that thou wilt turn me from all my evill waies and give me true repentance from the bottome of my heart so I shall be turned unto thee in true love for thou art the Lord my God and thy mercy endures for ever Selah Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart Psal 19.14 be now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer Incline not my heart to evill that I should commit wicked works with men that work iniquity Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips so shall my mouth speak thy praises for ever Amen O my sweet eternity and my eternall Saviour in thy love to poor sinners in Jesus and for his sake I only beg of thee trusting that in him thou wilt not deny me notwithstanding all my sinnes for thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever And first my most humble petition unto thy most sacred Majesty is that thou wouldest of free and perfect mercy pardon all my breach of Covenants with thee or men as thy mercy endures for ever Secondly To pardon accordingly my vowing and not paying for thou art good as thy mercy endures for ever Thirdly to pardon of thy like goodnesse all my hypocrisie towards thee and man as thou art good and as thy mercy endures for ever Fourthly To pardon all my blasphemies against thy Majesty any manner of way as thou my God art only good and as thy mercy endures for ever Fifthly To pardon all my Lies wherewith I have given thee cause of Anger against me as thou art good and as thy mercy endures for ever Sixthly To pardon all my relations speaking absolutely yet beyond my certain knowledge at that time when I spoke them as thou my good Lord art onely and perfectly good and thy mercy endures for ever Seventhly To pardon all my Oathes and taking of thy Name in vain as thou art good and thy mercy endures for ever Eighthly To pardon all my vain and idle speakings as thou art good and as thy mercy endures for ever O my mercifull and loving Father I humbly pray thee for thy Sonne my Saviours sake and in his Name be graciously pleased to pardon and forgive all the sinnes of all my senses I humbly acknowledge I have been dull to listen to thy commands but most ready and open to receive vanity to the corrupting and as much as in me lieth the destruction of my body and soul For give I humbly beg also the sins of my seeing smelling tasting goings and of all the members and faculties of my body and soul for they have all rebelled against thy gracious mercy to their due deservings of eternall death O Lord who knowes the errour of his heart and of his waies cleanse my soul O Lord from my secret sinnes and deliver me I humbly beseech thee from my presumptuous sinnes least they get the dominion over me O cleanse thou me and so I shall be cleansed I doubt not but thou wilt in thy infinite love to the works of thy own hands and in thy free pardoning of sinne for Jesus Christ his sake give me eternall life with thy servants and wilt not impute the guilt of sinne unto me for thou art the Lord my God whose mercy endures for ever above all thy works Selah In thee therefore I will rejoice A Confession and humble suit for Pardon in Jesus Christ O My mercifull Lord God I humbly pray thee for Christ thy Sonne my only Lord and Saviours sake to pardon and put clear out of thy remembrance that originall sinne and damnation due to me from the loynes and rebellions of my first parents O forgive thou the sinnes of my father and let the sinnes of my mother be done away I doubt not oh my Father of mercy but thou hast of thy own free goodnesse already done it for I know thou art only perfectly good and thy mercy endures for ever Selah O Father I know thou wilt not visit the originall sinne of my fathers upon me Exek 18.20 for that thou hast said The sonne shall not bear the iniquity of the father neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the sonne but the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon himself O Lord I know as a father hath compassion on his children so thou hast compassion on them that fear thee O my God I acknowledge that I was born in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Psal 51.5 Exod. 34.6 7. but thou art the Lord my God strong and mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth reserving mercy for thousands forgiving iniquities Dan. 9.9 transgressions and sinnes Compassion and forgivenesse is in the Lord our God albeit we have rebelled against him O my Father Eccl. 11.10 Remember not the sinns of my childhood for childhood and youth are vanity When I was a childe I spake as a childe I understood as a childe I thought as a childe but mercy is with thee that thou maist be feared Psal 24.48 Look thou upon my affliction and my travell and forgive all my sinnes It is the joy of my soul O God 86.5 that thou art good and mercifull and of great kindnesse unto all them that call upon thee O my good Lord I beseech thee for thy goodnesse sake remember not the sinnes and vanities of my youth for only thy free mercy in Jesus my Saviour is sufficient to release me from the torments of their deservings Thou my good God in thy saving compassion and sparing us miserable men from our deservings saist Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evill even from his youth but thy mercy endures for ever O make me not to possesse the iniquities of my youth Psal 25.7 Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my rebellions but according to thy loving kindnesse remember thou me even for thy goodnesse sake O Lord for thou art my hope O Lord even my trust from my youth O God thou hast taught me from my youth even untill now therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works I desire most humbly to live if it were thy blessed will from this moment eternally in thy perfect service O my God I must acknowledge and confesse that my heart my will my waies my words and actions have been evill from my youth the leprosie of my sinne is only cureable by the blood of my Saviour that infinite pledge of thy blessed mercy therefore O my good God give me a lively faith to apply it to all my wounds as thou my God art only good and from thee only is the will and the deed of true faith and repentance Amen O my Father Remember not the sinnes of my man hood and riper years I acknowledge O my God when I call to minde my breach of promises and Covenants both with thee
my God and man which I have solemnly made and taken I have promised to thy sacred Majestie my unworthy service though but the least part of my dutie upon condition to receive mercy from thee which in particular thou hast been gratiously pleased as I may judg to give me but I alas have wholly left undone my promise with thee so that surely I admire thy patience that thou hast not ere this cast me into hell amongst thy enemies Thou hast of thy free mercie given me time of repentance I trust thou wilt in thy great goodnesse give me true repentance it self even such as thou wilt not despise O give it me for thy mercies sake O my Creatour as thou lovest sinners in Jesus and hast mercie for the works of thy own hands give me true and saving grace lead and draw me to thee in true repentance Lord thy long-suffering and patience to me doth give me some hope of thy electing me to mercie O give me the full assurance of it by a true and a lively faith Open thou I most humbly pray for Christ Jesus his sake my dark and closed eyes so that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law blesse me O my Father in not imputing sinne unto me for man liveth not by bread only but by every word of thy mouth O God What is man that thou art mindefull of him Psal 8.4.144.3.89.5 or the Sonne of man that thou visitest him Lord what is man that thou regardest him or the Sonne of man that thou thinkest upon him Behold thou hast made my daies as a hand-breadth and my age as nothing in respect of thee surely every man in his best estate is altogether vanitie When thou O God with rebukes dost chastise man for sinne as a moth his beauty doth consume surely every man is vanity Doubtlesse man walketh in a vain shadow he disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them And now Lord what wait I for my hope is even in thee deliver thou me from all my transgressions Who can withstand thy chastenings surely every man living is vanitie Selah O my God I humbly beseech thee for my Saviour Jesus Christ his sake and in thy love through him to poor wretched and miserable sinners forgive all my Oathes and my hypocrisie towards thee or man all my blasphemies lies false and doubtfull speeches my vanities and offendings of thee by thought word and deed O let thy sweet free and saving mercy forgive all my secret sinnes and from my presumptuous sinnes good Lord deliver me least they get the dominion over me I humbly beseech thee seeing sinne must raigne in this my earthly tabernacle give me grace and strength I humbly crave of thy most sacred Majestie that I may submit unto it unwillingly as to the subjection of a cruell Tyrant not willingly with joy and comfort as to a lawfull Prince Give me grace and strength I most humbly pray with Ephraim to bemoane my self in secret and truly desire to be released from the cruell oppression of this Tyrant to be dissolved and be with thee my only joy and peace that I may serve thee as thy faithfull servants and never offend against thee any more Amen I beseech thee O my Saviour and my God for the whole remainder of my life that yet I have to live under the Sunne remember not thou against me my former iniquities but make haste and let thy tender mercies prevent me that I offend not against thee nay I doubt not in Jesus but thou my mercifull God wilt of thy free goodnesse prevent me Psal 27.11.86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a right path because of my enemies Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy truth knit my heart unto thee that I may fear thy Name Turn away mine eies from vanity and quicken me in thy way 119.37 Stay my steps in thy pathes that my feet doe not slide Shew me thy waies O Lord and teach me thy pathes for all thy pathes O Lord are mercie and truth unto such as keep thy Covenants and thy testimonies O my God I plainly see my evill and my sinne the bitternesse of my waies are before me I must judge and condemne my self for the least sinne guilty of infinite punishment even as thou the Lord my God whom I offend and rebell against thereby art infinite But O what then is the due desert from thy severe justice for those innumerable heapes of wickednesse and transgressions which momentarily increase upon me through my corruption wherewith I have provoked thee to anger and which continually call for judgment for my eternall destruction as my due deserts Although I see no way of pardon without great fears and doubts yet I will delight my self in the mercies of thee my God and commit my waies unto thee my Redeemer for I know thou wilt bring it to passe I humbly beseech thee O my Father my hope my joy the onely rest and peace of my eternitie guide me and lead me in the perfect way of thy blessed service as thy true and faithfull servant from this moment for ever O leave me not nay I doubt not in Jesus but thou wilt ever guide and not leave me untill I be in the house of thy love in the place of thy rest which thou O my Father in thy infinite love hast prepared for thy servants untill the door be shut that I cannot return unto my own vanities againe even so come O my Father in Jesus Come quickly Amen A Prayer O thou that hearest prayers unto thee shall all flesh come look upon our Saviour and our mercy and let not our unworthy prayers offend thee O Almighty and our all-sufficient Lord God whose will is all things both in Heaven and earth who art only good and whose mercy endures for ever to thee the grave is open and from thee there is no covering for destruction thou stetchest out the North over the empty place and hangest the earth upon nothing thou bindest thy waters in the clouds and the clouds are not broken under them thou holdest back the face of thy Throne and spreadest the clouds upon it Thou hast set bounds to the waters untill the day and night come to an end The pillars of Heaven tremble and quake at thy reproof the sea is calm by thy power and by thy understanding thou smitest the pride thereof Thy spirit hath garnished the Heavens and thy hand hath formed the crooked serpent Loe these are part of thy waies O mighty God but how little a portion have we of thee and who can understand thy fearfull power Thou art the God of the spirits of all flesh great art thou O Lord and most worthy to be praised thy greatnesse is incomprehensible Thou good Lord be mercifull to all us that desire or would at least both desire and fully prepare our whole hearts to seek and
perfectly to serve thee the God of our Fathers although we be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary O Lord we beseech thee let thy loving kindnesse and thy mercie to poor miserable sinners in Jesus direct our hearts as the hearts of thy elected servants to pray unto thy sacred Majestie in spirit and truth and we humbly beseech thee let thy ears hearken to our praiers and the praiers of all thy servants who desire to fear thy Name Two things we most humbly beg of thee O our mercy denie us not them before we die Remove farre from us vanity and lies Give us neither poverty nor riches feed us with food convenient for us least we be full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or least we be poor and steale and take the Name of our God in vaine so we will praise thee O Lord in the power of thy might saying Thou wast angry with us because of our mighty sinnes provoking thee but thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest us Thou art our preserver and our refuge we will trust and will not feare for thou Lord God art our strength and long and our salvation O our good and blessed Lord and King in the power of thy mercie we will extoll thee and will blesse thy Name for ever and ever Praise ye the Lord O our soules we will praise the Lord during our lives as long as we have any being we will sing unto our God O our God blessed is the man unto whom thou imputest not iniquity O teach us thy statutes Teach us to pray unto thee in a time when thou maist be found Thou art our secret place thou preservest us from trouble thou compassest us about with joyfull deliverance because thy mercie endures for ever O instruct us and teach us the way that we should goe and guide us with thine eye least we be like the horse and mule which have no understanding O our loving God give us grace to trust in thee that thy mercie may compasse us and that we may rejoice in thy salvation and give thee praise with all the faculties both of our souls and bodies continually O cause us to trust truly in thee for so we shall not perish Give us grace and strength O Lord by the power of thy saving spirit in Jesu truly to humble our selves for the afflictions and sinnes of our enemies so in thy mercie shall our praiers return into our own bosomes but doe thou save and comfort them O Lord for thy goodnesse and let it be thy will O God that our tongue utter thy righteousnesse and thy praise every day We desire to doe thy will O our God yea thy Law is within our hearts deale with thy servants according to thy mercies and teach us thy statutes we are thy servants grant us therefore understanding that we may know thy testimonies we love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold therefore we esteem all thy precepts most just and hate all false waies Thy testimonies are wonderfull therefore doth my soul keep them The entrance into thy word sheweth light and giveth understanding to the simple Look upon us O Lord and be mercifull unto us as thou usest to doe unto them that love thy Name Direct our steps in thy Word and let none iniquity have dominion over us shew the light of thy countenance upon thy servants and teach us thy statutes Righteous art thou O Lord and just in thy judgments Trouble and anguish are come upon us yet are thy Commandements our delight The righteousnesse of thy testimonies is everlasting O grant us understanding and we shall live Hear our voice O Lord according to thy loving kindnesse O quicken us according to thy judgments Great are thy tender mercies O Lord quicken us according to thy free mercy and thy goodnesse Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israell know us not yet thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy Name is for ever O give us thy saving spirit of life in Jesus from Heaven for we can receive nothing except it be given us from Heaven O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies and hardned our hearts from thy feare returne for thy servants sake and for our Saviour Jesus Christ his sake doe thou write our Names in the book of life with thy servants Let our complaints come before thee O Lord and give us understanding according to thy word Let our supplications come before thee O Lord and deliver us according to thy promise Our lipps shall speak thy praise O God when thou hast taught us thy statutes Our tongues shall treat of thy word for all thy Commandements are righteous Let thy hand help us for we have chosen thy precepts We have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is our delight Let our souls live and they shall praise thee and thy judgments shall help us We have gone astray like lost sheep seek thy servants for we doe not forget thy Commandements Our sinnes O Lord our sinnes they have taken hold of us that we cannot look up they are more in number then the hairs of our heads therefore our hearts have failed us Let it please thee O Lord to deliver us make haste O God to help us Our souls thirst for God even for the living God when shall we come and appear before the presence of God O God thou art our guide for ever have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away our offences Wash us throughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes for we know our iniquities and our sinnes are ever before us Against thee against thee onely have we sinned and done evill in thy sight that thou mayest be just when thou speakest and pure when thou judgest behold we were born in iniquity and in sinne have our mothers conceived us Thou O Lord lovest truth in the heart therefore give us wisdome in our inward affections Purge us with hysop and we shall be clean wash us and we shall be whiter then snow make us to hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy face O Lord from our sinnes and put away all our iniquities Create in us clean hearts O Lord and renew right spirits within us O cast us not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from us Open thou our lips O Lord and our mouthes shall shew forth thy praise Deliver us from bloud O God of our salvation and from the secret trapps of our deadly enemy Have mercy upon us O God have mercy upon us for our soul trusteth in thee and in the shadow of thy wings will we trust till the afflictions of our sinning against thee be overpast We will call upon the most high God even to the God that performeth his promise towards us We will
glory but confound his creatures Teach my endeavours Lord thy works to read That learning them in thee I may proceed Give then my reason that instructive sleight Whose weary wings may on thy hands still light Teach me to soar aloft yet ever so When near the Sunne to stoop again below Thus shall my humble feathers safely hover And though near earth more than the Heavens discover And then at last when home-ward I shall drive Richly with the spoiles of nature to my hive Then will I sit like that industrious fly Buzzing the praises which shall never die Till death abrupts them and succeeding glory Bids me go on in a more lasting story Naturall actions are much beyond our reason and Man is an epitome and compendium of all the terrestriall creatures There are two books that discover our Maker to us viz. holy Writ and Nature those which never heard of one have discovered him in the other the Almighty very much walketh in the path of reason when otherwise it is a miracle for nature is as it were the Art of God The absolute and incomprehensible providence of the Almighty is the disposing of all things that appoints our heirs and doth the works fasly ascribed to Fortune Blessed are those praying conquests of the objecting doubts in Divinity the devil will never end those disputes while we are in his Principality but while we build up our reason he endeavoureth to pull down our faith There are severall sorts of hainous blasphemies but an Atheist playes at all and at once denies there is a God I beleeve there is many an accepted faith which cannot endure fire and faggot and know not but Countries and particular persons too may have their tutelar and protecting Angels nor that the Saints departed may not know the passages of their friends on earth for that it is said at the conversion of a sinner the Angels of Heaven rejoyce for being that man is not only in the bulk and lump of the creatures but lives the life of plants animals and spirits it is a mighty priviledge and favour from our Creatour and may be a hierogliphyck of supernaturall knowledge The mistery of the Creation is very great but more particularly of man at the bare word the creatures were made of nothing but man was first made of earth and afterward the Image of his Maker by more sacred institution therefore he must not doate of life nor fear to die for to be too sensible of life and hopelesse of death becomes no man much lesse a Christian for although death soon layes our honour in the dust and changes us from commanding men into submission to the beasts yet we that is our souls are immortall and if not our own faults not subject to so vile allotment I cannot finde life worth the wish unlesse thereby we may serve our Maker and therein profit or promore our blessed eternity but if our sinnes grow numerous with our hours and so outgrow our despised repentance where is then that profit of our many years therefore it is that there is a secret end and bottom of our dayes his wisdome hath determined them his waking providence doth fulfill them wherein the spirits our selves and all the creatures of the Almighty in a secret and undisputed way perform his pleasure Another hand twines the thread of life than that of nature Lucan Victurosque Dei celant ni vivere durent Faelix essemori We' are all deluded vainly searching wayes To make us happy by the length of dayes For cunningly to make's protract this breath From us is hid the happinesse of death To avoid death in a miserable life is Christian fortitude it is a very great blessing that although the weakest hand may take away our life yet the strongest cannot deprive us of death for seeing this corrupted life cannot be without sinne happy is death that puts an end to it the devill therein was deceived for that his envy in bringing us into sinne hath by the Almighty mercy likewise brought upon us naturall death whereby we are freed and secured both from him and it Now our certain and eternall habitations are those incomprehensible scituations Heaven and Hell which none define or tell what and where they are a negative is the best we have bye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can mans heart conceive but Heaven may be the satisfaction to the soul wherein it desires neither addition nor alteration and the unsatisfied knowing appetite after vanity may be said a hell therefore let us fear the Almighty but not be afraid of shine let rather his mercies make us ashamed of our sinnes then his judgements afraid thereof I think few are scared into Heaven they goe the fairest way that would serve the Almighty without a Hell those mercenaries that crouch unto him for fear of Hell though they terme themselves the servants are indeed but the slaves of the Almighty The severall afflictions of the Saints are improved and doe prove the secret favours of the Almighty it is a singular piece of wisdome to distinguish the justice of the Almighty from his mercy and not miscall those his mighty attributes who is mercifull to all and better to the worst then the best deserve the most perfect actions on earth having no title or claim to Heaven for while we keep guard against one vice we commonly lye open to the attempts of another Acts 10.35 I like not that opinion which tieth salvation to the pale of any Church least we erre as much in our own as in another judgment We are commanded not to judg any but our selves and saving humility casts us lowest and will make us acknowledge our unworthinesse so much as to bring up the rear in Heaven Charity is a heavenly and absolute vertue the true effect whereof giveth Almes more out of obedience to the Almighty than out of commiseration on our brother for his sake that enjoynes it rather than for his that asks it He that relieveth out of bowels of compassion only doth it only for his own sake and perhaps because it may be his own case which is a sinister and politick charity this duty extends into all the wayes of doing good both to soul and body and by well instructing others upon an opportunity of charity we perform a double duty to be reservedly a niggard in this part of goodnesse is the most sordid piece of covetousnesse and in some sort more contemptible than pecuniary avarice No man can justly judge another because no man can justly know another nor truly himself Adams faith could not convince himself of murther untill Cain actually shewed it upon his brother A contemplative and solitary life avoideth many common and publike temptations yet hath the devill such advantage through our corruption that if we doe not withall valour and watchfullnesse resist both our selves and these allurements even in our most retired thoughts we shall thereby become the most abject piece of
comfort in this That his mercy endures for ever therefore rejoyce alwayes and in all things give thanks for that is the love of God to thee in Christ Jesus Isa 43.25 Thus saith the Lord I even I am he that putteth away thy iniquities for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes Isa 53.4 Fear not for thou shalt not be ashamed neither shalt thou be confounded for thou shalt not be put to shame yea thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth Ver. 7. For a little while have I forsaken thee but with great compassion will I gather thee Ver 8. For a moment in my anger I hid my face from thee for a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer Ver. 9. For this is unto me as the waters of Noah for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be angry with thee nor rebuke thee Ver. â—0 For the mountains shall remove and the hills shall fall down but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee Ver. 13. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord and much peace shall be to thy children Ver. 17. But all the weapons that are made against thee shall not prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemne this is the heritage of the Lords servants and their righteousnesse is of me saith the Lord. Eph. 2.8 For by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Sing praises unto the Lord ye his Saints and give thanks before the remembrance of his holinesse for he endureth but a while in his anger but in his favour is life weeping may abide at evening but joy cometh in the morning 1 Chron. 16.34 Praise the Lrod for he is good for his mercy endures for ever Ver. 41. And they were appointed to praise the Lord because his mercy endures for ever 2 Chron. 5.13 And they praised the Lord saying for he is good because his mercy lasteth for ever Chap. 7. ver 3. And they bowing themselves worshipped saying for he is good because his mercy lasteth for ever Ver. 6. And the Priests waited to praise the Lord because his mercy lasteth for ever Chap. 10. ver 21. And they went before the men of Arms saying Praise ye the Lord for his mercy lasteth for ever Ezra 3.11 Thus they sang when they gave praise unto the Lord For he is good for his mercy endures for ever Psal 118.4 Let them that fear the Lord say that his mercy endures for ever Psal 106.1 Praise the Lord because he is good for his mercy endures for ever Read Psal 136. Psal 117.12 For his loving kindnesse is great towards us and the truth of the Lord endures for ever Psal 138.8 Praise ye the Lord the Lord will perform his work towards me Psal 28.21 O Lord thy mercy endures for ever forsake not thou the works of thy hands forsake me not O Lord be not thou farre from me my God Psal 71.9 Cast me not off in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth Amen VIII A third Comfort in Death Thou maist rejoyce because blessed are they which die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours and their works follow them Rev. 14.13 Say thou with Paul Phil. 1.21 Christ is to me both in life and death advantage Ver. 22. And whether to live in the flesh were more profitable for me and what to chuse I know not Ver. 23. For I am greatly in doubt on both sides desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all Eccl. 4.12 So I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the Sunne and behold the tears of the oppressed and none comforteth them and loe the strength is of the hand of them that oppresse them and none comforteth them wherefore I praised the dead which now are dead above the living which are yet alive Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like unto his the death of the righteous is greatly to be desired Psal â—8 14 God is our God for ever an ever he shall be our guide unto death Psal 116.15 Pretious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Prov. 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away for his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Love the Lord thy God and therein thou shalt have comfort and great joy in all conditions whatsoever for love is stronger then death and our God will destroy death for ever Isa 25.8 Hear with great joy the word of the Lord to them that love him Hoseah 13.14 I will redeem them from the power of the grave I will deliver them from death O death I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction repentance is hid from my eyes Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Chap. 8. ver 2. For the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of waters so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall I come and appear before the presence of God IX A fourth Comfort in Death Our Saviour Jesus died in pain farre greater then ours and also a most ignominious and shamefull death and all for our sinnes it were happy for us that we could imitate in some measure his sufferings for us because his purity in the least degree or part we cannot He suffered most freely for us contrary to the cry and call of our rebellions even at that time against him when he could have got as much honour in our condemnation and have been rescued from those sufferings by more then twelve legions of Angels He hath willingly suffered to parchace eternall life for us as we ought truly to beleeve Therefore this being his appointed Crosse for us let us take it up carry it and follow him therewith rejoycing that we through his mercy are accepted of him as worthy to obtain and doe his service much more may we rejoyce that we in his goodnesse should have promise to raign with him for ever Amen Besides our blessed Saviours incarnation in coming from his Throne of eternall God-head to take upon him the form of a servant his being laid in the manger not having whereon to rest his head his many weepings and sorrowings for the sinnes of the world Read with true sorrow and repentance that thy sinnes should cause him such a death
saved where then shall wretched sinners appeare Beleeve not every spirit but prove the spirits if they be of God Do not understand that thou maist beleeve but beleeve that thou maist understand Faith is the assurance or substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seene Lord what I have been pardon what I am amend what I shall be direct Those sharpe corrections which the body wound if rightly used do make the soul more sound The sweetest Comfort AS a deare Mother comforteth her Son whom she hath borne So will I helpe and comfort thee at evening and at morne Isa 63.13 Nay though a Mother should forget compassion to have Yet is my mercy towards thee even when thou canst not crave Isa â—9 15 Colos 3.4 When Christ which is our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glory Ver. â— Mortyfie therefore your members which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is colatry Ver. 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience Ephes â— 3 But fornication and all uncleannesse or covetousnesse let it not be once named amongst you Ver 4. As it becometh Saints neither filthynesse neither foolish talking neither jesting which are things not comely but rather giving of thankes Mark 7.21 For from within even out of the heart of man proceed evill thoughts adulteries fornications murthers Ver. 22. Thefts covetousnesse wickednesse deceit uncleannesse or wantonnesse a wicked eye back-biting pride foolishnesse Chap. 4. ver 1â— The lusts of the world and the flesh enter into the heart and choake the Word and it is unfruitfull Therefore in true zeal and faith pray O Lord my God for Christ Jesus his sake Matth. 6.13 Leade me not into temptation but deliver me from evill Endure thou with patience and in the strength and mercy of thy Saviour resist thy temptations wherewith the world the flesh and the Devill joyne in desire to destroy thee Jam. 1.12 For blessed is the man that endureth temptations Ver. 13. For when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Let no man say when he is tempted that he his tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evill neither tempteth he any man 1 Cor. 10.13 Know that there hath no temptation taken you but such as appertaineth to man and God is faithfull which will not suffer you to be tempted above that you be able but will even give the issue with the temptation that you may be able to beare it Selah 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soul 2 Tim. â— 2â— Flee also from the lusts of youth and follow after righteousnesse faith love and peace with all them that call on the Lord with pure hearts Amen The Sunne that 's set may rise againe and freshly gild his glorious traine But man is sicke and dies and where are all his pleasures priz'd so deare Yet a ter some few times are past he shall receive a raising blast Eccl. 7.2 Who can tell man what 's good at need in his vaine life and daies Or who shall after him succeed his works and all his waies I see Eccl. 4.8 most vaine of vanities which to relate breed's fear One spares no toyles no paines nor lies for wealth yet hath no Heire Mat. 25.26 c. O humbly begge of God most high that he would give thee grace To use thy Talent in the way of his just Stewards race Job 7 7. Remember well thy brickle life thy bubble shade-like spanne Hast fit thee for eternity ' gainst these few sands be runne Prov. 13.7 8 9. Two things I humbly begge my God do not thou me deny Before thou strike me with thy rod before I fall and die Put farre from me all vanities and all dissembling lies Feed me with food convenient thy lawes to exercise Least I be full and thee deny and say who is the Lord Least I be poor and steale and take thy Name in vaine O God Amen as is thy good will in Jesus Of worldly rest It 's good to want fly fullnesse here least here thou hast thy fill Of worldly wish that without care thou doest or good or ill For good so done is wickednesse if from a maxime right It be not with true humblenesse to God as in his sight Take heed therefore of worldly things whatever doth appeare To make thee say for they have wings it 's good for to be here Least so thou say Know it is good to fly the vaine excesse For outward joyes at highest flood are full of emptinesse Then fill thy soul with wisdome pure and thou shalt plainly see That 's onely good that doth assure good of eternity The Devill hath a secret snare in all our thoughts words and actions a tare at least among the Corne Therefore watch and care to prevent him at your perill On the L M.W. dying in Child-bed the Infant living My dearest Childe the daily growing love Of thy deare Father will not have thee stay To beate impetuous waves like wandering dove From worldly tumults I will take away My sweetest lilly yet least no Phaenix be I l'e leave a root a little branch of thee That hence may grow such fruit as thou didst beare Such hopes of piety such vertuous flowers Such innocence such humble waies to share Such piety adorn'd thy daies and houres Such full preparednesse for heavenly joyes That wrong it were to put thee off with toyes Therefore my dearest welcome to thy houre Let all my Angels shew there glad rejoyce Let thine alli'd who are and are to come Then thankes and praise send forth in joyfull voice For well you know my dearest onely Sonne No longer suffr'd then his work was done So all my Children if I take them thence Where sin doth raigne where sorrowes multiply If of my love I make them soone commence Their lasting blisse their joy eternally This they must know to be their onely good Thus would I have my actions understood Another on the same L.M.W. CAn dearest love more to the life appear Then when the Child beset with mortall dread When outward meanes will not preserve from fear Sorrow and sin will not be vanquished To take the most assured change of death Which unto Saints is perfect life and breath For in this life we nothing perfect have But sin and sorrow which bespot the soul And since our great Creatour will her save From sin which in us doth his Image foule His will be done and his dispose be blest Most due it is that we therein should rest Knowing assured here is no abide Nor solid dwelling here to habit in As Saints have gone before the Gate is wide We shall succeed her if not barr'd by sinne Then shall we meet and perfect blisse partake
22.30 He shall deliver the Iland of the innocent and it is delivered by the purenesse of thy hand Rom. 12.1 That you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the holy Ghost that is in you a Gen. â— 27 God created man in his own Image b Heb. 13.15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips Matth. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Rom. 10.12 The same God over all is rich unto all that call upon him Psal 50.3 10. I will have no bullock out of thy house nor he-goat out of thy fold for every beast of the forrest is mine and the cattell upon a thousand hills Psal 109.22 For I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me Psal 22.22 I will declare thy Name unto my brethren and in the midst of the Congregation will I praise thee Ver. 25. My praises shall be of thee in the great Congregation I will pay my vowes before them that fear thee Psal 40.8 I delight to doe thy will O God yea thy Law is in my heart Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done O God in earth as it is in Heaven Heb. 10.7 I come to doe thy will O God Prov. 5.21 For the waies of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings And 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Exod. 20.7 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Psal 139.20 Thy enemies O God take thy Name in vaine And 145.2 Every day will I praise thee and I will blesse thy Name for ever and ever And 99.3 Let them praise thy great and terrible Name for it is holy Levit. 22.2 Speak to Aaron and to his sonnes that they profane not my holy Name for I am the Lord. And Psal 111.9 Holy and reverent is his Name And Ezek. 39.25 I will be jealoas for my holy Name Eccl. 8.2 I know it shall be well with them that fear God that fear before him Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Prov. 29.25 The fear of man bringeth a snare but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe And 30.5 God is a shield to them that put their trust in him Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Matth. 10.19 30. Are not two Sprrrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are all numbred 2 Cor. 1.3 Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort Psal 23.4 Thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Isa 66.13 As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted Isa 6.16 Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the wayes and see and ask for the old pathes where is the good way and walk therein and you shall finde rest for your souls Rom. 8.10 And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn thy statutes And 126.5 Them that sowe in tears shall reap in joy Jer. 22.13 I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoyce for their sorrow Lam. 3.25 It is good for a man that he bear the yoak in his youth 1 King 3.9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart that I may discern betwixt good and bad Psal 119.34 Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart And v. 73. Give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandements Dan. 12.10 None of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand Gal. 5.17 For these two are contrary one to another Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own mouth will condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Psal 37.27 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way And 50. 23. Who so offereth praise glorifieth God and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 119.67 71. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I learned thy word It 's good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Psal 68.3 Let the righteous be glad let them rejoyce before God let them exceedingly rejoyce And Prov. 29.6 In the transgression of an evill man there is a snare but the righteous doth sing and rejoyce Psal 38.13 For I will declare my iniquity and be sorry for my sinne 2 Cor. 7.9 10. Now I rejoyce not that you were made sorry but that you sorrowed to repentance for ye were made sorry after a godly manner For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of but worldly sorrow worketh death Jer. 10.24 O Lord correct me but with judgment not in thy anger lest thou bring me to nothing Psal 119.33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it to the end And 143. 8. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul to thee Deut. 8.5 Thou shalt also consider in thy heart that as a man chastiseth his sonne so the Lord thy God chastiseth thee Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Matth. 22.29 You erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his holy Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God Rom. 10.6 Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ up from the dead but the Word is nigh thee the word of faith which we preach Matth. 7.15 Beware of false prophets Eph. 4.14 That we be no more children tossed to and fro by the sleight of men to every winde of Doctrine whereby they lie in wait to deceive
Mich. 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his waies past finding out Psal 4.5 Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and put your trust in the Lord. And 104. 33. I will sing unto the Lord so long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have any being Matth. 6.20 Lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves doe not break through and steale for where your treasure is there will your heart be also Prov. 13.13 Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the Commandement shall be rewarded 1 Pet. 3.16 Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evill of you as of evill doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good conversation in Christ Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because be trusteth in thee 2 Chron. 25.2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the Commandement is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Psal 107.43 Who so is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy self and keep thy soul diligently and teach them thy sons and thy sons sonns Matth. 5.19 Whosoever shall doe and teach them shall be great in the kingdom of heaven Prov. 28.9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law even his prayers shall be an abomination to the Lord. Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God 1 Tim. 4.13 Give attendance to reading Psal 1.2 In his Law doth he meditate day and night Read the whole Psalm Psal 55.17 Evening morning and noon will I pray Luk. 6.38 Give and it shall be given to you again Eccl. 1.4 One generation passeth and another generation cometh 1 Thes 5.10 Who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him 1 Cor. 1.20 Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made foolish the wisdome of this world Ver. 27. God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise and the weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty Phil. 4.17 I desire fruit that may abound to your account Psal 103.15 As for man his dayes are as grasse as a flower of the field so he flourisheth Heb. 11.16 But now they desire a better country that is a heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City Psal 90 1â— So teach us to number our dayes O Lord that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome TEN ADMONITIONS Upon the Ten severall Ages of a Mans Life It being divided into ten Sevens in which is easily to be observed ten apparent changes in our Apprehensions and Desires PSAL. 90.10 The age of a man is threescore years and ten if strength continue till fourscore years yet is that strength but labour and sorrow it suddenly faileth and we are gone ALSO Generall Admonitions for the whole Life of Man ECCLES 12.12 By these my sonne be admonished ECCLES 4.13 Better is a poor and a wise childe then an old and foolish King who will no more be admonished HIS EPISTLE Children MY desire is to speak very plainely to you in a low and common stile that so the meanest capacity may receive and understand my meaning You are they that are very near me in my generation and for vicissitudes and perhaps multitudes of times although to speak properly not much time for our dayes be few and evill you are to passe and sojourn with me in my pilgrimage and as my journey drawes towards an end nearer the grave the undoubted portion of mortality so your journeys likewise become shorter and who knowes the hour of his dissolution for our times are in thy hands O God My accompt is great for you and my care is great of you especially for the good of your eternity and my commands are therefore great unto you that with your best abilities you assist me in it and heartily endeavour to further my good accompt of you in the day of triall let our great and diligent care be so to spend our time that we may live together in the true and perfect service of our good God for our eternity Let us take here comfort in those our friends who are gone or shall go out of this world before us praemissi non anussi who lived and died in the same faith and belief with us and whose lives as we may judge have answered their profession that we in the eternall mercy of the eternall Father in Christ Jesus shall upon our dissolution meet them again Rev c. 2. we being as they were constant in all good duties to the end and never part one from the other nor from the perfect service of our Creator for ever This may be in some part our hope and joy but our great rejoycing must alwaies be willingly and joyfully to submit to the will of God and to his pleasure for ever This is not to be the work of a day but of all the dayes of all our lives for a day soon passeth away and mortality is alwaies at hand therefore beware of unpreparednesse for if the tree fall ill so it lies upon this moment as it were dependeth eternity if then thou hast not oyl in thy lampe the door of mercy is for ever shut and who knows what a day may bring forth therefore seriously consider fill your holy lampes with the burning oyl of piety and watch And know in case any of you become a Parent that you owe unto your Children not only materiall subsistence for their bodies but much more to contribute spirituall things unto their better part their souls and be sure you principle them aright in the beginning of their daies so soon as they can doe or apprehend any thing let it be good and from the true principle of loving and obeying our good God even for his own sake which will conduct us to the right loving of our neighbour I humbly blesse our good God that hath endued all of you with capacities and naturall endowments in some measure capable of the best instructions and withall I humbly crave his powerfull spirit upon your wills to improve them and I trust your best compliances shall not be wanting Be sure you imbrace and hold fast true love one towards another and although you had
Correction is the sweet beams of Gods love to soften us that so we may receive the marks of his saving mercy take great heed thou be not as the Spider upon the Flower that gathereth poison nor as clay to the Sunne which is hardened by it but be thou as wax softned and fitted for impression and as the Bee that gathereth honey from the Flower I advise you to labour much in the Scriptures especially be very perfect in the new Testament they are the medicine of life and in them rightly understood is salve for every sore and sound counsell in all occasions Labour to be a good text-man for Scripture interprets it self although in some places there seems literall contradiction yet the holy Spirit trieth all and findes all holy right and good tending to the all and only good our temporall and eternall peace which cannot be taken from us Psal 34.10 The Lyons shall want and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any thing that is good that is to say they shall have all good spirituall and temporall including in this word good all such temporall things as may be necessary to salvation for whatsoever is contrary thereto is neither good nor profitable but bad and pernitious and therefore God doth not give temporall felicity to all his servants but only to such of them as he knowes with the help of his grace will use it well to his honour and glory and to such it is a furtherance of salvation whereas to wicked men though it be also Gods gift yet it is not properly counted Gods gift to them but evill and punishment not a blessing but a curse not felicity but misery by reason that it makes them more insolent proud and licentious and by consequence increaseth their damnation this is the plain meaning of the Psalmist and accordingly will one Scripture interpret another Again Psal 37.4 Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thine heart What is that think you plenty credit vain honour ease full tables riches c. No no but that in the want or fullnesse of these things you shall rest in God and therein have your full desire that your will being united to the will of God you shall desire nothing but what is sutable to his will and pleasure and wholly rejoyce in your will that the will of God is done which is only good and the best for you Search not too curiously into Gods Majesty and mysteries lest thou be oppressed with the glory of them Take great heed of infecting thy judgment with false doctrine be alwaies most humble in the sight of God and offer unto him the chastity of an inward minde Never cease from good works during life but lay up the treasure of all thy love in heaven and be assured that for thy well doing thou shalt have thy reward of true joy and peace in minde and conscience in this life as a heavenly gift when earth perhaps denies thee any and perfect peace for thy eternity and further know that who doth a work never so good and laudable in it self if he doe it to gain the applause of the world more then out of duty and obedience to almighty God he shall have his reward that is perhaps the vain-glory he looked for a worldly reward but not my reward that is the most blessed and glorious reward of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ a heavenly reward which he hath laid up eternally for his blessed Saints and servants in heaven My wishes to you are that you will every one of you seriously observe my drift herein and that you will not only read and practise it in the best construction for your souls good but that you will teach others so to doe especially your Children if God shall give you any and to this joyn hearing reading prayer meditation blessed alms and charity and all other Christian duties in true love to almighty God for his own sake to your neighbours for his Commandements sake and both for obedience sake unto his sacred Majesty Consider that as one generation goeth so another cometh and it shall be only well to the righteous be righteous then and our good God will surely blesse you and in the best time of his providence will bring us all together to eternall peace in Christ Jesus Children I do not command you to study read or love this book above others by far more learned Authors because of any oratory wit or learning there is shewed in it but because in its right construction I trust it is pious true and honest and comes from a near related heart that truly desires and hopes in the sweet and saving mercy of our good God to live with you all in the eternall and perfect welfare of your souls and bodies when our short dangerous and various conditioned pilgrimages in this world are ended and that truly endeavours and desires the perfect welfare of your souls and bodies and the true conversion of both into the sincere love of our Creatour more then all the world besides therefore seriously consider this and the Lord give you perfect wisdom from heaven in all things Amen Your Father H. M. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Pet i. 2.2 Though infant vanityes doe vs accuse Yet humble innocence our God doth chuse Death watches time time parts with euery sand Death and our time are partners hand in hand And as the sands doe change theire glass Soe I in change my life must pass Advice or Admonition OF A FATHER There are three Ages principally distinguished in a Mans Life The first is Infancie Childhood Youth The second is Manhood The third is Old age The first to be spent in learning from others and therein our duty is to be diligent and love our Teachers For Youth well spent a true foundation is Of an immortall monument of blisse The second to be spent in more laborious learning both from our selves and others especially to know thy self for mans heart is deceitfull doe thou present thy strength unto the Lord For Thou canst not finde a better friend more fit To have thy strength then he that gave thee it The third to be spent both in teaching others and thy self for length of dayes increaseth wisdome and he that truly seeks in time may finde For When deaths pale face appears and wrinkled brow Thou knowst thy aâ—count is near not when nor how Infancy and Childhood Youth strength and hoary age if death prevent not make our pilgrimage Jer. 4.31 FOr I have heard a voice as of a woman in travell and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first childe Jer. 49.25 Anguish and sorrow have taken her as a woman in travell Deut. 12.30 Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared Eccl. 9.12 So are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly upon them
which are as foggy mists which never surmount the Sunne to obtain this no labour is too great nor any pains too high a price to make us thus affected true worth is to be well composed unto Vertue all that is honourably performed one only Vertue doth it although it be by advice and counsell for there is an inseperable society of all Vertues when any endures affliction constantly Where with shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word Psal 119.9 When strength and health like to the loaded glass Are fall at height remember they must pass Since like this head thy head must bee Hate pride and loue humilitye Noe pas-time needs times steede is passing fleete Time present and time past each moment greete stantly perhaps he imployes all his Vertues although but one discovereth it self at hand which is his Patience Vertue is that which properly belongs to a wise man and cannot be taken from him bloudy Tyrants have no power over this those goods are true and only worthy our serious endeavours to obtain which cannot be taken from us as for riches honour precious-stones gold silver epicures feasts and such like they are but earthly burdens which a sincere minde and such as is not forgetfull of his nature cannot love because nature spiritualized is alwayes light and will mount as high as heaven as soon as it sees the gate open in the mean while as farre as these bonds of the body and masse of the flesh which environeth the same will permit upon the wings of a sudden and swift thought it visiteth and vieweth celestiall things and examineth both time past and that which is to come whereas this frail body the fetters and gives of the soul is tossed hither and thither punishments thefts and sicknesses are exercised upon it but a vertuous minde is sacred and eternall and wicked hands cannot lay hold to hurt it Endeavour to obtain and keep thy self very close to all kinde of Vertue which the holy Spirit shall upon any occasion dart into thy minde and take great heed thou quench not the holy Spirit in thee by sleighting neglecting refusing or delaying to make good use of the good motions thereof for doubtlesse lesse all men have at one time or other offers and opportunities of grace which if he make no good use of his damnation is surely just I will in this place only name and particularize some choice Vertues which I admonish you diligently to labour for and I will but name them as it were because I purpose God willing to discourse more fully of them hereafter The first is Wisdome which teaches all duty to thy Maker thy self and thy neighbour this is a principall thing therefore get wisdome and above all thy gettings get understanding then get Patience which conquereth the world and fits thee to receive all the sweet corrections of thy Maker with joy and comfort remember the patience of Job and the sweet and pleasant fruits thereof Then get Chastity whereby thy body and minde will be a fit Tabernacle for the holy Ghost to dwell in and in the power of the holy Spirit subdue naturall corruption to the blessed Law and rules of true piety and religion Next Meeknesse Moses was the meekest man upon the earth saith the Text Numb 12.3 Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth and see his favour with almighty God Then Humility O remember how our blessed Saviour humbled himself for our salvation therefore there is no true Christian without true humility Next get Fortitude and true valour but be sure thy cause be religious right and good Then Sobriety and watchfullnesse especially over thy self and therein shew thy true fortitude and valour in conquering and controuling thy naturall passions subjecting them to the upright rules of reason and religion here is great use and need of temperance lest heady and self-conceited youth think and presume to run before he can goe Temperance gives a sweet rellish and seasoning to all the vertues and it is perpetually required in controversies and contestations trouble and divisions this vertue bridles pleasant things that deceive the senses and by serious consideration takes the good of things obdurate As true Fortitude is a spur in adversity so Temperance is a bridle in prosperity with these two we may subdue our passions and carry our selves wisely in all accidents which is a high point of wisdome This is the bridle of the soul and hereby we wean it from the sweet milk of the pleasures of this world and maketh it fit for better nourishment which heaven direct us in for the good mercy thereof Amen Numb 21.3 And the Lord hearkned to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites and they utterly destroyed them and their Cities Eccl. 8.11 Because sentence against an evill work is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the sonnes of men are fully set in them to doe evill And Chap. 9. ver 3. Also the hearts of the sonnes of men are full of evill and madnesse is in their hearts while they live Prov. 8.12 I wisdome dwell with prudence 2 Chron. 2.12 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that made heaven and earth who hath given to David the King a wise sonne endued with prudence and understanding Prov. 23.12 Apply thy heart to instruction and thy ears to the words of knowledge And 4.24 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be a willing minde it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to that he hath not Prov. 23.19 Hear thou my sonne and be wise and guide thy heart in the way Psal 73.24 Thou shalt guid me with thy counsell and afterwards receive me into glory Isa 2.5 O house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the house of the Lord. Isa 1.18 Come now let us reason together saith the Lord. Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe over a transgression And 27.4 Wrath is cruell anger is outragious Eccl. 7.9 Anger resteth in the bosome of fools Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better then the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a City And 29.1 He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Psal 34.12 What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Ver. 13. Keep thy tongue from evill and thy lips that they speak no guile Ver. 14. Depart from evill and doe good seek peace and ensue it Eccl. 7.12 The excellency of knowledge is that wisdome giveth life to them that have it Prov. 12.28 In the way of righteousnesse there is life and in the path-way thereof there is no death Josh 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein
you and abound they will make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Ver. 9. But he that lacketh these things is blinde 1 Joh. â— 15 Love not the world nor the things of the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Prov. 14.14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes and a good man shall be satufied from himself Psal 34. from the 10th to the end The young Lyons doe lack and suffer hunger but they that fear the Lord shall not want any thing that is good Come my children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desirech life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evill and thy lippes that they speake no guâ—l Depart from evill and doe good seek peace and ensue it The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry The face of the Lord is against them that doe evill to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all He keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Evill shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate The Lord redeemeth the souls of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Prov. 14.15 16. The simple beleeveth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his goings A wise man feareth and departeth from evill but the fool rageth and is confident Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Ver. 14. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill NOw we have by the mercy of God obtained a fruitfull plantation in this promised Land let us plant in it good and wholesome fruit for men do not gather grapes of thorns nor figgs of thistles Here we may proceed in the sixth Age of our Life and third ascent of our Manhood under the notion of constant Action and hereby our duty is by all means to endeavour the good of all the heavens lead us to this by shining upon all without hopes of gain or requitall shewing thereby the duty of a good man to his neighbour to be constantly conversant in some good employment of the body minde or both is a very lively branch of true vertue which keeps a man unvanquished and is not subject to pleasures and hath its reward in it self Vertue doth alone bring forth solid joy and only enables a man to bear all the changes and chances of this life with comfort and doe you rightly consider all the branches that proceed from this root and you will finde that they are firmly united with linkes unseparable as all the branches of a tree have but one root to nourish them so all the Vertues have but one principall foundation which is the doing all things out of true obedience to the service and commands of almighty God therefore is true Vertue most highly to be aspired unto Wisdome is a true branch of it which makes a man rightly to understand the nature use and property of all things and counteth nothing evill but vice which it is alwaies sufficiently fortified against and cannot enter there Teach mee o lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it vnto the end Psal 119.33 Take heede of wasting time for when it 's spent There 's noe redemption from the great Judgment Vaine wretched pride beholde within thy sight Is death or dayes falce pleasure or delight My dayly dying freinds that take theire flight At highest noone bid mee remember night where vertue and honesty dwelleth if injury be the sufferance of some evill and a wise man cannot suffer evill then there is no evill that appertains to a wise man every injury is a diminution of him to whom it is offered and no man may receive injury without some detriment either in good-Name body or goods but a wise man can loose nothing he hath all his goods inclosed with the enjoyment of true vertue as for other things he useth them as borrowed and what man is so much moved at the losse of what is not his own but if injury can attempt nothing which is proper to a wise man because the whole is conserved by his vertue it must follow that a wise man cannot be injured because he sets not his heart upon earthly things as if they were his own knowing that the possession of all those things that abound externally is slippery and un-assured plant then plentifully in the vineyard of Vertue and be thou a flourishing branch of this blessed root so thou shalt relieve others with thy pleasant fruits without diminishing of thy own store and plenty prosperity shall not puff thee up nor adversity deject thee true goods are never subject to moth rust and canker neither can thieves break through and steal them heavenly riches shall have a heavenly reward and earthly changes cannot approach their dwelling Wisdome will advise thee to be very carefull how thou dost ingage thy self either by word or action especially amongst a croud with a multituâ—e in a warre a civill warre against a Prince a present power rather fly such a flame if any conveniency will permit avoid the fire while fury is fierce let it passe thee for violent things are seldome permanent I cannot shew you a certain way to avoid the dangers that time and chance may bring upon you or upon your country in your generations for outward things true vertue and inward treasure must secure you it must be wisdome that heavenly gift obtained by true and hearty prayer and humble obedience that must guide your feet in the way of peace that peace which the world the flesh the devill cannot deprive us of which the God of Heaven grant us all for his mercies sake Amen Into thy hands I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed it or lord God of truth Psal 31.5 If wee a blest Creatoure and a saviour haue Our duty is to worke and faith to craue Vnto my mother earth I am now gon Vntill the morning resurrection As quickly as the Sand falls to his place Soe sudden is the change of humane race Gen. 2.8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed Ver. 15. And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dresse it and to keep it Prov. 20.18 Every purpose is established by counsell and with good advice make warre And 24.6 For by wise
be at all allowed it must be without sinne Be angry but sinne not and then surely it must be very short the Sunne must not goe down upon it Anger is a high degree of madnesse and therefore unfits a man wholly to act any businesse in it it is only good when with thy self for the committing of sinne from which there is some hopes of thy repentance with care for the future to avoid it Anger unfits a man either to defend himself or offend his enemy it doth disarm us as it were and lay us open to all attempts against us therefore have a speciall care to govern thy passions and keep thy self in a constant setled way in thy affections that so no chance or accident may attempt thee unprovided or unfortified with strong reason and wisdome to oppose and resist it passion sets a false glosse upon a businesse and maketh him seem guilty whom moderation and perfect reason would clearly excuse Murmur not neither be angry at any affliction in this life but blesse almighty God that it is no sharper unto thee considering the great deserts of thy infinite transgressions remember if thou make right use of it that it is a sign and mark of the love of God to thee and be thou truly penitent humble and thankfull for it for why should a sinfull man complaine of a man for the punishment of his sinnes but rather in all humble obedience love and thankfullnesse lift up thy heart with thy hands unto God in the heavens That thou mayest avoid the occasion of much anger and passion set a watch over thy lips and a strict restraint to thy tongue use not many words for that can hardly be without sinne especially take heed of cursing swearing blaspheming lying c. and love not to relate fabulous and vain jests for they are commonly as near a lye as complements to hypocrisie and dissimulation which is a gilded untruth to make it passe the better Two things it s said never wax old in a man which without a carefull watch draw the whole body into sinne that is the heart and the tongue the heart alwayes imagining new things and the tongue is swift to utter them especially whilst thou art young keep much silence for that will prevent much repentance imprison thy tongue or it will imprison thee set a restraint unto it for it may be an evill enemy to thee Some say a lyar is only good to reveale secrets unto for that no man that knowes him will beleeve his relation Some say he which knowes not how to dissemble knowes not how to live but dissembling then must be taken only for not speaking all the truth at all times which in some sense may be esteemed dissembling but I conceive a man may so dissemble without blame if he wisely order his discourse whatsoever thou sayest or doest perform it from a pure and right principle in true performance of filiall obedience so highly due unto our God and not out of any respect to man other then in promoting in thy neighbour all good and preventing in him any appearance of evill that by thy evill example thou be not accessory to thy neighbours sinne Now to speak a little of fortitude which is a rare vertue and produceth much worthy praise and commendation if rightly used but may be abused as other good vertues to much losse and dammage it s said of Prudence and Justice that they govern a man in company but Fortitude and Temperance govern a man in private and alone All accidents in this life may be comprehended under prosperity and adversity the former guideth in adversity the latter in prosperity and these two vertues may wholly be comprised and understood by this word Constancy which is a right and equall stayednesse of minde in all accidents and outward things whereby he is not puffed up in prosperity nor dejected in adversity Now Fortitude or Vertue in the generall and vulgar understanding of the words is exercised wholly in opposition and in subduing all things under it contemning all terrible things and if abused brings faire liberty into bondage Military valour is commonly much different from true fortitude we finde this valour in the ordinary sense common in beasts but true Fortitude is only to be found in Wisdome many attain Valour by use institution example or custome though they be of base and slavish mindes without any tincture of vertue or true fortitude which is farre from an inconsiderate temerity or bruitish stupidity for vertue cannot be without knowledge and true fortitude is a stayed minde grounded upon the duty honesty and justice of the enterprise which never ceaseth untill it overcome for that it is a quality of the minde not of the body not of the limbes but of true courage in the heart and will whereby it is truly sound for not the conflict but the cause sheweth valour in which much wisdome and discretion must be shewed in the execution and all lawfull meanes used to avoid an approaching danger true fortitude is both a director and a protector therefore most necessary to be obtained although it cost both pay and pains Fortior est qui se quam qui fortissima vincit Mania Psal 1.1 2 7. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornfull but his delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein doth meditate day and night He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth her fruit in season Jer. 17.7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Ver. 8. He shall be as a tree planted by the waters that spreadeth out her roots by the rivers Psal 7.10 My defence is of God which saveth the upright in heart And 59.9 God is my defence And 16. I will sing of thy power yea I will sing aloud of thy mercies in the morning for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble Rev. 3.2 Be watchfull and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God Mark 13.33 Take yee heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is Psal 51.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit And 143.10 Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightnesse Neh. 9.20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them 1 Thes 5.19 Quench not the spirit 1 Joh. 4.1 2 3. Believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is
Five thee survive Four be immortaliz'd One more is gone the path of mortall race The rest rejoyce in hope to see thy face Thy Ninth and last born childe our gracious God Diâ— friendly free thee of but oh his rod Some ten dayes after for my sinnes I fear Took thee to joy left me to labour here Labour I will but only in his strength Is all my joy all my eternall wealth About some Thirty three was all thy age Thy worldly trouble and thy pilgrimage Thy five dayes sicknesse needs I must relate As rarest pattern fit to imitate What thanks for grace in thy child-bearing pain What humble yeelding unto death again What free submission to thy Fathers will Either to die or wait his pleasure still What sorrow for to hear of shedding blood What fear least warre should doe more hurt than good So that thy faith thy promise-bearing-pain Confirmes our hope our hope to meet again Another thus IN Infancy thou wert of humble spirit In Youth thy love to piety did merit In Womans years thy neighbours truly speak Thee sober modest studious and meek Loving true peace and all that loved good In Charity relieving poor with food Zealous in duty to thy gracious God Feeding with joy upon his sacred word This as thy years increast did daily grow To high perfection both in deed and show See that when death first had his licence given From thy Creatour by decree of Heaven He stood at distance onely shew'd his dart To see if fear would make thee shrink the smart But finding still the Roses white and red Adorn thy face as they were customed The second day he nearer doth advance Adds sorer sicknesse as his furtherance And finding still thy firm undaunted faith The third day shewes his much enraged wrath The fourth day seeing that no worldly deare Could change thy Christian courage into feare The fift and last to the utmost of his power Without his sting produc'd the fatall hour To the Soul IMpale thy self my soul and circle in thy wandring thoughts from worldly vain deceits Which maketh errours covereth her sinne And perywiggs with fraud her base retreats Darkens the knowledge and bemists the eyes Guilding the pit-falls of her vanities And let thy towring fence ascend more high Then doth the panting ayre or feathered wing So that the Prince thereof may not come nigh To scale the batlings or disturb within But let thy sacred soul most freely breath It self in Heavens joyes though thou beneath And keep out from thy peacefull Paradice All proud and haughty thoughts which make thee seem Better then others in thy darkned eyes When least of others thou thy self should'st deem And take unto thee infant humble blisse For of such vertue the true Kingdome is Keep out from hence all covetous avarice For that 's a partner with the proud disdaine That eggs thee on to cast off all advice And makes thee throw off godlinesse for gain And take unto thee goods most justly got Using this world as if thou used it not Take heed of setting up an Idoll here For that 's soon done before thou be aware Take heed of prizeing any thing so deare As thy own maker fear and have a care Serve thy own Maker thy own God alone Serve fear and love him for he 's onely One Three Persons yet one God our Maker is So holy Scriptures teach us to believe The Father Sonne and Holy Ghost it is True faith the confirmation doth us give No other true belief of Heavens wayes Can man make out unto his Makers praise Take to thy self and truly put in use Those ten most blessed Precepts Moses gave From our Creatour which men much abuse By false construction thinking for to save Thereby their trespasses but alas it 's vaine To think the soul can live where sinne doth raigne Misguided conscience often guides us wrong Yet we no better guide then conscience have If it be guided right by true and long Practice of piety prayer and counsell grave For our good Maker the true humble heart Truly converts and teacheth him the Art Blest and for ever prais'd be God alone Which gives us comfort notwithstanding sinne And hath a store of mercies of his owne A fountain for the soul to wash it in That in the merits of his onely Sonne Our souls appear free'd from corruption Then cast off from thee every sinfull thought And all appearances that evill be What er'e it is though ner'e so deerly bought If it but move to sinne cast it from thee And let thy pious prayers and humble soul Thy earthly passions and thy sinne controule Keep out by thy impal'd and circled guard Hopes in rebellion or by feats of armes Let civill warre for no hopes or reward Move thee to trample on thy neighbours harmes But pâ—ty all distrested and well know The sword 's abus'd seldome reforms below And keep from thee all idle wandring wayes That have no end in motion tend to nought When men seek nothing so they spend their dayes In vain conceits moov'd by a wandring thought And being empty of all good within The Devill ready is to fill with sinne Civill Warre FLy Civill warres what 's good they oft undoe Peace is my Alpha and Omega too Y' trust none hurts me for why none I hate I wish all peace least all repent too late Neuters are fittest men th' unbyass't life Makes a fit judge to end debate and strife Demeanours in severall Accidents and Occasions Life WIth Life remember Death and soon commence to love thy Maker and his providence Health Peace War In Health take Physick Peace provide for Warre fly all excesse and fly the Civill jarre Sicknesse In Sicknesse sorrow not but know it 's best in thy Creatours providence to rest Sorrow When Sorrowes doe possesse thy troubled soule take heed thy will doe not thy God controle Joy Take heed of too much joy and laughing much true serious thoughts doe leave a better touch Affliction In all Afflictions while thy time doth runne with true content say Lord thy will be done Single life There 's great temptation waits a Single life more outward ease oft brings more inward strife Marriage Weddings like winter Sunne at noon-shine bright but often clouds appear and sudden night Discourse In thy Discourse take heed of speaking more then thou thy self know'st to be true before Dispute Opinionated men in their Dispute rather themselves then others doe confute Travell Use words to get their speech but mark thou well their Laws and Customs and what doth excell Study In closet Study where no eye doth see remember God and thy eternitie Forraigne Countrey If thou from home to Forraign parts be call'd take heed thou be not in their vice enthral'd Distresse at sea When raging seas oppresse thy trembling barke Saints have their haven Doves their Noah's Arke Wretchedness Thrice wretched he that humane Lawes must force to doe the right he knowes Sinne. Thy soul from sinnes
Consider the portion and Talent of our blessed Saviour and his Apostles in this world and their happy content therewith True peace and comfort is from the treasure in Heaven not in earth Disposement of Estate in life or death Respect the righteous In disposing of thy Estate either in life or death it is good to consider that order in which almighty God hath placed the world unto thee and let nothing save the houshold of faith break that order which order is first thy Wife as next thy self or rather equall with thee then thy Children in their birth-rights then Kindred then thy Servants according to their merit if they have spent their youth and strength in thy faithfull service then Neighbours of thy sober faith and lastly all men that desire to live soberly righteously and honestly in this present world Use the Creature modestly soberly Put them not to any unusual painfull death without great necessity Take heed thou do not tyrannize or oppresse the Creature in the Liberty of use I mean the sensitive who indeed are fellowes with us and exceed us more in sense then is cleerly made out we doe them in reason Our Creatour is one our bodies and our senses are alike we say they sinne not thus farre they equall or exceed us onely our reason makes the difference though some dispute because some sensitives prepare against a storme which onely is the true effect of sense however I advise you to use them very soberly with great care and moderation especially in killing them in taking away their lives to preserve thine own take heed in destroying their bodies thou ruine not thy own soul doe not put them to any unusuall painfull death to please thy palate or gain more health and strength thereby to consume it on thy lusts but if there be any necessity in such using to gain strength or health out of thy true desire better and longer to work in thy masters vineyard as a just servant Liberty in necessity thou maist out of such a true intent in any sort use them yet take heed of the innocent and helplesse cries of the meanest Creature and pitying them let it move thee to true repentance Thy sinne perhaps the cause of their punishment for that thy ill deserving sinne may cause their undeserving punishment therefore blesse our good God in the use of the Creature but abuse it not Comfort from Scripture both in Life and in Death I. Comfort To have true joy in long Life from our hearty desires of serving our God in all our appointed pilgrimage HAB. 2.14 15 16 17 18. FOrasmuch then as the Children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part with them that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the devill and that he might deliver all them which for fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage for he in no sort took the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it became him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be mercifull and a faithfull High priest in things concerning God that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people for in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour those that are tempted 1 Cor. Chap. 15. 1 Thes Chap. 4. You shall finde admirable comfort by death and in death from the certainty of the resurrection and of our change therefore read them diligently Prov. 14.32 The wicked shall be cast away in his malice but the righteous hath hope in his death Eccl. 7.3 A good Name is better then a good oyntment and the day of death then the day that one is born Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Isa 57.1 The righteous perish and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come Psal 63.3 4. For thy loving kindnesse is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee Psal 104.33 I will sing unto the Lord all my life I will praise my God while I live II. Comfort Secondly Take comfort for that all our conditions both inward and outward sinne excepted are from the appointment of God and his will is therein dore Numb 20.23 24 25 26 27 28. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the mount of Hor near the coast of the Land of Edom saying Aaron shall be gathered to his people for he shall not enter into the Land which I have given unto the Children of Israel because ye disobeyed my Commandements at the waters of Meribah Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and bring them up into the Mount Hor. And cause Aaron to put off his garments and put them upon Eleazar his sonne for Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there And Moses did as the Lord had commanded and they went up into the Mount Hor in the sight of all the Congregation And Moses put off Aarons cloathes and put them upon Eleazar his sonne so Aaron died there in the top of the Mount Chap. 33.38 Deut. 32.48 49 50. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Go up into this mountain of Abrim unto the mount Nebo which is in the Land of Moab that is over against Jerico And behold the Land of Canaan which I give unto the Children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up into and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered unto his people Job 23.14 For he will perform that which he had decreed of me and many such things are with him Prov. 16.9 33. The heart of man purposeth his way but the Lord doth direct his steps The Lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition thereof is from the Lord. The will and the deed of holinesse is from the Lord therefore we must truly pray for the sacred guidance of the holy Spirit Paul plants and Apollo waters but it is God that gives the increase Selah Therefore O my God for thy Sonne my Saviours sake and as thou delightest to shew mercy to the saving of a poor sinner that would truly serve thee from his deserved death teach me thy precepts and lead me in the way of thy Commandements Turn me unto thee O Lord and so I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God and I am thy servant though most unworthy of thy service I am thy unworthy prodigall sonne Lord make me return unto thee my blessed and mercifull Father in true and saving repentance Amen Jer. 15.2 3. Thus saith the Lord Such as are appointed to death unto death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captivity to the captivity And
them that goe down into the pit Cause me to hear thy loving kindenesse in the morning for in thee doe I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from my enemies viz. from my sinnes I fly unto thee to hide me teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightnesse Quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake for thy righteousnesse sake bring my soul out of trouble And of thy mercy cut off my enemies viz my sinnes and destroy all them that afflict my soul for I am thy servant I will rejoyce to work in thy vineyard O my creatour and in the strength of thy mercies will attend thy call to rest as thy most obedient servant Amen V. Comfort Take comfort in a constant thirsting to be dissolved and to be with Christ as his servants are who be already dissolved if almighty God in Christ Jesus were so pleased Read Gerrards Meditations Though death as to us is bitter yet in from pag. 268 unto pag. 302. our trust on almighty God in Christ it is sweet For who keepâ—th his word shall never see death Joh. 8.51 The misery of a Christian dieth but not the Christian man we lose not our friends at their death but they goe before us to the place of our enjoyment of them in Christ Jesus for ever as we may well beleeve Luk. 2.29 Simeon saith Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace And Phil. 1.23 The Apostle desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is best of all Rev. 7.9 The elect have robes in token of innocency and palms in their hands in token of victory therein are all tears wiped away from our eyes Ver. 17. And therein is no mourning nor grief nor any cry heard but rest from labour Chap. 21. v. 4. and 14.15 Our blessed Saviour shews the great benefit of being dissolved when his Disciples were sad at it he said Joh. 14.28 If ye loved me ye would rejoyce rather Phil. 1.21 Death is gain The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to his Sonne therefore rejoyce in thy true belief to goe to that judgement For Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne that who so beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Matth. 18.14 Neither is it the will of our Father that one of the little ones should perish Ver. 11. Our Saviour came to save that which was lost He takes away the sinnes of the world He died for the sinnes of the world He hath a gracious call for us as Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you He maketh intercession for us and hath blotted out the hand-writing which was against us Joh. 5.24 He that heareth his word and believeth on him that sent him hath life everlasting and shall not come into condemnation O my Saviour I beleeve yet help thou my unbelief and increase thou my faith Eph. 5.29 30. That I may truly and as I ought beleeve my self to be and be a member of thy body of thy flesh and of thy bones O my Saviour in the power of thy might and as thou diedst to save sinners make me holy is thou the Lord my God art holy The dayes of my pilgrimage are few and evill My conversation is in Heaven and I desire to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living When shall I appear before thy face O God As the Hart panteth after the fountain of water so doth my heart after thee O God At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore I shall be abundantly satisfied with the plentifullnesse of thy house and thou shalt give me to drink of the brook of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountain of life and in thy light shall we see light Thou O Lord art the portion of my inheritance and my exceeding great reward Thou shalt of thy free love to sinners shewed in Jesus Christ cover me with the garment of salvation and cloathe me with the white robe of righteousnesse where there is no hunger nor thirst nor scorching Sunne Of the fruit of the vine shall I drink in thy Kingdome for thy words are spirit and life therefore shall death be swallowed up in victory and thou O Saviour shalt for thy free merit in the blessed mercy of our eternall Father wipe away all tears from my eyes for ever for thou art my all-sufficient Lord God While we live we cannot hope to cease from sinne but when we die we hope to sinne no more which consideration doth administer great comfort in the remembrance and appearance of death to those that are truly weary of sinning against their God VI. The first Comfort in the pangs and passages of Death First Because the will of God is therein done in Jesus Christ which is certainly the best for us It is appointed to all men once to die and after that comes the judgment Heb. 9.27 2 Cor. 4.14 Knowing that he which hath raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise us up also by Jesus therefore we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed daily Ver. 17. For our light afflictions which are but for a moment causeth unto us a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory while we look not on the things that are seen but on the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall Read Gerrards Meditations p. 109. praying for a blessed departure out of this life and a blessed resurrection unto life ever lasting And Read the fift Chapter of the 2d Cor. in which is admirable comfort in the passages of death that we may be present with the Lord. Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptations for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Then present thy sould a true devotary unto our most gracious Father in Jesus Christ and say with David Psal 31.5 Into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Ps 71.23 My lips will rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my soul which thou hast delivered And rejoyce with Paul Gal. 3.13 saying Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law when he was made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Then gathering thy spirit freeing thy soul of worldly thougths say in faith and true repentance in full assurance that our good God is all-sufficient and that his mercy endures for ever and that in Jesus thy Saviour he hath elected and adopted thee his sonne Come Lord Jesus my most dear Saviour come quickly Amen VII A second Comfort in the passages of Death Take
or indeed the least sorrow Matth. 27.27 Then the souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the Common-hall and gathered about him the whole band Ver. 28. And they stripped him and put upon him a scarlet robe Ver. 29. And platted a Crown of thorns and put it upon his head and a reed in his right-hand and bowed the knees before him and mocked him saying God save the King of the Jews Ver. 30. And spit upon him and took a reed and smote him on the head Ver. 31. Thus when they had mocked him they took the robe from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him Ver. 33. And when they were come unto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens sculls Ver. 34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink Ver. 35. And when they had crucified him they parted his garments and did cast lots that it might be fullfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Psal 22.18 They divided my garments amongst them and upon my vesture did cast lots Ver. 36. And they sate and watched him there Ver. 37. They set up also over his head his cause written This is Jesus the King of the Jews Ver. 38. And there were two thieves crucified with him one on the right hand and the other on the left Ver. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads and Ver. 40. Saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes save thy self if thou be the Sonne of God come down from the crosse Ver. 41. Likewise also the High-Prists mocking him with the Scribes and Pharisees and Elders said Ver. 42. He saved others but he cannot save himself if he be the King of Israell let him now come down from the crosse and we will beleeve him Ver. 43. He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Sonne of God Ver. 44. That same also the thieves that were crucified with him cast in his teeth Ver. 45. Now from the sixth hour was there darkness over all the land untill the ninth hour Ver. 46. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Ely Ely lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Ver. 47. And some of them that stood there when they heard it said This man calleth Elias Ver. 48. And straight way one of them ranne and took a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink Ver. 49. Others said Let be let us see if Elias will come and save him Ver. 50. Then Jesus cried with a loud voice again and yeelded up the ghost Now then let us be glad and rejoyce to goe to him our Saviour our joy our peace what way soever he is pleased to call us through the most bitter torments of minde or body by weaknesses sicknesses and imperfections and let us be most assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2 Tim. 2.3 Let us therefore suffer afflictions as good souldiers of Jesus Christ For it is a true saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer with him we shall also raign with him if we deny him he also will deny us Yea 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions Here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creatour knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in our brethren which are in the world As many as our Saviour loveth he rebuketh and chasteneth Be zealous therefore in the truth and amend and rejoice alwayes that the will of God in Christ Jesus thy Saviour is therein done which is the best for thee Amen X. A fift Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our going from sorrow to joy Isa 17.1 The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man understandeth that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come 2 King 22.19 20. But because thy heart did melt and thou hast humbled thy self before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants of the same to wit that it should be destroyed and accursed and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I have also heard it saith the Lord behold therefore I will gather thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be put into thy grave in peace and thy eyes shall not see all the evill which I will bring upon this place this was the great love of God to King Josiah See 2 Chron. 34.28 Luk. 16.22 Lazarus by a blessed dissolution is eased of all his pains sores diseases fears and troubles is called for out of the prison of the body and presently by the happy messenger of death is made fit and carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome where all the elect are in joyes incomprehensible freed from sinne and sorrow forever Amen XI A sixth Comfort in Death Rejoyce Because it is our being gathered to our nearest alliance our kindred and our parents 2 King 22.19 20. Josiah was gathered to his fathers in great abundant mercy as I mentioned before See the most sweet and gracious call of the eternall mercy to Moses Deut 32.48 49 50. which I lately mentioned And the Lord spake to Moses the self same day saying Goe up into the mountain of Abarim unto the mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab over against Jericho and behold the land of Canaan which I give to the children of Israell for a possession and die in the mount which thou goest up unto and thou shalt be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor and was gathered to his people Gen. 25.8 The Abraham yeelded up the spirit and died in a good age an old man and of great years and was gathered to his people Numb 20.26 Almighty God commanded Moses to take Aaron and Eleazer his sonne and to bring them up into the mount Hor and to cause Aaron to put off his garments and to put them upon Eleazer his sonne saying Aaron shall be gathered to his fathers and shall die there Numb 30.1 2. Almighty God doth bid Moses avenge the children of Israel of the Mideanites and in token of acceptance and reward faith afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people Gen. 15.17 And Ishmaell yeelded up the spirit and died and was gathered to his people Chap. 35. ver 29. And Isaak gave up the ghost and died and
will testifie unto thee for I am God even thy God Against Presumption and Despair at all times but especially upon the Death-bed Sathan that old and lying Serpents suggestion to Presumption COme now thou mayest eat drink sleep and be merry because thou hast lived according to Gods commands and now art going to thy masters rest whom thou hast truly and punctually served farre above the service of thousands that doubt not at all of their salvation the due reward of their godlinesse of living For thy Originall sinne which thy Father Adam committed thou didst it not therefore in justice God cannot charge thee with it and he will not visit the sinnes of the Fathers upon the children As for thy actuall sinnes of ignorance that cannot in justice be laid to thy charge which thou knewest not to be a sinne nor the time of its commission Thou hast lived so carefully to please thy God that few have been so strict in walking in his Laws thou maist professe to have kept all his Commandements from thy youth thou hast had no other God nor worshipped any graven Image and hast not delighted to take his Name in vain Thou hast constantly kept the Sabboth hast honoured thy Parents hast not murthered nor adulterized nor stollen nor borne false witnesse nor covered but hast been contented with thy portion therefore so long as life is in thee eat drink and be meery for certainly the Angels are charged to keep thy soul and body to eternall life as thy fellow servants of God for ever The Souls Answer Avoid thou old and lying Spirit truth cannot proceed out of thy mouth without defilement am not I from Adams loynes and can I then be clean Did not his sinne that thy envy brought him into corrupt his whole body and am not I as part of it proceeding from it Could I doe all that I am commanded of my God were I not still an unprofitable servant Doth not my least sinne in thought word or deed besides my originall corruption deserve punishment infinite as my God whom thereby I rebell against is infinite Can a clean thing proceed out of an unclean Instead of keeping have I not broken all the commands of my God times without number and in degrees infinite As thou wast a lyar to Adam the first man upon earth so thou art for ever and as it was then said The seed of the woman shall break thy head so shall it be for ever to my salvation in the free love and mercy death and passion merit and redemption of Jesus Christ my Lord. Sathan his motives to Despair I was deceived indeed and turning over another leaf in my black book there I finde a quite contrary character of thy life I see thou hast imitated and added to all Adams rebellions he disobeyed and broke one Commandement once and therefore had that terrible sentence pronounced against him by Gods own mouth to be cast from Paradice he and his posterity for ever But thou hast broken all Gods Commandements times without number and in degrees beyond expression infinite Thy life hath been nothing else but a constant breaking of them unlesse thou look for salvation from these breaches which is a way impossible thou hast no hope therefore satisfie thy self with what thou canst not help and cease to aske or seek or knock any more at Gods gate of mercy for it is fast shut against thee and sinners cannot enter in at it now thou and I must burn together in hell for ever from which there is no redemption for us I have recorded against thee in places infinite that thou hast made thee many Idoll gods in hearty seeking of vain earthly things and thou hast loved and worshipped them as Images of thy desired lusts The Name-of God thou hast repeated invain and no one Sabboth hast thou truly kept Thou hast not reverenced nor honoured thy Father and Mother but in thy thoughts at least hast them despis'd and murthered them or others Thou also hast adulteriz'd in heart and in thy faculties stollen thy neighbours goods Thou hast coveted and borne false witnesse too against thy neighbour Almighty God gave his Angels charge to keep his servants from wrongs and hurts but thou hast not served him therefore thou belongest only to me whom thou hast punctually served The Souls Answer O my Enemy thou sayest thou wert mistaken and so indeed thou wert and art and ever wilt be in seeking to snatch the servants of my God out of his hand for although my God suffer thee a while to walk the earth his pleasure is in a good time appointed to cast thy chains upon thee in a place prepared from which thou maist not move for ever I most humbly confesse and have so I trust confessed all my sinnes and more in number then what I can comprehend infinite such I acknowledge are my wounds my sore disease proceeding from thy hate and envious gulf Yet know I have a medicine I have a salve sufficient a Jordan stream to make me clean if not more clean then if I had not sinned and this my cleansing is more my certain life then was my standing clean if then I had not sinned so that thy envy now is my advantage thou knowest it well but lovest not to remember that my precious Antidote whereby I am secured from thy Aspish poison so closely carried under thy lying tongue it is that free redeeming love and bloud of that most valiant Sampson whose Name is Jesus Christ that quickly snapt in sunder thy treble corded lye of vain deceit he is my Captain that never lost nor will lose any of his souldiers without his word I move not at his command I le gladly meet thee with million of Juries of my sinnes before the judgment-seat of God and when thou hast proved me guilty as I doe confesse thou wilt soon appear the Serpent and principall authour of my great offence and I an accessary by thy deluding lies perswading and to thy uttermost power compelling me to doe the evill that I would not doe and hindring me from doing good therefore know that my Saviour Christ my Captain and my God will plead his death and then I live and thou shalt bear the due deservings of my sinnes for ever in eternall flames for they are thine therefore Sathan in humble reverence to my Saviour avoid get thee behind me my good God hath provided a place in Heaven with his servants for me that I may be even where he is and as his servant see his glory and this notwithstanding all my sinnes and ill deserts onely of his free love and mercy whereby he hath with his bloudy sufferings redeemed my soul from hell my just desert because he is good and his mercy endures for ever so come Lord Jesus come quickly even as thy will may be done with the Father and the holy Spirit three persons but one eternall God for ever Amen True Love 1. TO love our good God
belief or Church to be perfect and infallible neither will I condemn a contrary humble serious and solemn belief to be wholly wicked and abominable but most humbly conceive that the best profession religion devotion and belief to be the most humble and carefull fearing of almighty God and working of righteousnesse which whosoever obediently endeavoureth shall be accepted in the mercy of the Almighty for although none of our works in a strict sense can be called the works of righteousnesse yet in some sort they may be reputed righteous though mixed with much sinne and imperfection as water muddy and mixt with earth is understood and reputed water Ephes 6. I dare not say my own belief is best Nor dare condemn as reprobate the rest All righteous wayes unto one gate doe leade Salvation free thus holy Wriâ— doth reade Who feareth God and worketh truth shall have A free acceptance from his gracious love Ephes 6 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 verses O Lord my God in th' power of thy love I le put on thy whole Armour of defence That in thy strength I may stand firme above the fierce assaults of Hells concupiscence For this I know I doe not enterprize against an enemy made of flesh and blood But against Powers Principalities and worldly Governours Princes of worldly good in darknesse spirituall wickednesse in the high-places fill'd with all excesse For that cause I will take a Cap a pee the whole approved Armour of my God That thence I may resist i' the evill day and having finisht stand against hells rod Lord I will stand with my loynes girt about with Verity in true obedience And I will have upon me paramount that righteous Brest-plate faithfull penitence and I will shooe my feet with preparation of Gospels peace assurance of Salvation And above all I 'le take the Shield of Faith which is sufficient for to quench the ire And to extinguish all those fiery darts whereby the wicked me to slay desire and I will take the Helmet of Salvation the Sword o' th Spirit Gods word from the Creation And I will alwaies with all manner prayers and supplications in truth in the spirit And I will watch against all false gain-sayers with perseverance till I life inherit from thee O Father who without degrees for every Childe hast a fit Legacy and all of us from thy most gracious care though single folke inheritours we are A Military Christian MY onely Lord of hoasts Lord Generall Unto my Captaine his all-conquering Sonne Hath given all power by whom I have a call To be his Souldier by Commission I have his promise that no Armes I l'e want But surely conquer if but valiant Then though I be most naked poor and weake I l'e from his magazine throughly be compleate Thou holy Spirit distributer of graces Fit me a Souldier for the highest places Give me my Helmet my Saviours first descent Give me my Beaver fixt in Virgins wombe Give me my Pendents which to John joy sent Give me my Gorget Salutation Give me that blessed birth my back and breast Give me my guard of reignes that manger rest Give me my Tasses those sweet swadling cloathes Give me my Curaces my Bethleem peace Give me my Knees and Ankle armes and those Give me my Spurros of speed in Egypts ease Give me my Gauntlet call'd a Nazaret Give me that Jordane Sword and I 'me compleate Yet being self-convicted vile and vaine I a blinde beggar humbly beg againe Mount me on Faiths true courage stately steed And give a trâ—â—le to my strugling wayes Give me the reignes of Graces at my need Give me a Saddle mounting me on baies Give me my Breast-plate and my Crooper strong And girt me to thy Saints in Union And give me Pistols that with fire and sword I may be ready to advance thy Word Thou being arm'd and being thus imploy'd Whilest any Judas dare himselfe discover Against my Captaine I 'le be overjoy'd Him to extinguish root and branch together My peace shall be my warre for to destroy The enemies of my God my King my joy Who before long shall all together meete In chainer appointed underneath his feete And then wee 'le march under our Captaines aide In glorious triumph Colours all displaide The vanity of Temporall things in respect of Eternall Desire to live no longer in this thy pilgrimage then thou canst doe Almighty God true faithfull and filiall service and let his testimonies be thy delight and counsellours Ps 119.24 We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Let the wicked forsake his wayes Acts 14.22 and the unrighteous his own imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive Isa 55.7 8 9 10 11. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are my waies your waies saith the Lord For as the Heavens are higher then the earth so are my waies higher then your waies and my thoughts above your thoughts Surely as the raine comes down and the snow from Heaven and returneth not thither empty but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth so shall my Word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it therefore ye shall goe forth with joy and be led forth with peace Amen Temporall things are most vaine saving as they tend to the good of our Eternitie O My soul what 's thy body thy earthly house thy prison and what 's that slimie life that brittle fading shade that fashioneth thee a man Are not thy daies as a spanne and the end certaine the Goale set and every minute shortens thy appointed race Is not the will of the Eternall all things both in Heaven and earth and can his predestinated order change Serve the Lord thy God in his waies and pathes that he hath set thee for thy pilgrimage To what purpose is thy springing youth so strictly fettered with thy lettered chaines and what doth knowledge profit if grief be losse To what purpose are those endlesse toyles which sea and land makes way for to obtain the earth To what purpose doth the greedy wretch with broken sleep to fill his empty grave And to what purpose are the hidden mines and deepest pits sought for the secret Pearles And to what purpose is thy lawlesse sword that subdivides the earth unto thy babes And to what purpose are all elements call'd to circulize thy triple angler heart yet vacuums are found And to what purpose dost thou build thy house upon such sandy mountaines as the Earth those mouldring Tombes they hide but frothy mindes the soules contentments of the sacred Saints Seek for thy self a better resting place and be thou married to a meeter mate Long thou and
over man Pale death beateth alike upon poor mens cottages and the towers of Princes It pitieth not the poor nor spareth the rich It snatcheth away youth in the flower of their lives and spareth none All flesh is grasse and all the glory of it as the flower of the field Behold a grave and discern if thou canst the captive from the King the strong from the weak the faire from the deformed then be not proud Tell me where are those lovers of the world which were lately with us certainly nothing remains of them but ashes and wormes In all humility then my soul meditate often upon thy dissolution for he which humbleth himself shall be exalted A man when he is dead is changed and consumed and where is he Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for so saith the spirit that they rest from their labours and their works follow them they neither hunger nor thirst c. Lazarus was carried of the Angels into Abrahams bosome that is he died in the Lord. Here we have no abiding City but we seek one to come Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live and full of sorrow he shooteth up as a flower and is cut down he flieth as a shadow and never continueth in the same condition I am a pilgrim and a stranger as all my fathers were The world passeth away and the lusts thereof Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven The just are oppressed that they may cry and crying may be heard I beseech you as pilgrims and strangers abstain from fleshly lusts which warre against the soul The present sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be revealed in us Watch for you know not what hour your Lord will come Walk thou in wisdome and in right reason because a man in whatsoever he doth considereth the end and accordingly doth accommodate and dispose himself to the means that lead unto it Get wisdome therefore for it is more precious than gold The wisdome of the flesh is death but spirituall wisdome is life and peace It is appointed to all men once to die and after death comes the judgment The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night Be thou watching if thou watch not I will come to thee as a thief and thou knowest not what houre I will come unto thee Man doth not know his end but as the Fishes are taken with a baite or hooke and the Birds are taken with netts and snares so is man taken in an evill time which is not known unto him Do not deferre to turn unto the Lord neither delay from day to day the reason is for suddenly his anger cometh and in his wrath he will destroy thee Blessed is that servant whom when the Lord cometh and knocketh he doth finde watching We die daily we chang daily and yet we do believe we are eternal Dust and ashes thou art and into them thou shalt returne If onely in this world we have hope we are of all men most miserable The Just shall shine as the Sunne in my Fathers Kingdome As Christ our Saviour rose from the dead so shall we also rise The Sonne of God came into this world that all which beleeve in him should not perish but have everlasting life I Would not have you ignorant concerning those which are at sleepe that you sorrow not as they which have no hope Better is the day of death then the day of birth I have praysed the dead above the living Death is the necessary guist of corrupted nature which is rather to be imbraced then avoided He which beleeveth in him which sent me hath eternall life and doth not come into Judgment But passeth from death to life When I am weake then I am strong Happy is the man that endureth temptations because that when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Be ye mercifull as your Father which is in Heaven is mercifull be ye imitatours of God as dear Children A Christian ought not onely to beare the Name of Christ but the Similitude also of his manners For the Name of Christ is frustrate to him that onely doth imitate Christ in Name The mercilesse shall have justice without mercy Give to the poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven He which hath mercy on the poor is blessed Blessed are the mercifull for they shall receive mercy Come ye blessed of my Father and enter into the Kingdome prepared for you from the creation of the world for I was hungry and ye gave me to eate c. In as much as you did it to one of these you did it to me From suddain and unprovided death good Lord deliver us He which liveth well cannot die ill nor he scarce die well that lives ill To you it is given not onely to beleeve in Christ but also to suffer for him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither can heart conceive the mercies prepared of God for them that love him What is there in this world can content the soul There is nothing the soul is content with nothing but God Our heart is unquiet untill it test in thee I shall be satisfied when thy glory doth appeare Almighty God made man that he might understand the chief good in understanding might love it in loving might possesse it and in possessing might enjoy it There is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that truly repenteth then over ninty nine just persons who need no repentance Jesus Chrst came into the world to save sinners His sins are forgiven him which are many because he loved much Now ye are no longer guests and strangers but ye are Citizens of the holy City and houshould of God Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh doth finde watching There is nothing hid which shall not be made known nor any thing secret which shall not be revealed Of that day no man knoweth no not the Angels of Heaven nor the Sonne of man So God judgeth thee as he findeth thee when he calleth Blessed is that servant whom the Lord when he cometh doth finde watching namely in a state of grace and not sleeping in his sins Prepare thy rightousnesse before judgement and before thou be sicke take Physick We love God because he first loved us The fear of God is the beginning of wisdome who feareth God doth good From the love of God we do receive the spirit of saving health As often as I consider the day of Judgment my whole body doth tremble whether I eat or drinke or whatsoever I do that terrible noise seemes alwaies to sound in my eares Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord for no flesh shall be justified in thy sight The just shall scarce be
eternity To incorruptible felicity And though our call doth nature oft prevent Yet when shee 's let alone she fairly deales And though she fixt to warmed life be sent To fit our death yet see how oft she steales To us her warnings as with dimmed sight And theumy eyes instead of bright and cleare To make us see our death for want of light And let us know there 's no long being here Again she warnes by some decay in Teeth Or by a haire that turnes to Lilly white Or by some shaking Palsie which all seeth Or feeble knees or paines by day or night Or hands benum'd or hearing almost lost Or smelling gone which should refresh the braine Or relishing in taste whose choicest gust Is to prepare her guests to entertaine Of all her warnings the true meaning is To let us know shee 'le shortly lead us home And leave us in our woe or in our blisse As we to her have good or evill done As earthly pilgrims while she did sojourne And form her self according to our will With us in houses underneath the Sunne Obediently performing good or ill Then cheer my soul and doe not fear to live Nor will to die but take unto thy guard Securest diligence which doth alwayes give Assurance of hope and due reward In power of the merit of our Jesus And love of God shew'd in his onely Sonne By which dear love he never failes to ease us When earthly joyes and earthly friends are gone Then are we freed to all Eternity From sinne and death and hell and surely then Into true love we shall converted be Unto our God which Heaven is Amen The Offring I Will offer to my onely Good an humble and a contrite heart and my joyfull submission unto his dispose and pleasure for ever I will offer unto his most blessed Majesty his own most gracious love to the works of his own hands I will also offer the blessed conception birth life passion and merit of his sacred Sonne my Saviour Jesus in whom I beleeve O my Eternall Good helpe my unbeliefe and for thy mercy sake give and rightly perfect in me true and saving knowledge and assurance in the infinite mercy of thee my onely Good shewed by thy gracious reconcilement unto me in and through Jesus Christ I will most humbly offer a most willing heart humbly begging of my Eternall Good the blessed guidance of his sacred Spirit to conform and leade my weake and timorous belief aright and to satisfie settle and confirm it in his truth I will also offer unto his gracious goodnesse my most humble and joyfull submissive obedience unto the direction and commands of his most gracious Spirit which I humbly crave may be so powerfull and strong in me that the influence and advantage which the world flesh and devill have against me by reason of my sinne and corruption may not in the least sort be able to move or draw me from yeelding and giving all willing and joyfull submission and obedience thereto but that I may perfectly as I am wholly the creature of my Creator be converted into his perfect will and service and therein rest in perfect joy and peace for ever and this for his onely mercy and goodnesse sake Amen Therefore thus Faine would I have a Royall Sacrifice Worth the presentment to my sacred Good Faine would I finde the Pearle of precious price That by my Saviour so was understood I trust it was with which I 'le here commence An humble soul fram'd of obedience For sure all earthly things are much too vaine Too much corrupted by the fall of man Too much rebellion doth this earth sustaine Too much oppression underneath the Sunne Too little worth they are my Good did make And give me these what need he then retake So is the will and deed to work aright His onely gift but in another sense For outward gifts are unto all alike But holy will and deed arise from hence From God's free love on souls by sacred Spirit As new-born babes prepared to inherit Wherefore my Sacrifice is onely this An humble heart a broken contrite soule Cause me to know it is my onely blisse My onely happinesse without controle To doe thy will make me fit instrument I 'me thine and not my own I 'me full content Belief I do believe that Almighty God is and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seeke him I do believe he hath incomprehensible mercy and justice towards all the works of his own hands I do believe that they shall come from all quarters of the world and sit down at his Eternall Table and receive of his infinite bounty I do believe that Almighty God is perfect goodnesse and mercy and justice it self and whoever feareth him and worketh righteousnesse shall be accepted of him I do believe he is the Creator and disposer of all things and this after a manner wholly incomprehensible to mortality I do believe his own beeing and proceeding is onely from himself and is to mortality likewise incomprehensible I do also believe the Apostles Creed concerning the sacred Trinity the Confession of Athanasius and the Confirmation thereof by the Reformed Church of England whereof the providence of my good Creator hath made me a member but in these I must espcially say Good Lord help my unbelief and guide and hold me by thy good and unresistible power in thy blessed service for ever Amen I do believe that with almighty God all things are possible and that his gracious mercy is above all his works And therefore Jesus Christ may be and I believe but Lord help and direct aright my unbelief that he is his onely begotten Sonne and yet conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary that he suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried and descended into hell and the third day rose again from the dead and ascended into Heaven and siâ—teth there on the right hand of God the Father almighty from whence he shall come to judge both the quick and the dead I do believe there is a selected number of Saints in this world which may be comprehended by the holy Catholick Church and that they shall have an eternall communion and fellowship together after this life and that they shall have all their sinnes freely forgiven them and also shall rise together in eternall life at the generall resurrection of which number I believe and trust my self with ot ers more to be for which free and incomprehensible grace I desire with all Saints to give everlasting praise and thanks and to doe everlasting most perfect service unto my good Creator forever Amen I doe also believe in the Holy Ghost and that this sacred Spirit is proceeding from the sacred Deity of the Father and the Sonne which being sent to command and take possession of our souls for the use as it were of the sacred God head we are thereby made fit workers and labourers
for the blessed vineyard of our Creator ready to every good and perfect work with unspeakable joy and gladnesse I do also believe the immortality of the soul as certainly as the mortality of the body and that as soon as it parts with the body by death it doth participate in a great measure of misery or mercy of joy or sorrow according to what it hath done in the body whether the deeds were good or evill I believe there shall be a restauration of bodies at the resurrection and degrees of perfect joy to all those that in their earthly tabernacles truly desired to be righteous and perfect misery to wilfull negligent and contemptuous sinners in which both soul and body shall be for ever partakers I do believe afflictions and corrections to be so necessary for us in this life that I scarce think any can be saved without them and also that much affliction in this life is or at least if well used may be a great means sign and token of salvation for that afflictions are the cords and scourges of the Almighty to draw and drive us on in the way of salvation they are his sweet and blessed surveyors to purge our souls from our bodies pollutions and make us of a fit alloy for his heavenly Treasure they which wound the flesh and sad the countenance make the heart the better And from the very being engaged under an affliction for life may be reaped sweet and joyfull comfort both in life and death Therefore thus Some see the root yet on it take a fall Like those that see the door yet push the wall And having fallen upon the rock they saw Receive more good then though they 'd scap'd the blow The Farewell ADieu fond world of vain delight the messenger of Love To me hath shew'd an inward sight of joyes that be above And me hath summon'd to appear before the mercy-seate Of him whose justice is most clear most eminent most great Whose love is fully shew'd to mee in pardoning my sinne And passing by the vanity that I have lived in Whose love hath also conquered both death and hell for me And from my soul hath vanquished fear of death's tyranny Who of free grace hath given me a willing wish to right And doth accept this willingnesse as perfect in his sight Farewell all you that truly love the God of my Creation Do not ye mourn as those that have no hope of their salvation We know the generations that before us have been Have had their alterations which we in part have seen We also trust that joyes increase after this life to those That truly will'd from sinne to cease and evill did oppose Then moderate your tears among true joyes and smilings sweet In full assurance that ere long we shall together meet Comfort your selves with words as these and of a certain know That by this change true peace and ease God's mercy doth bestow On those that keep his testament his Laws and Statutes just From principles of true intent in him that put their trust Sigh for your selves sigh not for me death unto me is best My serious thoughts convinced be that therein is my rest From fancies that oppresse the minde from lusts of flesh and blood From sins assaults of every kinde most hard to be withstood From warr's effects from tyranny from sword-like tongues that smite From torments sicknesse maladies and sorrowes infinite From doing ill I would not doe from not doing the good Which surely I should will to doe if that I understood The judgment that to both is due by Heavens fixt decree And that I could at all times shew what good and evill be From Sathans rage and cruelty taking advantage great Finding my imbecillity and opposition weak This happy way doth safely guide to neignbours and allies Who while with me they did reside did joy my heart and eyes I do believe I now shall know how God in every Land His saving mercy doth bestow on the works of his hand And I believe to be resolv'd of doubts that here below Distract the wisdome of the world where least we do not know Is more then all we can attaine though art and age unite Such misteries for to explaine passeth mans judgment quite What reason is' t that I should will a moment to my dayes Except I could avoiding ill spend it in perfect praise Of my Creatour wherefore I do clearly finde it best To cast my soul eternally upon my Saviours rest And also from a perfect thought to pray thy Kingdome come And as our Saviour further taught pray Lord thy will be done And as for you that longer live and sojourn here below Imbrace true peace avoid all crime so Heaven will bestow Such passages of providence upon your hearts most pure As shall even in this life commence joyes that shall aye endure A CATECHISME QUESTION WHat is the duty of a man to know and believe in this life A. That almighty God is and that he is the rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Q Who is the Creator and Maker of all things A. This Almighty God Q. What is Almighty God A. He is the onely and perfect Good and the wise disposer of all things for the best for them that love him Q. What comfort may we learn from that A. To be well content in all the accidents and conditions of our lives knowing that they are from his providence and appointment and therein for the best for us Q. How doe we know that there is a Creator A. Because no creature can create it self and every mans soul speaks it to him Q. What is good in man A. To fear almighty God and work righteousnesse Q. What is our duty towards almighty God A. To love honour and obey him and heartily to seek after his will to do it Q. What is our duty to all men A. To endeavour their good both in soul and body and to do right unto them Q. What is righteousnesse A. The doing right unto the creature out of a principle of obedience to the Creator Q. What is our duty to the Creator A. Humbly to extoll laud praise and serve him with a perfect heart Q. What is the duty of man to the creatures that be subjected to him A. Thankfully to use them without the least abuse Q. How shall we look at the good of a man A. At the good both of soul and body Q. What is chiefly good to a man A. That which is good to the soul Q. What is chiefly evill to a man A. That which is evill to the soul Q. How shall we know good from evil A. Good is suitable to the Word of almighty God and agreeth to certain foot-steps or shadowes remaining of uncorrupted nature in us and it is contrary and displeasing to our corrupted natures and desires Q. How is evil known A. By being contrary to the Word of almighty God by being much unnaturall and by the suiting
and pleasing our naturall and corrupted affections Q. What is the principall gift of God to a man in this life A. True Wisdome Q. What is true wisdome A. To be wise to the soul Q. What is perfect folly A. Foolishnesse and neglect towards the soul Q. What are corrections A. They are the chastisements of almighty God and contrary to corrupted nature Q. What use are we to make of them A. To move us to a willing submission to the will and dispose of our Creator Q. Should they move us to contemn life and desire death A. No but rather to rejoice in the longest and hardest work of his sacred pleasure Q. Ought we most to rejoice when we enjoy the fullnesse of this world A. No but rather to fear it to be the portion of the ungodly Q. What understand you by almighty God A. I understand a Spirit not to be seen by the outward eye of the body Q. How is he to be seen and known A. By the eye of the soul Q. What is the eye of the soul A. Faith and reason Q. How shall Faith and reason be guided A. By the Law of Nature and by the holy Scriptures Q. What doth the Law of Nature shew us A. That there is one almighty God for ever to be worshipped and obeyed by us who hath created and made us and hath power ever our souls and bodies for ever Q. What further teacheth it A. That mortality belongeth to the body and immortality to the soul Q. What further A. That there is good and evil and that the good will be rewarded and the evil-doer will be punished by the Creator especially after this life is ended Q. What are the holy Scriptures A. They are sacred instructions and Lawes sent unto us by almighty God Q What is the scope and intent thereof A. To admonish teach and instruct us to holinesse and righteousnesse in life and conversation Q. What doe they further teach A. True Faith and saving belief Q. What is Faith A. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Q. What is belief A. It is a pure perswasion grounded on the word of almighty God Q. What is the true belief concerning the sacred Trinity A. That of the Apostles called the Apostles Creed Q. Rehearse that Belief A. I beleeve in God the Father Almighty c. Q. What doth this Faith and true belief shew us A. That there are three Persons but one Eternall God Q. How are these three persons named and divided A. Into the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Q What is the Father A. We beleeve that the Father is the incomprehensible begetter of the Sonne thereby fitting him to receive an earthly body like to ours sinne onely excepted that so he might therein and thereby satisfie the justice of his Father due for sinne by us committed in our earthly bodies which could no otherwise have been satisfied for but in the just destruction and damnation both of our bodies and souls for that the sinne of the body in its due desert slayeth the soul Q. What is the Sonne A. We believe that he is the only Mediator betwixt the Fathers justice and mans sinnes and that he intercedeth and maketh peace by his merits with the Father for us and that besides him we have no Mediator Q. What is the Holy Ghost A. We believe that he is the sacred Spirit of mercy proceeding from the Father and the Sonne whereby our hearts are guided unto all the true performances of saving duty Q. Are there not then three Gods A. No three Persons but onely one God Q. Is the power and operation of all the three Persons upon the creature one and the same A. We believe their power to be equall as one God but severally instrumentall to mans salvation as three Persons which seemeth plain by the holy Scriptures Q. Do the Scriptures then shew this sacred Trinity in Unity three Persons but one eternall God their power and proceedings towards the creature and the duty of the creature to this Creator A. Yes verily and there is no other means to know it more truly Q. Is it not then most necessary to be perfect in the Scriptures and to meditate on them continually A. Yes surely for thereby we are made wise to salvation Q. What is the Good of this life A. A free and joyfull submission to the good providence of almighty God and a diligent walking in his Lawes Q. What is the evill of this life A. An unsatiable desire of such things as will not satisfie the soul Q. What is the soul A. It is the unexpressible invisible immortall spirituall man Q. What will content the soul A. Things onely like it self pure spirituall and eternall Q. What is time A. It is the passage of our life and pilgrimage in this world Q. What is our chief work in our time A. To fit our selves by the assistance of the holy Spirit for a happy eternity Q. What is Eternity A. It is chiefly to us after this life it is entred into by us at our death and is without end Q What are earthly things A. The things visible in this world given us to use with praise and thanks to the giver Q. What are heavenly things A. All that we can conceive by happinesse but they are onely negatively demonstrated to us Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can mans heart conceive these unexpressible mercies of our Almighty Creator Q. What is our duty in this life A. It is joyfully and willingly to bear the burden and heat of the day in the service of our Creator during his pleasure untill he call us to our rest Q. What is it to be dissolved and to be with Christ A. It is to be separated by death from this earthly tabernacle and to be received into the communion of the blessed souls who are dissolved from their earthly bodies and are with him Q. How ought we to use the present enjoyments of this life A. As if we used them not and to keep our selves unspotted of them Q. How are we to provide for the life to come A. By an humble diligent and watchfull walking in the wayes and Commandements of almighty God Q. What are the chief and summe of the Commandements of the Almighty A. Those which he gave to Moses written in Tables of stone Q. How many of them are there A. Ten. Q. Which are they Rehearse them A. The same which almighty God spake c. Q. What is Religion A. It is to extoll the Almighty above the highest and to cast down man below the lowest Q. What is pure Religion A. Pure Religion and undefiled before almighty God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and the widow in their necessities and to keep our selves unspotted of this world Q. Are we able of our selves to live unspotted A. No we must humbly crave the almighty power and strength of the holy
Spirit Q. What then are the best works of a man in this life A. Works of Charity Q. What is Charity A. To help them that need out of a true principle of obedience and love to almighty God Q. Doth Charity extend to all men A. Yea but especially to the houshold of faith Q. What shall be the justifying sentence of the Saints at the resurrection A. Charity See Matth. 25. For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat thirsty and ye gave me drink a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me in prison and ye came unto me Q. What shall be the condemning sentence of the wicked A. Their want of Charity I was hungry and ye gave me no meate thirsty and ye gave me no drink a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Q. How is the love of the Saints each to other in this life A. As is their hope to live together in their eternity Q. What is their comfort for eternity A. That they shall be converted into the perfect will and service of their Creator for ever Q. What is Prayer A. It is the pouring out the soul to almighty God requesting things lawfull with full submission to his holy will and pleasure Q. What is the best form of Prayer A. That which our Saviour himself hath taught us Q. What is that Rehearse it A. Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name c. Q. Is no other form of Prayer lawfull to be used A. Yes surely as also Prayers on the sudden and upon all occasions so as they be sincere and hearty Q. Are Prayers to be said onely at the Church A. No surely we may pray in any place or condition nay we must pray continually which we doe while we heartily desire and therein do our duty Q. What is truly a Church A. It is the communion of Saints on earth professing and practising the service of the Almighty Q. Which is the most pure and perfect Church on earth A. We beleeve the Christian Church professed under the Reformation of England Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in the Church A. Two Baptisme and the Lords Supper Q. What is Baptisme A. It is our first admittance into the Church the Water signifying our washing from sinne in the blood of Christ Q. What is the Lords Supper A. A Thankfull remembrance of his satisfying sufferings for our sinnes Q. How ought we to receive it A. Humbly thankfully preparedly Q. How often is it necessary to be received by us A. Four times ordinarily in the year besides upon extraordinary occasions Q. What if we think that we cannot prepare our selves so as that we may receive it faithfully and thankfully and as we ought A. We must by the help of godly Ministers and other pious persons instruct our selves and also by hearing reading fasting prayer and meditation and by all other helpfull wayes prepare and fit our selves for the worthy receiving of this token of our Saviours love and that at our perill Q. May it not then be wholly omitted A. No we ought hereby so to remember our blessed Saviour in our time as we would be remembred by him in our eternity Q. But is there such a necessity in receiving of it as if we doe it not we doe neglect and omit a most necessary duty to salvation whatsoever the occasion or reason be A. No Our blessed God never bindes his servants to impossibilities if lawfull occasions call and take us from necessary opportunity of receiving it so it be without all neglect or contempt on our part it must then be onely in our hearts and wills thankfully acknowledged by us which in his good mercy will be accepted of us for the deed Q. How ought we to carry our selves towards our Children A. With due admonition instruction and imployments Q. How to Servants A. With constant labour and instruction Q. How to the estate A. Not prodigally thereby making our selves uncapable of doing good with it nor too much sparingly to hoard it up from the good end it was created Q. May we give all to Children and Kindred without any respect to others A. No by no means for we are onely stewards to it and must give an account of it to almighty God who lends it us whose will it is that we take for our selves and families such an under proportion thereof that we may be sure to have sufficient relief and charity for the poor distressed Saints whensoever we meet with them that our estates may in some sort at least be helpfull to their necessities but the laying all upon the present and future provision for our selves and Children thereby wholly neglecting Charity is most abhominable Q. What is life A. It is that which preserveth and prepareth the body to be a fit and apt organ for the operations of the soul and chiefly said to abide in the blood Q. What is death A. It is the conclusion and end of all our dayes the master-piece of all our work as we are prepared to entertain it so we are prepared to receive and enter into eternity Q. Is there any change of that condition in which death sends us to our eternity A. No but as the tree falleth so it lies Q. What then is the one thing necessary for the whole course of a mans life A. To watch So saith our Saviour to all men Watch. A Discourse betwixt Adam and Eve Eve My dearest heart fain would I know How all our children down below Observe and keep our Lawes For oft me thinks I hear a cry As if our childrens cruelty Each tore like Lyons jawes Adam Yes truest Love I doe believe Those precepts we to them did give When we were once anseen They soon cast off that natures love Which we so strict to them did give As if it had not been Eve Dear Sir what should this noise afford Doth Cain or his wretched sword Command all humane race Doth he and all his cursed line Poor Abels off spring undermine And so the worst take place Adam Yes truly dear I doe perceive Our peacefull precepts we them gave They wholly leave undone And that which we knew to be worst Which kill'd just Abel O accurst Is chief under the Sun Thou knowest we said thou shalt not kill Nor to thy neighbour doe no ill In body goods or name Yet doth the glittering tyrant sword Destroy all peace and in a word Turnes honour into shame For whereas peace was Abel's crown And warlike Cain was cast down With sentence just ejected Now he that most of all doth ill He who the most doth slay and kill Is most of all respected The true obedience to our God Our duty to obey his word Which in our hearts doth sound They doe divide into such parts By Sophistry and cunning arts That truth is hardly found The government of
natures say That youth the aged should obey And doe them reverence But now fond youth condemns the wise And fools do wisdomes Laws despise By force and negligence The strongest hand doth call it right To cut down all with force might Their rage and will subdueth And if they call the evill good The truth must so be understood Or else their rage reneweth Eve What Husband then it seems the world Is topsie turvey tost and hurld And worst hath best subdued Adam Yes Wife it is decaid and old Truth and devotion 's very cold And soon will be renued Eve Renued or made new my Deare How shall I understand thee here Shall thee and I' gaine meete Shall we in ancient Paradice And in our blessed innocence Each other kindely greete Shall all the sinnes of us and ours Which truth and justice thus devours Be pardoned and forgiven Adam In part but how to tell none can It 's not the act of mortall man But the free gift of Heaven A Prayer O Eternall ever-living and all-sufficient Lord God who art the God of the spirits of all flesh to whom the grave is open from whom there is no covering for destruction I am thy poor wretched and unworthy servant and by reason of my sinne lesse then the least of all thy mercies unworthy so much as to think upon thee or to take thy blessed Name within my corrupted lips much more unworthy am I to have liberty to call upon thy sacred Majesty and to ask those things that I stand in need of with this gracious assurance that thou wilt give me those things that are best for me though I ask them not of thee and though I ask them so unworthily that thou maist justly refuse to give me them because I ask them of thee so unworthily so that I may with humble boldnesse pray Lord give me what is onely best for me though I ask it not and give me not what is evill for me though I ask it but thou art from everlasting to everlasting holy and just and good and thy mercies are above all thy works wherefore I come unto thee not in my own merits but in the merits of thy onely Sonne my onely Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous in whom I believe Lord help my unbelief humbly desiring thy sacred Majesty for his sake and for thy own goodnesse sake towards the works of thine own hands to pardon and passe by all my sinnes actuall and originall to blot them out of thy book of remembrance and to set them so behinde thy back that thou maist never call me to account for them either in this world to my shame or in the world to come to my utter condemnation Give me grace and strength to return unto thee O my God as the prodigall sonne to his father acknowledging my self unworthy to be called thy sonne or servant and give me I humbly pray wisdome which is about thy throne for all wisdome is from thy gracious gift that so I may rightly understand earthly things from heavenly things time from eternity and graciously give me the will and deed to lay up my treasure in Heaven and not on earth And I most humbly crave of thy sacred goodnesse the unresistible power of thy holy Spirit that thereby I may be built up and made perfect to every good work to the true and perfect serving of thee my good God and to the working righteousnesse as thy elected Saints by the powerfull and unresistible guidance of the holy Spirit doe and ought to doe both for and in their time and their eternity And O my good God because many are the controversies and disputes concerning thee thy word thy truth amongst poor mortality to the great destruction fear and trouble of thy poor willing and desiring servants Let thy sacred Spirit O my God speak the truth of thy will and of my duty to my conscience and then give me grace and strength to follow my conscience in the sacred way of thy holy Spirit that so I may keep a good conscience towards thee my God and towards men And I humbly pray that thy gracious Spirit may also reveale unto my soule what righteousnesse and what unrighteousnesse is what is truth and what is error what is the perfect duty of thy servant in all the passage of his pilgrimage under the Sunne and what is not the duty of thy servant to doe that so I may not onely perform unto thy sacred Majesty my present duty in thy blessed service but that I may doe it knowingly willingly and wittingly and that I may not only avoid all the appearances of evill but that I may doe it also knowingly willingly and wittingly as becomes the most faithfull and perfect servant of my Creator O give unto thy servant a discerning spirit inable him perfectly O my God to know good from evill and then give him grace and strength to doe the good and avoid the evill as becomes thy most blessed servants And give unto me thy servant O my good God a true principle of due obedient love in all my devotions and undertakings whatsoever towards thee my good God And for thy mercies sake teach me thy statutes and hide not thy precepts from me lead me in the way that I should goe and hold me in the living path of thy most joyfull servants Search my heart O God and try my wayes for there are wayes of iniquity in me and lead me in the way everlasting Let me have here in this life O my good God that and that only which may most perfect and fit me in soule and body for thy eternall and most sacred service Let the daily presidents of mortality O my good God move me to true repentance give me to know O my eternall Creator that I am no better then my parents but as they are returned with their bodies to the grave and their souls to thee the God that gave them so it must be with me Give me to know O Eternity that here is no abiding place here is no continuing dwelling give me grace and strength our good God to seek and finde one to come eternall in the Heavens Give thy servant O my gracious God true love to thee my God for thy own sake to my neighbour for thy Commandement sake and all for obedience sake unto thy blessed Majesty Give me to see O thou my only Good the blessed marks of thy sweet corrections both upon my body and soule in this life those glorious impressions by which thou sealest to thy self thy beloved children in whom thy soul delighteth O my most gracious God although I be most unworthy to be by thy good grace accounted such a childe such delight so beloved yet for thy own goodnesse sake let thy blessed seale of thy fatherly impression be upon me even what thou wilt for I assuredly know thou wilt with my most needfull saving Crosse give thy servant most needfull and saving strength to bear it