take heed he forsake not thee Wonder not then if you find many of Samuels words that is much of the Churches dictates in these Devotions but know it is because God hath taught Samuel to pray that he might teach you And having taught you to pray by Samuels Devotions may perchance not hear your prayers eveâ—… as he accepted not Sauls offering out oâ—… Samuels Communion However you may certainly by this gleaning of some few grapes see what store of good wine was and is in thâ—… whole Vintage And I hope you will noâ—… have good wine only to see and to look upon but also to tast and to make good use of it Or confess it is your own wilfulness thaâ—… you I will not say your prayers are either Faint or Dry for not tasting it The sick mans confession of his sins I Confess unto thee O Lord God Almighty and most merciful Father that I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son nor to have any portion in thine inheritance because I have been hitherto so unthankful for thy Mercy so unreverent towards thy Majesty and so undutiful to thine Authority wherefore innumerable troubles are most justly come upon me and my sins have taken such hold of me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart hath failed me But O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me make hast O Lord to help me and comfort the soul of thy distressed servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul gasping for that Mercy and Forgiveness which thou hast promised to repentant-Repentant-sinners for the Merits of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of all men I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and wickedness which I from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against thy Divine Majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against me I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for these my mis-doings the remembrance of them is grievous unto me the burthen of them is intollerable Have Mercy upon me have Mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christs sake forgive me all that is past and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in the newness of my life or in the contentedness and patience of my death to the honour and glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Absolution or Remission of sins to be pronounced by himself alone when he cannot have the benefit of a Minister to absolve him HAve mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins and absolve me from the guiltiness of all my transgressions according to the Promise of Mercy by thy Word the Purchase of Mercy by thy Son and the Pledges of Mercy by thy holy Spirit made and given to repentant-Repentant-sinners in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen Or this Almighty God our heavenly Father who of his great Mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them which with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him have Mercy upon me pardon and deliver me from all my sins confirm and strengthen me in all goodness and bring me to everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Then likewise he shall say O Lord open my heart that thou mayest open my lips O Lord open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me That I may with a thankful heart and with a chearful voice sing and say unto thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy-Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Praise ye the Lord I praise the Lord. The sick mans Psalm Psal. 6. 1. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure 2. Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed 3. My soul is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me 4. Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy Mercies sake 5. For in death no man remembereth thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit 6. I am weary of my groaning every night wash I my bed and water my couch with my tears 7. My beauty is gone for very trouble and worn away because of all mine enemies 8. Away from me all ye that work vanity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping 9. The Lord hath heard my Petition the Lord will receive my Prayer 10. All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned back and put to shame suddenly Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. The sick mans first lesson Job 19. 25 c. I Know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine eyes shall behold and not another though my reins be consumed within me His first Canticle I praise thee O God I acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O praise our God ye people and make the voice of his praise to be heard Which holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to slip I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips and spake with my mouth when I was in trouble O come hither and hearken all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I called unto him with my mouth and gave him praises with my tongue If I encline unto wickedness with my heart the Lord will not hear me But God hath heard me and considered the voice of my prayer Praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his Mercy from me Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmities Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with Mercy and loving-kindness Praise the Lord O my soul whiles I live will I praise the Lord yea as long as I have any being I will sing praises unto my God Lord make me so to praise thee here whiles it is my duty that I may exactly know how to praise thee hereafter when it shall be my reward For therefore with Angels and Arch-angels and with all the company of heaven do I now laud
or infidelity or any other grievous sin but may be able to stand stedfastly through thy supporting and to walk on constantly in the way of Piety and of Patience till by thy good guiding and conducting I may at last come to the life everlasting As thou still holdest open the eyes of my weak body to behold the light of nature so be pleased daily more and more to open the eyes of my sinful soul to behold the light of grace till thou bring me to enjoy the light of glory there to glorifie and praise thee for ever Amen The sick mans Collect for Peace O God which art the Author of our peace for thine own Mercies sake but the Author of our troubles only for our sins Give unto me thy unworthy servant that peace which this wicked world cannot give and which this tumultuous and troublesom world cannot take away and defend me in all the assaults of my afflictions both corporal and spiritual that I surely trusting in thy defence and wholly submitting to thy providence may not fear the power of any adversity whatsoever through the might and for the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Collect for Grace O Lord our heavenly Father Almighty and everlasting God which hast safely brought me through many dangers and troubles and diseases to the beginning of this dangerous and desperate sickness defend me in the whole continuance of the same with thy mighty power and grant that herein I may fall into no sin neither run into any kind of danger whereby I may become either impenitently sinful or uncomfortably miserable But that all my doings and all my sufferings being ordered by thy Governance I may alwaies do that which is righteous in thy sight and suffer that which may be profitable for mine own salvtion through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Letany O God the Father of heaven and of all Mercies have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner And grant that in the greatest extremities and anguishes of my body I may find the greatest comforts and refreshments of my soul Grant that when I am most tormented in my flesh I may be most relieved in my spirit That though my loins are filled with a sore disease and there is no whole part in my body yet my soul may magnifie the Lord and my spirit may rejoyce in God my Saviour for he hath regarded my low and miserable estate and he will relieve it O God the Son Redeemer of the world and of my sin-sick and sinful soul have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and take away all my sins that thou mayest take away all my miseries As thou hast made me a happy Believer so also make me a joyful partaker of thy Redemption and then most especially when I shall most feel my self as it were swallowed up of grief and destruction through the pains and torments of my increasing sickness or the pangs and horrours of my approaching death Be thou my comfort in distress my strength in weakness my health in sickness my joy in sadness Be thou my life whiles I am living and my Resurrection from the dead that though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I may fear no evil for thou art with me to conduct me through the dangerous downfalls of that valley to direct me through the dismal darknesses of that shadow and to sustain me in the dreadful dissolution of that death O thou who now sittest on the right hand of God making intercession for me reject me not when I am making intercession for my self for through thy death I hope for life through thy life I hope for glory through thy glory I hope for eternal glory And in that hope do I now commend my spirit into thy hands for thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of truth And thou wilt save me O God thou God of Mercy because I have believed thy truth and do rely upon thy Mercy Therefore do I wholly resign my self body and soul unto thee submitting them both to thy good will and pleasure either for life or death beseeching thee to Receive my soul and to Restore my body and to grant that I may be able to stand upright in the dreadful Judgement being supported by the arm of thy All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies to bless and praise thee O my blessed Redeemer world without end O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Mercy upon me a miserable sinner and give unto mean assurance of thy Mercy that thou mayest give unto me an abatement of my misery O thou which art the Comforter of thine Elect give unto me daily more and more the heavenly comforts of mine Election and in the greatest agonies and distresses of my body transfix my soul with the most joyful apprehensions and the most firm perswasions of thine everlasting Love and undeserved Mercies towards me in Jesus Christ That neither the apprehensions of a sad and miserable life nor the fears and terrours of an uncomfortable death may ever be able to affright my soul nor to disturb that sweet peace resâ—… and repose which my spirit now hath and desireth to have in thee the God of spirits who givest unto those souls that are oâ—… thy Communion the antepast of eternity the blessed anticipation of immortal joy 〈◊〉 O my God my Stay my Comforter unto thee do I flie for the comforts of immortality Like as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God when shall 〈◊〉 come to appear before God when shall I drink my fill of the waters of life to quench my thirst O let my tears no longer be my meat day and night whiles mine own troubled thoughts say unto my soul Where is now thy God for surely my God is in heaven whatsoever pleaseth him that doth he in heaven and in earth 〈◊〉 and though for a while in the evening of this life I have sadness upon earth yet in the morning of eternity I shall for eveâ—… have joy in heaven Amen O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have Mercy upon me a most miserable and wretched sinner and therefore most miserable and wretched because a sinner because I have sinned against heaven and against thee the God of heaven But since thou hast given me grace through the confession of a true faith to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity I beseech thee that through the stedfastness of this faith I may be absolved from all my sins and also be defended from all adversity which livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Remember not Lord mine offences nor the offences of my fore-fathers neither take thou vengeance of my sins spare me good Lord spare me thy most afflicted but most unworthy servant whom thou hast
Hand O Lord is not shortned that it cannot save and loose me from the burden of mine iniquity as it did her from the spirit of her Infirmity sweet Jesus lay thy mercifull hands on me that I may be Immediately made straite as she was and Glorifie God For this is a grievous and 〈◊〉 deadly burden 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A grievous and yet withal A Fatal Burden A Burden that brings grief with it and Damnation after it such is the burden of any wilfull sin whatsoever till Faith and Repentance have unloaded the conscience Most divinely Saint Chrysostom If all my Righteousness be as Filthy rags Isa. 64. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what shall be said of my filthiness and of my unrighteousness Surely if my best righteousness hath the aspersion of sin then are my sins most exeeeding sinfull But we all generally herein are like the Pharisees ready to bind Heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on other mens shoulders Mat. 23. 4. whereas this is a burden that we should â—…her lay every man on his own Heart The evil of our neighbours Heart we cannot know and yet are very desirous to know it though that knowledge tend directly to our damnation either for our malice or our Curiosity The evil of our own hearts we can know yet care not to know it though this knowledge immediately conduce to our salvation either by our Humility or by our Repentance For that man is worse then Simon Magus who is in the very gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and yet scorns to say to the Successors of the Apostles Pray ye unto the Lord for me that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me Acts 8. 23 24. For whatsoever God hath spoken in his word against impenitent sinners he cannot but fear will come upon him and it is just he should know it will so that he may not still continue in his Impenitency Sin doth at first grieve the God without us maker of Heaven and Earth but at last it will grieve the God within us our own Consciences It is at first Vastans Conscientiam to waste thy Conscience that from a little conscience thou maist have no conscience It will be at last Aggravans Conscientiam to burden thy Conscience that from no Conscience thou maist come to all Conscience It is best then for the sinner to be his own â—…ndemner that he may not be his own executioner For it is a sign he is in Bethesda in the house of Grace if he find his Conscience like those waters Troubled within him For being Impotent by reason of his sins whether Blind or halt or withered whether Blind in his Understanding or halt in his Affections or withered in his Actions He cannot be healod till He step into the Troubled waters which though they are the worst to let him see his Face for all will appear in broken lineaments yet are they the best to help him heal his soul Be not afraid then to step one step further into these waters as long as it is a good Spirit from God that troubles them The Disciples being in a storm and seeing Jesus walking on the Sea and drawing nigh unto the ship were afraid till they heard and knew his voice then they willingly received him into the ship and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went So when thy soul is in a Tempest though Jesus himself be coming nigh thou wilt be afraid but when he is fully come thou wilt most willingly receive him and immediately upon his reception Thou wilt be at the Haven of a Blessed Rest for himself will say unto thee Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me John 14. 1. A true Believer should not be troubled for by his faith he is more then Conqueror And yet he is often troubled for by reason of his weakness and of his unworthiness he doth sometimes not perceive the conquest of his Faith His own Conscience so convincing him that he cannot but be much troubled at the conviction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle There is a twofold Redargution or Conviction The one proceeding from the Confutation of the Cause the other from the Confutation of the Person The Cause is often overthrown when yet the Person still retains his former confidence The Arguments of men may Confute and yet not Convince they may convince and yet not Extort the acknowledgement oâ—… a Conviction But the Argumentts of the Conscience are truly and fully Convictive because they are truly and fully Demonstrative And that in such a kind of Demonstration of which the Philosophers words are most really verified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demonstration is not to confute the man in his Person for he may be Contumacious and Refractory but to confute him in his Reason and in his Judgement Such is this Demonstration of Conscience It seizeth on the inward man If that plead the Cause if that Dispute and make an instance against the Respondent no sophistry no elusion no evasion will serve his turn but his heart is troubled his countenance dejected and his tongue silenced so that he can say nothing in excuse much less in justification of himself but is forced to flie to his Saviours Al-sufficient Merits and Al-saving mercies and it is a happy violence that so forceth him saying with the blind man in the Gospel Jesus thou son of David have mercy on me And though many charge him that he should hold his peace even very many sins and unworthinesses yet he cries the more a great deal Thou son of David have mercy on me till Jesus stand still and command him to be called and say unto him What wilt thou that I should do unto thee Then will his Answer be Lord that I might receive my sight not so much to see mine own sins as thy mercies thine infinite thine undeserved mercies Thus I would receive my sight to see the light of thy countenance and I shall be whole This was that admirable prayer in the Greek Liturgies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord appease and allay those invisible tumults of mine own breast which so much disquiet and torment my soul Other enimies may be resisted and haply vanquished but this internal enemy is altogether inexpugnable and alwaies gets the victory over us Appease these invisible wars we are much frighted with visible wars but the invisible are infinitely more terrible for these will frighten even the Souldiers themselves who make it their Work no less then their Profession to disturb and frighten others And they are called invisible wars not only because they alone can see them who feel them but also because they are the most fatal and dangerous even as an enemy is most dangerous when he is least seen most to be feared when he is least to be discovered Conscience doth then war most dangerously when most privately most unsuspectedly and
doth then most hurt thee when it doth least wound thee when it wilâ—… not strike till it be too late for thee to ward the blow For then Sin lyeth at the door Gen. 4. 7. Robets it layeth down oâ—… coucheth like some wild beast at the mouth of his Cave as if he were asleep buâ—… indeed watcheth and waketh and is ready to flie at all that come neer it So is sin in 〈◊〉 mans Conscience Couchant rather then Dormant it sleeps Dogs sleep that it may take the sinner at the greater advantage and flie the more furiously in his face Conscientia dormit respectu motionis non observationis Conscience may seem to sleep wheâ—… indeed it doth not for when it sleeps it is only iâ—… regard of motion not in regard of observation When it doth least check thee it doth mosâ—… observe thee It spares thee a while to torment thee for ever It spares thee here to torment thee hereafter A most cruel mercy to observe the sin and let alone the sinner To Register the wicked deed but not to Reprove him that did it And this is all the mercy that a seared a benummed Conscience doth afford when it doth most befriend us It will not cut that it may kill It will not convince that it may confound It will not accuse that it may condemn Wherefore I will awaken my Conscience to Arraign me here that it awaken not it self to Condemn me hereafter for that must that will prevail at length and that with such an evidence to which I shall not be able to plead not Guilty and much less to withstand the Guilt It will come upon me as Poverty upon Solomons sluggard like an Armed man not only as a Valiant man with power to overcome me but also as an Armed man with frights and terrors to over-aw me David a man of war who said he would not fear though an Host encamped against him nay encompassed him round about Psal. 27. 3. 3. 6. yet durst not look one sin in the face but when Nathan had said unto him Thou art the man and his own conscience had attested the saying he presently gives over the thought of Denyal or Tergiversation and much more the spirit of contradiction and Prostrates himself before the mercy seat not being able to stand in the Judgement and cryeth out I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 13. He had sinned once by commiting his sin and durst not sin again by lessening it He neither desired to extenuate the guilt of Sin in himself nor to aggravate it in another and they generally go both together no man being so ready to accuse and condemn his Brother as he that is resolved to Acquit and Justifie himself Spiritual Pride causeth thee to think thy brother the greater sinner but indeed it makes thee so But consider awhile proud Justitiarie is it not practical Blasphemy in the highest degree for thee to set and settle thy self in Christs Judgement Seat and there to become a Judge of souls He that said Judge not that ye be not Judged hath in effect told thee that if thou dost Lord it in his Tribunal here thou shalt tremble and quake before it hereafter The Joints oâ—… thy knees with Belshazzars shall then be as loose as is now thy tongue The words oâ—… the Psalmist are much to be observed Psal. 109. 30. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul. Christ will leave his Throne at the right hand of God rather then fail to stand at the right hand of the poor and what poor they are he takes such a care of Himself hath told us Mat. 5. 3. The poor in Spirit The Kingdom of heaven is most theirs who least assume it to themselves Who think they are not worthy of a being upon earth they shall be surest of a being in heaven they think themselves not worthy to kneel upon the earth because it is the footstool of the most high God much less worthy to look up to heaven because it is his Throne but he thinks them most worthy to be Translated from the earth and to be admitted into heaven saying For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven These are the poor that our Saviour Christ doth alwaies stand by and indeed they alone do constantly stand by him though others pretend more to be his servants And why doth he alwaies stand by them or as the Text speaks at their right hand even to save them from those that condemn their fouls or as it is in the Hebrew to save from the Judges of his soul or to save his soul from Judges To save him from the Judges of his soul for though they condemn him yet he will acquit and save him or to save his soul from Judges That is as our other Translation reads this verse To save his soul from unrighteous Judges For no Judge can bâ—… so unrighteous as he that Judges anotheâ—… mans soul For his Judgement proceedâ—… not out of inclination to Justice but meerly out of pride or malice so that it isâ—… perverse Judgement It proceeds not froâ—… a lawful Authority but from Self-wiâ—… and Presumption so that it is an usurpeâ—… Judgement And it proceeds not according to the Rules of Prudence and Discretion but of folly and madness so that it iâ—… a foolish and rash Judgement Christ iâ—… the only Over-seer and Bishop of oâ—… souls 1 Pet. 2. 25. Do not presume to goâ—… visitation in thy Saviours Diocess Judgâ—… no mans soul but thine own So shalt thoâ—… not be Judged of the Lord for two Reasons For not Judging others and foâ—… Judging thyself Here at home thou maiâ—… rightly Judge and as rightly condemn nay if thou dost but Judge thou must condemn it being all one for a sinner tâ—… Judge his own soul and to condemn it And the more he Judges the more he coâ—…demns Like Ezekiels Vision chap. 8â—… The more he looks the worse he likes vâ—… But Turn thou yet again and thou shalt sâ—… Greater Abominations and v. 13 Isâ—… again the same so is it in the Vision of ouâ—… own sinful souls This must still be the Epiphonema the Burden the concluding sentence Hast thou seen This O son of man Turn thee yet again and thou shalt see greater Abominations Though thou hast already seen most wondrous strange horrid sins such whose very thought must needs affright the soul and therefore whose guilt must needs oppress it yet thou must still look to see Greater Abominations when thou hast seen all manner of wickedness in thine heart and sins there as Firebrands of hell for Torment but as the stars of heaven for multitude some of the greater some of the lesser magnitude but yet altogether Innumerable and every one too too Great when thou hast seen all this and imagined more then thou canst see yet this saying must be the conclusion of all Hast thou seen this O son of man Turn
eternal weight of Glory Our Afflictions can work for us when â—…e cannot work for our selves our â—…ufferings can do more then our Doings We dare not say that our Actions shall â—…ut we dare and must say that our Afflictions shall work for us that exceeding and â—…ternal weight of glory This is indeed a very great comfort to the Afflicted that Affliction is a necessary condition of their own Salvation And yet there is another comfort not far short of this in the Doctrine of Piety but before it if possible in â—…he Practice of Charity That our Affliction is the ordinary usuall means of others Salvation for sure this must needs be a very great comfort to every good Christian that God should make him the happy â—…nstrument of bringing others unto Christ Saint Paul was so zealous of his brethrens Salvation that he could have wished himâ—…elf accursed to have procured their eternal Blessedness Rom. 9. 3. And Dives was so careful of his brethren that he desired Abraham to send one to them from the dead to testifie unto them lest they also come saith he into this place of torment Luke 16. 28. If you cannot arrivâ—… to that pitch of charity which Saint Paâ—… brought with him from the third Heavenâ—… yet you may be ashamed not to have thaâ—… Charity which Dives had with him wheâ—… he was in hell That Charity was so great as to make him look upon the Salvation oâ—… his Brethren as the Alleviation of his owâ—… eternal Torment How much more wiâ—… it make thee look upon it as the Alleviation of thy Temporal Affliction Saint Paâ—… tells the Colossians He did rejoyce in his sufferings for them Col. 1. 24. How were his sufferings for them unless it were to confirm their Faith and if his sufferings did confirm their Faith how could he eveâ—… sufficiently rejoyce in them according as hâ—… saith Who now rejoyce in my sufferings he would not stay so long for his Joy as tiâ—… his pain and sorrow was past nor did thinâ—… it enough to rejoyce after his sufferings buâ—… also in them who now rejoyce in my sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Chrysostom citing this Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Gen. If he rejoyced in his Afflictions when couâ—… he be sorrowful Let us accordingly examine the reasons of his Joy for this Doctrine is so much against flesh and blood that if we can not prove it to be rational we shall scarce admit it to be Religious The reasons of his joy were three for Christs sake for his own sake and for â—…heir sakes 1. For Christs sake because â—…hey were the afflictions of Christ not in â—…is own Person for of those afflictions it â—…s said Isa. 63. 3. I have trodden the wineâ—…ress alone and there was none with me but â—…n his members not in his naturall but in his mysticall body 2. For his own sake because there was a want and imperfection and a kind of emptiness in him till he did â—…uffer therefore he saith And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in â—…y flesh That is yet empty which must be filled up that is yet wanting which is beâ—…ind 3. For their sakes therefore he saith â—…y sufferings for you and for his bodies â—…ake which is the Church His sufferings did conduce to their salvation not by way of merit or satisfaction as if he had meant â—…o jussell Christ from his cross but by way of example or imitation because he was so well contented to be crucified with him and for him This example of piety and patiâ—…nce and perseverance was so much for â—…heir Edification that he saith it was for â—…hem accordingly as he saith again 2 Tim. 2. 10. Therefore I endure all thinâ—… for the Elects sake that they may also obtaâ—… the salvation which is in Christ Jesus wiâ—… eternal Glory O the admirable priviledgâ—… of a sanctified soul to pay a Debt of sâ—… upon the score of Grace Suffering is 〈◊〉 Debt that I owe for my sin and blessed be the mercy of Heaven which accept of a Temporal in exchange for an eternâ—… suffering but if I suffer so patiently sâ—… contentedly so thankfully as that I beneâ—… others by my example Then do I pay thâ—… Debt of sin upon the account of Graceâ—… Then do I endure chastisement for otheâ—… sakes as well as for mine own I endure 〈◊〉 things for the Elects sakes that they may 〈◊〉 so obtain the salvation which is in Chriâ—… Jesus as if he had said That they seeiâ—… me possess my soul in patience may alâ—… learn to possess theirs so too for the saâ—… Christ who is All-sufficient to me in mâ—… sufferings will be as All-sufficient to theâ—… in theirs Though the merit of my sufferings cannot advantage them for the saâ—…vation is in and of Christ Jesus not in aâ—… of his servants but onely for them yet tâ—… example of my sufferings may advantagâ—… them my sufferings can do them littâ—… good but I that suffer may do them mucâ—… good And indeed we cannot doubt and therefore may not deny but that God â—…oth oftentimes visit his choisest servants with the sharpest afflictions both in health â—…nd sickness meerly for others sakes that â—…hose whom before they had examples of â—…iety they should now have examples of â—…atience that those who had followed Christ so far as they had most benefited others by their doings for he went about doing all manner of good might also follow him a little further even to his Cross and most benefit others by their sufferings A thing in it self very desirable to attain and therefore very comfortable when attained For any man may in some sort advantage his Brother by his doings but onely the good Christian by his sufferings the doer may be the saviour of the body but it is â—…hiefly the sufferer that is the saviour of â—…he soul God having appointed three wayes for man to benefit his neighbour By speaking by doing and by sufferâ—…ng but as speaking is out-vied by doing so doing is out-passed by suffering If thy affliction divert not thee out of the right way it may be a means to convert another to it Justin Martyr confesseth that the constancy of the Christiaus in their sufferings was the chiefest motive that converted him to Christianity Apol. ad Senaâ—… Rom. saying to this effect I my self saith he was once a Platonist and did gladly heaâ—… the Christians reviled but when I saw they feared not death nor any of those miserieâ—… which most frighten all other men I begaâ—… to consider with my self that it was impossible for such men to be lovers of pleasure more then lovers of piety and that made 〈◊〉 first think of turning Christian. O what an immortall comfort will it be unto thy soul to be a means of converting or confirming others by thy sufferings when thou canst no longer by thy speaking nor by thy doing for so shalt thou savâ—… two souls together thine own and
he hath said it who is able to make good his word Mat. 12. 50. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Tell me if there be any Relations nearer and dearer theâ—… these and tell me whether these can be so comfortable in Earth as they are in Heaven What loss is it then to me though Death take from me All while it gives me him who is All in All The Spirit of God saith unto every faithful soul Psalm 4. 5. 10. Hearken O daughter and consider forget also thine own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord God and worship thou him Non est ergo magnum â—…tu obliviscaris dimittas Populum tuum Domum Patris Tui ut te totum ejus servitio submittas Quoniam ipse dimisit Coelum se totum dedit ut tibi serviret saith Hugo He requires no great thing of thee To forgo thy Fathers house on Earth for his sake who did forgo his Fathers house in heaven for thy sake He was thy Lord and yet did that to serve thee Thou art his servant and wilt thou stick at doing this to serve him But you will say Herein consists my greatest perplexity For I know that I must go to him as my Lord to Judge me but I do not know how I can stand in that Judgement that so I may find him my Father to receive me and my God to save me But for this I refer you to another Chapter as being a Piece of Divinity that most concerneth another world CHAP. III. The Comforts of the Soul against Iudgement SECT I. The terrours of the last Judgement THere is a time for a Minister to be a Boanerges a Son oâ—… Thunder to proclaim Godâ—… final Judgement against Impenitent sinners that he may bring them to an earnest Repentance foâ—… that Impenitency is the high-way to damnation But there is also a time for him to be a Barnabas a Son of Consolation tâ—… proclaim Gods mercies to the Penitent that he may bring them to a lively faith for that true faith is the high-way to salvation Galatinus reports That the Jews did use to give a strong intoxicating wine to those that were condemned to die that by disturbing their judgements they might have the less terrible apprehensions of their approaching Death wresting that Text of Prov. 31. 6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts A miserable way of Comforting was this to take away the pain by taking away the sense and the understanding To quiet the conscience by drowning it Had it not been more mercy in the Jews to have given the guilty a bitter potion to awaken his conscience then a pleasing potion to benum and to besot it For it is good the soul should weep with Mary John 20. 11. when she cannot readily find out Christ because it is sure the weeping soul can never lose him Wherefore it will be requisite that I first set before your eyes the terrours of the last Judgement that you may see your sins and then the comforts against those terrours that you may see your Saviour As concerning the terrours of the last Judgement they are set down in few words but many Frights 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day Observe the terrible manner of this Grand-Assizes The Judge shall visibly come down from heaven and bring his Posse Comitatus with him even his mighty Angels to execute his final Sentence which shall be a Sentence for the punishment of sense they shall be punished with an everlasting Destruction and for the punishment of loss from the presence of the Lord. That is A Sentence for all punishment that is imaginable and for more then is endurable And this Judge shall come down in flaming fire a Real a Material a Corporal not a Metaphorical or an Imaginary or a Spiritual fire and this fire he shall bring along with him from heaven not expect it to meet him from hell that shall lose none of its own former flames but receive more and therewith consume this corruptible and corrupted world 2. Pet. 3. 7. And after that throw all the Divels and wicked men into that same fire and then throw the fire it self with them down into hell there to increase the torments of those miscreants for ever that had before fire from hell to torment them but then they shall also have fire from heaven to encrease their torments God as he shall be glorified and admired in his Saints because of his undeserved mercy so shall he also be glorified and admired in those sinners because of his righteous Judgement And therefore though their Judges fire will be so terrible because of the flame yet their own sins will be much more terrible because they alone minister the fuel to that fire For the Books shall be opened The Book of Gods Remembrance and the Book of their own Conscience And they shall be Judged out of those things which are written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20. 12. Then in both Books shall they see such works Registred as call for a Judgement worthy of God because they had not only an Impiety but also an Impenitency unworthy of man And as they shall first see those works to their terrour so shaâ—… they after feel them to their torment noâ—… a work that had putrefaction and corruption in it but shall have its worm after it For corruption of sin begets a worm in thâ—… soul as corruption of Death begets worm in the body Vermis oritur ex putredine 〈◊〉 mordit illud in quo oritur saith Bonaventure A worm is begotten of filthiness anâ—… feeds on that which beg at it so is the woâ—… of conscience it is begotten of corruption even of sin the only corruption of the soul it frets and corrodes and gnaws and bitâ—… that soul which gave it being So that there must needs be all manner of terrours terrours from within where their worm dieth not terrours from without and the fire 〈◊〉 not quenched Mark 9. 46. And to all these terrours we must yet further add this terrible example out of Saint Peter 2 Pet. 2. 4. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto Judgement Here is a kind oâ—… an imperfect speech called ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his passion caused
yet I may with humility and I hope not without some truth impute the amendment of many of them to mine own sufferings The ground hath been tilled and the tree hath been pruned And why should not this tilling and pruning yield the peaceâ—…le fruit of righteousness unto me that have been exercised thereby I have been â—…ng and often ploughed as it were â—…nd broken up and harrowed by the hand of God and why should I not be somewhat amended and improved by his good husbandry I have been long and often â—…ned as it were in my flesh by his â—…harp knife cutting off my superfluities 〈◊〉 make me the less sinful and the more â—…ruitful And why should I not bring â—…rth good fruits in due season even tâ—… peaceable fruits of righteousness or the fruits of righteousness which bring forth peace the peace of a good conscience here and of a blessed Eternity hereafter Therefore earnestly desiring to walk in this righteousness I will hope to lay me down in this peace And at the end of my wearisom Pilgrimage to take my rest in the arms of Gods Eternal mercy though now I groan under the hand of his Justice For so laying me down to sleep none shall ever be able to take either me from his arms or my rest from me Amen The sick mans Ejaculations To the Reader THese Ejaculations are Eighty in number and they are like mans years in Moses time when they come to that same number full of labour and sorrow though this latter age of the world will not let it self tarry so long for labour nor others tarry so long for sorrow And they are therefore called Ejaculations because they are as it were so many dartings of the soul upon some reflexion or thought either of mans misery or of Gods mercy sent up towards Heaven All aiming at one mark though from several occasions and after several waies That is at the rest of the soul in God Nor may you here look for curious method but for Religious matter sometimes you will find the sick mans soul troubled for fear of death sometimes almost inflamed with the desire of it sometimes bemoaning the disturbance of his body sometimes fearing the distemper of his soul sometimes affrighted with the thought of Judgement sometimes rejoycing against it If you find any thing to comfort you in your extremity thank not me for speaking to my self but thank God for speaking to your soul And be not troubled that your Passions like these Ejaculations are not orderly so as they be Religious Trouble and sorrow cannot look after Order but they must look after Religion And a sick mans expressions are not so much beholding to his head to make them Methodical and Eloquent as to his 〈◊〉 to make them affectionate and devout And God grant your sickness may make yours so Ejaculations 1. GRant Lord that I may be dead unto sin before I am dead unto the world that being planted together in the likeness of thy Sons death I may be also in the likeness of his Resurrection That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so I walking in newness of life may have a comfortable death here and a glorious Resurrection hereafter 2. Destroy in me O God the body of sin before thou destroy in me the body of flesh that I may be justified from my sins whiles I live and freed from my sins when I shall be dead Make me to lie down in comfort because by my death I shall wholly die unto my sins Make me to rest in hope because by my Resurrection I shall wholly live unto my God 3. Make me to look upon my sickness my tedious and terrible sickness as upon thy Visitation that I may bear it patiently Make me look upon my death as upon my Release that I may take it comfortably 4. O thou who wouldst be crucified before thou wouldst be glorified and didst suffer pain to enter into Joy make me submit to thy Cross that thou mayest prepare me for thy Crown Make me contentedly to suffer with thee in this world that I may triumphantly reign with thee in the world to come 5. O Lord I have Judged my self let me not be Judged of thee so as to be condemned for it is agreeable with thy Mercy to save the sinner though thou destroy the sin And it is agreeable with thy Justice not to punish that sin in me which thou hast already punished in my blessed Redeemer 6. O Lord thou didst make thy beloved Son perfect with sufferings and I cannot hope thou wilt let thy unworthy servant be perfected without them O then let not my sufferings betray the imperfections of my flesh but conduce to the perfections of my spirit and make me ever willing to suffer since thou canst and wilt make me perfect by suffering 7. O thou God of peace that broughtest again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Make me perfect in every good work to do and suffer thy will working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight and working for me that which is profitable for my salvation through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13. 20 21. 8. O blessed Jesu the chief Corner-stone on which alone is laid for us the foundation of a blessed Eternity the Rock upon which thy Church is built and all our souls relie Be merciful unto me and give ear unto my prayers and to my sighs and groans when I cannot pray Be unto me a fountain of comfort whensoever my heart is in heaviness and my body is in pain that my soul may have continual health and joy and rest in Thee and in thy Merits and Mercies for evermore 9. Lord make me desire the dissolution of my earthly house of this Tabernacle that I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for I know that whiles I am at home in the body I am absent from the Lord Make me therefore willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with thee my God for in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore And make me labour that whether absent or present I may be accepted of thee through the righteousness of thy dearest Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen 10. Give unto me true sorrow for my sins that thou mayest give me true comfort in my sorrows Grant I may have peace in thee whiles I have tribulation in the world and make me be of good chear in all my tribulations for thou hast overcome the world and wilt not let the world overcome me 11. O Lord Jesus Christ who hast overcome the sharpness of death opened the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers Make me â—…ot to fear death since thou hast made that â—…n Inlet into thy
wilt come to be my Judge who hast already come to be my Saviour and I therefore pray thee to help thy servant whom thou hast Redeemed with thy most precious blood O Lord in thy Justice when thou shalt be most ready to condemn me remember the Mercy whereby thou didst come to save me and hear thine own precious blood crying out to thee for my salvation and hear not my grievous sins crying out against me for my condemnation for what wilt thou do with thy Mercy which moved thee to shed thy blood if thou wilt not forgive sinners what wilt thou do with the Merit of thy blood that hath been shed if thou wilt not save sinners O Lord I appeal unto this Mercy which hath promised forgiveness of sins and to this Merit which hath purchased salvation for sinners and in this Mercy and in this Merit I cannot but hope to stand in the Judgement 31. If the Lord himself had not been on my side now may my soul say if the Lord himself had not been on my side when the Devils and mine own conscience rose up against me they had swallowed me up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at me Yea the waters had drowned me and the stream had gone over my soul but praised be the Lord which hath not given me over for a prey unto their teeth My soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler the snare is broken and I am delivered My help standeth in the Name of the Lord which hath made heaven and earth and which hateth nothing that he hath made 32. O Lord Jesus Christ which upholdest all things in heaven and in earth make me evermore to put my whole trust in thee in the state of health and prosperity to trust in thee for preservation in the state of sickness and adversity to trust in thee for deliverance and relief in all states to trust in thee for grace and benediction That in the distresses of my body I may be comforted for the salvation of my soul in the distresses of my soul I may be comforted for the mercies of my Savioâ—… Let me submit my soul to thee in piety by doing righteously that thou mayest not punish me and having failed of that let me submit my soul to thee in patience by suffering contentedly when thou dost punish me for my sins Let me not despair of thy Mercy when I have most provoked thy Justice that thou mayst in Justice remember Mercy and in Mercy remember me Let me never say in my heart through impatience or infidelity There is no God Let me never wish in my heart through impenitency that there were none Let me not say in my heart â—…efore I sin There is no God least I sin with greediness Let me not wish in my heart there were no God after I have sinned lest I sin without Repentance But make me set thee alwaies before me both in thy Majesty as coming to Judge me that I sin not and in thy Mercy as willing to save me that I despair not when I have sinned And be thou alwaies with me by thy special grace that I perish not in my sins O thou which art the joy of Angels be also the joy of my sinful soul speak salvation to me who can speak nothing but damnation to my self Be unto my sinful soul sanctification from sin that thou mayest be to my sanctified soul salvation from death That I may at last stand with that great multitude who shall stand before thee cloathed with white robes and palms in their hands to cry with a loud voice saying Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever ever Amen 33. O Lord who art so merciful unto sinful man as to vouchsafe to be his Guide and Governor and so constant in thy Mercies as to guide and govern him all his life even unto death I beseech thee to be my Guide in this my greatest perplexity now that my body is as it were bitten with fiery Serpents and my soul dwelleth among Scorpions Now that torments and tumults are without me temptations and discontents are within me O be thou â—…igh at hand that none of all my outward â—…r inward vexations may either disturb my â—…fety or betray my innocency Let God â—…ise in my heart and let all his enemies â—…ere that is all my impatient thoughts 〈◊〉 scattered Like as smoke vanisheth so 〈◊〉 them vanish at the presence of God â—…nd my soul be joyful in the Lord it shall â—…ejoyce in his salvation 34. O God thy Charets are twenty thouâ—…nd even thousands of Angels O set â—…me of them compass me about as they â—…d thy servant Elisha whiles I am living â—…nd let others of them carry my soul into â—…brahams bosom when I shall die as they â—…d thy servant Lazarus That these thy â—…inistring spirits which are sent forth to â—…inister for them who shall be heirs of salâ—…tion may also minister for me thy most â—…worthy servant not only in my sickâ—…ss to succour and defend me but also in â—…y death to direct and convey my soul 〈◊〉 by thy appointment they have brought â—…e to those everlasting mansions where I â—…all together with them alwaies behold â—…e face of my Father which is in heaven â—…men 35. O Lord thou hast commanded me tâ—… break off my sins by repentance but I havâ—… broken off my soul from thee by sin anâ—… widened that breach by my impenitency Wherefore it is but just that I who have sâ—… often grieved thy Spirit should now at 〈◊〉 grieve mine own For I have often reâ—…turned to those sins which by mine owâ—… mouth had so terribly accused me and bâ—… mine own default so grievously woundeâ—… me But I beseech thee to fill my heaâ—… with Repentance which I have so ofteâ—… filled with sin and let me have that sorroâ—… here which may keep me from confusioâ—… hereafter For if thy servant Peter weâ—… three whole daies nay all his life long fâ—… denying thee thrice out of a sudden passâ—… on What tears what repentance is neeâ—… ful to the washing away of my sins whâ—… have so often denyed thee upon deliberâ—…tion If Mary Magdalen wept so griâ—…vously for seven Devils shall not I muâ—… rather for seventy seven more unclean spâ—…rits She was not then thy servant whâ—… she entertained those impure guests I haâ—… been a long time thy friend thy brotheâ—… thy son and yet have given these thiâ—… enemies my best entertainment She 〈◊〉 â—…ot in the Devils again after they had â—…een cast out but I have swept and garnishâ—…d the room for them make me therefore â—…ood Lord all my life long to wash thy â—…et with my tears that thou mayest wash â—…y soul with thy blood and so at last preâ—…nt it without spot and blemish before â—…he heavenly Father in thine eternal and everlasting Kingdom Amen 36. Lord let me often find the influence of thy grace in heavenly
no profit but I beseech thee cause me to know thy hand and thy might and take not away thy peace from me even loving-kindness and Mercies Jer. 16. v. 19 21 5. 54. O Lord the Hope of Israel let no distress whatsoever make me forsake that blessed Hope which thou hast given me for all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the Fountain of living waters O Lord I have often forsaken thee by my sins yet let me not be ashamed because I return again to thee by my Repentance O Lord I have often departed from thee by my transgressions yet let me not be written in the earth because I now at last thirst for thee the Fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved so shalt thou be my praise now and for evermore Jer. 17. 13 14. 55. O Lord my soul is heavy and my body is sick unto the death But do thou bring me health and cure and reveal unto me abundance of peace and truth cleanse me from all mine iniquities whereby I have sinned against thee cause my captivity to return and have mercy upon me according to thine infinite mercies in Jesus Christ Jer. 33. 6 8 26. 56. O Lord thou hast added grief to my sorrow for I have fainted in my sighing and I find no rest yet dost thou forbid me to add sorrow to my own grief and to say wo is me now because that which thou hast built thou hast broken down and that which thou hadst planted thou hast plucked up even this whole Land Therefore thou forbiddest me to seek great things for my self for behold thou hast brought evil upon all flesh and how shouldst thou not bring evil upon my flesh which is the most sinful of all O then suffer me not to be a seeker of mine own discontents rather then of thy redresses whiles I look after great and good things in such miserable and wretched times but make me thankful that thou hast hitherto given me my life as a prey unto me in all places whether I have gone that remembering what thou hast given me I may not repine for what others have taken from me assuring my self that there is yet another life to come which thou wilt give me not as a prey that I should fear losing it but as an inheritance that I should long to possess it in thee and with thee for ever Amen Jer. 45. 3 4 5. 57. O Lord bring my soul out of this prison of the flesh and the shackles of sin and misery that I may wholly and entirely give thanks unto thy holy Name for all thy Mercy and great Deliverances and most especially for this the greatest of all That thou wilt deliver me from my self from the burden of mine own flesh from the bondage of mine own corruption from the thraledom of mine own body And wilt set me at liberty that I may do nothing else but serve thee whose service is perfect freedom and whose wages are life and light and joy in beholding thy presence for evermore for I earnestly desire only those Mercies wherein thou dost infinitely delight who lovest to shew Mercy to penitent sinners in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 58. O Lord pour not out thine indignation upon me blow not against me in the fire of thy wrath but deliver me from this brutish and burning disease or if thou wilt in thy Justice make my body as fewel for the fire yet in mercy deliver my soul from the everlasting burnings Ezek. 23. 31 32. 59. Grant Lord that I being risen with Christ may seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God that I may henceforth set mine affection on things above not on things in earth alwaies remembering that I am dead and my life is hid with Christ in God and alwaies rejoycing that when Christ who is my life shall appear then shall I also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. 60. Lord make my tongue sing of thy praises whiles I have breath and when I shall be breathless make my heart bear two parts to fill up that blessed Harmony that my soul may praise thee whiles it is in the state of union with my natural body and much more when it shall be in the state of separation from it and shall be joyned in consort with the holy Angels and with the beatified spirits And most of all when it shall be in the state of re-union again with that same body being made spiritual That I being at last all spirit both in soul and body neither my heart may be wearied in thinking nor my tongue in speaking thy praises to all eternity Amen 61. I will thank thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will praise thy Name for evermore for great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the neathermost hell and wilt receive my soul into the highest heavens there to give thee thanks and praises for evermore 62. All the daies of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. Lord grant I may so wait that I may receive my wages and that my change may come seasonably speedily and happily A seasonable change not to find me unprepared for it A speedy change to deliver me from the pains of sickness and from the pangs of death And a happy change to let me in to the fruition of thy glory and eternal life Amen 63. By thine unknown sufferings O my blessed Redeemer intercede for me in all my pains and sufferings that I may find Mercy and obtain Relief And make me alwaies remember and confess that my sins are far above my sufferings so shall I suffer patiently and that thy Mercy is far above my sins so shall I suffer comfortably and hope for a joyful end of all my sufferings 64. Lord grant that my conversation may from henceforth be in heaven that my soul may be prepared to go thither and know how to busie it self there that I may with joy look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ from thence who shall change my vile body that it may be like his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3. 2. O Lord work that blessed change in my soul to subdue all its carnal affections by a heavenly conversation before thou workest that miserable change in my body to subdue its natural constitution by an unnatural destruction And according to that mighty working whereby thou art able even to subdue all things unto thy self in the first place subdue all my sinfulness 65. Lord speak the word only and thy servant shall be whole speak the word of comfort in my distress and the greatest comfort in my greatest
redeemed with thy most precious blood and be not angry with me for ever Spare me good Lord. From this and all other evil and mischief of my body from the more afflictive and contagious sin of my soul from the crafts and assaults of the Devil either against my body or against my soul from the fear of thy wrath and from the sentence of everlasting damnation Good Lord deliver me By thine agony and bloody-sweat help and assist me in all mine agonies By thy Cross and Passion make me conquerer in all my sufferings By thy precious death and burial sweeten my death and sanctifie my grave By thy glorious resurrection and ascention raise me up again at the last day and glorifie me and by the coming of the Holy-Ghost give unto me now amidst the torments of my life and the terrours of my death the immortal comfort of a blessed resurrection to eternal glory And in this my distress by this thy special assistance help and comfort Good Lord deliver me In all time of my tribulation and adversity which thou hast now sent me In all time of my wealth and prosperity if thou shalt be pleased once again to send it me in the hour of my death and in the day of Judgement Good Lord deliver me I that am a sinner do beseech thee to hear me O Lord God And that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universally in the right way And to deliver this thy distressed and oppressed Church from all her sins and from all her troubles and to restore her to her former Truth and Peace I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand and the Son of man whom thou hast made so strong for thine own self and so will not we go back from thee O let us live and we will call upon thy Name Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts shew us the light of thy countenance and we shall be whole I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to defend and strengthen all Bishops and Ministers of thy Church That notwithstanding the manifold oppositions contempts and persecutions of disobedient and gainsaying people they may still uphold thy true and lively Word and thy holy and blessed Sacraments and by their preaching and administring and their living and dying may set them forth and shew them accordingly I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to be a Father to the Fatherless whom my sins have helped to make so and whom my repentance cannot but thy Mercy can relieve To be a husband to the widow a comfort to the comfortless and to relieve all that be desolate and oppressed and to shew thy pity upon all exiles prisoners and captives especially those that suffer imprisonment and captivity or banishment for the cause of righteousness for the Doctrine of a Catholick Faith or for the duties of a Christian life I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. That it may please thee to have Mercy upon mine enemies persecutors and slanderers to turn their hearts and to forgive their sins and to save their souls and to make me forgive as I desire to be forgiven and to make me desire to be forgiven as I stand in need of forgiveness and to make my waies to please thee that thou mayest make mine enemies to be at peace with me I beseech thee to hear me good Lord That it may please thee to give us all true repentance that thou mayest forgive us all our sins not only our negligences and ignorances but also our perversnesses and profanesses and to endue us with the grace of thy holy Spirit that we may lay aside our own animosities self-interests and worldly advantages and joyn together with one heart and mouth to praise thee and to glorifie thy holy Name not looking after fond pretences and fading vanities but looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearing of the great God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I beseech thee to hear me good Lord. Son of God I beseech thee to hear me O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world take away my sins also inwhom alone there is a world of sin and grant me thy peace and have Mercy upon me O Christ hear me and as thou camest to redeem me when I was utterly lost so I beseech thee suffer me not to be lost now thou hast redeemed me Lord have Mercy upon me Christ have Mercy upon me Lord have Mercy upon me And remember me according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation that I may once more if it be thy will see the felicity of thy chosen and rejoyce in the gladness of thy people and give thanks with thine inheritance through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The sick mans Benediction BLessed be the Lord God even the God of Israel which only doth wonderous things And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty and my soul shall be filled and revived with his Mercy Amen Amen The Lord Jesus be within me to strengthen without me to assist before me to direct behind me to defend and protect beneath me to uphold and sustain above me to receive my soul. Let the power of the Father preserve me the wisdom of the Son guide and énlighten me the operation of the Holy-Ghost quicken and revive me in my passage through the gates of death and bring me into everlasting life The blood that ran from the wounded heart of my blessed Saviour which hath purchased for me abundance of grace in my life of comfort in my sickness and of hope in my death wash my soul from sin and from iniquity that it may be presented without spot or blemish before the righteous Judge of men and Angels in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy-Ghost Amen The sick mans Valediction LORD I am willing to forsake all to follow thee O let me follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth I willingly forgive all men and heartily desire all men to forgive me that though I came into this world hating my God yet I may not go out of it hating my Brother for God with whom I hope to dwell when I go from hence is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4. 16. I follow after to apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Phil. 3. 12 13 14. The sick mans Preparation for his Departure I am now ready to be
no other wâ—… understanding then he hath givenâ—… Angels they not being able to underâ—… distinctly by such universal forms aâ—… Angels could not have had a partâ—… and distinct knowledge of any thing only a general and confused knowleâ—… so it is clearly for the better that Huâ—… Souls be united unto Bodies because iâ—…duceth to the bettering of their uâ—…standing But this reason conceâ—… the soul of man no longer then whiles it is here on earth whereas it is evident that the desire of Re-union with the body accompanieth the soul also in heaven for though she there understand by a far more excellent and noble way without the Body then she doth here in the Body yet doth she still desire Re-union with the Body and not think her own bliss so compleat till she may have it in and with her old companion her first friend and acquaintance Excellently the same Aquinas 12 ae qu. 4. ar 5. Desiderium Animae separatae totaliter quiescit ex parte Appetibilis quia habet id quod suo appetitui sufficit sed non totaliter requiescit ex parte Appetentis quia illud bonum non possidet secundum omnem modum quo possidere vellet ideo corpore resumpto beatitudo crescit non intensive sed extensive The desire of the separated souls that are in Heaven is fully satisfied as to the object or the thing that they desire for they have all the blessedness that they can wish But not as to the subject or their manner of desireing for they have not their blessedness so as they do wish it because it is not yet communicated to their bodies wherefore after the Resurrection of the Body the blessedness of Glorified Souls is said tâ—… increase though not intensively as if tâ—… bliss should be greater in it self for thâ—… are already admitted to the vision and frâ—…ition of God yet surely extensively bâ—…cause it shall be greater in respect of theâ—… that enjoy it when it shall be communâ—…cated from their Souls unto their Bodies And therefore the Glorified Souls of meâ—… do exceedingly desire that their Blessedness should be so communicated becausâ—… their supernatural Bliss doth not extinguish cannot exclude their natural Desire which is to be united to their Bodies Accordingly Aquinas tells us that to thâ—… perfect consummation of mans Bliss is required not only a perfect Disposition oâ—… his Soul but also of his Body and thaâ—… both antecedently and consequently to hiâ—… Blessedness Antecedently or before he iâ—… Blessed for else his Body would clogg hiâ—… Soul and divert it from the Beatifical vision And Consequently or after he iâ—… Blessed for the Soul cannot but communicate her Bliss and Glory to the Body 12 ae q. 4. ar 6. Therefore that which was a Natural Body at the separation shall be made a Spiritual Body at the Re-union and being once made a Spiritual body the Soul shall have Power to keep 〈◊〉 â—…o for ever according to that of Saint Aug. â—…am potenti naturâ Deus fecit Animam ut â—…x ejus plenissimâ Beatitudine redundit in â—…nferiorem Naturam Incorruption is vigor With so powerful a Nature hath God endued the soul of man that when her self â—…hall come to be perfectly Blessed she will be able to Transmit her Bliss and Incorruption to the body Wherefore let â—…y soul be separated from this natural body by which it is corrupted that it may â—…e united to that Spiritual body by which â—…t shall be perfected The Second PART OR The Consolation against Death Preface HE that will fully comfâ—… the Soul of man agaiâ—… Death must comfort against sickness that coâ—…monly goes before it 〈◊〉 against Judgement tâ—… alwaies follows after it So that thisâ—… consolation must branch it self into these tâ—… Chapters The Comforts of the Soul against Sicknâ—… The Comforts of the Soul against Deathâ—… The Comforts of the Soul against Judgment It is as easie for those in health to gâ—… advice to the sick as it is hard for the 〈◊〉 to follow it But every one that can gâ—… Advice to the sick cannot give them câ—… for t in their sickness The best that any of us can say in this kind is The Lord comort you And yet surely there are some men who are obliged if not enabled by their Calling to speak more comfortably then others no less to body-sick then to sin-sick Persons Those men whose peculiar Duty it is to visit the sick and consequently to comfort them For they may not do as Jobs Friends did come to Grieve with him and then help not to Asswage but to Encrease his Grief For they by so doing are lookt upon not as Gods but as the Devils Instruments though they were of the Posterity of Abraham and therefore undoubtedly instructed in the true Relion according to that Testimony given of Abraham by God himself Gen. 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord. Yet these men were so faulty in their conferences with holy Job that God himself saith of them they had not spoken right concerning him and that his wrath was kindled against them Job 42. 7. Whereby it Appears that Jobs former exclamations against them proceeded not from the impotency of his Passion but from the justness of his cause when he said ye are forgers of lies ye are all Physitians of no value Job 13. 4. Medici Idoli so Jarchi expounds the word and parallels it with that of Zach. 11. 17. where we tanslate it the Idol shepheard and may here so too The idol Comforters Men that made a shew of Comfort but afforded none at all no more then if they had been but meer Idols Nay that 's not all they afforded him dicomforts instead of comforts wherefore he calls them also miserable comforters Job 16. 2. Hebrew consolatores molestiae troublesome comforters are you all And sick men may in this Brain-sick age of ours quickly have enough if not too much of such comforters Men that scarce can settle others consciences having so much unsettled their own Which made Saint Paul come with a Benedictus in his mouth and surely it was in his heart before it was in his mouth when he considered what a great mercy it was in God towards those in distress to give either true comforts or true comforters saying Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforteth us in all our Tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort where with we our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. The Apostle begins here with thanksgiving according to his accustomed manner in all his Epistles but contrary to his custome doth he apply this thanksgiving wholy to himself The reason was saith Beza Because the Corinthians did begin to despise him for his Afflictions the common course of the world to
thoughts that I may often feel the influence of thy mercy in heavenly joyes I have many sad and dismal sorrows from my self O give unto me true comfort in my Saviour let my trouble be in the day when thou wilt hear me and not in the day when thou wilt Judge me There is no trust but may deceive me save only my trust in thee there is nothing in which I may not miscarry but only thy Mercy O Lord let my trust be so in thee that though I have miscarried in all the desires and designs and delights of this world yet I may not miscarry in thy Mercy but may have the joyes and delights of the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 37. Be thou exalted Lord in thine owâ—… strength so will I sing and praise thâ—… power Thy strength is that whicâ—… strengthens souls and thou lovest to shew thy strength in our weakness Lord let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness so shall I most gladly rather glory then repine in my infirmities whiles the power of Christ doth-rest upon me and my soul doth rest upon thee and thy Mercies in Jesus Christ. 38. O Lord who forgivest the sins of the penitent and coverest those sins which thou forgivest I beseech thee to accept my repentance and to cover all those sins which I desire thee to forgive That I may have the blessing of him whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered For if my sins should be all discovered to my self they would fill me with fear if they should be discovered to others they would fill me with shame And how wilt thou discover them either to my fear or to my shame since thou canst not forgive them unless thou cover them O then be pleased so to cover my sins here as not to discover them again hereafter so to hide my transgressions in the day of thy Mercy as not to lay them open in the day of Wrath Or if thy Justice shall require that all my sins be revealed in the day of the revelation of thy righteous Judgement let the atonement also for my sins be then revealed which I have laboured to make and thou hast promised to accept through the Merits and satisfaction of thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 39. O thou who art gracious and righteous and in thy righteousness teachest the upright the way of innocency and by thy grace leadest sinners in the way of repentance Have mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant and grant that my great defects and wants of the first righteousness that of Innocency may be supplyed by the fulness of the second righteousness that of Faith and Repentance And make mine eyes look so diligently to thee that I may never again want care in looking to my self Order my steps in thy Word and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me Order my heart in thy Faith and so shall I have dominion over all my wickedness for though my fears shall force me to say O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet my Faith will be able to suppress that saying and suggest unto me this heavenly comfort and triumph I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 40. O Lord I am in the midst of many troubles and sorrows by reason of my sufferings and much more by reason of my sins but thou hast promised that the righteous shall rejoyce in the Lord and put his trust in him and all they that are true of heart shall be glad Psal. 64. 10. O then make me true of heart that I may trust in thee and be truly righteous And give unto me true righteousness that thou mayst give unto me true joy There is no true righteousness but the righteousness of thy Son There is no true joy but the joy of thy Spirit O thou Father of Mercy give unto me the righteousness of God the Son my Redeemer that thou mayst give me the joy of God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter to be with me and to remain in me for evermore 41. O Lord thou hast brought upon me so much misery that I cannot love my condition And I have so much sin that I cannot love my self Wherefore I beseech thee to fix my love wholly upon thee that my soul may thirst for thee and my flesh also may long after thee in this barren and dry Land where no water is either to cleanse or to refresh or to revive me That looking for thee in holiness I may behold thy power and glory For my soul cannot truly thirst for thee till my flesh also long after thee since whiles my flesh is in love with the profits and pleasures of this life my spirit cannot but lose the desire and neglect the pursuit of the life everlasting O Lord thou hast taken away from me most of the profits and all the pleasures of this life O take from me also the love of it That I may not fear to lose that life which I do not love nor love that life which I am sure to lose but let me so love thee as to live in thee that I may not fear the loss either of my life or of my love 42. O Lord I am assaulted by vexations without and by temptations within and to whom should I flie for succour but only to thee who art not so displeased for my sins but that thou wilt be appeased by my repentance O give unto me that repentance which thou wilt accept and take from me that displeasure which I so fear Thou canst defend me with thy favourable kindness as with a Shield O Lord I ask no other defence but only this defence of thy Mercy to defend me from my self and all my sinfulness to defend me from thy wrath and from all the punishments of my sins Though thou leave me destitute of all other defence yet let thy loving-kindness evermore defend me according to that eternal love wherewith thou hast loved me in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 43. O Lord thou hast hitherto guided me by thy counsel and thou wilt hereafter receive me with glory Therefore have I none in heaven but thee because none else can receive me with glory and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee because none else can guide me with true counsel O Lord pardon my strayings from thy directions as thou hast been my guide that thou mayst receive me into thine habitation and be my glory for Jesus sake Amen 44. O Lord make my soul willing to depart and go from hence because it here dwells among the enemies of my peace even among mine own sins and fears which disturb the peace of a good conscience here and threaten to destroy the peace of a blessed eternity hereafter Make me to long for that blessed minute which will restore to me perfect innocency and will transmit me into everlasting peace
even that peace of God which passeth all that I do understand and will fullfill all that I can desire Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart to this peace that thou mayest at once deliver me from all my troubles for his sake who hath shed his precious blood to purchase this peace for me Jesus Christ the only righteous Amen 45. Lord give unto me an earnest repentance to cleanse and purge my soul from dead works that thou mayest give unto me a true and lively faith to settle and establish my soul in the light of life That acknowledging and bewailing mine own demerits and unrighteousness I may by the Merits and Righteousness of my blessed Redeemer obtain remission of all my sins whereof I now stand guilty before thy Judgement-seat and the assurance of that remission sealed unto my conscience by the testimony of thy holy Spirit that I may not be terrified with the thought of death being delivered from the terrours of Judgement and having that righteousness interposed in answer for me which cannot but answer all the accusations of the Devils and all the attestations and convictions of mine own conscience O my blessed Advocate do thou come to plead for me and then come Lord Jesus come quickly Amen 46. Lord make me daily more and more to see the manifold miseries of my pilgrimage whereby I am a stranger to eternity and a so journer with vanity burdened and clogged with a heavy weight of flesh and a far heavyer weight of sin That I may heartily pray to be delivered from all those burdens and miseries and not be afraid least thou shouldst hear my prayer but that my soul providing to return into her own Countrey may accordingly have longings and earnest desires after the Land of Promise and after the heavenly Jerusalem and after thee my God who there livest and reignest world without end Amen 47. Lord make me patiently to undergo this punishment of my body but earnestly to long for the deliverance of my soul Make me thankful for that small ease and refreshment thou givest me on earth but much more for the eternal rest thou hast provided for me in heaven grant that though I have affliction in the world yet I may have peace in thee and may rejoyce in that peace for thou hast overcome the world grant that though I am weak in my body yet I may be strong in my soul for thou art the strength of souls grant that though I find pain and anguish in my flesh yet I may find joy and comfort in my spirit for thou art the God of spirits grant that I may not look on thy hand scourging me with an evil eye whiles I believe that the thoughts which thou thinkest towards me are thoughts of peace and not of evil and that though thou givest me a sad beginning yet thou wilt give me an expected end Jer. 29. 11. 48. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him and I may well bear it patiently nay rather take it thankfully since it is his great goodness to punish temporally that he may spare eternally For he will at last plead my cause and execute Judgement for me he will at length bring me forth to light out of this dismal darkness and I shall behold his righteousness and he will not behold mine unrighteousness Then shall I say with great joy Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by transgressions and retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy Therefore he will turn again he will have compassion upon me he will subdue mine iniquities before he suffer death to subdue me and he will cast all my sins into the depth of the Sea before he will cast me into the deep of the earth Mich. 7. v. 9 18 19. 49. Art thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine holy One and I but only of yesterday and for a moment I shall not die whiles thou art my Resurrection and my Life O Lord thou hast ordained these pains and sicknesses for Judgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction O Lord let them prove so to me as Judgements to advise me and as Chastisements to amend me for thou art of purer eyes then to behold evil and therefore sure of purer hands then to embrace it and thou canst not look on iniquity therefore sure wilt not encourage it O then let this thy visitation so purge away all evil and iniquity from me that thou mayest both encourage my soul in my life and embrace it at my death Hab. 1. 50. O thou the high and lofty one that inhabitest eternity whose Name is Holy thou that dwellest in the high and lofty place but with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite one be pleased to look upon the great humiliations of my body and the unfeigned contritions of my soul That thou mayst dwell with me and I may be revived in the spirit whiles I am daily put to death in the flesh And do not contend for ever neither be thou alwaies wrath least my spirit should fail before thee and the soul which thou hast made for the iniquity of my conversation thou wast wrath and smotest me but for the abundance of thine own mercies heal me and restore comforts to me and to my mourners and give unto me true joy and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord Isaiah 57. 15 c. 51. O Lord I have been long cloathed with filthy garmens even by the corruptions and pollutions of the flesh And Satan is standing at my right hand ready to tempt me here and to accuse and torment me hereafter But O Lord I beseech thee to say unto Satan The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen his servant rebuke thee And take away the filthy garments from me and say unto me behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee and I will cloath thee with change of rayment even with the wedding-garment the righteousness of that immaculate Lamb the Lord Jesus Christ so shall I appear before thee with comfort stand before thee with confidence and remain before thee with joy for evermore Zach. 3. 52. O Lord thou hast left me a Promise of entering into thy Rest O let me not come short of it and not enter into it But since I have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God an high-Priest touched with the feeling of my infirmities let me through him come boldly to the Throne of grace that I may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 53. O Lord my strength and my fortress and my refuge in the day of affliction I desire to come unto thee from the ends of the earth where I have inherited lyes and vanity and things wherein there is
enjoy thee And now O Lord God the Word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant establish it for ever and do as thou hast said for thou O Lord God hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the soul of thy servant be blessed for ever 2 Sam. 7. 18. 75. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for us O Lord let me not fear being deprived oâ—… my earthly inheritance by death whiles 〈◊〉 find in my self the work of this Regeneration and cherish in my self the hope of this resurrection But let me ever be kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time that I may therein greatly rejoyce though now for a season I am in heaviness through manifold temptations 2 Pet. 1. 3. That the tryal of my faith being much more precious then of Gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire may be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. 76. O thou who hast given me the soul of thy Christ and of my Jesus to sanctifie me the body of Christ to nourish and strengthen me the blood of Christ to redeem me the stripes of Christ to heal me the agonies of Christ to comfort and to refresh me give me also the wounds of Christ to hide me that thou mayest not Judge me or the Merits of Christ to cover me that I may be acquitted in the Judgement O Lord who didst not despise man transgressing and falling from thee do not despise me repenting and returning to thee but as thou hast opened unto me a door of faith and repentance unto life so shut not that door against me now I am desirous to enter in by it and to come to thee O Lord I believe help my unbelief O Lord â—…repent increase my repentance and give unto me that repentance whereby thou wiâ—…t accept me and that faith whereby I may receive and embrace thee for ever 77. The Lord make me faithfully to remember and thankfully to consider and constantly to believe that he who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for me will also with him freely give me all things or rather hath already with him freely given me all things that I was capable to receive and now is enlarging my capacity that he may enlarge his own bounteous liberality He is making me capable of receiving more that he may freely give more He hath made me capable of receiving himself his Son his holy Spirit by Faith Hope and Love He will now make me capable of receiving and enjoying himself his Son his holy Spirit by vision comprehension and fruition A vision that shall see him as he is in his excellent glory A comprehensioâ—… that shall fully receive and firmly retaiâ—… him And a fruition that shall perfectlâ—… enjoy him and perfectly rejoyce in him One God Father Son and Holy-Ghost world without end Amen 78. Abide thou with me O Lord Jesuâ—… Christ for it is towards evening with me and the day is far spent of this my toilsom and troublesom life And though my eye be holden that I do not see thee whiles I have sad communications with mine own heart yet be thou pleased still to tarry with me and to sit at meat with me and to bless to me the holy repast of eternity and mine eyes shall soon be opened to see thee and my heart shall be opened to receive thee And do not vanish out of my sight till thou hast brought me to see thee in thy heavenly Kingdom Amen 79. God be merciful unto me and bless me and shew me the light of his countenance in my passing through Death and be merciful unto me in bringing me to everlasting life The Lord bless me and keep me the Lord make his face to shine upon me and be gracious unto me The Lord lift up â—…is countenance upon me and give me â—…eace God the Father preserve me in my â—…assage by his Almighty power God the â—…on guide and direct me by his All-seeing wisdom God the Holy-Ghost assist and comfort me by his All-sufficient Grace and Goodness and bring me to everlasting life Amen 80. Now the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing that I may abound in Hope through the power of the Holy-Ghost Rom. 15. 13. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen 2 Tim. 4. 18. The sick mans Devotions To the Reader DEvotion is seldom Cordiaâ—… when it is constrained and iâ—… is commonly constrained when either Fear or Paâ—… makes a man devout For then he may seem to have taken up Sauls resolution 1 Sam. 13. 12. Therefore said I the Philistines will now come down upon me and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering So is it too too frequently with those men who neglect the motives and means of prayer whiles they are in health and leave all their suplications to be made in their sickness or any other great extremity for whiles â—…y vainly fear lest custom should make â—…ir prayers uncordial or undevout they â—…erably find that compulsion doth indeed â—…ve them to be so since therefore either â—…tom of praying will steal away thy heart thou fondly thinkest or contempt of praywill harden thy heart at I flatly averr now in good time what thou hast to do a phantastical fear is no excuse for runâ—…g into a real mischief Whiles thou â—…ishly fearest lest thy heart should be stolen 〈◊〉 impiously causest thy heart to be hardenâ—… Consider therefore what the Prophet â—…uel hath taught thee to say and do in thy â—…resses to thy Maker since God hath set 〈◊〉 appointed him to direct and guide thee â—…y Devotions And do not as Saul did 〈◊〉 without a Priest or with a Priest of â—…e own choosing perhaps of thine own â—…ing offer thy burnt-offering lest Samuel 〈◊〉 at the end of thy sacrifice and say unto 〈◊〉 as he said unto him v. 13. thou hast 〈◊〉 foolishly thou hast not kept the comâ—…dment of the Lord thy God which he â—…manded thee this reproof as it doth â—…rly concern thee so it will undoubtedly siâ—…e thee for when God hath given thee a sure Guide for thy Devotions even such a Church as neither the wit of man can prove nor the malice of Devils can make guilty either of Faction or of Superstition If thou wilt not go along with this Guide but wilt needs gad after thine own imaginations thou dost indeed follow Saul in his sin and art like to follow him in his punishment thou appeasest not wrath but provokest it thou forsakest God and
and magnifie thy glorious Name because thou hast given me an assured hope that I shall with them hereafter evermore praise thee and say Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory Glory be to thee O Lord most high The sick mans second lesson John 5. 24. VErily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life His second Canticle Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for calling me to the knowledge of himself and to faith in his Son and to Communion with his holy Spirit Lord I believe help thou my unbelief And grant me so perfectly and without all doubt to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ that my faith may never be reproved and my person and my prayers may alwaies be accepted in thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness incline thine ear unto me and save me Be thou my strong hold whereunto I may alway resort Thou hast promised to help me for thou art my house of defence and my Castle As for me I will patiently abide alway and will praise thee more and more My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation for I know no end thereof O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me and yet didst thou turn and refresh me yea and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness O God playing upon an instrument of Musick Unto thee will I sing upon the Harp O thou holy one of Israel My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered and ever wilt deliver according to thine infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ. The sick mans Creed or the Confession of his Faith by way of prayer I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven and earth Grant me Lord so to believe in thee my Father that as a Father pittieth his own child so I may find and feel that thou art pittiful and merciful towards me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Lord and my God that I may find the eternal comfort of being thy servant and that as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters even so my eyes may wait upon the Lord my God until he have Mercy upon me Grant me so to believe in thee as my Father God and Maker that I may alwaies rely on thy Fatherly Goodness that I may alwaies submit my self body and foul to thy Almighty power and that I may commit my soul unto thee not only in well-doing but also in well-suffering as to my saithful Creator Grant me so to believe in Jesus Christ thy only Son my Redeemer that from this Jesus I may have salvation from this Christ I may have the holy Unction from this thy Son I may have spiritual adoption Grant me so to believe in God the Holy-Ghost that from this God I may be inspired with true godliness from this Holy-Spirit I may be sanctified and made a member of the Catholike Church and both live and die in the Communion of Saints And that from this spiritual Comforter I may be filled with spiritual comforts and consolations for evermore even with the immortal comfort of the Forgiveness of my sins of the Resurrection of my body and of the translation of my soul to the life everlasting Amen Or this O blessed Lord God who fillest heaven and earth with the Majesty of thy Glory and with the Riches of thy Mercy Let not my sinful soul be empty but let me evermore be filled with dreadful apprehensions of that great and glorious Majesty wherewith thou wilt hereafter come to Judge me And with comfortable apprehensions of that great and gracious Mercy whereby thou hast already come to save me that I may never want grace to prevent and keep me from sinning nor Mercy to pardon and forgive me all my sins nor the testimony of thy holy-Spirit to assure me of that pardon and forgiveness That though thou kill me yet I may put my trust in thee and even at the hour of death may be able to say with a strong heart though with a weak voice I believe in God the Father my Creator in God the Son my Redeemer in God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter That this my Father will provide for me health and ease and all other comforts of this world as far as they shall conduâ—…e to his glory and to my salvation And hath provided for me a Portion and Inheritance in the world to come That this Redeemer hath redeemed my soul from the bondage of Sin and Satan and will also at the last day redeem my body from the bondage of death and corruption That this Comforter will not leave me comfortless when I most want and most ask his comforts but that he will be with me according to his Promise and will keep me in all places whither I go of sickness of life of death and will bring me at last to the Land of Eternal rest for he will not leave me till he hath done that which he hath spoken to me of Gen. 28. 15. till he hath translated me from his holy Church-Militant to his holy Church-Triumphant And to that Communion of Saints whereof he is the only head who is the King of Saints And to that blessed company of sanctified spirits which have mercifully received the forgiveness of their sins do earnestly expect the resurrection of their bodies and do incessantly enjoy the life everlasting Amen The sick mans Collect for the Day O Sweet Jesus who comest from the bosom of thy heavenly Father to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to set at liberty them that are bruised shew also these thy Mercies at once and together in shewing Mercy on me who am now broken and bruised and under great blindness and captivity The eye of my soul is so dim by reason of my sins and of my sufferings that I cannot clearly see thy Merits The hand of my soul is so weak that I cannot eagerly reach after them nor strongly take hold of them Thus am I a captive under miserable blindness and weakness But shew thou me the light of thy countenance and that will recover my sight and release my captivity For in thy light I shall see the true light everlasting and in thy countenance I shall enjoy it O thou Son of righteousness which knowest not any going down and givesâ—…â—…fe food and gladness unto all things vouchsase to shine into my mind that I may not either through the weakness of the flesh or the assaults of the Devil any where stumble to fall into impatience