wilt come to be my Judge who hast already come to be my Saviour and I therefore pray thee to help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy most precious blood O Lord in thy Justice when thou shalt be most ready to condemn me remember the Mercy whereby thou didst come to save me and hear thine own precious blood crying out to thee for my salvation and hear not my grievous sins crying out against me for my condemnation for what wilt thou do with thy Mercy which moved thee to shed thy blood if thou wilt not forgive sinners what wilt thou do with the Merit of thy blood that hath been shed if thou wilt not save sinners O Lord I appeal unto this Mercy which hath promised forgiveness of sins and to this Merit which hath purchased salvation for sinners and in this Mercy and in this Merit I cannot but hope to stand in the Judgement 31. If the Lord himself had not been on my side now may my soul say if the Lord himself had not been on my side when the Devils and mine own conscience rose up against me they had swallowed me up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at me Yea the waters had drowned me and the stream had gone over my soul but praised be the Lord which hath not given me over for a prey unto their teeth My soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler the snare is broken and I am delivered My help standeth in the Name of the Lord which hath made heaven and earth and which hateth nothing that he hath made 32. O Lord Jesus Christ which upholdest all things in heaven and in earth make me evermore to put my whole trust in thee in the state of health and prosperity to trust in thee for preservation in the state of sickness and adversity to trust in thee for deliverance and relief in all states to trust in thee for grace and benediction That in the distresses of my body I may be comforted for the salvation of my soul in the distresses of my soul I may be comforted for the mercies of my Savioâ—… Let me submit my soul to thee in piety by doing righteously that thou mayest not punish me and having failed of that let me submit my soul to thee in patience by suffering contentedly when thou dost punish me for my sins Let me not despair of thy Mercy when I have most provoked thy Justice that thou mayst in Justice remember Mercy and in Mercy remember me Let me never say in my heart through impatience or infidelity There is no God Let me never wish in my heart through impenitency that there were none Let me not say in my heart â—…efore I sin There is no God least I sin with greediness Let me not wish in my heart there were no God after I have sinned lest I sin without Repentance But make me set thee alwaies before me both in thy Majesty as coming to Judge me that I sin not and in thy Mercy as willing to save me that I despair not when I have sinned And be thou alwaies with me by thy special grace that I perish not in my sins O thou which art the joy of Angels be also the joy of my sinful soul speak salvation to me who can speak nothing but damnation to my self Be unto my sinful soul sanctification from sin that thou mayest be to my sanctified soul salvation from death That I may at last stand with that great multitude who shall stand before thee cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands to cry with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever ever Amen 33. O Lord who art so merciful unto sinful man as to vouchsafe to be his Guide and Governor and so constant in thy Mercies as to guide and govern him all his life even unto death I beseech thee to be my Guide in this my greatest perplexity now that my body is as it were bitten with fiery Serpents and my soul dwelleth among Scorpions Now that torments and tumults are without me temptations and discontents are within me O be thou â—…igh at hand that none of all my outward â—…r inward vexations may either disturb my â—…fety or betray my innocency Let God â—…ise in my heart and let all his enemies â—…ere that is all my impatient thoughts 〈◊〉 scattered Like as smoke vanisheth so 〈◊〉 them vanish at the presence of God â—…nd my soul be joyful in the Lord it shall â—…ejoyce in his salvation 34. O God thy Charets are twenty thouâ—…nd even thousands of Angels O set â—…me of them compass me about as they â—…d thy servant Elisha whiles I am living â—…nd let others of them carry my soul into â—…brahams bosom when I shall die as they â—…d thy servant Lazarus That these thy â—…inistring spirits which are sent forth to â—…inister for them who shall be heirs of salâ—…tion may also minister for me thy most â—…worthy servant not only in my sickâ—…ss to succour and defend me but also in â—…y death to direct and convey my soul 〈◊〉 by thy appointment they have brought â—…e to those everlasting mansions where I â—…all together with them alwaies behold â—…e face of my Father which is in heaven â—…men 35. O Lord thou hast commanded me tâ—… break off my sins by repentance but I havâ—… broken off my soul from thee by sin anâ—… widened that breach by my impenitency Wherefore it is but just that I who have sâ—… often grieved thy Spirit should now at 〈◊〉 grieve mine own For I have often reâ—…turned to those sins which by mine owâ—… mouth had so terribly accused me and bâ—… mine own default so grievously woundeâ—… me But I beseech thee to fill my heaâ—… with Repentance which I have so ofteâ—… filled with sin and let me have that sorroâ—… here which may keep me from confusioâ—… hereafter For if thy servant Peter weâ—… three whole daies nay all his life long fâ—… denying thee thrice out of a sudden passâ—… on What tears what repentance is neeâ—… ful to the washing away of my sins whâ—… have so often denyed thee upon deliberâ—…tion If Mary Magdalen wept so griâ—…vously for seven Devils shall not I muâ—… rather for seventy seven more unclean spâ—…rits She was not then thy servant whâ—… she entertained those impure guests I haâ—… been a long time thy friend thy brotheâ—… thy son and yet have given these thiâ—… enemies my best entertainment She 〈◊〉 â—…ot in the Devils again after they had â—…een cast out but I have swept and garnishâ—…d the room for them make me therefore â—…ood Lord all my life long to wash thy â—…et with my tears that thou mayest wash â—…y soul with thy blood and so at last preâ—…nt it without spot and blemish before â—…he heavenly Father in thine eternal and everlasting Kingdom Amen 36. Lord let me often find the influence of thy grace in heavenly
thoughts that I may often feel the influence of thy mercy in heavenly joyes I have many sad and dismal sorrows from my self O give unto me true comfort in my Saviour let my trouble be in the day when thou wilt hear me and not in the day when thou wilt Judge me There is no trust but may deceive me save only my trust in thee there is nothing in which I may not miscarry but only thy Mercy O Lord let my trust be so in thee that though I have miscarried in all the desires and designs and delights of this world yet I may not miscarry in thy Mercy but may have the joyes and delights of the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 37. Be thou exalted Lord in thine owâ—… strength so will I sing and praise thâ—… power Thy strength is that whicâ—… strengthens souls and thou lovest to shew thy strength in our weakness Lord let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness so shall I most gladly rather glory then repine in my infirmities whiles the power of Christ doth-rest upon me and my soul doth rest upon thee and thy Mercies in Jesus Christ. 38. O Lord who forgivest the sins of the penitent and coverest those sins which thou forgivest I beseech thee to accept my repentance and to cover all those sins which I desire thee to forgive That I may have the blessing of him whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered For if my sins should be all discovered to my self they would fill me with fear if they should be discovered to others they would fill me with shame And how wilt thou discover them either to my fear or to my shame since thou canst not forgive them unless thou cover them O then be pleased so to cover my sins here as not to discover them again hereafter so to hide my transgressions in the day of thy Mercy as not to lay them open in the day of Wrath Or if thy Justice shall require that all my sins be revealed in the day of the revelation of thy righteous Judgement let the atonement also for my sins be then revealed which I have laboured to make and thou hast promised to accept through the Merits and satisfaction of thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 39. O thou who art gracious and righteous and in thy righteousness teachest the upright the way of innocency and by thy grace leadest sinners in the way of repentance Have mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant and grant that my great defects and wants of the first righteousness that of Innocency may be supplyed by the fulness of the second righteousness that of Faith and Repentance And make mine eyes look so diligently to thee that I may never again want care in looking to my self Order my steps in thy Word and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me Order my heart in thy Faith and so shall I have dominion over all my wickedness for though my fears shall force me to say O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet my Faith will be able to suppress that saying and suggest unto me this heavenly comfort and triumph I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 40. O Lord I am in the midst of many troubles and sorrows by reason of my sufferings and much more by reason of my sins but thou hast promised that the righteous shall rejoyce in the Lord and put his trust in him and all they that are true of heart shall be glad Psal. 64. 10. O then make me true of heart that I may trust in thee and be truly righteous And give unto me true righteousness that thou mayst give unto me true joy There is no true righteousness but the righteousness of thy Son There is no true joy but the joy of thy Spirit O thou Father of Mercy give unto me the righteousness of God the Son my Redeemer that thou mayst give me the joy of God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter to be with me and to remain in me for evermore 41. O Lord thou hast brought upon me so much misery that I cannot love my condition And I have so much sin that I cannot love my self Wherefore I beseech thee to fix my love wholly upon thee that my soul may thirst for thee and my flesh also may long after thee in this barren and dry Land where no water is either to cleanse or to refresh or to revive me That looking for thee in holiness I may behold thy power and glory For my soul cannot truly thirst for thee till my flesh also long after thee since whiles my flesh is in love with the profits and pleasures of this life my spirit cannot but lose the desire and neglect the pursuit of the life everlasting O Lord thou hast taken away from me most of the profits and all the pleasures of this life O take from me also the love of it That I may not fear to lose that life which I do not love nor love that life which I am sure to lose but let me so love thee as to live in thee that I may not fear the loss either of my life or of my love 42. O Lord I am assaulted by vexations without and by temptations within and to whom should I flie for succour but only to thee who art not so displeased for my sins but that thou wilt be appeased by my repentance O give unto me that repentance which thou wilt accept and take from me that displeasure which I so fear Thou canst defend me with thy favourable kindness as with a Shield O Lord I ask no other defence but only this defence of thy Mercy to defend me from my self and all my sinfulness to defend me from thy wrath and from all the punishments of my sins Though thou leave me destitute of all other defence yet let thy loving-kindness evermore defend me according to that eternal love wherewith thou hast loved me in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 43. O Lord thou hast hitherto guided me by thy counsel and thou wilt hereafter receive me with glory Therefore have I none in heaven but thee because none else can receive me with glory and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee because none else can guide me with true counsel O Lord pardon my strayings from thy directions as thou hast been my guide that thou mayst receive me into thine habitation and be my glory for Jesus sake Amen 44. O Lord make my soul willing to depart and go from hence because it here dwells among the enemies of my peace even among mine own sins and fears which disturb the peace of a good conscience here and threaten to destroy the peace of a blessed eternity hereafter Make me to long for that blessed minute which will restore to me perfect innocency and will transmit me into everlasting peace
distress say effatha to my heart that it may be opened to receive thee say effatha to the heavens that they may be opened to receive my soul yea say unto my soul thou art my salvation for thou only who art All-sufficient canst speak unto my soul and thou only who art All-merciful wilt speak comfort to it And though for my sins thou art justly displeased yet for thine own Mercies thou wilt not long continue in that displeasure for thou hast proclaimed thy self to be the Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Lord say unto me thy unworthy servant that my sins are forgiven me and that I may go hence in peace for my faith hath saved me even that faith whereby I wholly trust in the Merits and Mercies of thy eternal Son Jesus Christ. 66. Hear my prayer O Lord and consider my desire hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness sake and enter not into Judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And let not mine enemy persecute my soul and if it be thy will let not my disease smite my life down to the ground nor lay me in the darkness as men that have been long dead But if it be thy pleasure to torment and to destroy my body yet let not my spirit be vexed within me nor my heart within me be desolate But make me so remember the time and thy works past that I may be comforted in the time and thy works to come that stretching forth my hands and lifting up my heart unto thee I may lay hold on thee by a lively Faith Hope and Love and at last come to enjoy thee by a blessed vision comprehension and fruition And my soul gasping â—…nto thee as a thirsty Land may be satisfied with the dew of thy heavenly blessings for evermore 67. O Lord remember that I am the work of thy hands the image of thy counteâ—…ance the price of thy blood And have mercy on me as thy work as thy image and as thy purchase for the paternal bowels of God the Father that created me for the bleeding wounds of God the Son that redeemed me and for the unutterâ—…ble groans of God the Holy-Ghost that sanctifieth me O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord strengthen me in my sickness receive me at my death and acquit me in the Judgement Amen 68. Hear me O Lord and that soon for my spirit waxeth faint hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit O let me hear thy loving-kindness late in the evening of this life and betimes in the morning of Eternity for in thee is my trust shew thou me the way that leadeth in the truth and unto the life for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies both corporal and spiritual for I flie unto thee to hide me Let thy loving Spirit lead me forth out of this Land of unrighteousness and lead me into the Land of righteousness Quicken me O Lord for thy Name sake and then most when I shall be nearest death and for thy righteousness sake bring my soul out of all her troubles that I may give thanks unto thee with those blessed spirits which lived here in thy fear departed hence in thy favour and now are with thee in eternal joy and glory Psal. 143. v. 7 c. 69. Deal thou so with me O Lord God according to thy Name that in the greatest bitterness of my soul I may both see and confess that sweet is thy Mercy O deliver me for I am helpless and poor and my body is tormented without me and my heart is wounded within me Psal. 109. ver 22 23. but be thou ease to my body and joy to my heart in Jesus Christ. 70. O Lord I confess to thy glory and minâ—… own shame that when I call to mind the â—…oulness of mine own transgressions I am â—…shamed when I call to mind the exactâ—…ess and severity of thy Justice I am afraid â—…o lift up mine eyes to heaven or to look â—…owards the place where thine honour â—…welleth But O look thou down upon â—…e with the eye of pity and compassion â—…ho am altogether unworthy to look up â—…nto thee with the eye of hope and confiâ—…ence and relieve me in my sickness and â—…eceive me at my death for thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ. 71. I will alway give thanks unto the Lord â—…is praise shall ever be in my mouth yea my soul shall make her boast of the Lord â—…or I sought him and he heard me yea â—…e delivered me out of all my fear I had 〈◊〉 eye unto him and I was enlightened I â—…ave tasted and seen how gracious the â—…ord is blessed be my soul for trusting 〈◊〉 him and blessed be his grace for working 〈◊〉 my soul that trust to rely and depend â—…pon his Mercy for evermore Psal. â—…34 72. Lord touch my tongue with a coal from â—…hine Altar to take away the pollution of my lips and touch my heart with the immortal flames of thy love to take away the deadness and dulness of my thoughts that both tongue and heart being purged from the filthy dregs of flesh and sin I may in my greatest infirmities labour to praise thee according to the greatness of thy glories And because I cannot sufficiently praise thee whiles I am in this corrupted and corruptible body take my soul in thy due time away from hence that I may in thy heavenly Jerusalem sing unto thee acceptable and immortal praises for ever and ever Amen 73. Righteousness and equity O Lord are the habitation of thy seat O let righteousness and equity be fixed in my heart that thou mayest therein fix thy habitation Mercy and Truth shall go before thy face O let Mercy and Truth be alwaies in my soul Mercy to forgive Truth to be for given that when my soul shall go out of my body it may joyfully go before thy face and rejoyce in thy presence for ever more for blessed are the people O Lord that can rejoyce in thee they shall walk in the light of thy countenance Lord thou hast given me the first part of this blessing to rejoyce in thee here on earth O give me also the second part of it that when I shall go hence I may walk in the light of thy countenance hereafter in heaven Amen 74. Who am I O Lord God and what is this my house of clay that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken also of thy servant for a great while to come even for the daies of Eternity that thou wilt at last bring me to thy self For thy words sake and according to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to make thy servant know them and
take heed he forsake not thee Wonder not then if you find many of Samuels words that is much of the Churches dictates in these Devotions but know it is because God hath taught Samuel to pray that he might teach you And having taught you to pray by Samuels Devotions may perchance not hear your prayers eveâ—… as he accepted not Sauls offering out oâ—… Samuels Communion However you may certainly by this gleaning of some few grapes see what store of good wine was and is in thâ—… whole Vintage And I hope you will noâ—… have good wine only to see and to look upon but also to tast and to make good use of it Or confess it is your own wilfulness thaâ—… you I will not say your prayers are either Faint or Dry for not tasting it The sick mans confession of his sins I Confess unto thee O Lord God Almighty and most merciful Father that I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son nor to have any portion in thine inheritance because I have been hitherto so unthankful for thy Mercy so unreverent towards thy Majesty and so undutiful to thine Authority wherefore innumerable troubles are most justly come upon me and my sins have taken such hold of me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart hath failed me But O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me make hast O Lord to help me and comfort the soul of thy distressed servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul gasping for that Mercy and Forgiveness which thou hast promised to Repentant-sinners for the Merits of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of all men I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and wickedness which I from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against thy Divine Majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against me I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for these my mis-doings the remembrance of them is grievous unto me the burthen of them is intollerable Have Mercy upon me have Mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christs sake forgive me all that is past and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in the newness of my life or in the contentedness and patience of my death to the honour and glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Absolution or Remission of sins to be pronounced by himself alone when he cannot have the benefit of a Minister to absolve him HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins and absolve me from the guiltiness of all my transgressions according to the Promise of Mercy by thy Word the Purchase of Mercy by thy Son and the Pledges of Mercy by thy holy Spirit made and given to Repentant-sinners in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen Or this Almighty God our heavenly Father who of his great Mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him have Mercy upon me pardon and deliver me from all my sins confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Then likewise he shall say O Lord open my heart that thou mayest open my lips O Lord open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me That I may with a thankful heart and with a chearful voice sing and say unto thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy-Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Praise ye the Lord I praise the Lord. The sick mans Psalm Psal. 6. 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure 2. Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3. My soul is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me 4. Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy Mercies sake 5. For in death no man remembereth thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit 6. I am weary of my groaning every night wash I my bed and water my couch with my tears 7. My beauty is gone for very trouble and worn away because of all mine enemies 8. Away from me all ye that work vanity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9. The Lord hath heard my Petition the Lord will receive my Prayer 10. All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The sick mans first lesson Job 19. 25 c. I Know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me His first Canticle I praise thee O God I acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O praise our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard Which holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to slip I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips and spake with my mouth when I was in trouble O come hither and hearken all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I called unto him with my mouth and gave him praises with my tongue If I encline unto wickedness with my heart the Lord will not hear me But God hath heard me and considered the voice of my prayer Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his Mercy from me Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and loving-kindness Praise the Lord O my soul whiles I live will I praise the Lord yea as long as I have any being I will sing praises unto my God Lord make me so to praise thee here whiles it is my duty that I may exactly know how to praise thee hereafter when it shall be my reward For therefore with Angels and Arch-angels and with all the company of heaven do I now laud
Hand O Lord is not shortned that it cannot save and loose me from the burden of mine iniquity as it did her from the spirit of her Infirmity sweet Jesus lay thy mercifull hands on me that I may be Immediately made straite as she was and Glorifie God For this is a grievous and 〈◊〉 deadly burden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A grievous and yet withal A Fatal Burden A Burden that brings grief with it and Damnation after it such is the burden of any wilfull sin whatsoever till Faith and Repentance have unloaded the conscience Most divinely Saint Chrysostom If all my Righteousness be as Filthy rags Isa. 64. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what shall be said of my filthiness and of my unrighteousness Surely if my best righteousness hath the aspersion of sin then are my sins most exeeeding sinfull But we all generally herein are like the Pharisees ready to bind Heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on other mens shoulders Mat. 23. 4. whereas this is a burden that we should â—…her lay every man on his own Heart The evil of our neighbours Heart we cannot know and yet are very desirous to know it though that knowledge tend directly to our damnation either for our malice or our Curiosity The evil of our own hearts we can know yet care not to know it though this knowledge immediately conduce to our salvation either by our Humility or by our Repentance For that man is worse then Simon Magus who is in the very gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and yet scorns to say to the Successors of the Apostles Pray ye unto the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Acts 8. 23 24. For whatsoever God hath spoken in his word against impenitent sinners he cannot but fear will come upon him and it is just he should know it will so that he may not still continue in his Impenitency Sin doth at first grieve the God without us maker of Heaven and Earth but at last it will grieve the God within us our own Consciences It is at first Vastans Conscientiam to waste thy Conscience that from a little conscience thou maist have no conscience It will be at last Aggravans Conscientiam to burden thy Conscience that from no Conscience thou maist come to all Conscience It is best then for the sinner to be his own â—…ndemner that he may not be his own executioner For it is a sign he is in Bethesda in the house of Grace if he find his Conscience like those waters Troubled within him For being Impotent by reason of his sins whether Blind or halt or withered whether Blind in his Understanding or halt in his Affections or withered in his Actions He cannot be healod till He step into the Troubled waters which though they are the worst to let him see his Face for all will appear in broken lineaments yet are they the best to help him heal his soul Be not afraid then to step one step further into these waters as long as it is a good Spirit from God that troubles them The Disciples being in a storm and seeing Jesus walking on the Sea and drawing nigh unto the ship were afraid till they heard and knew his voice then they willingly received him into the ship and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went So when thy soul is in a Tempest though Jesus himself be coming nigh thou wilt be afraid but when he is fully come thou wilt most willingly receive him and immediately upon his reception Thou wilt be at the Haven of a Blessed Rest for himself will say unto thee Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me John 14. 1. A true Believer should not be troubled for by his faith he is more then Conqueror And yet he is often troubled for by reason of his weakness and of his unworthiness he doth sometimes not perceive the conquest of his Faith His own Conscience so convincing him that he cannot but be much troubled at the conviction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle There is a twofold Redargution or Conviction The one proceeding from the Confutation of the Cause the other from the Confutation of the Person The Cause is often overthrown when yet the Person still retains his former confidence The Arguments of men may Confute and yet not Convince they may convince and yet not Extort the acknowledgement oâ—… a Conviction But the Argumentts of the Conscience are truly and fully Convictive because they are truly and fully Demonstrative And that in such a kind of Demonstration of which the Philosophers words are most really verified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demonstration is not to confute the man in his Person for he may be Contumacious and Refractory but to confute him in his Reason and in his Judgement Such is this Demonstration of Conscience It seizeth on the inward man If that plead the Cause if that Dispute and make an instance against the Respondent no sophistry no elusion no evasion will serve his turn but his heart is troubled his countenance dejected and his tongue silenced so that he can say nothing in excuse much less in justification of himself but is forced to flie to his Saviours Al-sufficient Merits and Al-saving mercies and it is a happy violence that so forceth him saying with the blind man in the Gospel Jesus thou son of David have mercy on me And though many charge him that he should hold his peace even very many sins and unworthinesses yet he cries the more a great deal Thou son of David have mercy on me till Jesus stand still and command him to be called and say unto him What wilt thou that I should do unto thee Then will his Answer be Lord that I might receive my sight not so much to see mine own sins as thy mercies thine infinite thine undeserved mercies Thus I would receive my sight to see the light of thy countenance and I shall be whole This was that admirable prayer in the Greek Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord appease and allay those invisible tumults of mine own breast which so much disquiet and torment my soul Other enimies may be resisted and haply vanquished but this internal enemy is altogether inexpugnable and alwaies gets the victory over us Appease these invisible wars we are much frighted with visible wars but the invisible are infinitely more terrible for these will frighten even the Souldiers themselves who make it their Work no less then their Profession to disturb and frighten others And they are called invisible wars not only because they alone can see them who feel them but also because they are the most fatal and dangerous even as an enemy is most dangerous when he is least seen most to be feared when he is least to be discovered Conscience doth then war most dangerously when most privately most unsuspectedly and
doth then most hurt thee when it doth least wound thee when it wilâ—… not strike till it be too late for thee to ward the blow For then Sin lyeth at the door Gen. 4. 7. Robets it layeth down oâ—… coucheth like some wild beast at the mouth of his Cave as if he were asleep buâ—… indeed watcheth and waketh and is ready to flie at all that come neer it So is sin in 〈◊〉 mans Conscience Couchant rather then Dormant it sleeps Dogs sleep that it may take the sinner at the greater advantage and flie the more furiously in his face Conscientia dormit respectu motionis non observationis Conscience may seem to sleep wheâ—… indeed it doth not for when it sleeps it is only iâ—… regard of motion not in regard of observation When it doth least check thee it doth mosâ—… observe thee It spares thee a while to torment thee for ever It spares thee here to torment thee hereafter A most cruel mercy to observe the sin and let alone the sinner To Register the wicked deed but not to Reprove him that did it And this is all the mercy that a seared a benummed Conscience doth afford when it doth most befriend us It will not cut that it may kill It will not convince that it may confound It will not accuse that it may condemn Wherefore I will awaken my Conscience to Arraign me here that it awaken not it self to Condemn me hereafter for that must that will prevail at length and that with such an evidence to which I shall not be able to plead not Guilty and much less to withstand the Guilt It will come upon me as Poverty upon Solomons sluggard like an Armed man not only as a Valiant man with power to overcome me but also as an Armed man with frights and terrors to over-aw me David a man of war who said he would not fear though an Host encamped against him nay encompassed him round about Psal. 27. 3. 3. 6. yet durst not look one sin in the face but when Nathan had said unto him Thou art the man and his own conscience had attested the saying he presently gives over the thought of Denyal or Tergiversation and much more the spirit of contradiction and Prostrates himself before the mercy seat not being able to stand in the Judgement and cryeth out I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 13. He had sinned once by commiting his sin and durst not sin again by lessening it He neither desired to extenuate the guilt of Sin in himself nor to aggravate it in another and they generally go both together no man being so ready to accuse and condemn his Brother as he that is resolved to Acquit and Justifie himself Spiritual Pride causeth thee to think thy brother the greater sinner but indeed it makes thee so But consider awhile proud Justitiarie is it not practical Blasphemy in the highest degree for thee to set and settle thy self in Christs Judgement Seat and there to become a Judge of souls He that said Judge not that ye be not Judged hath in effect told thee that if thou dost Lord it in his Tribunal here thou shalt tremble and quake before it hereafter The Joints oâ—… thy knees with Belshazzars shall then be as loose as is now thy tongue The words oâ—… the Psalmist are much to be observed Psal. 109. 30. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul. Christ will leave his Throne at the right hand of God rather then fail to stand at the right hand of the poor and what poor they are he takes such a care of Himself hath told us Mat. 5. 3. The poor in Spirit The Kingdom of heaven is most theirs who least assume it to themselves Who think they are not worthy of a being upon earth they shall be surest of a being in heaven they think themselves not worthy to kneel upon the earth because it is the footstool of the most high God much less worthy to look up to heaven because it is his Throne but he thinks them most worthy to be Translated from the earth and to be admitted into heaven saying For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven These are the poor that our Saviour Christ doth alwaies stand by and indeed they alone do constantly stand by him though others pretend more to be his servants And why doth he alwaies stand by them or as the Text speaks at their right hand even to save them from those that condemn their fouls or as it is in the Hebrew to save from the Judges of his soul or to save his soul from Judges To save him from the Judges of his soul for though they condemn him yet he will acquit and save him or to save his soul from Judges That is as our other Translation reads this verse To save his soul from unrighteous Judges For no Judge can bâ—… so unrighteous as he that Judges anotheâ—… mans soul For his Judgement proceedâ—… not out of inclination to Justice but meerly out of pride or malice so that it isâ—… perverse Judgement It proceeds not froâ—… a lawful Authority but from Self-wiâ—… and Presumption so that it is an usurpeâ—… Judgement And it proceeds not according to the Rules of Prudence and Discretion but of folly and madness so that it iâ—… a foolish and rash Judgement Christ iâ—… the only Over-seer and Bishop of oâ—… souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. Do not presume to goâ—… visitation in thy Saviours Diocess Judgâ—… no mans soul but thine own So shalt thoâ—… not be Judged of the Lord for two Reasons For not Judging others and foâ—… Judging thyself Here at home thou maiâ—… rightly Judge and as rightly condemn nay if thou dost but Judge thou must condemn it being all one for a sinner tâ—… Judge his own soul and to condemn it And the more he Judges the more he coâ—…demns Like Ezekiels Vision chap. 8â—… The more he looks the worse he likes vâ—… But Turn thou yet again and thou shalt sâ—… Greater Abominations and v. 13 Isâ—… again the same so is it in the Vision of ouâ—… own sinful souls This must still be the Epiphonema the Burden the concluding sentence Hast thou seen This O son of man Turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater Abominations Though thou hast already seen most wondrous strange horrid sins such whose very thought must needs affright the soul and therefore whose guilt must needs oppress it yet thou must still look to see Greater Abominations when thou hast seen all manner of wickedness in thine heart and sins there as Firebrands of hell for Torment but as the stars of heaven for multitude some of the greater some of the lesser magnitude but yet altogether Innumerable and every one too too Great when thou hast seen all this and imagined more then thou canst see yet this saying must be the conclusion of all Hast thou seen this O son of man Turn
yet t was not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. And yet for that very cause alone I must needs confess that those are thrice happy who have so far been assisted by Gods grace that they can not Pharisaically but Truly say this for though it was his meer mercy to give the grace yet it is in some sort his Justice both to continue and to regard his own gift So saith Saint Paul God is not unrighteous or unjust to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name Heb. 6. 10. where this is in effect his argument He that desists from a just work justly begun is unjust But God is not unjust therefore he will not desist from those good works he hath begun in you so far as not to perfect them and much less so far as not to reward them But I am contented to pretend to no such happiness This is the immortal comfort of the Righteous Let my soul look after the comforts of the sinner wherein I am not like to have the less remedy because I am sure to have the more company I will say then He is to be my Judge whose Majesty I have contemned whose mercy I have neglected whose glory I have hindered whose goodness I have denyed whose presence I have shunned But withall he is to be my Judge for those sins for which I have already Judged and Condemned my self and will he for these Judge and condemn me the second time This is scarce agreeable with his Justice much less is it agreeable with his mercy For the Apostle saith If we would Judge our selves we should not be Judged 1 Cor. 11. 31. I ask how should we not be Judged not temporally that were not to be loved For whom he loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12. 6. And Saint Peter saith That Judgement must begin at the House of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. and sure we are that his love begins there and comes down to particular men but as they are parts of his Family or Houshold we must therefore say That if we would Judge our selves we should not be Judged Eternally For most universally true is that Rule of the Civil Law Favores sunt Ampliandi all matters of Favour are to be enlarged Gods mercies if they could be with Restriction they could scarce be without Repentance and what a cruel mercy were this not to Judge Temporally that he might Judge Eternally I say then I have Judged my self for all my sins and therefore believe that I shall not be Judged of the Lord that is not so Judged as to be condemned in the Judgement For sin as it must be Judged so it can be Judged but once If I have Judged my self for it I shall not be Judged of the Lord I shall then be enabled to pray in Faith unto my Saviour Enter not into Judgement with thy servant Psal. 143. 2. And I am sure that praying thus in Faith I shall find him my Advocate and not my Judge Why should I then be dismayed for fear of that Judgement wherein he is to be the Judge who at first suffered for me as my Surety that he might satisfie his Fathers Justice and my debts Hath ever since prayed for me as my Intercessor and will at last Plead for me as my Advocate SECT V. Comforts against Judgement from the manner of the Judges proceeding THere is none that is guilty but the Law will none that is innocent but the Judge may condemn him what then can be the comfort of a Malefactor but that he shall have his Tryal by a favourable Law and by a more favourable Judge And this is my comfort against the Judgement to come That my Judge will proceed to a favourable Trial with me because according to that Law which will not easily condemn me and with that mind which will readily acquit me For I have confessed my sins and therefore may not doubt but that He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness 1 John 1. 9. He is faithful to forgive my sins because himself hath promised forgiveness He is just to forgive my sins because his Son hath purchased forgiveness And how shall he then not cleanse me from all unrighteousness by his Holy Spirit and seal unto me the assurance of that forgiveness And if I be cleansed from all unrighteousness why should I not be rid of all my fears How can I look upon him as an angry Judge when I have found him a most merciful Father If God will not withdraw his Anger the proud helpers do stoop under him Job 9. 13. That is the Angels saith Jarhci that are the Helpers of Egypt for he there takes Rahab for Egypt as indeed it may signifie which we interpret Proud And proves out of Dan. 10. 13. That particular Nations have particular Angels as it were their Patrons in heaven ready to intercede on their behalf Some late Divines have unadvisedly enlarged those Patrons finding out amongst men some tutelarie Saints which having righteousness over and above to serve their own turn are able to spare enough to help others Hence that strange kind of Invocation O Thomas Didyme succurre nobis miseris ne damnemur cum impiis in adventu Judicis O good Saint Thomas help us that we be not condemned in the last Judgement when alas the Saints will have enough to do to help themselves and the best of them all may say to his Petitioner If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee 2 King 6. 27. But be it so that there may be Phansied such lofty and puissant Helpers for they can never be Proved yet sure we are that if God withdraw not his anger even those Helpers must stoop under him as it is said Job 4. 18. Behold he put no trust in his servants that is his Saints his best servants for the Text makes it an universal Negative admitting of no exception and we may not doubt it concerning any man when we cannot deny it concerning any Angel as it follows And his Angels he charged with folly Therefore if these mighty Helpers cannot in this day of anger help themselves much less can they help me If God withdraw not his anger they must stoop and if they must stoop all that lean and rely upon them must needs fall I will then look after such an Helper as may be able to stand himself and to support me for else it cannot be worth my while and much less worth my Devotion to pray to him for help and truly I can find none but the Eternal Son of God who is able to withdraw the anger of his Father because he was able to satisfie his Justice and yet having him my Helper it will not be safe for me to argue and dispute but only to pray and deprecate as it follows v. 15. Whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but
Covetous or Drunkards or Revilers or Extortioners or guilty of any other kind of unrighteousness like to these but my belief is That I having repented of my unrighteousness and forsaken it shall no longer be accounted as unrighteous For so it follows such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God In that it is said ye were such before ye were washed and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God it is evident that after your Justification and Sanctification you are not such Be it then taken for granted which cannot be denyed for truth himself hath said it That every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account thereof at the day of Judgement Mat. 12. 36. yet sure not if they have given an account of it already or rather Christ hath given an account for them in that they have by a lively faith embraced his All-sufficient satisfaction and by an earnest Repentance are admitted to it and instated in it Their sins shall be laid open before the face of men and Angels as Davids or as Saint Peters to the glory of Gods Justice in acquitting them not as Sauls or Judas's to the glory of Gods Justice in condemning them If it shall be Recorded for it is a Problem of Divinity that the Text hath not so positively determined but that learned men think they may abound in their own sense concerning it I say if it shall be Recorded how David and Saint Peter sinned it shall also be Recorded how they repented If it shall be declared thâ—…t Demas did forsake Saint Paul having loved this present world 2 Tim. 4. 10. it shall also be declared that the same Demas did afterwards repent and turn back again to Saint Paul whiles he was still a Prisoner of Jesus Christ and then became his fellow-labourer Epist. to Philemon v. 24. For without doubt as much as they shall be terrified at the sight of their sins so much they shall be comforted at the sight of their faith and repentance In Christo simul summum Gaudium summa Tristitia saith Gabr. in 3. sent dist 15. In Christ there was the greatest Joy and the greatest Sadness at the same time though not in the same respect his Joy was from his union with God his Sadness was from his union with man and the imputation of our sins And possibly think some it may be so with the best Christians in that great and dreadful day when their bodies shall be re-united with their souls and all their sins represented whether of Body or of Soul They may have the greatest sorrow say they in regard of themselves and of their own sins and yet have the greatest Joy in regard of their Saviour and of his free-grace Saint Paul prayeth for Onesiphorus That he may find mercy of the Lord in that day 2 Tim. 1. 18. Therefore it is probable he shall need mercy in that day though he shall not need so much as he shall find And Saint Peter speaks of blotting out sins in the times of Refreshing and Restitution of all things Acts 3. 19 21. that is at Christs second coming for till then there will not be a restitution of all things And this consideration though it is not cause enough why the living should pray for the dead and yet without doubt it is one of the best causes that can be alledged yet sure it is cause more then enough why the living should pray for themselves even after their Justification and still say Forgive us our trespasses For it seems there is some kind of forgiveness at least a general Absolution reserved until the day of Judgement What is it then will there be the same terrour to the just and to the unjust No doubtless And this may appear from the very Titles which are given by Saint Paul to the day of Judgement Rom. 2. 5. And they are three A day of Wrath A day of Revelation and A day of Righteous Judgement The day of Righteous Judgement doth equally concern all sinners whether they have been Penitent or Impenitent but the day of Wrath concerns only the Impenitent sinners and the day of Revelation doth likewise chiefly if not only concern them I say the day of wrath concerns only the Impenitent sinners such as after their hardness and impenitent hearts have treasured up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath But to those that have faithfully and penitently served God for true Faith never yet went without Repentance it will be a day of Exultation and Redemption he hath called it so that hath made it so Luke 21. 27 28. Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory sc. to Judge the world But what then must ye therefore that have been his Disciples and Followers be terrified as if he were coming to take Vengeance of you No you must then look up and lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh This same day that is to them a day of Vengeance and a day of Wrath is to you a day of Redemption to lift up your heads and much more a day of Exulcation to lift up your hearts And so also the day of Revelation doth chiefly if not only concern those who are concerned in the day of wrath for as for the Believers and the Penitent if there shall be any Revelation of their sins for some do doubt it it shall be so in order to Gods Justice as not to their punishment For the Text plainly saith of them I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more Jer. 31. 34. And so again All his transgressions that he hath committed shall not be mentioned unto him whatever shall be done concerning the Revelation of his sins shall be done only that Gods Justice may be cleared in his Absolution not that his soul may be terrified by the Representation What then though I shall see with Ezekiel a hand sent unto me with a Roul a dismal Roul written within and without full of all the sins that ever I committed in Thought Word and Deed as long as I shall not see written therein Lamentations and Mourning and Wo unto the sinner For Christ Jesus that came into this world to save sinners will assuredly in the next world compleat that salvation I will then willingly say with Saint Paul Quorum primus Ego Of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. Or with the antient Missal Dominica secunda post Epiph. feria quarta Quorum primus Ego Ego sum Of whom I I am chief The earnestness of my Repentance shall bring me to an often Repetition of my sins I will rather add to their number in my confession of them then diminish from it I will rather say That I am a double sinner then that I am no sinner
yet I may with humility and I hope not without some truth impute the amendment of many of them to mine own sufferings The ground hath been tilled and the tree hath been pruned And why should not this tilling and pruning yield the peaceâ—…le fruit of righteousness unto me that have been exercised thereby I have been â—…ng and often ploughed as it were â—…nd broken up and harrowed by the hand of God and why should I not be somewhat amended and improved by his good husbandry I have been long and often â—…ned as it were in my flesh by his â—…harp knife cutting off my superfluities 〈◊〉 make me the less sinful and the more â—…ruitful And why should I not bring â—…rth good fruits in due season even tâ—… peaceable fruits of righteousness or the fruits of righteousness which bring forth peace the peace of a good conscience here and of a blessed Eternity hereafter Therefore earnestly desiring to walk in this righteousness I will hope to lay me down in this peace And at the end of my wearisom Pilgrimage to take my rest in the arms of Gods Eternal mercy though now I groan under the hand of his Justice For so laying me down to sleep none shall ever be able to take either me from his arms or my rest from me Amen The sick mans Ejaculations To the Reader THese Ejaculations are Eighty in number and they are like mans years in Moses time when they come to that same number full of labour and sorrow though this latter age of the world will not let it self tarry so long for labour nor others tarry so long for sorrow And they are therefore called Ejaculations because they are as it were so many dartings of the soul upon some reflexion or thought either of mans misery or of Gods mercy sent up towards Heaven All aiming at one mark though from several occasions and after several waies That is at the rest of the soul in God Nor may you here look for curious method but for Religious matter sometimes you will find the sick mans soul troubled for fear of death sometimes almost inflamed with the desire of it sometimes bemoaning the disturbance of his body sometimes fearing the distemper of his soul sometimes affrighted with the thought of Judgement sometimes rejoycing against it If you find any thing to comfort you in your extremity thank not me for speaking to my self but thank God for speaking to your soul And be not troubled that your Passions like these Ejaculations are not orderly so as they be Religious Trouble and sorrow cannot look after Order but they must look after Religion And a sick mans expressions are not so much beholding to his head to make them Methodical and Eloquent as to his 〈◊〉 to make them affectionate and devout And God grant your sickness may make yours so Ejaculations 1. GRant Lord that I may be dead unto sin before I am dead unto the world that being planted together in the likeness of thy Sons death I may be also in the likeness of his Resurrection That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so I walking in newness of life may have a comfortable death here and a glorious Resurrection hereafter 2. Destroy in me O God the body of sin before thou destroy in me the body of flesh that I may be justified from my sins whiles I live and freed from my sins when I shall be dead Make me to lie down in comfort because by my death I shall wholly die unto my sins Make me to rest in hope because by my Resurrection I shall wholly live unto my God 3. Make me to look upon my sickness my tedious and terrible sickness as upon thy Visitation that I may bear it patiently Make me look upon my death as upon my Release that I may take it comfortably 4. O thou who wouldst be crucified before thou wouldst be glorified and didst suffer pain to enter into Joy make me submit to thy Cross that thou mayest prepare me for thy Crown Make me contentedly to suffer with thee in this world that I may triumphantly reign with thee in the world to come 5. O Lord I have Judged my self let me not be Judged of thee so as to be condemned for it is agreeable with thy Mercy to save the sinner though thou destroy the sin And it is agreeable with thy Justice not to punish that sin in me which thou hast already punished in my blessed Redeemer 6. O Lord thou didst make thy beloved Son perfect with sufferings and I cannot hope thou wilt let thy unworthy servant be perfected without them O then let not my sufferings betray the imperfections of my flesh but conduce to the perfections of my spirit and make me ever willing to suffer since thou canst and wilt make me perfect by suffering 7. O thou God of peace that broughtest again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Make me perfect in every good work to do and suffer thy will working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight and working for me that which is profitable for my salvation through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13. 20 21. 8. O blessed Jesu the chief Corner-stone on which alone is laid for us the foundation of a blessed Eternity the Rock upon which thy Church is built and all our souls relie Be merciful unto me and give ear unto my prayers and to my sighs and groans when I cannot pray Be unto me a fountain of comfort whensoever my heart is in heaviness and my body is in pain that my soul may have continual health and joy and rest in Thee and in thy Merits and Mercies for evermore 9. Lord make me desire the dissolution of my earthly house of this Tabernacle that I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for I know that whiles I am at home in the body I am absent from the Lord Make me therefore willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with thee my God for in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore And make me labour that whether absent or present I may be accepted of thee through the righteousness of thy dearest Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen 10. Give unto me true sorrow for my sins that thou mayest give me true comfort in my sorrows Grant I may have peace in thee whiles I have tribulation in the world and make me be of good chear in all my tribulations for thou hast overcome the world and wilt not let the world overcome me 11. O Lord Jesus Christ who hast overcome the sharpness of death opened the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers Make me â—…ot to fear death since thou hast made that â—…n Inlet into thy
heavenly Kingdom My-sins had shut the gate of Paradise against my soul but thy Merits have opened it again O let me earnestly desire to enter in for thou art gone thither before â—…e that thou mightest be there ready to receive me and retain me with thy self for evermore Amen 12. Lord when shall this corruptible put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality that in me may be brought to pass that saying Death is swallowed up in Victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death was sin till sin was expiated The strength of sin was the Law till the Law was fulfilled But thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ both over my sins and over his Law in this great contestation Having imputed my transgressions unto my Saviour that my sin might be expiated and having imputed my Saviours righteousness and obedience unto me that his Law might be fulfilled Therefore being justified by faith I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also I have access by faith into his grace and rejoyce in hope that I shall at last have access into his glory 13. O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life be unto me Life in Death be unto me Resurrection from the Dead and so guide me through Death that it may be my passage into everlasting Life there to see and to bless and to enjoy thee who art the Redeemer and lover of souls and livest and reignest the King of Saints with the Co-eternal Spirit in the glory of God the Father 14. My soul truly waiteth still upon God and still shall wait upon him for of him cometh my help He verily is my strength and my salvation even in weakness and in destruction He is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall And if through mine infirmity I do fall by his power I shall rise again and be able to stand fast being supported through the Merits and Mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 15. O Lord see the blood of thine immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world sprinkled on my soul that thou mayest see no sin in it And when thou seest that blood let the destroying Angel pass over me never to return again and let the Comforter come unto me and remain with me for ever 16. O dearest Advocate be pleased to intercede and plead for me and to answer all the accusations which the Devils will alledge and mine own conscience will witness against me in the day of Judgement That I being made the monument of thy Mercy who am the purchase of thy Blood may bless and praise thee among thy Redeemed in the Land of the living for ever and ever 17. O thou Eternal Son of Righteousness who risest with healing in thy wings heal thou me and I shall be perfectly healed Shew me the light of thy countenance to dispell all the mists and clouds which now threaten to bring darkness upon my soul Turn thy merciful eyes towards me that I may see thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom where no tears shall dim my sight no sighing shall interrupt my speech no fears shall disquiet my heart and no sadness nor amazement shall disturb or discompose the blessed rest of my soul with thee the longing desires of my soul to thee and the infinite delights of my soul in thee and in thine All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies for evermore 18. O Saviour of the world save me who by thy Cross and precious blood hast Redeemed me Help me O my God at all times but most especially at this time now I am least able to help my self or my friends to help me Intercede for me by thy precious death and passion in all my distresses but then most when I shall least be able to speak for my self at the hour of Death and in the day of Judgement Be now and then and ever my defence and make me know and feel that there is no other name under heaven given unto men in whom and through whom I may expect health and salvation but only thy Name O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 19. O Lord God which art the giver of all good things and never repentest of the good gifts which thou hast given give unto me health and ease as long as they shall be blessings from thee and give me thy grace to desire them no longer And when thou most takest from me these or any other comforts of this mortal life then Lord most increase and multiply upon me the joyes and comforts of a blessed Immortality 20. Lord I am desirous to go out of my self and out of this vale of misery that I may come unto Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant O thou who hast prepared these immortal joyes for my soul prepare my soul for these joyes that being made a Citizen of thy heavenly Jerusalem I may be able to joyn in consort with the Angels thy first-born there and with the spirits of just men made perfect since them who now both together make but one Quire and are alwaies singing Hallelujah and worshiping him that liveth for ever and ever 21. O blessed Jesus thou only comfort of miserable and distressed sinners consider my distress Look upon mine adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin O thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and man intermediate for me Let the unspotted righteousness of thy life be an acceptable sacrifice for the multiplyed unrighteousness of mine And let the bitter pangs of thy death keep from me all the bitterness of the temporal and much more the pangs and horrours of the eternal Death Thou didst taste the gall and vinegar when thou gavest up the Ghost therefore I beseech thee keep me from tasting it Thou didst seem to be forsaken of thy God O let not me bâ—… forsaken of thee But grant that I putting my whole trust and confidence in thy Merits and in thy Mercies â—…ay from henceforth most chearfully serve thee in all holiness and pureness of living and most faithfully persist in thy service by a resolved constancy contentedness and patience of dying That I may yet more and more know thee and the power of thy Resurrection and the fellowship of thy sufferings being made conformable to thy death that so I may attain to a joyful Resurrection of the dead to give praise and thanks unto thy holy Name world without end 22. O thou Eternal Son of God who didst take upon thee the nature of man that thou mightest lead a miserable life and undergo a shameful death I beseech thee sweeten unto me
all those present miseries of my life which thou hast already sanctified in that thou hast born them and all those possible horrours of my death which thou hast already conquered in that they durst assail thee to bear them That I who of my self am in death even in the midst of life may through thee my blessed Saviour find life in the midst of death and glory after it to glorifie thee who art the Lord of death and the Giver of life Amen 23. O holy Jesus thou only Redeemer of souls who by ' thy death hast overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life I most humbly beseech thee that as by thy special grace preventing me thou dost put into my mind good desires of departing hence and of being with thee so by thy continual help I may bring the same to good effect and at last joyfully depart in thy peace for that mine eyes have seen thy salvation my heart hath believed it and my soul goeth hence to enjoy it and with it thee my blessed Redeemer who with the eternal Spirit art most high in the glory of the Father one God everlasting Amen 24. O thou who layedst down thy life for my Redemption make me ready to lay down my life at thy command Teach me more and more to despise the Treasures and the Pleasures of this world which have in them a double vanity that they are transitory that they are not satisfactory As they cannot give me true content whiles I possess them because they are not satisfactory so let them not create in me any discontent when I must have them because they are but transitory O make me lay up for my self a stock of Treasure and of Pleasure in heaven by 〈◊〉 true and lively faith working zealously â—…or thee relying wholly on thee and â—…onging earnestly after thee for ever 25. Lord where is my Treasure but only in him that bought me who is my everlasting Portion that only God could give me and men cannot take from me And where should my heart be but where my Treasure is even in heaven and heavenly things I will therefore from henceforth live by the faith of the Son of God who died for me and gave himself for me And living by that faith though I may dwell on earth yet I shall live in heaven nay in the uppermost part of heaven even at the right hand of God there will I live alwaies with thee O my blessed Redeemer adoring thy Excellency reverencing thy Majesty loving thine Authority enamoured with thy Perfections and joyfully depending on thy Mercy That though my continuance be still with men yet my conversation may be with thee my God and Saviour by love earnestly longing for thee by hope wholly trusting on thee by desires stedfastly cleaving to thee and by delight alwaies rejoycing in thee So shall my soul when it departs out of this earthly Tabernacle be received into thine everlasting habitations there to bless and enjoy thee who with the Father and the Holy-Ghost livest and reignest one God world without end Amen 26. O Lord who hast called to thee all those that travel and are heavy laden and hast promised to give them rest have mercy upon me thy distressed servant who now am in a restless condition what ease and repose thou denyest unto my body I beseech thee give unto my soul that though my flesh doth not enjoy the sweet and comfortable rest of sleep yet my spirit may enjoy that everlasting rest and repose which is alwaies to be found in thee O grant that a promise being left me of entering into thy rest I may not come short of it through my unbelief but that by going out of my self and living in thee I may forthwith enter into that internal rest which is to be enjoyed here in the presence of thy grace and may continue and abide therein till I shall come to that eternal rest which is not to be expected till hereafter nor to be enjoyed but only in the presence of thy glory 27. O Lord God the God of my salvation teach me to cry day and night before thee that so thou mayest still save me and let my prayer enter in whither I am not worthy to enter even into thy presence Incline thine ear unto my calling since thou hast inclined my heart to call upon thee for my soul is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh unto hell But draw thou nigh unto my soul I shall be delivered from all my troubles and though thou hast put my lovers my friends away from me and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight yet let me ever see the light of thy countenance and I shall not be troubled for not seeing them and make me rejoyce in thine everlasting love and I shall find no want of my other friends lovers 28. O Lord I cannot deny but that having been at enmity with thee I deserve to be cloathed with shame and covered with mine own confusion as with a Cloak But O cloath me with thy Sons righteousness and therewith cover my shame and my confusion I am unworthy in my self to pray for mercy for Judas-like I have betrayed my Saviour O make me worthy in his blood not only to pray for it but also to obtain it 29. O Lord my foot hath often slipped but thy mercy hath hitherto held me up that I have not fallen into the pit of destruction Let thy Mercy O Lord still hold me up and in the multitude of sorrows that I have or shall have in my heart by reason of my sins let thy comforts evermore refresh my soul For thou makest me find trouble and heaviness that I may call upon thy Name and I do call upon thy Name that thou mayest deliver my soul O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling that I may walk before thee in the Land of the living That I may walk carefully and conscionably before thee because thou seest all things That I may walk reverently before thee because thou rulest all things That I may walk thankfully before thee because thou givest all things That I may walk comfortably before thee because thou savest all things and wilt in mercy save me O let me so walk before thee here in this world as one that hath a hope to live with thee hereafter in the world to come Let my soul awake from the sleep of sin to give glory to thee because I trust that when I shall awake from the sleep of death I shall receive glory from thee 30. O thou worthy Judge-Eternal I tremble at the very thought of thy Judgement and how then shall I tremble at the sight of my Judge For mine own mouth doth most grievously accuse me and mine own heart doth most impartially condemn me and mine own conscience cannot but set its seal to the justness of my condemnation But I believe that thou
no profit but I beseech thee cause me to know thy hand and thy might and take not away thy peace from me even loving-kindness and Mercies Jer. 16. v. 19 21 5. 54. O Lord the Hope of Israel let no distress whatsoever make me forsake that blessed Hope which thou hast given me for all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living waters O Lord I have often forsaken thee by my sins yet let me not be ashamed because I return again to thee by my Repentance O Lord I have often departed from thee by my transgressions yet let me not be written in the earth because I now at last thirst for thee the Fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved so shalt thou be my praise now and for evermore Jer. 17. 13 14. 55. O Lord my soul is heavy and my body is sick unto the death But do thou bring me health and cure and reveal unto me abundance of peace and truth cleanse me from all mine iniquities whereby I have sinned against thee cause my captivity to return and have mercy upon me according to thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ Jer. 33. 6 8 26. 56. O Lord thou hast added grief to my sorrow for I have fainted in my sighing and I find no rest yet dost thou forbid me to add sorrow to my own grief and to say wo is me now because that which thou hast built thou hast broken down and that which thou hadst planted thou hast plucked up even this whole Land Therefore thou forbiddest me to seek great things for my self for behold thou hast brought evil upon all flesh and how shouldst thou not bring evil upon my flesh which is the most sinful of all O then suffer me not to be a seeker of mine own discontents rather then of thy redresses whiles I look after great and good things in such miserable and wretched times but make me thankful that thou hast hitherto given me my life as a prey unto me in all places whether I have gone that remembering what thou hast given me I may not repine for what others have taken from me assuring my self that there is yet another life to come which thou wilt give me not as a prey that I should fear losing it but as an inheritance that I should long to possess it in thee and with thee for ever Amen Jer. 45. 3 4 5. 57. O Lord bring my soul out of this prison of the flesh and the shackles of sin and misery that I may wholly and entirely give thanks unto thy holy Name for all thy Mercy and great Deliverances and most especially for this the greatest of all That thou wilt deliver me from my self from the burden of mine own flesh from the bondage of mine own corruption from the thraledom of mine own body And wilt set me at liberty that I may do nothing else but serve thee whose service is perfect freedom and whose wages are life and light and joy in beholding thy presence for evermore for I earnestly desire only those Mercies wherein thou dost infinitely delight who lovest to shew Mercy to penitent sinners in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 58. O Lord pour not out thine indignation upon me blow not against me in the fire of thy wrath but deliver me from this brutish and burning disease or if thou wilt in thy Justice make my body as fewel for the fire yet in mercy deliver my soul from the everlasting burnings Ezek. 23. 31 32. 59. Grant Lord that I being risen with Christ may seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God that I may henceforth set mine affection on things above not on things in earth alwaies remembering that I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God and alwaies rejoycing that when Christ who is my life shall appear then shall I also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. 60. Lord make my tongue sing of thy praises whiles I have breath and when I shall be breathless make my heart bear two parts to fill up that blessed Harmony that my soul may praise thee whiles it is in the state of union with my natural body and much more when it shall be in the state of separation from it and shall be joyned in consort with the holy Angels and with the beatified spirits And most of all when it shall be in the state of re-union again with that same body being made spiritual That I being at last all spirit both in soul and body neither my heart may be wearied in thinking nor my tongue in speaking thy praises to all eternity Amen 61. I will thank thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will praise thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the neathermost hell and wilt receive my soul into the highest heavens there to give thee thanks and praises for evermore 62. All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. Lord grant I may so wait that I may receive my wages and that my change may come seasonably speedily and happily A seasonable change not to find me unprepared for it A speedy change to deliver me from the pains of sickness and from the pangs of death And a happy change to let me in to the fruition of thy glory and eternal life Amen 63. By thine unknown sufferings O my blessed Redeemer intercede for me in all my pains and sufferings that I may find Mercy and obtain Relief And make me alwaies remember and confess that my sins are far above my sufferings so shall I suffer patiently and that thy Mercy is far above my sins so shall I suffer comfortably and hope for a joyful end of all my sufferings 64. Lord grant that my conversation may from henceforth be in heaven that my soul may be prepared to go thither and know how to busie it self there that I may with joy look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ from thence who shall change my vile body that it may be like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3. 2. O Lord work that blessed change in my soul to subdue all its carnal affections by a heavenly conversation before thou workest that miserable change in my body to subdue its natural constitution by an unnatural destruction And according to that mighty working whereby thou art able even to subdue all things unto thy self in the first place subdue all my sinfulness 65. Lord speak the word only and thy servant shall be whole speak the word of comfort in my distress and the greatest comfort in my greatest
Where it is evident that if Man were put in one Scale and Vanity in the other Man would be found lighter then Vanity it self O my God weigh not my best Righteousness in the Ballance of thy Sanctuary without putting my Saviours merits into the Scale For if I be lighter then Vanity How can I hold weight with a blessed Eternity The Jews observe that the Father spake one thing concerning mankinde which he left to his Son to explain after him and that was this Psal. 144. 4. Man is like to Vanity for he tells us not to what Vanity whether the greater or the lesser but his Son comes after and explains him saying that he is like to that Vanity which is most Vain of all others Similis Vanitati Vanissimae like to that Vanity which is Vanity of Vanities Again the Son spake one thing of man-kinde which is best explained by the Father to wit that of Eccles. 6. 12. All the daies of his Vain life which he spendeth as a shadow For he telleth not what shadow but here the Father explaineth the Son saying A shadow that passeth away Psal. 144. 4. His daies are as a shadow that passeth away Both Father and Son agree in this that man is Vanity in the highest degree so that no words are able sufficiently to express it and no Heart able sufficiently to conceive it He lives in the shadow of Life and that shadow of Life is quickly and easily changed into the Darkness of Death In the midst of Life he is in Death and had need take care lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell In the midst of Life he is in Death through the Vanity of his Condition and had need be the more carefull lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell through the Vanity of his Affections and of his Actions For it is a most terrible expostulation which remains upon the File against all men whatsoever whiles they shall remain in their own Vanities Jer. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity and are become Vain This walking after Vanity as it is the great Sin so it should be the great Vexation of our souls not only that it makes us become vain but also that it casteth an Aspersion of Iniquity upon our God according as Saint Basil hath spoken most divinely in his Sermon concerning the love of God and our Neighbour The Devil will at the last day object it as matter of Reproach against our Lord and Saviour that we have Despised and Disobeyed him and will very much Boast that he neither created us nor dyed for us and yet that we have been his diligent followers in the breach and contempt of Gods Commandments And this Reproach saith he against my Lord is more dreadful to me then the Torments of hell that I should give the enemy of the Lord occasion to Blaspheme him who Dyed for my sins and rose again to make me Righteous SECT IV. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of this knowledge of Mortality IT neerly concerns man to know Vanity That he may know himself and much more that he may desire to know his Saviour And therefore it is no wonder that this knowledge is invested with very great Difficulty For our Mortal having put on Sin cares not to put off it self David had been long pursued and was like to be cut off every moment by his rebell Subject and ungracious Son before he learned this Prayer Lord let me know mine end And though when he heard of Absoloms death he said Would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my son my son yet he did not thereby so truly shew a desire of his own Death as a Horror for his sons Damnation He knew that a wilful Rebel dying in his Rebellion was not to be punished only with one death but was to undergo a second death The like is to be said of dying in any other wilful sin whatsoever unrepented And therefore it is not possible for any man to desire God to part his Soul from his Body that he may Die till he hath parted Sin from his soul that he may not be afraid of the second death for he cannot but say Leave not my soul destitute or naked and bare Psal. 141. 8. But let it still be clothed with my Flesh and its Insirmity till thou shalt be pleased to cloath it with my Saviour and his Righteousness For better is it for me to Live in misery then to dye in it Better for me to live in the Infirmities of my Body then to dye in the Iniquities of my Soul Hence proceeds the great Difficulty of learning this lesson because our own fear makes us unwilling to learn it But this same knowledge as it is opposed by great Difficulty so it is extorted by a far greater necessity for our Mortal must put off both its sin and itself nay must therefore put off its self that it may put off its sin Excellently Theodoret and most like a Christian Divine in his Questions upon Genesis saith God would not suffer Adam to eat of the tree of life after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit that he might not suffer sin to be Eternal Therefore death is to us a Remedy not a Punishment it is a Medicine to cure us of our sins rather then a Judgement to corment us for them Our Flesh is not so neer our Body as our Sin is neer our Flesh and therefore God hath in mercy appointed us to put off our Flesh that with it we might put off our Sin Thus is it most necessary for us to know our Mortality That we may know an end of our sin and misery and this knowledge as it hath a great necessity so it hath yet a greater excellency For he that knows truly how to put off himself cannot but also know how to put on his Saviour And sure there can be no knowledge of like necessity with this and much less of like excelleny with it yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of thâ—… Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord saith Saint Paul Phil. 3. 8. And let my souâ—… say so too For all other knowledge iâ—… excellent either from the Object or from the Subject but this only is excellent from the term or end of it one knowledge is more excellent then another either for the exactness and perspicuity of the Demonstration saith Aust. 1. de An. c. 1. or for the height and sublimity of the notion either for the certainty of the Subject or for the excellency of the Object In the knowledge of earthly things the science hath its excellency from the Perspicuity of the Demonstration In the knowledge of Heavenly things thâ—… science hath its excellence from the Sublimity of the Notion Thus far Aristotle could go but no further That somâ—… sciences were more excellent ratione
truth Jam. 1. 18. And if God be Our Father by Spiritual Generation then are we also his sons by Adoption and can rightly and truly say Our Father and all the Petitions after it without giving the Lie to our own Consciences Whereas a man that is in the state of sin cannot truly say any one Petition of the Lords most Holy Prayer He cannot say Our Father for he will not be the son of God He cannot say Hallowed be thy name for he delights to profane it He cannot say Thy Kingdom come for he fears nothing more then its coming He cannot say Thy Will be done for he resolves against the doing it Wherefore if you ask me how shall sinners not yet converted say to God Our Father I Answer if they truly desire to be converted and to become his children they may say so as the Prodigal son resolving to arise and go to his Father though he were not yet come unto him had a right of calling him Father Luke 15. 18. For an unfained desire of conversion shews a true convert God accepting the will for the deed As working in us to will no less then to do of his own good pleasure And the best man that is will meet with inextricable Difficulties if he Ground the Truth of his conversion upon the Ability of his Performance and not upon the sinceritity of his desire Saint Bernard tells of a very Religious Monk who undertaking to say his Pater Noster without the least A vocation or A version of his thoughts from God which another professed that he could not obtain to do by all the fasting and prayer that he had used for many years convinced and condemned himself by his own mouth before he had gone over half the petitions interposing such an Impertinency in his prayer as plainly shewed that his mind was on earth whiles his tongue was in heaven I conclude then that only those sinners among the sons of men have no right to their Pater Noster but do hypocritically and falsly say the Lords prayer who neither are nor desire to be the children of God who so are sinners as that they also are in the state of sin and desire to continue in that state For how can that man have a right to pray who before he praies hath set his heart against his God and whiles he is praying doth set his own tongue against his heart SECT II. Weighing of our sins EVery man shall bear his own burden saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 5. And it will conâ—…ern every wise man to see he hath no greater burden then he is able to bear Of all burdens none is so heavy as sin â—…or other burdens can only press down to â—…earth but this presseth also down to hell Therefore above all other burdens it is a â—…oint of wisdom to be rid of this burden of â—…in But how shall we rid our selves of it Who will take it from us who will bear it â—…or us The Psalmist hath told us Psal. 55. â—…2 saying Cast thy burden upon the Lord â—…nd he shall sustain thee If it be thy wiâ—…est course to cast upon him the burden of â—…hy Body then much more the burden of â—…hy soul Say then to him as Hezekiah did O Lord I am oppressed Undertake for me Isa. 38. 14. Thou didst bear the heavy â—…urden of thy Cross that thou mightest â—…ear the far heavier burden of my sins This is the burden that most oppresseth me this is the burden that I most earnestâ—…y beseech thee to undertake for me and to take from me thou didst admit of one to help thee bear the burden of thy Cross but of none to help thee bear the burden of my sins Therefore I can flee to none for helâ—… but to thee alone Thou only wert able toâ—… satisfie the Justice of an angry God and 〈◊〉 beseech thee to make me a joyfull Partakeâ—… of that blessed Satisfaction One Angeâ—… was enough to strengthen thee to beaâ—… the burden of the sins of the whole worldâ—… But all the Angels in Heaven are noâ—… enough to strengthen me to bear the burden only of mine own sins therefore I sleeâ—… unto thee to undertake for me Be thou myâ—… Pledge my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pawn Lift for Life soul for soul in my stead That 〈◊〉 who have forfeited both life and soul iâ—… my self may Recover them both in my Pledge in my Undertaker But I may not hope to be so easily rid of my heavy burden by desiring to lay it upon another shoulders unless I first lay it on mine owâ—… Heart For if my Saviour were so exceeding sorrowfull for my sins it is greaâ—… reason I should be sorrowfull for mine own Sins which alone caused his greateâ—… Sorrow And How can I be sorry for my Sins till I know the burden of them How can I know their burden till I have weighed Them in the ballance of the Sanctuary There I shall find that sin is directly opposite to the Goodness of God and therefore must needs be as odious to Him as His own Goodness is amiable to Himself There I shall find that the wilfull Sinner is a Rebell against the King of Heaven doth despise the Golden scepter of his mercy and would put him down from the Throne of his Majesty There I shall find that every Sin Unrepented separates from God Isa. 59. 2. Your Iniquities have separated betwixt you and your God Grieves his Holy Spirit excludes and expels Grace from the soul nay excludes and expels the soul from it self bringing Darkness on the Understanding Perversness on the Will Forgetfulness on the Memory Debility and weakness on the Power of Action So that by Sin the soul is neither rightly Intellective nor Retentive nor Affective nor Active Most ingeniously the Casuist Dicat Saluberrimum Peccavi cujus Singulae literae indices illi esse possunt miseriae in qua constituitur Let the Sinner frequently and Heartily cry Peccavi the several Letters of which word will put him in mind of His several losses and miseries by His sins as for example P Praemiis omnium meritorum privatus e Egestate oppressus c Coecitate mentis percussus c Charitate divina spoliatus 〈◊〉 a Amaritudine repletus v Viam perdiâ—…tionis ingressus i Iram Dei meritus 〈◊〉 Reginaldus de Prudentia in Confessarioâ—… cap. 5. Innumerable are the miseries oâ—… the impenitent sinner yet reducible All tâ—… these seven Heads 1. That he loseth thâ—… benefit of his former righteousness 2. Thaâ—… he is oppressed with many wants anâ—… above All with the want of Repentance 3. That he is smitten with blindness in hiâ—… Understanding 4. That he is out oâ—… Gods Favour 5. That He is full of bitterness 6. That he is in the way of Peâ—…dition 7. That he is under the wrath oâ—… God And the word Peccavi in Latineâ—… will put Him in mind of All these 〈◊〉 and as it will shew him His Disease soâ—… will also Help
him to his Cure For Hâ—… that truly crieth Peccavi doth truly feâ—… the burden of his sin and thereby hath aâ—… interest in that gracious invitation anâ—… more gracious Promise made by our bleâ—… sed Saviour Mat. 11. 28. Come untâ—… me all ye that labour and are Heavy-laden there 's the Gracious Invitation and I wiâ—… give you Rest. There 's the more graciouâ—… Promise Wherefore let me ever bâ—… sure cordially to say Peccavi I have sinned and let me conceive this to be the meaning of my saying I have sinned not only ignorantly or negligently out of common Infirmity but also Impudently against knowledge Presumptuously against conscience Unthankfully against the means of Grace Scandalously against the Power of Grace There have been in my sins the Three great Aggravations of sin Contempt Ingratitude and Scandal I have sinned with greater Contempt because God hath revealed himself farther to me then to Others With greater Unthankfulness because God hath given me greater light and strength of Grace to resist Sin then he hath given unto others And with greater Scandal because I have given occasion unto others of inceasing the number and burden of their sins For though it is a great Impudence to commit Sin yet is it a far greater impudence to Conceal or to deny it By committing sin I do grievously offend but by concealing Sin I do shamefully or rather shamelesly Affront my Maker In committing sin there is a fowl disagreement of mans heart from the Law of God but in out-facing it there is yet farther a more horrid disagreement of mans Tongue from his own Heart O how Great How Grievous is this Schism this Division when a man is divided both from his God and from Himself from his God by Apostacy from Himself by Hypocrisie Not to do what is bidden him that 's his Apostacie To deny what he hath done that 's his Hypocrisie We read in Jeremy the Prophet of a People in whose skirts was found the blood of the souls of the Poor Innocents and yet they boasted of their own Innocency But shame was the end of their boasting for so it follows Behold I will plead with thee bècause thou saist I have not sinned Jer. 2. 34 35. Here were some far from God by committing sin but further by denying it contrariwise Luke 18. 13. we have gone far indeed from God by sin but neer him by repentance Far from God by committing sin but neer him by confessing it He stands afar off whiles he saith God be mercifull to me a sinner but by so saying he presently gets neerer He would not lift up his eyes but he did lift up hiâ—… heart to Heaven O the modesty of a true Penitent who takes the ready course to be Acquitted and yet acquitâ—… every one besides himself He dares noâ—… harden his Forehead for fear that should harden his Heart And though he hath made his soul odious in the sight of God by sin yet he will not make his sin more odious in the sight of God by his Impenitence For what shall we say of that wicked woman in the Proverbs who committeth her wickedness in secret and when she cometh forth wipeâ—…eth her mouth and saith all is well Prov. 30. 20. What shall we say of her We must needs say that by wiping her mouth she defiled it For had she come into Gods presence with a Penitent heart and an humble confession though her sin had â—…tuck upon her lips it had not stuck upon â—…er Soul But now wiping her mouth â—…nd saying all is well she hath multiplied â—…er sin and increased her wretchedness â—…or whereas before with Unchaste Magdalen she had seven Devils now she â—…ath eight and the last Devil is worse then â—…l the rest A dumb Devil that Seals up â—…er lips and permits her not to cry out to â—…e Son of God for mercy so that in â—…ch a wretch The end is far worse then â—…e beginning The beginning is sin but â—…e end is worse then sin Can there be â—…y thing worse then sin which is directly opposite to Gods own Goodness Yes there can there is Impenitency in sin iâ—… worse then sin For whereas sin opposeth the Goodness of God Impenitency defyeth it By committing sin I do displease my maker but by defending it 〈◊〉 shall despise him Wherefore I will abhor my self in dust and ashes not seek tâ—… cloke or disguise my wickedness but acknowledge and confess it saying Peccavi I have sinned I have sinned Impudently Presumptously Unthankfully Scandalously but God forbid I should sin Impenitently This is the fittest Arraignmenâ—… of a sinner at the Bar of Gods justice wherein there needs no witness to accuâ—… him no judge to condemn him Hâ—… own conscience is a thousand witnesseâ—… and himself his own judge to pronounâ—… the Sentence of Condemnation So it wâ—… with Job saying I have sinned whâ—… shall I do unto Thee O thou preserver 〈◊〉 Men Job 7. 20. As if he had said theâ—… needs no evidence but mine own for 〈◊〉 Conviction Peccavi I have sinned I aâ—… fully convinced of my sins and theâ—… needs nothing to my Confusion but 〈◊〉 Conviction what shall I do unto thee thou Preserver of men q. d. I am noâ—… at my wits end at the end of my wits though at the beginning of my Trouble I have hitherto done I know not what and now I know not what to do I have heretofore troubled my conscience and now my conscience troubles me Because I have sinned against my Maker and my Preserver against him in whom I live and move and have my being I have sinned against thee O thou Preserver of men and what shall I do since by my sins I have put my self out of thy Protection and Preservation What shall I do but confefs my Sin with as much sorow as I committed it with Delight For I am under a grievous guilt a heavy load an Unsupportable burden and give God thanks for placing me in a Church which hath taught me thus to confess my Sins the remembrance of them is grievous unto us the burden of them is intolerable and thus to pray for deliverance and redress Receive and comfort us who are grieved and wearied with the burden of our sins much like that Prayer of the greek Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Lord raise me up and make me right and straite by the hand of thy saving Help and Mercy who am now bowed and pressed down to Earth I had almost said to Hell with the grievous and deadly burden of my sins Thou didst lay thy hands upon the woman that had a spirit of Infirmity 18. years and was bowed so together that she could in no wise lift up her self and immediately she was made straite and glorified God Luke 13. 11 12. The burden of Iniquity hath been more years upon me then the burden of Infirmity had been upon her and hath not only Bowed but also Thrown me down and still keeps me under Thy
of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. and by cleansing and purging my will and affections for true faith is in the will no less then in the understanding from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. For Impiety doth directly dispose the soul to Infidelity And they that are men of corrupt minds though of never so clear Judgements are also reprobate concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. The Union of the soul with Christ by hope is expressed and withal required Isa. 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace Heb. Peace Peace the peace of a Good Conscience here of a blessed eternity hereafter whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee v. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength God takes it for an honour to be trusted he that most trusts him most honours him and he that least honours him least trusts him Offer the sacrifices of Righteousness and put your trust in the Lord Psal. 4. 5. He that offers not the sacrifice cannot have the trust For he that doth not think it sit to honour him cannot think it safe to trust him therefore let my hope in Christ be such as becometh a Christian and much more such as becometh Christ such as becometh a Christian not provoking him whiles I trust him much more such as becomethChrist trusting him with what he cares to be trusted that is my soul and for what is worth his trust that is my Salvation The Union or Conjunction of the soul with Christ by Charity is expressed and in that required 1 John 4. 16. And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth 〈◊〉 love dwelleth in God and God in him here we must observe that the soul is uniâ—…ed unto Christ not by every kind of love â—…ut by a Right a Great a Firm love a right â—…ove which loves him before all things for 〈◊〉 loves him upon this ground because he â—…oved us first We have known and believed â—…he love which God hath to us A great love which loves him above all things so that â—…he soul wills not for it self but for God â—…ares not to know any thing but by him â—…or desire any thing but for him nor do â—…ny thing but with him nay yet more â—…ares not to live or move or have any being â—…ut in him and to him alone He that truâ—…y Loves dwells not where he lives â—…ut where he Loves He dwelleth in Love Thirdly and lastly a Firm Love which loves God beyond all things by a â—…ove that hath an everlasting continuance 〈◊〉 love not capable of being corrupted and therefore not of being interrupted For where the love of God is without corruption as in Heaven it is also without Interruption where it is a pure love there it is also an Everlasting Love A love so desiring an Union as to be fully resolved against a separation He that dwells in Gods love will not endure the thought oâ—… being put out of his dwelling And He thaâ—… dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God iâ—… him Excellent is the Rule of the Casuistâ—… Spiritale bonum divinum consistere in Amicitia inter Deum Hominem ac per hoc iâ—… consentire conversari convivere colloqâ—… cum Deo Cajetane in summula verbâ—… Acedia The Spiritual good of man oâ—… the blessing of the Soul consists in this thâ—… a man hath friendship with God and consequently that he lives for him to him witâ—… him in him Lives for him by consent tâ—… him by conversation with him by cohabitation in him by contentation And this iâ—… the friendship that the good Christian hath with Christ whiles he converseth with him or rather is united to him by Faith Hope and Charity For according to Aristotles rule 8. Eth. c. 5. there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There may be Good will in those that live far asunder but Friendship only in those that live together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An habitual not an Actual Friendship And he proves it by this Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the neglect oâ—… want of Friendly salutes and compellations hath dissolved many mens Friendships So is it also in this Spiritual Friendship he that will have Christ for his friend must be sure constantly to live with him wholly to rely on him and daily to call upon him for want of friendly compellations hath made many lose his friendship first falling into a strangeness then into a sullenness and at last into a plain dislike and discontent with their Devotions which makes them not care to have their conversation where they do not expect to have their contentment Wherefore above all things O my soul never let go the exercise of thy Faith Hope and Charity that thou maist never let go thy Saviour Thy faith will best exercise it self about his bitter passion thou wilt see him in the garden sweating blood Thou wilt see him on the Cross dropping blood with his feet nailed fast to stay for thee with his hands stretched out to embrace thee with his Head bowed down to hear thee with his side ready open to receive thee This will be the best exercise of thy faith that God having already punished thy sins in his own beloved Son will not in mercy cannot in justice punish them again in thee his most unworthy servant Hence will thy heart be filled with compassion for his sufferings and much more with compunction for thy sins Hence will thy mouth be filled with Thanksgivings to him for suffering and thy whole Life with a blessed conformity to his sufferings Knowing it is a faithfull saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. Thy hope will best exercise it self about his powerfull Resurrection Thou wilt there see a great Earthquake and a great Man-quake Thou wilâ—… there see a great Earth-quake which opened the Graves so that many of the bodiâ—… of the Saints which slept arose Mat. 27. 53â—… And That Earthquake will much more open thy Heart to let into it thâ—… Blessed Hope that is full of Immortality no less full of comfort the hope of a glorious Resurrection of thy body to the lifâ—… everlasting Thou wilt there also see a greaâ—… Manquake the keepers of the sepulchreâ—… the Roman Souldiers trembling and shaking for fear of the Angel though pooâ—… mercenary Souls they were soon afteâ—… bought out of their Fright and as sooâ—… bought out of their Faith A little paâ—… more then ordinary made them forgâ—…â—…eir Fright and forgo their Faith It madâ—… them turn Preachers though it kept them â—…rom turning Christians but their Doâ—…trine was accordingly fit for Mammons Chaplains fit for money Preachers It was â—…he denying of Christs resurrection
eternal weight of Glory Our Afflictions can work for us when â—…e cannot work for our selves our â—…ufferings can do more then our Doings We dare not say that our Actions shall â—…ut we dare and must say that our Afflictions shall work for us that exceeding and â—…ternal weight of glory This is indeed a very great comfort to the Afflicted that Affliction is a necessary condition of their own Salvation And yet there is another comfort not far short of this in the Doctrine of Piety but before it if possible in â—…he Practice of Charity That our Affliction is the ordinary usuall means of others Salvation for sure this must needs be a very great comfort to every good Christian that God should make him the happy â—…nstrument of bringing others unto Christ Saint Paul was so zealous of his brethrens Salvation that he could have wished himâ—…elf accursed to have procured their eternal Blessedness Rom. 9. 3. And Dives was so careful of his brethren that he desired Abraham to send one to them from the dead to testifie unto them lest they also come saith he into this place of torment Luke 16. 28. If you cannot arrivâ—… to that pitch of charity which Saint Paâ—… brought with him from the third Heavenâ—… yet you may be ashamed not to have thaâ—… Charity which Dives had with him wheâ—… he was in hell That Charity was so great as to make him look upon the Salvation oâ—… his Brethren as the Alleviation of his owâ—… eternal Torment How much more wiâ—… it make thee look upon it as the Alleviation of thy Temporal Affliction Saint Paâ—… tells the Colossians He did rejoyce in his sufferings for them Col. 1. 24. How were his sufferings for them unless it were to confirm their Faith and if his sufferings did confirm their Faith how could he eveâ—… sufficiently rejoyce in them according as hâ—… saith Who now rejoyce in my sufferings he would not stay so long for his Joy as tiâ—… his pain and sorrow was past nor did thinâ—… it enough to rejoyce after his sufferings buâ—… also in them who now rejoyce in my sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostom citing this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gen. If he rejoyced in his Afflictions when couâ—… he be sorrowful Let us accordingly examine the reasons of his Joy for this Doctrine is so much against flesh and blood that if we can not prove it to be rational we shall scarce admit it to be Religious The reasons of his joy were three for Christs sake for his own sake and for â—…heir sakes 1. For Christs sake because â—…hey were the afflictions of Christ not in â—…is own Person for of those afflictions it â—…s said Isa. 63. 3. I have trodden the wineâ—…ress alone and there was none with me but â—…n his members not in his naturall but in his mysticall body 2. For his own sake because there was a want and imperfection and a kind of emptiness in him till he did â—…uffer therefore he saith And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in â—…y flesh That is yet empty which must be filled up that is yet wanting which is beâ—…ind 3. For their sakes therefore he saith â—…y sufferings for you and for his bodies â—…ake which is the Church His sufferings did conduce to their salvation not by way of merit or satisfaction as if he had meant â—…o jussell Christ from his cross but by way of example or imitation because he was so well contented to be crucified with him and for him This example of piety and patiâ—…nce and perseverance was so much for â—…heir Edification that he saith it was for â—…hem accordingly as he saith again 2 Tim. 2. 10. Therefore I endure all thinâ—… for the Elects sake that they may also obtaâ—… the salvation which is in Christ Jesus wiâ—… eternal Glory O the admirable priviledgâ—… of a sanctified soul to pay a Debt of sâ—… upon the score of Grace Suffering is 〈◊〉 Debt that I owe for my sin and blessed be the mercy of Heaven which accept of a Temporal in exchange for an eternâ—… suffering but if I suffer so patiently sâ—… contentedly so thankfully as that I beneâ—… others by my example Then do I pay thâ—… Debt of sin upon the account of Graceâ—… Then do I endure chastisement for otheâ—… sakes as well as for mine own I endure 〈◊〉 things for the Elects sakes that they may 〈◊〉 so obtain the salvation which is in Chriâ—… Jesus as if he had said That they seeiâ—… me possess my soul in patience may alâ—… learn to possess theirs so too for the saâ—… Christ who is All-sufficient to me in mâ—… sufferings will be as All-sufficient to theâ—… in theirs Though the merit of my sufferings cannot advantage them for the saâ—…vation is in and of Christ Jesus not in aâ—… of his servants but onely for them yet tâ—… example of my sufferings may advantagâ—… them my sufferings can do them littâ—… good but I that suffer may do them mucâ—… good And indeed we cannot doubt and therefore may not deny but that God â—…oth oftentimes visit his choisest servants with the sharpest afflictions both in health â—…nd sickness meerly for others sakes that â—…hose whom before they had examples of â—…iety they should now have examples of â—…atience that those who had followed Christ so far as they had most benefited others by their doings for he went about doing all manner of good might also follow him a little further even to his Cross and most benefit others by their sufferings A thing in it self very desirable to attain and therefore very comfortable when attained For any man may in some sort advantage his Brother by his doings but onely the good Christian by his sufferings the doer may be the saviour of the body but it is â—…hiefly the sufferer that is the saviour of â—…he soul God having appointed three wayes for man to benefit his neighbour By speaking by doing and by sufferâ—…ng but as speaking is out-vied by doing so doing is out-passed by suffering If thy affliction divert not thee out of the right way it may be a means to convert another to it Justin Martyr confesseth that the constancy of the Christiaus in their sufferings was the chiefest motive that converted him to Christianity Apol. ad Senaâ—… Rom. saying to this effect I my self saith he was once a Platonist and did gladly heaâ—… the Christians reviled but when I saw they feared not death nor any of those miserieâ—… which most frighten all other men I begaâ—… to consider with my self that it was impossible for such men to be lovers of pleasure more then lovers of piety and that made 〈◊〉 first think of turning Christian. O what an immortall comfort will it be unto thy soul to be a means of converting or confirming others by thy sufferings when thou canst no longer by thy speaking nor by thy doing for so shalt thou savâ—… two souls together thine own and
he hath said it who is able to make good his word Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Tell me if there be any Relations nearer and dearer theâ—… these and tell me whether these can be so comfortable in Earth as they are in Heaven What loss is it then to me though Death take from me All while it gives me him who is All in All The Spirit of God saith unto every faithful soul Psalm 4. 5. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Non est ergo magnum â—…tu obliviscaris dimittas Populum tuum Domum Patris Tui ut te totum ejus servitio submittas Quoniam ipse dimisit Coelum se totum dedit ut tibi serviret saith Hugo He requires no great thing of thee To forgo thy Fathers house on Earth for his sake who did forgo his Fathers house in heaven for thy sake He was thy Lord and yet did that to serve thee Thou art his servant and wilt thou stick at doing this to serve him But you will say Herein consists my greatest perplexity For I know that I must go to him as my Lord to Judge me but I do not know how I can stand in that Judgement that so I may find him my Father to receive me and my God to save me But for this I refer you to another Chapter as being a Piece of Divinity that most concerneth another world CHAP. III. The Comforts of the Soul against Iudgement SECT I. The terrours of the last Judgement THere is a time for a Minister to be a Boanerges a Son oâ—… Thunder to proclaim Godâ—… final Judgement against Impenitent sinners that he may bring them to an earnest Repentance foâ—… that Impenitency is the high-way to damnation But there is also a time for him to be a Barnabas a Son of Consolation tâ—… proclaim Gods mercies to the Penitent that he may bring them to a lively faith for that true faith is the high-way to salvation Galatinus reports That the Jews did use to give a strong intoxicating wine to those that were condemned to die that by disturbing their judgements they might have the less terrible apprehensions of their approaching Death wresting that Text of Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts A miserable way of Comforting was this to take away the pain by taking away the sense and the understanding To quiet the conscience by drowning it Had it not been more mercy in the Jews to have given the guilty a bitter potion to awaken his conscience then a pleasing potion to benum and to besot it For it is good the soul should weep with Mary John 20. 11. when she cannot readily find out Christ because it is sure the weeping soul can never lose him Wherefore it will be requisite that I first set before your eyes the terrours of the last Judgement that you may see your sins and then the comforts against those terrours that you may see your Saviour As concerning the terrours of the last Judgement they are set down in few words but many Frights 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day Observe the terrible manner of this Grand-Assizes The Judge shall visibly come down from heaven and bring his Posse Comitatus with him even his mighty Angels to execute his final Sentence which shall be a Sentence for the punishment of sense they shall be punished with an everlasting Destruction and for the punishment of loss from the presence of the Lord. That is A Sentence for all punishment that is imaginable and for more then is endurable And this Judge shall come down in flaming fire a Real a Material a Corporal not a Metaphorical or an Imaginary or a Spiritual fire and this fire he shall bring along with him from heaven not expect it to meet him from hell that shall lose none of its own former flames but receive more and therewith consume this corruptible and corrupted world 2. Pet. 3. 7. And after that throw all the Divels and wicked men into that same fire and then throw the fire it self with them down into hell there to increase the torments of those miscreants for ever that had before fire from hell to torment them but then they shall also have fire from heaven to encrease their torments God as he shall be glorified and admired in his Saints because of his undeserved mercy so shall he also be glorified and admired in those sinners because of his righteous Judgement And therefore though their Judges fire will be so terrible because of the flame yet their own sins will be much more terrible because they alone minister the fuel to that fire For the Books shall be opened The Book of Gods Remembrance and the Book of their own Conscience And they shall be Judged out of those things which are written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. Then in both Books shall they see such works Registred as call for a Judgement worthy of God because they had not only an Impiety but also an Impenitency unworthy of man And as they shall first see those works to their terrour so shaâ—… they after feel them to their torment noâ—… a work that had putrefaction and corruption in it but shall have its worm after it For corruption of sin begets a worm in thâ—… soul as corruption of Death begets worm in the body Vermis oritur ex putredine 〈◊〉 mordit illud in quo oritur saith Bonaventure A worm is begotten of filthiness anâ—… feeds on that which beg at it so is the woâ—… of conscience it is begotten of corruption even of sin the only corruption of the soul it frets and corrodes and gnaws and bitâ—… that soul which gave it being So that there must needs be all manner of terrours terrours from within where their worm dieth not terrours from without and the fire 〈◊〉 not quenched Mark 9. 46. And to all these terrours we must yet further add this terrible example out of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement Here is a kind oâ—… an imperfect speech called ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion caused
Actions to our subdued Affections and religiously in regard of our God by subduing both our Reason and our Affections to Religion Thus if we do we shall not be guilty of any inordinate work and consequently we shall not fear any punishment which is but the act of some violated or offended Order Vindicating and Revenging it self I say if we live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world we shall not need live and much less die in fear lest any of those orders under which God hath placed us should rise up against us to punish and to depress us But whiles we are under guilt we cannot possibly be above fear for it is the property of all Order to suppress the contrary Disorder and consequently to punish it and sin being a breach of these three Orders the Order of Reason the Order of Justice and the Order of Religion is accordingly punished by them all And therefore the sinner that hath not his sin forgiven him cannot be exempted from the fear of all these three punishments neither from the fear of internal punishment by the remorse of his own conscience which proceeds wholly from the Order of Reason for it is from Reason that a man hath a conscience first to admonish him and at last to torment him because he would not be admonished nor from the fear of external punishment by the hand of outward Government which will never leave stretching it self out till it hath reached the Malefactor and brought him to suffer according to his doings nor from the fear of eternal punishment proceeding from the wrath of God So nearly doth it concern us to fulâ—…ill all righteousness towards God our selves and our neighbours that we may be exempted from all fear of punishment either from God or men or from our selves that is to say our own consciences This is the best way to prevent the terrours of the Judgement to come even to keep our selves in the first innocency the innocency of Obedience but because we have all lost this and do continually lose it we must therefore the more earnestly follow that we may the more happily apprehend the second innocency the innocency of Repentance For there is no protection against fear but only innocency which since we cannot have by our Obedience we must seek to him by our Repentance And therefore it will not be amiss for every good Christian to follow Saint Pauls example who saith of himself Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may look upon this as Saint Pauls Asceticks although here is not one rule concerning a Monastick life or as his exercitium quotidianum for so Beza ipse me exerceo Herein do I exercise my self His daily exercise was this to have a conscience void of offence towards God which they cannot have who are guilty of superstition and a conscience void of offence toward men which they cannot have who are guilty of faction Good Lord how few is the number of those in such an innumerable number of Christians who have a conscience void of offence both toward God and toward men since there are so few who are not guilty either of superstition or of faction Herein a man must exercise by himself that will exercise himself for in such depravations and distempers of the world what he gets of the company he may chance lose of the exercise and indeed since the exercise wholly concerns the conscience it is most fit that every man exercise both himself and by himself and accordingly Catechize his own soul how far he hath had a conscience void of offence toward God and consequently in that regard toward himself for in loving God he loves himself and therefore there is no Text that saith Thou shalt love thy self but only Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self for the Text that saith thou shalt love the Lord thy God includes in it loving thy self which cannot be but in relation to God And lastly a conscience void of offence toward men every one must examine himself how he hath observed his Order towards God by Faith and Obedience in believing his Promises in doing his Commands How he hath observed his Order towards his neighbour by Justice and Charity whether that Order be Civil or Ecclesiastical for he can shake off neither and therefore must satisfie both Lastly how he hath observed his Order towards himself by Temperance Soberness and Chastity bringing his body under his soul and bringing his soul under his God for he cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cannot be wise to be sober unless he be sober to be wise Thus he must examine himself concerning all these three Orders and what he findeth concerning any of them defective in his Obedience he must labour to make up speedily by his Repentance for which cause our Church doth laudably require the distinct rehearsing of all the ten Commandments and the people after every Commandment to ask God mercy for their transgression of the same that so we might be sure to pass by no one sin unrepented which they can scarce do who yet are called to repentance upon more strict terms then we are since the second Commandment is not in so great repute with them as to have any Interrogatory concerning it But he that heartily asks God forgiveness for his transgressions against every particular Commandment since every sin is a transgression of some Commandment is sure to pass by no sin whatsoever without Repentance for he doth really and explicitly repent of those sins which he knows and remembers and doth virtually and implicitly repent of all the rest which is a thing we should all make sure of since there is nothing but Innocency can arm us against Judgement and there is no innocency but either in obedience or in repentance wherefore it being impossible that any man conceived and born in sin should quiet his conscience by the perfection of his obedience for in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. anâ—… having offended must fear to be punished it is most necessary that we all labour to quiet our consciences by Repentance aâ—… bless God who though he hath requireâ—… Obedience yet hath also granted Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. and woulâ—… not have granted it if he would not have accepted it Do then as did that godly Centurion Cornelius a fit pattern noâ—… only for all military but also for all sedentary men give much Alms to the people for sure if there be not a redeeming yeâ—… there is a breaking off sins by Alms-deeds and iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. and pray to God alway that is be so far from taking away what is another mans as to be ready to give of thine own give of thy substance 〈◊〉 thy Brother for his Poverty hath noâ—… disannulled his Fraternity
Saviour I get into his Mystical Body and by keeping my hold I continue in it The Syriack translation instead of Confidence here saith The uncovering of the face to shew that there is not left in the true Believer the conscience of any one sin unrepented or unsatisfied through the All-sufficiency of his Saviours satisfaction which may make him cover his face either out of shame or out of fear to look upon God either out of shame because of his own unworthiness for by faith he hath his Saviours worthiness to make him confident or out of fear because of Gods unplacableness for by hope he hath a cause to rejoyce not to fear therefore it is said The rejoycing of our hope And the same Apostle moreover gives the reason of this saying Chap. 4. v. 15 16. For we have not an high-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need What is the hope that we can rejoyce in but the hope of Eternal Life And we have this hope because we have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God v. 14. He is passed in before us to make way for us to follow after him Nor ought we to be dismayed at our infirmities since he is touched with the feeling of them for himself was tempted to strengthen us in our temptations that in his strength we should encounter them and by his strength should overcome them Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace c. Wherein we have set forth the manner and the reason of our going unto God The manner it must be with a holy confidence in the righteousness of our high-Priest Let us come boldly The reason is two-fold the first concerns our God because he hath erected a Throne of Grace to pardon us not of Judgement to condemn us unto the Throne of grace The second concerns our selves That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need What help so welcome as that which helps in time of need What time of need so much wants help as that wherein we can neither help our selves nor have any else to help us the Hour of Death and the Day of Judgement In this time of need it is that our high-Priest doth chiefly help us he will make intercession for us when we shall not be able to speak for our selves at the hour of death he will make answer for us when we shall not be able to answer for our selves at the day of Judgement What though the Devils will then busily accuse me as long as his righteousness shall be interposed in answer for me what if my conscience doth condemn me as long as his satisfaction doth acquit me Why should not my soul joyfully say I will go forth even out of my body in the strength of the Lord God and will mention thy Righteousness only Psal. 71. 16. Though I dare not go forth in mine own strength for fear I should fail in my journey or miscarry at my journeys end yet I dare go forth in his strength Though I dare not mention mine own Righteousness at the Bar of Gods Justice yet I dare mention my Saviours Righteousness I will make mention of thy Righteousness even of thine only Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh and having an high-Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10. 19. Here are three singular benefits that all they have who have Communion with Christ to assure them of their entrance into heaven when they depart from the earth The first is That the door is opened unto them and they have such a right to enter as cannot be doubted must not be denyed Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus The second is That the way which leadeth thither is a safe way keeping all from death that walk in it A new and lively way And also A ready way such as they may hope to walk in notwithstanding their infirmities because he hath made it plain for them for he hath consecrated it for us through his flesh The third is That the House whither they are to go is wholly disposed and ordered by their high Priest who both guides them in the way and is ready to receive them at their journeys end Having an high-Priest over the House of God These being the Premises That the door is open and we have a right to enter that the way is both safe and plain that the House whither we desire to go is wholly ordered by our own high-Priest who guides us thither and is ready to receive us there what else can be the conclusion but comfort and confidence what have we else to do but to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith A true heart that is true to its Saviour by believing in full assurance of faith that is true to it self by drawing near according to that belief And surely the Apostles invitation is as urgent for us to draw near to the Church Triumphant as to the Church Militant because all power is given to our Saviour Christ as well in heaven as in earth Mat. 28. 18. He hath power over the House of God in heaven as well as over the House of God in earth And where he hath power of the House we need not be afraid to enter For as he hath made the passage for us to pass from the bondage of sin and Satan to come into his Kingdom of Grace So much more hath he made the passage for us to pass from his Kingdom of Grace to come to his Kingdom of Glory And if we have already passed from Death to Life much more shall we pass from Life to everlasting Life If we have already passed from Nature to Grace much more shall we pass from Grace to Glory For the distance betwixt Nature and Grace is much greater and harder to be passed then the distance betwixt Grace and Glory for nature scarce affords a capacity of Grace but grace is the very Inchoation of Glory Profitable If thou wilt not help us for our miseries which we have deserved yet help us for thy mercies which thou hast promised For thy Goodness is more willing to forgive then thy power is to punish And thy blood cryeth much lowder for pardon and forgiveness then our sins can cry for punishment Thou hast not yet forgiven so much as thou hast promised and thou hast not promised so much as thou hast purchased One drop of thy blood had been a full and sufficient satisfaction for the
For being a Penitent sinner that is one of those sinners that Christ came to save as I have been chief in the sin so I shall be chief in the salvation The more I have seen mine own sins the more I shall see the salvation of my God It is a most comfortable observation of Divines That our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And therefore that Doxologie in 1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen is to be expounded of God the Father because the Word invisible is in it and our Saviour Christ is now here in all the Bible called invisible And truly blessed be his mercy I have hitherto found it so for when I have most seen my sins to trouble me I have most seen his salvation to relieve me And sure I am that though my sins should be never so visible at the last day yet they shall not be half so visible as my Saviour For I shall then certainly with Saint Stephen see Jesus standing on the right hand of God Acts 7. 55. I shall see him standing up as ready to give sentence but surely that sentence will be for me not against me For he is not willing to give sentence against me but sure he cannot give sentence against himself that is against his Word For a sentence against his Word is against himself His Word therefore being the truth because it is his Word who is the truth Therefore the sentence that shall be given at the last day can be no other then what is given already in Gods Word and in mine own conscience His Word hath pronounced a merciful sentence and I must never leave Rectifying my conscience till that pronounce sentence according to his Word SECT VI. Comforts against the last Judgement from the sentence that shall be pronounced A Sentence that is resolved on before the hearing of the cause though not pronounced till after it must needs be the sentence of an unrighteous Judge and is most like to be the sentence of an unrighteons Judgement But shall not the Judge of all the earth do right Gen. 18. 25. And how then can we now have comfort from the sentence he will pronounce at the last day since he cannot resolve upon a sentence before the hearing of the cause nor can we know before hand what is his resolution I answer The cause is heard here and the sentence is pronounced here though many men will not take notice of it And that which shall be pronounced hereafter shall not be a new sentence but a Publication of the old which may not unfitly be called an old sentence since it hath been twice pronounced here already once in Gods Word another time in our own consciences For the Spirit of God doth here Judge us in Gods Word And the Son of God will not thwart or contradict the Judgement of Gods Spirit but only ratifie and confirm it The word that I have spoken the same shall Judge him at the last day John 12. 48. that is the sentence at the last day shall be but a declaration and confirmation of the sentence that is already spoken in the Word And haply in this respect it is said That the Apostles shall Judge the world not only in regard of their persons as all other Saints shall Judge it by approving the sentence of the righteous Judge but also in regard of their Doctrine which shall be the rule of Judgement Wherefore if we can have comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles we may have also comfort from the sentence that will be passed upon us by their Master And truly if we be not Hypocrites or Apostates but true and constant Christians we may have very great comfort from the sentence that is already passed upon us by the Apostles A comfort which no partial Judge here can give us though he resolve to come with omnia bene and to admit of none but of white suffrages for in vain doth the spirit of man set it self to absolve â—…hose whom the Spirit of God doth conâ—…emn And a comfort which no unrighteâ—…s Judge here can take from us though he â—…esolve to write his sentence as Draco did â—…is Laws in Characters of blood For in â—…ain doth the spirit of man set it self to â—…ondemn those whom the spirit of God â—…oth absolve For this is the sentence â—…assed upon us by the Apostles He that â—…elieveth on the Son hath everlasting life â—…ohn 3. 36. The whole Doctrine of the New-Testament driving at this That true â—…aith in Christ as it is not to be supposed without a true Christian life and conversation agreeable to the faith for it is in â—…ain to profess Christian and to live Atheâ—…st or to act Infidel so it cannot but deâ—…iver the true Believer from the guilt and â—…urden of all his sins For all the whole Gospel is nothing else but a Sermon upon â—…his Text of our Saviours own choosing John 11. 25 26. I am the resurrection and â—…he life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever â—…iveth and believeth in me shall not die for â—…ver Words properly used by the Church as they were spoken by Christ himself at the burial of the dead For they are the chiefest comfort against Death because they are the chiefest comfort against Judgement And so hath the beloved Disciple explained them that leaned in his Masters bosom and thence got this soul-healing and soul-saving Divinity But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin And again If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 John 7. and 9. Here is the true comfort against Judgement for if my soul be cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness I shall have reason not to dread but to desire the coming of my Judge And this Christian consolation cannot be separated from the true Christian Faith that is to say Faith in the blood of Christ which cleanseth us And this Christian Faith cannot be separated from a Christian conversation walking in the light nor from a Christian Communion we have fellowship one with another nor from Christian Repentance and Contrition if we confess our sins And wheresoever we find this Christian Faith and Christian Conversation and Communion and Contrition we may not deny the Christian Consolation For God himself hath said Comfort ye comfort ye my people Isa. 40. 1. They that are Gods people may not be deprived of Gods comforts And what are his comforts but as it follows that our warfare is accomplished and our iniquity is pardoned The beginning of the pardon is the end of the war her warfare is accomplished and her iniquity
Here is both the good Confidence and the ground of it the good Conscience The confidence is That we may have boldness in the day of Judgement The ground of that confidence is this good conscience Because as he is so are we in this world for this is in effect the Syllogism Whosoever is here like him in Piety shall hereafter be like him in Glory but we that truly believe in him are here like him in Piety therefore we shall also be like him in Glory He that hath that Good confidence upon this Good conscience as he may not be ashamed of his hope so he shall not be disappointed of it for he is sure to stand in the last Judgement because he hath the Eternal Son of God to support him on the one side with his All-sufficient merits on the other side with his All-saving mercies Two such supporters to which he cannot trust too much for which he cannot glorifie Christ enough though he glorifie him world without end Amen Deo Trin-Uni Gloria in secula seculorum Amen A sick mans Cordial composed of three Ingredients I. Contemplations II. Ejaculations III. Devotions Contemplations on Isaiah 53. Verse 3. O MY Beloved Saviour wast thou despised and rejected of men and shall not I learn to despise and reject my self that I may be like to thee approved of thee and received by thee Wast thou a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs who knewest no sin And shall I who came into the world with sin look to go out of the world without sorrow Verse 4. Didst thou so patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that were due for my sins And shall not I patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that are due for mine own sins How could I have sorrows if I had not sins and why should I not have patience now I must have sorrows Wast thou stricken and smitten of God and afflicted who wast his only begotten and most dearly Beloved Son And shall I look to escape the scourge who heretofore have been his enemy and still am his undutiful and unworthy servant Verse 5. I will look upon my wounds and maladies as upon so many cures and remedies Upon my bruise for I am all over nothing else as upon so much soundness since both wounds and bruises are inflicted not as satisfactions for my sins but as checks and amendments of my sinfulness For he was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for mine iniquities therefore my wounds and my bruises are not now to pacifie the wrath of the Father but to make me conformable to the Son And the chastisement of my peace was upon him therefore I will not repine at my chastisement since I have my peace It being indeed but a chastisement to correct the sinner not a punishment to avenge the sin And since I am healed in my soul I will not fear being wounded in my body For with his stripes I am healed and mine own stripes do but make me the more to see the want and the more to crave the benefit of his healing Verse 6 7. I have been a sheep in my strayings for I have turned to mine own waies O make me also a Sheep in my sufferings not once to open my mouth when thou shearest me clipping off all the comforts of my life no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the torments oâ—… my sickness no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the pangs and horrourâ—… of my death That as my Saviour was oppressed and afflicted yet opened not his mouth so I may be kept from murmuring and repining in all my oppressions and afflictions For I may well be as he was Meek and Patient since thou hast laid minâ—… iniquities on him but if I follow not his Meekness and his Patience I fear I shall again lay mine iniquities upon my self Verse 8 9. He was cut off from life whose generation was life what can I expect but death who had it in my very birth who was corrupted when I was generated and therefore not only in regard of my death but also in regard of my life it self must say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Sister and my Mother Who shall declare his Generation For he was begotten of his Father before all worlds But who shall declare my corruption for I was corrupted when I was begotten by my Father before I came into the world He was taken away by death but he was taken away from a mortal a miserable and a contemptible life so let me be taken away good Lord from mortality misery and contempt to Immortality Blessedness and Glory My life hath not left much for my death to take away from me Lord let my death take from me all that is left but my Saviour and let it fully give me him He was brought to prison that he might be Judged and he was brought to Judgement that he might be condemned and his death was his Release both from Prison and from Judgement Lord make my death so to me make my death my Release from prison for whiles I am in the body I am imprisoned fettered with the bonds of sin and corruption But bring my soul out of this prison that I may praise thy name then the righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me Psal. 142. 7. A most happy Goal-Delivery for my soul for then the Righteous shall compass me about and not sinners nay more then I shall be compassed about with Rightousness who now am compassed about with sins and that not so much with other mens as with mine own sins Thus make my death my Release from Prison and make it also my Release from Judgement For thy Son hath been Judged and condemned for me that I might escape the Judgement of thy condemnation Lord I ask not that thou wouldest not Judge me for after death comes Judgement Heb. 9. 27. I ask only that thou wilt not condemn me when I shall be Judged And this is agreeable with thy very Justice though I wholly appeal unto thy Mercy not to condemn and punish the same sin twice Thou hast already condemned and punished my sins in my Saviour O then let me escape thy condemnation and thy punishment He was Judged for mine Unrighteousness O let me stand in the Judgement for his Righteousness For the transgression of my people was he stricken Lord thou hast placed me among thy people and therefore I must believe that he was stricken for my transgressions Nay thou hast brought me nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Family having admitted me thy servant Nay thou hast brought me yet nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Inheritance having adopted me thy child I deserved not to be among thy people and I am placed among thy servants I deserved not to be among thy servants and I am accepted among thy children O then
even that peace of God which passeth all that I do understand and will fullfill all that I can desire Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart to this peace that thou mayest at once deliver me from all my troubles for his sake who hath shed his precious blood to purchase this peace for me Jesus Christ the only righteous Amen 45. Lord give unto me an earnest repentance to cleanse and purge my soul from dead works that thou mayest give unto me a true and lively faith to settle and establish my soul in the light of life That acknowledging and bewailing mine own demerits and unrighteousness I may by the Merits and Righteousness of my blessed Redeemer obtain remission of all my sins whereof I now stand guilty before thy Judgement-seat and the assurance of that remission sealed unto my conscience by the testimony of thy holy Spirit that I may not be terrified with the thought of death being delivered from the terrours of Judgement and having that righteousness interposed in answer for me which cannot but answer all the accusations of the Devils and all the attestations and convictions of mine own conscience O my blessed Advocate do thou come to plead for me and then come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen 46. Lord make me daily more and more to see the manifold miseries of my pilgrimage whereby I am a stranger to eternity and a so journer with vanity burdened and clogged with a heavy weight of flesh and a far heavyer weight of sin That I may heartily pray to be delivered from all those burdens and miseries and not be afraid least thou shouldst hear my prayer but that my soul providing to return into her own Countrey may accordingly have longings and earnest desires after the Land of Promise and after the heavenly Jerusalem and after thee my God who there livest and reignest world without end Amen 47. Lord make me patiently to undergo this punishment of my body but earnestly to long for the deliverance of my soul Make me thankful for that small ease and refreshment thou givest me on earth but much more for the eternal rest thou hast provided for me in heaven grant that though I have affliction in the world yet I may have peace in thee and may rejoyce in that peace for thou hast overcome the world grant that though I am weak in my body yet I may be strong in my soul for thou art the strength of souls grant that though I find pain and anguish in my flesh yet I may find joy and comfort in my spirit for thou art the God of spirits grant that I may not look on thy hand scourging me with an evil eye whiles I believe that the thoughts which thou thinkest towards me are thoughts of peace and not of evil and that though thou givest me a sad beginning yet thou wilt give me an expected end Jer. 29. 11. 48. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him and I may well bear it patiently nay rather take it thankfully since it is his great goodness to punish temporally that he may spare eternally For he will at last plead my cause and execute Judgement for me he will at length bring me forth to light out of this dismal darkness and I shall behold his righteousness and he will not behold mine unrighteousness Then shall I say with great joy Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by transgressions and retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Therefore he will turn again he will have compassion upon me he will subdue mine iniquities before he suffer death to subdue me and he will cast all my sins into the depth of the Sea before he will cast me into the deep of the earth Mich. 7. v. 9 18 19. 49. Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One and I but only of yesterday and for a moment I shall not die whiles thou art my Resurrection and my Life O Lord thou hast ordained these pains and sicknesses for Judgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction O Lord let them prove so to me as Judgements to advise me and as Chastisements to amend me for thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and therefore sure of purer hands then to embrace it and thou canst not look on iniquity therefore sure wilt not encourage it O then let this thy visitation so purge away all evil and iniquity from me that thou mayest both encourage my soul in my life and embrace it at my death Hab. 1. 50. O thou the high and lofty one that inhabitest eternity whose Name is Holy thou that dwellest in the high and lofty place but with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite one be pleased to look upon the great humiliations of my body and the unfeigned contritions of my soul That thou mayst dwell with me and I may be revived in the spirit whiles I am daily put to death in the flesh And do not contend for ever neither be thou alwaies wrath least my spirit should fail before thee and the soul which thou hast made for the iniquity of my conversation thou wast wrath and smotest me but for the abundance of thine own mercies heal me and restore comforts to me and to my mourners and give unto me true joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord Isaiah 57. 15 c. 51. O Lord I have been long cloathed with filthy garmens even by the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh And Satan is standing at my right hand ready to tempt me here and to accuse and torment me hereafter But O Lord I beseech thee to say unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen his servant rebuke thee And take away the filthy garments from me and say unto me behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment even with the wedding-garment the righteousness of that immaculate Lamb the Lord Jesus Christ so shall I appear before thee with comfort stand before thee with confidence and remain before thee with joy for evermore Zach. 3. 52. O Lord thou hast left me a Promise of entering into thy Rest O let me not come short of it and not enter into it But since I have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God an high-Priest touched with the feeling of my infirmities let me through him come boldly to the Throne of grace that I may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 53. O Lord my strength and my fortress and my refuge in the day of affliction I desire to come unto thee from the ends of the earth where I have inherited lyes and vanity and things wherein there is
and magnifie thy glorious Name because thou hast given me an assured hope that I shall with them hereafter evermore praise thee and say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high The sick mans second lesson John 5. 24. VErily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life His second Canticle Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for calling me to the knowledge of himself and to faith in his Son and to Communion with his holy Spirit Lord I believe help thou my unbelief And grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ that my faith may never be reproved and my person and my prayers may alwaies be accepted in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness incline thine ear unto me and save me Be thou my strong hold whereunto I may alway resort Thou hast promised to help me for thou art my house of defence and my Castle As for me I will patiently abide alway and will praise thee more and more My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation for I know no end thereof O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me and yet didst thou turn and refresh me yea and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness O God playing upon an instrument of Musick Unto thee will I sing upon the Harp O thou holy one of Israel My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered and ever wilt deliver according to thine infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ. The sick mans Creed or the Confession of his Faith by way of prayer I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven and earth Grant me Lord so to believe in thee my Father that as a Father pittieth his own child so I may find and feel that thou art pittiful and merciful towards me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Lord and my God that I may find the eternal comfort of being thy servant and that as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters even so my eyes may wait upon the Lord my God until he have Mercy upon me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Father God and Maker that I may alwaies rely on thy Fatherly Goodness that I may alwaies submit my self body and foul to thy Almighty power and that I may commit my soul unto thee not only in well-doing but also in well-suffering as to my saithful Creator Grant me so to believe in Jesus Christ thy only Son my Redeemer that from this Jesus I may have salvation from this Christ I may have the holy Unction from this thy Son I may have spiritual adoption Grant me so to believe in God the Holy-Ghost that from this God I may be inspired with true godliness from this Holy-Spirit I may be sanctified and made a member of the Catholike Church and both live and die in the Communion of Saints And that from this spiritual Comforter I may be filled with spiritual comforts and consolations for evermore even with the immortal comfort of the Forgiveness of my sins of the Resurrection of my body and of the translation of my soul to the life everlasting Amen Or this O blessed Lord God who fillest heaven and earth with the Majesty of thy Glory and with the Riches of thy Mercy Let not my sinful soul be empty but let me evermore be filled with dreadful apprehensions of that great and glorious Majesty wherewith thou wilt hereafter come to Judge me And with comfortable apprehensions of that great and gracious Mercy whereby thou hast already come to save me that I may never want grace to prevent and keep me from sinning nor Mercy to pardon and forgive me all my sins nor the testimony of thy holy-Spirit to assure me of that pardon and forgiveness That though thou kill me yet I may put my trust in thee and even at the hour of death may be able to say with a strong heart though with a weak voice I believe in God the Father my Creator in God the Son my Redeemer in God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter That this my Father will provide for me health and ease and all other comforts of this world as far as they shall conduâ—…e to his glory and to my salvation And hath provided for me a Portion and Inheritance in the world to come That this Redeemer hath redeemed my soul from the bondage of Sin and Satan and will also at the last day redeem my body from the bondage of death and corruption That this Comforter will not leave me comfortless when I most want and most ask his comforts but that he will be with me according to his Promise and will keep me in all places whither I go of sickness of life of death and will bring me at last to the Land of Eternal rest for he will not leave me till he hath done that which he hath spoken to me of Gen. 28. 15. till he hath translated me from his holy Church-Militant to his holy Church-Triumphant And to that Communion of Saints whereof he is the only head who is the King of Saints And to that blessed company of sanctified spirits which have mercifully received the forgiveness of their sins do earnestly expect the resurrection of their bodies and do incessantly enjoy the life everlasting Amen The sick mans Collect for the Day O Sweet Jesus who comest from the bosom of thy heavenly Father to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised shew also these thy Mercies at once and together in shewing Mercy on me who am now broken and bruised and under great blindness and captivity The eye of my soul is so dim by reason of my sins and of my sufferings that I cannot clearly see thy Merits The hand of my soul is so weak that I cannot eagerly reach after them nor strongly take hold of them Thus am I a captive under miserable blindness and weakness But shew thou me the light of thy countenance and that will recover my sight and release my captivity For in thy light I shall see the true light everlasting and in thy countenance I shall enjoy it O thou Son of righteousness which knowest not any going down and givesâ—…â—…fe food and gladness unto all things vouchsase to shine into my mind that I may not either through the weakness of the flesh or the assaults of the Devil any where stumble to fall into impatience
or infidelity or any other grievous sin but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience till by thy good guiding and conducting I may at last come to the life everlasting As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory there to glorifie and praise thee for ever Amen The sick mans Collect for Peace O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake but the Author of our troubles only for our sins Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual that I surely trusting in thy defence and wholly submitting to thy providence may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Collect for Grace O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought me through many dangers and troubles and diseases to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power and grant that herein I may fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger whereby I may become either impenitently sinful or uncomfortably miserable But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Letany O God the Father of heaven and of all Mercies have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh I may be most relieved in my spirit That though my loins are filled with a sore disease and there is no whole part in my body yet my soul may magnifie the Lord and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate and he will relieve it O God the Son Redeemer of the world and of my sin-sick and sinful soul have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and take away all my sins that thou mayest take away all my miseries As thou hast made me a happy Believer so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption and then most especially when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death Be thou my comfort in distress my strength in weakness my health in sickness my joy in sadness Be thou my life whiles I am living and my Resurrection from the dead that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I may fear no evil for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me reject me not when I am making intercession for my self for through thy death I hope for life through thy life I hope for glory through thy glory I hope for eternal glory And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands for thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of truth And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy because I have believed thy truth and do rely upon thy Mercy Therefore do I wholly resign my self body and soul unto thee submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer world without end O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death may ever be able to affright my soul nor to disturb that sweet peace resâ—… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are oâ—… thy Communion the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God my Stay my Comforter unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul Where is now thy God for surely my God is in heaven whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eveâ—… have joy in heaven Amen O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner and therefore most miserable and wretched because a sinner because I have sinned against heaven and against thee the God of heaven But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith I may be absolved from all my sins and also be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Remember not Lord mine offences nor the offences of my fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of my sins spare me good Lord spare me thy most afflicted but most unworthy servant whom thou hast
redeemed with thy most precious blood and be not angry with me for ever Spare me good Lord. From this and all other evil and mischief of my body from the more afflictive and contagious sin of my soul from the crafts and assaults of the Devil either against my body or against my soul from the fear of thy wrath and from the sentence of everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver me By thine agony and bloody-sweat help and assist me in all mine agonies By thy Cross and Passion make me conquerer in all my sufferings By thy precious death and burial sweeten my death and sanctifie my grave By thy glorious resurrection and ascention raise me up again at the last day and glorifie me and by the coming of the Holy-Ghost give unto me now amidst the torments of my life and the terrours of my death the immortal comfort of a blessed resurrection to eternal glory And in this my distress by this thy special assistance help and comfort Good Lord deliver me In all time of my tribulation and adversity which thou hast now sent me In all time of my wealth and prosperity if thou shalt be pleased once again to send it me in the hour of my death and in the day of Judgement Good Lord deliver me I that am a sinner do beseech thee to hear me O Lord God And that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universally in the right way And to deliver this thy distressed and oppressed Church from all her sins and from all her troubles and to restore her to her former Truth and Peace I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand and the Son of man whom thou hast made so strong for thine own self and so will not we go back from thee O let us live and we will call upon thy Name Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts shew us the light of thy countenance and we shall be whole I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to defend and strengthen all Bishops and Ministers of thy Church That notwithstanding the manifold oppositions contempts and persecutions of disobedient and gainsaying people they may still uphold thy true and lively Word and thy holy and blessed Sacraments and by their preaching and administring and their living and dying may set them forth and shew them accordingly I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to be a Father to the Fatherless whom my sins have helped to make so and whom my repentance cannot but thy Mercy can relieve To be a husband to the widow a comfort to the comfortless and to relieve all that be desolate and oppressed and to shew thy pity upon all exiles prisoners and captives especially those that suffer imprisonment and captivity or banishment for the cause of righteousness for the Doctrine of a Catholick Faith or for the duties of a Christian life I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to have Mercy upon mine enemies persecutors and slanderers to turn their hearts and to forgive their sins and to save their souls and to make me forgive as I desire to be forgiven and to make me desire to be forgiven as I stand in need of forgiveness and to make my waies to please thee that thou mayest make mine enemies to be at peace with me I beseech thee to hear me good Lord That it may please thee to give us all true repentance that thou mayest forgive us all our sins not only our negligences and ignorances but also our perversnesses and profanesses and to endue us with the grace of thy holy Spirit that we may lay aside our own animosities self-interests and worldly advantages and joyn together with one heart and mouth to praise thee and to glorifie thy holy Name not looking after fond pretences and fading vanities but looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. Son of God I beseech thee to hear me O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world take away my sins also inwhom alone there is a world of sin and grant me thy peace and have Mercy upon me O Christ hear me and as thou camest to redeem me when I was utterly lost so I beseech thee suffer me not to be lost now thou hast redeemed me Lord have Mercy upon me Christ have Mercy upon me Lord have Mercy upon me And remember me according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation that I may once more if it be thy will see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people and give thanks with thine inheritance through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Benediction BLessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which only doth wonderous things And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty and my soul shall be filled and revived with his Mercy Amen Amen The Lord Jesus be within me to strengthen without me to assist before me to direct behind me to defend and protect beneath me to uphold and sustain above me to receive my soul. Let the power of the Father preserve me the wisdom of the Son guide and énlighten me the operation of the Holy-Ghost quicken and revive me in my passage through the gates of death and bring me into everlasting life The blood that ran from the wounded heart of my blessed Saviour which hath purchased for me abundance of grace in my life of comfort in my sickness and of hope in my death wash my soul from sin and from iniquity that it may be presented without spot or blemish before the righteous Judge of men and Angels in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen The sick mans Valediction LORD I am willing to forsake all to follow thee O let me follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth I willingly forgive all men and heartily desire all men to forgive me that though I came into this world hating my God yet I may not go out of it hating my Brother for God with whom I hope to dwell when I go from hence is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4. 16. I follow after to apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Phil. 3. 12 13 14. The sick mans Preparation for his Departure I am now ready to be
Secondly the faithfulness of the Redeemer O Lord thou God of truth First the fulness of the Redemption for it had a threefold fulness a fulness of Excellency a fulness of Appearance a fulness of Redundancy which is Bonaventures distinction concerning our blessed Saviour lib. 3. sent dist 13. Quod est loqui de Plenitudine secundum Excellentiam secundum Apparentiam secundum Redundantiam We may speak of the fulness of Christ according to its Excellency according to its Appearance and according to its Redundancy for Christ had a fulness of Excellency from his first conception And he had a fulness of Appearance from the discent of the Holy-Ghost upon him for then his excellent holiness was made apparent to all the world by the testimony of the Father and of the Holy Spirit And he had a fulness of Redundancy from the time that he sanctified his disciples and servants by the communication and participation of his holiness And this same threefold fulness is in this Redemption A fulness of Excellency or Perfection in the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hast Redeemed A fulness of appearance or manifestation from the Author of it Thou thou hast Redeemed And a fulness of Redundancy from the subject of it me Thou hast Redeemed me First there is a fulness of Excellency or Perfection in this Redemption from the nature of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast Redeemed So saith the Master of Greek Criticisms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is properly used concerning the Redemption of Captives that are Redeemed with a price For they that are otherwise delivered then by a price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are said rather to be Rescued then to be Redeemed Eustath in Iliad a. Here is then a Redemption as excellent as the price that was paid for the Captives and that was the blood of the Eternal Son of God A price that was infinitely more worth then all the whole Creation both in heaven and in earth which hath in truth no other preciousness but what it hath from this price is no farther precious then as it is sprinkled with this blood Secondly A fulness of appearance or manifestation in this Redemption from the Author of it Thou thou hast Redeemed Thou whom God hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds and who art the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person Heb. 1. 2 3. This heir of all things came to make us partakers of his inheritance The same God that made the world by his Power and governed it by his Wisdom Redeemed it by his Mercy He that was the brightness of the glory of God and the express image of his person was pleased to make himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and being found in fashion as a man to humble himself and become obedient unto death Phil. 2. 7. That by his death he might destroy death and by his rising to life again might restore to us everlasting life But that 's the third fulness in this Redemption A fulness of Redundancy from the subject of it Me Thou hast Redeemed Me Thou Me Heaven and Earth are meet together in the Mysterie But Heaven and Hell are met together in the Mercy of this Redemption God and Man in the Mysterie but God and sinful Man in the Mercy of it Me in my Nature was a great mysterie but Me in my Sins was a far greater mercy Thy love did seek me when I did not deserve it Thy care did keep me when I did not observe it O let neither Love nor Care forsake me now I do desire it And indeed thou hast promised not to forsake us And that is the second Reason we are so willing to Resign our selves to thee the faithfulness of our Redeemer O God thou God of Truth Thou art powerful in thy performances as God and faithful in thy Promises as the God of Truth As none can resist thy power in performing so none may distrust thy truth in promising It was thy Mercy that made thee promise but it is thy Truth that maketh thee keep thy promises Mercy and Truth are together in God as Cruelty and Falseness go together in man Though I have no right to thy Mercy from it self yet I have a right to thy Mercy from thy Truth And thine own Holy Spirit hath taught me to claim this Right Heb. 13. 5. For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee He said it to Joshua yet will have me believe he said it to me for though that promise in its occasion was particular and concerned only Joshua and those with him Josh. 1. 5. yet in its document it was universal and concerned all the faithful servants of God that should be to the end of the world for that promise was made to Joshua as Leader of the people and therefore belonged in common to him and to them even to the whole Church of the Jews And by the same reason belongs to us now as it did to them even to the whole Church of the Gentiles For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek or Gentile For the same Lord over All is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. 12. If we call upon him as Joshua and the Israelites did we have the same interest in his promises as Joshua and the Israelites had He will be as rich in Mercy to us as he was to him and to them or else in vain hath his Apostle said For whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. 4. Where is the comfort of the Scriptures if it be not in the Promises or what promise can be the ground of our hope like this I will never leave thee nor forsake thee A promise which he made in Mercy as Lord over All and therefore rich in mercy to All that call upon him But a promise that he keepeth in truth as being the same Lord over All That is one and the same constantly in himself and therefore not diverse in his Word nor in his Promises O God thou God of truth As God thou art a Creditor to All by thy Mercy All borrow of it All depend on it All are obliged to it But as a God of Truth thou art a Debtor to All that is to All that call upon thee for the Promise though it be universal yet it is conditional Thou art a Debtor to All by thy Truth they have an Interest in thy Promise claim it as their Right look to it as their Treasure look on it as their Comfort Debitor fidelitatis non Justitiae God is to man a Debtor of faithfulness though not a Debtor of Justice A Debtor of faithfulness because of his own Word though he cannot be a Debtor of Justice because of mans Merit As he is God he hath