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
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
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
Where it is evident that if Man were put in one Scale and Vanity in the other Man would be found lighter then Vanity it self O my God weigh not my best Righteousness in the Ballance of thy Sanctuary without putting my Saviours merits into the Scale For if I be lighter then Vanity How can I hold weight with a blessed Eternity The Jews observe that the Father spake one thing concerning mankinde which he left to his Son to explain after him and that was this Psal. 144. 4. Man is like to Vanity for he tells us not to what Vanity whether the greater or the lesser but his Son comes after and explains him saying that he is like to that Vanity which is most Vain of all others Similis Vanitati Vanissimae like to that Vanity which is Vanity of Vanities Again the Son spake one thing of man-kinde which is best explained by the Father to wit that of Eccles. 6. 12. All the daies of his Vain life which he spendeth as a shadow For he telleth not what shadow but here the Father explaineth the Son saying A shadow that passeth away Psal. 144. 4. His daies are as a shadow that passeth away Both Father and Son agree in this that man is Vanity in the highest degree so that no words are able sufficiently to express it and no Heart able sufficiently to conceive it He lives in the shadow of Life and that shadow of Life is quickly and easily changed into the Darkness of Death In the midst of Life he is in Death and had need take care lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell In the midst of Life he is in Death through the Vanity of his Condition and had need be the more carefull lest in the midst of Death he be in Hell through the Vanity of his Affections and of his Actions For it is a most terrible expostulation which remains upon the File against all men whatsoever whiles they shall remain in their own Vanities Jer. 2. 5. Thus saith the Lord What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity and are become Vain This walking after Vanity as it is the great Sin so it should be the great Vexation of our souls not only that it makes us become vain but also that it casteth an Aspersion of Iniquity upon our God according as Saint Basil hath spoken most divinely in his Sermon concerning the love of God and our Neighbour The Devil will at the last day object it as matter of Reproach against our Lord and Saviour that we have Despised and Disobeyed him and will very much Boast that he neither created us nor dyed for us and yet that we have been his diligent followers in the breach and contempt of Gods Commandments And this Reproach saith he against my Lord is more dreadful to me then the Torments of hell that I should give the enemy of the Lord occasion to Blaspheme him who Dyed for my sins and rose again to make me Righteous SECT IV. Of the Difficulty Necessity and Excellency of this knowledge of Mortality IT neerly concerns man to know Vanity That he may know himself and much more that he may desire to know his Saviour And therefore it is no wonder that this knowledge is invested with very great Difficulty For our Mortal having put on Sin cares not to put off it self David had been long pursued and was like to be cut off every moment by his rebell Subject and ungracious Son before he learned this Prayer Lord let me know mine end And though when he heard of Absoloms death he said Would God I had dyed for thee O Absolom my son my son yet he did not thereby so truly shew a desire of his own Death as a Horror for his sons Damnation He knew that a wilful Rebel dying in his Rebellion was not to be punished only with one death but was to undergo a second death The like is to be said of dying in any other wilful sin whatsoever unrepented And therefore it is not possible for any man to desire God to part his Soul from his Body that he may Die till he hath parted Sin from his soul that he may not be afraid of the second death for he cannot but say Leave not my soul destitute or naked and bare Psal. 141. 8. But let it still be clothed with my Flesh and its Insirmity till thou shalt be pleased to cloath it with my Saviour and his Righteousness For better is it for me to Live in misery then to dye in it Better for me to live in the Infirmities of my Body then to dye in the Iniquities of my Soul Hence proceeds the great Difficulty of learning this lesson because our own fear makes us unwilling to learn it But this same knowledge as it is opposed by great Difficulty so it is extorted by a far greater necessity for our Mortal must put off both its sin and itself nay must therefore put off its self that it may put off its sin Excellently Theodoret and most like a Christian Divine in his Questions upon Genesis saith God would not suffer Adam to eat of the tree of life after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit that he might not suffer sin to be Eternal Therefore death is to us a Remedy not a Punishment it is a Medicine to cure us of our sins rather then a Judgement to corment us for them Our Flesh is not so neer our Body as our Sin is neer our Flesh and therefore God hath in mercy appointed us to put off our Flesh that with it we might put off our Sin Thus is it most necessary for us to know our Mortality That we may know an end of our sin and misery and this knowledge as it hath a great necessity so it hath yet a greater excellency For he that knows truly how to put off himself cannot but also know how to put on his Saviour And sure there can be no knowledge of like necessity with this and much less of like excelleny with it yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of thâ—… Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord saith Saint Paul Phil. 3. 8. And let my souâ—… say so too For all other knowledge iâ—… excellent either from the Object or from the Subject but this only is excellent from the term or end of it one knowledge is more excellent then another either for the exactness and perspicuity of the Demonstration saith Aust. 1. de An. c. 1. or for the height and sublimity of the notion either for the certainty of the Subject or for the excellency of the Object In the knowledge of earthly things the science hath its excellency from the Perspicuity of the Demonstration In the knowledge of Heavenly things thâ—… science hath its excellence from the Sublimity of the Notion Thus far Aristotle could go but no further That somâ—… sciences were more excellent ratione
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
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
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
Saviour I get into his Mystical Body and by keeping my hold I continue in it The Syriack translation instead of Confidence here saith The uncovering of the face to shew that there is not left in the true Believer the conscience of any one sin unrepented or unsatisfied through the All-sufficiency of his Saviours satisfaction which may make him cover his face either out of shame or out of fear to look upon God either out of shame because of his own unworthiness for by faith he hath his Saviours worthiness to make him confident or out of fear because of Gods unplacableness for by hope he hath a cause to rejoyce not to fear therefore it is said The rejoycing of our hope And the same Apostle moreover gives the reason of this saying Chap. 4. v. 15 16. For we have not an high-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need What is the hope that we can rejoyce in but the hope of Eternal Life And we have this hope because we have a great high-Priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God v. 14. He is passed in before us to make way for us to follow after him Nor ought we to be dismayed at our infirmities since he is touched with the feeling of them for himself was tempted to strengthen us in our temptations that in his strength we should encounter them and by his strength should overcome them Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace c. Wherein we have set forth the manner and the reason of our going unto God The manner it must be with a holy confidence in the righteousness of our high-Priest Let us come boldly The reason is two-fold the first concerns our God because he hath erected a Throne of Grace to pardon us not of Judgement to condemn us unto the Throne of grace The second concerns our selves That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need What help so welcome as that which helps in time of need What time of need so much wants help as that wherein we can neither help our selves nor have any else to help us the Hour of Death and the Day of Judgement In this time of need it is that our high-Priest doth chiefly help us he will make intercession for us when we shall not be able to speak for our selves at the hour of death he will make answer for us when we shall not be able to answer for our selves at the day of Judgement What though the Devils will then busily accuse me as long as his righteousness shall be interposed in answer for me what if my conscience doth condemn me as long as his satisfaction doth acquit me Why should not my soul joyfully say I will go forth even out of my body in the strength of the Lord God and will mention thy Righteousness only Psal. 71. 16. Though I dare not go forth in mine own strength for fear I should fail in my journey or miscarry at my journeys end yet I dare go forth in his strength Though I dare not mention mine own Righteousness at the Bar of Gods Justice yet I dare mention my Saviours Righteousness I will make mention of thy Righteousness even of thine only Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Vail that is to say his Flesh and having an high-Priest over the House of God let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10. 19. Here are three singular benefits that all they have who have Communion with Christ to assure them of their entrance into heaven when they depart from the earth The first is That the door is opened unto them and they have such a right to enter as cannot be doubted must not be denyed Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus The second is That the way which leadeth thither is a safe way keeping all from death that walk in it A new and lively way And also A ready way such as they may hope to walk in notwithstanding their infirmities because he hath made it plain for them for he hath consecrated it for us through his flesh The third is That the House whither they are to go is wholly disposed and ordered by their high Priest who both guides them in the way and is ready to receive them at their journeys end Having an high-Priest over the House of God These being the Premises That the door is open and we have a right to enter that the way is both safe and plain that the House whither we desire to go is wholly ordered by our own high-Priest who guides us thither and is ready to receive us there what else can be the conclusion but comfort and confidence what have we else to do but to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith A true heart that is true to its Saviour by believing in full assurance of faith that is true to it self by drawing near according to that belief And surely the Apostles invitation is as urgent for us to draw near to the Church Triumphant as to the Church Militant because all power is given to our Saviour Christ as well in heaven as in earth Mat. 28. 18. He hath power over the House of God in heaven as well as over the House of God in earth And where he hath power of the House we need not be afraid to enter For as he hath made the passage for us to pass from the bondage of sin and Satan to come into his Kingdom of Grace So much more hath he made the passage for us to pass from his Kingdom of Grace to come to his Kingdom of Glory And if we have already passed from Death to Life much more shall we pass from Life to everlasting Life If we have already passed from Nature to Grace much more shall we pass from Grace to Glory For the distance betwixt Nature and Grace is much greater and harder to be passed then the distance betwixt Grace and Glory for nature scarce affords a capacity of Grace but grace is the very Inchoation of Glory Profitable If thou wilt not help us for our miseries which we have deserved yet help us for thy mercies which thou hast promised For thy Goodness is more willing to forgive then thy power is to punish And thy blood cryeth much lowder for pardon and forgiveness then our sins can cry for punishment Thou hast not yet forgiven so much as thou hast promised and thou hast not promised so much as thou hast purchased One drop of thy blood had been a full and sufficient satisfaction for the
is pardoned do both speak one and the same comfort unto the soul do both signifie one and the same peace Completa est malitia ejus saith the Vulgar translation for militia by a small mistake of the letter as we may suppose but none of the sense For our malitia is our militia our iniquity is our warfare The Hebrew word here used signifies not only the work but also the time of war And Rabbi David saith the Prophet here means The time that Jerusalem was to pass in Banishment or Captivity So that if we joyn the Text and the gloss together we shall find that sin is a time of war of banishment and of captivity Of war with God of banishment from God And of captivity not under God for he can be no Tyrant but under the Devil A sad time certainly as full of fears and jealousies as empty of joyes and comforts anâ—… therefore that must needs be a joyful time wherein this warfare this captivity thiâ—… banishment is at an end because our sin iâ—… pardoned To say this is to speak truly to the heart which is the Hebrew expression for speaking comfortably All other comforts go no farther then the ear then the outward man that his stock is increased his request granted his cause advanced it is only this comfort that enters into the heart and revives the inner man that the time of his warfare banishment and captivity are at an end because his sin is pardoned And this is the comfortable sentence that is already pronounced in Gods Word That he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel All our labour must be to get this same sentence derived from Gods Word into our own consciences And then surely in the mouth of two such witnesses the least whereof is no less then a thousand it is no doubt but the testimony will be fully and firmly established For as the word doth witness the thing infallibly true in it self so will the conscience witness it insallibly true to us The use of a witness is either for information in defect of evidence or for confirmation in defect of assurance and an infallible witness is both these together For he gives evidence from his testimony and assurance from his infallibility Such an infallible witness is a good conscience that is grounded and established on the Word of God and thence collecteth this comfortable sentence Whosoever truly believeth and heartily repenteth shall not come into condemnation But I do truly believe and heartily repent therefore I shall not come into condemnation The major proposition is clear by the testimony of Gods Word the minor is clear by the testimony of our own consciences which can certainly tell us whether we be hypocrites or true Believers whether we be Sheep to hear the voice of Christ and to follow him that he may give us eternal life John 10. 27 28. or whether we be Goats to follow our own hearts lusts so to persist and perish in our sins and the conclusion cannot but follow the premises Read over the sentence that is set down Matthew 25. and thou wilt easily by comparing thine own actions with that sentence see whether at the last Judgement thou art to be set on Christs right hand or on his left Thou wilt easily see which part of that sentence concerns thee And that part which thine own conscience pronounceth of thee here thy Judge will both pronounce and confirm hereafter I hope that with Mary thou hast chosen that good part and if so cannot but assure thee it shall never be taken from thee Luke 10. 42. For Christ will never reject any man that hath sate at his feet to exercise his humility and patience and heard his Word to exercise his Piety and Obedience He will never say Depart from me to those who here did love his company and enjoy his communion And what is their work who are of his communion but to know and love and praise him And they that are thus of his communion on earth can you think he will excommunicate in heaven Saint John sets forth this Judgement of the conscience very fully in few words 1 John 3. 19 20 21. saying v. 19. And hereby that is by loving in deed and in truth not in word or in tongue as appears from the former verse we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him That is we know that we truly love him and therefore may be well assured of his love For he that loves is assured of love for which cause Beza thus renders Saint James his words Mercy rejoyceth against damnation James 2. 13. For he that is truly merciful hath a special promise to assure him of mercy that he shall not be condemned in the last Judgement and this hard-hearted Age of ours would doubtless much more incline to mercy if we did seriously consider that the sentence of condemnation Mat. 25. is denounced against the unmerciful not against the unjust for taking away but against the unmerciful for not giving but yet if against the unmerciful much more against the unjust for as justice is before mercy in order of nature so is also injustice before unmercifulness wherefore though we discourse of assuring our hearts before God more then any others yet we must needs have a much less assurance of his love because we our selves know that we do love only in word and in tongue not in deed and in truth as it follows v. 20. For if our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things and therefore can and will condemn us much more then our heart for this is the true meaning of the words not as they are commonly explained That we ought to oppose the greatness of Gods mercy being ready to acquit us against the sentence of our own heart that is ready to condemn us For indeed the words are not spoken to comfort a distressed but to terrifie a guilty conscience It being the Apostles intent to perswade us above all things both to get and to keep a good conscience that we may not condemn our selves and then we may be assured that our God will not condemn us as it follows v. 21. For if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God sc. that he will not condemn us For the whole argument in brief is this If our conscience now condemn us God will also condemn us at the last day But if our conscience acquit us God will also then acquit us the conscience acting Gods part before hand in condemning the guilty and acquiting the innocent whether they have the first Innocency that of Righteousness or the second Innocency that of Faith and Repentance and the same Doctrine is again re-inforced 1 Iohn 4. 17 18. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement because as he is so are we in this world
Here is both the good Confidence and the ground of it the good Conscience The confidence is That we may have boldness in the day of Judgement The ground of that confidence is this good conscience Because as he is so are we in this world for this is in effect the Syllogism Whosoever is here like him in Piety shall hereafter be like him in Glory but we that truly believe in him are here like him in Piety therefore we shall also be like him in Glory He that hath that Good confidence upon this Good conscience as he may not be ashamed of his hope so he shall not be disappointed of it for he is sure to stand in the last Judgement because he hath the Eternal Son of God to support him on the one side with his All-sufficient merits on the other side with his All-saving mercies Two such supporters to which he cannot trust too much for which he cannot glorifie Christ enough though he glorifie him world without end Amen Deo Trin-Uni Gloria in secula seculorum Amen A sick mans Cordial composed of three Ingredients I. Contemplations II. Ejaculations III. Devotions Contemplations on Isaiah 53. Verse 3. O MY Beloved Saviour wast thou despised and rejected of men and shall not I learn to despise and reject my self that I may be like to thee approved of thee and received by thee Wast thou a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs who knewest no sin And shall I who came into the world with sin look to go out of the world without sorrow Verse 4. Didst thou so patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that were due for my sins And shall not I patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that are due for mine own sins How could I have sorrows if I had not sins and why should I not have patience now I must have sorrows Wast thou stricken and smitten of God and afflicted who wast his only begotten and most dearly Beloved Son And shall I look to escape the scourge who heretofore have been his enemy and still am his undutiful and unworthy servant Verse 5. I will look upon my wounds and maladies as upon so many cures and remedies Upon my bruise for I am all over nothing else as upon so much soundness since both wounds and bruises are inflicted not as satisfactions for my sins but as checks and amendments of my sinfulness For he was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for mine iniquities therefore my wounds and my bruises are not now to pacifie the wrath of the Father but to make me conformable to the Son And the chastisement of my peace was upon him therefore I will not repine at my chastisement since I have my peace It being indeed but a chastisement to correct the sinner not a punishment to avenge the sin And since I am healed in my soul I will not fear being wounded in my body For with his stripes I am healed and mine own stripes do but make me the more to see the want and the more to crave the benefit of his healing Verse 6 7. I have been a sheep in my strayings for I have turned to mine own waies O make me also a Sheep in my sufferings not once to open my mouth when thou shearest me clipping off all the comforts of my life no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the torments oâ—… my sickness no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the pangs and horrourâ—… of my death That as my Saviour was oppressed and afflicted yet opened not his mouth so I may be kept from murmuring and repining in all my oppressions and afflictions For I may well be as he was Meek and Patient since thou hast laid minâ—… iniquities on him but if I follow not his Meekness and his Patience I fear I shall again lay mine iniquities upon my self Verse 8 9. He was cut off from life whose generation was life what can I expect but death who had it in my very birth who was corrupted when I was generated and therefore not only in regard of my death but also in regard of my life it self must say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Sister and my Mother Who shall declare his Generation For he was begotten of his Father before all worlds But who shall declare my corruption for I was corrupted when I was begotten by my Father before I came into the world He was taken away by death but he was taken away from a mortal a miserable and a contemptible life so let me be taken away good Lord from mortality misery and contempt to Immortality Blessedness and Glory My life hath not left much for my death to take away from me Lord let my death take from me all that is left but my Saviour and let it fully give me him He was brought to prison that he might be Judged and he was brought to Judgement that he might be condemned and his death was his Release both from Prison and from Judgement Lord make my death so to me make my death my Release from prison for whiles I am in the body I am imprisoned fettered with the bonds of sin and corruption But bring my soul out of this prison that I may praise thy name then the righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me Psal. 142. 7. A most happy Goal-Delivery for my soul for then the Righteous shall compass me about and not sinners nay more then I shall be compassed about with Rightousness who now am compassed about with sins and that not so much with other mens as with mine own sins Thus make my death my Release from Prison and make it also my Release from Judgement For thy Son hath been Judged and condemned for me that I might escape the Judgement of thy condemnation Lord I ask not that thou wouldest not Judge me for after death comes Judgement Heb. 9. 27. I ask only that thou wilt not condemn me when I shall be Judged And this is agreeable with thy very Justice though I wholly appeal unto thy Mercy not to condemn and punish the same sin twice Thou hast already condemned and punished my sins in my Saviour O then let me escape thy condemnation and thy punishment He was Judged for mine Unrighteousness O let me stand in the Judgement for his Righteousness For the transgression of my people was he stricken Lord thou hast placed me among thy people and therefore I must believe that he was stricken for my transgressions Nay thou hast brought me nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Family having admitted me thy servant Nay thou hast brought me yet nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Inheritance having adopted me thy child I deserved not to be among thy people and I am placed among thy servants I deserved not to be among thy servants and I am accepted among thy children O then
heavenly Kingdom My-sins had shut the gate of Paradise against my soul but thy Merits have opened it again O let me earnestly desire to enter in for thou art gone thither before â—…e that thou mightest be there ready to receive me and retain me with thy self for evermore Amen 12. Lord when shall this corruptible put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality that in me may be brought to pass that saying Death is swallowed up in Victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death was sin till sin was expiated The strength of sin was the Law till the Law was fulfilled But thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ both over my sins and over his Law in this great contestation Having imputed my transgressions unto my Saviour that my sin might be expiated and having imputed my Saviours righteousness and obedience unto me that his Law might be fulfilled Therefore being justified by faith I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also I have access by faith into his grace and rejoyce in hope that I shall at last have access into his glory 13. O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life be unto me Life in Death be unto me Resurrection from the Dead and so guide me through Death that it may be my passage into everlasting Life there to see and to bless and to enjoy thee who art the Redeemer and lover of souls and livest and reignest the King of Saints with the Co-eternal Spirit in the glory of God the Father 14. My soul truly waiteth still upon God and still shall wait upon him for of him cometh my help He verily is my strength and my salvation even in weakness and in destruction He is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall And if through mine infirmity I do fall by his power I shall rise again and be able to stand fast being supported through the Merits and Mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 15. O Lord see the blood of thine immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world sprinkled on my soul that thou mayest see no sin in it And when thou seest that blood let the destroying Angel pass over me never to return again and let the Comforter come unto me and remain with me for ever 16. O dearest Advocate be pleased to intercede and plead for me and to answer all the accusations which the Devils will alledge and mine own conscience will witness against me in the day of Judgement That I being made the monument of thy Mercy who am the purchase of thy Blood may bless and praise thee among thy Redeemed in the Land of the living for ever and ever 17. O thou Eternal Son of Righteousness who risest with healing in thy wings heal thou me and I shall be perfectly healed Shew me the light of thy countenance to dispell all the mists and clouds which now threaten to bring darkness upon my soul Turn thy merciful eyes towards me that I may see thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom where no tears shall dim my sight no sighing shall interrupt my speech no fears shall disquiet my heart and no sadness nor amazement shall disturb or discompose the blessed rest of my soul with thee the longing desires of my soul to thee and the infinite delights of my soul in thee and in thine All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies for evermore 18. O Saviour of the world save me who by thy Cross and precious blood hast Redeemed me Help me O my God at all times but most especially at this time now I am least able to help my self or my friends to help me Intercede for me by thy precious death and passion in all my distresses but then most when I shall least be able to speak for my self at the hour of Death and in the day of Judgement Be now and then and ever my defence and make me know and feel that there is no other name under heaven given unto men in whom and through whom I may expect health and salvation but only thy Name O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 19. O Lord God which art the giver of all good things and never repentest of the good gifts which thou hast given give unto me health and ease as long as they shall be blessings from thee and give me thy grace to desire them no longer And when thou most takest from me these or any other comforts of this mortal life then Lord most increase and multiply upon me the joyes and comforts of a blessed Immortality 20. Lord I am desirous to go out of my self and out of this vale of misery that I may come unto Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant O thou who hast prepared these immortal joyes for my soul prepare my soul for these joyes that being made a Citizen of thy heavenly Jerusalem I may be able to joyn in consort with the Angels thy first-born there and with the spirits of just men made perfect since them who now both together make but one Quire and are alwaies singing Hallelujah and worshiping him that liveth for ever and ever 21. O blessed Jesus thou only comfort of miserable and distressed sinners consider my distress Look upon mine adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin O thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and man intermediate for me Let the unspotted righteousness of thy life be an acceptable sacrifice for the multiplyed unrighteousness of mine And let the bitter pangs of thy death keep from me all the bitterness of the temporal and much more the pangs and horrours of the eternal Death Thou didst taste the gall and vinegar when thou gavest up the Ghost therefore I beseech thee keep me from tasting it Thou didst seem to be forsaken of thy God O let not me bâ—… forsaken of thee But grant that I putting my whole trust and confidence in thy Merits and in thy Mercies â—…ay from henceforth most chearfully serve thee in all holiness and pureness of living and most faithfully persist in thy service by a resolved constancy contentedness and patience of dying That I may yet more and more know thee and the power of thy Resurrection and the fellowship of thy sufferings being made conformable to thy death that so I may attain to a joyful Resurrection of the dead to give praise and thanks unto thy holy Name world without end 22. O thou Eternal Son of God who didst take upon thee the nature of man that thou mightest lead a miserable life and undergo a shameful death I beseech thee sweeten unto me
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