meanes as by the ayre wherein I breathe and moue and by foode which nourisheth bloud the vitall spirits and outward members visible to men yet in the same house of clay there is a spirituall and an inuisible life which is nourished in a more diuine manner not by bread that perisheth but by the word of God which worketh faith the life of the soule which feedeth on things that are aboue and not on things of the earth And therefore doth the Spirit of God for instruction lay downe before the sonnes of men the fruits both of the one and of the other of the flesh and of the spirit which are contrary one to the other to shewe what bitter fiuits proceede of the flesh to moue man to flie them and the sweet fruits of the Spirit to allure vs to follow them The fruits of the flesh saith Saint PAVL are manifest meaning indeed too common which are Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Wantonnesse Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Debate Emulations Wrath Contentions Seditions Heresies Enuie Murder Drunkennesse Gluttony and such like affirming also that they that do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of heauen A fearefull conclusion against those onely that with delight cōmit them for that they are so contrarie to the Law of the Spirit which produceth Loue Ioy Peace Long suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance against such there is no Law But here ariseth and I doe apprehend a fearefull fallacie to lye hidden in the performance of these spirituall workes for as I may flatter my selfe to bee spirituall and yet be more carnall so may I censure a man carnall that is more spirituall for the performance of these spirituall works as it were literally and in outward shew is meere carnalitie ostentation tending to Pharisaicall glorie better fruits proceede not from mee by nature then to seem what indeed I am not sincere and pure religious holy counterfaiting the workes of the Spirit by a kinde of outward imitation of men indeede truely sanctified And aboue all other sins this which is hypocrisie is most to be condemned for that it deceiues not onely other men but the counterfeit himselfe But being indeede endued with the quickning Spirit which causeth me to die vnto the world and the vaine-glorie thereof then shall I inwardly and spiritually liue vnto God and the works that I shall doe shall witnesse vnto men that I dissemble not with God yet when I finde my selfe most and best inclined to spirituall actions I finde and feele againe and againe the buffets of my corrupt nature wresting mee to the contrarie what shall I then say doe I good because I will doe good and doe I not euill because I will not do euill nothing lesse for my will is no further free to do that which is good then it is made free by the grace of God And againe my will is so farre prone to euil by how much I am not preuented by grace To euery good worke God giues the will and the deed and euill is alwaies present with mee Therefore I in part desire and in part feare to die yet I must die Forasmuch therefore as I know I shal die and that the way to die well is first to liue well which is not in my owne power I must seeke the meanes of God and therefore it behoueth me to be much conuersant in his Word wherein the way is described and the meanes prescribed and yet not vnderstood by naturall wisedome but by the Spirit of God which reueileth the same therefore ought I to aske wisedome of him that is wisedome it selfe who willeth me to aske and I shall receiue wisedome to seeke and I shall find grace to knocke and hee will open the dore of diuine knowledge how to walke in the way of a godly life the true and perfect preparation to a happy death and this death is the gate of eternall life To aske seeke knock importeth prayer and prayer an inward heartie desire to obtayne that at the hands of God which I by no other means can obtayne and this by a feruent firme and constant assurance that GOD to whom I pray will grant my request in the merits mediation of his Sonne so that I neede not doubt but that if I aske spirituall things spiritually and wauer not in my Faith I shall obtayne grace so to walke in this life as I shall not fear to die but with cheerfull alacritie imbrace it when it offers it selfe vnto me therefore will I open my mouth vnto him that hath promised to fill it I will addresse my heart to him that can and will direct it and so present my prayers before his mercies Seate prostrate vpon the knees of mine vnfayned heart and he will heare me and saue me A Prayer for a godly life and a happy death The Prayer O Gracions and most louing Lord God in Jesus Christ the fountaine of Life and the Disposer of the same by death how where or when it shall best please thee euer for the best to them that loue thy name I cannot but confesse and acknowledge that death cannot but be fearefull if a godly life go not before O what a terrour therefore befals me O Lord through the consideration and calling to mind the former course of my most corrupt and sinfull life How can I but feare to be dissolued when I thinke of and call thy iudgements into my minde and that hell and destruction attends the death of the wicked but the righteous shall be glad in thee and trust in thee and all the vpright in heart shall reioyce to whome death shall bée great aduantage Let it therefore please thée O my most gracious God and louing Father to remember thy mercies and in the multitude of them put away cleanse me of all my sinnes and so reforme me that hence-forth I may walke before thee and be vpright I am a man void of counsell neither is there any vnderstanding in me I am not sufficient of my selfe so much as to think a good thought but my sufficiencie is of thee Therefore teach mee thy way O Lord that I may hence-forth walke in thy truth Knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name make my heart vpright in thy Statutes for thou Lord hast pleasure in righteousnesse and hée is blessed in whose heart are thy wayes Graunt therefore gracious Lord that according to the riches of thy grace I may be strengthened by the Spirit of the inward Man that CHRIST may dwel in my heart by faith and so my whole spirit soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse to the cōming of the Lord Iesus And if I haue found fauour in thy sight shew me thy way that I may know thée and may walk from henceforth all the dayes of my life in a sincere sanctified conuersation and take away the vaile wherewith my mind is couered that I
in sicknesse The Prayer O Lord my God I waite on thée My soule keepeth silence vnto thee for of thee commeth my saluation therefore do I submit my self vnto thy will giuing thée thankes for thy patience towards me in Jesus Christ nor thou hast shewed thy selfe towardes mee slowe to wrath and full of goodnesse and mercy Increase euer more and more thy graces towards mee that in this my Pilgrimage towardes my graue I may possesse my soule in patience waiting thy good time for my deliuerie for here where I now dwel I neither hear nor sée taste nor touch any truly comfortable thing only thy Word is my spirituall consolation and the hope of future glorie my ioy And were I not fed with the hope of a better life by death I were of all men most miserable for nature could not with patience beare the burden of this miserable life being so ful of all infirmities both of body and mind so fraught with sins of all sorts and accompanied with so many and sundry crosses and finally subiect to thy seuere Judgement But thy fauour and thy loue and thy patience towards me worheth in me patience knowing that the time is comming and at hand wherein I shal be fréed from this mortal and miserable to enioy a life immortall and glorious O confirme therefore increase the patience attendance and attention which thou hast begun in me that after I haue here done thy will I may receiue the promise wherein thou hast assured me that the patient abiding of the righteous shall be gladnesse Thou art a God of mercy and blessed are they that waite for thee Grant therefore Lord that I may be found blamelesse in the day of my distation and that I may here walke worthy of thee through Christ beeing strengthned with al might thrugh thy glorious power to all patience and long suffering with ioyfulnes Amen Lord increase my faith MEDIT. VIII Of Repentance and Merit NO man be he neuer so holy is free froÌ„ sinne and therefore neuer free from occâ—sions to mooue him to Repentance And I acknowledge that Repentance Patience Watchfulnesse Attendance and Attention are of no force vnlesse Faith be the ground of euery of them For it sufficeth mee not to bee sorrie for my sins as it séemeth Iudas and Kain were vn lesse by Faith I can feele assure my selfe that my sinnes are also pardoned as neither of them did for it is the free gift of God which God vouchsafed not to them Neither is it sufficient for mee to watch with Patience or to attend the bringing forth of outward oftentiue and vaine-glorious works but I must feele in my selfe the infallible tokens of mine effectuall calling and ingrafting into Christ through Faith before I can bring forth workes worthy amendment of life which is true Repentance Some tokens of mine effectuall calling I feâ—le in my selfe for I desire to do good yet euen then is euill present with me I delight in the Law of God as conceruing the inner man Namely as I am regenerate But I see another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my minde and lending me captiue vnto the Law of sinne which is in my members So that I cannot doe the good I would doe but the euill which I would not do that I doe Should I then thinke that because I feele not the signes of my calling in perfection and because I am not free from all touch of infirmities and sinnes in thought word and deed that therefore I haue no Repentance God forbid for to perswade my selfe that I haue no sinne were to deifie my selfe and to make mee equall with Christ as doe those that are faithed from yet by their workes of Merit and of Supererogation presume to affirme that they can bring not only them-selues but others to saluation whose arrogate Merit stinkes before God making the death of Christ of none effect the highest Blasphemie that mortall man can spew out against the Trinitie for hereby is the most vnsearchable loue of God the Father in sending his Sonne made vain and fruitlesse the obedience of Christ to his Fathers will made needlesse and his death causlesse and the worke of the Holy Ghost who giueth Faith in the hearts of them that shall bee saued excluded and the corrupt heart of miserable man wherein by nature is nothing but sinne the dregges whereof will remaine euen in the regenerate man during this mortall life exalted aboue the merits of Christ. Which Blasphemy be farre from me Hee that can merit his owne Saluation needs no Repentance which I disclay me and cleaue only and alone to the merits of Christ my Sauiour in whom my Repentance imperfect is reputed true Repentance howsoeuer the â—ing of sinne remaines in me yet without mortall venome only to keepe me euer in minde of mine imperfections for when sinfull motions arise in mee I cannot but acknowledge in my selfe corruption which cannot but humble mee before God and occasion me to pray for the Spirit of Repentance and that God will deliuer mee from this bodie of sinne A Prayer for true Repentance and a reformed life The Prayer O Lord my God I come here into thy presence fearefull to looke vp to Heauen where thou sittest from whence thou beholdest all my wayes and obseruest all mine actions in earth cursed and euill and wherein I haue too too long wallowed my selfe and as it were bathed my selfe in the bloud of mine owne soule which I haue diuersly wounded through my sinnes seldome or neuer calling my selfe to an account what I haue done but resting secure haue followed vanitie vpon vanity heaping â—â—â—ne vpon sin as if there were neither pleasure nor profit but in a carnall course of life O touch my heart with a true sorrow for euery idle thought of my heart for euery vaine word of my mouth and for euery act that I haue commited against thy sacred Maiestie giue mee grace to call to minde my sinnes of all sorts of all seasons and of all places howsoeuer or wheresoeuer I haue done and committed them that they appearing vnto mee in their vgly likenesse I may truely lothe them hate and abhorre them and vnfainedly repent them while Ihane time and while thy Mercies may be found for in death there is no remeÌ„brance of thee and in the graue who shall prayse thee Returne O Lord deliuer my soule saue mee for thy mercies sake withdraw not thy tender mercie from mee O Lord let thy Merrie and thy Truth alwayes preserue me Open Lord my dimme eyes the â—ies of my heart that I may hence-forth sée and walke in thy wayes Soften and molliste my hard and stonie heart that with Peter I may go out of my sinnes and bitterly bewaile them Send thy light and thy truth let them lead mee let them bring me vnto thine holy Mountaine and to thy Tabernacles Giue me a truly repenting heart through a liuely Faith in the Merits
commendable for there is labour in forbidden vanities and paine in whatsoeuer pleasure But labour allowed of God and good men is that which is seasoned with the feare of God for it neuer goeth without the blessing of GOD which it euer finds by the successe If therefore such an industrious man seeme poore by reason of his basenesse yet is he rich hauing the blessing of God and hee that is blessed of GOD here doth euen here beginne his euerlasting happinesse If hee bee idle here or giuen to carnall vanities bee hee neuer so worldly glorious he euen here begins his perpetuall miserie and wretchednesse Labour of it selfe maketh not rich but the blessing of God vpon our labours Blessed are they that feare the Lord and walke in his wayes If therefore yee feare the Lord and therein labour Yee shall eat the labours of your owne hands and well and happie shall yee bee Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it It is in vaine for you to rise early and to lye downe late and to eat the bread of carefulnesse It is God by his blessing that prospereth your labours making them sweet vnto you and profitable Haue also respect vnto your seruants that labour vnder you that they bee such as neere as you can as feare God for God often-times blesseth the Master for his seruants sake as Laban confessed that God had blessed him for Iacobs sake in all his substance The little that hee had before Iacobs comming was wonderfully increased So was Potiphars House blessed for Iosephs sake If then the wicked bee blessed for godly seruants sake how much more when godly Masters haue religious seruants fearing God And as there is a blessing promised to the godly so a curse denounced against the wicked in their labours They shall carrie out much Seede into the Fields and shall bring in but little They shall plant Uineyards and not drinke the Wine Nothing shall truely prosper with them what paine soeuer they take Feare yee God therefore bee doing good and yee shall bee fed assuredly Yee shall bee like Trees planted by the Riuers of waters that shall bring forth fruit in due season whose leafe also shall not wither and whatsoeuer yee doe it shall prosper The wicked are not so but are as the chaffe which the winde driueth away and scattereth The poore shall not alwayeâ— be forgotten the Lord will bee a refuge vnto you a refuge euen in your greatest dangers for he heareth the desires of the poore and prepareth their hearts O the wonderfull deepnesse of Gods Mercies who because we of our selues are ignorant of good things and dull to all goodnesse our hearts being prophane by nature hee euen hee himselfe hath promised to prepare euen these dull and wicked hearts and to make them fit for his owne seruice not that hee hath neede of any good that our best workes can doe him but for our comfort hee doth it lest that through our owne infirmities we should faint vnder the hand of his most louing corrections and therfore mooued euen of his free Mercies and tender compassion towards the distressed he hath promised and will assuredly performe it that for the oppression of the needie and for the sighes of the poore he will arise and set at libertie whom the wicked hath snared O set the Lord therefore alwayes before you hee is at your right hand therefore shall ye not fall PART VII Pouertie hinders not neither doth riches further true happinesse I Would haue you thinke that happinesse consisteth not in riches nor that pouertie hinders it for riches come and goe and therefore is a man no longer held happy then hee hath riches and consequently reputed happie according to the proportion of his riches But it is not so with godly pouerty or pouertie in the godly which although it be in the extremest degree it is but pouertie when hee wants all necessaries whatsoeuer as meate drinke clothing lodging friends and all helpe yet God careth euen for these poorest fearing him calling vpon him Pouertie nor riches are of themselues good or ill neither make they a man happy or vnhappy but he is happy who trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is And blessed are they that keâ—pe his Testimonies and seeke him with their whole heart This is true happinesse and none besides Let pouertie or riches fall to a man that knowes not how to vse either hee will bee the worse for either but let either befall a good man and hee will be no worse for neither But coÌ„monly where men are honored for their wealth poore men are despised for their pouertie without respect of vice or vertue so that not the persons but the portions of either are honored or despised If the richest waxe poore contempt increaseth as his greatnesse diminisheth if the poore growe rich his honour growes as doth his welth Is not this respect of persons is there not great partialitie in reuerencing the glorious though vicious and disgracing the poore be he neuer so vertuous God indgeth according to euery mans worke not according to his worth God is indifferently rich in loue to all aswell to the rich as to the poore being Lord ouer all but a father to them onely that loue him in Christ whom he will neuer faile nor forsake vnto the end Let not then pouertie moue you to distrust the Lord though the world despise you and say of you as they did of Dauid yea of my selfe also that there was no helpe for him in God a grieuous temptation I acknowledge but not to the faithfull that hath learned to bee patient to depend on God who is neuer neerer then when carnall men thinke hee hath forsaken his children be not deceiued nor dismayd at their reproches for the poore shall not bee alwaies forgotten neither shall the hope of the afflicted perish for euer Though worldlings make a mocke at the counsell of the poore because their trust is in God Remember they are the men of the world who haue their portion in this life whose bellies God filleth with his hid treasure their children haue enough and leaue the rest of their substance vnto their childrens children But behold yee the face of the LORD in righteousnesse liue godly and yee shall be timely satisfied with euery thing necessary he will send downe from heauen and take you and bring you out of all your troubles God chooseth to himselfe the man that is godly and when he calleth vpon him he will heare him He blesseth the righteous and with fauour compasseth him about on euery side as with a shield therfore feare not your pouertie nor bee afraid of man that may despise you and reproch you for your afflictions sake Remember the afflictions of Dauid and the reproches that Shemei cast vpon him rayling on
feare him then that feare being blessed and sanctified â—restraynes mee from sinne to walke in the wayes of God therefore I feare and walke because I am blessed and not blessed because I either feare or walk in his wayes for God by his blessing which is his grace giues mee the will without which the deede cannot follow so both the will and the deede the desire and the worke in me are of God He that feareth the Lord will neither speake nor do euill because both speaking doing good comes from the feare of doing euill which holy feare being the gift of God hath great commendation in the Scripture It is the beginning of wisedome saith Salomon and wisedome the end of all heauenly perfection and tendeth not only to restraine from euill for feare of Gods Iudgements as it wrought in Dauid when he said My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements But to retayne me in the loue and fauour of God Iob was reputed a iust and vpright man because he feared God and in fearing God he eschewed euill Satan himselfe confessed that God preserued Iob blessed all that he had for that he feared God The feare of God then is that true rule of wisedom which directeth vnto a godly life a godly life an infallible forerunner of a happie death and to die in the Lord is chiefest blessednesse the passage from a miserable mortall to a blessed immortall being This feare then being the first steppe to a godly preparation to liue well and to die blessed is that true most precious Iem and Iewell which I seeke and desire to obtayne at the hands of God whose gift it is And therefore according as Salomon hath defined this feare of the Lord I will indeuour to abandon euill and to abhorre sinne Dauid also teacheth and I will desire to practice the same feare in keeping my tongue from euil and my lips that they speake no guile I will seeke to eschew euill and to doe good to seeke peace and to follow it for Who hath euer continued in the feare of the Lord and hath beene forsaken of him in life or in death A Prayer for the feare of God and wherein I may so liue as I may not be afraid to die The Prayer O Lord my God who hast made mée and fashioned mee of the dust of the earth and hast breathed into me the breath of Life here to trauaile vpon the face of the earth during a time appointed by thy Prouidence which I shall not passe for thou hast set down the number of my dayes which how many they shall bée I am vtterly ignorant giue me therefore a holy â—eare that I may thinke euery day to bee the day appointed for my death that I may so much the more warily walk in the wayes of true wisedome in a holy and sincere conuersation before the sons of men and in the sanctification of the inner man lest I be found more formall before men then faithfull in thée I beséech thée hearken to the prayer of thy Seruant who desireth vnfaynedly so to feare thée as I may not feare or be afraid of death Giue me that holy feare of thy Name which thou hast commanded that I may not erre from thy wayes nor harden my heart from thy feare for I know that great is thy goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee Knit my heart therefore vnto thée that I may fear thy Name and may receiue grace to serue thée so that I may so please thée with reuerence and feare that I not only may not feare to die but desire it rather passing all the time of my dwelling here in continuall meditation of thy future life sanctifying thee the Lord God of Hosts who art euermore my feare for thou only art able to kill and to make aliue to cast downe and to raise vp therefore art thou only to be feared like vnto whom there is none among al the gods so glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises and doing wonders I thanke thée gracious Father in Jesus Christ that in and by him I haue receiued the Spirit of re conciliation adoption whereby I am enabled to crie Abba Father and am freed from the spirit of seruile feare from the feare of Satan by thy Spirit Though for a little while O Lord thou maist séeme to forsake me and leaue mee to the spirit of bondage yet with great compassion according to thy wonted mercies I finde thée euer readie to receiue mee againe For a moment thou hidest thy face from mee but with euerlasting mercie thou wilt haue compassion vpon mee and after this my mortalitie receiue mee to eternitie who art my Lord my God my streÌ„gth and my Redéemer Lord increase my feare of thee my faith in thee and loue towards thee Amen MEDIT. IIII. Watchfulnesse THE second point of my preparation is to bee watchfull and that for three especiall causes The first for that I haue an Aduersarie who is maliciously watchfull therefore ought I to be religiously watchfull The second because death will steale suddenly vpon me as a Thiefe The third because of my generall account to which I know I shall be called as soone as my soule is gone from my bodie if then I bee not able to yeeld a â—ust reason how I haue spent the time of my life here I shall be cast into prison neuer to bee redeemed First then to apply my watchfulnes to the watchfulnesse of mine enemie it behoueth me euer to haue an eye vnto the thoughts motions and affections of my corrupt heart for from my heart proceed all the euils that by any part or member of my bodie are actually committed and all the thoughts of my heart are euill euermore yet thence is my tongue moued to speake how then can my words be holy proceeding from so polluted a fountayne I am often violently carried whither the thoughts of my heart doe moue me and am often incited to commit those things howsoeuer euill which my corrupt heart hath conceiued And mine enemie Sathan that thirsteth for my confusion takes aduantage by the inclination of my heart manifested by mine accustomed actions to frame his bayts according to my corrupt appetite coueting euer to draw actual euils out of the polluted puddle of sinne conceiued in my heart This do I find by the experience of his long practice and inferâ—all stratagems for vpon my committing of some sinne and hartily repenting the same with a resolution neuer to commit the like I haue as it were sensibly felt and plainly obserued how by little and little he hath endeuoured to lay snares to draw me to the same euil not as with a violent hand but as it were stealing vpon me like a flattering and deceitefull Theefe whose policies I haue no power to preuent but only by that promise which GOD made vnto
of thy Sonne in whom say vnto my Soule and seale it vnto mee by thy holy Spirit that thou art my Saluation Lord increase my faith and accept my Repentance MEDIT. IX Of Faith and Hope and the effects of them both and of the glorie to come FAITH HOPE the maine Pillars whervpō are builded all other Diuine Vertues are the meere gift of God without which I doe acknowledge I cannot be saued Saint Paul writing vnto the Hebrewes describes the faith whereby I beleeue in Christ not to be a dead but a working faith knowne by the effects whereof are many Examples Rom. 11. And whereby many most worthy men approued themselues to bee of God and to bee beloued of God who by their faith apprehended things absent and vnseene to their vnspeakable comfort as really and truly a◠if they had beene present and visible confirming thereby that faith is the ground of things which are hoped for and the euidence of things which are not seene By this our faithfull Fore-fathers saw Christ long before he came in the flesh and beleeued him to come to bee the Messiah Moses saith Christ saw my dayes So did the Prophets Dauid and many other who hoped for that which they saw not yet at length obtained the visible glorie of the same Sonne of God by whom and in whose bloud to bee shed they were saued Without faith howsoeuer a man may liue in a seeming sincere course of life before men though he bee obserued to doe no man wrong yet if hee take not hold of Christ by this liuely faith if hee imbrace not his Word lay it vp in his heart if he bring not forth fruits worthy amendment of life he pleaseth not God for in nothing is GOD pleased but in and by his Sonne and is delighted is none but in such as seeke him and serue him in and by his Sonne I cannot come vnto God without Christ nay I cannot beleeue that God is but by Christ. I cannot hope to receiue the good things of Heauen not with patience abide for them but that Christ hath purchased the same for me and promised the same vnto me And therefore I beleeue them to bee certaine and sure though yet but in expectation therefore I wait with patience The Husbandman wayteth for the Haruest many dayes after his chargeable and laborious committing the Seed vnto the earth if the Haruest were instant vpon the casting away of the Seed there were neither Patience nor Hope in the Seedes-man And if by experience hee found not that the Seed cast into the Earth would render recompence hee would either forbeare to cast it away or being sowne neuer hope for fruit So I wretched man though I deserue no other fruit to reape then I haue sowne namely of the flesh corruption yet I hope to reape what I haue not sowne namely of the Spirit euerlasting life and that through Iesus Christ who and not I hath cast the Seed of the Spirit into my Soule the fruit whereof I shall reape at the generall Haruest to mine owne euerlasting vse as if the Seed had beene mine owne for which I hope with patience in Faith As the Light followeth the Sunne so Hope followes Faith But if I beleeued not God in Christ and in him had assurance through Faith of the performance of his promise of future glorie I might well say with Saint Paul I were of all men most miserable for to endure here miseries crosses enemies labours anguishes and perplexities of bodie and minde and to bee also frustrate of future comfort my case were worse then the Bird in the Ayre the Fish in the Sea or the brute Beast of the Field But glorie bee to God in Christ who hath assured mee of a Kingdome to come an inheritance immortall Edifie your selues saith Saint Iude in your most holy Faith praying in the Holy Ghost and keep your selues in the loue of God looking for the Mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life Eternall life then being the end of my Hope I will with patience abide it for comming I know it will come And the delay of mine enioying it is but the try all of my faith which yeeldeth me that assurance that to mee is much more precious then Gold that perisheth and shall bee found to my glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ whom though I haue not seene yet I loue him beleeue and reioyce in him with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious and shall receiue the end of my Faith euen the saluation of my soule after this death It may bee demanded Is it so easie a matter to obtaine eternall life To beleeue onely no I beleeue not that simply to beleeue can obtaine saluation But if I confesse with my mouth the Lord Iesus and doe beleeue in my heart that God raysed him vp from the dead I shall bee saued It may bee againe obiected Here is yet but faith of the heart and confession of the mouth If this bee all that is required to saluation it is not so hard a thing as it is conceiued to obtaine it I hold in deed that the bare confession of Christ and to beleeue that Christ is though I beleeue him to bee the Sauiour of the World and yet doe not apply his merits and death vnto my selfe my Faith profits mee little and my Confession nothing at all Thou beleeuest saith Saint Iames that there is one God thou doest well the Deuils also beleeue and tremble and therefore barely to beleeue that there is a God and a Christ to confesse as much is no more then the Deuils doe Therefore this Faith and this Confession is not sufficient to my saluation for then should the Deuils that beleeue bee also saued but they beleeue and tremble I beleeue and hope desiring to shew my Faith by my workes Abraham indeed was iustified by his faith that before the attempting of the offering of his son But by the offering of his sonne hee shewed that his faith was not a naked and bare faith but a faith accompanied with obedience good Workes for his workes preceded not his iustification but beeing first iustified he beleeued and obeyed Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Faith being the gift of God brings forth good Works which in Abraham grew not by nature but by the free mercie of God wrought and working by the Holy Ghost whose fruits they were yet in Gods mercie imputed as the fruits of Abraham so what-soeuer good thing proceedeth of my faith in Christ I assume it not as mine though through Christ so imputed I beleeue that true and sauing Faith cannot bee without good Works for without good Works faith is dead And I also beleeue that there may bee works of themselues good and yet without true faith not onely not acceptable to God but rather condemned of him for
hand whereby I receiue comfort from heauen here in earth euen in my greatest miseries I am not ignorant of other mens growth from a graine of wealth to an ounce from an ounce to a pound from a pound to an hundred waight And I that haue laboured more peraduenture then some of them am left so farre behind them as I am forgotten euer to haue beene of their companie What shall I say shall I fret my selfe at their prosperitie and grudge at mine owne meane estate no I wil trust in the Lord I will delight mee in him and commit my way vnto him I will not enuie him that prospereth in his way nor him that obtayneth his desires in this life It is too much and I rather pitty then enuie them for their fulnesse makes them fall and their fatnesse makes them without Gods feare the more fit for the slaughter It is enough for me that I depend on Gods Prouidence yet doe I not so depend as that I thinke that he will feede me though I put not my hand to my mouth that by his prouidence and power my wants and my necessities shuld be supplied though I laboured not No it is so farre from me so to thinke as I endeuour to vse all the lawfull meanes that my calling base as it is reputed and mine indeuours therein weake as they are knowne can administer vnto me But I acknowledge all my labours vaine without the blessing of God with-out which I know nothing can prosper vnder my hand And I am not ignorant that according to the outward man al things succeede alike to the good to the wicked health and sicknesse riches and pouertie enemies friends the Sunne shines and the rayne falls on both alike not to the best by desert nor by chance in that which is to either of them good for their corporall being but that Gods blessing in earthly things should make euen the wicked without excuse and that GOD may haue the glorie not onely for the saluation of the one but for the condemnation of the other for his glorie appeareth aswell in iudgement as in mercy I will therefore trust in the Lord I will during my time limited by God labour in my calling according to my dutie and occasions administred and therein will I waite with patience in hope I will rest content with my portion knowing that a small thing blessed by God is better then the greatest riches of the vnsatiable MEDIT. XIII Not to sorrow for a mans death but to hope of his better life NOw forasmuch as I knowe I shall chaunge this vile body for a better such as are my friends in reason will not bee against it though for a time they shall lose mine and I shall lose their corporall and comfortable societie but wee shall meete againe in more complete and comfortable ioy in the heauens then the earth can afford vs and therefore I wish them not to sorrow for my departure when it shall please GOD to appoint the time But mee thinkes I heare some whom the Law of Nature especially of Religion bindeth me much to respect lamenting their miserable estates which cannot but befall them after my finall departure from them it is hard with them now and they may iustly feare that they shall want what my poore indeuours while I liue and haue my health among them doe in some measure supply And which may aggrauate their sorrow and my griefe the more I am indebted and thereby shall leaue a more heauie burden of miserie and contempt vpon them then the poore meanes which I shal leaue for them wil be able to sustayne for they say and true it is that creditors are cruell and there is little mercy among men therefore may they iustly feare that they shall be oppressed beyond their power which may iustly giue them the greater cause of feare before and of mourning after my death As riches left vnto posterities are the cause of carnall content and reioycing so is pouertie cast vpon them by Parents the occasion of sorrow calamitie The confideration whereof breeds more grief in my heart then the remembrāce of death brings feare not in respect of my selfe who am taught that in what estate soeuer I be to bee therewith content but my contentment worketh not in thē the true knowledge how to vse things indifferent for being poore I am patient and where patience is there is hope and where hope is there is the mind at peace or being rich I may haue discontent distraction so that neither wealth nor want of themselues are good or euill but as they are made by the vse or abuse of either of them Pouertie in Parēts makes often-times children vertuous knowing it is their portion whereas the hope of riches often imboldens the indifferently well inclined to bee the worse conditioned knowing the greatnesse of their portion will maintayne their vanities Vertue is a farre greater patrimonie then possessions and with an inheritance wisedome is necessary but precious where no earthly inheritance is for that by it the life is gouerned by true discretion whereas without it the best patrimonie is suddenly consumed with shame If therfore I could leaue vnto them that riches of the minde to direct their wayes they might then spend their short and euill dayes as sweetly as contentedly in a poore cottage and therein offer vnto God as pleasing sacrifices of prayer and praises as in a Princes Palace but God is the giuer of these heauenly vertues Pouertie is not to be imputed as a fault to the honestly minded and truelyindustrious The fault is in the minde that deemes it a fault but few howsoeuer Philosophicall they seem can without diuine wisedome beare with gladnes to be left poore by Parēts and what wife is shee that with willing acceptation will imbrace a poore life after her though most vertuous and most louing and beloued husband Widdowhood of it selfe seemeth and to the vertuous woman is a sorrowfull portion especially so left by a beloued husband but Widdowhood with pouertie is meere miserie yet a vertuous womā married will take her lot with patience being a widdow for no estate time or triall can alter her constancie MEDIT. XIIII The discouerie of a meane estate reputed a fault is none I Haue beene often condemned of simplicitie by many of my friends for that I bewray mine owne poore estate so publikely to the world which peraduenture may repute me rich and of competent meanes This I acknowledge is a shew of their loue and friendly affection and I so take it but cannot obserue it nor follow their counsell for if I should conceale my necessitie make an outward shew to haue what I haue not and to be what I am not am I the richer or the better shall my posteritie receiue the greater portion of prosperity after me nay shall they not rather vndergoe
sense of future good or euill auoid it left death steale vpon you and finde you so doing depend on Gods prouision blessing of your owne lawfull and laudable industries He is your heauenly Father and knoweth whereof ye haue neede seeke him hee will be found he will supply all your occasions if yee bee faithfull though yee were neuer so poore DAVID depending on God found by experiēce that the righteous were neuer left destitute nor their faithfull children to begge Cast then your care vpon God for hee careth for you And let not the care of the things of this life preuent your carefull preparation to a better life which you cannot attayne vnto but by death and therefore indeuour so to liue as God may bee glorified in your death not giuing your members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse vnto sinne here but giue your selues vnto God as they that are aliue from the dead and giue your members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto GOD. Striue against your owne corruption and let not sinne raigne in your mortall bodies that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof for When lust hath conceiued it bringeth forth sinne and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death not the death of the body only which is but a dissolution of the soule from it for a season but the death both of soule and body which is eternall Walke therefore in the Spirit saith Saint Paul and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Ye haue the light walke not in darknes for he that walketh in darknesse walkes hee knowes not whither while yee haue the light therefore walke in it So walke as your hearts may mooue from euill to good from sinne to sanctitie cease to do euil learne to doe good and practise it Learne of Dauid to run the way of the Lords Cōmandements Walke not in the counsell of the wicked stand not in the way of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull but delight your selues in the Law of the Lord and thereupon meditate day and night so shall yee bee blessed in life and death Yet thinke not to bee free from troubles enemies and crosses how sincerely soeuer yee liue nay the more carefull yee shall be to lead a holy and a godly life so much the more will Satan seeke to peruert you bee not dismaid cease not to walke honestly as in the open light that men may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heauen PART II. Gods prouidence towards his IF pouertie want oppresse you Let your Petitions bee vnto God who as he giueth seede vnto the Sower so shall he administer vnto you meat drinke and all things necessarie Remember the rich mercies of God which he hath euer shewed to his faithfull distressed children He sent his Prophet Abacuck to Daniel when hee was not only a prisoner and out of the reach of all his friends to releeue him but had for his companions the fearfull deuouring Lyons whose mouthes that most mightie God who will bee yours closed vp they could not hurt his seruant God might haue sustayned him with-out foode as he did Moses and Eliah but to shewe his secret mercies by visible meanes Remember also the miserable estate of that poore distressed woman Hagar ' who was so farre from any hope of worldly helpe in the barren wildernesse hauing a most heauie heart for her poore infant that with the mother was like to perish for want of a cup of cold water despairing as it were in her selfe laid away the childe from her forsooke it as loth to see the sorrowfull spectacle of its death and looked vp vnto GOD that saw her whose mercy and compassion was such towards her as hee opened a Well of water opened her eyes to see it whereby shee refreshed her selfe and relieued her child shewing thereby how carefull the Lord is of the distressed estates euen of such as are out of the couenant of grace how much more of such as take hold of him by faith in Christ namely of them that truly feare him faithfully beleeue in him and vnfainedly serue him When Samson had wearied himselfe combating with the Philistims became so weake and faint as hee was readie to perish for want of water to refresh him did not the same God yea our God the God of the faithfull giue him drinke out of the drie iaw-bone of an Asse Could he bring water sufficient to quench his great thirst out of so small and so drie a vessell yes for as long as hee desired to drinke so long it yeelded water like as did the oyle which by the power of the same God Eliah infused into the emptie vessels of the widdow of Sarepthah it ranne so long as shee had vessells to contayne it When Christ turned water into wine it ceased not till all the vessells were filled vp to the brim So doth the same God euen to this day deale with his children whom he neuer ceaseth to fill and feede as long as they haue faith to receiue his blessings and necessitie to haue them Hee fed foure thousand with seuen loaues and a few fishes and fiue thousand with fiue loaues and two fishes besides women and children hee could with the same meanes haue fed a more infinite number his power is so absolute what hee will hee works and what hee commands is done The hard Rocke must yeeld Riuers of water shewing that he can mollifie the heart of the most cruell Tyrant and in stead of afflicting to comfort his children The deuouring Rauen when God will vse him contrary to his nature shall carry foode to his distressed Eliah so doth hee at this day doubtlesse worke the hearts of most obdurate men to doe good as it were contrary to their condition to them that feare him and faithfully call vpon him in their distresses The examples of Gods presence with his loue vnto his and his power and prouidence ouer his faithfull children are in the Scriptures numberlesse The like are of his iudgements towards the wicked not only particular enemies of his as was Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar Scnacherib Herod and others but against whole Kingdomes Cities Multitudes the Kingdomes of Israel and Iudah where are they Is not the Scepter departed from them for the wickednesse of the people that dwelt in them Sodom Gomorrah Zeboim Admah and Zegor where are they Came not fire brimstone from heauen vpon them How did the same God cōfound Ierusalem the slaughter-house as it were not only of his Prophets but of his owne innocent Sonne and doe wee not see daily GODS iust iudgements vpon diuers Countries People by fire inundations of water by pestilence warres and famine And is not the sudden hand of God vpon such as at this day blaspheme his Name Needes there examples of such as haue beene striken some
dumbe some blind some dead in an instant Doe not our owne eyes besides our owne yea moderne Histories witnes the same Terrible is the Lord in his wrath and who shall stand in his sight when he is angry He is terrible euen to the Kings of the earth Nay vnto such as seeme to be and are not truely religious as Ananias and Sapphira his wife who lying vnto the holy Ghost were striken suddenly dead It is a fearfull thing to fal into the hands of the liuing God especially when he is angrie We are all by nature the children of wrath dead in trespasses and sinnes So is al the world subiect to the iudgement of God being found guiltie in his sight If GOD therefore should marke what is done amisse who could abide it or expect worldly cōforts from him Therefore whether yee shall in this life receiue pouertie or riches sicknesse or crosses or whatsoeuer calamities and afflictions and in what measure soeuer perswade your selues that it is far short of what yee haue deserued therefore take his chastisemēts with patience and endeuour stedfastly alwayes to abound in the workes of the Lord assuring your selues your labour shall not bee in vaine for God wil be euer readie to work for you beyond that yee are able to aske or thinke PART III. Obiection against Gods miraculous working at this day SOme yet wil say that the time of Gods working miracles namely miraculously and beyond the apprehension of naturall vnderstanding is past and ended and there is now no experience of such supply by Gods prouidence as when God sent Eliah to the widdow of Sarepthah and foode by a Rauen extraordinarie meanes indeede which nowe are neither visibly nor actually done Beware of this rash censure it is the voice of meer Infidelitie for God is God yester-day namely of old and to day and for euer his loue is not diminished his power is not weakned his prouidence preuented nor his command and absolute authoritie ouer his creatures any way or by any meanes encountred or the execution of his will opposed but is euen the first and the last neuer altering nor changing but as hee had subiects of mercy and iudgement to worke vpon and meanes by which to worke so hath hee at this day and vntill the finall dissolution of all things he will still work by meanes without meanes against meanes His promises are Yea Amen not to our Fathers only but to vs and all posterities for euer those he performeth at this day yet not so visibly and apparantly as in the dayes of our Fathers of old We haue not a Moses I confesse to bring water out of the Rocke by striking with his rod nor an Aaron to turne a Rod into a Serpent and to deuoure the counterfeit Serpents of the Inchanters Wee haue no Eliah to pray for fire to consume Gods enemies nor an Elisha to diuide a Riuer with his cloke No Paul that with his word can dispossesse a spirit of diuination nor a Peter that with his word can make a cripple to goe sound Many miracles in former times done are recorded both in the old new Testament through the power of GOD by the hands of men which kind of working miracles are ceased but the power of God continueth the same for euer euer working wonderfull things with-out the cōpasse of humane apprehension and sets before our eyes daily examples of his extraordinarie working in mercy for the comfort of his children and as before is said in iustice and iudgement against the wicked according to the song of the blessed Virgin The Lord sheweth strength with his arme he scattereth the proud in the imagination of their hearts he putteth downe the mightie from their seate and exalteth the humble and meeke he filleth the hungrie with good things and sendeth the rich emptie away Is not this a strong confirmation of the faith of Gods children plunged in perils visited with afflictions and tossed to and fro in the troublesome and tempestuous Sea of this world in which are they not cōmanded to pray for their deliuerie And to whom pray they not vnto the same GOD as our forefathers did If GOD therefore were not now in his Mercie Loue Power and Prouidence as hee was then as able and willing to helpe wee were taught both to pray and to feare in vaine neither his Mercie nor Iustice could appeare as with our owne eyes wee haue seene the wicked to perish and the innocent deliuered euen by the hand of God himselfe that his Glorie and Power might by the iust punishment of the one and maruellous deliuerance of the other be seene and celebrated of all them that feare him The Holy Ghost doth euery where in the Scripture make vs see and perceiue the great and manifold benefits which come by aduersitie he declareth them to all but all haue not the true apprehension that it is sēt for their good And vnlesse ye be inlightened in the spirit of your mindes and the cloudes of your carnal cogitations be driuen away by the wind of diuine vnderstanding yee cannot but mistake the good pleasure loue and fauour of God that causeth all things to worke together for the best to them that loue him and grudge at your heauenly Fathers Discipline Ye are poore murmure not nor grudge at the prosperitie of others Learne of Dauid the contrarie who in his haste and vnaduisedly fretted to see the prosperitie of the wicked that alwayes prospered and increased in riches And thought indeed that God made no difference betweene the good and the bad the righteous and the wicked and therefore thought it a vaine thing to bee curious to liue well considering that notwithstanding his continuall seruing of God yet was he punished and chastened euery morning namely daily the wicked still secure and in no danger this strange course of Gods working hee as it were admired and began to consider if hee could finde out the cause but it was too deepe for his naturall wisedome but when hee entred into the Sanctuarie of God when he had consulted with the holy Spirit of God and had learned his Word then he vnderstood what the end of these flourishing men would be he considered that God had set them in slipperie places how hee east them into sudden desolation wherein they perished and were fearefully confounded Put therefore your trust in God he will guide you in all your occasions by his counsell and after your godly life ended hee will receiue you to Glorie Seeke therefore neither helpe nor comfort but of GOD alone for there is none in Heauen but hee and desire none in the Earth but him If ye fall into troubles beware as neere as ye may it bee not for euill doing for the Magistrate beares the Sword for sinners If ye bee troubled for well-doing yee need not feare yee haue
daily offend if yee bee truely sorrie for it hee will not cast you off but will receiue you as his sonnes and daughters Mary Magdalen was a woman of a defiled conuersation Peter weake for fear denied his Master Dauid committed two great sinnes Whoredome and Murder Paul persecuted Gods people yet vpon Repentance they all receiued pardon Yee may not therefore imitate them as they were sinners but imitate their Repentance and lye not in your sinnes God indeed is gracious but ye may not sinne that grace may the more abound God for bid for although God be mercifull hee is not totally mercie but is also iust and in his iustice hee might condemne all humane creatures for no man is righteous in his fight And therefore none without Christ in whom all that shal be saued are saued Take theresore holde of him and his mercies and mediation through Faith so were your sins as red as bloud they shal be made as white as snow and were they as Purple bee made as white as wooll by the sheading of his bloud vpon the Crosse. Cast off all feare and despaire therefore only beware of relapses fall not backe againe bee not like the Dogge and the Sow and take heede of presumptuous sinning as to sinne perswading your selues ye will and can repent when yee list and so much the more boldly because ye haue learned that God is mercifull This is to quench his Mercie and to incense his Iustice and to harden your hearts in the custome of sinning so should ye haue Iudgement without Mercie Such as thus sinne against God are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and contemners of the Mercie of God who shall melt away as Waxe at the fire and perish at the presence of God But the Righteous shall bee glad and reioyce yea they shall leape for ioy not the Righteous in their owne opinion or the Righteous in shew but the truly Righteous to whom the Righteousnesse of Christ is freely imputed Take heede therefore that yee assume not vnto your selues to bee righteous for before God there is none no not one righteous in the Earth ye may obiect and say How then shall any man reioyce seeing there is none righteous none in or by their owne inherent Righteousnesse for the best mans actions are in and of them-selues euill euermore without Christ. He therefore that is truely righteous is righteous by imputation not by actuall perfection Abraham nor Isaak nor Iacob nor Iob nor Dauid nor Daniel no not Enoch or Elias nor Peter nor Paul nor that Diuine Apostle Iohn were of them-selues by nature so perfect holy or righteous as that any of them durst to stand vpon their owne merits by them to bee saued no the Blessed Virgin acknowledged Christ to bee her Sauiour Beware therefore of that generation of Vipers Iusticiaries who assume vnto themselues that puritie and power as they do and are able to fulfill all the Commandements and whole Law of God which the most righteous man Christ excepted could neuer doe Christ came to saue Sinners confessing their owne vnworthinesse not such as neede no other workes of Redemption but their owne workes of perfection by which workes they shall bee iudged without the imputation of the worthinesse of Christs Merits vnlesse they repent their iudgement is pronounced alreadie O flye from the hearing of any bewitching tongue whatsoeuer that shall indeuour to make you beleeue that yee may liue without sinne They are Lyers the children of the father of Lyes and would make you Lyers like vnto themselues who though they bee men in shape yet are they Monsters indeed they would seeme Dcified and alas they are Deuils incarnate haue no conuersation with such men yet striue and studie to be perfect namely to attaine vnto such perfection as the dearest children of God can haue in this life Stand not at a stay but endeuour to proceed from faith to faith from one diuine vertue to another vntill yee become perfect in Christ in whom and not in your selues your absolute perfection consisteth and when yee haue done all that yee can acknowledge your selues farre imperfect and vnprofitable seruants for the way to glorie is by humilitie and hee that exalteth himselfe shall be brought low The humble man thinks euery man better then himselfe and thinkes his best actions worthy rather to bee reprooued then rewarded And vpon due consideration of his deserts is so farre from iustifying himselfe as hee is ashamed of his owne vnworthinesse he casts himselfe downe and the Lord lifts him vp But hee that iustifies himselfe lifts himselfe vp and makes himselfe equall with God and God doth cast him downe to haue his portion with Lucifer Remember the reiection of the proud Pharises iustification and the acceptation of the Publicans humiliation your humilitie consisteth in your voluntarie subiection vnto the Ordinances of God who reuealeth vnto the poore in spirit the knowledge of his will and hides it from them that assume vnto themselues knowledge sufficient without the Doctrine of his Word Yee can in nothing bee more like vnto Christ then in meeknesse and humility two adiuncts of Christ not much vnlike in operation The first namely Meekenesse is most properly shewed in your conuersation among men The second which is humilitie sheweth it selfe in patient submitting your selues without any inward discontent to what it pleaseth God to doe with you or against you against you neuer though your carnall vnderstanding may so conceiue it Iob was contented with all his afflictions resoluing himselfe that though GOD would kill him yet would he trust in him And should you professing humilitie grudge when any thing befalls you for your good farre be it from you rather prayse God exalt his Name fall downe before his footstoole imbrace his Discipline for he is holy and to be loued and feared loued in that hee is your God who hath created you and preserued you to bee feared in that hee is iust and may iustly condemne you in the strictnesse of his Iustice. Enter therefore into his gates with prayse and into his Courts with reioycing prayse him and blesse his Name for hee is good his Mercie is euerlasting and his Truth namely the performance of his promises endureth from generation to generation Serue him with gladnesse and come before him euer with ioyfulnesse for though hee be in the Heauens yet looketh hee downe from his holy Sanctuarie to heare the mournings of the Prisoners and to deliuer them that are appointed to death Let your soules therefore euermore prayse the Lord not your tongues and lippes only which are outward and oftentimes Organs of Hypocricie Remember and keepe in minde all his benefits for they are more towardes you then yee are able to number hee for giueth all your sinnes he healeth all your infirmities he giueth you all good things he preserueth you in troubles supplyeth your
Resurrection of thy Sonne when wée were worthy to be condemned for sanctifying vs by the Holy Ghost being by nature vile for preseruing vs hitherto and that in safetie by thy prouidence and for thy fatherly prouiding for vs all things necessarie to this present morning and for that thine assured and most comfortable promise that thou wilt glorifie vs in the heauens with thée after this mortall and miserable life ended And wee praise thy great and gracious goodnesse for so mercifully preseruing vs this night past from all dangers and for that thou hast giuen vs comfortable rest and sléepe in the same whereby our weake bodies are refreshed and haue receiued the more strength and power to enter into this day and to vndertake the workes of our callings and because by reason of the corruption of our natures we are pressed downe with dulnesse and beclouded with ignorance so as wee cannot rightly vnderstand nor truely performe our duties either in thy seruice or our owne worldly functions without thy blessing we here vpon the knées of our hearts doe humbly and heartily pray thée for Jesus Christ thy beloued Sonnes sake to assist vs with thy Holy Spirit that these our praises and prayers may bee accepted of thée and that our ignorance may be banished by the light of thy holy Spirit that wee may plainely sée and perceiue our owne errors and wants the detestablenesse of our sinnes and through his bloud obtaine pardon of all our imperfections and defects with liuely and effectuall renewing of our obedience to thée in all our workes wordes and duties this day Remember not O Lord the sinnes we haue committed nor our neglect of the duties we haue omitted call not to minde the transgressions of our youth which we haue forgotten nor looke vpon the wickednesse of our riper yéeres which doe presse vs downe through the sense of thy seuere iudgements threatned against vs for them and let thy grace we humbly beséech thée from henceforth euer beeextended towards vs vouchsafe thy holy Spirit vnto vs euermore to direct vs that neither the weaknesse dulnesse and peruersnesse of our owne natures in doing that which is good nor the strength of our naturall inclinations to doe that which is euill be any hinderance to the worke of thy grace in vs. But so much the more good Father watch euer vs that neither Sinne nor Satan preuaile against vs that wee obtayning at thy hands this great mercy may the more fréely chéerfully prosperously passe this day and that our labours being taken in hand in thy feare may through thy blessing succéede to thine owne glorie our comfort and to the good of them whom they may concerne And forasmuch as the passing through this world is many wayes euery where dangerous and full of perils by reason not only of Satans malice but also by reason of the practices of our corporall enemies our owne infirmities crosses losses troubles and many miseries Assist vs gracious God and leuing Father that we may escape all these inconueniences and not to fall into any sinne or corporal danger this day but rest secure and safely protected vnder thy power and prouidence and carry our selues vpright in all our actions through Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord increase our faith A Prayer in the Euening for priuate Families O Gracious Lord God and most leuing Father in Jesus Christ wee thy most vnworthy seruants doe humbly intreate thée to accept from vs in his Name our vnfained thanks for the manifold pledges of thy loue towards vs. Thou hast made vs and not wee our selues and where thou mightest haue made vs beasts thou hast formed and shaped vs men and women and furnished vs with many spirituall blessings besides infinite corporall comforts which not onely this day now presently past but all the dayes of our liues doe witnesse for day vnto day vttereth thy goodnesse towards vs and night vnto night approueth thy prouidence ouer vs. The day is now past darknes is gone ouer our heads resembling rightly our ignorance for without the light and knowledge of thy sauing Truth we liue in darknesse in the strongest and most glorious light of the Sunne The eye of the body may bee light when the vnderstanding as touching heauenly things may be so dark as not able to apprehend our owne wants and imperfections Thus O Lord doe wee acknowledge our hearts to bee eclipsed with the dulnesse and blindnesse of our naturall reason and vnderstanding whereby we yet are able and doe onely séeke and search finde and follow the forbidden vanities of this wretched life tasting and vsing them with carnall pleasure and forbidden delight as the sins which wee haue committed this day and the good duties we haue omitted doe testifie against vs to our shame this euening and yet such is thy great goodnesse and mercy towards vs as thou this day in our ignorance hast instructed vs in our blindnesse hast guided vs in our necessities reléeued vs in our wearinesse refreshed vs now brought vs to the euening of this last day wherein wee haue liued and that in safetie so that wee cannot but acknowledge this day to haue béene a day added by thy blessing to thy former manifold fauours which we haue daily receiued at thy hands possible it is not for vs to number vp the benefits and blessings which thou hast bestowed vpon vs through all our life they are numberlesse yet wretches that wee are wee haue as it were striued to equalize nay rather to exceede thy blessing in the number of our transgressions Our naturall corruption the sinne of Adam cleaueth vnto vs his posteritie so fast as it hath filled vs euen from our conception with the séedes of all euill so that we brought that into the world with vs which without thy grace and frée pardon in Christ cannot but confound vs But thou hast giuen thy Sonne Jesus Christ a meanes of propitiation in whom thou reconcilest all that beléeue in him vnto thy selfe Therefore haue we boldnesse through him to intreat thée of pardon for all the sinnes we haue euery one of vs committed this day as our euill thoughts idle words and wicked actions whereby thou hast béene euen this day iustly prouoked against vs besides our former abusing of thy patience and despising of thy Word whereby thou threatnest to punish sinners and whereby thou hast promised to blesse and comfort them that serue thée in truth Thou mayst iustly condemne vs also for our vnthankefulnesse for thy mercies especially for our vnfaithfulnesse in not beléeuing thy promises But now Lord wee beséech thée that the old man our corruption by the new man thy Spirit sinne may bee abandoned and cast out that sinne no longer haue dominion ouer vs mortifie in vs the whole bodie of sinne and so clense vs that we carry not vnto our beds this night any dregs of the same but may bee fully washed through thy Sons bloud from euery spot stayne that
yet remaynes in our corrupt hearts that we being thus washed in the Lauer of perfect regeneration the precious bloud of that slayne Lamb by faith we may not feare the assaults of Satan nor any malicious instrument of his this night but may be safely kept and preserued by thy prouidence and receiue such rest and sléep as may onely refresh vs let thy Angels guard vs and our soules and bodies and all that we haue that we it may bee kept and preserued safe vntill the morning and for euer Amen O Lord increase our faith A Confession of sinne a Prayer for pardon and for a godly and sanctified life O God and Father of all Goodnesse and Fountaine of Mercie the Guide of the Righteous the Giuer of all perfect gifts and the Sanctifier of the heartes of all that shall be saued shew thy selfe vnto me who am a defiled and deformed wretch whom originall corruption and actuall sinnes haue so polluted as I am not worthy to stand in thy sight or that thou shouldest dwell in mée by thy holy Spirit And therefore I cannot without feare and astonishment without trembling and shame approch into thy presence séeing mine owne filthinesse and considering thy great Maiestie Integritie and Puritie yet am I embeldened to come vnto thée coÌ„passed with many infirmities especially with 〈◊〉 and corruption which if I would endeuour to conceale I cannot they are so open and manifest to thine All-séeing eye that the more I labour to hide them so much the more they breake forth and shew themselues vnto thée O looke not vpon them as a Judge to condemne me for them but as a louing and mercifull Father and Phisician to cure mée of them so shall I not onely willingly discouer vnto thée all the sores and pollutions of my corrupt heart and pro phane life which by search I shall bée able to finde in my selfe but intreate thée also with the Lancet of thy Loue to cut searifie rip vp and find out all the hidden filthinesse that lurketh in my soule in my minde in my will and in mine affections and apply the Playster of the sauing Bloud of Jesus Christ to heale mee throughout that there remaine no more grosse corruption in mée and learne mée so to search and know the wickednesse of my heart that I may not spare my dearest and most familiar sinne but may â—ast it out as the chiefest worker of my miserie Lord let it become bitter lothsome and méerely hatefull vnto my soule as a most deadly infection howsoeuer it hath béene heretofore séeming swéet pleasing and delightfull vnto my carnall part Let mée abhorre all iniquitie and truely abstaine from all occasions to sinne againe Giue mée strength O Lord to ouercome my sinfull lusts and what wanteth in my power supply by thy grace that I may at least still striue against euery sin through the power of thy Spirit that I may bée approoued a member of thy Militant Church here where yet I am a stranger and where I continually féele the wearisome warfare betwéene the flesh and the Spirit wherein I haue neuer the victorie but by thine only power but the fâ—yle euer by mine owne weaknesse O subdue my flesh and fleshly minde to thine obedience that I neuer make ship wracke of a good conscience by yéelding vnto the motions of my corrupt heart which I daily féele in my selfe to rebell against thy reueiled will and make mée lightly to estéeme of the vaine and deceiuing things of this World that I may truly shew my selfe to take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof but by a constant deniall of mine owne will approoue my selfe to liue by Faith after thy will And giue mée grace that in nothing I may offend thy Maiesty and let mée neuer giue way to mine owne corrupt will and affections to commit the least sinne whereby I may quench that sparke of that Spirit and Grace thou hast begun in mée Enlighten my heart that I may know thy will aright and rightly behaue my selfe according vnto the same not for a day and then fall to the workes of mine owne peruerse will againe but that my Righteousnesse may shine more and more through a constant perseuerance vntill it come to that perfection as may truly testifie vnto my conscience that I am the same that I desire to séeme to be not according to the opinion that others haue of mee but according to that measure oâ— holinesse thou requirest to be in me let my outward integritie bee in all holy simplicitie and godly purenesse among men as in thy sight And the more that Satan by his meanes and ministers endeuoureth to withdraw mine obedience from thée so much the more let mée striue to maintaine that dutie and obedience which I owe vnto thée And let thy loue towardes mée draw mée to loue thée aswell when thou touchest mée with aduersttie as when thou giuest me prosperitie and fayle mée not in my greatest néed Teach mée O Father to séeke and obtaine all things at thy hands by the meanes and merits of Jesus Christ in whose name I humbly offer vnto thée this my weake and imperfect Sacrifice Accept it yet in him he is thine only Sonne in whom thou art euer well pleased hée is my Redéemer and hath paid the ransome for me which for my sinnes was laid vpon me and hee sitteth now a Mediator at thy right hand euen for me Scatter therefore O Lord my sinnes as a mist and mine iniquities as a Cloud and let my Righteousnesse appeare as the Sunne and mine Integritie before men as the noone day that my heart may alwayes behold thée And let thy face of fauour and loue spread its beams so ouer mee that I being inlightened by thée may walke as in the cléere Light of sauing Truth and be euer led by the hand of thy Grace that neither sinne Satan the World nor mine owne corruptions cause me to stumble and fall Giue me good Father the Spirit of perfect Prayer And although through the coldnesse of my Zeale and weaknesse of Faith I cannot cry vocally vnto thée alwayes alike yet accept the will and the sighes and grones of my heart which cannot bee expressed yet knowne to thée Thou knowest the meaning of the heart and hee that inwardly mourneth for his sinnes though hee outwardly cry not for Mercie thou hearest him it is thy Grace that worketh sighes in the sorrowfull heart and which inkindleth the fire of Zeale whereby the tongue is mooued from the beléeuing heart euen in often inforced silence to pierce at length euen the Heauens with the loudnesse of its cry And thou againe graciously grantest the faithfull hearts desire by outward reliefe or inward comfort so that nothing wanteth to him that séeketh thée but hee is filled with all ioy and spirituall consolation In this ioy let all worldly ioyes bee swallowed vp in mee and let mee preferre the peace of a good conscience before all carnall peace and