he is heavie-hearted and troubled in his mind How doe you Asunetus how doe you feele your selfe Me thinkes you are very sad Asun I am the better for you Sir I thanke God I never knew what sinne meant till this day It hath pleased God now to give mee some sight and feeling thereof I am greatly distressed in my conscience to thinke what I have been The remembrance of my former sinnes doe strike an horrour into mee When I consider how ignorantly and profanely and how farre off from GOD I have lived all my life it stings and gripes mee to the heart I doe now see that which I never saw and feele that which I never felt I doe plainly see that if I had died in that state wherein I have lived all my life I should certainly have been condemned and should have perished for ever in my sinne and ignorance Theol. I am very glad that God hath opened your eyes and given you the sight and feeling of your misery which indeed is the very first step to eternall life It is a great favour and speciall mercy of God towards you that hee hath so touched your heart you can never be thankfull enough for it It is more then if you had a million of gold given you It is the onely rare priviledge of Gods elect to have the eyes of their soules opened that they may see into heavenly and spirituall things As for the world it is just with God to leave them in their blindnesse Asun I doe feele the burthen of my sinnes I am greatly grieved for them I am weary of them I am sorry that ever I sinned against God or that I should be such a wretch as to incurre his displeasure and provoke his Majestie against mee But I pray you good Master Theologus such you are a spirituall Physician and I am sick of sinne that you would minister unto me out of Gods Word some spirituall physicke and comfort Theol. Truly I must needs thinke that the promises of mercy and forgivenesse of sinne made in the Gospel doe belong unto you and that Iesus Christ is yours that you are truly interessed in him and have a proper right unto him For hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance You doe now feele your selfe to be a sinner you are grieved for your sins you are weary of them therefore Iesus Christ is for you all the benefits of his passion belong to you Mat. 9.12 Againe he saith The whole need not the Physician but they that are sicke But you doe acknowledge your selfe to be sick of sinne therefore Iesus Christ will be your Physician he will swaddle you he will lap you hee will bind up all your sores hee will heale all your wounds hee will anoint them with the oyle of his mercy hee will smile upon you and shew you a joyfull countenance hee will say unto you Your sins are forgiven In him you shall have rest and peace to your soule Through him you shall have ease and comfort For hee takes pitie of all such as mourne for their sinnes as you doe Hee biddeth you and all that are in your case to come unto him Mat. 11.28 and hee will helpe you Come unto me saith hee all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you You are one of them that are bidden to come for you are weary of your sinnes you feele the burthen of them Christ is altogether for such as you are Hee regardeth not the world that is the profane and unregenerate men Hee bids not them come hee prayeth not for them Joh. 18. â— I pray not for the world saith hee They have no part nor interest in him They have nothing to doe with him or with his merits and righteousnesse Hee is onely for the penitent sinner and such as mourne for their sinnes He is a Pillow of Down to all aking heads and aking consciences Be of good comfort therefore feare nothing for assuredly Christ and all his righteousnesse is yours He will clothe you with it Hee will never impute your sins unto you or lay any of them to your charge though they be never so many or so great hee will forget them and forgive them as hee saith by the Prophet Esay â—â—ay 1 1â— Though your sins were as crâ—mson they shall be made as white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll And againe he saith by the same Prophet â—â—ay 4 2â— I have put away thy transgressions as thicke as clouds and thy sinnes as a mist By another Prophet he saith Micah 7.19 Hee will lay aside our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea Againe he saith by the Prophet Esay Esay 43.25 I even I am he that put away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And yet more sweetly hee speakes to us by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 3 12. saying Turne againe unto mee and I will not let my wrath fall upon you For I am mercifull and will not alway keep mine anger And againe by the Prophet Hosea hee saith Hos 11.6 I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am GOD and not man Be of good cheere therefore comfort your selfe with these promises you have cause to rejoyce seeing GOD hath wrought in you a dislike and a griefe for your sins which is a certaine token that your sins shall never hurt you for sinnes past cannot hurt us if sinnes present doe not like us You are growne to an hatred and dislike of your sins you mourne under the burthen of them therefore you are blessed For blessed are they that mourne Why therefore should you be so heavie and sad Remember what Saint John saith If any man sinne 1 Joh 1. we have an Advocate Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes Saint Paul saith Rom. 3.13 that Jesus Christ is set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Againe the holy Ghost saith Heb. â— 1â— Hee is perfectly able to save all those that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for us The Apostle saith Hee is made of GOD for us 1 Cor 1 3â— wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Marke that hee saith All is for us all his for his Church for every member of his Church and therefore for you Christ is made of God righteousnesse sanctification and redemption for you Christ is your Mediator and your high Priest and hath offered up the everlasting sacrifice even for you that he might pay your ransome and redeem you from all iniquity Heb. 9 1â— By his owne bloud hath hee entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for you Christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands which are similitudes of
of his corruption Who knoweth how oft he offendeth Thou only O Lord knowest my sins who knowest my heart nothing is hid from thee thou knowest what I have been and what I am yea my conscience doth accuse mee of many and grievous evils and I doe daily feele by wofull experience how fraile I am how prone to evill and how untoward unto all goodnesse My mind is full of vanity my heart full of profanenesse mine affections full of deadnesse dulnesse drowsinesse in matters of thy worship and service Yea my whole soule is full of spirituall blindnesse hardnesse unprofitablenesse coldnesse and security And in very deed I am altogether a lump of sin and a masse of all misery and therefore I have forfeited thy favour incurred thy high displeasure and have given thee just cause to frowne upon me to give me over and leave me to mine own corrupt will and affections But O my deare Father I have learned from thy mouth that thou art a God full of mercy slow to wrath of great compassion and kindnesse towards all such as groane under the burthen of their sins Therefore extend thy great mercy towards me poor sinner and give me a generall pardon for all mine offences whatsoever seale it in the bloud of thy Son and seale it to my conscience by thy Spirit assuring me more and more of thy love and favour towards me and that thou art a reconciled Father unto me Grant that I may all time to come love thee much because much is given and of very love feare thee and obey thee O Lord increase my faith that I may stedfastly beleeve all the promises of the Gospel made in thy Son Christ and rest upon them altogether Enable me to bring forth the sound fruits of faith and repentance in all my particular actions Fill my soule full of joy and peace in beleeving Fill me full of inward comfort and spirituall strength against all temptations give me yet a greater feeling of thy love and manifold mercies towards me work in my soule a love of thy Majesty a zeale of thy glory and hatred of evill and a desire of all good things Give mee victory over those sinnes which thou knowest are strongest in me Act me once at last make a conquest of the world and the flesh Mortifie in mee whatsoever is carnall sanctifie mee throughout by thy Spirit knit my heart to thee for ever that I may feare thy Name renue in mee the Image of thy Son Christ daily more and more Give mee a delight in the reading and meditation of thy Word Let me rejoyce in the publike Ministery thereof Let me love and reverence all the faithfull Ministers of thy Gospel Sanctifie their doctrines to my conscience seale them in my soule write them in my heart give me a soft and melting heart that I may tremble at thy words and be alwayes much affected with godly Sermons Let not my sins hold back thy mercies from me nor mine unworthinesse stop the passage of thy grace Open mine eyes to see the great wonders of thy Law Reveale thy secrets unto me be open-hearted toward mee thy unworthy servant Hide nothing from me that may make for thy glory and the good of my soule Blesse all meanes unto me which thou usest for my good Blesse all holy instructions unto my soule Blesse me at all times both in hearing and reading thy Word Give me the right use of all thy merciâ— and corrections that I may be the better for them Let me abound in love to thy children Let my heart be very neerly knit unto them that where thou lovest most there I may love most also Let me watch and pray that I enter not into temptation give mee patience and contentment in all things Let me love thee more and more and the worldlesse and lesse So draw my mind upward that I may despise all transitory things Let mee be so rapt and ravished with the sight and feeling of Heavenly things that I may make a base reckoning of all earthly things Let me use this world as though I used it not Let me use it but for necessity as meat and drinke Let me not be carried away with the vaine pleasures and fond delights thereof Good Father worke the good worke in me and never leave mee nor forsake mee till thou hast brought mee to true happinesse Oh deare Father make mee faithfull in my calling that I may serve thee in it and be alwayes carefull to doe what good I may in any thing Blesse me in my outward estate Blesse my soule body goods and name Blesse all that belong unto mee Blesse my goings out and comings in Let thy countenance be lifted up upon mee now and alwayes cheere me up with the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit make me thankfull for all thy mercies For I must needs confesse that thou art very kind to mee in all things For in thee I live move and have my being of thee I have my welfare and good being thou art a daily friend and speciall good benefactour unto mee I live at thy cost and charges I hold all of thee in chiefe and I find that thou art never weary of doing me good thy goodnesse towards me is unchangeable Oh I can never be thankfull enough unto thee for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall But in such measure as I am able I praise thy Name for all beseeching thee to accept of my thanksgiving in thy Son Christ and to give me a profitable use of all thy favours that thereby my heart may be fully drawne unto thee give me O Father to be of such a good nature and disposition that I may be won by gentlenesâ— and faire meanes as much as if thou gavest me many lashes Pardon all mine unthankfulnesse unkindnesse and great abusing of thy mercies and give me grace to use them more to thy glory in all time to come Strengthen me deare Father thus to continue praising and glorifying thy Name here upon earth that after this life I may be crowned of thee for ever in thy Kingdome Grant these petitions most mercifull God not onely to mee but to all thy deare children throughout the whole world for Iesus Christs sake in whose name I doe further call upon thee saying as he hath taught mee O our Father which art in Heaven c. FINIS
and the master-pock of the soule Phil. Shew mee out of the Scriptures that pride is so grievous and lothsome Theol. Solomon saith Prov. 16.5 Every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the Lord which plainly sheweth that God doth detest and abhorre proud men And is it not a fearfull thing think you to be abhorred of God And in the same Chap. Ver. 18. he saith Pride goeth before destruction and an high mind before the fall Wherein he sheweth that pride is the for-runner of some deadly downfall either by disgracing or displacing For it is an old and true Proverb Pride wil have a fall And oftentimes when men are most lifted up then are they neerest unto it as the examples of Haman Nebuchadnezzar and Herod doe plainly declare When the milt swelleth the rest of the body pineth away even so when the heart is puft up with pride the whole man is in danger of destruction Moreover the holy Ghost saith Prov. 15.24 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud Job 11.5.25 Job 28.26 Job saith of such kind of men The spark of his fire shall not shine fear shall dwell in his house and brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation And in another place hee saith Job 23.13 The fire which is not blowne shall devoure him Mee thinkes therefore if there were any spark of grace in us these terrible speeches of the holy Ghost might serve to humble us and pull down our pride especially sith the Scriptures doe affirme that God resisteth the proud and setteth himself ex professe against them and therefore wo unto them for if God take against a man who can reclaime him for he doth whatsoever he will Phil. But tell me I pray you when you speak against pride what pride is it that you mean Theol. I mean all pride both that which is inward in the heart and that also which breaketh out in mens foreheads I mean that which apparently sheweth it selfe in mens words and works Phil. Do you mean pride also of mens gifts Theol. Yes surely for there is no pride worse or more dangerous then that Beware saith one of spirituall pride as to be proud of our learning wit knowledge reading writings sermons praiers godliness policy valour strength riches honour birth beauty authority For God hath not given such gifts unto men to the end they should make sale-ware of them and set them a sun-shining to behold seeking only themselves with their gifts the vain praise of the multitude and applause of the people so robbing God of his honour and proudly arrogating to themselves that which is due unto God which is the praise of his gifts but he hath given his gifts to another end namely that wee should use them to his glory and the good of others either in Church or Common-wealth especially of those which doe most concern us Phil. Yet wee see commonly men of greatest gifts are most proud Theol. True indeed for the finest cloth is soonest stained And as worms ingender sooner in soft tender wood then in that which is more hard and knotty and as moths do breed sooner in fine wooll then in course flocks even so pride and vain glory do sooner assault an excellent and rare man in all kind of knowledge and vertue then another of meaner gifts and therefore pride is said to spring out of the ashes of all vertues For men will be proud because they are wise learned godly patient humble c. Pride therefore may very fitly bee compared to the crab-stock spines which grow out of the root of the very best Apple-tree Therefore to say the truth this is one of the last engines and weapons which the Divell useth for the overthrowing of Gods own children even to blow them up with pride as it were with gun-powder For as we see it come to passe in the siege of strong holds when no battery or force of shot will prevaile the last remedy and policy is to undermine it and blow it up with traines of gun-powder so when Sathan can no way prevail against some excellent servants of God his last device is to blow them up with pride as it were with gun-powder Phil. I see it is a speciall grace of God for men of great gifts to bee humble minded and hee is an odd man of a thousand which excelling in gifts excelleth in humility and the more gifts he hath the more humbly he walks not contemning others but esteeming them better than himselfe For commonly wee are the worse for Gods gifts because we have not the right use of them and againe because they engender so much proud flesh in us that we had need daily to be coâ—zied Therefore God sheweth great favour and mercy to that man whom he humbleth and taketh downe by any afflictions or infirmities whatsoever For otherwise it is sure proud flesh would altogether over-grow us Theol. 2 Cor. 12. You have spoken the truth for the Apostle himselfe confesseth that hee was tempted troubled this way had like to have been puffed up out of measure with the abundance of his revelations but that God in great mercy sent him a cooler and a rebater to wit a prick in the flesh which hee calleth the messenger of Satan whereby the Lord cured him of his pride And even so doth hee cure many of us of our pride by throwing us to Sathan leaving us to our selves and giving us over to commit some grosse evill even to fall downe and break our neckes and all to the end hee may humble us tame us and pull downe our pride which hee seeth wee are heart-sick of It is good for us therefore to be humble in the abundance of grace that wee bee not proud of that which wee have or that which we have done For humility in sin is better then pride in well-doing Phil. Herein surely appeareth the great wisdome and mercy of God that hee so graciously bringeth go d out of evil and turneth our afflictions infirmities falls and down-falls to his glory and our good Theol. It is most true For even as of the flesh of a Viper is made a soveraigne medicine to cure those which are stung of a Viper and as Physicians expell poyson with poyson so God according to his marvellous wisedome doth of the infirmities which remaine in us after regeneration cure other more dangerous diseases as pride vain-glory and presumption O blessed therefore be his name for ever which thus mercifully causeth all things to work together for the good of his owne people of whom these things are specially to be understood Phil. Is there no cause why men of great gifts should glory in their gifts Theol. No surely none at all For the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4. Who separateth thee And what hast thou that thou hast not received If thou hast received it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not received it Where the Apostle plainly sheweth that
whereof prayers and instructions are a part Moreover I demand whether you were ever angry or no Asun Yes an hundred times in my dayes and I thinke there is no body but will be angry at one time or other especially when they have cause Theol. Then you have broken the sixth Commandement which chargeth us to avoid wrath anger malice desire of revenge and all such like forerunners unto murder Furthermore I aske you whether you did never look upon a woman with a lust in your heart Asun Yes for I thinke there is no man free from thoughts that way I had thought thoughts had beene free Theol. No thoughts are not free before God for God knoweth our thoughts and will punish us arraign us and condemne us for thoughts Men know not thoughts and therefore can make not Lawes against thoughts but because God is privie to all our most secret thoughts therefore hee hath made Lawes against them and will condemne them Therefore I conclude that if you have nourished adulterous thoughts in your heart you are guilty of the breach of the seventh commandement which forbiddeth all secret thoughts and provocations whatsoever to adultery But further I demand whether you did never pilfer purloine and steale some small things from your neighbour as pasture poultry conies apples and such like Asun I cannot cleere my selfe in these things for I had thought they had been no sinne Theol. Then have you broken the eight Commandement and stand guilty of eternall death For God in this Commandement chargeth us to have as great care of our neighbours goods as of our owne and not to injure him any manner of way 〈◊〉 thought word or deed Therefore all deceit pilfring oppressing and all unjust dealing with our neighbours goods is here condemned Moreover let me ask you whether you did never lie or dissemble Asun Yes assuredly Theol. Then have you broken the ninth Commandement wherein God chargeth us both in witnesse bearing and all other matters to speake the plaine truth from our heart without lying or dissembling Last of all I demand whether you did never in your heart desire something that was not your owne as your neighbours house or ground kine or sheepe c. therein bewraying the discontentment of your heart Asun I am as guilty in this as in any thing For God forgive me I have often desired and lusted after this and that which was none of mine owne and so have bewrayed my discontentment Theol. Then I perceive by your owne confession that you are guilty of the breach of all the Commandements Asun I must needs confesse it for I see now more into that matter then ever I did I never heard so much before in my life nor was ever asked any such questions as you aske mee I had thought many of those things which you asked mee had been no sinnes at all Theol. I could have convicted you in a thousand other particulars wherein you doe daily and hourely breake the Law of God But my purpose was onely to give you a taste of some particular transgressions and therewithall some little light by the way into the meaning of the Law that thereby you might be brought to some better sight of your selfe and might a little perceive in what case you stand before God and by that little conceive a great deal more Asun Well now I do plainly see that I have been deceived and am not in so good estate before God as I thought I had been Moreover I see that thousands are out of the way which thinke they are in a good case before God whereas indeed they are in blindnesse and in their sinnes But Lord have mercie upon us I doe now plainly see that I am farre from keeping the Commandements and I thinke no man doth keep them Theol. You may sweare it I warrant you For neither Saint Paul David or the Virgin Mary could ever keep any one of the Commandements I am glad you begin to see into the Law of God and to have some taste that way For as a mans knowledge and in-sight is into the Law so is hiâ— knowledge and in-sight into himselfe Hee that hath a deep in-sight into the Law of GOD hath also a deep in-sight into himselfe Hee that hath no in-sight into the Law can have no in-sight into himselfe For the Law is that glasse wherein we doe behold the face of our soules before GOD. The Apostle saith By the Law cometh the knowledge of sinne Therefore those which are altogether ignorant of the Law and never behold themselves in this glasse doe commit an hundred sinnes a day which they know not of and therefore are not grieved for them For how can a man be grieved for that which hee knoweth not But now further I pray you to give mee leave to aske you some moe questions of the principleâ— of Religion to the end that you knowing and feeling your ignorance may be humbled therewith bewaile iâ— in time and seek after the true knowledge of God But yet by the way I will aske Antilâ—gon a question or two because I desire to understand what knowledge hee hath in the grounds of Religion Tell me therefore Antilegon what was the reason why Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost Antil I could answer you but I will not What authority have you to examine me Shew your commission When I see your warrant I will answer you in the meane time you have nothing to doe to examine mee Meddle with that you have to do withall Theol. I perceive you are not onely ignorant but wilfull and obstinate and refuse all instructions Therefore I will leave you to God and to your galled conscience But I pray you Asunetus answer this question What thinke you what was the reason that Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost Asun Belâ—eve me Sir that is an hard question You may aske a wise man that question For I cannot answer it Theol. What say you then to this Who was Christs mother Asun Marry Sir that was our blessed Lady Theol. What was Pontius Pilate Asun I am somewhat ignorant I am not book-learned but if you will have my simple opinion I thinke it was the Divell For none but the Divell would put our sweet Saviour to death Theol. What is the holy Catholike Church which you do beleeve Asun The communion of Saints the forgivenesse of sins Theol. What do you pray for when you say Thy Kingdome come Asun I do pray that God would send us all of his grace that wee may serve him and doe as wee ought to doe and keep us in a good minde to God-ward and to have him much in our minde For some God blesse us have nothing but the Divell in their minde they doe nothing a Gods name Theol. What is the Sacrament Asun The Lords Supper Theol. How many Sacraments be there Asun Two Theol. Which 〈◊〉 they Asun Bread an 〈◊〉 Theol. What is the principall end
the true Sanctuary but is entred into the very Heaven Heb. 9. to appeare now in the sight of God for you The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for you that knew no sinne that you might be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him Gal 3.13 Christ was made a curse for you that he might redeeme you from the curse of the Law Oh therefore how happy art thou that hast such a Mediatour and high Priest Rest therefore wholly upon him and upon that perfect eternall and propitiatory Sacrifice which he hath once offered Apply Christ apply his merits apply the promises to your selfe and to your owne conscience so shall they doe you good and bring great comfort to your soule For put case you had a most excellent and soveraigne salve which would cure any wound if it were laid to yet if you should locke it up in your chest and never apply it to your wound what good could it doe you Even so the righteousnesse and merits of Christ are a spirituall salve which will cure any wound of the soule but if wee doe not apply them to our soules by faith they can doe us no good You must therefore apply Christ and all the promises of the Gospel to your selfe by faith and stand fully perswaded that whatsoever hee hath done upon the Crosse hee hath done for you particularly For what is justifying faith but a full perswasion of Gods particular love to us in Christ The generall and confused knowledge of Christ and his Gospel availes not to eternall life Labour therefore to have the true use of all these great and precious promises and sticke fast to Christ for through him onely wee have remission of sins and eternall life Acts 10.45 To him all the Prophets give witnesse saith Saint Peter that through his Name all that beleeve shall receive remission of their sins Where the Apostle tells us that if a great Iury of Prophets were pannelled to testifie of the way and meanes to eternall life they would all with one consent bring in a verdict that remission of sins and eternall life are onely in Christ Let us heare the Fore-man speake and one or two of the rest for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand The Prophet Esay saith Esay 54.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed This great Prophet we see plainly affirmes that Christ suffered for our sins and by his suffering we are saved The Prophet Jeremy testifies the same thing Jer. 23 5. saying Behold the day is come saith the Lord that I will raise to David a righteous branch and a King shall reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse This Prophet jumps with the other For he saith that Christ is the righteous branch and that he is our righteousnesse which is all one as if hee had said our sinnes are pardoned onely through him and through him we are made righteous Moreover hee affirmes that Juda and Israel that is the Church shall be saved by him The Prophet Zachary that I may speake it with reverence telleth the same tale word for word He avoucheth the same thing with the other two Prophets for hee saith In that day a fountaine shall be opened to the house of David Zach. 13.1 and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse The meaning of the Prophet is that in the dayes of Christs Kingdome the fountaine of Gods mercy in Christ should be opened and let-out to wash away the sinnes and uncleannesse of the Church So then we see that these three great witnesses doe all agree in this that through Christ onely we are washed from our sinnes and through him onely wee are made righteous Seeing then that eternall life is onely in the Sonne therefore he that hath the Sonne hath life Be of good courage therefore O Asunetus for no doubt you have the Sonne and therefore eternall life Feare not your sinnes for they cannot hurt you for as all the righteousnesse of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the most righteous men that ever lived on the face of the earth if it were yours could doe you no good without Christ so all the sinne in the world can doe you no hurt being in Christ Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Plucke up a good heart therefore be no more heavie and sad for if you be found in Christ clothed with his perfect righteousnesse being made yours through faith what can the Divell say to you what can the Law doe They may well hisse at you but they cannot sting you they may grin at you but they cannot hurt you For who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies Rom. â— 33 who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead or rather which is risen againe who also sitteth at the right hand of God and makes request for us Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord therefore againe I say Rejoice for greater is hee that is in you then hee that is in the world Our Lord Iesus is stronger then all None can pluck you out of his hands hee is a strong Mediator hee hath conquered all our spirituall enemies hee hath overcome hell death and damnation hee hath led captivity captive Col. 1.15 hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and hath made an open shew of them and triumphed over them on his crosse Hee hath most triumphantly said O death Hos 13.14 I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15.55 O hell where is thy victory Seeing then you have such a Mediator and high Priest as hath conquered the hellish army and subdued all infernall power what need you to doubt what need you to feare any more Moreover you are to understand and to be perswaded that Gods mercy is exceeding great towards penitent sinners and all such as mourne for their transgressions according as hee saith At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart hee will put them all out of his remembrance The Prophet David doth most lively and fully describe unto us the mercifull nature of God in the 103. Psalme where hee saith The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse hee will not alwaies chide neither keepeth his anger for ever hee hath not dealt with us after our sinnes nor rewarded us according to our iniquities For as high as the heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy towards those that feare him
As farre as is the East from the West so farre hath hee removed our sinnes from us As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For he knowes whereof wee be made he remembreth that wee are but dust The History of the lost sonne doth most notably set forth the wonderfull mercy of God towards penitent sinners There is shewed how the Lord doth embrace tender Luke 1â— 20 and made much of such poore sinners as have broken and contrite hearts for their sinnes for it is said that when the Father saw his repenting Sonne a great way off hee had compassion on him and ranne and fell on his neck and kissed him and cloathed him with the best robe put it on him put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet and caused the fat calfe to be killed for him Even so the everlasting Father doth rejoyce at the conversion of any of his lost sonnes Yea there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth Moreover the Lord most lively expresseth his mercifull nature and disposition in this That he is very loth we should perish and willingly cast away our selves Therefore often in the holy Scriptures he mournes for us bewailes our wretchednesse and takes up many pitifull complaints and lamentations for us Psal â—1 13 saying O that my people had hearkened unto mee and Israel had walked in my waies Psa 48.18 And againe O that thou hadst hearkened unto my commandements then had thy prosperity been as the floud and thy righteousnesse as the waters of the sea Againe hee mourningly complaines by his Prophet Hosea saying O Ephraim what shall I doe to thee O Judah how shall I intreat thee And in another place Isa 5. What could I doe more to my Vineyard that I have not done Marke here how compassionately the Almighty God doth yerne over us and even as it were blood upon our wounds The Apostle also notes the rich mercy and marvellous love of GOD to mankind in this that hee doth beseech us and pray us by the Ministers of the Gospel that wee would be reconciled unto him The words are these Now then are wee Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through us wee pray you in Christs stead that you be reconciled unto God Is it not a strange thing that the omnipotent God should fall to entreating of us poore wretches It is all one as if a King should intreat a begger whom hee may will and command But the abundant mercy of God towards mankind doth most of all consist in this That hee hath given his onely Sonne for us when wee were his enemies as it is written God so loved the world that hee hath given his onely begotten Sonne John â— that whosoever beleeves in him should not perish but have everlasting life Againe Gods sets out his love towards us seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his bloud wee shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.1 For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life In all this then wee may cleerely behold the infinite mercy of God towards us poore sinners For is it not a great matter that the Son of God should take our nature upon him should be so abased as he was and should humble himselfe to death Phil. 2. â— even to the death of the crosse For as the shadow of the Diall went backe ten degrees that Ezechias might receive length of dayes and much happinesse so Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse hath gone backe many degrees that we might have eternall life His humiliation therefore is our exaltation his sufferings our joy his death our life For wee have no other remedy or refuge but only his merits and righteousnes He is our City of refuge whither we must flie and where wee must take sanctuary Jer. 9. He is the balme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured He is that poole of Bethesda John â— 2 where every man may be cured of what disease soever he hath 2 Kin. 5. He is the river of Jordan where Naaman may wash away all his leprosie He is that Pelican who by pecking a hole in his owne breast doth restore his young to life againe by his bloud Yet one thing wee must note by the way which hath been partly touched before That all the mercies of God and merits of Christ are to be restrained only to the Elect only to the true members of the Church as plainly appeareth in Psal 103. where the mercies of God which are there largely described are restrained onely to them that feare him keep his Covenant and thinke upon his Commandements to doe them And touching Christ it is said that hee is a Prince and a Saviour unto Israel and that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Againe it is written Psal 130. that Christ being consecrate was made the Authour of eternall salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.6 None doe or can obey him but only the Elect therefore hee is the Authour of salvation onely to the Elect. And consequently the profane world whatsoever they say whatsoever they brag and boast have no true title or interest in him This thing was figured in the Law in this that the Mercy-seat which was a type of Gods mercy in Christ and the Arke which was a figure of the Church were by the expresse commandement of GOD fitted each to other Exod. 25.10 both in length and breadth For as the Arke was two cubits and a halfe long and a cubit and a halfe broad just so was the Mercy-seat Noting thereby that the mercy of God in Christ should onely be fitted to his Church and belong onely to the Church so as not one without the Church should be saved For hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot have God for his Father Lastly we are to observe that as God is infinite in mercy and of great compassion toward penitent sinners so also is hee most constant in the course of his mercies towards his children And therefore one of the Psalmes carries this foot Psal 156. His mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever Noting thereby both the constancie and eternitie of Gods mercy To the same purpose it is thus written Lam. 3 2â— It is the Lords mercie that wee are not consumed it is because his compassions faile not Let us know therefore that God as touching his mercy to his children is of a most constant and unchangeable nature As hee saith I am the Lord I change not For if GOD were of a changeable nature as we are and subject to passions then were wee in a most miserable case then must hee
The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion pag. 334 The meanes to get out of ignorance pag. 346 347 Ignorance a most dangerous thing pag. 348 The charge of Ministers exceeding weighty and most carefully to be looked unto pag. 353 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance pag. 357 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captivity of Sathan pag. 358 359 Preaching a matter of absolute necessity unto eternall life pag. 363 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their souls pag. 364 Satans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching utterly unprofitable pag. 365 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man pag. 367 Six great dangers of sin pag. 368 Six most fearfull events of sin pag. 369 God in all ages hath severely punished the transgressors of his Law pag. 370 371 Every sin though never so little in our eyes is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite Majesty pag. 371 Nine profitable considerations pag. 372 If men would leave words and fall to doing great good would come of it pag. 374 Nine things much to be thought upon pag. 376 The description of Christs comming to judgment pag. 376 377 The terror the suddennesse the end the manner and the use of Christs second coming described pag. 378 379 The torments of hell with the extremity perpetuity and remedilesnesse thereof described pag. 389 The ignorant man upon the hearing of the day of judgement and hell fire laid open is pricked in his conscience bewailes his former life repents earnestly for his sin and ignorance and desires spirituall physicke and comfort of the Preacher pag. 398 The Preacher ministers unto him much spirituall comfort and doth in ample manner lay open unto him all the sweet promises of the Gospel and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken-hearted sinners pag. 402 403 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached unto him and thereupon gathers great inward peace converts unto God with all his heart and exceedingly blesseth God for the Preachers counsell pag. 422 FINIS A Morning Prayer to be used in private Families O Lord our God and heavenly Father we thy unworthy children do here come into thy most holy and heavenly presence to give thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings toward us especially for that thou hast preserved us this night past from all the dangers and fears thereof hast given us quiet rest to our bodies and brought us now safely to the beginning of this day and dost now afresh renew all thy mercies upon us as the Eagle reneweth her bill giving us all things abundantly to enjoy as food raiment health peace liberty and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subject to in this life every minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafing unto us many good things not onely for necessity but even for delight also But above all dear Father wee praise thy name for the blessings of a better life especially for thy most holy Word and Sacraments and all the good wee enjoy thereby for the continuance of the Gospel amongst us for the death of thy Sonne and all that happinesse which wee have thereby also because thou hast chosen us to life before wee were and that of thy meere goodnesse and undeserved favour toward us and hast called us in thine appointed time justified us by thy grace and sanctified us by thy Spirit and adopted us to be thine owne children and heires apparent to the great Crowne O Lord open our eyes every day more and more to see and consider of thy great and marvellous love to us in all these things that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be drawne yet neerer unto thee even more to love thee feare thee and obey thee that as thou art enlarged towards us in mercy so we may be enlarged towards thee in thanksgiving and as thou dost abound towards us in goodnesse so we may abound towards thee in obedience and love And sith deare Father thou art never weary of doing us good notwithstanding all our unworthinesse and naughtinesse therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindnesse towards us even as it were force our hearts and compell us to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thanksgiving in our mouthes Wee pray thee O most mercifull God to forgive all our unthankfulnesse unkindnesse profanenesse and great abusing of all thy mercies and especially our abuse and contempt of thy Gospel together with all other the sinnes of our life which we confesse are innumerable and more then can be reckoned up both in omission of good things and commission of evill We most humbly entreat thee to set them all over to the reckoning which thy Son Christ hath made up for them upon his Crosse and never to lay any of them to our charge but freely forget all and forgive all Naile down all our sinnes and iniquities to the Crosse of Christ bury them in his death bathe them in his bloud hide them in his wounds let them never rise up in judgement against us Set us free of the miseries that are upon us for sin and keep back the judgements to come both of soule body goods and good name Be reconciled unto us in thy deare Sonne concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating unto us our old and abominable iniquities but accept us as righteous in him imputing his righteousnesse to us and our sins to him Let his righteousnesse satisfie thy justice for all our unrighteousnesse his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfection Moreover wee humbly beseech thy good Majesty to give us the true sight and feeling of our manifold sins that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardened in them through custome as the reprobates are but that we may be even weary of them and much grieved for them labouring and striving by all possible meanes to get out of them Good Father touch our hearts with true repentance for all sinne Let not us take any delight or pleasure in any sinne but howsoever we fall through frailty as wee fall often let us never fall finally let us never lye downe in sin nor continue in sin but let us get up on our feet againe and turne to thee with all our hearts and seek thee whilest thou maist be found and whilest thou dost offer grace and mercy unto us O Lord increase in us that true and lively faith whereby wee may lay sure hold on thy Sonne Christ and rest upon his merits altogether Give us faith assuredly to beleeve all thy great and precious promises made in the
Gospel and strengthen us from above to walk and abound in all the true and sound fruits of faith Let us walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Let us feele the power of thy Sonnes death killing sin in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raising us up to newnesse of life Let us grow daily in the sanctification of the Spirit and the mortification of the flesh Let us live holily justly and soberly in this present evill world shewing forth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions that wee may adorne our most holy profession and shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and froward generation amongst whom wee live being gainfull to all by our lives and conversation and offensive to none To this end wee pray thee fill us with thy Spirit and all spirituall graces as love wisdome patience contentment meeknesse humility temperance chastitie kindnesse and affability and stirre us up to use prayer and watchfulnesse reading and meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heavenly vertues Blesse us in the use of the meanes from day to day make us such as thou wouldest have us to be and such as wee desire to be worke in us both will and deed purpose and power For thou O Lord art all in all thou wilt have mercie upon whom thou wilt have mercie and whom thou wilt thou hardenest Have mercy upon us therefore deare Father and never leave us to our selves nor to our owne wills lusts and desires but assist us with thy good Spirit that we may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length wee may be received into glory and be partakers of that immortall Crowne which thou hast laid up for all that love thee and truly call upon thee Further wee intreat thee O heavenly Father to give us all things necessary for this life as food raiment health peace liberty and such freedome from those manifold miseries which we lie open unto every day as thou seest meet Blesse unto us all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our flocke and store corne and cattell trades and occupations and all workes of our hands for thy blessing onely makes rich and it bringeth no sorrowes with it Give us therefore such a competencie and sufficiencie of these outward blessings as thou in thy heavenly wisdome seest most needfull for us Moreover wee humbly beseech thee most loving Father in great mercie looke downe from Heaven upon thy whole Church and every member of it Be favourable unto Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem Behold with the eye of pitie the great ruines and desolation of thy Church Heale up the wounds and make up the breaches thereof in all Nations Regard it as thine own flocke tender it as thine own family dresse it as thine owne Vineyard love it as thine owne Spouse Thinke thoughts of peace to it and alwayes looke upon it in deep compassion Blesse it with thy grace guide it with thy Spirit and defend it still with thy mighty power scatter the devices consound the counsels and overthrow the forces of all that fight against it Specially wee intreat thee deare Father to set thy selfe against that Antichrist of Rome that man of perdition which setteth himselfe against thee and against all thy people In thine appointed time wee pray thee give him a deadly downfall Beat downe all his power and authority daily more and more give free passage to thy Gospel in all Kingdomes that Babylon may fall and never rise up againe The more the favourites and adherents of Rome labour to uphold their Idolatrous Kingdome the more let it fall downe even as Dagon before the presence of thine Arke Poure downe the Vials of the fulnesse of thy wrath upon the Kingdomes of the Beast and let their riches wealth credit and authority dry up every day more and more as the river Euphrates Let it pitie thee O Father to see thine owne Spouse sit as a deformed and forlorne woman here below weeping and mourning with her haire about her necke having lost all her beauty and comelinesse Cheere her up deare Father glad her with the joy of thy countenance and so decke her and trim her up that thou maist delight in her as a Bridegroome in his Bride Specially wee intreat thee have mercie upon thy Church in this Land intend good unto us and not evill Give us not over into the hands of our cruell enemies as our sinnes have deserved Scatter we pray thee O Lord the devices and breake the plots of all such as have plotted the overthrow and utter subversion of this Church and Common-wealth Blesse this Church more and more with the continuance of true Religion amongst us for thy great Names sake and infinite mercies sake deale graciously and favourably with us and our posterity Turne from us that vengeance which is due unto us for our sinnes For thou seest how iniquity prevaileth and the wicked goe away with the goale Atheisme over-spreadeth every where and Popery seemeth to get a head againe Now therefore deare Father we most humbly beseech thee to take order speedily for the remedying and repressing of these manifold disorders and grievous enormities that are amongst us Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this English Nation Heare the cries of thine Elect heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion Let the cries of thy children cry downe all the cries of the sins of the Land and be reconciled unto us in the multitude of thy compassions that so thou maist still continue a most mercifull protectour of this thine English Vineyard Wee pray thee good Father shew speciall mercy to our most Noble and gracious King Charles thine anointed Servant blesse him and keep him in all his wayes blesse his government unto us Let thine Angels encamp about him and let thy holy hand be alwayes over him keep him from treasons and deliver him from the treacheries of his enemies give him to see what belongs to his peace and give 〈◊〉 a heart earnestly bent to set upon the practice of the same give him all graces necessary for his place and necessary for his salvation continue his government peaceable and prosperous amongst us and as thou hast made him the breath of our nostrils and a gracious instrument for the saving of many thousand soules so let his owne soule be saved in the day of thy Sonne Christ Blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellours and give such good successe unto all their counsels and policies in matters of State that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Blesse all the Nobility worke in them a care to glorifie thy Name in their places make them faithfull to thee and faithfull to the Land Direct with thy good Spirit all such as beare the sword of Justice
be without them they are very good for them For when Gods children are chastised it is as it should be For to them the crosse is mercy and losse is gain Afflictions are their schooling and their adversitie their best Vniversity It is good for mee saith the holy man of God that I have been afflicted Psal 118. that I might learn thy statutes By his afflictions therefore hee learned much and became a good schollar in Gods booke and well seen in his statutes and lawes Hee grew to great wisedome and judgement by his chastisements All things turned about in Gods mercifull providence to his everlasting comfort For I say againe and againe That all things tend to the good of Gods chosen people And therefore that estate which God will have his children to be in is alwayes best for them because he who can best discern what is best seeth it to bee best for them whether it bee sicknesse or health poverty or plenty prison or liberty prosperity or adversity For sometimes sicknesse is better for us then health and poverty then plenty Are therefore the children of God sick It is best for them Are they poore It is best for them Are they in any trouble It is best for them because their good Father will turne it to the best Hee will oftentimes cut us short of our lusts and desires because hee seeth we will bane our selves with them Hee in fatherly care will take the knife from us because hee seeth wee will hurt our selves with it Hee will keep us short of health and wealth because hee knoweth wee will bee the worse for them Hee will not give us too much ease and prosperity in this world for hee knoweth it will poyson us Hee will not allow us continuall rest like standing ponds for then hee knoweth wee will gather scum and filth Hee dealeth fatherly and mercifully with us in all things even then seeking our greatest good when wee thinke hee doth us most harme And to speak all in a word he bringeth us into troubles and straits to this end especially that hee may hear of us For he right wel knoweth our nature he is well acquainted with our disposition hee knoweth we will not come at him but when wee stand in need of him we care not for him so long as all goeth well with us But if wee come into distresse or want any thing that we faine would have then hee is sure to heare of us as he saith by the Prophet Hos 3.15 In their affliction they will seek me early And another Prophet saith Lord Isa 26.26 in trouble have they visited thee They poured out a prayer when thy chastisement was upon them So then now I hope you do plainly see the cause why the Lord bringeth his children into so many troubles and necessities Phil. I do see it indeed and am very well satisfied in it But yet let mee aske you one thing further Are Gods children alwaies sure to be delivered out of their troubles Theol. Yes verily and out of doubt so farre forth as God seeth good for them For it is written Great are the troubles of the righteous Psal 34.19 but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Saint Peter saith â— Pâ—â—â— 1 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation As if hee should say Hee is well beaten to it and well seen and experienced in it so as hee can doe it easily and without any trouble at all It is said of Joseph being in prison That when his appointed time was come Phil. 105 1◠〈◊〉 and the counsell of the Lord had tryed him the King sent and loosed him the Ruler of the people delivered him And againe the Scripture saith Psal 34. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles The Angell of the Lord tarrieth round about them that feare him and delivereth them And in another place the Lord himselfe saith concerning the righteous man Psal 91.17 Because he hath loved me therefore I will deliver him I will exalt him because hee hath knowne my name He shall call upon me in trouble and I will heare him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and glorifie him Job 5. So also saith Eliphas the Temanite Hee shall deliver thee in six troubles and in the seventh the evill shall not touch thee Come my people saith the Lord Isa 25.22 enter thou into my Chambers and shut the doores after thee hide thy selfe for a very little while untill the indignation passe over And the Prophet saith Obad. 27. â—â— Upon Mount Sion shall be deliverance and it shall be holy and the house of Jacob shall possesse their hereditarie possessions Almost innumerable places of the Scriptures might be alledged to this purpose but these may suffice Therefore let us know for a certainty that so sure as trouble and affliction are to the children of God so sure also is deliverance out of the same As we may write of the one and make reckoning of it as sure as the coat on our backe so may wee also in Gods good time write of the other and make full account of it as sure as the Lord is true Abraham was in trouble but delivered Job in trouble but delivered David in great trouble but delivered The three children in the furnace but delivered Daniel in the Lions den but delivered Jonas in the Whales belly but delivered Paul in innumerable troubles but yet delivered out of all Phil. All this being true that you say it followeth that Gods children are chastised only for their good and evermore sure of deliverance in his appointed time Which thing being so mee thinks there is no cause at all why they should bee over-heavie or too much cast down in their afflictions Theol. Assuredly there is no cause at all but rather cause why they should rejoyce clap their hands and sing Care away For can a father forsake his children a King his subjects a master his servant or a shepherd his sheep Doth not Jehovah say I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. Doth not our heavenly Father know wee have need of these things Hath not God given us his word that we shall not want outward things Hath hee not said they shall bee cast upon us Why then should wee bee dismayed Why should wee hang down our heads Why doe wee not plucke up good hearts and be of good cheere God is our dear Father hee is our best friend hee is our daily Benefactor or hee keepeth us at his own cost and charges he grudgeth us nothing he thinketh nothing too much for us hee loveth us most deadly hee is most charie and tender over us hee cannot endure the winde should blow upon us hee will have us want nothing that is good for us If we will out gold wee shall have it He hath given us his faithfull
promise that as long as wee live we shall never want Let us therefore rejoyce and be merry For heaven is ours earth is ours God is ours Christ is ours All is ours As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.21 All is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The world clap their hands and crow long before it be day saying All is theirs but the children of God may say and say truly All is ours For they have a true title and proper interest through Christ in all the creatures Many are their priviledges great are their prerogatives They are free of heaven and free of earth They are the onely free Denizens of the world Christ hath purchased them their freedome Christ hath made them free and therefore they are free indeed They are free from sinne free from hell free from damnation They are at peace with God Men and Angels They are at peace with themselves They are at peace with all creatures They are young Princes Angels fellowes descended of the highest house of the bloud royall of Heaven States of Paradise and heires apparent to the immortall Crowne Therefore God hath commanded his Angels to guard them being such young Princes as they are yea hee hath given a very strait charge to all his creatures to looke to them to see to them that they want nothing that they take no hurt so jealous so chary so tender is he of them Gen. 3.2 Jonah 2. 1 King 17. Jos 10. The Angels must comfort Jacob The Whale must rescue Jonas The Raven must feed Elias The Sun and Moone must stay for Joshua Exod. 14. The Sea must divide it selfe that Moses and his people may passe thorow The fire must not burne the three Children The Lions may not devoure Daniel Dan. 3. 6. All the creatures must change their nature rather then Gods children should not be holpen and delivered Oh therefore how great is the happinesse of Gods chosen Who can expresse it who can utter it They know not their owne happinesse it is hid from them Afflictions doe cloud it troubles doe over-shadow it crosses doe dim it and there is an interposition of the earth betwixt their sight and it But this is most certaine and sure that the best is behind with the children of God all the sweet is to come Their happinesse doth not appeare in this world 1 John â— 2â— Their life is hid with Christ in God When Christ shall appeare then shall they also appeare with him in glory It doth not yet appeare what they shall be but when he cometh they shall be made like unto him Col. 3.3 4. Their names are already taken and entred into the booke of life and one day they shall be crowned One day it shall be said unto them Come yee blessed c. One day they shall enjoy his presence where is fulnesse of joy Psal 16. and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore Therefore let all Gods secret ones rejoyce sing and be merry For howsoever in this world they be contemned troden under the foot made no-bodies walk as shadowes being counted as the very rags of the earth and the objects of the world yet the time will come when their happinesse and felicity shall be such as never entred into the heart of man it is endlesse unspeakable and unconceivable Phil. I doe now plainly see that there is no cause why Gods people should be too heavie and dumpish in their afflictions I see that though they be not free from all afflictions yet are they free from all hurtfull afflictions For no rod no crosse no chastisement is hurtfull unto them but all in the conclusion cometh to a blessed issue Theol. You have uttered a great and a most certain truth For there is no affection or triall which God imposeth upon his children but if they endure it quietly trust in his mercy firmly and tarry his good pleasure obediently it hath a blessed and a comfortable end Therefore the people of God may well be merry in the midst of their sorrowes They may with patience and comfort submit themselves to their Fathers corrections taking them patiently and even kissing his holy rod and saying in themselves Sith my Father will have it so I am content seeing it is his mind I am willing withall As old Eli said It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 let him do what he will And as David in like submission said in a certaine case Behold here am I let him doe to mee as it seemeth good in his owne eyes 2 Sam. 15.16 And againe hee saith I was dumb Psal 29. and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hast done it Behold here then the patience of Gods Saints and their humble submission unto his most holy will They know all shall end well and that maketh them glad to thinke of it I conclude then that the children of God are happie in what state soever they are happie in trouble Deut. 28. happie out of trouble happie in poverty happie in plenty blessed in sicknesse blessed in health blessed at home likewise and abroad and every way blessed But on the contrary the wicked are cursed in what state soever they are cursed in sicknesse cursed in health cursed in plenty cursed in poverty cursed in prosperity cursed in adversity cursed in honour cursed in dishonour For all things work together for their destruction Nothing doth them any good They are not any thing the better either for Gods mercies or judgements All weathers are alike unto them They are alwayes the same in prosperity and adversity they are no changelings And as we say A good yeer doth not mend them nor an ill yeer pair them Phil. You have long insisted upon this point Now proceed to the fourth sign of a mans damnation which is the contempt of the Gospel and lay open both the greatnesse of the sin and the danger of it Theol. This sinne is of another nature then the former It is a sinne against the first Table It toucheth the person of God himselfe For to contemne the Gospel it is to contemne God himselfe whose Gospel it is If to contemne the Ministers of the Gospel hee to condemne God and Christ as our Lord Iesus avoucheth how much more then Luke 10.10 to contemne the Gospel it selfe Therefore it is dangerous meddling with this sinne It is to meddle with edged tooles to meddle with Princes matters to touch the Ark to come neer the holy Mountaine which all were things full of great perill and danger Yea it is to spill the Sacrament It is Noli me tangere It is to raile at a King It is to spet God in the face It is high treason against the King of glory Therefore this sinne of all other can never be endured and may at no hand be borne withall For can a mortall King endure the contempt of his lawes Can he put up the contempt of his
no violence nor shed innocent bloud in this place For if you doe this thing then shall the King sitting upon the Throne of David enter in by the gates of this house and ride upon chariots and upon horses both hee and his seruants and his people And againe Jer. 3.22 O ye disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellion The Lord also saith by his Prophet Esay If yee consent and obey Esay 1.19 yee shall eat the good things of the Land but if yee refuse and be rebellious yee shall be devoured with the sword For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Hos â— 1 The Prophet Hosea saith Come let us returne to the Lord for he hath spoiled and he will heale us hee hath wounded us and hee will bind us up And againe O Israel Hos 13. â—â— returne unto the Lord for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity and I will heale thy rebellion and will love thee freely for 〈◊〉 iâ—â—â—â—â—ed away from thee I will be as the dew unto Israel hee shall grow as the Lilly and fasten his root as the trees of Lebanon His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon The Prophet Micah telleth us what is good for us and what is our best course and what the Lord requireth at our hands namely these foure things Micah 6.8 To doe justly to love mercy to humble our selves and to walke with our God The Prophet Amos giveth the same counsell saying Seeke the Lord Amoâ— 5.38 and ye shall live Seeke good and not evill Hate the evill and love the good and establish judgement in the gate It may be that the Lord of Hosts will be mercifull unto the remnant of Joseph And the Lord himselfe saith Jer. 16.8 If this Nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague I thought to bring upon them Thus we doe plainly see what advice and counsell the Prophets and holy men of God doe give unto us The summe of all is this that if wee doe truly repent and turne unto him with all our hearts studying to obey him and walke in his wayes then he will grant us any favour that wee will require at his hands For even as a wooll-pack or other soft matter beateth backe and dampeth the force of all shot so penitent melting and soft hearts doe beat backe the shot of Gods wrath and turne away his vengeance from us Moreover wee may observe in all experience that when Potentates are offended or any great man hath conceived a displeasure against some poore man then he must runne and ride send presents use his friends breake his sleep and never be quiet untill hee have pacified him Even so must wee deale with our God seeing hee hath taken a displeasure against us O therefore that wee would speedily use all possible meanes to pacifie his wrath Oh that wee would with one heart and voice every one of us from the highest to the lowest humble our selves before our God forsake our former evill wayes be grieved for that wee have done and purpose never to doe the like againe Oh that it might goe to the hearts of us that wee have so often and so grievously offended so loving a God and so mercifull a Father Oh that wee would awake once at last and rowse up our drowsie hearts and ransacke our sleepie consciences crying out against our sinnes that our sins might never cry out against us Oh that wee would judge our selves accuse our selves indite our selves and condemne our selves so should wee never be adjudged accused endited or condemned of the Lord. Oh that all hearts might sob all soules might sigh all loines might be smitten with sorrow all faces gather blacknesse and every man smite himselfe on the thigh saying What have I done Oh that both Magistracy Ministry and Commonalty would purpose and vow and even take a bond of themselves that from henceforth and from this day forward they would set their hearts to seeke the Lord and wholly give up themselves to his obedience Oh that all men women and children would feare God and keep his Commandements would eschew evill and doe good would study to please God in all things and to be fruitfull in all good workes making conscience to perform the duties of their generall callings and duties of their speciall callings duties of the first Table and duties of the second Table that so God might be sincerely worshipped his Name truly reverenced his Sabbaths religiously observed and that every man would deale kindly mercifully justly and uprightly with his neighbour that there might be no complaining no crying in our streets Oh I say againe and againe that if all of us of what estate degree or condition soever would walke in the paths of our God then doubtlesse wee should live and see good dayes all future dangers should be prevented our peace prolonged our state established our King preserved and the Gospel continued Then should wee still enjoy our lives our goods our lands our livings our wives our children our houses and tenements our orchardâ— and gardens yea as the Prophet saith wee shall eat the good things of the Land spend our daies in much comfort peace and tranquility and leave great blessings unto our children and posterity from age to age from generation to generation Phil. You have fully answered my question and well satisfied mee therein out of the Scriptures yet I pray you give mee leave to adde one thing to that which you have at large set downe The Lord saith by the Prophet Amos Amos 4.6 7 that for their sinnes and rebellions hee had given them cleannesse of teeth that is dearth and scarcitie and yet they did not turne unto him Also hee with-held the raine from them and punished them with drought and yet they did not turne unto him Moreover hee smote their Corne their great Gardens their Orchards Vineyards Fig-trees and Olive-trees with blasting and mildew and the Palmer-worme did devoure them and yet they did not returne unto him Last of all hee smote them with pestilence and with the sword and overthrow them as hee overthrew Sodome and Gomorrah and they were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning yet for all this they did not turne unto him Yee have not turned unto mee saith the Lord. But now to come to the point Out of this I gather that if wee multiply our transgressions God will multiply his plagues upon us but on the contrary if wee would unfainedly turne unto the Lord our God with all our hearts all plauges should bee stayed all dangers prevented and no evill should fall upon us For because they would not turne therefore he smote them If therefore they had turned hee would not have smote them But now I pray you briefly conclude this point and declare in few words what it is that doth most materially concerne our
Gods Commandements Asun As neere as God will give mee grace Theol. Nay but I aske you whether you keep them or no Asun I doe assay to keep them as neere as I can I doe my true intent Though I keep them not all yet I am sure I keep some of them Theol. Because you say you keep some of them I pray you let me be so bold with you as to examine you in the particulars You know the first Commandement is this Thou shalt have none other Gods in my sight How say you doe you keep this Asun I am out of all feare of it For I never worshipped any God but one I am fully perswaded there is but one God Theol. What say you to the second Commandement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven image c. Asun I never worshipped any images in my life I defie them I know they cannot help me for they be but stocks and stones Theol. What say you to the third Commandement which is this Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vaine c. Asun Nay certainly I was never counted a swearer in my life but I have served God alwaies of a child and have had a good faith in him ever since I could remember I would be sorry else Theol. What say you then to the fourth Commandement Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day c. Asun Nay for that matter I keep my Church as well as any man in the parish where I dwell and mind my prayers as well when I am there I thanke God for it though I say it my selfe I have beene alway well given and have loved Gods word with all my heart and it doth mee good to heare the Epistles and Gospels read every Sunday by our Vicar Theol. Tell me what say you to the fift Commandement which is Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. Doe you keepe this Asun I have alwayes loved and obeyed my father and mother from my heart I hope there is no body can accuse me for that and I am sure if I keepe any commandement it is this For when I was a boy every body said that I was well given and a toward child Therefore if I should not keep this Commandement it would be a great griefe to mee and goe as neere my heart as any thing that came to mee this seven yeeres Theol. What say you to the sixt Commandement Thou shalt not kill Asun It were strange if I should not keep that Theol. What say you to the seventh Thou shalt not commit adultery Asun I thank God for it I was never given to women God hath alwaies kept mee from that and I hope will so still Theol. What say you to the eighth Thou shâ—â—t not steale Asun I am neither whore-master nor thiefe Theol. What say you to the ninth Thou shalt not beare false witnesse c. Asun I defie all false witnesse bearing from my heart Theol. What say you to the last Thou shalt not covet Asun I thank God for it I never coveted any mans goods but mine owne Theol. Now I perceive you are a wonderfull man you can keep all the Commandements You are like the blind Ruler which said unto Christ All these things have I kept from my youth Mat. 19.20 I perceive now indeed that it is no marvell though you make so light of Preaching for you have no need of it You are whole you need not the Physician you feele no misery and therefore you care not for mercy For where misery is not felt there mercy is not regarded but I see you need no Saviour Asun You â—â—y not well in that I need a Saviour and iâ— is my Lord Jesus that must save me 〈◊〉 he made me Theol. What need you a Saviour sith you are no sinner Asun Yes beleeve mee I am a sinner We are all sinners there is no man but hee sinneth Theol. How can you be a sinner sith you keepe all the Commandements Asun Yes I am a sinner for all that Theol. Can you both be a sinner and be without sinne too for hee that keepeth the Commandements is without sinne which thing you say you doe But I see how the case standeth that a great number of such ignorant and sottish men as you are will in generall say you are sinners because your conscience telleth you so but when it cometh to particulars you know not how you sinne nor wherein I pray you therefore let mee lead you thorow the Commandements againe and deale with you in particulars that I may bring you to the sight of your sinnes How say you therefore doe you upon your knees every morning and evening give God thankes for his particular mercies and manifold favours towards you And doe you call much upon him privately and much also with your family Answer me plainly and simply Asun I cannot say so Theol. Then you have broken the first Commandement which chargeth us to give God his due worship whereof prayer and thanksgiving are a part So then here at the very entrance you are found guilty Further I demand of you whether you never had any by-thoughts in your prayers and your heart hath not beene upon other matters even then while you were in prayer Asun I cannot deny that For it is a very hard matter to pray without by-thoughts Theol. Then by your owne confession you have broken the second Commandement which doth command the right manner of Gods worship that is that as wee must worship God so wee must doe it in faith love zeale and pure affections So that here you are guilty also because when you pray your minde is of other matters and you doe it not in sincerity and truth Further I demand of you whether you did never sweare by your faith or troth or by our Lady St. Mary and such other oathes Asun Yes by S. Mary have I I must needs confesse it Theol. Wee need no further witnesse your very answer proveth it for your answer is an oath therefore here also are you guilty because you sweare by idols Further I demand of you whether you did never travell to Faires on the Sabbath day or make bargaines on that day or take journies or talke of worldly matters neglecting holy duties Asun Yes God forgive me I have Theol. Then are you guilty of the breach of the fourth Commandement which chargeth us on paine of death to spend the Sabbath day in holy and religious duties both publikely and privately Further I demand whether you instruct your wife children and servants in the true knowledge of God and pray with them or no Asun I am sure you would have mee speak the truth I must needs confesse I do not neither am I able to do it Theol. Then are you guilty of the breach of the fifth Commandement which commandeth all duties of superiours towards their inferiours and of inferiours towards their superiours
needs smite us downe and take vengeance of us every day and every houre in the day because wee provoke him every day and every houre in the day But the God of Heaven is not as a man that hee should be subject to passions and affections hee is of a most constant and immutable nature For though we provoke him every day with new sins yet is he so farre off from takeing revenge that the next day hee rewardeth us with new mercies and breaketh through all our unkindnesse to shew kindnesse unto us and through all our naughtinesse to doe us good All our infirmities cannot make him breaks off with us or cease to love us Hee is content to take us with all faults and to love us dearly though wee have great faults Hee regardeth not our infirmities though wee be oftentimes wayward and elvish yet for all that hee loveth us neverthelesse Even as a loving Mother though her young suckling cry all the night and be exceeding trease and wayward so as shee cannot rest on houre in the night yea though shee endure much lothsomenesse and trouble with it yet in the morning when shee riseth shee loveth it never the lesse but dandleth it playeth with it smileth and laugheth upon it so the God of all mercies whose love towards us farre passeth the love of mothers though we grieve him with our infirmities continually yet loveth us neverthelesse and is content to put up all to forget and forgive all for hee is a most constant lover Where he once sets and settles his love hee loveth most constantly nothing can alter him nothing can remove him Even as a Father when his little childe catcheth a fall breaketh his shinnes and hurteth his face is so farre from beeing offended or displeased with him therefore that hee doth pity him and bemoane him seeking remedies for his hurt so our mercifull Father is so farre off from being angry and displeased with us for some slips and falls that hee doth the more pitie us and lament our case Even as a loving and wise husband although his wife have many infirmities yet being assured shee loves him dearly and that her heart is with him hee is well content to winke at all her faults to hide them to beare with them yea and to make nothing of them loving her no whit the lesse for them so our deare husband and Spouse Christ Iesus because hee knoweth wee love him and that hee hath our hearts is content to beare with all our infirmities and to make light of them For this cause it is that hee saith to his Spouse in the Canticles though shee was black and full of infirmities Behold thou art all faire Câ—nt 4 1 7. my Love Behold thou art faire thou art all faire my Love there is no spot in thee Mark that hee calleth his Church faire all faire and without spot not because shee was so in her selfe but because shee was made so in him and assuredly the eternall God beholding her in his Sonne doth so esteeme and account of her For as hee that beholdeth any thing through a red glasse doth take it to be red as is the colour of the glasse so God the Father beholding us in his Sonne doth take us to be of the same nature and quality that hee is that is perfectly righteous For this cause it is that hee loveth us and setteth his heart upon us and will not be removeed from us For his love to his children is alwaies one and the same although we have alwaies the like sight and feeling of it as the Moone is alwaies the same in substance and quantity though sometimes it seemeth unto us to be wasted into a very small scantling Let us know then to our great comfort that the love of God towards us in his deare Sonne is constant and alwaies alike and that he will not discountenance us or shake us off for some infirmities no nor yet for many infirmities for the mercifull God doth accept of his children because their generall care is good and the universall tenour of their life tendeth unto righteousnesse howsoever they may greatly faile in many particular actions Two or three fits of an ague doe not prove a diseased body nor two or three good daies a found body then so some few infirmities do not argue a wicked man nor two or three good actions a good man but we must have an eye to the certain 〈◊〉 settled course of a mans life Even aâ—â— men are truely said to walke in a way when they go in it although sometimes they trip and stumble so Gods children do walk in the way of righteousnesse although sometimes they stumble and step out of it or sometimes be violently haled out of it by theeves For Satan and the violence of our lusts do often hale us out of the way but wee must get into it againe as soon as wee are escaped Now then to conclude and draw to an end Sith God is so infinitely mercifull and constant in his mercy sith such great and precious promises are made to us in Christ sith the Lord doth not regard our infirmities when our hearts are with him therefore O Asunetus be of good cheere let nothing trouble you feare not the assaults of the Divel regard not his temptations for assuredly your sinnes are forgiven Christ is yours heaven is yours and all the promises of life and salvation belong unto you So as you need not doubt you cannot miscarry your name is written in the Book of life Asun I am greatly comforted and cheered up with your words Your preaching of the Gospel and laying open of Gods abundant mercy in Christ and of the promises doe exceedingly revive me and even as it were put new life into me they are as Sacke and Sugar unto my soule and sweeter then the honey and the honey-combe they are as Physicke to my sicke soule and as ointment to my spirituall wounds I do now begin to see what misery is in man and what mercy is in God And I know by wofull experience that where misery is not felt there mercy is not regarded but now it hath pleased God to give mee some feeling of mine owne wretchednesse and misery and yet with good comfort in his mercy For I thanke God for it I begin now to grow to some perswasion that the promises do belong unto me my sins are forgiven and that I am one of them that shall be saved Theol. I doe greatly rejoice that God hath according to his rich mercy wrought this good worke in you I do from the bottome of my heart give him the praise and glory of it Happie are you that ever you were borne in whom the Lord hath wrought so gracious a work It is his high favour and speciall mercy towards you for it is the onely priviledge and prerogative royall of Gods owne children truely to repent and deâ—â—eve I beseech God therefore to encrease your faith and to
that they may draw it out to punish the wicked and to defend the godly and that they may with all good care and conscience discharge the duties of their places Increase the number of faithfull and zealous Ministers in this Church Send thy Gospel to those places where it is not and blesse it where it is Remember them in thy mercy O Lord that are under any crosse or affliction whatsoever be comfortable unto them heale up their wounds bind up their sores put all their teares into 〈◊〉 bottle and make their bed in all their sorrowes and put such a good end to all their troubles that they may redound to thy glory and the furtherance of their owne salvation In the meane time give them patience and constancie to beare whatsoever it shall please thy mercifull hand to lay upon them Last of all in a word wee pray theâ— blesse the Magistracie Ministry and Commonalty Blesse all the people doe good to all that are true and upright in their hearts And so deare Father we do commit and command our selves our soules and bodies into thy hands for this day and the rest of our life praying thee to take care and charge of us Keep us from all evill watch over us for our good let thine Angels encamp about us let thy holy hand be over us and keep us in all our waies that we may live to thy praise and glory here on earth keeping faith and a good conscience in all our actions that after this life wee may be crowned of thee for ever in thy Kingdome Grant these things good Father to us here present and to all thine absent praying thee in speciall favour to remember an our friends and kinsfolkes in the flesh all our good neighbours and well-willers and all those for whom wee are bound to pray by nature by deserts or any duty whatsoever for Jesus Christs sake our onely Mediatour to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be given all praise and glory both now and for evermore Amen An Evening Prayer to be used in private Families O Eternall God and our most loving and deare Father wee thy unworthy children do here fall down at the foot of thy great Majesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are altogether unworthy to come neere thee or to look towards thee because thou art a God of infinite glory and wee are most vile abominable sinners such as were conceived and borne in sin and corruption and such as have inherited our Fathers corruptions and also have actually transgressed all thy holy Statutes and Lawes both in thoughts words and deeds before wee knew thee and since secretly and openly with our selves and with others our particular sins are moe then can be numbred for who knoweth how often hee offendeth but this wee must needs confesse against our selves that our hearts are full of pride covetousnesse and the love of this world full of wrath anger and impatience full of lying dissembling and deceiving full of vanity hardnesse and profanenesse full of infidelity distrust and selfe-love full of lust uncleannesse and all abominable desires yea our hearts are the very sinkes of sinne and dunghils of all filthinesse And besides all this we doe omit the good things we should doe for there are in us great wants of faith of love of zeale of patience of contentment and of every good grace so as thou hast just cause to proceed to sentence of judgment against us as most damnable transgressours of all thy holy commandements yea such as are sunk in our rebellions and have many times and often committed high treason against thy Majestie and therefore thou maist justly cast us all downe into Hell fire there to be tormented with Sathan and his Angels for ever And wee have nothing to except against thy Majesty for so doing sith therin thou shouldest deale with us but according to equity and our just deserts Wherefore deare Father wee doe appeale from thy justice to thy mercy most humbly intreating thee to have mercy upon us and freely to forgive us all our sinnes past whatsoever both new and old secret and open knowne and unknowne and that for Jesus Christs sake our onely Mediatour And wee pray thee touch our hearts with true griefe and unfeigned repentance for them that they may be a matter of continuall sorrow and heart-smart unto us so as nothing may grieve us more then this that wee have offended thee beâ—ng our speciall friend and Father Give us therefore deare Father every day more and more sight and feeling of our sinnes with true humiliation under the same Give us also that true and lively faith whereby we may lay sure hold on thy Son Christ and all his merits applying the same to our owne soules so as we may stand fully perswaded that whatsoever hee hath done upon the Crosse hee hath done for us particularly as well as for others Give us faith good Father constantly to beleeve all the sweet promises of the Gospel touching remission of sin and eternall life made in thy Sonne Christ O Lord increase our faith that wee may altogether rest upon thy promises which are all Yea and Amen Yea that wee may settle our selves and all that wee have wholly upon them both our soules bodies goods names wives children and our whole estate knowing that all things depend upon thy promises power and providence and that thy Word doth support and beare up the whole order of nature Moreover we entreat thee O Lord to strengthen us from above to walke in every good way and to bring forth the fruits of true faith in all our particular actions studying to please thee in all things and to be fruitfull in good workes that wee may shew forth unto all men by our good conversation whose children we are and that we may adorne and beautifie our most holy profession by walking in a Christian course and in all the sound fruits and practice of godlinesse and true religion To this end we pray thee sanctifie our hearts by thy Spirit yet more and more sanctifie our soules and bodies and all our corrupt naturall faculties as reason understanding will and affections so as they may be fitted for thy worship and service taking a delight and pleasure therein Stirre us up to use prayer watchfulnesse reading meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may profit in grace and goodnesse from day to day Blesse us in the use of the meanes that we may daily dye to sinne and live to righteousnesse draw us yet neerer unto thee helpe us against our manifold wants Amend our great imperfections renew us inwardly more and more repaire the ruines of our hearts aide us against the remnants of sin Enlarge our hearts to run the way of thy Commandements direct all our steps in thy Word let none iniquity have dominion over us Assist us against our speciall infirmities and master-sins that we may get the victory over them all to thy
glory and the great peace and comfort of our owne consciences Strengthen us good Father by thy grace and holy Spirit against the common corruptions of the world as pride whoredome covetousnesse contempt of thy Gospel swearing lying dissembling and deceiving O deare Father let us not be overcome of these filthy vices nor any other sinfull pleasures fond delights wherewith thousands are carried head-long to destruction Arme our soules against all the temptations of this world the flesh and the Divell that wee may overcome them all through thy help and keep on the right way to life that wee may live in thy feare and dye in thy favour that our last dayes may be our best dayes and that wee may end in great peace of conscience Furthermore deare Father we intreat thee not onely for our selves but for all our good brethren thy deare children scattered over the face of the whole earth most humbly beseeching thee to blesse all them to cheere them up and glad them with the joy of thy countenance both now and alwayes Guide them all in thy feare and keep them from evill that they may praise thy Name In these dangerous dayes and declining times wee pray thee O Lord raise up nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto thy Church Raise up also faithfull Pastours that thy cause may be carried forward Truth may prevaile Religion may prosper thy Name onely may be set up in the earth thy Sons Kingdome advanced and thy will accomplished Set thy selfe against all adversary power especially that of Rome Antichrist Idolatry and Atheisme curse and crosse all their counsels frustrate their devices scatter their forces overthrow their armies When they are most wise let them be most foolish when they are most strong let them be most weake Let them know that there is no wisdome nor counsell power nor policie against thee the Lord of hosts Let them know that Israel hath a God and that thou which art called Jehovah art the onely Ruler over all the world Arise therefore O most mighty God and maintain thine owne cause against all thine enemies smite thorow all their loines and bow downe their backes yea let them all be confounded and turned backward that beare ill will unto Sion Let the patient abiding of the righteous be joy and let the wicked be disappointed of their hope But of all favour wee intreat thee O Lord to shew speciall mercie to thy Church in this Land wherein wee live Continue thy Gospel amongst us yet with greater successe purge thy House daily more and more take away all things that offend Let this Nation still be a place where thy Name may be called upon and an harbour for thy Saints Shew mercy to our posterity deare Father and have care of them that thy Gospel may be left unto them as a most holy inheritance Defend us against forraigne invasion keep out Idolatry and Popery from amongst us Turne from us those plagues which our sins cry for For the sins of this Land are exceeding great horrible and outrageous and give thee just cause to make us spectacles of thy vengeance to all Nations that by how much the more thou hast lifted us up in great mercy and long peace by so much the more thou shouldest presse us downe in great wrath and long warre Therefore deare Father woe most humbly intreat thee for thy great Names sake and for thy infinite mercies sake that thou wouldest be reconciled to this Land and discharge it of all the horrible sins thereof Drown them O Lord in thy infinite mercy through Christ as it were in a bottomlesse gulfe that they may never rise up in judgement against us For although our sins be exceeding many and fearfull yet thy mercie is farre greater For thou art infinite in mercy but wee cannot be infinite in sinning Give us not over into the hands of the Idolaters lest they should blaspheme thy Name and say Where is their God in whom they trusted But rather deare Father take us into thine owne hands and correct us according to thy wisdome for with thee is mercie and deep compassion Moreover wee most heartily beseech thy good Majestie to blesse our most gracious Soveraigne King Charles Queene Mary Prince Charles and the rest of the Royall Progenie We beseech thee also to blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellors counsell them from above let them take advice of thee in all things that they may both consult and resolve of such courses as may be most for thy glory the good of the Church and peace of this our Common-wealth Blesse the Nobility and all the Magistrates of the Land giving them all grace to execute judgement and justice and to maintaine truth and equitie Blesse all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel increase the number of them increase thy gifts in them and so blesse all their labours in their severall places and congregations that they all may be instruments of thy hand to enlarge thy Sons Kingdome and to win many unto thee Comfort the comfortlesse with all needfull comforts Forget none of thine that are in trouble but as their afflictions are so let the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit be unto them and so sanctifie unto all thine their afflictions and troubles that they may tend to thy glory and their owne good Give us thankfull hearts for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall for thou art very mercifull unto us in the things of this life and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life Let us deeply ponder and weigh all thy particular favours toward us that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be gained yet neerer unto thee and that therefore we may both love and obey thee because thou art so kind and loving unto us that even thy love towards us may draw our love towards thee and that because mercy is with thee thou maist be feared Grant these things good Father and all other needfull graces for our soules or bodies or any of thine throughout the whole world for Jesus Christs sake in whose Name wee further call upon thee as he hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer to be used at any time by one alone privately O Lord my God and heavenly Father I thy most unworthy childe do here in thy sight freely confesse that I am a most sinfull creature and damnable transgressour of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements that as I was born and bred in sin and stained in the womb so have I continually brought forth the corrupt and ugly fruits of that infection and contagion wherein I was first conceived both in thoughts words and workes If I should goe about to reckon up my particular offences I knew not where to begin or where to make an end For they are more then the haires of my head yea far more then I can possibly feele or know For who knoweth the height and depth