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
sanctification of the Sabbath so are meditation on Gods workes wisedome power benificence providence c. hearing reading preaching praying administration and receaving the sacraments workes of mercy and necessity c 1. This Sabbath so farre as it was ceremoniall was changed for the full and true morall part thereof to bee performed on the Lords day which is a Christians sabbath or holy rest for to the publike service of God still religiously to be kept because 1. It is the Key of religion and that which being duely observed enableth us to the performance of all the rest for therein we are to learne our duty to God and man 2. This law God twice wrote with his owne hand in tables of stone to â—â—itate the perpetuity thereof as farre as it is morall 3. If there were no fixed time for the publike service of God how should men agree to meet therein One would have a farme another Oxen or some other secular businesse to distract them one from another Moreover if there were no fixed day 't is much to bee feared the men of this world for their present emoluments would often adjourne Gods service as Felix did Pauls discourse of righteousâ—esse temperance and future judgement with a goe thy way for this time and when I have a convenient season I will call for thee 4. The same reasons for the keeping holy a Sabbath remaine to Christians which for substance God gave for the performance thereof before the Gospell we and our servants have need of rest need to remember God to learne his will to pray and joyne in his publike worship 5. Christ came not to repeale or dissolve the morall law in any one jot or title nor indeed is it changeable or dispensable nor may any part of Gods worship therein commanded be taken away though we are not now to keep so rigid a rest as was ceremoniall to the Jews to remember them of something peculiar to them in their minority and subjection to those ceremonies which were their schoolemaster to Christ. 6. The Church of Christ hath constantly since the Apostles time kept this day which we now celebrate as an holy rest to conclude it is the worlds birth day wherein it first saw light the Queene of daies the praeludium of the Saints resurrection Math 27. 53. the type of the eternall rest and Sabbath to come Isai 66. 23. which yet remaineth for the people of God Heb 4. 9. 2. For the better understanding of these things wee must first consider that though we read no particular precept for the transposition of the Sabbath from the seventh to that which we now celebrate which is the first of the weeke Mat 28. 1. Mark 16. 1. 2. 6. Luk 24. 1. 3. Joh 20. 1. 1 Cor 16. 2. Rev 1. 10. yet is it most likely that Christ the Lord of the Sabbath prescribed the change and that as hee was with Moses forty daies in the mount to teach him the law and government of the Church under the same not leaving his people to any the least point of will-worship and voluntary religion as may appeare in his strict limiting them to the patterne shewed Moses to the very snuâ—â—ers ashpans basons and pinnes of the sanctuary so also when he was before his ascension forty daies with his disciples teaching them what to preach and how to governe the Church though hee would not againe relade and burden them with antiquated ceremonies as touch not tast not handle not yet neither would he leave them to any will-worship but prescribe them what they should doe concerning so maine a point as the transposition and change of the Sabbath neither needed he otherwise to confirme a law naturall and morall then by shewing himselfe Lord of the Sabbath by taking that away from it which was ceremoniall and transporting it to another day so that as from Christs own appointment of the sacrament it was called the Lords Supper so also from his owne appointment this which we now keepe Sabbath was called the Lords day For who may presume to appoint such a thing but the Lord of the Sabbath Or who may call any thing the Lords or ordaine any thing in his holy worship which his selfe hath not appointed And it is worthy our noting that Paul appointing collections for the poore on that day 1. Cor 16. 1 2. saith also 1 Cor 11. 23. 1 Cor 15. 3. that he delivered them that only which he had received of the Lord and that there speaking of that day he spake as of a thing then in use and custome for holy conventions preaching praying receaving the Sacraments among Christians See Act 20. 7. so that Christ commanded and instructed them and they only ordered the Churches accordingly without all dispute it is sufficient for us to bee followers of the Apostles as they were of Christ considering that they were assisted by an infallibility of spirit in these things Secondly we must consider why Christ changed it which was because 1. The ceremoniall part thereof was changable by the Lord of the Sabbath he tooke it not away because the morality is indispensable and unchangable as having it's ground in the law of nature not withstanding that which some obiect to the contrary that there is no principle thereof leading a meere naturall man to the observation of a seventh day sabbath for 1. In the very creation God sanctified the Sabbath and hallawed it by his owne rest thereon as afterward by his absteining to give them Manna on that day and before Moses received the law on Sina written on tables of stone he said unto the people Exod 16. 29. The Lord hath given you the Sabbath 2. The naturall mans principles before the fall and after the fall in the state of corruption differ in many things and degrees as light and darknesse The naturall man in this existence neither doth receive nor can knowe the things of Gods spirit so that he wanteth illumination and consequently the use of diverse principles necessary to lead and guide him in the way of sanctity which in his pure essence and state of innocency he had as a compleate and perfect law of nature 3. The darknesse of minde which fell on man by sin was so generall that it left him only some such obscure knowledge of a Deity to be worshipped and a conscience which served rather to check their failings therein then to enforme them as that it left them without all excuse thus they that had not the written law were a law to themselves the prudent among them acknowledging that there was no nation so immane and barbarous but it beleeved there was a God yet condemning their own ignorance as much in the manner of his worship as their apprehension of him knowing like blinde men out of the way that they erred they groaped after him but could not finde the way
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
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
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
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
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
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
the destroyer may not enter send into my soule that heavenly fire of love to thy sacred Majestie and charity to all men which may assure mee of thy acceptance of me and my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving clens out of mee all the old leaven of sinne and maliciousnesse open my understanding increase my faith that I may see and know the assurance of my sinnes remission in the seale of eternall life which by thy mercies I am now to receive Thou hast taught mee O Lord that my blessed Saviour in the night that he was betrayed made this holy testament wherein as he tooke flesh and blood of us that he might dye for us so hee bequeathed his body and blood to us that wee might live in him and left this Sacrament as a faithfull pledge of his love to remember us of his dying for us till he come againe O Lord I know thou art the life and truth and wouldst not leave thy Church any effectlesse earnest of their salvation Lord Jesus therefore be present with my spirit worke powerfully on thine owne ordinance that it may indeed seale up my salvation in my soule with that conconstant assurance that the gates of hell may never prevaile against it that no terrour of conscience nor any delusions of Satan may be able to overthrow it but that I may with a lively faith lay hold on all thy merits that I may find therein an inward peace in confidence of my sinnes remission reconciliation with my God sound joy in the Holy Ghost my comforter sanctified will and affections purity of life and holy obedience which hath the testimony of a good conscience to be a sweet comfort both in life and death assuring me that I have fought a good fight with entire faith and therefore shall enjoy the crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall at that day give to all them that love his appearing Grant this O Lord and whatever else thou knowest to be needfull for me for Jesus Christ his sake who with thee and the holy spirit liveth and raigneth ever one God world without end AMEN An other private Prayer for one ready to receive the Lords Supper HOly Lord I humbly beseech thee for Christ Jesus sake whose sacred body and blood are here represented forgive me all my sinnes and give me a stedfast hearty and constant resolution never to commit the like againe give mee a lively faith that through these signes which my Saviour hath appointed to be received in remembrance of his death and passion untill his comming againe I may really apprehend the spirituall relish of the bread of life and to be assured that Christ's body was given for me and his most pretious blood shed for my redemption Lord lift up my soule above all worldly thoughts that I may by a steady and confident application of all the benefits of his death and passion see Christ Jesus sitting at thy right hand feed on him by a justifying faith and thereby be nourished to eternall life Holy Father heare and assist direct and guid me according to thine owne will Lord Jesus who gavest thy selfe to death for my salvation deny not the requests of my feeble soule longing for the assurance of thy saving health hungring and thirsting for thee and thy righteousnesse O holy Ghost the sanctifier of all the elect throughly cleanse me from all the old leaven of sin prepare me body and soule to an holy reverend and effectuall receiving these sacred mysteries that my soule and conscience may thereby be sealed up to redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour AMEN A private Prayer after receiving the Lords Supper MOst gratious God and mercifull Father who of thine owne free love and good pleasure hast elected created redeemed regenerated reconciled justified and preserved me unto this present who hast also bestowed â—on me unworthy of the least of thy mercies the peaceable use of thy holy word and sacraments I humbly thanke thee as for all other thy favours so for this present comfort which I have now received Lord accept this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving through Jesus Christ whose oblation of himselfe once offered for a full and perfect price of our redemption and satisfaction for all our sins we have hereby according to his owne ordinance remembred Lord perfect the worke which thou hast begun in me make good thine owne institution unto my soule seale me up unto the day of redemption worke in mee a full assurance of my sinnes remission and my reconciliation to thee by the death and merit of thy holy sonne Jesus give me a lively sense of my union with him and his living in me so guiding me by his holy spirit that his life may appeare in all my thoughts words and actions that I may henceforth live no more to sinne but being freed from the power and laws thereof may have my fruit unto holinesse and eternall life Lord make me every day more and more able to doe thy will and to abandon mine owne corrupt desires let me now feele in my soule conscience the reall benefit of thy word and sacraments which thou hast promised to all those that truely seek thee give me that longing desire of right cousnesse which is by thy grace secured from despaire and preserved from vaine glory and presumption satisfie me with that measure of grace which thy wisdome knoweth sufficient for me Lord make me knowe assuredly that I have not now received this holy sacrament in vaine nourish me hereby to eternall life give me a greater strength to walke righteously before thee with sound faith cheerefulnesse of minde firme and comfortable peace of conscience and that joy of the holy Ghost which may ascertaine me that thy kingdome is established in me Give me a zealous love of thy glory ready obedience to thy law feare to displease thee innocency of life and that holy charity towards all men which may give me boldnesse in the great and terrible day of the Lord Jesus order thou my conversation so that it may be unblamable towards all men and holy before thee to thy glory and the good example of those with whom I live assist me with such a measure of thy sanctifying spirit that I may indeed performe all those vowes which I have made before thee that every day of my life may be to mee as this Sabbath an holy rest from sinne Lord who powerfully commandest all thy creatures prevent the mischievous subtiltie of the tempter let thy holy spirit keepe me body and soule give me an holy contempt of this present world and affections set on high where my blessed Saviour sitteth at thy right hand who shall in the appointed time appeare in judgement and gather his elect unto him These things and whatsoever else thou knowest needfull for me or any part of thy whole Church militant I begge at thy gratious hands who hast commanded us to aske and
promised to give Lord give therefore a gratious answere through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee O Father of mercy and the holy Spirit the Comforter be all honour and glory in heaven and earth to all eternity AMEN Another private Prayer immediatly after receiving the Lords Supper LOrd make us thankefull for all thy mercies especially for the knowledge of thy sonne our ever blessed Redeemer and for these seales of our salvation now received Holy Jesus who even now from the right hand of the father hearest and beholdest what we have done according to thine owne institution in remembrance of thy death and passion forgive us all our failings and imperfections accept our wills to obey thee more perfectly and as thy selfe gavest the signes so give thou who only canst the powerfull effects thereof that every one of us may evidently feele the vigour and strength of this spirituall refection in our soules and consciences more and more to a full assurance of our interest in thee peace of conscience through thee sanctified wills and affections by thee and that candor of manners holinesse of words and actions which may cleerely shine in our conversations before all men to thy glory and our comfort in life and death Lord heare and help us Lord encline thy mercifull eare unto us and doe it for his merit who now intercedeth for us thy sonne our holy Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN CHAP. XV. § 1. Of the Sabbath the name institution things considerable for the sanctification the beginning and ending reasons of Gods institution thereof § 2. Of the change to the Lords day now to be observed of Christians § 3. How we must now sanctifie it 1 SAbbath signifieth a rest from motion or worke hence this day set a part for holy conventions and the publike service of God is called a Sabbath thereto sanctified and hallowed by Gods appointment for every rest or cessation from worke is not the Sabbath of the Lord. 2. The Lord having perfected the worke of creation rested on the Seaventh day that is ceased from creation blessed it sanctified or appointed it to be kept holy by man as is repeated and interpreted in the morall law given by the ministry of Moses 3. In this praecept are considerable those things which are 1. Morall and Naturall 2. Positive and ceremoniall 1. The Morall part is that a seaventh day be set apart and kept holy for divine worship and rest from servill workes and this as all morall precepts having their ground in the law of nature concernes and bindes all men in all ages whose reason telleth them that there must be a time for the publike service of God 2. The Positive and Ceremoniall part is that which bound all men to the observation of the seaventh day from the creation untill it was changed as all the Leviticall ceremoniesâ— for a seaventh day to begin from Christs resurrection from the dead and also that which bound the Jewes to the observation of certaine ceremoniall rests and solemnities thereon untill the substance of those shadowes were come so wee read of their severall Sabbaths as first their great Sabbath which was that on which concurred a double solemnity as the last day of the Pasover and the seaventh day Sabbath secondly their holidaies or solemne feast daies wherein they were to feast and rejoyce before the Lord see Levit 23 24. c. Deut. 16. 14. and these were also to them Sabbaths Lam 1. 7. the adversaries saw her and did mock at her Sabbaths Thirdly their Sabbath of the earth every seventh yeare to rest Exod 23. 11. Levit 25. 4. Numb 28. 10. Fourthly Sabbaths of yeares seven times seven yeares 49. after which the trumpet was to â—ound the Jubile Levit 25. 8 9. Fitly their Sabbath of weekes see Levit. 23. 15 16. Deuâ— 16. 9 10. these were ceremoniall appertaining to the Levitie all law and therefore determined and ended with the rest of those ceremonies so Paul arrangeth them and would have no man judge Christians in respect of any such Sabbath Colos 2. 16. yea hee counteth it returning to weake and beggerly elements to observe daies c. Galat. 4. 10. 4. The seventh day Sabbath began at Evening and so ended the next day Evening according to the beginning and ending of naturall daies from the Creation as 't is saide the evening the morning made the first day from Even unto Even shall you celebrate your Sabbath but our Lords day beginneth in the morning from the resurrection of Christ on the morning of the third day and that 's not without a mystery that the Legall sabbath began with darknesse and the Evangelicall beganne with light 5. God appointed the observation of the Sabbath for many reasons 1. That it might be a day for Gods publike service as it was and is observed that men might come together to heare the Law pray receave the holy Sacraments c. Luk 4. 16. Act 20. 7. 1. Cor 16. 2. 2. To keepe in memory the work of creation Exod 20. 10 11. 3. In the giving of the law was added that which concerned Israels deliverance from their Egyptian servitude a type of our freedome from the bondage of sinne and Satan remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keepe this Sabbath day 4. That it might be a signe betweene God and his people that they might knowe that he is the Lord that sanctifieth them and a signe of the eternall rest in the life to come as it is said there remaineth therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbath keepping to the people of God 5. To move masters to be just and equall to their servants and beasts in remembrance of their owne condition on the seventh day thou shalt rest that thy Ox and thy Asse may rest and the sonne of thy hand-maid and the stranger may bee refreshed Exod 23. 12. that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. 6. That God and his lawes may be remembered that in case any forgetfulnesse of him should fall on man most apt to forget God the very solemnity of the day might remember him 6. Sanctification of the Sabbath on Gods part was his appointment to keepe it holy on mans the setting it apart from common use and ordinary workes to spend it in holy exercises according to God's commandement profanation of the Sabbath was and is by doing those workes which God prohibited to be done on that day as servile workes or on any day as sinne or any thing hindering his workship on that day to bee performed as humane servile or ordinary workes of ourcallings all workes are not prohibited on the Sabbath the Preists by the law did sacrifice thereon this as other like were divine or such as appertained to the
the opinion of the unwise wicked doe but consider that wise men looke most to the end that they have rightly proposed to themselves which if they attaine their worke is done whether by force or counsell they passe not they looke to the end through just meanes Suppose thine end is to overcome thine enemie if thou mightest make free choice of the meanes tell me wouldst thou overcome him by good or evill by vertue or violence by excelling him in goodnesse or equalling him in evill 'T is an epidemick madnesse to thinke there is no victory but in violence and requiting evill with evill becomming as damnable as their enemies 9. Lastly resolve that every injurie shall better thee doth thine enemie hurt thee Let it occasion thee to pray for him aud to enter into a serious examination of thine owne heart whether thou hast not injured him or some other upon discovery of injury done by thee repent and give satisfaction that God may give thee thy quietus est so will hee in his good time judge for thee ever looke to the hand that smiteth thee Assyria is but the rod of Gods anger God raised up enemies to Solomon It may be that God bad Sheimei curse be not like the foolish dog to bite the stone cast at him but looke to the cause which being removed the effect shall cease There are who bend their tongues to shoot out bitter words which God permitteth to admonish his servants of some unrepented sinnes which being discovered and repented of they proove ike Jonathans arrowes shott to warne not to wound Thy friends may possibly not see or seeing dissemble thy faults marke well what thine enemies say of thee let their vigilant malice apt to accuse thee make thee more carefully watch over thy waies least thy failings advantage them or give them just occasions of reviling thee and as Theseus is said to have cut off his comely lockes least his enemies should finde advantage by catching hold of them so doe thou all occasions of calumny how many men haâ—â— perished in their sinnes unseene had not the malice of enemies awaked admonished them And like Jason Phereus enemy cured them by wounding them Selfe-love is ever blinde and true friendship sometimes but malice hath a thousand eyes this Serpent is quick sighted to find out others faults seeing I cannot but be faulty and would not be so I had rather want many acquaintance then some enemies who may amend mee though for ill will I owe much to many good friends for other offices but most to mine enimies for this who yet through Gods mercy never hurt me but to the greater advantage of my soule I hope they who never could never shall A Prayer for Love and Charity O Lord God of mercy and compassion we humbly acknowledge that so many continuall have our rebellions been against thee that we deserve thine anger and that thoâ—â— shouldst arme all the hoste of heaven and the creatures under heaven against us but we humbly pray thee to pardon us for Jesus Christ his sake give us hearts to repent before the consummation of thy feirce wrath the day of thine anger come upon us to agree with our adversary quickly while we are yet in the way to seeke righteousnesse that we may be hid in the day of thine anger Lord our hope is in thee make us not a reproach to them that hate us withold not thy tender mercy from us let thy loving kindnesse and thy truth preserve us Thou who art the God of love and unity set thine own image again upon us and as thou hast loved redeemed us in the son of thy love Christ Jesus so give us hearts to love one another that thereby all men may knowe that we are his Disciples Lord deliver us not to the will of our enemies and oppressours but forgive us all that wherein we have any waies injured or justly offended our brethren make our waies so pleasing in thy sight that thou maist bee pleased to make our enemies at peace with us Turne their hearts and mischievous intentions as thou didst revengefull Esau's give them a true sight and sorrow for their sinnes that they may repent and bee saved Prevent and divert their malice that it may not proceed further to hurt themselves or us restraine the tempter that he may no more be able to set variance and his owne bitter influence malice and enmity between those whom thoâ— hast united by their adoption in Christ Thou hast promised the blessing on brethren who live together in unity give us that spirit that we may hold the sacred band thereof in peace that we may not bring a scandall on thy truth that our prayers be not hindred that our soules may be delivered from the snares of death in which the malitious are holden that we may all meet cheerefully before thy tribunall in the holy communion of Saints and blessed unity of the body of Christ to whom with thee O Father of love God of peace and the holy Ghost the comforter be rendred all honour glory praise and dominion in heaven and earth for ever and ever AMEN CHAP. XVIII § 1. Of the soule faculties thereof affections minde and thoughts in generall § 2. Of the corruptions of the heart the danger and difficultie of the cure § 3. Of the necessitie of right ordering our thoughts § 4. Rules of practice 1 THere are many things of whose being we know whose quality we knowe not all confesse wee have a soule which commandeth and restraineth in us what a one it is none can tell hence are those many disputes about its essence seat and subject with the subordinate faculties of it no man hath throughly beene acquainted with this secret governour in man some have defined it an harmonie some a divine vertue a particle of the deity some the most exile slender aire some a blood some heat or fire some number so innate is errour that we most erre concerning our owne selves more rightly doe they say who call it an immortall spirit an incorporeall substance created by infusion and infused in its creation made to the image of the Creatour capable of the light of understanding wisdome holinesse blessednesse and eternity so that in its conjunction with the body it ammateth giveth life action and motion wherein it differeth from an Angell and in its separation from the body for a time untill it shall be reunited in the resurrection it subsisteth as doe the Angells and then hath its proper acts and apprehensions as they Now as the eye seeth the eye in a glasâ—e so the soule knoweth it selfe by a kinde of â—reflex The soule is a divine ghest sent from heaven into these earthly Tabernacles to give them life and governe them yet is it neither seene comming nor departing it is an immortall forme of moâ—tall man the body decayeth the soule doth not being
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
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
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
he may neither perplexe nor disturb it Lord whose providence sleepth not preserve us and ours sleeping waking living and dying that in every estate it may appeare wee are thine through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN The prayer of a wounded spirit against temptations O Lord God Almighty all-seeing examiner of the heart and reines who knowest before wee aske what wee have need of who by thy holy spirit helpest our infirmities who know not what to pray as wee ought and thereby makest requests for us according to thy will with nnutterable groanes which thou only understandest helpe my infirmities endite my praiers and restraine the busie malice of the tempter Direct my praiers as incense in thy sight let them come into thy presence through Jesus Christ our onely redeemer and advocate Trueth it is O Lord that all things shall worke together for the best to them that love thee and are called according to thy purpose for thou hast said it and that it shall be good for mee which thou doest to mee I am confident O my God that it shall once appeare that it is happy for mee that I have been in trouble when after the tryal of my faith and exercise of my patience thou shalt give mee the quiet fruits of righteousnesse I beleeve that they shall not finally miscarry who trust in thy mercy this is the voice of my faith in thee whom I beleeve and know to be the God of trueth but O Lord thou best knowest that I am also fraile flesh and blood full of infirmities feares doubtings and failings because mine iniquities have taken such hold on mee that I cannot looke up they are more in number then the haires of my head so that my heart faileth mee neither have I to deale with flesh and blood onely Lord thou knowest those unseen powers of darknesse which wth restlesse encounters assault my soule to destroy it O Lord God of my salvation be not thou farre from mee shew thy power and deliâ—iver mee from the messengers of Satan which are too mighty for mee rescue mee bridle their insolent malice binde the stâ—ong man and deliver thy vessel from his usurping tyranny that I may in every faculty of my soule serve and please thee pardon all my sinnes for thy holy sonne Jesus sake who died for mee heale my wounded soule which hath to the present sorrow of my heart so often sinned against thee hide not thy face from mee in the time of my trouble forget not my bitter affliction which maketh mee goe mourning all the day long while the insulting enemy oppresseth mee thou art my King command deliverances I am poore and needy destitute of helpe and strength to resist Satan's fiery darts put thy whole armour upon mee that I may be able to stand arise for my helpe O thou Preserver of men redeeme mee from the devouring lyons mouth for for thy mercy sake thinke upon mee make haste to helpe mee make no long tarrying O my God suffer mee not for any tryals to fall from thee lay no more upon mee then thou wilt give mee strength patience and perseverance to beare cheerfully confirme mee unto my end that I may be blamelesse unto the day of our Lord Christ give mee a blessed effect of and issue out of every tryal that the more thou permittest mee hereto the more certaine experience I may have of thy mercy and the greater assurance that thou wilt never faile mee nor forsake mee that I may through him who hath by suffering vanquished death hell and him who had the power of death overcome all these spiritual wickednesses which fight against my soule I have trusted onely in thy mercy holy Father who hast ordained strength in the mouths of babes and inâ—â—â—s strengthen mee unto the end that my heart may rejoyce in the salvation spare mee that I may recover my strength put thou a new song into my mouth that I may praise thee for my deliverance and declare unto afflicted sinners what thou hast done for my soule Lord heare mee and have mercy upon mee Lord who art ever more ready to give then wee can be to aske deny not the requests of a poore sinful soule crying unto thee for Jesus Christ his sake our only Lord and Saviour AMEN CHAP. XXIX Concerning the guidance of the minde in the encrease of wealth § 1. Afflictions common their fruit in good men Poverty a great tryall riches great temptations commonly mistaken § 2. How to guide thy selfe in the encrease of riches or a full inheritance 1. TEmporal afflictions are common to the just and wicked wee are here like the clean and unclean in Noah's ark shut up in one condition into afflictions wee goe like Israël and the Egyptians into the red-sea to events most contrary deliverance or destruction to the saint they are but as the raine to the arke the more it fell the more that was lifted up Being sanctified they give understanding and are though rough-handed yet excellent masters of vertue like biting frosts to the trees restraining the luxuriant sap and rendring them more fruitfull 2. Among other afflictions in this life want and poverty as among temptations wealth is not the least These are commonly the minds Scylla and Charybdis the two great and antient diseases of Republicks Families and incautious soules there being great hazard in either concludeth a necessity of a right guidance of the minde herein so great as that the wise man deprecated both extreames Give mee not poverty nor riches Having spoken of those things which appertain to man are in man or incident to him within it is requisite that wee consider him in the discomposures which proceed from things external as poverty imprisonment banishment old age sicknesse and death In these first estates which I proposed my purpose is to lay down some rules directing how happily to use the one and bear the other 3. Because riches are great temptations and men are commonly deceived in judging of them too much admiring and affecting these and as much impatient of poverty whereas indeed they are neither absolutely good nor alwaies signes of an happy owner but good or evil according to their use and therefore are they commonly evil because as Aristides said Many use riches ill few can well therefore it highly concerneth those who enjoy encrease or great riches to mark and practice these and the like rules 1. If riches encrease set not your heart thereon Psal 62. 10. where they have the heart there is no place for faith charity humility equity modesty or honesty He saith not Get not riches but set not your heart upon them for so they carry it away from God many of the Saints have been rich but their rule was not to trust in uncertain riches all earthly possessions often change their owners often desert and leave them to wants The heathen Solon told Croesus as much though he could not beleeve
how little room will serve us as Alexander Severus said taking up his urne thou shalt limit him whom the world could not The rich man would fain lay house to house and land to land and still hee thinkes hee hath too little but within a while as little earth as Naaman begged of the prophet 2 King 5. 17. two mules load shall serve to cover and stop his mouth Many a man disquieteth himself in vaine seeking happinesse farre abroad when 't is to be found at home in an holy and contented minde 5. Follow the guidance of God's hand to riches or poverty carefully mark his providence in all things when the Lord appeared to Isaac at Beersheba and promised to blesse him there he pitched his tent and set down it is a blessed thing to mark how God leadeth thee and how or where he disposeth thee thereto rest confidently and contentedly 6. If thou have not wealth seek it not by any unjust meanes if thou have lay it up at least some good part thereof in heaven r where neither moth nor theefe can hurt it That is true riches which once had can never be lost every poor mans hand is a bill of exchange for heaven to be paid at sight not onely for so much here given to the poore on God account but a thousand for one upon the surest negotiâ—â— or the world can draw upon Say not Charity is usually abused the wicked most importunately begge I doubt not but thou hast many of Christ's poore by thee but if thou sometimes mistake the object of thy charity thou hast to say with the Philosopher I gave not to the man but to humanity As thy state encreaseth encrease thy charity and ever remember that there is a portion in thy hands which is not thine but the poore mans whom God hath set by thee to try thee and not only his who hath liberty to come to thy gates but the prisoners which shall come on account at the last as well as the other when not only theeves those enemies of the Common-wealth as Alexander Severus called them oppressors and extortioners who take away from the poore but they that relieve them not shall hear their go ye cursed that only of all thy estate is saved which thou bestowest on the poor this is a good foundation 7. Be not deceived but seek true riches the Heathen could say that it is no absolute good which can be taken away temporal riches are often evil masters and sometimes trecherous servants but godlinesse is great gaine labour for that bread which perisheth not the fat of earth the dew of heaven victory c. were Esau's blessings and are often given to the profane and wicked but faith and sanctity peace of conscience and such like are the riches of God in Christ given only to the blessed Seek these first and the other shall finde thee it is a great madnesse to toile and care night and day to fill thy house with transitory riches and in the meane time to neglect a poore and empty soule It is thy shame if thy goods have an ill master and more if thou provest so much worse by how much more God giveth thee and is good unto thee if thou have not God thou hast nothing but unhappinesse in thy other gaines Therefore set thy affections on things above and there will follow an holy contempt of this world and thy vaine care and love thereof which is enmity with God in thy hearts ascension shall fall off 8. Encrease in humility with sanctity benificence goodnesse and thankfulnesse to God as thou encreasest in estate if thou canst finde any unjust gotten penny in thy estate make present restitution as Zache did otherwise it will bring a curse on thee and thy posterity A rich man humble is spiritually poor and so blessed and a poor man proud covetous or unjust setteth his heart on riches though they encrease not and so is doubly unhappy 9. Let thy encreases make thee more diligent as in all holy duties so specially in praier the rich man is most obnoxious to Satan's snares and like Sisera fastened to the earth it is high time to cry to God when thou art thus beset lost as the moon is eclipsed in her full so thou become most destitute of grace in thy fulnesse most unhappy in thy wealth The rich mans Petition O Lord God of mercy encline my heart unto thy testimonies and not unto covetousnesse the vigilant tempter hath his snares in every estate in poverty worldly sorrow and affectation of unjust supplies in riches pride luxury love of the world distracting cares neglect of thy holy ordinance and forgetfulnesse of thee but O Lord make good thine own gifts to mee give me such an heart to use the blessings which thou hast bestowed upon me that it may be eternally good for my soul that I had them for this time It is not O Lord for man to adde any thing to his estate thy hand maketh rich thou raisest the poor out of the dust and settest him with the Princes of the people riches come of thee not from the West or East my condition in my birth was no better then the poorest mans naked cam I into this world I was cast upon thee from the womb and what am I O Lord that thou hast given mee this abundance All that is in heaven and earth is thine both riches and honour come of thee and in thine hand it is to make rich and great I am but a stranger before thee as all my fathers were All this store wherewith thou hast blessed mee and mine is of thine hand and thine own that thou hast put this abundance into mine hand it is to try me hereby now therefore prepare my heart nnto thee give me true thankefulnesse and those riches which shall never be taken away keepe my heart that I may never forget thee in the abundance which by thy merâ—y I enjoy As thou hast made mee a steward of much so make mee proportionably faithful in managing this estate that I may soberly and prudently enjoy these blessings cheerfully relieve those who by thy providence have dependance on me hold all with a loose hand willing to leave them and ready ever to give a faithful accompt when thou shalt 〈◊〉 pleased to exchange these temporal riches for the eternal and inestimable treasures of thy glorious kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN CHAP. XXX § 1. Poverty a great temptation yet having a capacity of true happinesse § 2. What wee are to consider herein § 3. What wee must practice IT is true that Poverty is a great affliction and dangerous temptation in this life exposed to so many necessities especially in this last and most uncharitable age where there is the unhappy concurrence of spiritual wants it is no lesse then the destruction of the poore to the saints it is a great
rich epulo but the worlds minion Wants occasion many a mans return unto God as it was with great Nebuchadnezzar who through the dark shadows of affliction as men at noon day see stars out of some deep well could at last looke up to heaven and finde the glorious omnipotency of God and his sovereignty ruling over all which the glittering light of his prosperity did before hide from him To conclude when a man hath duely weighed what this world is how unconstant all things thereof how short a time he can enjoy abundance or bear wants he shall finde no just canue either to be proud of external riches or dejected in want 4. Aspire to a better world riches which perish not food and raiment which shall not faile nor decay how great should our reward be with our heavenly father if wee would not affect our reward here 5. Learn to depend on Gods providence aske of him daily bread bread of thy stature that which hee knoweth convenient for thee food raiment and protection as Iacob did or as Iabez who called on the God of Israël saying O that thou wouldst blesse mee indeed and enlarge my coast and that thy hand might be with mee and that thou wouldst keep mee from evil that it may not grieve mee and God granted him that which hee requested I have been young saith David and now am old and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken and his seed begging bread though possibly in extreame wants yet never forsaken 6. Seek happinesse within thy selfe such is the brevity of this life such the variable inconstancy of all external estates so many accidents like stormes from divers quarters lie upon this sea of glasse that in the possessions thereof they leave no place for true happinesse which is in that whereof the least measure is enough and the greatest secure from losse The best ornaments and truest riches are those which are layed up in a good conscience where no violent hand can reach them Be not deceived by the false lustre of secular prosperity and thou shalt not be broken with adversity The poor mans Petition O Lord God great and glorious severe in thy judgements and abundant in mercy the earth is thine and thy providence divideth it among the sons of men thou bringest down to the grave and raisest up again thou makest rich and poore thou bringest low and liftest up the needy out of the dust that hee may glorifie thee thou savest the poor from the hand of the mighty redeemest from death and in famine givest hope thou art the Saviour and deliverer of the fatherlesse and him that hath no helper the needy shall not alwaies be forgotten nor their exspectation perish for ever because thou wilt preserve thine own work when they cry thou wilt arise and deliver them from their troubles who hast of thy goodnesse prepared to satisfie them Lord behold my necessities who despisest not the needy though thou thus afflict mee yet strenghten mee so that my wants may never cast me down to despaire of thy favour nor endeavour their supply by any thing which offendeth thee what ever I want let mee never want the comfortable assurance of thy love and mercy what ever else thou pleasest to take from me take not thy holy spirit thy mercy thy selfe from mee Be my strength in distresse a refuge from the storme a shadow from the heat I am weak and my heart is wounded in mee Lord assure mee that thou carest for mee Thou hast said blessed Jesus that first seeking the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse all bodily necessaries shall be administred unto us Lord give mee an heart so to doe sanctifie those wants to mee that thou maist comfort mee make mee rich in faith and those spiritual treasures which once had shall never be lost againe Lord Jesus who becamest poore to make us rich poure out the riches of thy grace into my poore soul Thou best knowest before I aske what I have need of who feedest the sowles of the aire and clothest the lilies of the field Lord famish not the afflicted soule of thy servant man liveth not by bread only but by the power of thy word blessing it O God who madest the Sarephtan's little store sufficient what ever thy providence shall allot mee let thy blessing be upon it that I may finde a sufficiency therein that I may serve thee contentedly and cheerfully depending confidently on thy fatherly providence which never faileth them which trust in thee O Lord who art a refuge in trouble who never forsakest them that truely seek thee supply all my necessities heare mee and make speed to relieve mee forsake me not O my God open the high places and the fountâ—ines in the midst of the vallies for the thirsty soule let thy hand relieve mee until thou shalt be pleased to bring mee into thy blessed presence where is fulnesse of joy without want measure or end Grant mee these things O merciful God and what ever else thou knowest necessary for mee for thy dear sonne my evâ—r blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ his sake AMEN CHAP. XXXI § 1. Liberty and restraint misplaced by an injurious world § 2. Comforts for Prisoners § 3. Rules thereto appertaining 1. LIberty is the natural inheritance of every good man but what doth not the malice of the world which hateth them and the impiety thereof pervert to the same merit this unjust judge swayed by affection seldome led by reason or equity adjudgeth contrary rewards for the like sinne one is crowned and another crucified it vexeth the innocent dove and dismisseth the bloody raven the wicked Pilate sitteth judge where holy Jesus is arraigned as guilty hee is condemned and Barrabbas acquitted by their proclamation who cryed but now Hosanna to Christ and now deliver us Barrabbas If they doe this in the green tree what will they do in the dry Why the supream judge admitteth such surrogates or permitteth Satan to governe such judges as 't is written Satan shall cast some of you into prison whosoever is the delatour or sergeant to imprison the saints Satan makes the mittimus they but doe him service wee know not wee know it is for the more heavy damnation of the one and the greater glory of the other in his conformity to Christ's sufferings which as they abound in us so our consolation shall in him if so be that wee suffer with him that we may be also glorified together 2. Among external afflictions wee may reckon imprisonment and captivity yet have these a capacity of comfort for the Saint whose peculiar advantage it is that all things work for good to him 3. Among the comforts of the Prisoner these have I learned as Protogenes the true pourtraict of meagered Ialysus by being dyeted himselfe with pulse wherein blessed be God even the father of our Lord Iesus Christ the father of
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
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
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
Sonne Jesus thou hast indeed said Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have life everlasting but faith is thy gift who hast also said Aske and ye shall have As therefore in the sense of our owne impotency so in assurance of thy truth we humbly inâ—reat thee to take from us all hardnesse of heart and unbeliefe and to worke in us a true saving faith in Christ Jesus establish the thing which thou hast wrought in us make us worthy of thy calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of thy goodnesse towards us and the worke of faith with power It is thy mercy that we believe helpe thou our unbeliefe Lord increase our faith let the little graine thereof which thy free spirit hath sowed in our hearts flourish into a tree of life that our troubled thoughts may build in the branches and rest under the shadow thereof O Lord consider our weaknesse the continuall incounters and violent assaults wherewith our soules enemy chargeth us restraine his malice beate backe all his â—iery darts that they may never touch our hearts holy Father puâ— thou on us thy whole armour that we may be able to resist in the â—vill day that having finished all things we may stand fast above all give us the shield of faith seeing we are to wrestle not onely against flesh and bloud but against principalities powers worldly governours the princes of darknesse of this world and against spirituall wickednesse which are in the high places Our helpe standeth onely in thy name O Lord who hast made heaven and earth forsake us not in our trials O blessed Saviour who didst once pray for Peter that his faith might not faile him looke on our greater infirmities intercede for us present these our prayers in the precious censer of thine owne merits that we may continue grounded and established build us on the rocke that neither winde storme or flouds of trials may overthrow us nor the gates of hell prevaile against us O Lord thou hast beene pleased in our baptisme to engraft us into the mysticall body of thy Sonne Jesus lâ—t that sweet ointment which dwellâ—th fully in him descend upon â—s even the comfortable grace of thy holy Spirit which may worke in us a full assurance of our salvation Lord seale up thine owne covenant our redemption in our hearts and consciences by the sure and infallible testimony of the holy sanctifying Spirit say unto our soules that thou art our salvation let not our faith waver in any surges of afflictions try us not above that thou wilâ— make us able to beare chearfully and constantly give us assurance of thy mercies in Christ Jesus unto our ends and in our ends till our faith may be accomplished in the salvation of our soules and our soules fully satisfied in the seeing and living with our blessed Saviour and eternall enjoying all that which we have believed through him O Lord encline thine eare O Lord consider and doe it for the same thy beloved Sonne our onely Saviour Jesus Christ his sake AMEN CHAP. III. What we are to believe concerning God § 1. That there is a God § 2. That there is but one God § 3. That he is one in essence and trinity of persons the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost § 4. How we must labour to know him 1. THat which we are to believe concerning God is first that there is a God he that cometh to God must believe that he is where we must know that it is not enough to believe God to be such as a carnall heart may imagine him never any nation as I noted was so barbarous but that they believed there was some God though when men forsooke the true light of Gods Word and followed their owne inventions they quickly left the knowledge of the true God and his will hence came such varieties of superstition and monstrous formes of idolatry into the Heathen world for there is but one strait line of truth but error is manifold men framing to themselves both God and religious worship all erred in a confused variety making them Gods like unto themselves in bodily lineaments complexion habit manners and affections so the Aethiopians made them blacke the Thracians yellow the Barbarians rusticke the Grecians more court-like the wisest well knowing they erred but knew not in the darknesse of their minds how to finde the right way as many appeare by that one voyce of the Heathen I would said he I could as easily finde out truth as convince falshood We must therefore believe God to be such as he hath revealed himselfe in his holy Word for whatsoever else is imagined is an idol of mans owne heart and not God 2. The Scripture hath revealed First some things concerning Gods attributes Secondly and some things concerning the persons of the sacred Trinity Concerning his attributes these five conclusions are necessary to be knowne 1. We can understand what God is not he is not a body not gold nor silver nor any thing materiall or obvious to humane sense or apprehension whatever thou canst comprehend know that it is not God 2. No attributes can fully and according to Gods incomprehensible beeing expresse to us the nature of God because that which is finite can neither expresse nor apprehend an infinite 3. The attributes of God in holy Scripture doe sufficiently expresse him to us and declare as much as concerneth us to know of him for the wisedome of God can neither be limited nor defective though his essence be incomprehensible and unspeakable yet his Spirit in the holy Scripture descended to our capacity and in certaine attributes described by his owne essence 4. The attributes of God are either affirmative or negative they expresse the perfection of God as farre as we can understand as when he is called Jehovah wise good almighty just mercifull c. these divide or separate from him the imperfections of the creatures and shew his admirable perfections by a tacit comparing him with the imperfect as when he is called infinite incorruptible immortall 5. The attributes of God are either proper or â—igurative the proper are those which are properly spoken of God in respect of that which they import though improper if we consider their manner or measure of signifying The â—igurative attributes are those which are borrowed from humane conditions to bring things of themselves ineffable nearer to our apprehensions as when an eye an hand anger jealousie or the like are attributed to God and we must know that some of his proper attributes are incommunicable to any creature as Jehovah infinite omniscient omnipotent c and some are communicable according to an analogy measure or degrees of subordination as Lord King Wise c. 3. Concerning Gods essentiall properties we must know that there are not in God many or divers properties because he is one of a most simple pure and indivisible essence but in respect of our
is begotten not made sicut lumen de lumine verus Deus de vero Deo light of light God of God the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne from all eternity We must labour to know God not by a curious and vaine enquiry after his incomprehensible being which we can never know but by a true faith and humbled soule beleeving and considering him as he hath declared himselfe Christian faith saith in the Apostles words unto us there is but one God but among the professours thereof how many are the hearts like those Athenian altars Act 17. 23. inscribed unto the unknowne God ignorance of â—od is the mother of all impiety unthankfulnesse repining infidelitie securitie presuming to sin impenitencie therefore the wicked are said not to know â—od and obedience to his commandements is a sure marke that we know him Paul therefore wondreth at the Galatians that knowing God by the Scriptures they could turne back againe to beggerly and impotent rudiments at once shewing what we ought to know of God and what use to make thereof praying thaâ—â—he Colossians might be filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding that they might walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things being fruitfull in all good works and increasing in the knowledge of God this knowledge of â—od is more acceptable to him then sacrifice Hos 6. 6. without this a man can doe nothing but erre had he never so great a zeale of God if we will serve and please him wee must know what he delighteth in ignorance of the truth and unitie of God begat that monstrous idolatrie of many false Gods had they knowne there is but one they would not have worshipped many had they knowne him to be omnipotent spirituall wise mercifull just they would not insteed of him have adored any impotent Idol which they knewe could not help nor deliver it selfe from fire or violence neither was sensible when it was making to avoid such mischeivous errours it is necessary that we should know the Lord as he hath revealed himselfe least we heare that which Christ told the Samaritan Joh 4. 22. yee worship that yee know not that there is but one God the Almighty creator and mercifull preserver of all things three persons but one deity Say not why should I vainly strive to know him who is incomprehensible and unspeakable If I cannot drinke up the whole river shall I not tast to quench my thirst Because I cannot receive all the beames of the Sun shall not I use a moderate light thereof If I were admitted into Paradise because I cannot eate all the fruit should I not tast of the tree of life I cannot know God as he is in his incomprehensible being I will endeavour to knowe him as he is good and gratious to me I will consider his power providence mercy and benificence who hath with so full an hand bestowed things temporall on man that nothing can be desired but his blessing on them nothing could be wanting would not man be wanting to himselfe in the right use of Gods favours in the booke of Grace I will consider his great and admirable favours and his counsaile for our salvation in Christ To conclude observe these rules 1 Take heed that thy extravagant thoughts carry thee not by vaine and curious speculations to prie into the Arke whereby thou maist more easily loose thy selfe then finde the truth marke and follow the wisdome of God for thy salvation when God would open the truth and mysteries of eternall life to man he provided that wee might know those things which were necessary to obtaine eternall life but those things which are too curious and profane minds he spake not where the Scripture hath not a tongue have thou not an eare 2 Measure not all things which thou canst know and beleeve by carnall reason for if he said to Moses desiring to come nigh and to discover that fierie mysterie which burned and consumed not loose thy shooes from thy feet how much more must we put off our carnall senses when wee draw nigh so glorious and holy a God that we may think on him with pure and untroubled affections 3 Be thou not over long or curious in the contemplation of the deity but when thou thinkest thereof cover thy face with the Cherubs wing let thy thoughts be full of humilitie sobrietie and holy ascâ—â—tions by zealous prayer When Jacob saw a vision in the fields of Luz waking he said how fearefull is this place How much should the presence of God aw us when we doe by our meditations as it were come into his presence and view his dreadfull holy and glorious Majestie Therefore as thou lookest but sparingly on the Sun thou gazest not long though it be the dayes eye of so great and comfortable use to thee so meditate on God It is behoofull and comfortable for thee to remember that God is ever present with thee it will aw thee in thy behaviour and sustaine thee in thy sufferings but it is not safe to fix thy thoughts in any searching meditation of him 4 As he that will looke upon the Sunne will finde it under some thin clowd so thou must do here Christ in his humanity is as the sunne in a cloud the safest way to looke on the Godhead is through the vaile of his flesh and in him to consider what a one God hath shewed himselfe to us in him wee see his wisdome severity and the unsearchable riches of his mercy all that which is necessary for us to know concerning him 5 Labour for purity of heart the more thou performest Gods will the more thou shalt know him Yea and a prudent consideration of thy selfe shall advance thy knowledge of God that thou maist beleeve in him and forsaking thy selfe rely only on him A Prayer O Most gratious Lord God beeing of beeings unaccessible light life of life father of the spirits of the just infinite incomprehensible Lord God of power wisedome mercy justice truth who dwellest in that unsearchable glory and Majestie to which none of all thy creatures can attaine Lord God of gods King of Kings slow to anger of great goodnesse and compassion who hast beene pleased out of thine owne eternall love to man even before he was to elect him and in thy creating him to put thine owne glorious image of light and knowledge upon him to extend a gratious hand of providence over him to looke downe from the habitation of thy glory to consider the things which are done among the sonnes of men looke downe O blessed Lord God upon mee wretched sinner by the malitious tempter and mine owne wilfulnesse blinded and deprived of that excellent light of my creation and despoyled of that purity of heart conformity of will and actions wherein I had ability to serve and please
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
Our owne necessities and others necessitie cryeth to thee as that master of the Joppa shippe to Jona in the storme What meanest thou O sleeper arise call upon thy God that wee perish not Charity bids thee pray for others though God have no need of our prayers wee have of his mercy and blessings which we will give wheâ— wee in faithfull prayer acknowledge his power to give and his mercy to grant which is our dependance on him without his helpe and blessing no creature can helpe if the Lord doe not helpe thee Whence should I helpe thee Said the King of Israel no not the bread which thou hast in thy hand can nourish thee therefore hee taught rich and poore to say give us this day our dayly breadâ— he grâ—â—th it and power to nourish 2. Admirable is the power of prayer it calmeth the surges of a troubled spirit Takes men up to heaven in holyrapts it inclineth heaven to earth shuts the lyons mouths opens the prison doores beats the fiercest enemies while Moses hand was held up Israel prevailed David armed herewith beat the overgrowne champion of Gath Joshua hereby fetcht ammunition from heaven and the Lord cast downe hailestones from heaven to destroy the enemies the Sunne and Moone stood still the Starres in their order fought against Sicera It was the answer of the Oracle to the Cretians that their enemies must be conquered with prayers before they could with armes Prayer is the key of heaven Eliah hereby shutt and opened it for raine it casteth out devils which can no otherwise but by fasting and prayer be cast out Prayer is a sacrifice to God a reliefe to the supplyant a scourage to the devill 't is the Bathsheba of heaven which can receive no repulse Abraham interceeded for the impious Sodomites and Abraham gave over asking before God gave over granting and condescending when Moses prayed God said Let mee alone that I may destroy them as if he had laid violent hands of God's judgements and by prayers arrested his justice His mercy like that oile 2 King 4. ceaseth not increasing while there is any vessell to receive it if the widowes importunity could incline an impious judge to justice how much more shall ours a righteous God to mercy If we who are evill will give our children good things how much more will God who cannot erre in giving prayer obtaineth the spirit of sanctification Luk. 11. 13. wisedome Jam. 1. 5. deliverance from troubles Psalm 50. 15. for our selves and others Act. 12. Jam. 5. 15. health in sicknesse blessing in health remission of sinnes it must needs be so seeing hee inviteth us to pray and promiseth to heare our prayer he is nigh unto all them that call upon him in truth Christ interâ—edeth for us when Aquilius brest was opened before the Roman Judges and he but shewed the wounds received in their service it enclined them to mercy and recovered the almost forlorne cause what shall not the merits of Christs wounds perswade with God O that he would say to my soule as he did once to Peter before his temptation I have prayed for thâ—e that thy faith faile thee not Let the Lyons yell the powers of hell muster up against mee if Christ pray for mee I passe not who is against mee My addresse is to him and my dependance on him no man might come to the Persian King but he must first solicit the second in the Kingdome but Christ saith Come unto mee thou shalt need no other mediatour fervent prayer never returneth empty it bringeth us either that we aske or something better in the fervencie of spirit it ascendeth like the Angell in the â—lame of Manoahs sacrifice and doth wonderfully it saith as wrastling Jacob I will not let thee go except thou blesse mee It was a motive to Benhadad to sue for quarter we have heard that the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings therefore he sent and obtained we have heard and certainly knowne that God is abundant in mercy why are we silent when Moses came down from talking with God his face shined never stay wee with God in the mount by hearty prayer but our soules bring away some divine lustre and heavenly beauty on them some secret joy assurance of obtaining and confidence to persevere But some may say I have long prayed and yet obtain not I answer the rule is that hee will speedily answer and grant according to his promise Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will heare nor will he delay except in case that 1. The obstruction be in our selves as when we continue in sinne and repent not when our faith and patience is not throughly exercised and then it concerneth us to amend and learne patience considering that God hath sometimes granted the requests of impatient men in his anger and that it is best which God will not that we and when any thing happeneth contrary to our desires to bear it meekly and give thankes 2. That he deferreth to our greater advantage meaning to recompence that delay by multiplying the blessing so was it with the poore Canaanite whose importunity would receive no denyall I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the hoâ—se of Israël then a reproach 't is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to dogs yet at last to her praise as long as that Gospel shall sound in the Church of God and toâ—her confirmation to eternity she heard O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee as thou desirest Some urge I have many times and long prayed and find no fruit nor successe but rather things contrary I answer there may be many causes hereof 1. It may be you performe not the conditions of prayer your mind wandreth you waver or wax faint in prayer if Moses but let downe his hands Amalecke prevaileth you pray not in spirit your heart is not upright you seek God only for the worlds sake you want charity you pray not in faith See Num. 20. 12. 2. It may be you aske somethings which obtained would hurt you as children crie for knives or fire He both mercifully heareth us and mercifully denyeth the Physitian better knoweth what is good for the patient we have all begged mischiefes if God had not denyed in mercy we had long since perished by our owne desâ—res you that are so impatient because God granteth not what you desire come to the Scriptures you shall find the devill was in some case heard the Apostle not heard God heard him whom he had damned and heard him not whom he would heale save 3. It may be you aske something good to an evill end you aske and receave not because you aske amisse that yee may consume it on your pleasures Jam 4. 3. 4. It may bee
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
called none would answer When I spake they did not heare the best that a contemner or neglecter of Gods Word can expect is to be severely afflicted that at last hee may hearken and learne to acknowledge with David before I was troubled I went wrong but now have I learned thy testimonies as Elihu said Job 36. 15. he openeth their eares in oppression 2. God will cut him off Act. 3. 23. Jer. 7. 13. 15. Deut 30. 17. 18. they are none of Christs sheepe who will not heare his voyce they dispise Christ Luk. 10. 16. whose word it is Math. 16. 20. therefore shall it be more tolerable for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for them 3. God will not heare them when they crie unto him in distresse Though they cry in mine eares with a lowd voyce yet will I not heare them and againe he saith as I cryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord Zach 7. 13. 8. 8. The fruits of hearing are very necessary and most comfortable The Tempter laboureth to keep us from Church by presenting us many lets pleasures profits and the like whose losse he pretendeth if we spend an houre to heare but upon a due account it will appeare that never any faithfull hearer lost by performing this duty for 1. Faith is by hearing Rom 10. 17. faith apprehending all the riches of Gods mercy in Christ. 2. Hereby thou shalt understand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God sound wisedome and understanding to preseâ—â—â— thee and deliver thee from the way of the evill man 3. Hereby thou shalt abide in Christs love and live as it is written encline your eare heare and your soule shall live I will make an everlasting covenant with you see Joh 15. 10. Rev 3. 20. 4. It is the better part that one necessary thing which shall never bee taken away Luk 10 39. what ever else with expence of pretious time we get shall puickly bee taken from us but the treasure we gaine in hearing Gods word shall goe with us to eternity 5. The holy Ghost accompanieth his owne ordinance though â—ot alwaies in visible effects as Act. 10. 44. c. yet in that which is better to the hearers justification by faith whereby Christ becommeth ours to his sealing with the spirit of promise and being made fruitfull to all good workes all which is better then faith of miracles which a man may have and yet be a reprobate Math. 7. 22. 23. 6. They are blessed who heare the word of God and keepe it blessed with health and plenty peace wisedome an attentive care makes a prudent heart He that hearkneth unto Councell is wise and which is best confidence in Christ who never faileth trust 7. Their prayers shall be heard If yee abide in me and my word in you yee shall aske what yee will and it shall bee done unto you it was the answer of God to Josias by the Prophetesse Huldah because thy heart was tender and thou didst humble thy selfe before God when thou heard'st his Words against this place I â—ave even heard thee also saith the Lord lay up his words on thy heart saith Eliphaz Job 22. 22. 27. thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall heare thee The lets unto the right performing this duty are 1. Hardnesse of heart as 't is written they refused to hearken and stopped their cares that they should not heare yea they made their hearts as an adamant stone least they should heare the law and againe this peoples heart is waxed grosse and their eares are dull of hearing and againe if yee Will heare his voice harden not your hearts Miserable is the state of those deafe adders who refuse to be charmed who is so deafe as hee that will not heare The deafe heart is incomparably worse then the deafe eare this is an affliction that a sinne this a bodily infirmitie that a spirituall and fearefull curse there may bee true comfort in this there can be none in that The deafe man is secure from the dangerous voices of railers and slatterers and though he be deafe to man may listen and freely speake to God have his comfortable soliloquies wherein hee may confer with his own soule as by writing he may speak to others and by reading heare others speake nor can I more doubt concerning the inward comfort of the naturally deafe then of the infant who though he cannot understand the outward ordinary meanes yet is capeable of the spirit of sanctification and consequently of salvation as may appeare in Jeremie sanctified from the wombe and John Baptist in the wombe As it is in not receiving the sacraments which represent Christ to the other senses so in not hearing the word it is not the privation but the contempt which condemneth Where God denieth either meanes or capacity hee can save by some other way of applying Christ to the elect then he hath revealed to us whom it concerneth not we being made capable of the word preached therefore unexcusable if we will not hearken and obey that we may be saved 2. Unbeleefe if we beleeve not Gods threatnings and promises neither the law nor Gospell can profit us The faithfull Minister prepareth to give amongst others to unbeleevers also the sincere milke of the word that they might grow thereby but as the true mother to the dead child when I rose in the morning to give my child sucke behold it was dead said she 3. Want of discerning spirit and true wisedome the word of God is a reproach to the uncircumcised eare the carnall apprehended it not hee that is of God heareth his words therefore yee heare them not saith Christ because yee are not of God he that is not of God heareth us not hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour every one that is of the truth heareth Christ's voice When for mens obstinacy God giveth them over hearing they shall not understand 4. Corruption of a carnall heart ever resisting the holy spirit we are naturally deafe to Gods word till Christ say to our spirits as to deafe man Ephphata be opened a naturall Gileadite hath taken the passages of the soule and nothing can enter which speakes not it Shibboleth which pronounceth not according to its custome and affection the itching eare cannot endure wholsome doctrine Herod cannot endure to heare his incest reproved nor Ahab his murder the Pharises their hypocrisie nor Demetrius his artifice of silver shrines the Grecians must have wisedome the Jewes signes and wonders the nice compture of the words witty and pleasing things because they bring only a carnall eare the Atheniaus some newes the Gospell to Gallio is but contention of words and questions of names Jeremies preaching truth
our hearts as Adamant stone least we should heare thy law and the words which thou sentest in thy spirit by the former Prophets therofore came this great wrath from thee the Priests have offered polluted bread on thy altar with the strange â—ire of their owne inventions the oppressing Cities obeyed not thy voice nor received correction they trusted not in thee neither drew neere unto their God their Princes within them were roaring Lyons and their Judges evening Woolves yea their Prophets were light and treacherous persons their Priests have polluted thy sanctuary done violence to thy Law we have itching eares for heapes of teachers which preach pleasing things crying to us peace peace even when misery and destruction is upon us because we would not abide wholsome doctrine we have not feared thee nor received instruction but corrupted all our waies therefore are wee to this day consumed by the fire of thy jealousie we are become an aâ—â—licted poore people and we deserve that thou shouldst still be terrible unto us and powre upon us thy indignation bring distresse upon us and that our blood should be powred out like water on the bosome of this good land which we have stained with cruelty murder rapine oppression uncleanesse and that fulnesse of sinnes which is scarse heard of among those who have not heard thy law to teach them better But O Lord our God there is none holy whom thou hast not made such nor any so wicked but thou canst make him holy Lord we are in thy gracious hands we humbly pray thee to frame our hearts according to thine owne will and make us such as thou wouldst have us to be O God of mercy have compassion on them who would not swerve from thee make us a people of circumcised hearts and pure language that we may all yet once againe serve thee with one consent convert us that thou maist turne unto us and establish thy covenant of life and peace amongst us O Lord in the amazing feares and bitter aâ—â—lictions of our soules answere with good and comfortable words returne unto Jerusalem with mercies comfort Zion be still our God and let us be thy people in truth and righteousnesse be thou a wall of fire round about her the glory in the midst of her dwell thou in her that she may againe be called a city of truth the mountaine of the Lord of hoasts the holy mountaine Cut of the remnant of Baal from this place and the name of the Chemarims with their Priests who turned back from thee unto vanity and superstition shew us thy waies O Lord and teach us thy statutes lead us in thy truth O God of our salvation set thy feare in our hearts that thy secret may be with us open our eyes that we sleep not in death shew us our sinnes and the way to avoid them by the knowledge of thy law and the spirit of sanctification assure us of our interest in Christ by the comfortable testimony of thy holy spirit applying the promises of the Gospell to our wounded consciences continue forth the light of thy word to us and the purity of religion and thy holy worship amongst us put thy holy spirit the spirit of prayer and prophesie abundantly upon the Ministry assist them with enlightned understandings sound knowledge of all the mysteries of eternall life and salvation enlarged hearts holy affections faithfull memories and hasâ—owed lips for the powerfull delivery of thy holy word unto us forgive us all our disobedience barrennâ—sse and unfruitfulnesse give us true and hearty repentance for all our sinnes past with a stedfast purpose and faithfully resolution never to commit the like againe take from us all spirituall blindnesse hardnesse of heart unbeleefe prejudicate opinion wandring and profane thoughts and what ever else hath hitherto hindred the fruit bearing of thy holy word resist the vigilant malice of the tempter that he may not distract us nor take away the seed of thy word out of our hearts Give us sanctified thoughts and holy reverence towards thine ordinance an hearkening eare and attentive heart O God who hast the key of David which openeth none can shut who said'st unto the deafe eares be opened and they presently were so say it unto our hearts and eares so sanctify our affections and prepare us to heare and receive thy word that we may attend unto it as thy word and not the word of man that it may prove a savour of life to us that we may bring forth better fruits then ever we have done that leading us in thy way it may bring us to Christ the truth the way and the life the end of the law to every one that beleeveth and the fruits of our hopes endeavours the salvation of our bodies and soules through thy sonne our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. AMEN A Prayer to be used after hearing the word O Lord our God we humbly present unto thee the fruits of our hearts and lips praise and thankesgiving as for all thy gratious mercies and favours spirituall and temporall so specially for the light of truth in thy holy word preached unto us whereby thou pleasest to reveale thy will concerning our duty towards thee and our salvation in Christ Jesus More particularly wee thanke thee for that portion thereof now bestowed upon us we humbly pray thee to pardon our unholy and unreverend hearing our profanesse of heart and minde inattention wandring of thoughts and drouzinesse of spirit And now holy father prosper thine owne ordinance send downe the former and the latter raine the dew of grace to mollifie our hard and stony hearts that the seed now sowed in our outward eares may be fixed in our memory and take deepe root in our hearts and affections that the fruits of our faith and entire obedience may appeare in our lives and conversations to thy glory and our comfort and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN CHAP. XIV § 2. Of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper § 2. Who receive the grace thereby represented § 3. How we ought to prepare for the right receiving thereof how to receive it and what to doe after receiving 1 OUr Saviour Christ hath left us under the Gospell onely two Sacraments Baptisme the Sacrament of initiation and the Lords Supper the sacrament of confirmation that admitteth us into Christs visible body the Church this feedeth and strengthneth in the same 2. A Sacrament is a visible signe of an invisible grace an holy seale ordained of God to strengthen our faith in his promises in Jesus Christ for the free remission of our sinnes which God therefore annexed to his word to confirme us by representing the suffering of Christ to our sight and tasting as the Gospell preacheth it to our eares 3. This Sacrament is called the Lords Supper because Christ ordained it at his last supper wherein to fulfill the law he eate the Pascall Lambe and to shew the determination
that is bitten with hels fiery serpents all other wayes uncurable by looking upon Christ with the eye of faith shall be saved therefore in case thou find any stupid impenitencie in thy stony heart be thou the more attentive in hearing the word and more serious in applying it to thy conscience more fervent in prayer and more frequent in receiving this holy Sacrament thou shalt at last find an happy effect hereof 5. Examine whether thou be in charity with all men as he that presumed to offer with any other fire then that which came from heaven was cut off from Israâ—l so shall it be with those who offer this spirituall sacrifice in malice if hee that touched the Arke with unconsecrated hands was smitten dead what shall become of them who dare come to the Lords table with bloody hands and malicious hearts if thou be not in charity leave thy gift before the altar go first and be recenciled neither maist thou thinke thy selfe excused from communicating by thy malice God biddeth thee be reconciled and then come and offer neither maist thou thinke to lay downe thy malice as they speake of the serpent while she drinketh for a time only to resume it againe in a wilfull abstinence there is a contempt of the Sacrament which shall condemne a man and in comming to Christ our Passeover with the leven of maliciousnesse is the same danger there is no safe way but in reconciliation that thou maist receive worthily 2. The second point is how we must receive we must do it with hearts lifted up to God in holy meditations of Christ's passion frequent ejaculations imploring Gods gracious assistance obsignation and sealing up of our salvation with hallowed thoughts minds sequestred from all worldly things and the most attentive and holy reverence of soule and body for so ought wee to appeare before God in his worship Psal. 95. 6 7. Secondly the riches of Gods grace all the merits of Christ are here offered and held out to us by the hand and ordinance of Christ Thirdly 't is administred and received with a prayer for which no gesture can be too humble lastly when Moses rehearsed the mercie of God to Israël in the institution of the Passeover then the people bowed downe and prostraited themselve the same reason have wee to expresse a reverend and humble thankfulnesse for Christ our Passeover 3. After receiving 1. Give thanks to God for these seales of thy redemption in Christ. 2. Be carefull to performe all thy promises vowes holy resolutions conceived and made in thy preparation to receive and live every day of this life as if thou didst therein communicate 3. Keepe a carefull watch over thy body and thy soule least the evill one repossesse himselfe of the swept garnished roome and bring with him seaven worse spirits then himselfe Lest thou relapsing to the filthy vomit of thy old sinnes thy end proove worse then the beginning I have washed my feet said the Spouse of Christ how shall I defile them 4. Pray the Lord to make good his own ordinance unto thee effectually sealing thee up unto the day of redemptioÌ„ 5 Examine thy selfe whether thy soule be nourished and strengthned by receiving which will appeare if after it thou art more cheerefull in greater assurance of thy salvation remission of sinnes peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost if thou art more quick active and able to all holy duties if receiving breed in thee a spirituall appetite to receive againe that thou maist more be confirmed in Christ if it beget a fervent love to God and thy neighbours amendment of life and more hearty loathing thy sinnes inward sense of the life of Jesus dwelling in thee an holy contempt of this world with a longing desire and constant hope of a better life to come causing thee to set thy affections on things celestiall to walke with God in holinesse and to have thy conversation in heaven if these things are in thee blessed art thou hee hath sealed thee with his holy spirit who will knowe thee for his owne and so protect thee with his providence that the destroying Angell shall not touch thee To conclude when the diseased woeman of whom spake but touched the hemme of Christ's garment shee presently felt the powerfull effect thereof in her healing though Christ had made her no such promise and if we have received his body and blood according to his command his promise must be fulfilled and wee shall be strengthned and healed we shall feele the same power nourishing us to eternall life A private Prayer before the receiving of the Lords Supper MOst gratious Lord God Father of mercy and truth Who dwellest in that light which none can attaine unto yet vouchsafest to prepare the hearts of thy servants here on earth to help their infirmities and to heare their petitions prepare my heart teach mee to pray encline thine eare unto mee and have mercy upon mee O Lord thou art a just and a severe Judge how shall I then vile and unworthy wretch appeare this day before thee in the courts of thyne house I came into this world a child of wrath disobedience naked and destitute of all goodnesse but thou O Lord my Redeemer hast bestowed the seale of thy righteousnesse upon mee in my Baptisme thou hast called mee to the knowledge of thy gospel thou hast given me the earnest of my redemption by the spirit of regeneration Lord establish now the thing which thou hast freely wrought in mee and as thou hast this day invited mee to thy table and the communion of the body and blood of thy holy Sonne Jesus Christ so Lord bestow the wedding garment on mee that I may appeare before thee cloathed in his righteousnesse whom thou madest an offering for sinne that in him wee might become righteous before thee Lord what is man that thou so regardest him and who among the sonnes of men hath more cause to praise thy mercies then wretched I thy mercy hath long spared me thou hast taken me out of the power of darknesse kingdome of Satan thou hast given me the glorious freedome of the children of light what shall I rendër the Lord for all his benefitts towards me I will call upon the name of the Lord I will declare his mercies I will take the cup of salvation and pay my vowes all is to little which I have to give thee O Lord thou hast in my creation given me my selfe in my redemption thou hast restored me to my selfe therfore now accept againe thyne owne gift Lord let me be wholy thyne And beeing now to appeare before thee whith a sacrifice of praise I pray thee for Iesus Christ his sake prepare the alter purge me with Hysope create a cleane heart within me renue a right spirit sprinkle the doore of my soule with the blood of the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world that
his voice wherein are the issues of life and death remember that the time is holy by Gods owne institution that the place is consecrated and set apart for Gods publike worship and let that come into thy minde which God said unto Moses approaching towards him loose thy shooes from thy feet for the place thou standest on is holy ground to thy selfe thus appliable put off all thy carnall affections resigne thy selfe body soule unto the guidance of Gods holy word and spirit Christ said not in vaine my house shall be called an house of prayer to all nations and where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them 6. Pray privatly that God would forgive thee thy sinnes give thee such a measure of his spirit to enable thee to serve him as may make thee therein acceptable to him blesse his owne ordinance unto thee sanctify thee body and soule to his service that thou maist sanctify his Sabbath with that zeale care and fervency of spirit which may please him that hee would assist the Ministers of his word and thy selfe and the whole congregation so that the word may profit you to the amendment of life and building you up to the assurance of salvation in Christ. In the Sabbath if thou wilt performe thy duty well thou must 1. Begin with delight in it and all the service of God therein to be performed this was God's condition of prospering Israel that they should call the Sabbath a delight the carnall man for feare of humane law or censure resteth from his ordinary workes goeth to Church joyneth with the Congregation in prayer hearing c. but it is irksome to him he thinkes the time long because he delighteth not in the Lord and his Sabbath but he that through delight therein keepeth it not as in help to sanctification keepeth it no better then a beast 2. Glorifie God therein In hearing praying receiving the holy Sacrament singing praises c. thou shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies any servile worke Those things may be done which are subordinate to the sanctification of a Sabbath as the Priests laboured in sacrificing the Ministers now doe in preaching and officiating without breach of this precept Workes of necessitie or mercy to man or beast are to be done the Ox fallen into a pit must be releived the Physitian Apothecary Chirurgion or others in case of necessitie may and must respectively helpe though it be the ordinary worke of their calling because it is a worke of mercy so to doe is to honour God as on the contrary it were to his dishonour as if his law bound any man from doing all the good hee can or shewing mercy to the distressed whereas indeed he is a God of mercy loveth the same in all those who beare his image but thou must not for gaine doe that which might equally be omitted as bargaining bearing burdens or other servile worke or labour of thy calling or travelling except in case of necessity or subordination to a Sabbath dayes workes it is certainly an ingratefull sacriledge to rob God of his owne daies service appointed for no necessitie of his but only for our own good and salvation and to entrench on that which he hath reserved to himselfe whereas he hath allowed men six daies to doe their workes and take their lawfull delights therein Therefore hee saith as we must not on the Sabbath doe our own waies so must not we finde our owne pleasures nor speake our owne words it is an hatefull robbery of God to use pastimes on that day though lawfull on others much worse those which are never lawfull whereby the Devill is more served on that day then any other The many fearefull judgements of God on offenders herein and that which usually befalleth them in that God seldome prospereth the most probable industries of such is enough to deter all considering men from profanation of the Lords day 3. Doe what good thou canst to thy selfe in that which concerneth thy soule or thy body health and preservation in case of necessitie or to others in the like at convenient times when the publike or private worship of God require not thy attendance walke in the fields or gardens that thou maist contemplate on Gods creatures and his benificence power providence and wisedome therein visit the sick and imprisoned if thou have ability and convenience of releiving or comforting them 4. Absteine from immoderate drinking feeding sleeping and whatsoever else may render thee lesse apt for the sanctification of this day 5. As all thy life thou must rest from sinne so specially on this day wherein the very sanctity of the time violated doubleth the offences committed there when God specially requireth the sanctimony and endeavours to learne his will and doe not thinke it enough to rest from labour as God resteth not in an inactive contemplation and as the glorified Saints in the life to come in their rest aud refreshing shall yet continually sing their Halleluiahs and doe those things which shall be to the eternall glory of God in them so doe thou now compose thy selfe to have thy present conversation in heaven and to begin thy rest and Sabbath here which shall never end When the Sabbath is ended if thou canst write down some principall heads for directions or of comforts heard that day and by often perusing them commit all to memory However repeat to thy selfe if single or with thy family the summes of that thou hast heard praise God for the same sing Psalmes meditate of the eternall rest whereof this is a type frame thy whole life for the attaining thereto beg pardon of God for thy severall failings and defects and pray for the assistance of his good spirit and that his ordinance may be powerfull in thee and thine to life eternall A Prayer for the Sabbath day morning O Lord our God holy and merâ—â—â—â— Wâ—â—umbly pray thee for Jesus Christ sake to forgive 〈◊〉 our sinnes to cleanse us bodies and soules from all those corruptions which make us lesse able to serue thee as we ought and unworthy to appeare before thee O our God be pleased to send the Comforter to enlighten us and to open our understandings that being now sequested from all worldly cares affections and thoughts we may lift up our hearts to thee serving thee in fervency of spirit and truâ—th that we may this day beginne our heaven on earth in doing thy will here as it is there done And because they are unworthy of new blessings who are unmyndfull of those they have received we here desire to render thee the fruites of our hearts and lipps praise and thanksgiving for all thy mercies and favours eternall and temporall for thy unspeakable love in electing us to salvation for thy infinite goodnesse in creating us after thyne owne glorious image to a capacity of light and understanding that we might be able in some measure
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
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
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
Angels pitch round about his to deliver them and when we seem most overmatcht they are more with us then can be against us as that fearfull servant saw at last It made David so confident In the Lord put I my trust how say yee then to my soul Flee as a bird to your mountaine all confidence in men their counsels or an arme of flesh is unhappy and must faile beeing under the curse God cannot si fractus illabatur orbis therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed and though the mountaines be carried into the midst of the sea 4. Hearken unto the Word of God whoso hearkneth unto mee shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil thou shalt walke in the way safely when thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid herein thou shalt know God's power trueth providence mercy and justice and so trust in him as it is written They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee 5. Love the Lord sincerely the more thou lovest him the more thou wilt rest assured of his love and protection the more perfect thy love is the more it casteth out fear 6. Depart from evill as the Princes of the Philistines said of David Let him not go down with us to the battle leâ—t in the battle he be an adversary to us Set thy selfe to seek the Lord as Jehoshaphat did when many enemies were upon the march against him and atcheived a glorious victory against them Keep a good conscience it shall be a wall of brasse unto thee when that is safe a man is bold as a lion but if we see the smoke of hell ascend there wee must needs faint like the men of Ai when they saw their City on fire Sinne in the conscience maketh men cowardly they may possibly speak glorious words who have timerous consciences but as one said of the fearfull dogg vehementiùs latrat quà m mordet hee must needs feare who hath no peace in himselfe 7. Consider the end of the â—aints sufferings which hath ever been happy in that they are the more partakers of Christ's glory by how much more of his sufferings consider how long they have suffered or thou canst fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer Behold the Devil shall cast sâ—me of you into prison that yee may be tryed be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life It is true flesh and blood must have it allowance for its infirmity but the more wee can lay to heart the end of the saints so happy that even the wicked affect it and the quiet fruits of righteousness to them that are exercised the lesse we must needs feare the malice of any creature 8. Labour for peace with God give him no rest till he speak it to thy conscience resolve not to let him go untill he blesse thee and assure thee of thy remission in Christ. What hath he to feare whose sins are forgiven the sting of death pâ—lled out who would not dare it therefore the Apostle did because he could say Thanks be unto God who giveth us victory through Jesus Christ this is Faith's victory over the world 9. In thy greatest feares pray more fervently so did our Saviour being in an agony he prayed more earnestly so did Jacob in fear of his brothers long-studied revenge pray that God would open thine eies to see his saving health God many times terrifieth to awaken our drouzie souls and open our mouths to earnest prayer which in prosperity are too prone to the spirit of slumber and coldnesse feare hath many tongues and can open the mouth of the dumb Even Jonah's mariners in their feare will pray and instigate others thereto that one example of Croesus sonne Athis before dumb crying out O Cyrus spare my father and by our misfortunes learne that thou also art but a man sheweth what the violence of feare can do A Prayer against Feare O Lord God almighty dreadfull in thy wrath and indignation against sinners I humbly acknowledge that there is not one of thy judgements which I may not reasonably fear who have deserved them all the miseries of this life terrors of death and future condemnation But O Lord God of consolation assure mee of my sinnes remission and my peace with thee for Christ Jesus sake fill my heart and affections with that measure of thy love which may exclude all servile feare give mee the testimony of a good conscience to comfort me against all vain fears of the wicked lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and assure me that thou who rulest in heaven and earth from the Angel to the worm art my defence and help at hand Thou art omnipotent and canst doe what thou wilt Lord let it be thy will to deliver me from the affliction which I fear that I may live to praise the and declare thy goodnesse toward mee if it be possible let this cup passe from mee if otherwise thy holy will be done Lord suffer mee not for any tryals to fail from thee consider my weaknesse remember whereof thou hast made me that I am but dust and earth soon passing away give me patience to endure thy fatherly hand and full assurance that all things shall work together for the best give me fervency of spirit to pray more earnestly give me that â—aith to which thou who canst not deceive hast made the promise of audience and granting our petitions Give mee an invincible resolution not to let thee goe untill thou blessest me with some happy issue through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen Of Cares CAre is the childe of Providence some say the souls apparitor to summon all it's faculties to it's Senate or Committee it is rather counsels president determining what to pursue and what to decline the weight which moveth all it's wheels that taken off or quite run down all the nerves of providence are loosed and the soules faculties become inactive and resty so as we neither affect the good nor feare the evill Care is the centinel which gives the alarme to awaken wisedom to it's offices the steward of the inward house the Palinurus and pilot which sitteth at the helm to steere and direct the course lest industry be wanting to prudent decrees and resolutions or successe to industry so necessary is this vigilancy of the soule that without it we can neither be profitable to our selves or others in things divine or humane though salvation shall neither be in his care who willeth nor his that runneth but in him that sheweth mercy yet if thou care not to lay hold on his promises and to beleeve and obey thou shalt finde that he that made thee without thy care will not save thee without it because
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
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
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
and art delivered from so many unjust and pernicious tyrants in that the incentives of sinne are grown inactive in age 2. Study to be wise it is great misery to be old and not wise it was too much to be guided by the affections of youth if that be past remember that age is wisdomes flower or fruitfull autumne rather venerable not for number of years but merit if thou encrease in this strength of minde thou shalt so much the more recompence the decay of bodily strength as the soule is more excellent then these walls of clay or man then beast this wisdome is not in gray haires but in such a guidance of the minde as that the aged be sober grave temperate sound in faith charity and patience and that Women be in behaviour such as becometh holinesse teachers of good things that the younger may by them learne to be wise to love their Husbands and their Children to be discreet chast keepers at home good obedient to their Husbands that the word of God be not blaspheamed some extreamly erre thinking it the only wisdome of age to be attent to worldly gaines some heathens could say what can be more absurd then the lesse way we have to goe the more solicitous to be to get viands and that they grew old every day learning something how much more studious ought we to be true wisdome which Gods word teacheth 3. Be holy the feare of God is the old mans glory whereof the hoary head is the crowne if it be found in the way of righteousnesse such shall flourish like the Palme tree and Cedar in Lebanon bringing forth fruit in age those I say that are planted in the howse of the Lord. as they that gathered Manna on the Sabbath eve gathered twice as much as for an other day so they that are holy lay up a double store in age for their eternall rest at hand their encreasing sanctity like shadowes of the setting sunne is then multiplied They injure age who casting their faults on it entertaine it as some unwelcome guest some evill it is their errour which makes it so it can never be well with the sinner but every age is good to the just as evill to the sinner is that most which is neerest his judgement 4. Live to God and thine own eternall blessednesse if thou wilt live to men in temporall relations these gray haires wrinkles and ruines of youth strength and beauty may create thee some contempt but if the centre of thy desires be the chiefe good that must best please thee which makes thee best and so these sorrowes of thy aged brow fraitfull of counsaile gravity temperance holy contempt of the world and preparation for a passage to a better life as thy hoary head wisedomes banners shall be welcome to thee make use therefore of time for eternity and provide for that state to which this decaying earthly tabernacle shall againe be so repaired that the glory of the second house shall be greater then that of the first so shall thy life seem long enough if in an age long or short thou canst reckon but few mispent daies so shall thy bodily defects not be so grievous a little strength will be enough to lift up the hands to God where the heart is right neither those of the minde as decay of memory and the like old men can remember that they most care for and age hath a capacity of amendment in those evills which blemish it as talkativenesse anger frowardnesse and such like which removed it shall be more lovely winning by a milde gravity and of more authority with men however God taketh no advantages on our weaknesse so shall this age appeare most happy he lived not unprofitably who dyeth happily 5. Consider the vanity and frailty of this present life and learne to live which few doe though they number many years none truly doe who live not to God the end of their creation and living she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth living to God shall make that age more happy which bringeth thee neere as that most happy which brings thee to him The Old Mans supplication O Lord God of my salvation I humbly desire to render thee all due and hearty thankes for thy abundant mercies and favours spirituall and temporall thy gracious preservation of me from my youth up unto my hoary haires that thou sparedst me in thy fatherly mercy when thy justice might often have destroyed me Lord as thou hast given me place for repentance reserving me to age who mightest justly have cut off the daies of a mispent youth so now accomplish thine own worke give me an heart faithfully to turne unto thee that I may constantly endeavour to redeeme the vaine errours of my time past by becomming a patterne of faith and obedience to all those with whom I converse Lord fill me with thy holy spirit that I may beare more fruit in my age Forsake me not now I am old and gray headed Remember not the sinnes and follies of my youth let thy power appeare in my weaknesse and the work of thy spirit in the decaies and ruins of this earthly tabernacle by the evident repaire of thine own image in me mortifying the remaindes of sinne and assuring me of my election and calling in Christ Jesus and now ô Lord that the time of my departure draweth nigh give me a watchfull spirit that I may be ready when thou callest seeing there are but few steps between me and this worlds end Lord strengthen me give me a lively faith invincible and constant perseverance in this race the few and evill daies of this earthly pilgrimage that by thy mercifull assistance who workest both the will and the deed and shewest mercy where thou pleasest I may so runne that I may obtaine that when thou pleasest to give me rest from my labours and gather me to my Fathers I may against all the paines and sorrowes of death willingly and cheerefully yeeld up my soule into thy gracious hands in full assurance of my redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN CHAP. XXXIV Meditations for Woemen neere their Travaile § 1. All misery proceedeth from sinne § 2. Our sinnes pardoned in Christ Why the punishments are not taken away Woemens comfort therein § 3. Directions necessary hereunto 1. ALL misery is the undoubted issue of sinne man was happy in his pure naturalls and creation to the Image of God the only fountaine of blessednesse untill sinne defacing the same subjected him to the curse The first sinner heard the terrible sentence of the almighty peculiar to her sex I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy Conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children these paines in travaile are the first fruits of misery appearing in that Sex which was first in the transgression so dangerous is it to be leaders into sinne
not on her with honour tender love and duty nothing can fully recompence the ingratitude of this generation of Vipers their Mothers sorrow and destruction but hell Gods children love and honour his Ordinance in their parents For direction and comfort before their Travaile let Women 1. Spend the time of their expectation as they would doe the howers of their last day in hearty repentance for all their sinnes making their peace with God labouring to strengthen their faiths by recounting the comfortable promises of God in Christ Jesus rendring themselves with patience meeknesse and confidence into his mercifull hands who alone can keep them strengthen and comfort them in their paines and make them joyfull Mothers 2. Consult with God in all their fears and sorrowes as Rebecca did by the holy scriptures which are his Oracles giving certaine and infallible answers conference with the prudent Saints meditations and ascensions of the afflicted soule into Gods gracious presence 3. Reconcile themselves to all those whom they have injured by repairing them what they can for it is a condition of their salvation in childbearing that they continue in Faith and Charity and if all must quickly agree with their adversaries while they are in the way then they specially who as they say of Seamen may be reckoned between the living and the dead and in hazard of a sodaine convention at the barre by the end of this life 4. It must be a grave document as to all so specially to married Women of modesty and chastity I know not what comfort the adultresse can have who bringeth forth her Husbands irreparable injury her own shame Children of Whoredomes the indelible staine of their blood and their posterities dishonour all this with paine and horrour or more dangerous stupidity of a sinfull conscience whereas the good conscience of the chast is the soules rest bed of perfumes Garden of spices sorrowes lenitive griefes faire havens the soules Paradice and afflictions sanctuary with which though they have externall sorrowes yet are they blessed happy is the way however rough and fearefull by which they come to eternall life as the externall prosperity of the wicked can never make their waies better then destructive and unhappy So neither can any afflictions sorrowes feares or paines of the elect make them lesse then truely blessed because all these are but as the stepps in Jacobs ladder whose last shall land them in the presence of God as it is written we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God 5. Let them pray frequently and fervently that God would be pleased to measure their sufferings by that assistance which he will give them strengthen them to their labour mitigate their paines grant them a speedy and safe deliverance that they may enjoy the blessing of propagation to the encrease of his Kingdome the glory of his holy name and their eternall rejoycing after their temporall sorrowes which hee hath appointed them A prayer for Woemen in or neere their Travaile MOst glorious and holy Lord God almighty creator and mercifull preserver of all thy creatures who hast commanded the weary and heavy laden to come to thee and promised by the sonne of thy love and truth Christ Jesus to ease them we prostrate our selves before thy throne of mercy with bended knees and trembling hearts yet with assurance of thy faithfulnesse to performe who hast freely promised Truth it is O Lord when we consider our own deservings we can look for nothing but the severity of thy justice and rejection from thy gracious presence that thou shouldest take no delight in us when we come before thee but that the spreadiâ—g out of our hands in Prayer should be a trouble and wearinesse unto thee we confesse that destruction of body and soule by all those judgements which thou hast denounced against the first sinners is due unto us if thou enter into judgement with us we accuse and condemne our selves as most vile and utterly unable to stand in judgment before thee the searcher of the heart and reines and most unworthy of the least of those favours which our necessities compell us to beg at thy mercifull hands in confidence that thou wilt not breake the bruised reed reject the penitent nor condemne them who condemne themselves we renounce our selves that we may be found in the righteousnesse of our Lord Jesus It was he ô blessed Father who being the eternall Word Wisdome and Power by whom the World was created and is still sustained yet to save us miserable sinners and so his enemies was made flesh for us became man to set us free took on him the forme of a Servant to sanctify and redeeme us from sinne begun in our conception and encreasing from our birth vouchsafed to be conceived in the Virgins wombe by the Holy Ghost and to be borne the man of sorrowes to suffer the severity of thy wrath against sinners 't was he that dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification that thereby he might pull out the sting of death and change the judgements into fatherly corrections 't was he that became a curse for us to redeeme us from the curse of the law that by his stripes we might be healed that the blessing the promise of the spirit the comforter might come on us through faith in him for his sake holy Father be reconciled to us for his sake encline thy gracious cares to our prayers now according to thine own appointment calling on thee Thou hast indeed threatned the first sinner to multiply her sorrowes in her travailes and that sentence as the sinne in which we fell is become hereditary in paines sorrow feare and anguish in these bitter effects of sinne we acknowledge thy just judgements but Lord correct us not in thine anger consider the frailty and infirmity of this poorâ— dust and earth wherewith thou hast clothed us consider not what we have done but what thy holy Sonne Jesus in that sacred flesh indivisibly united to the Godhead hath suffered for us accept his obedience who hath done and suffered all things which thy determinate counsaile had before all worlds appointed for the worke of our redemption We are unworthy to be heard but Lord heare him ascended into heaven to take possession thereof for us and now sitting at thy right hand a faithfull mediator for us and bearing the remembrance of us before thee he is truely God able to heare and help all them that call upon him faithfully and truly man who hath had experience and can be toucht with a sense of humane miseries for his sake heare us speaking the same things to thee here on earth which his own spirit helping our infirmities both dictateth to us from heaven and presenteth to thee for us in heaven Lord for his sake helpe us give us true and hearty repentance assure us of our sinnes remission and our discharge from the curse and rigor of the law
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
me an invincible faith in thee against which the gates of hell may never prevaile now speake peace and comfort to my poore soule Thou who powredst out thy soule to death for me receive my wearied spirit to eternall life let not this fearefull passage be too bitter to mee bee thou ever present with me in all my sufferings O holy Ghost the comforter of all the elect leave me not comfortlesse let me be gathered to my fathers in peace bring me to that life wherein thou hast promised to wipe away all teares from our eyes where shall bee no more death sorrow paine nor any bitter effects of sinne Lord heare me Lord who despisest not a broken and contrite heart have mercy upon me Lord receive my petitions and in the appointed houre come Lord Jesus my Saviour and Redeemer deliver me from this bondage of corruption O Lord consider and doe it Lord come quickly even so come LORD JESUS AMEN 1. TIM 1. 17 Now unto the king eternall imortall invisible the only wise God he honour and glory for ever and everâ— AMEN FINIS MARCH 23. 1649 In the perusing of this Treatise entituled a Guide to the Holy City I have found it every way so learned and judicious sound and solid pious and profitable that I approve it well worthy to be printed and published John Downame a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sap. Sol. c. 16. v. 20. b Febri fâ—â—um in palatio dicatum estâ— malae fortunae c. Plin. nat hist l. 2. c. 7. vid. Aug. de c. Dei l. 2. c. 14. Cic. de leg lib. 2. Quid mirum inquit Lactan. l. 1. c. 20 de Graeciâ 〈◊〉 hac geâ—e universa flagitia manarunt apud quam vitia ipsa religiosa sunt eaque non modo non vitantur vâ—rum 〈◊〉 coluntur c Bovem aut oâ—em qui sacrficando par non esset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril Alex. proëm com in â—oh d Exod. 35. 5 6. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spontancum cor ejus Ar. Montan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hutter e Quisquis hac legit ubi pariter â—â—rtus est pergat â—â—cum ubi pariter haesitat quarat â—â—cum ubi errorâ—m suum cognoscit redeat ad me ubi mâ—um revocet me ita ingrediamur simul charitatis viam c. August de Trin. l. 1. c. 3. f Non fratrum mâ—orum vocâ—ri Magister aut Doctor affecto quorum in veritate condiscipulus semper esse desiâ—ero quapropter hoc ab illo vero Domino ac Magistro nostro postulare non desino ut ea me sive per eloquia scripturarum c. docâ—re dignetur quae sic proponam sic asseram ut in propositionibus atquâ— assertionibus meis veritati quae nec fallit nec fallitur semper inhaeream c. Fulgent de praedest l. 1. g Act. 20. 32. h 2. Tim. 2 7. a Sicut omnis artis â—st aliquis â—inis 〈◊〉 est vitâ—e nostrae â—inis quidam propter quâ—m geruntur omnia quae geruntur in vita nostra vâ—l propter quem mundus ipse vel institutus est vel constat cujus finis etiam Apostolus meminit diâ—câ—s deinde finis c. Orig. in Ps. 38. ho 2. b Finis enim indicat perfectionem rerum ib in Rom. 1. l. 8. c. 10. In non valet in 〈◊〉 suum c nihilum valet quod d Finis eorum non â—st sinis Bernard sup Cant. Ser. 9. e Psal. 87. 37. f Math. 7. 13. g Latam non quaerimus nec inventione opus est sponte se oâ—â—ert errantium viaâ—st â—ngustam vero nec omnes invâ—ni unt nec qui invenirint statim ingreâ—iuntur per cam rapti seculi voluptatibus de medio in itinere revertuntur Hieronym in Mat. h Deut 29. 19 20. i Act. 14. 22. k Gen 25. 32. l Num. 32. 1 2 5. m Rev. 4. 11. R. 5. 13. n Psal. 16. 11. 17. 15. 1 Thes. 4. 17. 2 Cor. 5 6. 8. Phil. 1. 23. o Epicurus summum bonum in voluptate auimi â—sse censet Aristippus in volâ—ptate corporiâ— Peripateâ—ici autemin bonis animi corporis fortunae Hevilli summâ—m bonum est sciâ—â—â—ia Lactan. l. 3. c. 8. 9. p Genes 11. 4. q 1 Tim. 1. 5. r Gen. 4. 5. s Prov. 15. 8. Rom. 14. 2. t Jam. 2. 20. u Gen. 30. 1. w 2 Tim. 3. 15 Deut. 32. 47. x Unde abest scientia id totii possidet opinatio Scientia certi est opinatio incerti Lactan. l. 3. c. 3. Nec enim valet quicquam mortalis hominis auctoritas sed divinis c. ib l. 5. c. 20. y Cui falsum subesse non potest z Tit. 1. 2. a Cic. Tusâ— q. l. 1. b Rom. 1. 19. c Vitam colâ—nâ—ium Dâ—us proqualitate nominis sui formet quoniam religiosissimus cultus est imitatio Lact. l. 5. c. 10. Non profanus meliùs esset quaâ—â—ic religiosus quomodo Deum â—iolat qui hoc modo placatur Min. Foel Oct. d Heb. 11. 6. e Joh. 1. 11. f Hic nec videri potest visu clarior nec comprehendi tactu purior nec estimari sensibus major est insinitus immensus soli sibi tantus quantus est notus c ibid. Min. Fael Oct. g 2 Cor. 5. 7. h Joh. 20. 29. i Hebr. 11. 1. k Ephes. 2. 8. Sect. II. l Neque enim quis cogi potest sed invitatur quia non extorquatur sed suadetur Ambrosi in Rom. 4. m Ro. 10. 17. n Regula quidem fidei una omnino est sola immobilis Tertul de virg veland â— 1. o Rom. 8. 16. p Act. 16 14. q 1 Cor. 3. 5 6. r 1 Cor. 2. 14. animalem dicit naturalem c. Theophilact in 1 Cor. 2. s 2 Thes. 3. 2. t 〈◊〉 Ap. c. 24 u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Occumen w Act. 13. 48. x Eph. 1. 13. 14. y 2 Cor. 1. 22. Cor. 5. 5. Math. 6. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Theophilact ib. a Gall. 3. 11. b Heb. 11. 6. c Ro. 14. 23. d Joh. 3. 16. e Rom. 5. 1. f 1 Joh. 1. 7. Rom. 4. 5 6. g Rom. 8. 1. h Rom. 4. 24 25. i Act. 15. 9. k Mat. 16. 18. l Ephes. 6. 16. Rom. 4. 11. 17. 18. m Jam. 2. 23. n 2 Tim. 4. 6 7 8 18. 2 Tim. 1. 12. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cytil Catec 5. p Laudo fidem quae ante credit obsâ—rvandii esse quam didicit Tettul de coron mil. q Tertul. de bapt c. 20. r Hebr. 11. 9 10. 33 34. s Math. 21. 22. t 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen w 〈◊〉 3. 12. x 1 Pet. 1. 9. y Rom. 12. 3. Ephes. 4. 7. z Exod. 16. 18. 2 Cor. 8. 15. a Credo domine side sateor imbeciâ—li side tamen b 2 Cor. 12. 9. c Vincentes coronat retributione pietatis paternae