Dictates of Heaven when they come in competition with the conceived Notions of their own brain which they call a praying by the Spirit But that you may truly and indeed pray by the Spirit and pray with the Understanding also and which is all one you may sing with the Spirit and sing with the Understanding also for the Psalms whether said or sung are the same Prayers when they are rightly Translated is the great reason of many Psalms paraphrased and illustrated with Notes and Prayers And these Psalms also are not of my own choice affixed to any of the ensuing Chapters of Meditation but such as have been so selected and disposed either by the Church of Christ or some of the most eminent Governours and Fathers of the Church The Reader may take notice that in the last Chapter of this PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN imprinted are many of the general Heads and hints of several the ensuing Chapters of this SECOND PART and therefore he cannot but meet with several expressions formerly published but revised and more methodically disposed both for use and memory PAge 310. line 3. read where thou art absent THE CONTENTS The Preface of continuing in Prayer of frequent Meditation with the design of the following Meditations I. CHapt Of Meditations and Psalms for the Morning Page 1. II. Chap. Meditations for the Third hour of Prayer p. 21 III. Chap. Of Meditations for the Sixth hour p. 41 IV. Chap. Of Meditations for the Ninth hour p. 61 V. Chap. Of Meditations for the Evening p. 81 VI. Chap. Of Meditations for Bed-time p. 101 VII Chap. Of Meditations for the Night-season p. 121 VIII Chap. Of Meditations fitted to every days ordinary actions c. viz. When you go forth of your Chamber I p. 151 When you walk abroad I. p. 152 When you stand upon soms high place I. ibid. When you behold pleasant Fields I. p. 153 When you hear or see any thing extraordinary I. p. 155 When you hear or see the time of the day I. ib. When you go to read or study I. p. 156 When you are wearied therewith I. p. 157 When you go about any worldly Employployments I. p. 158 When you are sad or discontented I. p. 159 When you sit idle I. p. 160 Vpon wandring and wanton eyes I. ibid. When you are tempted to any sin IV. p. 161 164 When Temptations prevail I. p. 165 When you have escaped a. Temptation I. p. 166 When you hunger or thirst III. p. 167 168 After you have eaten or drunk III. 169 170 When you are asked an Alms II. p. 171 When you hear others evil spoken of I. p. 172 When you hear your self reproached p. 173 When you are cross'd in any your worldly desires or interests p. 174 When you suffer several kinds of trouble p. 175 When you suffer any bodily pains p. 176 When you are sensible of your want of Knowledge and Wisdom 177 When you are dull and averse from holy Duties p. 179 When sensible of your sins and the mispending your time p. 180 When you resolve to be more religious for the future p. 181 Holy Breathings of the Soul after God II. p. 183-186 A Meditation of Fasting Alms giving to be joyned with Prayers p. 187 Meditations upon Vnity and the Publick Worship of God p. 171 OF the Four last things in general p. 201 Of the shortness and frailty of this present Life p. 205 Of the frequent remembrance of Death p. 210 Of the Horror of Death p. 215 Of the uncertainty of Death and preparation for it p. 219 The 39. Psalm illustrated with notes 226 The 90. Psalm illustrated with notes 230 The 2. general Head Of Judgment Of particular Judgment III. 235-242 Of the general Judgment V. 243-253 The 26. Psalm paraphras'd 254 The 43. Psalm paraphras'd 258 The 3. general Head Of the pains of Hell 263 Of the pain of loss 264 Of the darkness of Hell 267 Of the fire of Hell 270 Of the extent of Hell pains 273 Of the bonds and chains of Hell 277 Of the Laments of Hell 279 Of the perpetuity of Hell torments 282 The 86. Psalm paraphras'd 285 The 88. Psalm paraphras'd 291 The 4. general Head Of the joys of Heaven 297 Of the place call'd Heaven 300 its greatness its brightness and splendor its tranquillity and peace 300-303 Of the good things of Heaven 1. Honour 2. Power 3. Riches 4. Pleasure 304-308 Of the Company of Heaven 1. Gods presence there 2. of the Angels of Heaven 3. of the Saints in Heaven 309-316 Of the perpetuity of heavenly Joys 316 The 24. Psalm paraphras'd 321 The 84. Psalm paraphras'd 326 Meditation upon the Vow in Baptism 333 Meditation of the cure of the Soul before that of the Body 336 Meditation upon the Tears of the devout Soul 340 Meditation of the dwelling of God in the hearts of his people 344 CHAP. I. Of Meditations and Psalms for the Morning WHen I awake up Psal 139.18 I am always with thee who sleeping and waking am preserved by thee And 't is just and my bounden duty to return back my first breath in praise to him from whom I have received it So the Angels of Heaven those Morning-stars being first made even in the Morning of the worlds Creation no sooner received their Being but all with one accord sang with joyful acclamations the praises of their Creator Job 38.7 When the Morning-stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy Say then As soon as you awake Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for evermore and thrice blessed be the great and glorious Majesty of Heaven who hath preserved me the Night past and sav'd me from the sleep of death 'T is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed Lam. 3.22 23. even because his Compassions fail not they are new every morning Great is thy faithfulness II. O holy Jesus the Morning-star the day-spring from on high who came down to visit us Luk. 1.78 79. to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Mal. 4.2 Arife thou Sun of Righteousness upon my darkned Soul with healing in thy Wings 1 Thess 5.5 make me a child of the light and of the day not of the night nor of darkness Let the Light of thy Truth direct me and the Light of thy Grace support me in the way to Light and Life everlasting Amen III. Lighten mine eyes O Lord Psal 13.3 that I sleep not in death either spiritual in sin or eternal for sin but from all sin and wickedness from thy wrath and from everlasting damnation good Lord deliver me Shew thy servant the light of thy Countenance Psal 31.18 and save me for thy mercies sake O let me hear thy loving kindness betimes in the morning Psal 143.8 for in thee do I trust Shew thou me that I should walk in for unto thee O Lord
I have acknowledged my wayes and thou heardest me O teach me thy Statutes After confession of sin and prayer for pardon new obedience is required 3. Make me to understand the way of thy Commandments and so shall I talk of thy wondrous works To talk of Religion without a right Understanding is but vain babling 4. My soul melteth away for very heaviness Comfort thou me according to thy Word Godly sorrow is the inlet to divine Consolation 5. Take from me the way of lying and cause thou me to make much of thy Law Errors in judgment must be corrected and abandoned that we may obey God sincerely and cordially 6. I have chosen the way of truth and thy judgments have I laid before me What the Word of God doth judge to be true or false is to be ever chose or refused 7. I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord confound me not Stedfastly to cleave unto what God hath testified to be the way of truth and holiness is a sure way to avoid confusion 8. I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou hast set my heart at liberty While the heart is enfettered with sensual or worldly lusts we can neith run nor walk in the ways of God's Commandments we ought Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The Prayer O Raise up my Soul blesse Lord out of the dust and rubbish of earthly desires quicken my dulness in thy service comfort me in all my sadnesses dispel all those mists of Ignorance and Error which cloud my Understanding enlarge my heart from the bondage of Sin and Satan and out of the fetters of all Temptations unto evil and so strengthen me to run in the ways which thou hast Commanded that I may obtain what thou hast promised through Jesus Christ Our Father which art in c. CHAP. II. Of Meditations for the Third Hour of Prayer or Nine a Clock in the Morning THis is called The holy hour in the Decrees of the Church and generally the hour of publick Assemblies in the Worship of God and not without very great reason For 1. Matth. 27.20 'T was at this hour my blessed Redeemer underwent the bitter sentence of death whilest Barabbas a Thief a Rebel and a Murderer was acquitted And I vile wretch am as guilty as Barabbas in many respects and justly obnoxious to the dreadful sentence of condemnation to death eternal but by the infinite Merits and Mysteries of thy Condemnation Good Lord deliver me 2. Matth. 27.26 'T was at this hour of the day my blessed Redeemer exposed his tender breasts and delicate back and shoulders to be rased rent and torn with forked whips by cruel blood-thirsty souldiers until his innocent Body was all over gore blood And my sins deserve the scourges and mine offences the rod of the Almighties just indignation but blessed Lord I humbly beg that I may so wash my polluted soul with the penitent tears of holy compunction through Faith in the blood of my Saviour and so chastise and keep under that body of sin which is and too much reigneth in my Members Eccles 39.28 that being delivered from the guilt and tyranny of sin in this life I may escape those fiery whips and scourgings of the spirits of vengeance which are the portion of the disobedient and impenitent in the other life 3. Act. 2.15 'T was at this hour of the day the Holy Ghost descended upon the holy Apostles and Disciples of Christ and by his celestial influences replenished them with extraordinary Gifts and Graces for the propagation of his holy Gospel and the plantation of his Church through the World And Vouchsafe holy God vouchsafe unto me also thy unworthy servant the guidance of the same spirit by whose Illumination and Sanctification I may both perceive and know what things I ought to do and also may have Grace faithfully to perform the same through Jesus Christ And the Earth was without form and void Gen. 1.2 darkness was upon the face of the deep And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Such was thy condition O my Soul in thy state of Nature without form or comeliness the image of God wherein thy beauty consists was defac'd by original corruption void both of Grace and Truth an Abyss of darkness and in the shadow of death till the all-quickning Spirit of God moving upon the hallowed waters of Baptism caused the light to appear But still the dregs of thy natural corruption remain and the darkness of ignorance ever hovers upon the face of the Deep But where the Spirit of God is there is liberty both rightly to understand and acceptably to perform his Will COme Holy Ghost eternal God Proceeding from above Both from the Father and the Son The God of Peace and Love Visit my Mind and into me Thy heavenly Grace inspire That in all Truth and Godliness I may have the desire Kindle my heart with fervent love To serve God day and night Strength and stablish all my weakness So feeble and so frail That neither flesh the world nor devil Against me do prevail And grant O Lord that thou being My Leader and my Guide I may eschew the snares of sin And from thee never slide ALmighty God unto whom all hearts are open all desires known and from whom no secrets are hid cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnifie thy holy Name through Jesus Christ Glory be to God on high on earth peace This Hymn is prescribed to be used in the Morning by the Apostolical Constit l. 7. c. 47. and at the Third Hour of the Morning because then the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and replenished them with glory exultation and joy Dur. Rat. l. 4. c. 13. good will towards men We praise Thee we bless Thee we worship Thee we glorifie Thee we give thanks to Thee for thy great Glory heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesus Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us Thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our prayers Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For Thou only art Holy Thou only art the Lord Thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most High in the Glory of God the Father Amen PSALMS for the Third Hour Legem pone Psal 119. Part. 5. Horâ tertiâ Psalmus Legem pone dicitur quia tunc lex nova data est Apostolis Dur. Rat. l. 5. c. 6. Verses 1. TEach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end The Understanding must first be enlightned that the Affections of the Heart
every good Christian be devoutly used say then with thy most ardent desires to extol the glory of God PSALM CXLV verse 1 I Will magnifie thee O God my King and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever verse 2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee and praise thy Name for ever and ever verse 3 Great is the Lord and marvellous worthy to be praised there is no end of his greatness verse 4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another and declare thy power verse 5 As for me I will be talking of thy worship thy Glory thy Praise and wondrous works verse 6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts and I will tell of thy greatness verse 7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed and men shall sing of thy righteousness verse 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful long-suffering and of great goodness verse 9 The Lord is loving unto every man and his mercy is over all his works verse 10 All thy works praise thee O Lord and thy Saints give thanks unto thee verse 11 They shew the glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power verse 12 That thy power thy glory and the mightiness of thy Kingdom might be known unto men verse 13 Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and thy Dominion endureth throughout all ages verse 14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall and lifteth up all those that are down verse 15 The eyes of all wait upon thee O Lord and thou givest them their meat in due season verse 16 Thou openest thine hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness verse 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works verse 18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him yea all such as call upon him faithfully verse 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will help them verse 20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him but scattereth abroad all the ungodly verse 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. An Evening Hymn NOw that the sable mantle of the night O're-spreads the earth and vailes the chearful light O Lord who art of light and life the spring Of Grace and Glory the eternal King Vpon thy servant cause thy face to shine And save me for thy mercies sake divine Forgive me what I have offended in This day by thought or word or deed of sin For my sweet Saviours sake propitious be To him who now pours forth his soul to thee All Glory be to thine eternal merit Most blessed Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen CHAP. VI. Of Bed-time Meditations I. I Am Alpha and Omega Rev. 1.8 Is 44.6 the Beginning and the End the First and the Last saith the Lord from the Lord I have my Beginning and he is the end of my Being 'T is therefore meet and just and thy bounden duty as to begin so to end the day with the service of thy God to make the outgoings of the Morning and of the Evening to praise him who hath made the Night and the Day The day is thine Ps 79.17 and the night is thine Thou hast prepared the light and the Sun Thou hast set all the borders of the earth Thou hast made the Summer 18. and the Winter II. 'T was at this hour my dear Redeemer was in a bitter Agony Luk. 22.44 Luk. 23.53 c. and sweat great drops of Blood under the pressure of the sins of men and out of a sad apprehension of his ensuing sufferings for the same 'T was at this hour also our Lord was laid in the Grave and lamented by the women that followed him to his Death Now then let tears distill from thine eyes in the devout remembrance of that precious Blood which flowed from thy Saviours veins Thy miscarriages and offences this very day of omission and commission of ignorance and knowingly of negligence and wilfully of thought and desire word and deed if they be not washed away in this Blood of thy Lord they will involve thee in blackness of darkness for ever and in the horrid sleep of death from whence there is no awaking O then cast them out of thy heart by a plenary particular Confession of all thy this dayes enormities wash away the filth and pollution of them with the tears of godly sorrow which being intermixt with Faith in the Blood of Christ makes an healing salve for thy sin-sick Soul O blessed Jesu Saviour of the world save me and deliver me from all mine offences nail them to thy Cross bury them in thy Grave let them never rise up in judgment against me to my condemnation at the last great day And O that now upon the Religious contemplation of my Saviours burial I could bid adieu to this wicked world and to all the pomps and vanities thereof that being delivered from the iniquities of this sinful life I may escape the bitter wailing and weeping of the wicked in the life to come PSALMS For the Compline or Bed-time The IV. Psalm Paraphrased verse 1 O God the donor preserver and rewarder of my righteousness thou hast set me at liberty from the bondage of sin and of Satan when I was in trouble through the tyranny they exercised over me have mercy upon me and hearken unto my prayer that I be no more involved in that sad condition which it highly concerns all men to avoid verse 2 O ye sons of men of the old Adam how long will ye blaspheme mine honour advancing the creature above your Creator and have such pleasure in vanity take such delight in what is empty vain and satisfies not and seek after leasing pursuing the lying vanities of this wicked world verse 3 Know this for your instruction that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is godly hath selected from among the children of men certain vessels of honour devoted to his service and were I so happy as to be one of these elect people of God holy and separate from the vanities of the world I could not doubt but when I call upon the Lord he will hear me verse 4 Stand in awe and sin not or fear the Lord and depart from evil and that you may do so Commune with your own heart examine what thoughts what desires do harbour in every corner of your heart in your Chamber and be still in the silence of the night recollect the actions of the day silently and closely that ye may do it exactly and having cleansed your hearts verse 5 Offer unto God the sacrifice of righteousness vow unto him a new obedience to his holy Will and Commandments which is the rule of righteousness and if you perform this vow you may with some
Souls This is the Bread that came down from Heaven verse 50 that a man might eat thereof and not dye Lord evermore give me this Bread 'T is thy blessed self Holy Jesus I humbly beg to be the Food of my Soul in Grace here in Glory hereafter III. The Souls of just men made perfect hunger not thirst not but are as the Angels in Heaven who neither eat nor drink as we mortals do upon earth And yet they feast continually being satisfied with the blissful presence of God 'T is thy imperfection and infelicity O my Soul to desire corporal meats and drinks to sustain thy frail tabernacle of flesh But blessed be the Lord my God who hath not made me like the beasts that perish capable only of a sensual happiness in sowing to the flesh from whence only corruption is reaped but of a felicity perfect solid everlasting in the beatifical vision and fruition of his divine goodness in whose presence there is fulness of Joy and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore After you have Eaten or Drunk I. I have now allayed the importunate craving of my appetite and my body is satisfied with material food but nothing can satisfie my Soul but to behold the presence of God in righteousness Awaken blessed Lord awaken up my Soul after thine own likeness for that only can give me a true and lasting satisfaction Ps 17 ult when I awake up after thy likeness I shall be satisfied with it II. Praise the Lord Ps 103.1 O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things 4. making thee young and lusty as the Eagle O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness Ps 107.8 and declate the wonders that he doth for the children of men For he satisfieth the empty Soul 9. and filleth the hungry Soul with goodness But I am less than the least of all the mercies shewed unto thy servant unworthy to have my heart filled with food and gladress having too frequently abused thy good creatures of meats and drinks to Riot and Excess therein O satisfie me with thy mercy Ps 19.14 and that soon so shall I rejoyce and be glad all the days of my life When you are asked an Alms being able to Relieve I. How much am I bound to the good providence of my heavenly Father who hath raised my condition in this world to be of the number of those that abound and not of them that want Act. 20.35 since 't is more blessed to give than to receive Blessed Lord vouchsafe to give me a heart full of Compassion an eye full of pity and a hand open and bountiful according to my ability towards my poor needy Brethren 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully II. I have not deserved to enjoy more worldly wealth than this poor person who now begs to be supplied out of my store But such is the great goodness of my God towards me that he hath not only given me Food and Rayment but also wherewithal to express my gratitude and love to God by my ready relief of my Christian Brethren Blessed be God who hath not only given me ability but this opportunity also to lay up in store for my self a good foundation against the time to come that I may lay hold on eternal life When you hear others evil spoken of Lord if I be not as bad or worse than these persons I now hear traduced I have the more reason to praise thee who by thy grace and goodness hast preserved me from such miscarriages But did I truly reflect upon mine own misdemeanors I should have little reason to intend the reproaches of others Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest upon thy holy hill He that hath used no deceit in his tongue Ps 15 3. nor done evil to his neighbour and hath not slandered his neighbour When you hear your self reproached As for me I was even as a deaf man and heard not Ps 38 13 and as one that is dumb that doth not open his mouth I became as one that heareth not 14. and in whose mouth are no reproofs I will patiently bear my reproach because I have sin'd against the Lord. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. Mat 10.25 It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master 26. and the servant as his Lord if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold For what glory is it 1 Pet. 2.20 if when you be buffeted for your faults you take it patiently But if when you do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto were ye called 21 because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who did no sin 22 neither was any guile found in his mouth Who when he was reviled 23. reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously When you are crost in any your worldly desires or interests Whatsoever is brought upon thee take chearfully Ecclus. 2.4 and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate For gold is tried in the fire 5. and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity Blessed Jesus since thy kingdom is not of this world let not me thy devoted servant and subject either desire or hope to be happy upon earth but grant me so to love what thou commandest and desire what thou dost promise that among the sundry and manifold changes of the world my heart may surely there be fixed where true joyes are to be found When you suffer several kinds of Affliction This O Lord is the portion of thy people and I know O Lord and do verily believe 't is of thy goodness thou hast caused me to be troubled But far very far short are my sufferings to those of thy blessed Apostle professing of himself 2 Cor. 11.23 In labours abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths often Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one 24 Thrice was I beaten with rods 25 once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and day I have been in the deep In journeyings often 26 in perils of waters in perils of Robbers in perils by my own Countreymen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils in the Wilderness in perils in the Sea in perils among false Brethren In weariness and painfulness 27. in watching often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness Such a heap of troubles betiding an innocent active blessed man may surely move me to bear patiently my smaller proportion of
which from thy Wounds and Stripes and Bonds does flow Ps 25.14 Pluck my feet out of the net of every temptation to finfulness and error Ps 119.48 and let my hand be continually lift up unto thy Commandments to do them that I be not lyable to be bound by any of the spirits of vengeance in the fiery chains of the nether Hell where is weeping and wailing MEDITAT VI. Of the Laments of Hell THere shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25.30 They shall deservedly weep in Hell whose eyes upon earth have been full of Adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 lasciviousness and greediness of the creature whose eyes have been set upon their covetousness Pro. 30.13 and their eye-lids lifted up with scorn and contempt of others who have been guilty of any of these or of any other sinful pollutions and have not wept and bewailed the same with the tears of Repentance Wo unto you that laugh now in your sinful pleasures Luc. 6.25 for ye shall mourn and weep either here or hereafter And 't is sad and sottish to put off this necessity of weeping to the other world where the tears of sorrow and sad Repentance shall avail nothing And this is all the water that Hell affords Luc. 16.24 not a drop to cool the tongue tormented in those scorching flames only those driesly tears which the violence of her torments do extort which being salt and brinish and spent in vain shall the more increase the bitterness and augment the miseries of the condemned sinner O that now my head were waters Jer 9.1 and mine eyes a fountain of tears by weeping here to prevent the weeping in Hell hereafter now to bewail my sins that I sorrow not when 't is too late where weeping and wailing shall not asswage but augment my sorrows Lament O sinner and gnash thy teeth through a holy indignation to be so foolish and mad as for a little sinful pleasure or dirty delight to run the hazard of being obnoxious to never ending pains and sorrows Blessed are they that mourn Mat. 5.4 both for their own sins and for the sins of others through the fear of Hell and desire of Heaven for they shall be comforted their fears prevented their desires obtained A broken and a contrite heart Ps 51.17 O God thou wilt not despise A heart broken with godly sorrow for sin and venting it self in tears with Prayers Humiliations and Confessions mixt with Faith in the blood of my dear Redeemer Thus Lord thus I humbly beg to be delivered from thy wrath and from the deplorable wailings of a sad eternity Amen MEDITAT VII Of the perpetuity of Hell Torments THe Perpetuity of Hell torments is in the thought thereof a Torment unspeakable for in every instant of the Sufferings of the damned they suffer all the torments of those infinite thousands of years to come the continuance whereof is not measured by Time but by the bottomless abyss of eternity and the immutability of divine justice and what is time to eternity Behold as a drop of water is to the sea Eccl. 18.10 and a gravel stone in comparison of the sand so are a thousand years to the dayes of etcrnity In this life fear hath torment but torment hath no fear but hope rather of release and delivery but in Hell the damned both fear what they suffer and also suffer what they fear even the everlasting duration of their sufferings They that are cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone shall be tormented day and night for ever Rev. 20.10 and ever Are not they then without understanding that work wickedness Ps 14.4 who being endued with Reason and capable of counsel who knowing the shortness of this life and the uncertainty of the same and withal believing the everlasting duration of the life to come do nevertheless bend all their thoughts and endeavours upon what concerns this present remporary Being even to the great hazard of being obnoxious to the Pains and Inrments of a sad eternity such madness in the hearts of men can never be throughly bewail'd even with tears of blood Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Mat. 3.7 That there is a wrath to come every Christian believes and 't is a fierce wrath and a terrible even indignation and wrath Rom. 2.8 9. tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil and hath not repented him of the evil and of the iniquity he hath done Of the coming of this wrath also frequent warning is given both by the works and by the word of God by the Ministers of his Church but who takes warning given who regards the power of this wrath very few regard it though the less it be regarded the more fierce it will be for even thereafter as a man feareth so is thy displeasure Ps 90.11 Fear thou the Lord Pro. 3.7 O my Soul fear the Lord and depart from evil Thou Ps 76.7 O Lord thou alone art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life Pro. 14.27 to depart from the gates of death Fear not them that can kill the body Mat. 10.28 but are not able to kill the Soul but fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 For our God is a consuming fire 29. The LXXXVI Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 BOw down thine ear to him who now bowes down his heart and bear me O Lord confessing for I am poor extremely wanting of the graces of thy Spirit which should make me rich towards God I have little or no treasures laid up in Hearen and therefore I am in misery lyable to the eternal miseries of Hell But verse 2 Preserve thou my soul from that dismal place of torments for I am heby separate and devoted to thy service though a poor unprofitable servant and upon this account I make bold to call thee my God whom I worship and serve and humbly beseech thee to save thy servant who putteth his trust in thee for the riches of grace and salvation wherein verse 3 Be merciful unto me O Lord who art rich in mercy for I will call dayly upon thee that it may please thee in great mercy to deliver me from that misery whereunto my poorness in grace but abounding sins make me obnoxious verse 4 Comfort the soul of thy servant that the sorrows of death overwhelm me not For unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul being hereunto encouraged by thy grace and goodness verse 5 For thou Lord art good even the inexhaustible fountain of goodness and gracious propitiously inclined to hear the supplications of thy people and of great mercy against the greatness of iniquity unto all them that
call upon thee even to all that call upon thee faithfully depending upon thee alone for help and safety verse 6 Give ear Lord to my prayer not slightly hearing the sound of my words but ponder the voice of my humble desires the intense desires of my humbled soul I humbly desire to be considered verse 7 In the time of my trouble and that 's the whole time of my pilgrimage here upon earth I will call upon thee for protection and deliverance whereof I will never despair for thou hearest me if my prayer be pure and humble and therefore will I call upon thee as long as I live verse 8 Among the gods that be either falsly so called or be so called by participation of divine power as the Angels in Heaven and Kings of the earth there is none like unto thee O Lord either for power or wisdom there is none that can do as thou dost thy works do far exceed the power of any created beings to do the like and therefore in fulness of time verse 9 All Nations whom thou hast made shall no longer make gods unto themselves but shall come and worship thee O Lord the maker of all men and of all things and being admitted members of thy holy Catholick Church shall glorifie thy Name both with heart and voice and by the good works of their obedience to the Gospel of Christ verse 10 For thou art great which all thy works declare and dost wondrous things not to be apprehended but admired and 't is therefore in all the parts of the world confessed that thou art God alone all others being either falsly or feignedly called gods And that I may accordingly worship thee aright verse 11 Teach me thy way O Lord that I neither mistake the right way nor stumble and fall therein but stedfastly and constantly walk in thy truth and this way and this truth is my blessed Redeemer who by his doctrine and example doings and sufferings life and death is the way that leads to life eternal O knit my heart unto thee by the indissoluble bonds of a true Faith firm Hope fervent Charity that I may fear thy name so as that I neither dare to sin against thee nor too much presume upon thy favour and grace verse 12 I will thank thee O Lord my God as from whom both my whole self and all the little good that is mine does proceed with all my heart as being hereunto excited by the fear and love of thy Name and I will praise thy name for evermore And there is very great reason I should do so verse 13 For great is thy mercy toward me not only manifested in all the good things I do enjoy but in my deliverance from manifold evils and especially from the greatest of evils for thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell in the broad way that leads thereunto I have a long time walked and 't is of thy great mercy that I have not long since been hurled headlong to that dismal place of torments And still I have great cause to complain verse 14 O God the proud are risen against me proud Lucifer and his infernal fiends and the congregation of naughty men have sought after my soul the wicked of the world conspire with the Devil and his Angels by their sinful suggestions to subvert the innocence of my soul to have her portion with them in the nethermost hell verse 15 But thou O Lord art full of compassion especially to all them who chuse rather to suffer than to do what is offensive to thy Majesty and mercy in pardoning the offences of the truly penitent long-suffering not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance plenteous in goodness abounding in thy blessings and truth both in performing thy promises of mercy to the penitent and in rendring to every man according to his works verse 16 O turn thee then unto me who by my sins have justly provoked thee to turn away thy face from me and have mercy upon me a miserable sinner and that I may no more offend thee give thy strength unto thy servant even ghostly strength and fortitude manfully to resist the Devil and all his numerous troops of sensual and worldly lusts in all whose assaults vouchsafe to help the son of thine handmaid that I may overcome all their temptations unto evil and carefully keep my vow and promise made when I was first admitted to be a Son of thy handmaid the Church verse 17 Shew some token upon me for good let some sign of thy favour towards me appear that they who hate me my ghostly enemies may see it and be ashamed when they shall behold all their conspiracies and assaults against my soul defeated by the assistance of thy divine grace because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me thy help to overcome when I am tempted unto sin is a great comfort to my soul for I have hereupon a good ground of hope that thou wilt deliver my soul from the nethermost hell and that being raised up from the gates of death I may shew all thy praises within the ports of the daughter of Sion saying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The LXXXVIII Psalm PARAPHRASED verse 1 O Lord God of my salvation my corporal and spiritual temporal and eternal Salvation is from thee and therefore I have cryed day and night at all times and seasons and in all conditions prosperous and adverse before thee as unto whom alone the inmost intimate desires of my soul are naked and open O let my prayer enter into thy presence be received and accepted by thee incline thine ear unto my calling so graciously hear as to grant my humble requests verse 2 My soul is full of trouble which being the consequent of sin is the forerunner of death and my life draweth nigh unto hell which openeth wide her mouth to swallow down such polluted Souls verse 3 I am counted as one of them that go down to the pit lookt upon as a dead man and a cast-away and I have been even as a man that hath no strength which is derived from the Lord of life to escape the snares and terrors of death verse 4 Free among the dead not likely to be freed from my troubles but by death which puts an end to all the miseries of this sinful life like unto them that are wounded by the fiery darts of the devil and lye in the grave of corrupt conversation which leads to the grave of death the wages of sin and whosoever thus lye there are out of remembrance both forgotten by the righteous and also are cut away from thy hand repulst from amongst those blessed sheep which shall be rankt on thy right hand in the day of Judgment verse 5 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit I confess I have so far incur'd thy wrathful displeasure as to be laid in the nethermost hell
in joy He that now goeth on his way of holy Religion 7. weeping and beareth good seed such tears of godly sorrow as bring forth fruits meet for Repentance shall doubtless come again with joy and bring his sheaves with him being treasured up in the granary of heaven Such devout penitents go from strength to strength adding to their Faith vertue 2 Pet. 1.5 6. and to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness Charity Thus they ascend as by steps and to the God of gods appear every one in Sion Blessed Lord who fashionest the hearts of all the sons of men and turnest them as the rivers of water vouchsafe by the celestial influences of thy holy spirit to turn the stream of my corrupt affections from all the pomps and vanities of this wicked world and from the sinful lusts of the flesh Strike the rock of my hard heart with the rod of thy fatherly correction that both the upper and the lower springs may issue thence and the graces of thy holy Spirit may there spring up to everlasting life Joh. 4.14 I am a great sinner I confess and O that my heart were so deeply wounded with the sense of my sins as to lament them with that godly sorrow for sin as worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 Ps 39.12 I am a sojourner upon earth as all my fathers were O pierce my soul with the dart of divine love to bewail the deadness of my affections towards thee to lament that I am so much a stranger to my native home of Heaven that my heart is not surely fixed there where true joys are to be found but grovels in the dust of worldly vanities to grieve that I walk in the midst of manifold temptations and my ghostly enemies do dayly prevail against me and dayly cast in my teeth my dayly backslidings from the love and service of my God But be thou merciful unto me O Lord Ps 41.10 Raise thou me up again and I shall reward them by my future conquests over all their temptations MEDITATION Of the dwelling of God in the hearts of his People WHosoever desires that the Lord would vouchsafe to come unto him must himself first prepare his heart to come unto God And this not by Faith alone but by divine love and obedience to his most holy Laws If any man love me he will keep my Sayings Joh. 14.23 and my father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him How and when the Lord comes and abides with us must be known by the influences and operations of his presence as the tree by its fruits or the cause by its effects 1. God is light and in him is no darkness at all 1 Joh. 5.7 and such are the blessed Souls in whom he abides 1 Thess 5.5 they are all children of the light and of the day not of night and of darkness Their understandings are enlightned to know God both in himself and in the ways of his service and of their own Salvation and this light of their Faith shines before men in all the good works of Soberness Righteousness and Godliness to the glory of God the father of lights 2. God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and accordingly the Souls possessed by him are purged as with fire from all the sordid lusts of the flesh and of the world their affections are purified the rust of sloth and negligence in the ways of life is scowred off their hearts as with fire are inflamed with the sacred ardors of divine Love of a holy and discreet Zeal of a fervent Devotion in their Prayers unto God and praises of him and with earnest defires of a nearer and a more immediate Communion with his divine Majesty 3. God is the fountain of living waters and accordingly where he dwells Jer. 2.13 he does allay the heat of carnal concupiscence subdue the inordinate love of riches quench the fire of strife and contention of blind Zeal and Faction and of every exorbitant lust being in himself a full satisfaction to all the vast desires of the immortal Soul As water he satisfieth the desires of all who hunger and thirst after righteousness and by the influence of his divine grace makes the barren ground of the heart to be fruitful unto every good word and work 4. God is all purity and holiness goodness and mercy justice and truth and in a word the summary of all perfection and felicity and therefore all those happy Souls where he dwells are holy as he is holy pure as he is pure merciful as he is merciful just and good gracious and long-suffering and in a word perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect 'T is such divinely enspirited persons and only such can say with the heavenly inspired Psalmist I will love thee O Lord my strength the Lord is my stony rock and my defence my Saviour my God and my might in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my refuge Psal 18.1 and Psal 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom then shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid and Psal 28.8 The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart hath trusted in him and I am helped therefore my heart danceth for joy and in my song will I praise him The Lord is my strength and he is the wholsom defence of his anointed O save thy people and give thy blessing to thine inheritance feed them and set them up for ever Our Father which art in c. THE END ERRATA PAge 3. Line 12. read shew thou me the way p. 5. after line 7. adde From this vain world my affections wein p. 10. l. 9. r. grant me p. 14. l. 15. for unto r. out off p. 24. after l. 8. adde O holy ghost into my mind send down thy heavenly light p. 27. l. ult dele And. p. 52. l. 2. for hearest r. teachest p. 63. l. 19. for Love r. Have p. 66. l. 5. r. should engage p. 93. l. 26. for love r. lone p. 131. l. ult r. made them p. 181. l. 18. dele Holy p. 188. l. 3. for them r. each of these p. 201. l. penult for the r. these p. 317. l. 24. for joy r. so p. 330. for perfection r. protection