behauiour deliberation in my speeches purity in my thoughts rigtheousnes in my actions Iesu be my sunne in the day my food at the table my repose in the night my cloathing in nakednes my succour in all my needs Iesu let thy bloud runne in my mind as a water of life to clense the filth of my sinnes and to bring forth the fruit of life euerlaâ—â—ing Iesu stay minâ— inclinations from bearing down my soule bridle mine appetites with thy grace and quenche in me the fire of all vnlawfull desires Iesu keepe mine eies from vaine sights mine eares from hearing euill speeches my tongue from talking vnlawfull things my sences from euery kind of disorder Iesu make my wil pliable to thy pleasure and resigned wholy to thy prouidence grant me perfect conteÌ„tmeÌ„t in that which thou allottest O Lord make me strong against all occasions of sinne and steedfast in not yeelding to euil yea rather to die then to offend thee Iesu make me ready to pleasure al loth to offeÌ„d any gentle in speaking courteous in coÌ„â—ersation louing to my friends and charitable to mine enemies Iesu forsake me not lest I perish leaue me not to mine owne weakenes lest I fall without recouery Iesu graunt me an earnest desire to amend my faultes to renew my good purposes to peâ— forme my good intentions and to begin a fresh in thy seruice Iesu direct mine inteÌ„tions correct my errours erect my infirmities protect my good endeuours Iesu alay my passions and make me able to master theÌ„ that they neuer drawe me beyond the rule of reason and piety Iesu make me humble to my Superiours freÌ„dly to my equals chariâ—able to my inferiours and carefull to yeeld due respect to all sorts Iesu grant me sorrow for my sinnes thankâ—ulnes for thy benefits feare of thy iudgements loue of thy mercies and mindfulnes of thy presence Amen A praier before we settle our selues to our deuotions O Moste gratious Iesu giue mee leaue to presente my selfe before thy diuine maiesty and to poure out my vnworthy praiers vnto thee in sight of all the glorious court of heaueÌ„ Behould O Lord not in my merites but in the multitude of thy mercies I nowe come to make manifest my necessities and to vtter my grieâ—es vnto thee I come as a poore and needy wretch vnto a God of infinite glory I come as a worme of the earth vnto my soueraigne maker and creator I come as a guilty and heinous offendour vnto a most iust and seuere iudg I am not worthy to lift vp mine eâ—es to heaueÌ„ much lesse to open my mouth in thy glorious presence or presume to taâ—ke with a Lorde and King of such maiesty being my selfe but slime and ashes But O father of mercies and God of all comfort thou promisest that who asketh shal receiue who knocketh shal be let in who seeketh shal find Thou inuitest the greatest sinners and refusest not to yeeld thy assistance to any that will vse it Granâ— me therfor grace now to pray vnto thee as my duety and thy desert requireth Graunt me a pure intention a ferueÌ„t deuotion an atteÌ„tiue mind that I bee not carried away with impertineÌ„t thoughtes nor any other distraction but with humble heart firme hope and perfect charity I may effectually pray vnto thee and aske of thee that which thou seest most for thy glory my good to graunt sweet Iesus Amen An other O Gratious Iesu helpe mee to pray worthely that thou maiâ—st mercifully graunt my petitions keepe my thoughtes from wandering restraine my imaginations preserue my â—ences from being distracted Defend O Lord my weak hart from all ghostlie assaultes and so fixe my mind vpon thee that I be not carried away from consideration of thy presence graunt me distinctly to pronouÌ„ce my wordes attentiuely to apply my thoughtes and to be wholy rauished and posessed with zeale and true deuotion O Lord graunt me to aske forgiuenes with deep coÌ„trition and full purpose of ameâ—dement graunt me to craue thy benefits with harty thankefulnesse and gratitude for those which I haue receiued Grant me to pray for my self with perfect resignatioÌ„ vnto thy will and for others with true charity 〈◊〉 sincere affection Afford O Lord such comfort to my soule as thou seest fitte for me and by the assistauÌ„ce of thy spirit inspiâ—e thy good motions into me that I may feele them forcibly accept them thankfully and fulfill them effectually Finally I huÌ„bly beseech thee of thy mercy and goodnes that I may deuoutly spend this time of praier endeuouring with thy Angels and Saints to praise thee with true repentant sinners to appease thee and with all thy creatures dutifully to serue thee sweet Iesus Amen A short meditation of mans miserie WHat was I O Lord What am I What shall I be I was nothing I am now nothing worth am in hazzard to be woâ—se than nothing I was conceiued in originall sinne I may hereafter feele the eternall smart of sinne I was in my mother a loathsome substance I am in the world a sacke of corruption I shal bee in my graue a prey of vermine When I was nothing I was without hope to be saued or feare to be damned I am now in a doubtfull hope of the one and in manifest daunger of the other I shal be ether happy by the successe of my hope or most miserable by the effect of my daunger I was so that I coulde not then bee damned I am now so that I can scarce be saued What I haue beene I know to wit a wretched sinner what I am I caÌ„not say being vncertaine of Gods grace What I shall be I am ignoraÌ„t being doutfull of my perseuerance O Lorde erect my former weaknesse correct my present sinfulnesse direct my future frailtie Direct it O Lorde from passed euill in present good to â—uâ—ure reward sweete Iesus Amen AN EPISTLE OF A RELIGIOVâ— PRIEST vnto his Father Exhorting him to the perfect forsaking of the world To the worshipfull his verie good father R. S. his duetifulle sonne R. S. wisheth all happines IN children of former ages it hath binne thought so behouefull a point of duety to their parents in presence by seruiceable offices in absence by other effectual significations to yeelde proofe of their thankfull mindes that neyther any child could omit it without touch of vngratefulnes nor the paâ—ent forâ—eare it without iust displeasure But nowe we are fallen into such calamitie of times and the violence of heresie hath so crossed the course both of vertue and nature that their engraffâ—d lawes neuer infringed by the most sauage and bruite creatuâ—es cannot ' of Gods people without perill be obâ—erued I am not of so vnnaturall a kinde of so wilde education or so vnchristian a spirite as not to remember the roote out of which I branched or to forget my secondary maker and author of my being It is not the carelesnesse of a cold affection nor the want of a due and reuereÌ„t respect
must be accountable to the vtter-most farthing Secondly the more I haue the greater and harder wil be mine account of the good vse thereof and therefore the more waryâ—ought I to be in disposing of it Thirdly let mee often coÌ„sider what bodily ghostly and internall giftes of God I haue receiued what in baptisme and at other times I haue promised how profitable and necessary good workes I haue omitted how many grieuous and heinous sinnes I haue committed how often I haue lost the grace of God my right to heauen finally how much honour and how many soules I haue robbed from God and these things being well perused let mee seeke to make that recompence and satisfaction for them which I would wish to haue made when death shall summon me before my heauenly iudge to giue vp a most strict account of them The fruit of these foundations consisteth in often coÌ„sidering them as most necessary pointes and as it were the verie first principles of good life vpon the vnderstanding and practising whereof depeÌ„deth my progresse in vertue and therfore I must very often râ—ade them and examine my selfe whether my minde and actions be answerable vnto them Howe we ought to be affected towards God THE SECOND Chapter First of the consideration of Gods presence THese foundations beeing laide it behoueth mee further to descende to the notice of my duety to God my neighbour and my selfe And first concerning my dueâ—ie vnto God a very fitte meane I can vse to please him is to beare alwaie in minde his presence For sure it is that as God hee is euery where in substance power and presence and in him I liue moue and I am as the scripture saith because he worketh with me in all my deedes thoughts and wordes In so much that as the beame of the sun the heat of the fire or wettnes of the water so depend I of God and should he withdrawe himselfe from mee but one moment I should forthwith turne into nothing and therfore it is a very forcible meanes for my good to doe all things as if I did see God visibly woorking and cooperating with me in euery action as in truth he doth and knowinge that what woordes thoughtes or deedes soeuer passe me and what part of my body or minde soeuer I vse Gods concourse and helpe therunto is more then mine owne I must be a fraid to vse them in any such thing wherein I might offend him but rather seeke to doe all things so that they be worthy of his presence helpe and assistance in them And if I can get a custome or habitte to remember still the presence and assistance of God as by vse easely I may I shall with due regrd reuerence and consideration abstaine from such behauiour as I thinke may any waie bee offensiue vnto him I shall also get a great facility in turning my minde and heart to him and in talking often with him by short and sweet praiers which are the fewell of deuotion Other affectoÌ„ is that we ought to haue vnto God Secondly I must endeuour to kindle in my selfe these affections towardes God The First Affection FIrst of a sincere and tender loue of him as the fountaine of all beautie and fellicity of which loue I may gesse by these signes By often thinking and an earnest desire of God By sorrow of his absence and contentment in consideration of his presence By my diligence in performing without delay or tediousnesse that which pleaseth best my Sauiour and by finding such coÌ„fort in doing it that it grieues me when for thinges of lesse goodnes I am enforced to deferre it By withdrawing all disordred loue from all creatures and especially my selfe and by louing nothing but in God and for God By seeking to encrease this loue by consideration of Gods goodnesse his dailie benefites By taking delight in Gods seruice or thinges tending therunto not because I finde contentment in it but because it is to Gods glory to the which I would haue all thinges addressed By taking tribulations or troubles of body or mind patiently yea and with ioie knowing that they come by Gods permission and thinking them as fauours which he affordeth to his dearest friends The Second Affection THe second affection is a reuerent and dutifull feare of God which I may gather by these signes If when I remember the presence and Maiestie of God I frame both my body and minde to reuerence and honour him with all humilitie and decencie fearing least by any vnseemely and light behauiour I should seeme to be contemptuous and carelesse of my duty towards him If I finde great feare to doe any thing that may offend God not onely mortally but euen venially be withall verie watchfull to auoid the least offence least my fraâ—lty which is great should drawe me to it and so to further inconuenience If I feare to bee banished from him or forsakeÌ„ for my sinnes and endeuour what I may to preserue his loue and mercy towards me The Third Affection THe third affection is Zeale of Gods honour and desire that hee should be duely serued and obeyed of all his creatures of which I may iudge by these signes First if I finde a griefe in my selfe and am hartily sory when I see or heare of other folkes faults or thinke of mine owne considering how by them a base and wretched creature dishonoured and dispised his creator in steed of him seruing his professed enemies the flesh the world the diuel The second signe is an earnest desire to helpe my neighbour or mine owne soule out of sinne by praying for this effect and refusing no conuenient labour to accomplish the same so that my Lord God bee no more or at the least lesse offended then before The Fourth Affection THe fourth affection is to endeuour as neere as I can to take occasion of euery thing that I heare see or think of to praise God As if the things were good then to praise God that he gaue grace to doe them And if the thingeâ— were euill to thanke God that either he preserued me or other from them or at the least hath not suffered me to continue still in theÌ„ or to bee in his wrath condemâ—ed for them Also I must consider and with my inward eye see God in euerie creature how he worketh in all things to my benefitte and weigh how in all câ—eatures both within and without me he sheweth his pâ—esence by keeping them in their beeing and course of nature for without him they would presently turne to nothing and I must assure my selfe that in all this hee hath as well a regard to my good as to others And therefore all creatures must be as it were bookes to me to reade therin the louâ— presence prouidence and fatherly care that God hath ouer me The Fift Affection THe fift affection is to consider that I being a Christian and onely my faith and all mine actions proper thereunto ought not
But be you well assured that God is not so penuâ—ious of â—rendes as to hold him selfe his kingdome salable for the refuse and reuersion of their liues who haue sacrificed the principall therof to his enimies and their owne bruâ—ishe appetites then onely ceasing â—o offend when habilitie oâ— offending it taken from them True it is that a theefe may be saued vpon the crosse and mercy found at the laste gaspe But well saieth S. Augustine that though it be possible yet is it scarce credible that his death should find fauour whose whole life hath earned wrath and that his repentance should be accepted that more for feare of heil and loue of him selfe then for loue of God or lothsomnes of sinn crieth for mercy Wherefore good Sir make no longer delaies but being so neere the breaking vp of your mortal house take time before extremitie to satisfie Gods Iustice. Though you suffered the bud to the blasted and the flower to fade though you permitted the fruit to perish and the leaues to drie vp yea though you let the boughes wither and the body of your tree growe to decaie yet alas keepe life in the roote for feare least the whole become fuell for hell fire For surely where soeuer the tree falleth there shall it be whether it be to south or north heauen or hell and such sap as it bringeth such fruite shal it euer beare Death hath already filed from you the better part of your naturall fores and hath left you now to the lees and remissailes of your wearish dying daies the remainder whereof as it cannot be long so doth it warne you speedilie to ransome your former losses For what is age but the calendes of death what importeth your present weaknes but an earnest of your aproaching dissolution You are now impathed in your finall voiage and not far of from the stint and period of your course therfore be not dispurueied of such appartenances as are behoofull in so perplexed perillous a iorney Death in it selfe is very fearefull but much more terrible in regard of the iudgement that it soÌ„moneth vs vnto If you were laied on your departing bed burdened with the heauy loade of your former trespasses goared with the sting and pricke of a frestred conscience If you felt the cramp of death wresting your hart stringes and ready to make the rufull diuorce betwene body soule If you lay panting for breath and suiming in a colde and fatall sweate wearied with strugling against your deadly panges O how much would you giue for an hower of repentance at what rate would you valew a daies contrition Then worldes would be worthles in respecte of a litle respitte A shorte truce would seeme more pretious then the treasures of Empires nothing would be so much esteemed as a trice of time which now by monthes yeeres is lauishly mispent O how deeply would it wound your hart when lookinge backe into your life you considered 〈◊〉 faults committed and 〈◊〉 confessed manie good workes omitted and not recouered your seruice to God promised and not performed How inconsolable were your case â—our frends being fled your senses frighted your thoughts amazed your memory decaied your whole minde agast and no part able to performe that it should but onely your guilty conscience pestred with sinne that would continually vpbraid you with most bitter accusations What would you thinke when stripped out of you mortall weede and turned both out of the seruice and how 's roome of this world you were forced to enter into vncouth and strange pathes and with vnknowen and vgly companâ— to be conuented before a most seuere iudge carying in your owne conscience your inditement written and a perfit register of all your misdeeds When you should see him prepared 〈◊〉 the seÌ„tence vpon you against whoÌ„ you had transgressed and the same to be your vmpier whom by so many offences you had made your enimie When not onely the diuels but euen the Angels should pleade against you and your selfe maugre your will be your sharpest appeacher What would you do in these dreadful exigents when you saw that gastly dungeon and huge gulfe of hell breaking out with most fearfull flames When you saw the weping gnashing ofteeth the rage of those hellish moÌ„sters the horrour of the place the rigour of the paine the terrour of the company the eternity of all these punishments Wâ—uld you theÌ„ think them wise that would delay in so weighty matters and idly play away the time allotted to preueÌ„t these Intollerable calamities Would you then account it secure to nurse in your bosom so many sâ—rpeÌ„ts as sinnes or to foster in your soule so manie malicious accuser as mortall faults Would you not then thinke one life too litle to doe penance for so many iniquities euery one wherof were enough to cast you into those euerlasting vnspeakeable torments Why then do you not at the least deuote that small remnant and surplusage of these your latter daies procuring to make an attonement with God and to free your conscience from such corruption as by your schisme and fall hath crept into it Those verie eyes that read this discourse and that veâ—y vnderstanding that conceiueth it shal be cited and certaine wiâ—nesses of the rehearsed things In your owne body shall you experience those deadly agonie and in your soule shal you feelingly find those terrible feares yea and your present estate is in danger of the deepest harmes if you doe not the sooner recouer your selfe into the fold and family of Gods Church What haue you gotten by being so loÌ„g customer to the world but false ware sutable to the shoppe of such a marchant whose trafick is toile whose welth trash and whose gaine miserie What interest haue you reaped that may equall your detrements in grace and vertew or what could you finde in a vale of teares parageable to the fauour of God with the losse whereof you were contented to buy it You cannot be now inueigled with the passions of youth which making a partiall estimate of things sette no distance betweene counterfeit and currant For they ar now worne out of force by tract of time or fallen in reproofe by triall of their follie It cannot be feare that leadeth you amisse seeing it were too vnfitting a thing that the crauant cowardice of fleshe and blood should daunte the prowesse of an intelligent person who by his wisdome cannot but discerne how much more cause there is to feare God then man and to stand in more awe of perpetuall then temporal penalties If it be an vngâ—ouÌ„ded presuÌ„ption of the mercy of God and the hope of his assistance at the last plunge the ordinary lure of the Deuell to reclaime sinners from the pursuite of vertue it is to palpable a collusioÌ„ to misleade a sound sensed man howsoeuer it preuaile with sicke affected iudgements Who would rely eteâ—nal affaires vpon the gliding slipperines and running