinesse and for thy mercy sake beseech thee to pardon and put all our sins out of thy remembrance that they may no more appeare to provoke thine anger to our destruction O Lord we know not what or how to pray as wee ought help thou our infirmities by thy holy Spirit who maketh intercession for us according to thy will with groanings inuterable it is the same spirit of thine which indited the praiers of thy Prophets and Apostles by which they obtained such marvellous things which now also moveth in and for thy poore afflicted children crying unto thee Good Father give us that lively faith fervency and evidence of spirit to which thou who art the God of trueth and canst not deceive hast made the promise of audience and attaining Lord shew us the effects of that good word which saith Ask and you shall have Now give unto us that aske forgive us all our sinnes and give us an happy deliverance out of the pressures which lie so heavily upon us Give us peace with thee in the testimony of a good conscience and if it be thy holy will peace with all men as thou hast passed by us with fire storme and earth-shaking indignation so now speake unto us in the still voice of thy mercy and compassion Lord if it be possible let this cup of anger passe â—rom us if not thy will be done Give us patience and perseverance give the blessed issue who givest the bitter tryal consider whereof thou hast made fraile man Remember that wee are but poore dust and earth and as the grasse soon withering away deale with us so here that wee may not faile of living to thee in this life and with thee in that eternal life to come And now O Lord who causest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee wee bless thy holy name for thy gracious providence preserving of us this night past and giving us this present oportunity of presenting our supplications unto thee Good Father continue thy mercy to us and ours this day sanctifie us unto thy service direct all our thoughts words and actions so as that in the several waies of our callings they may all tend to the glory of thy holy name the good example of our brethren and the further assurance of our consciences before thee Lord blesse thy holy Church in all nations specially that which thy right hand hath planted in this Blesse Lord our several families let our innocency appeare as the light lift up our heads from these bonds and in thy good time restore us to them againe hear their praiers for us and ours for them and both for thy sonne Jesus sake O Lord who art the
God of all true consolation who defendest the fatherlesse and widowes leave them not comfortless be thou their guider and protector though thou pleasest to take us from them take not thy grace and holy spirit from us nor them and so thy will be done Blesse all those who any where suffer in the like durance with us blesse us all here present grant that wee may make a right use of our present afflictions that they may better us give us hearts to trust in thee what ever thou doest to us cheerfully to discern thy mercies in the midst of our corrections and ever to blesse thy holy name for that thou hast corrected and not given us over to final destruction Lord encline thine eare and heare Lord help us Lord consider in mercy and do it for Jesus Christ his sake in whose ever blessed name we conclude our petitions in that absolute forme of prayer which hee hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. AMEN An Evening praier for the same O Most gracious and glorious Lord God we do not here appear before thee with any confidence in our own merits being such in respect of our unhallowed thoughts corrupt words and sinful actions as that if there were neither in earth or heaven among men or Angels any witnesse of our iniquities our owne consciences would accuse and convict us and if there were no other judge our own hearts could not but condemne us and thou art greater then our hearts and nothing can be hid from thee the just and all-seeing judge of the living and the dead who must all stand before thy tribunal wee therefore in all humility of soules appeale from thy justice in which wee can looke for nothing lesse then death and destruction the due wages of sin unto the sanctuary of thy mercy there laying hold on that altar on which thy sonne Christ Jesus was offered up a living sacrifice for us who were dead in trespasses and sinnes hee is that lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world and that great Angel of the Covenant who in the precious censer of his merits offereth the praiers of the Saints as Sweet odors holy and acceptable to thee for his sâ—ke â—arden all our sinnes which have rendred us not onely lesse then the least of thy mercies but also worthy of thy severest judgments temporal and eternal for his sake let our complaints come before thee and from thy mercy seat 〈◊〉 thou our supplications which come not out of feigned 〈◊〉 but from the depth of our afflicted soules Trueth it is O Lord wee have procured all these miseries unto our selves and the bitternesse wherewith thou hast filled us is none other but the fruit of our owne inventions who have obstinately followed our owne vain and unprofitable waies refusing the guidance of thy good spirit and holy word recalling us to the paths of eternal life But O Lord God of mercy thou desirest not the death of sinners but that they may be converted and live thou art the sole fountain of holinesse every good and perfect giving descendeth from thee who art the father of light enlighten thou our understandings open our eies that wee sleep not in death sanctifie our depraved wills rectifie our sinful affections and subject them all to thine owne holy will and pleasure frame every faculty of our soules and bodies to a new and sincere obedience to thy law that wee may neither decline to the right hand nor to the left but may henceforth make strait steps to our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. In his name wee continue our supplications to thee in the behalfe of thy Church universal Lord gather dayly to her such as thou hast elected to salvation enlighten those who have not yet known thy name take off the vaile from the hearts of thy ancient people the Jewes that now neer the fulnesse of time they may see unto Christ the end of the law to every one that beleeveth both of Jewes and Gentiles shew more and more mercy in the confirmation of us whom thou hast called until our fulness be come in Discover and confound the man of sinne daily abolishing the mystery of iniquity by the brightnesse of thy coming the sword of the spirit and evident preaching the Gospel to all nations until thou shalt at thy second coming manifest thy selfe our Saviour and Redeemer and wipe all teares from our eies even so come Lord Jesus And now O Lord who lookest with a tender eie upon the pressures of thy servants let the sighing of the Prisoners come before thee and according to the greatnesse of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die be merciful to us here present before thee we have indeed at thy hands against whom wee have sinned deserved this rod but O our God correct us in mercy not in thine anger for what are wee in thy hands and who can stand before thee when thou art angry Wee have not rendred unto thee according to thy goodnesse wee have surfeited on the sweet blessings of peace and abused our liberties not valuing the benefit thereof but vainly reckoning it among our hereditary possessions as if it might never be taken from us when we had freedom to goe into the assemblies of thy children the places where thine honour dwelleth to hear thy word and present our supplications unto thee Lord how often have vain pleasures or worldly profits detained us or coming before thee how seldom have wee returned with any fruits of amendment therefore doest thou now teach us by wanting these comforts their estimate which wee would not know while wee enjoyed them But O good God seeing thy fatherly corrections are not to destroy but to amend us give us now good understanding by these chastisements give us discerning spirits that through these afflictions we may look up to the hand that smiteth us and by our corrections gain a true loathing and detestation of all the sins for which thou art displeased with us Lord if it may stand with thine honor enlarge and deliver us in mercy restore every man to his own family to the mutual comfort of us and ours that with them we may praise thy holy name and better serve thee then ever wee have done if otherwise Lord proportion our patience to our tryals forsake us not in our sad distresses be thou ever present with us that we may rest assured of thy mercies give us peace of conscience and a blessed freedom from the bondage of sin that wee may therein know that neither stone walls nor armed guards can shut thy holy spirit the comforter from us nor bar our praiers from ascending up to thee Lord as our tryals encrease encrease our comforts in thee so that as the more it rained the more the arke was listed up in which thou hadst enclosed those whom thou didst thereby save in a
thereof without the soules health Of what certainty or continuance is it at our best strength Are the flowers or bubles more fraile If we are wise we will not quarrell the bitternesse of the medicine so that wee may be recovered 13. Hereby we learne what we owed to God for health and in recovery what use to make thereof which is that wee be truely thankfull that we more holily employ the same knowing that God restored us not to sin that we accompt it lent us for a time to prove us ever remembring that wee must againe be sick and dye that wee betray not the good health which God hath restored us that we might serve him and be blessed to death and selfe-destruction by surfetting drinking gluttony lust this is no better then selfe-murder that wee learne in sommer to provide for winter in the calme against the storme in health against sicknesse 14. God doth herein that which he knoweth best for us though flesh and blood be impatient health hurteth many how much more happily had the theefe murderer adulterer been upon his sick bed then laying wait to sin Innocentius aegrotaret sceleratè sanus this good is in sicknesse it keepeth men more innocent 15. The hand that smiteth us should make us patient as Eli said it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good it cannot but bee best which he doth to his children he cannot erre who correcteth those he loveth it is great anger when he smiteth not where sin aboundeth without any apparent judgement as it was with Elies sons who hearkned not unto the voice of their father because the Lord would slay them 6 Fix thy soule affections on the life to come meditate on the resurrectioÌ„ of the dead eternall life where shall be no more sin death curse sicknes old age or infirmity where the tree of life Christ Jesus is in the midest to give eternall perpetuity of happines so shalt thou be more willing to leave this miserable inconstant world for heaven if God restore thee health thou wilt pay thy vowes and spend the remainder of thy life more cheerfully in his service The duties of them that visit the sicke are 1. To remember them of the state of all men in sinne and what neede they have of the grace in Christ thereby to move them to repentance an repaire of all injuries by them done to any 2 To recount to them the promises of God in Christ endeavouring to apply them to them and to exhort them to a chearfull confession of the faith to their own and others comfort and confirmation 3. To be instant with them that they be reconciled to all with whom they have had any enmity or contention 4. To dispose of their estates for the prevention of future controversies 5. To comfort them against the feare of death by those scriptures which have Gods promises for assistance in tryalls and and a serious pressing of the resurrection of the dead and state of future glory 6. To pray with them and for them 7. To moove them faithfully to vow if God restore them to live more holily and carefully or patiently to beare their tryalls and to expect constantly the salvation and deliverance of the Lord. A prayer for the sicke MOst holy iust and mercifull Lord God we thy unworthy servants according to thyne own gratious command and promise to heare us calling on thee in the day of our trouble now appearing before thee humbly acknowledge thy fatherly hand smiting us with sicknesse thy corrections are just and so allayed with mercy that thy chastisements are few to our numberlesse sinnes thou mightest sodainly haue smitten us with death the wages of sinne and given us no more warning after our many contempts of thy law threatning and thy gospell promising but haue permitted us to a sodaine perishing in our sins whome thy long suffering could not leade home to repentance now therefore in thy judgment remember mercy correct us not in thine anger chasten us not in thy heavy displeasure Thy holy sonne Jesus hath taught us to call thee Father O let his spirit assure us that our afflictions are but fatherly chastisments smiting that thou maist heale our soules let them be occasions to make us judge our selves that we may not be condemned with an impenitent world our soules have surfetted on the sweet blessings of health and it is but just that thou now smitest us with want thereof it is mercy by these stripes to shew us our sinnes and bring us to thy mercy seat to beg pardon and obtaine remission thou hast with inâ—inite invincible patience expected our repentance and amendment thou hast allured us with every daies favours powred out upon us when that prevailed not thou doest with greater mercy shew thy justice and compell us by thy chastisements to come unto thee we come now gratious Father as out-worne prodigalls driven home by necessity but it is because when thou sawest us far off in our sinnes and miseries thou madest hast to meet us with thy preventing grace and embraced'st us with thy fatherly mercy and what can wee now say more then that we have sinned against heaven and against thee and are no more worthy to be called thy sonnes have mercy on us turne thy face from our sinnes blot out all our iniquities heale our soules cloath us with the best robe of thy righteousnesse make us as the meanest in thy kingdome doe thy will with us in health or sicknesse life or death only let us be thine It was thy eternall counsaile to redeeme sinfull man by thy sonne Christ Jesus by his righteousnesse to kill sinnes in the flesh to give us eternall life by his death and thou hast accomplished it in the appointed time it remaineth only that thou wilt be pleased to apply the assurance thereof to our consciences that after our afflictions we may enjoy the quiet fruits of righteousnesse the end of our faith salvation of bodies and soules O Lord we could looke for nothing but rejection from thy gracious presence for ever if we were to appeare before thee in our deservings but now that we come in the spotlesse robe of thy sonne Christ his righteousnesse wee are confident of the blessing because thou art faithfull in thy promises for his sake cover our sinnes let thy justice be satisfied in his merit seale up the assurance of our pardon by the spirit of truth which cannot deceave us make us fruitfull in all those workes which may give a comfortable testimony to our consciences that we are thine give us strength to fight the good fight finish our course and keep the faith against the fallacies of Satan corruptions of flesh and blood and seducements of an evill worldt o continue grounded and established that wee may be certaine that for us is laid up that immortall crowne of Righteousnesse which thou wilt give at the last day to all that love thy
appearing meane time make us patient cheerefully to endure our trialls give us hearts rightly composed to wait all the daies of our lives till our changing come And now O gracious Father though wee are most unworthy to speake unto thee for our selves yet seeing thou hast commanded us to call upon thee one for another with promise that the prayers for the righteous shall be available if they be fervent so that they shall save the sick that thou wilt raise them up and if they have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven them we humbly pray thee for this our sick brother Lord assure him of his sinnes remission by the merits of Christ Jesus give him that peace of conscience and inward comfort of thy holy spirit which may manifest thy favour and mercy to him There is nothing impossible to thee which thou wilt doe heare therefore and have mercy on him only speake the word and blesse the meanes that he may be healed if otherwise thou hast determined thy holy will be done Lord who canst make all things happy to thy children give him patience meekely to beare thy fatherly hand remember whereof thou hast made fraile man consider his infirmity measure out his tryalls with that tender hand which best knoweth how to proportion the affliction to that strength which thy selfe hast given him O Lord God of all comfort leave him not comfortlesse but as the outward man decayeth strengthen the inward suffer not the malicious tempter to cast down or shake his confidence in Christ Jesus let not the sonne of violence come neere him as thou hast all his life time from his mothers wombe unto this present given thyne angells charge over him to pitch their tents about him so be pleased in this time of tryall to open to him the eie of faith whereby he may cleerely perceive that they are more and stronger with him then can be against him send the holy spirit the comforter to his afflicted soule to bring to memory and apply all these gracious promises which thou hast made thine elect Blessed Jesus who hast therefore taken our fraile nature on thee that thou mightst have experience of our miseries who best knowest what it is to dy having in thyne own death and bitterest passion overcome death and him that had the power thereof to deliver us from sinne and destruction the bitter fruite and effect therof now appeare his comforter assuring him of his interest in thy sufferings give him such a sense of thy mercy that the gates of hell may never prevaile against it such experience of the life of thy spirit and power by which thou didst rise againe from the dead that hee may certainely know that his Redeemer liveth and shall at last shew the same power in his resurrection in which he shall with the rest of thine elect at the voyce of the last trumpet be raised from the dust of the earth to meet thee in the clouds of heaven to see thee with those now languishing eyes which must at and to the appointed time be cloased to sleep in thee that hee may rest from his labours And now O Lord who hast hid from us the houre of our dissolution that we might alwaies expect thee let thy good spirit which sleepeth not set a carefull watch over every one of our soules that we may never sleepe without oyle in our lamps but be ready at thy appearance to enter with thee into thy kingdom where all sorrow shall cease in the fulnes of joy faith in the fruition of thy promises and this state of misery and corruption in a never ending life of glory and immortality Lord heare and help us Lord grant us these requests and whatsoever else thou knowest more needfull what thou hast promised or we should aske for thy Sonne Christ Jesus sake in whose words and mediation we conclude our imperfect prayers Our Father which art in heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Thanksgiâ—ing for health recovered O Lord God gracious and mercifull aboundant in goodnesse and truth heaven and earth sound out thy praise all thy creatures tasting of thy providence and preservation praise thee and what have I more to present thee with them what can I lesse then my humble and hearty thanks for thy tender mercy toward me whom thou hast therefore delivered from sicknesse and sorrowes of death that I might yet live to glorifie thy name among the living and for the comfort of others to declare what thou hast done for my poore soule how thou hast raised me by casting mee down and healed me by wounding an afflicted conscience with a terrible sense of thy severe judgements how thou didst sanctify my sicknesse by giving me an heart to looke up to thy fatherly hand which smote me to acknowledge my sinnes for which thou correctedest me to repent me of the same assured of thy mercy in Christ Jesus to resolve and vow to forsake all my sinfull waies to doe a more holy and faithfull endeavour to serve and please thee And now O Lord I humbly pray thee enlarge my heart and tongue to praise and glorifie thy holy and great name all things are of thee and what can any creature give thee but of thine owne hand Lord give mee that sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving which may be acceptable to thee that I may henceforth not onely speake but live thankefully and holily before thee that I may pay my vowes which I made in my distresse and feare so that it may be good for me that I have beene afflicted that I may in all temperance and godlinesse make a right use of health restored me and of the daies which thou addest to my life to thy glory and the comfortable assurance of my conscience both in life and death That thou who hast begun to shew mercy maist be pleased to continue the same in thy gratious preservation of me so that at my last houre which thou hast appointed me the former experience of thy mercy may give me a sound hope and full assurance that thou wilt keepe me unto and in my end that when this house of clay shall be dissolved I shall rest with my Saviour Jesus Christ untill the time determined to raise the dead in him to the life of glory in which our Forerunner now sitteth at thy right hand to whom with thee O Father of mercy and God of all consolation and the holy spirit bee rendred all honour praise and glory in Heaven and on Earth for ever and ever AMEN A Prayer for the sicke of the Plague O Allmighty God great and terrjble in thy judgments yet of infinite mercy and compassion to those who truly seeke thee wee humbly acknowledge that not only this plague wherein thou now afflictest this land is due unto our sinnes but also allother thy severe judgments to our destruction and desolation and to whome shall we seek for helpe but to the whome we haue so continually
provoked by our sinnes O Lord thou art a God of mercy and wouldst not destroy but the importunitie of our sinnes hath put this heavy rod into thy hands and our iniquities have so much dâ—faced thy glorious Image in us that thou maist justly hide away thy face from our miseries no more owne us for thy Children but O Lord our onely hope is in the merit and mediation of thy sonne Jesus Christ whome thou gavest to death for us it is he O Lord who beareth all our names in his secret brest-plate it is he that appeareth hefore thee for us let our petitions ascend to thy throne of mercy like sweet incense from the precious censer of his merits it is he who standeth betweene the living and the dead O let this plague which now consumeth us be stayed Lord looke not on our sinnes but his merits in whome thou art well pleased for his sake in whome we beleeve and whose holy name we beare say unto the destroying angell it is enough cause him to sheath the sword againe and let this plague cease Lord God of all consolation comfort all those whom thou hast smitten with the infection heale them that they may recover and praise thy glorious name however thou shalt be pleased to deale with their mortall bodies speake peace to their soules and save them give them full assurance of thy mercy and their redemption in Christ Jesus let thy holy spirit the comforter ever remaine with them to prâ—serue them against all the malitious assaults of the adversary that he may never make his advantages on their surrowes infirmities or the distracting and astonishing violence of their disease comfort them at the last gaspe and breathing out their afflâ—cted soules with present sense and assurance of the eternall joyes in thy Kingdome free from death sicknesse sorrow feare and all the wretched effects of sinne preserue those whom thou hast hitherto spared let no plague come nigh their dwelling and make them in their preservation understand that thou only hast kept them to serve thee more carefully and thankefully and to shew mercy to those who are visited and shut up Lord heare and help us Lord spare thy people and restore us health that we may glorifie thy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN A Thanksgiving at the ceasing of the plague GRatious God and mercifull Father we are come before thee with an humble and hearty desire to present an acceptable sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving unto thy holy Majestie for all thy gracious mercies spirituall and temporall bestowed upon us unworthy of the least of them it was thy free mercy not our merit that electedst us when we were not that thou createdst us to thine own holy image that thou redeemest us that thou didst sanctify and justify us that thou hast preserved us sparing us when now thy fierce wrath came our against us in a noisome and devouring pestilence that thou was pleased to regard our teares and accept our unworthy humiliation all this was thy free mercy had we suffered as we have all deserved not one of the multitude apearing before thee this day had beene left alive to have praised thee And now O thou Saviour of Israel in the time of trouble and the blessed preserver of man whose mercies are as the unsounded deeps and can never be drawn dry give us sanctified bodies and soules that we may render them which thou hast redeemed from death a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto thee Lord who hast the key of David who sang thy praises opening so that none can shut open our lips that our mouths may shew forth thy praise that we may now pay all our vows in our distresse and feare made unto thee As thou hast put a new song of thansgiving into our mouthes so give us new hearts new obedience new lives and conversations renew thy covenant with us and with our children to be our God and protector untill thou shalt be pleased to translate us to that Kingdome of thy Sonne where shall be joy secure from feare of loosing health without sicknesse life without death blessednesse without all measure or end where we whose hearts and soules this day praise thee shall with thy holy angels sing eternall Hallelu-jahs to the glory of thy great name through the merits of thy holy Son Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the Holy Ghost the Comforter be rendred all honour praise thanksgiving and glory in heaven and earth this day and to all eternity AMEN Another forme of thanksgiving on the like occasion O Lord God Father of mercy and compassion we humbly acknowledge that our sinnes have beene so great and grievous that when thy wrath went out against us in thy late dreadfull visitation by the plâ—gue of pestilence it might justly have consumed us the aged with the infant the mother with the child untill thou hadst laid our habitations wast and our cities without inhabitants but seeing thou hast been pleased to remember mercy in the midst of thy judgements and to spare our lives from destruction we can do no lesse nor more then present our humble and hearty thankes unto thee in the congregation of thy people what shall wee give thee for all thy mercies what can we seeing our goods are nothing unto thee we have nothing but thankes to returne thee nor could we that except thou gavest us hearts and tongues so to doe Lord make us thankfull give us that we may give thee again and be acceptable unto thee fill our hearts with thy feare and love and our mouthes with thy praise let it come up into thy presence as the sweete incense from the Censer of the great Angell of thy covenant Christ Jesus Be thou pleased through his mediation to smell a favour of rest that thy severe judgements may be turned to mercies and fatherly corrections for our amendment that wee may truely profit thereby that we may feare and reverence thy just judgements and praise thee for thy elemency and mercy which thou hast shewed unto us in this deliverance Particularly we blesse thy holy name for these thy servants who now appeare before thee with their sacrifice of praise end thonkesgiving for that thou hast spared and delivered them from the grave and destruction which was come up into their houses Lord now grant them true thankefulnesse with holy and constant resolutions to spend the remainder of their daies to the glory of thy great name and good example of their brethren And seeing thou hast given us all the same argument of thankesgiving whom thou hast preserved and kept further off from the noisome contagion we pray thee also to accept our oblation of praise set our hearts to meditate and our tongues to sound out those praises to thy holy name which wee shall through thy mercy in Christ sing to thee for ever in the sacred Quieres of Saints and Angells in thy kingdome of glory
179. l 11. had perished 204. l. 8. strings of musiâ—all ib. l. 23. therefore 1 in every ib. l. 26. ease of sorrows 213. l. 1. haâ—e some remission 216. l. 6. so Haman 229. l. 12. in any creature may be defeated p. 246. l 4. who cannot give 249. l. 24. his posterity ib. l. 29. repaire 252. l. 11. the same speâ—ch as reason 259. l. 12. seasonable 260. l. 16. his by just meanes 261. l. 31. themselves heires thereof 268. l 31. for or by any 273. l. 16. see thee impious 288. l. 19. there is compulsion 295. l. 19. to foment discord 296. l 14. with discretion 300. l. 18. did I desire a son 306. l. 33. or fatherly 307. l. 6. is no easier The prudent Reader may be pleased to amend other light slips and mispointings as the sense requireth A GVIDE TO THE HOLY CITY c. CHAP. 1. Concerning the necessity of a Christians aiming at a right end in all his actions 1 THere is an end of every action and intention which as the rudder of the ship though it come last is first purposed and guideth â—he whole course 2 By the instinct of Nature every thing worketh to some end which shewes is the perfection thereof to which what ever is not conducing is uselesse especiaâ—ly reasonable creatures who have Will and Preëlection among them they propose to themselves more divine and excellent ends of their desires and actions who understand the cheife good to be attained true and â—ternall blessednesse in Christ are regenerate and repaired by the holy Spirit and wisdome of God 3 In every undertaking propose some certaine end and before thou enterprise examin that diligently run not on at adventure as children use in some unknown path till they loose themselves but carefully look to what end the way thou takest â—eadeth thee consider seriously what danger or profit is therein who knowes not that the end of sin cannot be happy because there remaineth something after it And that the end of the just man shall be peace at last The cause why so many run the broad way to destruction and so few the strait to eternall life must principally be want of a due forecasting what will be the end of that they doe fixing their hearts on the present evill which pleaseth them they regard not the misery which followeth their tasting the forbidden fruit but for its sake wilfully shut their eyes against their dangers or seeing and thinking them much lesse or the recovery more easie they desperatly venture in vaine hope of repentance and pardon and on the other part beeing too sensible of the difficulties which beset the way to heaven they doe not enough consider their future blessednesse and therefore either faint in their trialls their heart saying with prophane Esau Lo I am almost dead what is then this birthright to me Or doting on this world resolve to settle their affections hereon this is the Jazer and Gilead which they would were their portion 4 The supreame and best end of all is Gods glorie into which ocean all desires and actions of the reasonable creature must emptie themselves subordinate hereto is the true blessednesse of the elect in the fruition of God the fountaine of all good in the life to come which naturall men mistaking sought in pleasures riches and such things as the world adoreth whereas indeed all those things if they could have met in one man should have come as short of making him truly happy as the intended top of Babel would have been from landing the builders in heaven 5 The way to this end is true holinesse that is faith ad obedience the end of the Commandement without faith apprehending Christ for our justification no workes are more acceptable to God then Cains sacrifice the sacrifice of the wicked Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne And without obedience there is no justifying faith Faith without workes is dead it saith as once barren Rahel give me Children or I die 6 That which we are to beleeve and obey is the infallible truth of God the first and second trueth God and his oracles and his will concerning our salvation sufficient to make a man wise there to revealed in his word the word and testimonie of man may be the ground of opinion which is of things probable but faith can stand on nothing but the word of God which is infallibly certaine and can have no falshood in it because he cannot ly this is contained in the bookes of the Old and New Testament this is a sure word 2. Pet. 1. 16. 19. for it was indited by the Spirit of God 2. Tim 3 16. 2. Pet 1 21 the same is the rule of obedience like the clowdie Pillar leading Israël into their promised rest Num 14 14 and the star to lead the wise men to Christ Math 2 9 whosoever will be saved must follow this guid hee that walketh without this gâ—eth like those Israëlites Num 14 40 to the Mountaine of the Canaanites to their own destruction for the Lord is not with him 7 That which is the object of faith is comprehended in the Creed which is the summe of the Gospell our obedience to God is set downe in the Law the summe whereof is love to God and to our neighbours Luk 10 27 28 The Prayer MOst gratious and most holy Lord God who dwelling in unaccessible light of Majestie and glory hast yet been pleased to manifest thy infinite power and unsearchable wisdome in all thy creatures especially those who thou hast created to thine own image to praise and glorifie thee in their eternall participation of thy divine blessednesse Give us true wisdome to consider the end for which thou hast made us make us truely understand that thy glory is incomparably better then all the creatures and our salvation then all the world Lord open our eyes that we sleep not in death let not the transitory dreames of this present life beguile us let not the malitious temper so prevaile upon our infirmities as â—o cause us sâ—curely to run on in the easie way to destruction but gratious Lord as thou hast appointed the end our eternall life so be pleased to dispose the meanes which may lead us thereto Thou canst as easily make us holy as command us to be so Lord therefore make us such as thou hast commanded us to be make us faithfull to beleeve in thee and obedient to serve and please thee as thou hast in thy great and tender mercy given thy holy word to be a light and true guid unto us so blessed Lord give us of the same spirit by which it was endited which may lead us into all truth and holinesse and these daies of sinne being ended into that holy and blessed inheritance which thou hast prepared for all those whâ—m thou hast elected to eternall
life and salvation through JESUS CHRIST our onely Saviour and Redeemer to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory ascribed in heaven and earth henceforth and for ever AMEN CHAP II. Of Religion and Faith § 1 Of true Religion wherein it consisteth § 2 Of Faith and those things which concerne the same THere is no nation so inhumane and barbarous but it pretendeth to some religion and worship divine Satan cannot put out all the light of conscience still there is a slender remainder which sheweth the very wicked that there is a God therefore he hath ever laboured to beguile men with false religions or corruptions of the true 2 True Religion is the right worship of the true God in imitation of his holinesse all other worship not agreeing with his revealed will is profanation and irreligion this is life eternall to know God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ. He that will with such knowledge come unto him must beleeve that he is no man hath seen Gods essence that is greater then any finite apprehension so that we walke by faith not sight and therefore Christ when he had assumed a visible nature for the worke of our redemption would not long be conversant on earth in his publike ministry that our salvation might not be in sense but beleeving and blessed are they which have not seene and have beleeved 3 Concerning faith these things are considerable 1. What it is 2. Whence it is 3. Whose it is 4. How necessary it is 5. How excellent it is 6. Of what measure it is 7. What we must doe concerning it 8. What is the object thereof 1 Faith is the evidence of things not seene and the substance of that we hope for it is a grace and guift of Gods spirit whereby we assent to the word of God and apply the promises thereof to our selves it cannot be forced it is wrought in our minde by perswasion not compulsion faith is by hearing this is the unchangeable rule thereof one and the same forever 2 Faith is the worke of Gods spirit in us applying the promises bearing witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God opening the hearts of hearers to the word preached and Sacraments administred Paul may plant and Apollos water but except God give the encrease who shall beleeve their report The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit neither can he without a spirituall eie they shall seeme foolishnesse to him so that Paul and Apollos are but the ministers by whom we beleeve as the Lord gives to every man 3 All have not faith many talk of it and professe it but as the heathens among the multitude of their Gods made Faith a Goddesse and were farre from beleeving in God faith here intended is the White stone with a new name written which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it a peculiar of the elect as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved the seale and earnest of the spirit of promise therefore though we are taught to say our father give us forgive us yet in profession of our faith we say I beleeve in God c. we must pray one for another but every man must beleeve for himselfe 4 The necessitie of faith appeareth in that 1 the just shall live by it Heb 2. 4. 2. By faith onely we are justified Rom 3. 28. 3. Without Faith it is impossible to please God whatsoever is not of faith is sin 4. God hath appointed this meanes for us to take hold on the merits of Christ that we may be saved 5 The excellency of faith is in that it apprehendeth that is Christ and in him the unspeakable treasure of Gods mercy peace of conscience reconciliation with God remission of our sinnes indemnity from the guilt and punishment thereof justification sanctification in fine all things which concurre to the accomplishment of an happy man it is the rocke against which the gates of hell shall not prevaile the shield against the spirituall enimie it stiled Abraham Gods freind and us his sonnes it is the sanctuary of a troubled spirit the first fruits of the heavenly Paradise the effect and cause of illumination the eye which enlightneth the conscience if we beleeve we shall understand commendable is that faith which beleeveth that all the word of God is true and to be obeyed before it understandeth the particulars faith made Noah an Arke to preserve mankinde in gave Abraham possession of Canaan it hath subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnes obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire delivered from the sword made men strong of weake and valiant in battle it is the doore keeper of heaven it lets in the theeâ—e from the crosse the Bathsheba which can have no repulse Whatsoever yee aske if yee beleeve yee shall receive it it is in effect all the world all things are yours the world and life were made for the Saints it is that one thing with which we have all things without which nothing it giveth us confident entrance to God and salvation of our selves through Jesus Christ. 6 The measures of true faith are divers yet sufficient to every one to salvation as 't is written he that gathered much had no superfluity and he that gathered little had no want In all ages God gave some great and eminent measures of faith as to the Prophets Apostles and Martyâ—s not that they should by their greater faith obtaine greater salvation then we who have received a farre lesse measure but because God appointed them to encounter greater tryalls to his honour and that the example of their constancie might be helpfull to our infirmitie as in the body of man there are veines sinewes flesh and bones to strenghthen all these not that the bones have more life then these so is the mysticall body of Christ 't is certaine that weake faith may lay sure hold on Christ and therefore be a saving faith yea the power of God is perfected in mans infirmitie to conclude it is not the merit of faith but of Christ apprehended by faith which saveth us so God crowneth his owne gifts in us 7 We must 1 examine our faith 2. Use the ordinance of God for the attaining it as hearing the word and receiving the sacraments praying c. They best know what need we have of frequent examination of our selves herein who are deeply sensible of their owne wants to them who are deluded with false lights tentations of security there appeareth no want either of faith in them selves or examination of their faith That we may examine profitably we must knowe there is a common faith which reprobates may have and it is
either historicall such as the devill hath Jam 2. 19. or temporary Math. 13. 20. Act 8. 13. and this is either faith of miracles or a temptation of security for the devill himselfe will perswade obstinate sinners that they beleeve and are therefore sure of salvation that he may keep them without charity which is the life of religion and that one thing without which faith is dead perswade them to sin securely And there is also a sanctifying justifying lively faith proper to the elect only this purifyeth the heart gives us the adoption of sonnes and everlasting life concerning this faith we enquire and because the heart is so deceitfull and Satan suitable to teach hypocrisie so neerely to resemble true grace it highly concerneth every man seriously to examin whether his faith be true or counterfeit to which purpose take these rules Examin 1 Whether the more thou art perswaded concerning the assurance of thy salvation the more thou lovest God for his own sake and thy brethren for Gods sake Some vainely dreame of justifying faith though their conscience tells them they love but some for fashion sake or their own ends for Gods sake few if any and God onely as far as they hope he will blesse them that faith onely is available which worketh by love without which it is no more alive then a man without heat 2 Whether the more assurance of Gods mercies in Christ thou hast the more thou desirest to be further confirmed Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied 3 Whether the more thou beleevest the more humble thou art God giveth grace to the humble when Paul was by Gods mercy brought out of his ignorance and unbeleefe he was not ashamed to acknowledge that which being in sin he would not have done of sinners I am chiefe True faith can no more be without humility then an house witohut a foundation the proud hypocrite resteth so securely upon his fruitlesse faith that he contemneth other men as if none were holy but himselfe and some few of his society which he vainely conceaveth have engrossed the infinite grace and spirit of God which freely and secretly worketh where others cannot judge thereof 4 Whether the greater perswasion thou hast of thy beleeving the deeper sense also thou hast of thy sanctification true faith is such a lively grace that it cannot be inactive where the natuall life is it will shew it selfe by some evident effects and so must the life of Grace to our consciences therefore the Apostle maketh the quaere know you not your owne selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates intimating that the regenerate and true believers doe indeed know and feele by comfortable effects that the Spirit of Jesus is in them for as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God which walke not after the flesh and if we walke in the spirit we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh by which thou must examine thy faith 5. Whether after many trials feares and doubtings doth the Spirit of God still returne and comfort thee so that thy faith is more assured after trials then before True faith like the needle of a compasse in the severall boords tacks and agitations of the ship at sea never resteth till it returne to its owne point and fixeth on the mercy of God againe as 't is written I was in misery and he saved me returne unto thy rest O my soule 6 Lastly examine the conclusions suggested to thy minde with the hope of salvation men shall sometimes have a chearfull perswasion that they are the elect servants of God and therefore shall be saved but yet have Naamans exceptives frequent in their resolutions to sinne God pardon thy servant in this upon this abused promise of God whosoever believeth not shall perish not considering that 't is no true faith which impropriateth the gift of God to wantonnesse or any purpose to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season but a dangerous tentation of security a meere snare of Satan perswading men that they have certaine interest in Gods promises that he might keepe them in some knowne sinne But if thy heart say thus I believe seeing therefore God hath shewed me this great mercy working this comfortable perswasion in me I will be more and more carefull of my waies that I may not offend so good a God and grieve his holy Spirit whereby he hath sealed me up to redemption I will strive to make my calling and election sure that an entrance into the eternall Kingdome of our Lord Jesus Christ may be more abundantly administred to me I will heartily endeavour to follow the guidance of his good Spirit who hath translated me from the kingdome of sinne and darknesse of ignorance into light and the kingdome of his dear Sonne by some measure of sanctiâ—ication that I may make an end of my salvation with feare and trembling such a resolution is an undoubted adjunct of true faith purifying the heart slesh and bloud can never give this perswasion or resolution and Satan will not for though he will be contented to present some seeming good if he may thereby perswade a secure man to some reall evill yet 't is farre from his nature to move to good for any good end for this were to divide and ruine his owne kingdome and whole designe which is to make all others confederates in his rebellion and as desperate castawaies as himselfe It remaineth therefore that the Spirit of God against whose worke and purpose the gates of hell can never prevaile must be the sole Author of this perswasion and resolution I believe and therefore will doe my uttermost endeavour to be more holy then ever I have beene 7. Concerning the meanes to be used in the Word and Sacraments for the attaining of this faith I shall speake in its owne place 8. The Object of faith is the truth of God revealed in holy Scripture teaching us his will concerning our salvation the summe whereof are the Articles of our beliefe of which in the following Chapters A Prayer for Faith O Lord God of the spirits of just men Father of lights from whose fulnesse descendeth every good and perfect gift We humbly acknowledge our owne miserable hardnesse of heart wilfull obstinacy and disobedience to thy holy Word hath continually provoked thy justice to give us over to strong delusions and beliefe of lies to our owne destruction that the vaile should be laid over our hearts when we reade or heare the word of promise that Satan should be suffered to blind us that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ might not shine unto us and that we might not be able to discover our interest in thy promises nor make any assured claime to the merits of thy
perish so long as thou reignest over all The next is his comming to judge the quicke and the dead properly annexed to the foregoing because he so sitteth at Godâ—s right hand as that he both exerciseth the patience of the elect under the crosse and long permitteth the wicked enemies to insult over them to comfort us herein 't is necessary to beleeve that Christ who now sitteth at God's right hand will thence come to judge all men those whom he shall finde surviving who shall be changed in a moment at the sound of the last trump and the dead raised againe all elect and reprobate some to eternall absolution from sin and death and others to eternall shame and destruction of bodies and soules This judgement shall be of all our thoughts words and actions the books shall be opened and every secret thing manifested the evidence of every fact shall speak as Abels blood did The time of this judgment shall be at the second comming of Christ the particular yeare or day no creture knoweth neither the son of man himselfe here knew it in the state of humiliatioÌ„ nor need it seem strang how being God and man in one person the manhood could be ignorant of any thing the deity being omniscient seeing he tooke on him all our infirmities sinne excepted amongst which natiue ignorance was not a little one therefore t is said that from his childhood he encreased in wisedome which no infinite can doe and why shall I not as easily beleeue that there was a vaile of the slesh betweene the deity and humane soule intercepting some light of knowledge as I certainly know there was intercepting the present sense of his fathers assistance and of the comfort of the deity in his passion when he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The signes of this judgements approach are 1. preaching the Gospell to all Nations 2. revelation of the man of sinne 3. a generall departing from the faith 4. Universall corruption of manners 2 Tim. 3. 1. 5. warres and rumours of warres 6. hardnesse of heart so that no importunity of the lowdest sonnes of Thunder can awake men out of sinne as it was in the dayes of Noah 7. Calling of the Jewes Rom. 11. 25. The signe which shall accompany the comming of Christ shall be the signe of the sonne of man in heaven Math. 24. 30. The Summe is Christ shall come againe to judge all men Act. 17. 31. Math. 25. 31. Jud. 14. 14. 1 Thes. 4. 16. and Math. 24. 30. where he joyneth the declaration of the judgement with the prediction of Jerusalems destruction to the end that men might be assured of the judgement to come by that which they saw or knew fulfilled in that City Concerning the place whether in the valley of Jehoshaphat or the time and lasting of this great Assizes the manner of proceeding and the like it is vaine to enquire after that which God hath not revealed specially seeing his word directeth to make better use hereof 1 To deterre men from sinne in respect of the inevitable terrour of that day 2 Not to judge one another Rom 14. 1 Cor 4. 5. 3 To prepare because the day is neere fearing God Eccles 12. 14. Rev 14. 7. keeping a good conscience Act 24. 15 16. watching that we may lift up our heads at that day Luk 22. 28. 35 36. Repenting Act 17. 30 31. Without delay 2. Pet 3. 2. Loving one another 1. Joh 3. 18. 19. That wee may assure our hearts before him and have boldnesse in the day of judgment 1. Joh 4. 17. Comforting our selves in all our sufferings our Saviour shall be our judge and who shall condemne us seeing he died to acquit us He cannot but avenge for us though he suffer long therefore we must be patient expecting his sentence Come yee blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you A Prayer O Lord God of mercy and compassion who in thy eternall and infinite love to man gavest thy onely Sonne to become man to take experience of our miseries to be tempted in all things like us sinne onely excepted and to suffer the severity of thy wrath against us sinners by offering him up a living sacrifice for us who were dead in trespasses and sins the just for the unjust that by his stripes we might be healed and hast revealed unto us that great mystery of godlinesse so much desired of the faithfull from the beginning the inestimable riches of thy grace and mercy hid from all ages unto the fulnesse of time God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seene of Angells preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world and received up into glory make us truly thankefull to thee for all thy unspeakeable favours give us true faith to apprehend and finde our interest in him with assurance that he is our God and Saviour O ever blessed Jesus whose name is as sweet ointment powred forth whom the Virgin soules therefore love draw us that we may runne after thee let the annointing which we have received of thee whereby we have the honour to be called and to be Christians and the happinesse to be enlightned with thy truth and led in thy paths abide in us and teach us all things necessary for the advancement of thy glory and our salvation let it bee like that precious nard wherewith thou wast imbalmed against the day of thy death to fill our hearts and affections with that comfortable savour of life unto life that thou maist wholy season us dwell in us and be all in all with us that the merit of thy death and vertue of thy resurrection may both mortify all our sinfull corrupt affections and raise us to the life of righteousnesse that dying to sinne governed here by thy power to which all things are committed in heaven and earth and hereafter acquitted by thy finall sentence when thou shalt come to judge the living and the dead we may at last come to the perfect union with thee in a full view and eternall enjoying of thee and thy blessed presence who hast suffered all these things to redeeme us and to purchase the kingdome prepared for us from eternity that wee may attaine that true blessednesse in the which thy holy Gospell hath preached unto us Grant this through thy mercies O heavenly Father thy merits O gracious Lord Jesus and thy assistance O holy Spirit three persons one onely wise omnipotent and immortall God to whom belongeth all honour glory praise might Majestie and dominion in heaven and earth from this time forth and to endlesse eternitie AMEN CHAP. VI. § 1. What we are to beleeve § 2. Rules thereto belonging 1 ALL knowledge of God the Father and Sonne with man can attaine to availeth him not except it be made good to him by a blessed application thereof to himselfe wrought by the
of death I will sing my nune dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace securely may hee dare Death and Hell Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory who can indeed say Thankes be unto God which giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. Confesse and repent thee of all thy sinnes that is forsake them and thou shalt find mercy if thou hidest them under any pretence of merit or pleading not guilty thou canst not prosper God's family saith not I am whole but heale mee O Lord and I shall be whole repentance is the second table after the shipwracke of our soules wee read that Peter after his fall repented wee read hee wept wee read not that hee satisfied repentance is no cause but a condition of our pardon without which it cannot be obtained because God is just as well as mercifull if God should forgive before we repent it were approbation of the fact rather then mercy nor could it stand with his justice This repentance is 1. in knowledge of our sinne without which we cannot repent therefore David prayeth Lord open mine eyes that I sheep not in death it is a fearfull judgement of God not to know our sinnes that we may repent The first degree of happinesse is not to sinne the second to knowe our sinnes there in entire innocency to save here followeth the medicine to heale 2. In hearty sorrow for all our sinnes without which we doe not repent 3. In a constant change of the minde purpose to sinne no more and forsaking our evill waies 't is not only in saying God be mercifull to me but in turning to him that hee may shew mercy who had not had any Saint had hee not pardoned sinners therefore the Prophet bids us search and try our waies turne againe unto the Lord. 3. Apply the word of God home to thy conscience that thou maist understand thy sinne and misery comming on thee and be toucht at heart as Peters hearers were Act 2. 37. 4. Pray earnestly to God to take away the stony heart which hindereth thy repentance and the comfortable effects thereof this lieth like the cover on the wells mouth at Padan Aram till it be roled away the flocks cannot bee watred the rocks at Horeb could not yeeld a drop of water till the rod of God smote it nor can mans harder heart one teare of faithfull repentance untill God touch it 5. Beware of living in or relapsing into any knowne sinne least the end be worse then the beginning in such case it had beene better for thee not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse then after the knowledge thereof to returue with the dog to the vomit 6. Be sure thou forgive 't is the condition of remission of thy sinne which Christ annexeth to thy petition for forgivenesse as we forgive them that trespasse against us and repeateth it to teach us the necessitie thereof for if we forgive them their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you but if yee forgive not â—neither will your father forgive your trespasses malice is strange fire which never came from heaven no sacrifice of prayer can be acceptable therewith be resolved then seeing thy daily infirmities put thee upon a daily asking mercy to shew it that thou maist find it that thou be not with the evill servant who would receive but shew no pitty delivered to the tormentors for the exaction of that which thou canst never satisfie A Prayer for repentance and remission of sinnes O Lord God of mercy and compassion slow to anger and more ready to forgive then we can be to beg pardon forgive us all our sinnes which we have at any time committed in thought word or action give us hearts to consent and obay that thou maist bee pleased according to thyne owne gratious promise to make our scarlet sinnes white as snow to take away those filthy habits where with we are naturally clothed and to put us on the robe of Christ's innocency give us hearty and unfeigned repentance of all our sins that we may abandon all our evill vaine and unprofitable waies whereby we have provoked thy wrath against our owne soules Seale up our pardon by the certaine testemonie of thy spirit of truth which cannot deceave in a comfortable peace of conscience and assurance of our reconciliation by the merits of our Lord Jesus Give us security on the second table of repentance who have unhappily let goe the first of innocency As thou hast in the pretious blood of thy deare sonne Jesus cancelled the hand writing of ordinances which was against us fastning them on his crosse so accomplish thine owne mercy cancelling them to the sense of our consciences by a certaine assurance of our salvation that the stings of death may not afflict us nor the gates of hell ever prevaile against us but that our sinnes being covered and no more imputed to us we may cheerefully thankfully and holily live before thee to thy glory the good example of of others and the assurance of our owne hearts before thee that thoâ—â— who hast in some measure sanctified hast also freely and fully pardoned us Lord answer unto our soules with good and comfortable words through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour AMEN CHAP. X. § 1. Of the resurrection from the dead § 2. How the truth thereof may appeare § 3. What wee are to make of the meditation hereof 1 THe third benefit of the Church shall be the Resurrection from the dead in the first Adam all dye in the second all live hope of a joyfull resurrection is the root of all good workes Act 24. 15. 16. Act 26. 6 7. 2. It is necessary that sinne which brought death into the world like a viperous brood eating through its mothers bowels should be destroyed by death and as necessary that sins kingdome so ended all should rise againe that they may come to judgement 3. Resurrection is of the dead body of man for first death is not only a bare negation but a privation of life so dead and livelesse differ that only which had life and after died riseth againe Secondly there are two sorts of dead bodies the first sine potentiâ ad vitam without possibilitae of rising againe so beasts dye never to live againe or in potentiâ ad vitam in abilitie once to rise againe by the power of God so determining it so man dyeth and shall assuredly rise againe all men elect and reprobates shall come from death as Pharaohs two servants from their prison one to honour the other to execution some to the joyes of heaven eternall blessednesse of body and soule the other to endlesse shame and unspeakable torments in hell sire with the Devill and his Angells 4. The same body which dyeth shall be raised againe the same substance as
dead shall live CHAP. XI Concerning life everlasting § 1. What life everlasting is § 2. Wherein the happinesse thereof consisteth § 3. What rules of practice we are to hold concerning the same 1 WE are in the last place to beleeve that which is the end of faith the salvation of our soules life everlasting necessarily inserted as the Corônis and finishing the articles of our beleefe why else should we beleeve our resurrection or any other article but that in beleeving all the Gospell we shal have eternall life 2. The life of man is that act of body and soule united whereby he liveth life in generall is either uncreated which is the Godhead living of and by himselfe and giving life to all living this is incommunicable to any creature created life is that which is in and by anothers power as 't is written in him we live move and have our being the life of man is either naturall in this world sustained by such meanes as God hath thereto appointed or spirituall which is our union with Christ inchoate here to bee perfected in the world to come where we shall have no more need of any of the creatures to sustaine us we have need for the present of the word and Sacraments to support our life of grace but there God will be all in all all good all happinesse no noise of hammer was heard in Solomons Temple when it was raising all was prepared before so here shall be no noise of prophesie or preachching that shall cease God will be our illumination preservation joy and life Rev 21. 22. and in this life desire is never satisâ—ied but there is the tree of life Christ Jesus in the midst of the heavenly Paradise giving life to all and silling all with such absolute blessednesse that if all the joyes on earth and an abstract thereof were present we could no more desire them then a prudent man could childrens rattles Paul regenerate counted all things vile and worthlesse in respect of Christ how much more shall the gloriâ—ied As the Sunne eclipseth or obscureth all inferiour light so doe the heavenly all secular joyes which like Eliahs mantle fall off in our ascension to the things which are above Our blessednesse in this eternall life shall consist in 1. An absolute freedome from all wants spirituall and bodily There shall be no ignorance of that wee should know no unbeleefe no diffidence in the mercy of God no servile feare no envy anger lust corrupt affection no sicknesse paine want violence oppression injury no sinne sorrow or effect of sinne 2. Perfect knowledge of God Moses could see onely his back parts we see the effects of his wisdome power and goodnesse the effence it selfe is incomprehensible we see now but in part there we shall see face to face as he is that is as much as we can be capeable of 3. Perfect love of God for his owne sake without measure because we shall knowe him as he is most amiable 4. An absolute and perpetuall Sabbath we keep one now every seaventh day and at best wee fayle in our sanctification thereof but there shall be all holy soules and bodies yet shall not our life bee meerely contemplative and inactive nor servile but eternally spent in the service of God without lassitude or irksomenesse which was prefigured in Priests officiating on the Sabbath without violation of the holy rest 5. Glory of bodies and soules reunited incorruption immortality spirituall and divine life shall shine on us as on Christ in his transfiguration all corruptible qualities being put off and if the now visible parts of the heavens are free from corruption how much more shall man in his glorious liberty seeing heaven and earth were made for him When Christ ascended no corporall weight hindered him when Elias beganne to bee changed He ascended into a Chariot of fire no elementary gravity hindred him so shall our bodies bee freed from the burthen of first and second qualities and all seeds of naturall corruption and made active to move in Gods service without let 6. Unspeakable joy in the presence of God and union with Christ whatsoever we here enjoy or rejoyce in is but imperfect and transitory there 's ever some evill mixed with our present good some feare of loosing or unexpected bitternesse in possessing but there shall be perfect and absolute joy without any mixture of evill to blast it Eternall life is an entire and most pleasant possession of all good an unchangeable eternall reall true perfect blessedresse which after millions of yeares expired shall be as far from ending as at the first if we thinke of more millions of ages then there have been minuts since time began yet if they were ever to end the expectation of a long deferred end must leave joy lesse absolute time wasteth what ere we suffer enjoy or doe this which I write dictate or peruse is taken from my life but eternitie is infinite and therefore nothing can be added or taken from it it being perfect when Paul was taken up into heaven he heard and saw but things unutterable 1. Cor 12. 4. eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor can the heart of man apprehend for present the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1. Cor 2. 9. Isai 64. 4. 't is easier to say what heaven is not then what it is 't is not like this wretched world the most secure best condition of this life is far short of the least joy therein there shall be no more evill to embitter or discompose our happy soules God shall wipe all tears from our eyes there shall be no more feare of death nor bitter parting of deare friends no privation of any good nor sense of evill hither no enemie is admitted hence no friend departeth The Rules we are here to practise are 1. Labour for true faith apprehending Christ hee only is the way none can come to the Father but through him Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh 3. 16. 2. Be holy if ever thou meanest to arive here no uncleane thing can enter Rev 21. 27. Heb 12. 14. 1. Cor 6. 9. 10. Math. 5. 8. when the rich man asked Christ what good thing shall I doe that I may eternally live He replyed keepe the commandements holinesse is the way to eternally life 3. Endure afflictions patiently our momentary afflictions shall cause a far more happy weight of eternall glory in the life to come 4. Set thy affections on things above and learne an holy contempt of this world the fashion whereof continually changeth that is true life which is unchangeably blessed the most pleasant temporall life compared herewith is not to bee reckned life 5. Here take comfort in all present distresses joy shall come when Joseph had made himselfe
Babylonish fornace the midst of the sea So may the way thou travellest on the bed thou liest on but if it be in thy choice take that place which is freest from distractions most decent private and accommodate whether thou prayest alone or with thy family 't is never importune to any state or condition it will make thy prosperity secure and thy afflictions tolerable only when ever thou prayest doe it as with deepest sense so with greatest humility and reverence of body and soule in asâ—urance of God's mercy He that dares speake to thee said the souldier to Caesar knowes not thy Majestie he that dares not thy Clemency He knowes not the dreadfull Majestie of God who dares any way be prophane or irreverend in prayer and hee is ignorant of Gods mercy who will not be confident to pray unto him A Prayer for the spirit of Prayer O Lord God of truth and father of mercy and compassion who art clothed with Majestie and glory and yet so regardest man man vile dust and earth yet that worke of thy hands which beareth thyne owne image as that thou framest his heart and enclinest thyne eare to his petitions heare us now calling on thy holy name and let thine eare be open to our requests Lord we humbly acknowledge that we are lesse then the lest of all thy mercies spirituall and secular and their continuation as in respect of our manifold sinnes whereby we have provoked thy justice so also for our undervalewing thy inestimable favours offered us in the most easy and gracious conditions of mercy which thou hast proposed unto us concerning remission of sinnes deliverance from judgments and all blessings of this life and that which is to come whereof thou saiest but aske and have we have yet so much neglected the meanes of our being happy that we haue amongst many other sinnes of omission either forgotten and neglected to pray or formally drowzily and carelessely performed the same so many haue our failings herein been that whensoever we haue prayed for blessings or forgivenesse we had need againe to pray that thou wouldst forgiue the sinnes of those prayers lest they should awake thy justice instead of pacifying it and imploring mercy And now O Lord seeing thou art a God of pure eies dreadfull Maâ—â—stie and asearcher of hearts as we are a people of unhallow thoughts and polluted lipps wherewith all shall we come and bow our selues before the most high thou hast indeed shewed us what is good and what acceptable but we have not done justly loved mercy nor in that humility we ought walked with thee when thou wouldst instruct us we have hardened our hearts and refused to obay when thy chastning have beene upon us we have not powred out our prayer nor in our trouble visited thee as appeareth this day now when thyne arme is streched out over us with dreadfull judgements threatning utter ruine and desolation of this whole nation so stupid is our security and hardnesse of heart such a spirit of slumber is fallen upâ—n us that yet we cannot or will not understand those things which concerne our peace and attonement with thee now when the Tents of Israel are beset with destroyers so much worse then Amalekites comming against us by how much more dwelling amongst us we cannot yet repent and cry for mercy in our prayers we soone let fall cur fainting hands for want of those supports of faith fervency and resolution never to hold our peace day nor night nor to give thee rest untill thou establish us and restore our religion and peace now when the houre of darknesse is at hand the dispersion of thy litle flock to be feared and dangerous tentations by seducers able if it were possible to beguile the very elect now when the great day of of the Lord draweth neere and hasteth on us when the sound thereof in warres and rumours of warres affrighteth us on every side a day of wrath trouble distresse and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of trumpet and alarme so senselesse a security hath taken away our hearts that we still goe on in our sins corrupting our waies and so wounding our own consciences that wee are not only become loathsome in thy sight miserable in our present condition and helplesse in our selves but also heartlesse to fly to the Sanctuary of thy mercy and saving health our owne consciences deterring us because we cannot but know that we deserve thy justice who so long centemned thy mercies and that thou maist most justly stop thine eares to our prayers as we have ours to thy precepts and leave us comfortlesse in our distresse who have so many yeares beene fruitlesse in our abundance of peace and prosperity yet Ô Lord our God in assurance that thou art true and faithfull who hast promised saying aske and yee shall have and trusting in his merit and mediation who hath said Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laded and I will give you rest wee come unto thee humbly praying thee to be reconciled unto us to open our eyes that we sleep not in death to pardon all our sinnes our neglects and defects in prayer to frame our hearts and tongues thereto to helpe our infirmities who know not what to pray as we ought to assist us with the powerfull evidence of that spirit of Christ Jesus which enditeth all those prayers to which thou hast made the promise of obtaining to send downe that heavenly fire fervency of spirit which may direct and make this spirituall incense ascend up holy and acceptable in thy sight through his mediation who now sitteth at thy right hand to make requests for us so that we may have a cheerfull assurance of being heard Lord restraine the vigilant malice of the tempter take from us all hardnesse of heart unbeleefe doubting wandering thoughts drouzinesse and deadnesse of spirit and whatsoever else hath hitherto made us unapt to pray and lesse successeful in our prayers give us true humilitie holy reverence of body and soule and that wisedome to behave our selves in thy dreadfull presence that thou maist be pleased gratiously to accept our petitions that we may carry backe a comfortable answer to the assurance of our hearts and consciences before thee and further encouragement to continue our supplications unto thee through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour AMEN CHAP. XIII § 1. Of hearing Gods word § 2. Motives thereto § 3. The usuall lets § 4. Conditions requisite to profitable hearing § 5. Rules of practice thereto appertaining 1 SInne to Gods dishonour and mans misery invaded the soule principally by the eare and it is Gods pleasure to beat it out againe by the same doore that as in our first parents we heard Satans seducements to our ruine so for our repaire we should heare the voice of Christ which is our life our wisedome and blessednesse if we keepe it 2. No word can binde and stay the conscience
to know thee who art the fountaine of life of holinesse that wee might be like thee whose beeing is an independent selfe-happinesse and immortality that we might in thy presence enjoy thy favour eternally for thy gratious providence which in thy rest from creation is ever active in our preservation for that as it was thy pleasure to forme all creatures on earth in the aire and those unseene paths of the deeps for our sakes so by the powre of the same word which at first said let them be made and they were so thou still preservest them in their severall kinds for our use releife and comfort nor is thy goodnesse lesse considerable in those remoter lights of heaven the greater and the lesse which thou hast made to distinguish and measure times and seasons to rule the day and comfort the unked shades of night O Lord the heavens declare thy glory and the firmament sheweth thy handy worke in wisedome and great power hast thou created all things the unseene multitude of those glorious Angels which thou hast made ministring spirits and sent them out to pith thâ—ir tents about us night and day for out defence and preservation are the worke of thy hands they and we live move and have our beeing in thee who art the incomprehensible beeing of beeings Above all thy workes is thy mercy and above all instances thereof is that for which we are this day to praise and glorifie thy holy name the accomplishment of the greatest worke our redemption by the resurrectioâ— of thy Sonne Jesus from the dead our creation had not profited us if our redemption had not repaired us when we were fallen in our creation thou gavest us our selves and beâ—ings but in our redemption thou not onely restoredst us to our selves but gavest us thy selfe in Christ the some of thine eternall love Lord what is man that thou so regardest him or the sonne of man that thou so visitest him Who is able to declare thy goodnesse and to set forth that praise which is worthy of thee Thou hast also made the Sabbath for man for whom thou madest this universe thou hast sanctified it and given it to be a time of rest and a signe betweene thee and us that we might knowe that thou art he who sanctifieth us that we might herein meet together in thy publike worship to learne thy holy wil for our salvation to present our supplications severall necessities before thy throne of grace and mercy â—â—ffer up the incense of our prayers and thankesgiving that wee may rest from sinne and our daily labours and being disburdened of all the cares and distractions of this world may approach neere unto thy sacred Majestie with pure hearts and hands But O Lord our God who among the corrupted sonnes of men is worthy to appeare in thy holy presence who art the searcher of hearts and a God of pure eyes O Lord we humbly acknowledge our vilenesse and unworthinesse beseeching thee for thy sonne Christ Jesus sake to forgive us all our sinnes and throughly to purge us from the old levin of our iniquities give us such a measure of thy grace and sanctifiing spirit that we may rest assured of our calling and election to eternall life repaire thy decayed image in us every day more and more enabling us to serve thee in true holinesse mortifying and subduing all our carnall affections which resist the motions of thy good spirit in us make us comfortably sensible of the vertue of Christs resurrection in us quickning us to newnesse of life in a perfect and entire obedience to all thy holy commandements that in assurance of our sinnes remission in Christ our peace we may enjoy a comfortable rest in true peace of conscience and our reconciliation to thee by a justifying faith in him To this end wee humbly pray thee to blesse thine owne ordinance to us this day Lord give thy spirit of prayer and prophesie unto thy messengers therein appointed to entreat a blessing for us and to declare thy will unto us distill the dew of heaven into their hearts and tongues that they may minister faithfull directions for the recalling those that erre confirmation of those that stand and sound comfort to the afflicted consciences of those that mourne in Zion Lord who bountifully findest seed to thy sowers grant that they may finde the hearts and affections of thy people not stony or thorny but fruitfull ground be thou present with us by thy sanctifying spirit this day that thy Sabbath may be our delight and thy word our soules food comfort and refreshing that this and all our daies we may walke worthy of our high calling in Christ and have our conversations in heaven where hee sitteth at thy right hand that this Sabbath as it is a representation of that which shall be an eternall rest from all our sorrowes cares and labours may also be a meanes to direct and bring us to the same even to the end of our hopes the salvation of our bodies and soules the fulnesse of joy and eternity of true happinesse in thy presence through the merits of thy sonne our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the holy Ghost the comforter of the elect be ascribed all honour praise dominion and glory this day and evermore AMEN To the ordinary evening Prayer may be added this private prayer for the Sabbath O Lord God of mercy and compassion we render all humble hearty thankes to thy gratious Majestie for all thy mercies and favours as in our whole lives so specially this day bestowed upon us for our peace health and opportunity to serve thee that in thy tender mercy sparing us thou hast not according to our deservings by our neglects of thy holy ordinance and sundry profanations of thy Sabbath made this day unto us as unto many others a day of dread and terrour of trouble and flight but a day of comfort an holy rest and refreshing to our bodies and soules in a peaceable and plentifull use of thy holy word and ordinance O good Lord continue thy goodnesse to us herein give us true repentance and reformation of all our lives forgive us our many sinnes and sundry â—ailings in our duties so sanctify our memories that wee may receive and our affections that we may readily obey thee according to thy holy will now declared in those portions of thy holy word which have this day beene opened unto us Lord who only givest the encrease to the planting and watring of those who faithfully labour in thy vineyard blesse that which wee have heard so that wee may walke in the strength thereof and give us a setled resolution to obey the same to submit our selves wholy to thy will and word to have our conversation so ordered thereby that sin may dye in us and the life of grace shew it selfe in an holy and sincere obedience of our thoughts words and ictions untill we come
not over thy minde to heavinesse and afflict not thy selfe in thine own counsell the gladnesse of the heart is the life of a man and prolongeth his daies Some mindes are like the sea which instantly turneth sweet showers into it own bitternesse because they indulge to impaâ—â—ence pleasing themselves with that which tormenteth them but the wise in every affliction lift up their soules to God seeking comfort in him and to the consideration of the life to come where shall be no more curse 3 no more discontent but every heart shall be filled with joy A Prayer against Impatience and discontent O Lord God gracious and mercifull I humbly acknowledge thy fatherly goodnesse in measuring to me those corrections which my sinnes daily provoking thy justice most justly deserve and thy abundant mercy in sparing mee whom in thy severity thou mightest not only have made the most miserable of all men living but also of those afflicted souls which now suffer in the flames of hell Lord as thou hast in Christ shewed me this mercy so for his sake forgive me all my sinnes and lay no more upon me then thou wilt make me able to beare cheerfully neither suffer me fraile dust and earth for any trials to fall from thee but give a blessed issue out of every triall Good Father correct me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure lest I perish in thy fierce wrath let thy corrections breed in mee a true sight and loathing of all my sinnes a filiall feare to offend thee a fixed resolution to love and serve thee more carefully to this end I humbly pray thee give mee assurance of my justification by Christ's righteousnesse my atonement with thee and such peace of conscience as the world can neither give nor take from mee that I may love thee above all and be truely thankeful to thee for all thy mercies temporal and eternal proposing to my selfe and having ever in my heart the example of my Saviour assuring me that he that suffered such things for me will not suffer mee to faile in any trial Lord sanctifie mee by his good Spirit and all my afflictions to mee by him cast out of my soule all those sinnes and corruptions for which thou fillest me with bitterness let the summe and height of all my ambition be only to be thine give mee a prudent and contented heart in every estate and condition a faithful dependance on thy good providence in assurance that thou who hast promised wilt never faile me nor forsake me that in every affliction I may expect thy gracious deliverance give me patience and meeknesse of spirit that I may in the midst of all my troubles finde rest to my soule in thee let not my heart be fixed on any worldly desires but on things which are above where Christ my peace sitteth at thy right hand take from mee all impatience bitternesse of spirit diffidence and the secret murmuring of flesh and blood let thy good spirit the comforter dwell in mee to keep and counsel me in the greatest and in the least affairs and interests spiritual and secular with his joyful presence so to sweeten all those Marahs of afflictions which thy providence shall set in my way to the promised rest as that I may ever rejoice in thee and in every estate live cheerfully before thee until thou please to bring mee unto the fulnesse of eternal joies in thy blessed presence where thou wilt wipe all teares out of mine eyes make mee glad with the light of thy countenance and unite me to that triumphant society of Saints and Angels which sing their Halleluiahs to thee eternally through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour Amen CHAP. XX. § 1. Of Hope § 2. Of Feare § 3. Of Cares § 4. Of Iealousie 1. HEe liveth not who hath no hope the childe hopeth to be a man the old man to live one yeare more the poore man hopes for wealth the sicke man for health the imprisoned for liberty the afflicted that it may be better to morrow Hope makes the husbandman sow the weary Palmer endure his tedious waies the swimmer to spread his tyred armes upon the death-threatning waves thus hoping and suffering takes up the whole life of man 2. But there 's great difference in hopes there is an humane vaine hope then which there is none more dangerous delusion in this world such hope is but the name of an uncerâ—aine good 't is a treacherous guide leading to desperate precipices the minde 's ignis fatuus dreame of waking men it was the tempters artifice first to assaile man's innocency with vaine hope grounded on a lying promise without this he could do nothing against us First he sheweth the forbidden fruit then saiâ—h in the day yee eate thereof yee shall be as Gods the vaine hope tooke unhappy man so he assailed the second Adam when he shewed him the Kingdomes and Glory of the world so still hee sheweth us false heavens to precipitate us into a true hell suggesting vaine hopes that he might bereave us of the true Who sinneth without some vaine hope whetheâ— the instance be in Cain's murder Amnon's lust Juda's treason or Achitophel's despaire the sinner hoped for some other proceed of his resolutions then he found in his acted sin The worst hope for some good but all in vaine the hope of the wicked must faile because God's Justice cannot Wee must expect because reason is provident and till Time's glasse be runne there must be something future all which seemeth good save what wee see through feare and doubting so flattering a liberty of hoping for himselfe hath every man specially yong men who having least acquaintance with the falshood and constant inconstancy of the world relying much on hope and little on memory promise themselves great things but when the wicked sing requiems to their soules sudden destruction is upon them by so much more terrible by how much lesse suspected The hypocriteâ— hope shall perish their hope shall be sorrow of minde Job 11. ver 20. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a sliding foot And truely such is confidence in an evill conscience however it may seeme to have made thee a covenant with death and an agreement with hell it will deceive thee However it promise long life and strength in an arme of flesh and the vain counsells of men raising thy hopes to high â—lights they are but dreames of deluded men breaking in the midst of their course giving thy minde dangerous strapadoes by carrying it up to cast it down from such heigth to make the fall more desperate How often do despairing wretches wish they had never hoped when the vaine shewes thereof like Pharoahs chariot wheels there fall off where they are most deeply engaged between floods of returning miseries 3. There is an hope of the righteous which faileth not
taketh not away faiths confidence but the security of the flesh 3. Lay up the promises of God therefore were they written that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 4. Set not up thy rest in this world neither trust in any thing thereof it is but like a staffe of reed a loose rope at Sea a false friend forsaking in adversity the quick-sands on which foolish builders lay their foundation as Moses told Israel yee are not come to your rest all Worldly things change continually here can be no constancy among the sonnes of Men prosperity is but like a faire morning quickly overcast with hideous stormes like the morning dew soon vanishing like a faire flower a Jonah's gourd such is all Worldly joy there is no sure hope but in the living God who changeth not neither deceiveth trust 5. Take heed of vaine hopes specially those which are against right reason lest thou tempt God they deceive men such is their trust who contemne the ordinary means in expectation of miracles and they who doe things against the expresse word of God in vaine hope of pardon 6. Propose not too great things to thy selfe we are often the evident authors of our own sorrowes when we promise peace health and prosperity to our selves this high-flying ambition sometimes looseth it feathers and we fall into bitterness when we come short of that which we vainly promised our selves 'T were better never climb then rise to fall 7. Pray to the God of hope and consolation to infuse a sure hope and confidence into thy soule A Prayer for Hope O Lord God my earnest expectation and my hope my fortresse helper and deliverer though my numberlesse sinnes have deserved thy wrath so that thou maist justly cast me off into hopelesse despaire and finall destruction yet look upon me in mercy through thy Christ in whom thou hast commanded me to beleeve and promised remission of my sinnes and eternall life for his sake assure me thereof that there may be hope in my end Though thou now fill my wounded spirit with bitternesse removing me from peace and comfort so that forgetting prosperity I goe mourning all the day long though thou humblest my dejected soule with grievous weights of sorrowes and makest my eyes fountains of teares driving me to solitude and silence with them that mourne in Zion yet art thou good to them that waite for thee and to the soule that seeketh thee thy mercies are renewed every morning thy compassions â—aile not thou hast opened unto me the riches of thy mercies in Christ 〈◊〉 caused me to trust in thee thou hast according to thine abundant 〈◊〉 begotten me againe to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christâ—om â—om the dead of an inheritance incorruptible therefore my soule hath â—id thou art my portion therefore will I trust in thee Truth it is ô Lord that the hopes of the hills are vaine so is all confidence in man unhappy is that hope which is not in thee but in spight of Satans malice blessed must he be whose hope thou art he shall be like a tree planted by the waters of life which cannot faile because thou canst not deceive trust ô God of all consolation therefore now at last speake peace to my afflicted soule let me not be disappointed of my hope though thou please to weane me from the love of an unkind and trustlesse World by permitting me to such griefe and sorrow yet seeing thou art my trust from my youth let me not be ashamed of my confidence let thy mercy be still my hope and thy grace my strength amidst all the stormes and surges of afflictions fasten my soules Anchor on the land of the living my rock who is entred within the vaile to make requests for me give me patience to beare untill the time of comfort and refreshing shall come from thy gracious presence give me the helmet of salvation assurance of all that which thou hast promised in thy word and layed up for me in heaven let the experience of thy former goodnesse in many deliverances give me a doore of hope for the future that I may more and more trust in thee Thou who art the God of hope fill me with joy and peace in beleeving that I may abound in hope through the power of thy holy spirit Give me strong consolation and full assurance of thy mercy that continuing grounded and established in a stedfast hope of my resurrection to a life of glory at the appointed houre my flesh may rest in hope and my soule be cheerfully rendred into thy gracious hands to rest with thee through Jesus Christ my ever-blessed Lord and Saviour Amen 1. Feare is a pensive and sorrowfull expectation of some evill to come imminent or so supposed wee feare any thing which is evil reall or apparent many times that which is not feare is opposite to fortitude as one extream of participation and as it allayeth too much daring limits it and so is good but as it exceedeth in it extream pernicious There can be no vertue where there is no fortitude hee can never be holy toward God or honest toward men who dareth not to be so because Satan will be sure to work upoâ— the timerous putting before him continual though 〈◊〉 and vaine feares like hunters Suells to put the fearfull 〈◊〉 from the safe wayes so driving through pusillanimity 〈◊〉 timidity that he maketh them evill for feare of men whom the true feare of God cannot make good 2. To omit many acceptations of the word 1. There is a natural feare and that of two sorts in respect of the object first concerning the avoidance of sinne for the love of God so Adam in his innocency having heard the threatning feared to sin because he would not offend God whom he loved above all for however Adam in the temptation lost this feare and so sinned yet in the rectitude of his minde he had it before the temptation prevailed upon him and secondly concerning the avoidance of sorrow in apprehension of God's anger against sinne committed so Christ feared Matth. 26. 38. Heb. 5. 7. both without sinne neerest to this cometh the filial fear of the regenerate who though through infirmity they often sinne and feare to displease God by any offence as it is said The â—ear of the Lord is to hate evil This is the beginning of wisedome and it is principally in foure things 1. That wee set God ever before our eies living as in his sight and presence 2. That we know and acknowledg him as the omniscient witnesse and just Judge of all our thoughts words and actions 3. That wee feare not creatures in respect of him 4. That wee ever do that which is just and acceptable to him though none other can witnesse against us so did good Joseph and who ever is offended with us for the same so did Daniel and those other servants of God 2. There
is a feare of unbeleefe in them that love the sin but feare the punishment thereof this is that servile fear which affecteth the wicked which though it sometimes restraine them from the externall acts of sinne yet is it not master of any constant duety so soone as their feare is over they are as bad or worse then ever as wee see in Pharoah This feare becometh not the children of God because it is ever with a guilty conscience unbeleefe and expectation of God's just judgment on their sinnes without hope in Christ wherefore should I feare in the daies of evil said the Psalmist for God is with them I will feare none evill for thou art with mee The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid the wicked feare where no feare is they feare not God for love of God but for self-love and feare of punishment as the Grecians worshiped their false gods and poor men the great Lords which is a symptom of a base and impious minde prohibited to the children of God to whom it is said Be not afraid of sudden fear for the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thee from being taken Feare thou not saith the Lord for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee and I will helpe thee Feare not for I have redeemed thee All which Precepts are to be understood of servile feare which is to despaire of God's mercy rendring men desperate not provident to avoid danger neither more earnest to flie to God for helpe The first may appeare in Jehoram's message Behold said that wreeth this evill cometh of the Lord should I any longer wait on the Lord and in that precipitate counsell Job 2. 9. Curse God and die The second effect we read in Jacob in danger of his life instantly praying and sending presents to appease his revengefull brother not to be afraid of God's judgements on sinne is carnal security and stupid carelesnesse of feared consciences not to feare imminent dangers is improvident torpor of minde not to feare the dreadfull presence of God must needs be in sinfull man ignorance of God and a mans own selfe Moses and Danielâ—eared â—eared this On the other part to be a timerous Antemon for feare keeping home continually with his two servants ever guarding his head with a brasse shield held over it is not only an impious but a ridiculous fear To feare men more then God as Saul did 1 Sam. 15. 24. is the feare of Hypocrites to feare without confidence in God for the diversion of evill as Belshazzar when seeing the hand writing upon the wall his knees trembled and the joints of his loines were loosed or as Saul at Endor is the fear of those who feare not God aright This fear is the perpetual torment of the wicked conscience an imperious mischief an anticipation of evill not yet come making a man unhappy not onely with present evills but with future which but for â—ear could no way reach him as that feare of inevitable death which maketh men continually die for feare of dying once But to feare God with a filiall feare proceeding of love to him is as the fountain of wisedome so of true happinesse God regardeth such he will deliver them and fulfill their desire hee will teach them the way of righteousnesse they shall want nothing that is good when they seeme most to lack they shall have supply of that or something better it shall be health and strength to them Understanding temporal blessings and eternal and a minde to doe good and deale uprightly with men as appeared in Obadiah 1 King 18. 3 12 13. and Joseph Gen. 42. 10. This feare maketh every little more then great riches to the wicked it is the souls Angel-guardian Innocencies keeper Securities antidote the mindes centinel to awaken it and give the alarme against the assaults of the subtile enemie This giveth a man â—â—ue and unâ—ailing confidence 't is the summe of that which God requireth of us Deut. 10. 12. the whole duety of a man 〈◊〉 12. 14. of this only is that saying true the mother oâ— the fearfull useth not to cry because such are truely blessed 3. Now because we are men not yet perfect in love and so subject to many fears and subject to many sinnes failings and hazzards and therein to some dangerous groavings of servile feare by God's mercy turned in the issue to our good for if we are so prone to sinne under so much feare what would wee be if wee were secure from all these like rules are necessary to the ordering of our thoughts in feares 1. For God's glory and thy salvation contemne any danger It was Christ's precept Feare them not who are able to destroy the body only for they cannot make thee unhappy they may adde to thy blessednesse if thou bearest injuries well These objects are only terrible like that Cumane asse in the Lions skinne to those that know them not or the Crocodile fierce against the fearfull fearfull of the daring or to the impatient who cannot stoop to take up the crosse which like Moses rod thrown down became a dreadfull serpent but at God's command resumed an harmless rod to divide the bitter floods and open a way into the promised rest many men great â—n their owne feares deluding fancy making that monstrous which right reason would discover hurtlesse in a constant and prudent resolution to meet with difficulties 2. Fear God and be not â—aint-hearted endeavour to set thy minde upon such a stay of moderation that thy resolution neither rise to temerity nor fall to timidity neither to dare nor to be afraid of all things nor of nothing but between both beare such a temper as that wisedom may have place to sit at the helme withoâ—t the interruption of either extream Sanctifie the Lord of hosts and let him be your feare and your dread and hee shall be your Sanctuary but feare not their feare who say a confederacy The present feare of God createth us an eternall security fear him and thou shalt not be afraid of man though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil for thou art with mee Psalm 23. 4. The Lord is on my side I will not feare c. Psal. 71. 1. The feare of the Lord like Moses serpent devoureth all the inchanters serpents swalloweth up all other fears 3. In every danger lay to heart the omnipotency of God and learne to trust in him hee that so doth shall be safe when the fiery fornace was threatned Shadrah Meshach and Abednego they answered the incensed King Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us his
man can be content with little he will not care for much cares follow riches and encrease with their encreases 5. Watch over thy soule otherwise cares will choak up the holy seed of God's word so that it shall never profit thee It will dimme the light of heavenly knowledge it will surcharge the heart and creep on like an Ephialâ— which having seized us we grone under it and can neither shake it off nor awake to an holy expectation of the coming of Christ. 6. Often call to minde thy mortality frailty of life and vanity of all these things what are riches and magnificence in this world like bubbles filled with aire which vanish in their breaking such are wee like dreames or like a scene wherein our parts once acted we must back into natures tyring house never to returne it is uncertain what houre shall be our last certainly one neere at hand must it may be this night the sentence may come forth and a writ of alienation on thy store laid up for many yeeres Thou foole this night they shall take away thy soule then whose shall all these things be When the over-full hives warn the masters of their admirable republick that they need a deduction of a colony they swarme and flie but if you cast a little dust among them they presently settle the onely way to settle our swarmes of busie cares is the thought of that word Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return that if any thing will make ambition and vaine cares let fall their wings 7. The Apostle's rule is Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God happy wants and cares which drive us to him Depend on him and hope he is a secure possessour of himselfe who without care expecteth to morrow The Prayer O Most gracious and merciful Lord God who feedest the yong ravens clothest the lilies fillest all things with thy goodnesse governest in heaven and in earth giving to every creature subsistence and preservation in its kinde I humbly acknowledge thy goodnesse towards mee even from my mothers wombe unto this present preserving me and providing for me when I neither knew what humane necessities were nor which way to relieve them when I slept thou preservedst me when I fore-saw not evils coming thou divertedst them when I knew not what I had need of thy mercies prevented me with blessings and provisions when I was lost thou foundst mee when dead in trespasses and sinnes thou didst quicken mee by thy grace when I knew nothing of the way to life thou enformedst mee and didst lead mee in the way therein yea before I was thou gavest thy son Christ the inestimable price of my redemption Lord I am lesse then the least of thy mercies what shall I render thee what can I for all thy mercies Thou hast not once like the good Samaritane but many times as a God of infinite mercy bound up my soules wounds and taken care of me what shall I render thee Lord I have nothing but a thankâ—full heart nor that except thou hadst given it Lord let me render who can give accept thine owne gifts and make mee more and more thankefull to thee the lions want the mighty suffer hunger thou hast sent a fire among them that live at ease and carelesly even into the proud and rejoycing cities and what am I O Lord that thou pleasest to spare mee that thou doest not still â—eed mee with th bread of affliction and bitter carefulnesse neither make me drink the waters of astonishment Lord fix my hopes on thy providence give me assurance that thy mercy shall never faile mee I humbly cast my cares on thee who art a protectour of thy children prosper thou my labours whose providence descendeth to the preservation of the poorest and meanest of all thy creatures feed mee with bread of my stature let mee never want that which thou knowest needfull for mee thou who didst encrease the Sareptan's oile and meale so that it failed not in all the famine bless that portion which thy providence hath measured out to mee and mine let thy blessing be upon it whether it be much or little that finding a sufficiency therein I may in a thankfull holy and prudent use thereof glorifie thy holy name and live contentedly and cheerfully before thee give mee in every estate prosperous and adverse a faithful dependance on thy gracious providence which never faileth them that trust in thee thou best knowest O Lord what I have need of before I ask let no cares of this life distract me from thy service neither make my confidence in thee decline to any distrust of thy goodnesse love of thâ— present world or secure placing my heart thereon thou hast given thy holy son Jesus assure me by his infallible spirit that with him thou thy wilt also give me all things give me an heart to rest in thee to put all my trust and confidence in thy mercy to seek thy kingdom and the righteousnesse thereof before all things which this world can give or take away so that thou who providest for me maist be pleased to administer to me all those things which thou wilt blesse unto me for the reliefe of this life 's present necessities untill having passed through this world of cares â—nd vaile of miseries I may come to that blessed life thy kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen 1. Among those thoughts which discompose the minde the jealous are not the least Jealousie is the rage of a man and that which commonly exasperates to implacable anger He will not regard any ransome neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts â— I speak not here of jealousie as 't is attributed to God and sometimes importeth anger Ezek. 8. 3. Ezek. 16. 42. sometimes execution of Justice Deut. 29. 20. sometimes indignation at that which hurteth those he loveth Zack 1. 14. or pity to his people Joel 2. 18 19. nor as in man signifying only envy and emulation as Rom. 10. 19. Rom. 11. 11. or feare of danger to those we love as 2 Cor. 11. 2. or ambition to exclude corriâ—als for sinister ends such as Paul charged on the false Apostles among the Galatiâ—ns nor of suspicion which is an opinion or feare of some evil sprung from light signes which sometimes setteth friends at a great distance and embittereth the societies of men but of that concerning which God gave a law to Israël Numb 5. 14 c. This is a perturbation of minde compounded of fear love indignation and suspect a bitter electuary of ingredients by themselves so good in their severall uses this Jealousie is the maleâ—ice of unhappy love the gall of Wedlock the sad Asmodeus which makes the most flourishing Families loathsom if not desolate the dark apparition of disturbed thoughts restlesse
that we may know him and feel in our souls and consciences the comfortable power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death in the mortification of all those corrupt and sinful affections which continually resist the working of thy regenerating spirit in us O Lord our God being deeply sensible of our own disability to save or helpe our selves wee â—ast all our care and confidence of present protection preservation and future salvation on the merits of thy son Christ Jesus in assurance that thou art faithful who hast promised as by him to save us so through him to hear and help us in all our wants and distresses O Lord God of trueth and mercy who hast commanded us to aske and promised to grant accept our obedience and confidence in asking and according to thy trueth grant our requests in forgiving all our sinnes and giving us all those blessings which thou knowest needful for us that wee may serve thee cheerfully sanctifie our bodies and soules to thy service that in them both wee may cleave to thee please thee and rest assured by the testimony of thy holy spirit and the powerful working thereof in us that thou hast sanctified called and elected us to life everlasting Lord give us experience of thy trueth which never failed give us lively and justifying faith to apprehend Christ Jesus and all his merits give us perseverance therein that no trials of life or death may ever separate us from thy love nor any powers of hell be able to overthrow our confidence therein And now O Lord our God who makest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee wee humbly thank thee as for all thy mercies and favors spiritual and temporal continually poured out upon us in our election creation redemption calling from the kingdom of darknesse our sanctification preservation from daiely imminent dangers of body and soule our liberty peace health and all those temporal necessaries for the comfort sustenance of us and ours which thy fatherly providence hath bestowed upon us so also for that it hath pleased thee to preserve us this night past from the powers of darknesse terrors of night and all the ovils thereof Lord continue thy mercy to us safely brought to the begining of this day the day is thine the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the sunnâ— O Lord our refuge let no evil befal us this day let not any plague come neer our dwelling give thine Angels charge over us to keep us in all our waies that wee may in nothing displease thee as thou hast put away the late darknesse which covered the face of the earth and waters by the comfortable appearance of this great light which thou madest to govern the day that men may follow their several labours therein so blessed Father of lights cause the sunne of righteousnesse Christ Jesus to arise on every one of our hearts thence to chase away the remainders of ignorance darknesse of minde and unbeliefe to open our eies that wee sleep not in death to enlighten us with a sound knowledge of all the mysteries of eternal life and salvation that we may arise and shake off the dangerous security in sinne and conscionably walk with thee who hast called us to thy kingdome that we may please thee being fruitful in every good worke encreasing in the knowledgâ— of thee strengthned to all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse and thankfulnesse for that thou hast made us partakers of the inheritance of thy saints in light that wee may walke worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called with all holinesse and meeknesse love and charity toward all men endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bâ—nd of peace so labouring in our several callings as being ever careful first to seek thy kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof in assurance that so all temporal necessaries shall be administred unto us in all our endeavours expecting the blessing from thee without which it is but lost labour to rise early late take rest eat the bread of carefulnesse and deprive our souls of ease Blesse all the creatures to us this day make them good and prosperous unto us direct us so in all our thoughts words and actions that wee may glorifie thee preserve a good conscience and give an example of holinesse to those with whom we converse that in nothing the trueth of religion with which thou hast blessed us be evil spoken of through our failings but that we may by our integrity stop the mouths of all adversaries and adorn the Gospel by walking unblameably toward all men and sincerely before thee ever remembring that of all our thoughts words and actions we must give a strict inevitable account at the dreadful day of judgment now kept from the knowledg of all men that they may every day live as if it were their last keeping a constant and careful watch in exspectation of that houre which shall come like a theefe in the night wherein thou wilt assuredly bring to light things hid in darknesse and make the counsels of all hearts manifest judging every man according to his workes Neither pray wee for our selves only but wee also beseech thee for thy whole Church and all thy distressed servants whether their afflictions be in body minde or estate comfort now and in thy good time enlarge all prisoners and captives which suffer for or with the testimony of a good conscience Lord God of all consolation assure them that when thy will and work is done in them thou wilt shew thy self their gracious deliverer and comforter Lastly we pray thee O Father of mercy blesse this family wherein by thy providence we are blesse us all from the first to the last with all those whom thou hast made neer unto us prosper us O Lord and our endeavours upon us feed us with bread of our stature that which thou knowest necessary and convenient for us give us a faithful dependance upon thy fatherly hand which never leaueth them destitute who trust in thee give us a prudent holy and thankefull use of all those good things which thou hast bestowed upon us that thou maist be pleased to continue thy mercy and providence over us give us contented mindes free from covetousnesse and distracting cares in assurance that thou wilt never forsake us and good Lord as thou art pleased to adde this day to our transitory lives so adde that grace to this day which may direct and guid every one of us in our bodies and souls that we may spend it and the remainder of our daies to thy glory and the comfortable assurance of our consciences before thee so that having our present conversation in heaven and walking with thee in sincerity of heart when these fleeting daies are ended we may live with thee in thy kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Short Evening Praier O
workes layed afflictions upon our loines and broken our land yet heale the breaches thereof though thou hast caused us to drinke of the wine of astonishment in thy sore displeasure and made us examples of thy just judgments yet turn again unto us and make us instances of thy mercy that sinners may in our story read that which may make them afraid to sin and confident of thy mercy in their unfeigned repentance remember thy mercy which hath been ever of old before all times thou electedst us at the begining of time thou createdst us to thine owne holy image in the fulnesse of time thou gavest thy holy sonne Jesus to death for our redemption Lord cast not that away which thou hast purchased at so deare a rate we know thy mercy faileth not thou art ever the same not like man that thou shouldst repent thee as mistaken in thy choice or defeated in thy counsels O Lord our God accomplish thine owne election in us thou hast given us thy son Iesus how shouldst thou not also with him give us al things needful for us thou hast for his sake acquitted us from eternal condemnation how shouldst thou not also spare us and deliver us in the temporal 'T is little O bountiful God which we beg at thy merciful hands for our present releife to that which thou freely gavest us before wee could aske nor is it because wee have none to stand up in the gap for us that thy wrath is not yet appeased seeing thy Christ our faithful high Priest sitteth at thy right hand making intercession for us O Lord for his sake be reconciled to us deny not our requests heare and helpe us establish thy free covenant and mercy with us strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought for us and our fathers when thou deliveredst us from the powers of darkness and taking us to be thy people didst translate us into the kingdome of thy deare son establish the trueth sincerity of religion unity of hearts and abundance of peace which thou then gavest us forgive the sins of thy people turn our hearts unto thee from the first unto the last give us unfeigned repentance and humiliation under thy mighty hand that thou maist spare us and grace to forsake all our evill waies that thine anger may cease from us give us patience to bear thy fatherly corrections who hast with so much patience born with our iniquities Bless thy Church universal with trueth and unity shew thy mercy on her distressed thou hast hid thy face from us and consumed us because of our jniquities but Lord remember them not for ever appoint now unto them that mourne in Sion give them beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning and the garment of praisâ— for the spirit of heavinesse comfort her waste places make her wildernesse like Eden and her desart like the garden of the Lord give her joy and gladnesse and let the voice of thanks-giving and melody be heard in her again Blesse that part thereof which thy right hand hath planted in great Britan and Ireland blesse this family and every part thereof forgive us all our sinnes sanctifie our bodies and souls to thy service give us that blessed peace of conscience which the world can neither give nor take away give us assurance of our iustification in Christ Jesus fill us with fruits of righteousnesse that wee may not foolishly sleeâ—e without oile in our lampes because wee know not whether the day now spent shall be our last when wee sleepe let thy providence which watcheth over all thine preserve us from the powers of darknesse perplexing fantasies and troublesome dreames that 〈◊〉 may rest in thee and being refreshed rise againe to glorifie thee in our several places and callings through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour Amen CHAP. XXIV Of Marriage and the dueties thereof § 1. Of Marriage the institution end and fruits thereof § 2. Of choice in general and particular who are to be avoided § 3. Dueties of the Married mutual and peculiar § 4. Advice to the widow 1. MArriage is the conjunction of one man with one woman according to the lawes of God and man in the holy indissoluble band of Wedlock whereby they become one flesh I say of one man with one woman for so God made them at first and so appointed from the begining See Matth. 19. 4 c. so that plurality of wives or husbands at once is adultery though when either party dyeth the surviver is free to marry in the Lord according to the lawes of God who saith Let every man have his owne wife and every woman her own husband and the wife is bound by the law to her husband so long as hee liveth Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled forbidding to marry is the doctrine of devils who labour to pervert the order and institution of God to corrupt and dishonor the fountain of humane propagation with impure and wandring lusts And also according to the lawes of man which being grounded on God's law necessarily binde all men thereto subject as cautioning against emergent inconveniences with relation to times places and persons as where they binde to publish the sponsals or contracts to prevent marriage without consent of parents and governers or where they limit to certain houres in the face of the congregation c. to avoid clandestine marriages or incontinent living under pretence of marriage next I say it is an holy and indissoluble band holy for whatsoever is not so in respect of the persons capacity and fitnesse the end and use thereof is neither lawful before God nor man and I say indissoluble for they two become one flesh partners of one condition in weale and woe whence they call it conjugium as à communi iugo and for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and remaine with his wife which is not simply but comparatively to be understood as if hee said Thou shalt more constantly keep with her or rather leave father and mother then thy wiâ—e and the word of Christ is cleere what God hath joined together let no man put asunder whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery now in case of adultery man separateth not but a just punishment as death dischargeth the party innocent he is cruelly impious who putteth away a chaste wife and hee impiously foolish who keepeth an adulterous or dead one by him Neither may wee conceive that God joineth all them together that are married before men there is a just age fit to give consent required freedom in consent and where these are not it is no lawful marriage If there be deceit as where the man is an Eunuch where there is fraud or errour as where a Leah is substituted for a Rachel where there is a lawful preâ—ontract of either party with some other where either party
and how canst thou correct thy children for imitating thee when thou doest worst in teaching by example When they learne cursing swearing profanation intemperance rude and foul language which hath cost many a life obscence and â—ilthy talke irreligion and neglect of all good duties from parents they think themselves justified by their sins Hence usually is hatched an evil egge of a bad bird a corrupt and cursed seed Hence cometh it to passe that children doe not more commonly inherit their fathers patrimonies then their vices and sooner are they possessed of these then them those come to them after their fathers death these in their life so have they descended to them true vices before those things which are but falsly called good Woe worth such parents and miserable are their children beyond those who by their parents impious superstition passed through those Moloch flames wherein a soon dying body perished but here is the danger of body and soul eternally perishing in hells unquenchable fire The heathen would have taught these seeming Christians better Let nothing said he uncomely to be spoken or done so much as touch these doors within which there is a childe If any evil in thy family happen to be done it ought with much discretion to be drawn to a present example of detestation of that sinne as the Spartans woont to shew their drunken servants to their children that by their discomposed deportments and loathsome deformity they might learn to detest drunkennesse 10. Pray continually for thy children O that Ismaël might live in thy sight cryed Abraham Gen. 17. 18. Job rose up early every day to sacrifice for his sonnes lest they should beare some inexpiated sinnes Job 1. 5. Thine owne experience of the folly and frailty of youth their ignorance pronenesse to error and sinne their many dangerous temptations should stirre up thy natural affâ—ctions to this duety unexcusable before God are they that neglect it and damnable they who instead of praying for them curse them on inconsiderable and lesse grounds then that which instigated Micha's mother thereto Jud. 17. 2. No wonder said the heathen that so many children prove impious seeing they grow up among their parents curses It is true the causelesse curse shall not come and that God can turn a Balaam's curse into a blessing yet Jotham's curse fell on the wicked Shechemites and heavily fell good Noah's on Cham and his posterity yea impious parents commonly see the fruits of their rash curses in their childrens ruine 11. Look on thy children as the blessings which God hath given thee we are all the sonnes of Time which devoureth all it own brood we have here â—o continuing city wee must all part again until wee meet in eternity when God took away Job's dear children he said The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord It is no little bitternesse to flesh and blood to loose hopeful children but we must in such case consider how much more happy they who rest in Christ are then we who survive to mourne for them It is one of the most incongruous acts of a reasonable soule to bewaile those whom wee beleeve blessed Next we must consider God's justice afflicting us for loving things humane too much and his mercy in taking them away from evils to come disburdening us of the care he entrusted to us for a time nor can any say what a childe may prove there are Adoniahs and Absoloms still sweet children but rebellious men there are lovely Dinahs and fair Tamars pleasant children but in their maturity bitter break-hearts Neither may wee sorrow as men without hope wee have not lost them but their company for a time David who bewailed an impious sonne bitterly comforted himself in the death of his harmless infant I shall go to him he shall not return to me Do not deceive thy self God hath given thee a short use not any lasting propriety in things secular when they told a prudent heathen of his deare sonnes death he replyed I knew I had begotten a mortal sonne Thou canst not want examples of mortality in thine own family wherein thou missest many of thy Ancestors and friends let nothing seem unsufferable or strange to thee which is both common and inevitable be sure thou want not the true use thereof which is a due value of all things present and making haste to provide thy selfe and children for a better life in the want of a good childe rather rejoice that thou hadst such an one then lament that hee is gone into God's kingdome of glory before thee while thou enjoyest their company remember to instruct them for eternity he said true An aged father is a fugitive pleasure and so are yong children thou knowest not when they goe out of thy sight whether ever thou shalt see them again till thou meet them in the kingdom of heaven there all teares shall be wiped from thine eies there shall be no more sinne sorrow curse nor fear of deaths parting deare friends there shall be blessednesse without measure or end A Parents praier for his Children O Lord God everlasting father of mercy of whom is named the whole family in heaven and earth abundant in goodnesse and trueth shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love thee and keep thy commandements Give mee grace to be upright and holy before thee that it may according to thy promise who canst not deceive go well with me and my children after mee Thou who art the God of my fathers and hast preserved me from my mothers womb who hast blessings in store for all that fear thee for their generations who depend on thee plant thy fear in every one of their hearts and sanctifie them bodies and soules whom thou hast given mee so that in whatsoever state and condition thy providence shall set them it may be my comfort and assurance that they are thy faithful and elect servants that thou maist be pleased to dispose of them as thine own to their several places and callings to which thy fatherly providence hath assigned them Lord season their tender years with grace and trueth help them and blesse them with blessings of heaven above and the earth beneath and let my blessings prevail above the blessings of my fathers give them assurance of their adoption in Christ Jesus keep them and order their steps in the way which thou wouldst have them walke in let thy faithfulnesse and mercy be with them all the daies of their lives be thou a father and rock of salvation unto them keep them by thy sanctifying spirit holy and sincere before thee uphold them that their foot-steps slip not be thou the guide of their youth keep their tender years from sinne and shame take not thy mercy and thy trueth from them preserve them from the houre of tentation in life and
Rebecca cry I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. Now though it be true he that doubteth whether he ought to worship God and honour his parents rather wanteth stripes then arguments yet seeing the corrupt nature of man is prone to all impiety I will hereto adde some motives to this duety 1. It is the only commandement with promise of reward Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee that it may goe well with thee the son of Sirach saith Honour thy father and thy mother that a blessing may come upon thee from them 2. This is just before God and pleasing to him releeving thy father shall not be forgotten in the day of thy affliction it shall be remembred 3. A third motive may be taken from the contrary curse to him that any way dishonoreth father or mother 1. Cursed is he that setteth light by his father or his mother there is no more evident signe of an impious minde then contempt of parents 2. He that wasteth his father and chaseth away his mother is a son that causeth shame and whosoever robbeth father or mother and saith it is no transgression the same is the companion of a destroyer 3. The eie that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother the ravens of the valley shall pick it out 4. Whoso curseth his father or his mother his lamp shall be put out in obscure darknesse every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death his blood shall be upon him so he that smiteth father or mother there is no lesse punishment severe enough for such an unnatural prodigie as a parricide or hee that retributeth injury where he oweth highest gratitude 5. Lastly I wish all disobedient children to read Deut. 21. 18 c. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son which will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother and that when they have chastened him will not hearken unto them then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him and bring him unto the Elders of his city c. and the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he dye so shalt thou put away evil from among you A Praier for children to use O Lord God who hast ordained strength in the mouthes of babes and sucklings sanctifying them from the womb open our lips that wee may shew forth thy praise holy Lord Jesus who taking up children into thy sacred armes declaredst that unto such belongeth the kingdome of God who for our redemption becamest an infant and for our instruction obedient to humane parents who art the eternal son of God have mercy on us sanctify us bodies and soules unto thy kingdom and service keep us in our tender years by thy holy spirit from all the errors sins and pollutions of youth make us sincerely obedient to our God that in him wee may honor and obey our parents in all things in reverence and thankefulnesse for their tender care over us blesse their endeavours to provide for us spare them that they may live to bring us up in thy faith feare and love that thy great name may be glorified and they comforted in us and we with them preserved unto thine everlasting kingdom through Jesus Christ our ever blessed Lord and Saviour AMEN CHAP. XXVI Of the wounded spirit or conscience afflicted by the apprehension of Gods wrath against some great sinnes spiritual wants or fear of tentations § 1. What a wounded spirit is how great an affliction what the conscience is how comfortable the peace thereof why God afflicteth his § 2. What things principally wound the conscience § 3. What they who are afflicted with the apprehension of Gods wrath against them must consider § 4. What they must examine § 5. What they must practice 1. I Have spoken concerning the guidance of the Thoughts Words and Actions in generall and in some particular relations to external dueties I shall now endeavour to give directions suitable to some conditions first of the inward man and next of the outward The spirit of man will bear his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can beare saith Solomon The word signifieth a smitten contrite or broken spirit It is a manner of speaking borrowed from bodily afflictions by stripes contusions bruises or wounds wherein by cutting or hurting the sinews and veins the body weakened and endangered without cure to death disabled so that it cannot support it self is apt to inflammations and distempers every light touch hurteth it it depriveth a man of rest so that he is impatient of this present posture and more grieved at the change To expresse the intense sorrow of the soule weak confidence and enfeebled life of the spirit God calleth it a wounded spirit 2. This affliction is so great as it exceedeth all other temporal sorrows and is such as none can truely judge of but they who have with David seen confinia inferni as he saith Psal. 116. 3. The sorrowes of death compassed me and the paines of hell gat hold upon me or found me Other sorrowes may be eased by giving the afflicted something equivalent to that whose losse grieveth him as where one treasure is lost and another found or by some compensation and repair as Job had a second brood and encrease of wealth Elkanah intimated such a medium consolationis when hee said to afflicted Hannah Am not I better to thee then ten sonnes but so can this never be if you give a man of an afflicted spirit riches company of dearest friends or that which might relieve refresh or delight some others you do no more ease him then you could the broken bones by putting on some purple or rich robes no no the grief is within and there must be cured nothing external can do it in other griefes time will mitigate sunt verba voces excellent lenitives of sorrow in some other kindes wine merry company musick or the like meanes may have some part as the wise man saith Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts let him drinke and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more So Davids harp could for the time refresh Saul and charme the evil spirit but this grief admitteth of no efficacy in such comforts In other pressures wee may be eased or conveyed away from the evil as Paul was from the Jews conspiracy as David from Saul but there is no flight from a wounded spirit Whither ever we goe we carry our affliction with us our secret tormenter in us In fine as it is in sense of a separation from God the reality whereof is the second death so no creature in heaven or earth can cure it there can be
lawes if thou wilt grant them Naaman's plea only God be mercifull to thy servant herein and sometimes Herod Ahab Pharoah will have certaine fits of seeming devotion and repentance the frozen serpent will not sting then mens corruptions appeare when opportunity gives them birth The Interrogatories to be propounded to thy conscience are 1. Doth sinne raigne in thee so that thou yeeldest a willing obedience thereto or doth it tyrannize over thee there is an immense difference between these all men sinne but sinne raigneth onely in the unregenerate let not sinne raign in your mortal body the regenerate sin but that which I doe I allow not for what I would that I do not but what I hate that I doe the evil which I would not that I doe aske thy conscience therefore whether thou wouldst have done the evill which now woundeth it if not it is no more thou but sin that dwelleth in thee 2. Doest thou loath all sin because it is contrary to God's holy will and rather because thou lovest God then because thou fearest his judgments doest thou not only grieve for every sinne which thou hast committed but also for the pravity and corruption of thy will and the infirmities of flesh and blood disabling thee to the purer service of God feare not in Gods esteeme thou art not what thou loathest and wouldst not be neither will God ever condemn thee for that which hee hath given thee grace to loath and condemne in thy selfe for if wee would judge our selves wee should not be judged The unregenerate man loveth sin however hee fear and hate the punishment thereof the regenerate hateth it therefore God will not judge him for it as our Saviour said to the penitent sinner Joh. 8. 11. neither do I condemn thee go and sin no more 3. Wouldst thou fain be holy and is it thy hearts desire to serve God sincerely so that thou canst say with the Church Isai. 26. 8. The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Doest thou hunger and thirst after rigteousnesse be assured thou shalt be satisfied Doest thou in the inward man consent to the law of God be confident a true desire to be holy speaks a man such in Gods esteeme our present best perfection is not that wee are holy but that wee would be such 4. Hast thou respect to all Gods commandements so that thou doest not in thy heart dispense with any of them for pleasures profits or any secular advantage sake but wouldst fain keep them all be comforted however Satan's delusions beguile thee and thine own corruptions sometimes betray thee yet a little to serve God without exception or dispensation to any sinne concludeth a man regenerate the denomination following the better part as appeareth in Paul's expression of himselfe in the same case Rom. 7. 25. With the minde I my selfe serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sinne that is groaning under the tyranny thereof not dispensing with its reigne 5. Doest thou resolve to doe thy uttermost endeavour to avoid sinne God accepteth the will for the deed David said I will keep thy statutes and I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments it is evident he did not so but certain that he would have done so 6. Doest thou conscionably and diligently use the meanes to know thy sinnes as by an home-applying the word to thy conscience for by the law is knowledge of sinne Doest thou carefully avoid all occasions and incentives moving thee and leading thee thereunto Hee hateth drunkennesse in vaine who will not refraine from the company that led him thereto if thou hate adultery look not on the lascivious let her not take thee with her eie-lids the harlots eie is the adulterers snare Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart either looking love not or loving look not saith Isidore Come not neer the door of her house Prov. 5. 8. Occasion is lusts pander 7. Aske thy conscience whether it can presume to sin wittingly and willingly and whether it can be quiet in any known and unrepented sin if it be unquiet feare not this very unrest of conscience which so much affrighteth thee is a principal mark of a good conscience it is true as the women sang of Saul and David Saul hath slain his thousand but David his ten thousand so despair hath cast away some but presumption many thousands more 8. Hath not thy conscience at some times in some good measure been comforted by a sweet assurance of thy interest in Christ resolution to leave all thy sinnes peace with God and salvation by the merits of Christ wee must not alwaies judge of our state by present sense there are certaine houres of tentation wherein the light of grace is fearfully eclipsed to our sense and the stupid or afflicted conscience feeleth no present comfort of Gods spirit which yet in due time shall return and compensate our trials with greater advantage of assurance then wee had before 9. Lastly examine thy conscience whether that after thy fearful tryals and esteeme in the midst of them thy refuge be not to God in earnest and hearty prayer to have mercy on thee comfort and confirme thee yea sometimes when hee hath not for a long season shewed thee any countenance and seemed to reject and not regard thy earnest supplications thou hast resolved not to give over crying unto him but with Jacob thy soule hath said I will not let thee go untill thou blesse mee Happy man hee that gave thee that spirit of praier and perseverance will assuredly hear thee as he did the Cunanitish woman and accomplish his work in thy salvation The conclusions necessary to be considered hereto are 1. God's judgements are ever just I when flesh and blood say with Nicodemus How can these things be when thee too curious inquests after them are to be stayed with a Nay but O man who art thou that repliest against God and so also his mercies are as the unsounded déepes beyond all apprehension of carnal reason often curing by wounding and afllicting the guilty conscience comforting by terrifying bringing to glory and immortality through corruption killing sinne in the flesh by death the fruit of sinne and bringing to heaven as I may say by the gates of hell and feare of damnation 2. The most grievous sinnes committed in ignorance and unbeliefe after repentance are no arguments to despair Neither fornicators idolaters theeves covetous drunkards revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of heaven and such were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Paul was a blasphemer persecuter and injurious man but
obtained mercy for as much as he did it ignorantly and in unbeleefe in his conversion these sinnes were taken off as his Melita viper without more danger to his life so God pronounceth of the convert all his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him 3. Great and grievous sins of the regenerate through violent perturbations of minde or tentations overtaking them are not to be reckoned among symptomes of reprobation or apostasie such was Peter's denial and David's adultery and murder therefore the Apostle saith If any man be overtaken in any fault yee that are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted and Christ teacheth us without distinction of great and little sinnes to say daily Forgive us our trespasses this life is a spiritual combate a trucelesse warre against the powers of darknesse wherein the strongest may be and often are carried away captive and yet be healed and recovered their captivity concludeth not their not being true Israëlites who would fain return 4. Every sinne against knowledge doth not presently conclude a reprobate minde the best and most knowing are sometimes taken in Satan's snares Peter though forewarned denied Christ through sudden apprehension of fear not out of malice but infirmity we nay the best of men are but partly flesh and partly spirit so that we can neither do the good we would nor avoid the evil which wee see and hate Paul and all the regenerate knowing and allowing the law of God yet sometimes feele another lawlesse law carrying them away captive to sin 5. Though every sin against conscience be very dangerous and every perseverance therein the very suburbs of hell yet every such failing concludeth not against repentance and remission because sinne not onely allureth but sometimes exerciseth the rage of a tyrant and captivateth us against our will there may also be a lethargie or epilepse of the soul there is such mischievous subtilty in Satan that his snares though seene are not alwaies avoided whose messengers though felt with grief of soul are not alwaies overcome yet heâ— that gave waters to the Horeb rock can smite our harder heartr and make the waters of life slow plentifully to repentance never to be repented of 6. Though every relapse into sin be very dangerous yet if a man be not entangled and overcome therein it concludeth not against repaire by repentance the most holy fall seven times a day Satan doth not alwaies present new scenes but sometimes dresseth up his old artifices therewith to beguile 7. Though our infirmities be many Gods power is made manifest therein sustaining us that though we fall wee shall not fall away though Satan's power subtilty and restlesse malice be very great yet hee and his messengers cannot go beyond their chain wherewith they are limited no not so much as into an herd of swine without God's leave who will not try us above that hee will make us able so that we may resolve that neither life nor death nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus The rules of practice hereto belonging are 1. Do thy utmost endeavour to keep the testimony of a good conscience which thou canst by no means doe but by watching over thy soul and with unyeelding constancy resisting temptations every sin the least woundeth the soule afresh be not secure of little sinnes let a good conscience be most precious unto thee part not from it for any pleasures honours or riches of this world rather part from thy life have a tender conscience a seared one like callous flesh is hardly sensible of that which toucheth it to this custome bringeth a man taking away the sense of sin 2. Approve thy selfe in every action to God setting thy selfe ever in his presence who seest all thou doest oâ— thinkest and care not who ever else blame thee when hee approveth thee walke not according to the wisedom of the flesh but by God's grace which shall at last be thy rejoicing 3. Be sure sin reign not in thee which cannot be except thou sell thy self thereto by consenting to thine own captivity as the eare-bored servants who professed love to their masters and so would not be manu-missed and freed from them hate sin and none shall hurt thee no sin is so pernicious as that which pleaseth most specially take heed of presumptuous sins that they get not dominion over thee Psalm 19. 13. Numb 15. ver 30 31. Deuteron 17. vers 12. 4. Looke on Gods justice and mercy together part them not in thy thoughts if thou look on his justice onely thou must needs despair in the sight of thy sins if thou look on his mercy onely thou wilt easily presume when thou shalt see the admirable immensity thereof so ready to pardon sinnes the old sea-men noted the ignis lambens sitting sometimes on the yards of their ships for a good or a mischievous presage if they saw but one flame they called it an unlucky Helena if two they tooke it for Castor and Pollux good abodements of faire and prosperous weather it is much like here to consider either mercy to presumption or justice to despair is destructive it is happy to finde them thus together that thou neither in thy security presume to sinne nor despair for the greatnesse of any sinne in thy repentance 5. Labour for true faith in Christ who is the propitiation for our sinnes whose blood cleanseth us from all holding faith and a good conscience that wee may not be wrackt There was no cure for a wounded Israelite against the venome of fiery serpents but to looke up to the brazen Serpent which prefigured Christ apprehensible by faith the only cure of sinne-wounded consciences 6. Let but this very sense and apprehension of God's wrath which now terrifieth thee cause thee the more heartily to loath all sinne and thou shalt thereby be assured that God hath wounded thee only to heale the. 7. Remember that what the law saith it saith it only to them who are under the law not under grace they are under the law who plead not guilty and stand upon their justification by works of the law wee are under grace who seeing our sinne and misery by the law flee wholly to him for mercy who freely justifieth the sinner the curses and threatnings of the law are not to breake the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax the penitent soule trembling at God's word grieving for his sinnes the man of a wounded spirit Christ came to call and save such but to beat down the heart lifted up with opinion of self-merit safety in and presuming to sin 8. Repent thee quickly let not sinne get râ—ot in thy heart let not the wound grow blew before thou apply the medicine high thee
quickly to the throne of Grace to implore mercy before wrath come out against thee catch hold quickly on this second table repentance who hast lost the first of innocency condemne thy selfe and Christ will justifie thee hee onely expecteth thy voice when thou sayest I have sinned hee saith I forgive thee Doe but mark how quickly the pardon followed David's confession no sooner had hee said I have sinned against the Lord but the Lord said by the Prophet the Lord also hath put away thy sinne Peter quickly repented and as quickly found mercy Esau staied too long and so found no place for repentance though hee sought it carefully with teares If the grando fiered be suddenly cast back againe it proves only the assailants harme or danher such shall Satan's fire-works prove if thou presently cast out his tentations and heartily repent thee where any of his darts touch thee 9. Give not thy selfe over to pensive dedolency worldly sorrow and fruitlesse solitarinesse that will but feed the bitternesse of spirit think not too much of thy afflictions but sweeten them with the frequent remembrance of God's mercy toward thee take heed of worldly sorrow that is unto death cheer up thy selfe in God as David did Why art thou so sad O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee trust in God for I shall yet praise him a merry heart doth good like a medicine but a broken spirit drieth the bones A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance but by the sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken 10. Hearken diligently to the word of God hee is the God of all consolation and the word is his minde and revealed will for our good that is a full store-house there is no affliction incident to man which may not there finde a proper cure here thou shalt finde rules to guide thee and keep thee from sinne here thou shalt finde the sweet mercy of God in Christ Jesus to wash away the guilt of all thy transgressions but be thou not only a hearer but a constant doer of the word and lay the gracious promises up in thine heart so shalt thou in due season feele the work of God's spirit distilling the former and the later rain upon the seed to make it take root and be fruitfull 11. Hereto adde zealous and frequent prayer as the Saints have done in all their distresses and be assured that hee will not leave thee comfortlesse but at last coming with great assurance of thy salvation will abundantly recompence thy patience in suffering and perseverance in praying for pardon Satan is never more foiled and fooled in his own work then when hee gets leave to wound the hearts of the elect for as Romanus the martyr told the tormenter look how many wounds hee gives them so many mouthes hee setteth open for them to cry to God for helpe and indeed these jewels cannot come to their glorious lustre without hard grinding by afflictions A Praier for them who are of a wounded spirit in respect of their grievous sins O Lord God gracious and merciful rebuke not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure my soule is sore vexed and Lord how long Have mercy on mee for I am weak Lord heale my soule and deliver it O save mee for thy mercy sake I am weary of my groaning mine eie is consumed with griefe Lord heare my supplications receive my praier I am sorely afflicted Lord quicken mee according to thy word in thy loving kindenesse and multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from my sinnes cleanse me from all mine iniquities the greatnesse and number whereof is such as that I am ashamed and afraid of thy blessed presence I acknowledge my selfe unworthy to look up to heaven to appeare before thee with petition for mercy who have so uncessantly provoked thy justice the filthy leprosie of my sinnes stop mine own mouth my heart answereth that I am unworthy that ever thou shouldst encline thy gracious eare unto so wretched a sinner These terrors of conscience wherewith thou hast now afflicted my soule are thy just judgments the fears of hell and eternal condemnation wherewith thou hast wounded mee are incomparably lesse then my sinnes but Lord remember them not who canst not forget the sufferings of thy holy sonne Jesus for them all I am not able to answer thee one of a thousand nor can thy justice require that of mee for which my Saviour and redeemer hath satisfied therefore I renounce my selfe that I may be found in thy Christ not having on our owne righteousness according to the condemning letter of the law but that I may be clothed in his righteousnesse who hath long since cancelled the hand-writing of ordinances that were against me and payed the debt for me Lord for his sake I humbly entreat thee to turne this judgement under which I now labour into mercy let it beget in my soule a true loathing of all sinne a stedfast purpose to forsake all my evil waies a comfortable experience of thy mercy pronouncing pardon to my afflicted conscience by the infallible evidence of thy holy spirit and assurance of peace with thee make mee to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice in thee cast me not away from thy presence take not the holy Spirit the comforter from mee but restore mee to the joy of thy salvation and uphold mee with thy free spirit despise not a broken and contrite heart but heale my wounded spirit then will I teach transgressors thy way that they may fear thee who art so terrible in thy justice and convert unto thee who art so abunâ—amt in thy mercy Lord heare mee Lord encline thine eare to a poore distressed soule Lord consider and do it for thy only sonne our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee O heavenly father and the holy spirit be all honour and glory in heaven and earth from this time forth and for ever Amen CHAP. XXVII § 1. Sense of spiritual wants afflicteth but not so much endangereth the soule § 2. What we are herein to consider § 3. How we must examine the conscience § 4. Rules of practice hereto necessary THe second thing wounding and afflicting the conscience is sense of defects and spiritual wants as want of faith hope assurance of salvation want of sanctification purity of heart the spirit of praier and hearing want of ability rightly to performe other holy dueties In these the spirit is stupified and fearfully darkned in the saint for a time a man sometimes feeleth dulnesse to and want of fervency in praier and want of comfortable assurance that God heareth or regardeth it because hee doth not presently answer or not at all grant that which wee aske sometimes hee feeleth a deviation of his minde and discomposure of thoughts in attention and unbeleef in hearing the word or reading the
and honors and undoubtedly it doth so much please God that a man doth in sense of his wants from his heart and before all things begge grace and sanctity of him that he will not deny him but adde to his grant more then wee are able to aske or thinke of A Praier for comfort and supply in case of spiritual wants O Lord God abundant in mercy and trueth who delightest not in the destruction of wretched creatures nor despisest the groanes of a troubled spirit I poore afflicted man in bitternesse of soule acknowledg my vilenesse and want of grace the corruption of my sinful nature the misery which I have procured my self by my wilful disobedience to thy holy lawes and my impotency to any thing that is good I am as that wretched traveller wounded and cast down only sensible of my wonnds utterly unable to move or helpe my selfe the Priest and Levite passe by and helpe mee not no creature can yea thy holy law which saith Doe this and live is so farre from helping or releeving mee that now by reason of my infirmity it becometh to mee a killing letter at best but like the Prophets staff sent before by the ministery of the servant not able to give life only shewing mee my sinnes and rendring me guilty as before thy dreadful tribunal so at the barre of mine owne conscience Lord let the good Samaritan the Prophet himselfe Christ Jesus my Saviour naw come to mee he only can binde up my wounded soul and heale it Thou hast wounded mee by an heavy apprehension of thy justice now heal mee by the assurance of thy mercy strengthen my faith in Châ—ist who freely justifieth sinners as thou hast in thine eternal love given him to death for my redemption so give me an infallible assurance that hee is my Jesus and Saviour that according to thine owne gracious promise in him I may live with thee Blessed Saviour who sentest the holy Ghost the comforter of all thine elect to thy afflicted Disciples to strengthen them send him to my more feeble and wretched soul it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of thine own goodnesse shewing mercy thou workest both the will and the deed of thy good pleasure be graciously pleased to sanctify my corrupted will and affections as thou hast given me a will and an hearts desire to serve and please thee that I might be saved so perfect thine owne worke in mee establish that thing which thou hast begunne will thou that I will not in vaine thou hast nothing the lesse by communicating thy goodnesse to others Lord give me true holinesse repaire thine own image in mee that thou maist own mee for thine manifest thine own worke in mee unto mee Let not the good spirit which dwelleth in mee be any longer hidden from mee Lord Jesus manifest thy selfe unto my soule let the light of thy spirit breake out in full assurance of faith that I may no more doubt of thy mercies give mee an evident victory over sinne and despaire by the manifest presence of the comforter Lord my afflicted soule knoweth no sanctuary but thy mercy unto thee it gaspeth as a thirsty land O showre downe that abundant dew of grace which may refresh my wearied spirit and fill mee with the fruits of righteousnesse which may appeare in my life and conversation to thy glory and the assurance of my election calling sanctification perseverance and salvation in thy beloved sonne my blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to whom with Thee and the holy Spirit three Persons one immortal incomprehensible omnipotent onely wise God be rendred all honour and glory in heaven and earth now and to all eternity AMEN CHAP. XXVIII § 1 Of the conscience afflicted with feare of tentations and falling away What wee are herein to consider § 2. How wee must examine the conscience herein § 3. What wee must practice WEe are next to consider the wounded spirit or conscience afflicted with feare of tentations and falling away through them enclining it to despair of grace sufficient to resist them hereby the soule is in heavinesse through manifold tentations in which case it is necessary to consider that 1. A tentation is a tryal or taking an experiment of some thing the Devil who cannot compel tryeth men whether he can allure them to sinne and this is tentation 2. There is a temptation of tryal see 1 Cor. 10. 13. Act. 20. 19. Rev. 3. 10. and so James saith My brethren count it all joy when yee fall into divers tentations for when he is tryed hee shall receive the crown of life and blessed is the man that so doth God who is said to tempt no man that is to evil because as there is no sin in him so neither is there any of him yet tryed Abraham to make him known to others and himself for no man untryed knoweth himself which is called tempting or proving as Deut. 13. 3. Ex. 15. 25. Ex. 16. 4. Deut. 8. 16. Psal. 26. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 6. And there is a temptation of seducement which is a solicitation to defection and falling from God by sinning and doing evil 1 Tim. 6. 9. 1 Thes. 3. 5. so that God tempteth that he may teach us but the Devil that he may destroy us 3. Some temptations arise from the corruption and sin inherent in the flesh Jam. 1. 14. Every man is tempted when hee is 〈…〉 his own lusts such as are mentioned Galat. 5. 19 20. Some are suggested by the tempter who being a spirit hath power to inâ—â—â—uate and convey his impious notions into our mindes suggestion between spirits being as contiguity and touching of bodies now whereas hee cannot know the unuttered secrets of the heart it being Gods peculiar to search that he marketh mens natural inclinations and their habits by their words and actions and so prepareth baits for them accordingly sishing in these depths the secrets whereof hee knoweth not till hee perceive his suggestions are swallowed and the sinner taken therefore he presenteth such thoughts as he conâ—ectureth will take by that which is obvious to the senses of men as hee sitteth an opportunity of treason to impious Judas by the malice of the high Priests of lust to Amnon of venturing on the cursed thing to Achan of revenge to Cain of idolatry to Ahaz by the altar of Damascus 4. There are foure degrees of tentations by which it cometh to full maturity 1. Suggestion 2. Delight therein 3. Consent to 4. Acting the same as James 1. 14 15. Man is tempted when hee is drawn away of his own lusts and eâ—iced thenwhen lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is finished bringeth sorth death the first of these a bare suggestion is not our sinne if there be no delight therein or consent thereto for Christ was tempted in all points like as wee are yet without sinne The
and to guide all thy thoughts words and actions so that waking thou maist walke sincerely in his presence and sleeping rest confidently in his protection 2. Prepare and arme thy selfe against these encounters of tentations with the whole armour of God look before hand for tryals thou hast to resist flesh and blood principalities and spiritual wickednesses it is a conflict by so much more terrible by how much more hidden and with an unseen puissant unwearied and restlesse enemy with whom thou canst have no safe truce therefore cast before-hand like the wise builder to lay the foundation upon the rocke against which no windes stormes or floods can prevaile The sea-man doth not contrive his shippe for calmes onely but also against furious storms and rough seas prepare thee good ground-tackle the anchor of the soule hope to lay hold on Christ who therefore suffered and was tempted that hee might deliver thee from and in temptations get the ballast of patience and all things necessary for tryals which thou must in reason look for before thou canst make thy port It were great incogitancy to thinke that Satan who could not abstaine from tempting Christ in whom hee found no sinne will ever give thee rest from temptations in whom hee conceives some hopes of prevailing because some sinnes to foil and grieve thee though not to make thee finally his 3. Watch least yee enter into temptation your adversary continually watcheth to destroy you be not lesse vigilant for your own salvation Many a man not marking whether a mischievous temptation carrieth him hath been surprized and led into some desperate sinnes which waking hee abhorred and trembled at looke for more and more assaults Satan leaveth men sometimes to returne with seven worse spirits that security may destroy them whom nothing else could 4. Be not precipitated into any sudden undertaking but consult with God's Oracles first and resolve to be directed thereby Let them be as the cloudy pillar to Israël where that designeth thy stations or marches there rest or thence advance 5. Resist the devil and hee will flee if thou yeeldest or givest him the least ground hee is tyrannous flee from thy lusts they are like serpents there 's no safe debate with them except by fasting and praier the best way is flight stop thine ears to the enchanting Syrens make a covenant with thine eies not to see that which thou maist not desire in thine heart Take heed of all incentives and occasions thereto beware of Tamar's waies and Delilah's embraces the curtisans invitations and presented opportunities suspected company lascivious entertainments betraying gifts and whatsoever may lead thee to the pathes of death 6. As the subtile enemy sets his snares according as hee findeth men inclinable to be taken therewith as hath been said so be thou carefull most to fortifie thy selfe where thou findest him placing his main batteries there most carefully watch over thy selfe where hee most frequently assaileth thee and be constant herein because hee is so in his malice to destroy thee he sometimes changeth his artifices now hee cometh like a mischievous fruiterer with his destructive commentaries on the forbidden fruit sometimes like an holy prophet with lying visions to bewitch the foolish and unstable sometimes like a beguiling courtier with large promises of worlds of honor and wealth sometimes hee plaies the pander shewing a naked Bathsheba sometimes the secret conspirator and puts into Judas heart to betray the King of Kings and presently the executioner presenting the desperate traitor an halter to make away himself the rule therefore is be careful and search again and again into his gifts whatever they are feare the enemy as Saul said of David See his place where his haunt is for hee dealeth very subtilely he never offereth any good but for some mischievous end hee is a great studier of men where hee findeth a gentle nature hee tempteth to luxury where an ambitious to some high and impious designes where an angry to revenge be thou as cautious learne thy selfe well and where thou art most weake most fortifie thy selfe against him 7. Take heed of idlenesse that lazy mother of all evil ever set thy selfe about something which is good that the tempter as I said may never finde thee at leisure to entertaine him What fearful advantages found hee on David in his few houres vacancy to staine so glorious a life 8. Dally not with temptations happy shall be hee who dasheth them yong as Elisha said of Jehoram's messenger Looke when hee cometh shut the doore and hold him fast there is not the sound of his masters feet behinde him So must we do with Satan's messengers sent to take away our lives wee must destroy the cockatrice egges least breaking out into a fiery serpent wee cannot overcome it but say too late as the Turke of Scanderbeg this enemy should have been subdued in his minority a tentation is nourished that houre it is not mastered 9. Pray constantly and fervently leade us not into temptation oft-times these are a divine revenge on some precedent unrepented sinne against which the Saints usually pray and if as often as Satan assaileth wee could betake our selves to hearty prayers wee should beat him at his owne weapon and hee should give us frequent alarms to awaken us to a stronger guard and occasions of fleeing to the shadow of God's wings The first enemy that assailed Israël in his way to Canaan was overcome by prayer when Moses held up his hands Israël prevailed the greatest of our enemies shall so be repulsed Mat. 17. 21. An ejaculation fit to be used as sonne as thou wakest LOrd be merciful unto us blessed be thy name as for all thy mercies so for thy gracious preservation of us this night continue thy goodnesse to us this day keep us from sinne and shame preserve us bodies soules and estates let no evil come neer our dwellings let not the mischievous tempter gaine any advantage upon us or ours this day but direct thou all our thoughts words and actions by the continual presence of thy holy spirit that wee may wholly spend this day to thy glory and our comfort Preserve the Church this family and all those whom thou hast stirred up to shew thy goodnesse to us or appointed to receive it of us blesse us all and keepe us this day through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN After thou hast strictly examined thy conscience what good dueties thou hast omitted or what evil thou hast done in the day and hast heartily repented of the sin compose thy last waking thoughts with such an ejaculation LOrd forgive us all our sinnes and failings this day seal up our redemption by thy good spirit the comforter of thine elect give us that peace of conscience which may cause us to rest securely on thy mercies let our sleep be reâ—reshing and comfortable unto us restrain the enemy that
come and leave no roome for good counsel and resolution Here thou maist finde some liberty to serve God as Paul and Silas did to pray and sing Psalmes at least and who can say that God did not therefore confine thee seeing thee too attentive to the world and carelesse of holy duties that the prison might teach thee devotion which thy liberty could not There are many things which may befall thee for thy good and there are unexspected revolutions both in prosperity and adversity out of the prison hee cometh to reigne whereas also hee that is borne in his kingdome becometh poor Thou maist securely exspect that which God knoweth best for thee it may be there is but one doore into the prison there are many out either mercy or violence innocency reward favor of men or the Angel of God either man or death which hath a key to open every doore shall set thee free if nothing else enlarge thee that will not faile thee at the appointed houre and variable are the conditions to which the prison rendreth men as I. Caesar to an Empire Marius to a consul-ship Regulus and Sâ—crates to death I need not these who read of Pharoah's servants James Peter Joseph John Baptist the prison sendeth some to heaven some to destruction sooner or later one way or other it rendreth all I only note that the most infamous temporal end it rendreth men unto can be no obstruction and hindrance to their eternal happinesse in Christ who therefore submitted himselfe to the then most infamous death that hee might take away the curse of the law which saith cursed is every one which hangeth on a tree The main skill therefore is and the only certain comfort against imprisonment or death to gain assurance that thou arâ— in Christ in every place and condition doing those things which may further thy certainty thereof to which observe such like rules 1. Keepe innocency that if thou suffer it may be wrongfully for this is thanke worthy if a man for conscience toward God endureth griefe suffering wrongfully if when yee doe well and suffer for it yee take it patiently this is acceptable to God And if thou hast lost the first parts of innocency despaire not but lay hold on the second table of repentance the penitent theefe on the crosse who confessed hee justly suffered yet heard of Christ this day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise 2. Search thy heart diligently least some secret sin causeth this affliction in case it appear not that thou justly sufferest of men See Isai. 42. 22 23 24. 3. Think how long these imperious masters can hold thee there and feare not them who only can imprison and destroy the body but fear and trust in him who can cast body and soule into hell and save thee from thy oppressors prepare thee to entertain death cheerfully hee shall once come like the Angel to Peter and take thee out in spight of the most rigid keepers there the prisoners rest together that shall free thy body from a loathed prison and thy soul from an afflicted body 4. Improve thy time to some good some birds sing sweetest in the cage that excellent monument which beareth the title of the first part of the worlds general history is an example hereof 5. Keep thy minde free from all reigning sin and in spight of all geives and fetters and the bespattering of black and unhallowed mouths thou shalt have a more happy freedom in prison then thy persecuters have in their liberty besides that their accompt with the eternal justice of God is to come and yet not closed nothing but sinnes can miserably enthral wee may well say to them as Sampson to the men of Judah Swear to mee that you will not fall upon mee I fear none other bonds hee is a free-man whose conscience accuseth him not God's service in every state is the best freedom 6. Subject thy minde to inevitable necessity by patient bearing the way to make bonds more heavy and intolerable is vainly to struggle with them if thy minde were to stay within thy confinement were no prison it were a punishment to command thee out if thy minde be reluctant thou straitnest thy selfe a nè exeat regnum may make some man think England a prison the old man who had never gone out of the city gates receiving a warrant from the Prince prohibiting his going out could not rest till he had stollen out it was his city before but the restraint made it a prison to an impatient minde if thy minde having a willing compliance thy prison becometh no prison to thee an impatient wearisome minde maketh a kingdome no more 7. Be thou meek in affliction and thou shalt be temperate in thy liberty if God restore it so this shall not corrupt thee more then that break thee however if thou canst but learne this one lesson as thou hast the best tutor that ever suffered so shalt thou finde the best fruit rest to thy soule 8. To conclude let the prison make thee more zealous in Gods service more fervent in prayer more attentive in hearing more charitable and pitiful to others that suffer and more fruitful in all good works and thou shalt owe thanks to thy persecuters and oppressors more then thy friends deserved of thee it skilleth not much who bettereth thee if thou be indeed made better for whosoever be the instrument it 's Gods favour to thee Hee is never wanting to them that call upon him faithfully but surely he is neerest them that are in greatest troubles hee heard Jonah out of the whales belly Daniel out of the lions denne the three Israëlites out of the fiery fornace the Disciples in the storme Joseph Jeremy Paul Silas all his servants in prison the Churches praiers brought an Angel from heaven to deliver Peter No wards can shut up thy praiers remember you that are free what you owe to Christs prisoners little comfort will he afford them who cannot his earnest praiers remember you that are in bonds what you owe your selves it is in you to make the prison evil or good to you be you holy and it shall make you happy pray instantly God hath promised to heare and helpe you The prisoners Petition O Holy and merciful Lord God who hast made heaven and earth the sea and all that therein is which keepest trueth for ever which excusest judgement for the oppressed givest food to the hungry raisest them that are down and loosest thy prisoners though thou afflict and try thy children thou wilt not cast them off for ever though thou causest grief yet thou wilt shew compassion according to thy mercies thou afflictest not willingly nor grievest the children of men to crush under foot the prisoners of the earth to turn aside their right and subvert them in their cause our sinnes have provoked thy justice and put this rod into thy fatherly hand thou wouldst not the
hast left may best appear in thy tryals how many of these shadowes follow thee now thou art clouded doe they not feare thy mine doth not that set a strange distance between you are these thy friends or such acquaintance as thou maist every where finde Againe how many malicious enemies hast thou left behinde who have often so embittered thy soule that thou hast cryed out Wo is mee that I sojourne in Meshech that I dwell in the tents of Kedar my soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace so that upon a just account thou art not so much banished thy country as taken from impious enemies 4. Lastly be confident that what ever is good wee shall meet withal again in the immutable happinesse of heaven what ever cannot come thither is not worth our lamenting here it being truely rather a gaine to loose it then to recover it 7. Consider how popular inconstancy usually retributeth evil to best deserts as Aristides the just Alcibiades as hee also whose epitaph sayed to posterity Ingrateful native soile thou hast not so much as my bones had experience of it Wee have examples in holy writ of those who wandred in deserts and mountaines of whom the world was not worthy All is little to that one example of Christ persecuted from his infancy carried into Egypt to avoid Herod's tyrannous fury and all his life made a man of sorrows by them hee came to save That condition to which Christ is a pattern can make no man unhappy hee came amongst his own and they received him not hee did only good to them their owne testimony was hee hath done all things well yet they crucified him remember his words The disciple is not greater then his master and doest thou think much that being innocent thou art banished thy native soile few good men live where they first drew breath or best deserve 8. Learne the good which God doth for thee who best knoweth how to make all things work for the best as in thy exile thy security from thine adversaries whose restles malice is as trucelesse as the Divells which ruleth in the enemies of Gods children that he hath set thee by better neighbours or lesse pernicious who canst not have worse then thou hast lost however thou valew this the Prophet fervently wisheth for it O that I had in the Wildernesse a Cottage of a Wayfaring man that I might leave my People and goe from them for they be all an assembly of treacherous men they bend their tongues like their bow for lies 9. Learne to seek happinesse and content in thy selfe in peace of conscience purity of heart sanctified will and affections faith patience meeknesse temperance humility and the like and no losse of these outward â—hings shall much trouble thee who hast set thy affections on heaven and to a man assured that he must ere long change this life for an eternall what matter is it from what point of the earth his soule taketh her flight whether from Pisga with Moses from the bankes of Jordan with Eliah from the Prison with John Baptist from the field mill or bed or from the mount of Olives whence Christ ascended into Heaven it is not much considerable whence thou comest thy happinesse in spight of secular afflictions and active malice shall be once to arrive at heaven where all shall be securely unchangeably and eternally happy The Banished mans Petition O Lord God holy and mercifull whose providence ruleth over all the earth is thine and thou assignest the parts thereof to the children of men thou brougâ—st a Vine out of Egypt and plantedst it thou madst the branches thereof to fill the land and spread themselves from the river to the flood but in thy displeasure thou didst cast them out of the inheritance which thou hadst given them Thou art the Lord of Mountaines and vallies land and sea and the God of the exiled and outcast Thou dost with much patience behold oâ—â—ression and wrong untill the measures of iniquity be filled up ô Lord behold the pressures of me thy poore despised and dejected servant thy mercy and gracious audience of the afflicted is neither limited to Jerusalem nor this mountaine every place is equally neere heaven where ever men lift up pure hands and hearts worshipping thee in spirit and truth thou art there present to heare and help them Gracious Father though thou seest good to permit me to the power of men to exercise me yet can they not shut thy mercifull eare against me O let my complaint therefore come before thee let thy word be as the clowdy Pillar to lead me in thy way let thy good spirit direct me cast me not from thy presence take not thy mercies from me give me grace to forsake all those sinnes for which thy chastisement is now upon me that I may happily profit by thy Fatherly corrections and if it be thy holy will restore me to these blessings and comforts which thou gavest me for my support if otherwise yet good Lord give me assurance of thy mercy and patience to expect thy saving health leave me not destitute and comfortlesse in my afflictions be my guide and helper in this earthly pilgrimage and vally of teares unto and in the howre in which thou hast appointed to take me hence into the incorruptible and undefiled inheritance by thy power reserved in heaven for all that beleeve in thee to which no hand of the oppressor shall reach where shall be no curse no sinne nor feare of forfeiture into which no enemy shall be admitted from which no inhabitant shall ever be cast out Lord heare and help me Lord have mercy on me and grant me that which I aske according to thy will and that which I should aske which thou knowest best for me through the infinite merits of the Sonne of thy Love the author and finisher of our Salvation and eternall happinesse Christ Jesus the righteous AMEN CHAP. XXXIII Of old Age directions counsels and comforts therein § 1. Age common evils thereof § 2. How the foundation of an happy Age must be laid in youth § 3. How the evils of Age may be lessened § 4. Or more patiently borne § 5. By what Rules of practice it may be improved to the comfort of the Aged 1. OLd Age is our times sun-set the last of this life and first-fruits of death that which all desire and but few like or patiently bear so ingrateful are men to God that they would be yong again so waiward doth sinne make them that they like no present state of so discomposed and foolish a minde are those aged children whose desires look to the Sodom whose dangerous â—lame they had escaped 2. It is the condition of all that groweth in time to decay Time is the devourer of his children here is nothing but perpetual changes we shall not be to morrow what wee were
the Woman was of the man without paine because innocent but now the man is of the woman with her sorrow because she hath sinned a sorrow so intense and embittered with feare and anguish that the Holy Ghost hereby expresseth the condition of the fainting afflicted and dejected spirit in sodaine feares of the affrighted conscience expecting an inevitable judgement The hower of birth and death the entrance and exit of this World being solely in Gods hand and secret counsaile none else knowing the time nor being able to dispose thereof reason more then apparent urgeth the necessity of addresse to him 2. Some are the sepulchers of their Children gone out of ere they came into this World exiled before they saw a native soile advanced from a short imprisonment in the wombe to the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God to the blessed Kingdome of Heaven before they touched this cursebearing earth some see their Benoni and thence have passage into eternall life where the sentence of death began some live to tast their sorrowes allay in â—he sweetest temper of divine mercy with justice becoming rejoycing mothers all is disposed by the all-guiding providence and unlessened power of Gods word who at the beginning but spake and it was done It hath much troubled some to think why if our sinnes be pardoned in Christ are not the punishments thereof also taken away as here why the elect and reprobate the chast matron and filthy adultresse should in this sentence share and suffer alike for satisfaction herein let the servant of God considerâ— 1. That whereas all sinne though not in the same kinde measure or degrees there remaining the same cause there must remaine the same effect in all that bring forth 2. This life is the stadium or race which we have through the variable distractions and tryalls of seducing pleasures and dejecting paines so to runne that we may obtaine here all are a like the Wheat and the tares must grow up togeather unto the harvest the difference shall appeare in the binding up which shall sufficiently crowne or punish 3. Gods finall sentence is adjourned to the Worlds great Assizes the day in which he hath appointed to judge in righteousnesse if he should by present rewards or punishments distinguish between good and evill the matter of Religion would seem acted by selfe-love feare awing and gaine alluring servile mindes to secure and serve themselves not God rather then the love of God which is the summe and ground of all true obedience nor should men according to the mercifull ordinance of God live by Faith but sense the lives of beasts rather then of men they are drawn to obsequie by rewards held out to them or compelled to duty by stripes but these by Faith in the promises of God even when there appeareth in things externall no difference between the wicked and the just nor indeed should God otherwise leave a due place for faiths reward which is not slitely tryed by our present sharing in secular evills with the wicked nor so just and great a punishment of sinne by permitting the disobedient to runne on in their own wayes storing up wrath against the day of wrath and greatning their own damnation 4. Though there is much difference in the issue between the temporall afflictions common to elect and reprobate they being the beginning of destruction to these and a fatherly correction to the other that they might not be condemned with the World yet he continueth them to his dearest children in this life that they may make them throughly sensible of the odiousnesse of sinne by the bitter effects thereof of Gods immutable and inviolable justice the same now which it was when this dolefull sentence was first pronounced of the corrupted state of mans depraved nature conceived in sinne and therefore comming into living in and going out of the World with sorrow and lastly of the necessity of our repaire by faith and continuall renewing our repentance 5. As all other afflictions are not only mitigated but made good to the Saints and coâ—perative for the best to them that love God so is this for through this temporall Childbearing they shall be saved if they continue in Faith and Charity with holinesse and sobriety and in the mean time they are not without their peculiar comforts 1. Our Saviour noted it So soon as she is delivered of the child she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the World Doubtlesse as it was and is an affliction to be childlesse so it cannot but be a comfort to her that by an holy progeny encreaseth the Kingdome of God to be her Husbands blessing a fruitfull Vine upon the walls of his house God promising the fruit of the wombe and the sweet Olive branches round about the table for a blessing to them that feare him and walke in his waies 2. It must be a comfort to consider how God not only in Christ in whom male and female have equall interest hath taken off the curse from this sexe made coe-heires with us of the same grace but also the dishonour and bitternesse of their sentence by some peculiar favours and consolations as first that he sent forth his Sonne made of a Woman without man so that he made her mother of Christ according to the flesh that shee might by the power of the most high conceive her Saviour that as shee was the unhappy doore to let in sorrowes and paines deaths terrible harbingers and destruction on all her posterity so she might be to let in Christ the peace happinesse redeemer and life of all the elect Secondly that God made her seed to break the serpents head 3. That he made a Woman the first witnesse of the accomplishment thereof in his resurrection from the dead that the sexe that first heard and felt the sentence on sinne should first see and beleeve the ransome of our sinne there accomplished where death was absolutely vanquished 3. In the sweet object of their affection they most tenderly love who suffer the most bitter sorrow for Children God sometimes expresseth the constancy of his love by a mothers can a Mother forget could a greater among the children of men have been found his infinite love and compassion towards man should have been weighed by it 4. In their Husbands greater love as Leah said now therefore my Husband will love me none but the unnaturall but will have compassion and the more tender love to her by whose sorrowes God hath made him glad by the comfort of deare Children pledges of his posterity 5. In their Childrens love and duty who forsake not the law of their mother as fooles who are their living sorrowes onely the wicked forget their Mothers paines and care for them the ravens of the vallies are too milde executioners for them who despise their Mother when shee is old who looketh
strengthen our Faith give us assurance of thy favour and mercy toward us shed abroad thy love in our hearts that all things even our sorrowes may worke together for the best to us in mercy asswage the sorrowes of this thy servant with the comfortable assurance of an happy issue give her patience to beare and ability to overcome her tryalls it was the word of justice which appointed this affliction but Lord whose mercy is over all thy workes allay the rigor of that sentence mitigate her paines speake comfort to her soule give a powerfull assistance to her weaknesse O gracious father by the power of whose word man is thus brought into the World give her a speedy and safe deliverance now that the child is come to the birth give her strength to bring forth to the encrease of thy Kingdome through the new birth by water and the holy Ghost to the comfort of thy now afflicted servant the Fathers joy and the praise of thy holy name through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Lord heare and grant these our Petitions and what ever else thou knowest more needfull for us through his merits in whom thou hast promised to heare us in whose mediation and words we present and conclude our petitions saying Our Father which art in heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. A thanksgiving for a Woman after her Deliverance O Lord God of our salvation who mercifully enclinedst thine eare unto us in our feare and distresse who appointedst in thy Law that she should bring a paire of mourning Turtles who had not a spotlesse Lamb for a sacrifice of thanks-giving it is the same thy clemency who wilt now accept their repentance who have not that unblemished innocency which can abide the tryall of thy severe justice and their hearty desire to be truely thankfull who have nothing worthy thy acceptance to render unto thee Lord therefore accept what thy selfe hast given us to bring before thee an humble and hearty desire to returne thee the fruits of our hearts and lipps the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as for all thy fatherly mercies so particularly for that thou hast asswaged the sorrowes of this thy servant with a comfortable Issue that thou hast given her patience to beare ability to overcome her tryalls and strength to bring forth that by thy mercy mitigating her paines thou hast allayed the rigour of thy sentence which thy justice pronounced we acknowledge thee to be the only Lord in whose hands are the Issues of life and death the God of our health and salvation And now ô Lord perfect thine own worke as thou hast delivered thy servant from her feare and sorrow so give her an heart ever to trust and rejoyce in thee as thou hast given her this fruit of the wombe so make him an accession to the encrease of thy Kingdome by the spirit of regeneration sanctify him and keep him in his tender yeares from sinne and all the malitious assaults of the enemy give thy holy Angels charge over him to keep him in all his waies that he may grow up in thy faith feare and love so that in what ever condition thy good providence shall set him his interest and assurance may be of his election and salvation in Christ Jesus Lord accomplish thy worke of mercy to thy servant repaire her health and strength give her a faithfull heart carefully to imploy the same in thy service and the holy education of those thou hast given her assist her in the whole remainder of her life that she may pay all her vowes made to thee in her feare and trouble let the tast of these bitter fruits of sinne give her a more fervent love to thy mercy pardoning it and a greater hate to all that which offendeth thee lead her in thy waies teach her so to number her daies that she may apply her heart unto wisedome make her more and more fruitfull in all good workes and zealous of thy lawes so that her life may appeare not only restored but also improoved and made more happy to the glory of thy great name the good example of others who shall see as thy worke of mercy on her so the effects of that worke the fruits of sanctity in her to the further assurance of her conscience before thee confirmed by the experience of thy mercy in her deliverance and preservation and to the salvation of her body and soule to all eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour AMEN Directions for the Sick CHAP. XXXV § 1. As all afflictions sanctified so sicknesse profitable for Gods children many waies § 2. How it may become so to us § 3. Duties of them that visit the sick 1 THere is nothing constant in this world but inconstancy and change of all things We are borne with a condition of dying mortality beginneth with life â—our sicknesse with our health we bring it from the wombe as derived to us from our first parents from the houre of whose transgression death tooke date and in the commencement of sicknesse he began to dye according to the sentence from which he became mortall and now all flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of the feild the grasse withereth and the flower fadeth quickly and certainly though insensibly we perceive it soone withered though we cannot mark by what degrees it changeth so age and infirmity stealeth on 2 The good God as he is severe so is he mercifull neither loosing mercy in his justice nor his justice in his mercy There is nothing which befalleth the elect but it hath some good in it or by it to them accrewing Concerning afflictions David saith it is good for me that I have beene in trouble The very death of the Saints bitter as it is to flesh and blood is mercy to them blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord not only that they rest from their labours but also in that it is to them the death of sinne and passage to eternall life and so our sicknesse is profitable though it be the rod of an almighty Father it shall like Moses rod sometimes in the dreadfull shape of a serpent serve to divide the bitter waves and open us a passage to our eternall rest and so the decayes of these earthly tabernacles shall daily bring us neerer to the repaire of our eternall building in heaven therefore God sendeth sicknesse upon his dearest children whom he could as easily have rescued from death by a translation as he did Enoch and Eliah but hee maketh their sicknesse many waies proâ—itable unto them as by preparing them unto death by repentance and calling upon the Lord by weaning them from the love of this life by teaching them patience and subjection to the hand of God whereas impatience like the sea turneth all that which falleth into it even the otherwise sweet and comfortable blessings of
which grant us O good Lord for the same thy sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ his sake who with thee and the holy spirit liveth and reigneth one glorious God for ever and ever AMEN CHAP. XXXVI Meditations concerning death § 1. Seeing all must dye how to prepare that death may not be terrible § 2. Meanes to comfort in the death of deare friends § 3. Comforts against death THat needeth no proofe whereof all are examples to themselves such is that easiest and hardest lesson that All must dye that death is the undoubted issue of sinne that it is a separation of the soule from the body for a time But because it stealeth on as they that sleepe in a ship undersaile arrive at their port while they thinke not of going so goe wee with a restlesse pace to that same terra incognita the unknowne limit of our present life consuming while we are not sensible thereof and because it is terrible to flesh and blood the maine care must be to knowe 1 What preparation we are to make that neither life may be tedious nor death terrible 2 How to comfort our selves against it in case of sorrow for others 3 How we must be comforted against feare of death We must prepare for death because in the place where the tree falleth there it shall be as death leaveth us judgement shall finde us now as the passage to the promised rest which was a type of heaven to the Israël of God was terrible so is this to heaven we are presently ripe though not ready for death all are subject to this pale prince to whom we are going every moment this day wee now live wee divide with death that which is past thereof being unrecoverably gone rhe houre is uncertaine but they are certainly happy who are then provided thou wouldst watch against the comming of theeves who can take nothing from thee but only that which a little time must what a stupid security is it not to watch and provide against death which thou knowest will certainly and quickly come and take away body soule heaven and all to eternity from the secure sinner Thinkest thou of youth and strength Alas how many young and strong men have died before thee Doest thou in others funeralls thinke as the Pharise said I am not as other men What priviledge hast thou Let not Satan delude thee but prepare for the day that it may bee thy happiest To prepare so that thou maist not feare death it is necessary that thou 1 Put thy house in order so that when the houre is come that thou shalt be taken hence all secular cares falling off like Eliahs mantle thou maist quietly fix thy minde on those things which are above to which thou art going 2. That thou alwaies keepe innocency for so thy end shall be peace Psal. 37. 37. The sting of death is sinne 1. Cor. 15. 56. and more greivous then it into which when our first parents fell they became mortall and so death went over all for as much as all have sinned so that which was their punishment became naturall to all borne of them The best preparation against death is as much as we can to avoid the cause thereof but for which as it could never have prevailed so neither can it now be terrible what is the serpent when his venemous teeth are broken or his sting pulled out what is death to those who are fully assured of their sinnes remission death where is thy sting cryed Paul certaine of victory in Christ and insulting over death otherwise even Aristippus how excellently soever disputing of the contempt of death will looke pale in the storme at sea yea where some remaindes of the first Adam appeare and therein some degrees of unbeleefe the saints thinke of death as Jacob said of his Luz how dreadfull is this place this is the gate of heaven for the guilt of sin presenteth the conscience with apprehension and feare of Gods anger as faith doth with confidence of attonement in Christ hence is the conflict in the soule desiring to be with Christ and flesh and blood naturally fearing its owne destructiō look how Moses assured that the rod turn'd into a serpent should not sting him yet fled it with a kind of fearfull willingnesse tooke it up so is it here the guilt of sinne afflicting the conscience is the onely terrour of death therefore as the Philistins said of David we may say of it let him not goe downe into the battel with us lest he be an enemy to us sinne is the mother of unbeliefe feare and doubting it leaveth the conscience wounded and affrighted with feare of judgment whereof death is but the execution most embittred with present sorrow and apprehension of the future which maketh death evill that can be no evill death whith endeth a good life the heathen could say that they that will be immortall must live holily and justly if thou feare death so But why may some say is not death the punishment of sinne taken away from those who by the grace of regeneration are acquitted from the guilt of sinne We must know that if the bodies immortalitie should ever presently follow the sacrament of regeneration faith it selfe should be enervated which then hath being when it expecteth that in hope which is not yet actually seen also the feare of death must be overcome by the strength and conflict of faith in men of ripe yeares as it appeared in the Martyres wherein there could be neither victory nor glory if no conflict as there could not be if the Saints had present immunity from bodily death who would not then runne to the grace of Christ with infants to be baptised that they might not dye And so should faith not be tryed by an invisible reward nor indeed by faith in that it now sought and obtained reward But now by a greater and more admirable grace of our Savicur the punishment of sinne is converted to the use of righteousnesse for then it was said to man if thou sinne thou shalt dye but now it is said to the martyr dye that thou maist not sinne so by the unspeakable mercy of God the very punishment of sinne became the armour of vertue and so death which endeth this mortall and sinfull life becommeth a passage to the eternall in which shall be no sinne and so the punishment is turned into mercy and death become againe by which sinne and misery are cut off lest the evill should be immortall 3 It is necessary that thou strive to live an heavenly life in all godlinesse to set thy affections on things above to reckon that thou art here but a pilgrime and stranger not having in this world any continuing city that thou art a fellow citizen with the Saints and of the houshold of God that being here in this earthly
thee away in thy daily sinnes will like a tender father pitty thee when thou art not able to pray he will remember what thou hast prayed yea what Christ Jesus sitting at his right hand then speaketh for thee when thou hast most need of a mediator when stupified with paines of approaching death thou canst not utter one word for thy selfe then hee will open the heavens to thee and give thee a cleere sight of those joyes as he did S. Stephen then will he give his holy Angells charge over thee to receive thy soule breathed out of thy gasping body to convey it to his gratious and ever blessed presence This world is full of labour sorrow misery there 's no rest here heaven is the arke to which the tired dove the holy soule returneth for rest the morall men seemed to know it who placed their Temple of rest without the gate of Agony How much more must we who beleeve that we shall live eternally with Christ who shall come to save and give us life in death Even so come Lord Jesus AMEN A Prayer for him who hath recieved the sentence of death in himselfe O Lord God almighty preserver of man father of the spirits of the just God of all true consolation the hope of Israel and deliverer thereof in the day of trouble who givest a gratious eare to the afflicted faithfully calling on thee through him whom thou hast appointed to be the only mediator betweene thee and Wretched man Christ Jesus the righteous I humbly acknowledge that I have nothing of my selfe to present unto thy Majestie but confession of mine owne vilenesse nothing in my sinfull flesh but corruption matter of severe judgement to thee who art a God of pure eies and argument of terrour and despaire to my selfe most impure in sinne was I conceived and borne a child of wrath and disobedience my whole life hath abounded with that which bringeth forth fruit only unto death I have not done the good which thy sanctifying spirit made me willing to doe the evill that I would not I have done I have not rendred unto thee according to thy goodnesse when I would summe up my sins they so much exceed all numbers that my heart faileth mee my conscience telleth me of my wilfull neglects of thy service and disobedience to thy word concluding my whole life no better then sinfull but how many waies I have offended thee when I observed not thou only knowest how many are the failings which though I through spirituall blindnesse and carnall security have not observed that I might judge and condemne my selfe for them thereby to prevent thy severe judgement shall yet by no meanes escape thy strict examination and now O Lord what can I more doe then humbly beg thy pardon condemne my selfe renounce all confidence in the world and plead only thy mercy and the merits of thy sonne Jesus for my justification Lord looke upon me through him in whom thou art well pleased Nothing can be past or future to thy eternall wisdome look therefore on his bleeding wounds who did not in vaine dye for me let thy justice be satisfied in his obedience and suffering for all my sins And now O Lord seeing according to thy sentence on all mankind the time of my departure hence draweth high I humbly acknowledge this fraile condition to be the due wages of sinne which brought mortality into the world but thou who didst put thine owne image on me hast not made me for so short a life only as thou givest unto the beasts which perish thou hast no need of my miserie nor advantage in my destruction nor could so inestimable a price of my redemption as the blood of thy holy sonne Jesus be given for that which thou wouldst have perish eternally He must surely live for whom the resurrection and the life of Christ Jesus died Lord therefore seale up my redemption in my afflicted heart now that the Bride is neere send those holy comforters faith and assurance of thy mercy to adorne his own temple to lift up the everlasting doores of my soule that the king of glory and Lord of life may come in and change my vaine love of the world to love of heaven who will change my vile body that it may be like his own glorious body let me hence forth live his life no more mine own assured thereby of the repaire of mine inward man to a joyfull resurrection and life of glory that he may be to me in life and death advantage that in full confidence of my union with and interest in him I may be willing to bee dissolved that I may be with him O holy Saviour who hast through death abolished death and him that had the power thereof take from me all carnall feare by bringing life and immortality to light unto my conscience thou that hast in thy hands the keyes of death and hell restraine the tempters malice and mischievous charges of my sinne-wounded soule make me faithfull unto the death and assure mee of the crowne of righteousnesse laid up for all that love thy appearing Raise me now to the life of grace that the second death may not touch mee And though thou bring this fraile flesh to the dust of the earth yet let not death have dominion over me Though it must to the appointed time separate my soule from this decaying tabernacle of clay let neither life nor death things present nor future seperate my soule from thee and thy Christ. I acknowledge thy mercy who justly mightest have taken me away in my sins by some sodaine and untimely death or set me who am by sinne a sonne of death in the condition of those who in horrour of a restlesse conscience and bitternesse of spirit seeke death and cannot finde it but O good God whose eye is upon them that feare thee to deliver their soules from death in whose hands are the issues thereof seeing thou hast thus long spared me now accomplish thy mercy in me be thou my God for ever and my guide unto my end and comfort in my end now when my heart trembleth in me the terrours of death are fallne upon me give me the long expected fruits of my hopes proposed to me in thy word O blessed Jesus who art the death of death now shew thy selfe my Saviour take from my afflicted soule the sting of death assure me of victory loose the paines allay the feare and sorrowes and sweeten the bitternesse of death untill in my enjoying thy presence it be swallowed up in victory O holy Saviour who hast had experience of all our miseries for sin wiâ—hout sin and hast admitted us to be baptized into the similitude of thy death and resurrection let me now feele in my languishing soule the power thereof O Christ whose humane soule in thy passion for my redemption was heavy to the death now mercifully consider my infirmitie who am going the way of all flesh now give
death from the power of sin the snares of Satan the world and the flesh heare the voice of their praiers when they cry unto thee helpe them against all their enemies blesse their substance and accept the worke of their hands be thou ever their refuge and save them Thou who dividest the earth among the sonnes of men whose providence descendeth unto the feeding and preserving the poorest of thy creatures feed them with bread of their stature thou who encreasedst the oile and the meale so that it failed not in all the famine whether it be much or little which thou shalt be pleased to give them let thy blessing be with it that in every estate they may faithfully depend on thy gracious providence which never faileth them that trust in thee and finde such a sufficiency therein that they may live cheerfully and contentedly that they may never want that which thou knowest necessary and comfortable for their bodies and soules Lord give them hearts faithfully to seek thy kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof that all these things may be administred unto them O Lord God who hast promised to be a father of the fatherlesse who hast planted thine owne image of love and compassion in the hearts of parents towards their children heare the praiers of a poore father for his children and deny not the requests of my lips when thou shalt be pleased to take me from them leave them not destitute shew thy selfe their keeper directer and counseller that they may never swerve from thy commandements as thou hast shewed me mercy and compassion all my daies so holy father let not thy mercy depart from them but keep them in thy faith fear and love that as thy providence hath brought us together in this family so when this mortal life shall be ended we may by thy mercy all happily meet in the eternal communion of Saints in thy kingdome of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour AMEN 1. The crown of the aged is children and the duety of children toward their parents is honor reverence fear obedience gratitude châ—erishing them in their age love and patience all this is comprehended in the fifth precept of Gods law honour thy father and thy mother who are comprehended under these titles I have already shewed I have here to speak of duety to parents 2. These rules of practice are hereto observable for the guidance of those children which feare the Lord and expect the promise their made to the obedient 1. Honor thy father and mother it is Gods expresse command and a dictate of nataâ—e this importeth reverence in thy bodily gesture before them as King Solomon rose upto meet his mother Bath-sheba and bowed himself vnto her as Moses went out to meet his father in law and did obeisance reverence in thy speech toward them and thy behaviour before them that it be not rude and such as becometh not the presence of those whom God will have honored as his vicegerents in the family So saith the Apostle Wee have had fathers of the flesh and wee gave them reverence none but a cursed Cham will behave himselfe unreverently before his father or mother or any waies tell or discover their failings to discredit or dishonor them but will goe with blessed Shem and Japhet with the vaile of discreet piety to conceale them Glory not in the dishonor of thy father saith the sonne of Sirach for thy fathers dishonor is no glory unto thee for the glory of a man is from the honor of his father and a mother in dishonor is a reproach to the children When God commanded Israel to be holy hee thus beginneth Ye shall fear every man his mother and father here indeed religion beginneth toward those whom God hath set in his own room on earth to nourish and give lawes to them and to receive their first tribute of obedience due to him by them there is little hope of it when it here blasteth in the bud the breach of this law carrying a fearefull curse with it as being a sinne against God and nature therefore the heathen Decius when he was offered the imperial crown refused it saying I fear lest being made an Emperour I should forget to be a sonne I had rather be a dutiful son then an Emperour let my father rule my Empire is to obey 2. Obey thy parents in all things not prohibited by God Hearken unto thy father that begat thee Forsake not the law of thy mother Children obey your parents in all things 3. Patiently beare their infirmities where age maketh them pettish where they erre not gain-saying or answering againe contend not irreverently with them though thou art in the right when they are angry with thee overcome that anger with patience 4. Be such to thy parents as thou wouldst have thy children to thee commonly it will be so an evil sonne seldom proveth an happy father Whoso honoreth his father shall have joy of his own children but as God rewardeth the duety of children according to his promise so will he their impiety and disobedience according to his justice because hee is true in both all sinnes have their severe punishments following them and when God's justice is most slow it is most sure but there are some sins which are more destructive to humane society which God the preserver thereof usually punisheth in this life that hee may deterre men from committing them so it is observable that cruelty oppression and murder seldome goe unpunished here but most closely acted sometimes they are discovered by extraordinary meanes and disobedience to parents may hence appeare odious to God and man that it is commonly punished by the like deportments of their children an example thereof is commonly found in every family of the disobedient O Sonne cryed the father beaten and dragged out of doors by the haire of the head draw mee no further for thus farre I drew my father 5. Love thy parents tenderly though the reflexes of this love are not so strong yet doe them all the good thou canst love them next after Christ above him thou maiest not No man can requite his parents and teachers yet shew thy love and gratitude to them if they want nourish them so did good Joseph so tender ought thy care to be of them that it should be thy grief if thou do any waies grieve them My son help thy father in his age and grieve him not as long as he liveth Thou must be cheerful to them not violate this piety so much as with an ill looke A necessary document for those prodigals which will not be warned from ryot and lewd company until they bring their parents hoary head with sorrow to the grave and necessity bring them home in rags as also to the profane Esaus whose impious matches are a griefe of minde unto Isaac and make
thou immoderately lament it 2. Remember that this losse neither tooke much time of life from him who went before thee nor left thee much to come who must ere long follow him 3. Remember Gods graces the sweet and certain effects whereof thou sawest in thy now deceased friend undoubtedly they were not bestowed on him in vaine but that in his translation God might perfect the worke of grace with glory and crowne his owâ—e gifts in him David as wee noted bewailed his impious sonne but hee mourned for the innocent no longer then he lay sicke To comfort our selves against the feares and sorrowes of death let us ever remember 1 Our resurrection and immortality in the life to come is assured us by the infallible word of God 1. Cor 15. 1. 2. 4. 20. 54. c. 1. Thess. 4. 14. 15. 18. Dan 12. 2. 3. 13. Joh 5. 28. 29. Joh 11. 23. 25. Rom 6. 23. This we are therefore sure of Democritus beleeved it not Socrates disputed of the soules immortality Pythagoras dreamed of it but as feverish men of things uncertaine and inconsistent the eternitie we beleeve is that to which God created us by his own image impressed on us unto which we are repaired in our baptisme and regeneration by that vertue which raised Jesus from the dead who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body that is in immortality and deliverance from death and corruption In that state our daies shall not come and goe as in this world they doe neither shall the beginning of one bee the end of another all shall be to gather termelesse where life it selfe shall have no end 2 That death is but a sleepe none feare that it is a separation of the soule and intermission of life and the acts thereof for a time which it endeth not because the immortall soule ever liveth in it's separation from the mortall body which shall be raised againe to immortality which shall be the soules sanctuary and haven of rest This is a truth so certaine that Gods word aboundeth with proofes and so confessed that the prudent heathens as I have noted constantly asserted it That the feare of death is much worse then death it is a servile and a miserable condition to feare that which cannot be avoided feare may be long but death or the sense thereof can be but short That which is a sick or miserable life is not to bee put on accompt to death which endeth all secular griefes death were to be feared if it could stay with thee as paine and sicknesse may but neither it commeth not when thou fearest it or it must quickly dispatch and passe from thee leaving thee free from feare and sorrow if thou dye in Christ. This is a lesson long learning that when that inevitable houre commeth thou maist willingly depart which because it is a certaine uncertainety a condition common to all men of every age seeing the longest life must have one last houre which bringeth up the rere it shall be thy wisdome as hath been said ever to expect it and to live so as that a guilty conscience doe not then terrifie thee when thou shalt most want comfort the only way to be willing to die and cheerefull in dying is to live well and to fix thy confidence in Jesus Christ wretched is hee who for want hereof is afraid of death 4 Remember that Christ dying for thee hath pulled out the sting of death and destroyed the malitious enemie that had the power thereof Christ is the resurrection and the life he that beleeveth in him though he were dead yet shall he live the only Antidote against death is a lively faith in Christ let thy maine care and hearts desire be upon it give God no rest importune him with earnest and constant prayers to strengthen thy faith he cannot deceive who hath promised herein to satiate the thirsty and weary soule 5 Consider the power of God to save from death and in death what greater evidence could hee have given to men in desperate hazards then he did in Jonah buried but not dead whose living sepulchre carried him as it were to a second birth the Lord spake unto the fish and it cast out Jonah upon the dry land he can deliver in death so doth he all the elect he can raise this dying flesh againe who saith he will who made this universe of nothing he translated Enoch and Eliah certainely those chariots of God are thousand thousands which though not seene by mortall eyes are ever pressed to carry up the soules of the just in their departure into the presence of God a blessed and endlesse life 6 Consider that death is that physitian who can at once cure all diseases and is to the deceased Saints the ende of sinne and misery not of them the medicine of all griefs the debt of corrupted nature the sanctuary against all secular feares the port of a fluctuant and troublesome world the gate of eternall life as Jacob said of Luz Gen 28 17. b This is the gaâ—e of heaven opened that the righteous nation which keepeth truth may enter Now whereas there are divers waies to death some rough some smooth some short some long it is just that thou patiently submit to the providence of God who can and will best dispose of thee let me adde this to them that are impatient or fearefull of death Who is there so constant in infirmity that he would not rather wish to dye then still live weake Who is so hardy in sorrow that hee would not rather desire that death might once end it then life continue it stil If we are displeased with life when yet we knowe there is a determined end neere us how much more impatient should we bee if we knew there were no end of our miseries and labours What is more intolerable then miserable immortalitie And what is long life better then long torment 7 Lay up the promises of God concerning Christs suffering and rising againe comforting and assisting his in life and death c. Joyne here to fervent and constant prayer that God would be pleased so to direct thee in thy whole life and to strengthen thee in thy death that thou maist be willing to dy not for feare of this life's miseries for they that for that cause only are willing to dye would possibly be glad rather to live to pleasures then sanctity but for love of Gods presence and the assurance of his truth That he would proportion his grace to thy trialls the more thou art cast downe and helplesse in thy selfe that he would the more lift thee up and let thee feele his gratious hand susteining thee so he that in mercy hath borne with thy many failings and taken no advantages to judge and cast