bail us yet whoever cometh unto thee thou wilt in no wise cast off Tho our Sins be as Crimson thou wilt make them as Snow and tho they be as Scarlet thou wilt make them as Wooll if we are willing and obedient If we confess and forsake our sins we shall find Mercy The Bruised Reed thou wilt not break the smoaking Flax thou wilt not quench Thou despisest not the desires of a Contrite Heart Our Sins shall be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Blessed be God for our Seasons of Grace and Times of Repentance That the Door of Hope standeth yet open in the Valley of Achor That the Lord is yet to be found and that we have a time to seek him And as we praise our God for the Springs above so we praise thee for our Springs below our Health Wealth Peace and Liberty with many other Blessings of this Life We humbly and thankfully acknowledg That we are capable of so much Mercy and Favour only thro the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. That Name is above every name in which we hide our selves He ever liveth to make Intercession for us Now when we look towards the Place where thine honour dwelleth towards thy Holy Habitation that we hope our Lord will not suffer us to receive Denial or to come off without Favour and Grace Let us be in thy Sight as they that find Favour SVPPLICATION GIve ear unto our Prayers attend unto the voice of our Supplications Suffer not the Sun of Mercy to set lest the dark Night of Wrath over take us Give us not only Sparing Mercy but Saving Mercy Give us not only space to repent but grace to repent In regard the Sun of Mercy shineth so warm upon us cause the fruits of Grace to grow in us Cause thy Rich Attracts to gain the Obedience of our Hearts Bind us to the Good behaviour with the Bands of thy Love that they may charm our Evil Spirits Shed abroad thy Love in our Hearts that Love may beget Love that thy unspeakable Love unto us may beget in us some Love unto thee Fasten thy Goodness so upon us that it may lead us to Repentance That we may not only be thankful for Mercy but fruitful under Mercy Fill us with the Apprehension of thy Goodness that the Sun of Divine Favour may be as the Manna that lieth on the top of all our outward Blessings that our Souls may feed upon it That the glorious Productions of thine Omnipotency may charm our Hearts to Reflect on the Cause of Causes and the Being of Beings God forbid that we should any longer suck poison out of the sweet Flowers of thy Mercy and Goodness The Spider gathers Poison out of the same Flower where the Bee gathers Honey Because Judgment is not executed speedily therefore the Hearts of the Children of Men are wholly set in them to do Evil. But Long-suffering leadeth the Children of God to Repentance The same Heat that softens Wax hardeneth Dirt. We are depraved and base by Degeneration make us worthy by Regeneration We were shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did our Mothers conceive us The Root in which we were conceived and born hath put forth innumerable of Branches they are spread forth into many Actual Transgressions We are conceived born brought up and grown to full Stature in Sin so that now we are under the Chains of an habituated Course of Sin and without help from Heaven those Chains will reserve us to Eternal Chains O Lord break these Bonds in sunder and cast away these Cords from us Separate Sin which thou so much hatest from the Souls thou so much lovest Separate Sin from us else it will separate us from thee Cause the Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus to free us from the Law of Sin and Death Deliver us from the Tyrannical Power of Sin that we may turn unto thee from whom we have deeply revolted Wash away our Filth and purge our Blood by the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of Burning Thou who takest away the Sins of the World take away the World of our Sins Cast out the Bond-woman and her Seed Subdue our unruly Inclinations to do Evil. Bridle our Unrestrained Licencious and Distempered Passions Cashier the Turbulent Rout of our Corrupt Affections We have cause with the Men of Jericho to complain of our Stinking Waters throw in Salt to heal them Sin is never kindlily cast out but by the Introduction of Grace Sin reigneth cause Grace to step in and exauctorate and dethrone it Destroy the Weakness and the Moth cause our Corruptions to flee into Hell ever to be forgotten seal up the root of Evil. We want a Touch of the Lord to heal our Bloody Issues Shut up the Womb and dry up the Breasts of Sin Melt down our Lusts and cause them to wither at the Root Thou madest Man upright but he hath found out many Inventions Create in us New Hearts and renew right Spirits within us Frame our Hearts fit for thy own purpose that we may will and do according to thy own good pleasure We have all been Examples of Sin make us all Examples of Reformation That Old Things may pass away and all Things may become New Vassallize our Rebellious Affections Our Iniquities swallow us up alive O break the Bars of Death conquer the Powers of Darkness lead Captivity Captive Deliver us from Sin that great Murderer that let Death into rhe World It bringeth innumerable of Evils to incompass us It keepeth us fast bound in the dreadful Expectation of the Revelation of thy insupportable Wrath and fiery Indignation who art a Sin hating and Sin avenging God Suffer not the God of this World to blind our Eyes but give us a perfect sight of Sin as it is the deadly Enemy of our Eternal Peace That we may hate Sin more than ever we loved it That we may not only dislike Sin but that our dislike may increase and swell into a hatred of Sin That we may not only loath Sin but leave Sin That we may sly from Sin altho robed in Successes and Triumphs That we may not only fall out with Sin but fall off from Sin Secure us from the pernicious Effects of the Devils Malice suffer him not to add poison to our Lusts nor paint to the Objects Suffer us not to be carried away by the heady Stream of any base Affection Strengthen us that when we meet with temptations we may quit our selves like Men and be strong in the Lord and in the power of thy Might Put on thy Armour upon us that we may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil That our Loins may be girt about with Truth and having on the Breast-plate of Righteousness and our Feet shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace and the Shield of Faith to quench the Fiery Darts of the Wicked
we rise in Thankful Praises It s great Condescension in thee to be content to be prais'd or beloved by such miserable Creatures of uncircumcised hearts and lips Eternity it self is little enough to praise thee Blessed be the Majesty of Heaven for our Creation and that we are Men and not Beasts Blessed be God for our Immortal Souls that are capable of Communion with thy own self for ever and ever Let our never-ceasing Praises wait upon thee for our Redemption the great Work which the Angels desire to look into Everlastingly praised be our God for the light of his Glory that shineth in the Face of Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of his Grace Our Praises wait upon thee for Free Grace that unlimited Treasury of the highest Love and Bounty Thy precious Love is from Eternity to Eternity That hath prevented the Lion from coming out of the Thicket and hath kept the Destroyer out of sight That hath stopp'd the Mouths of the Lyons of thy Judgments so as they have not torn in pieces when there was none to deliver us Our Praises wait upon our God for Free Grace that Blessed Root out of which springeth all the pleasant and precious Mysteries of the Gospel The most Beautiful Womb out of which Christ Jesus with all his Heavenly Treasures the unspeakable Priviledges Prerogatives Graces and Comforts that are to be had in him and by him do come forth The Blessed Cause that is sufficient to produce the Blessed Effects of the Salvation of our Souls thro Jesus Christ our Lord. The Blessed Fountain that continually sends forth Streams of Comfort to refresh the dejected disconsolate weary and heavy loaden ones The Bow thou hast set in the Clouds of Spiritual Sorrow to assure the Contrite Ones that thy Wrath shall not over-flow them Were it not for thy Grace what should we do when our Sins testifie against us but call for the Mountains to fall upon us and the Hills to cover us from the Presence of the Lord. Thy Grace hath kept many Thousands from following Judas into Despair When we know not what to do then we turn our Eyes towards thee and find there is yet hope for Israel It was Free Grace that our great Lord Christ lived and died to declare We adore the great Minister of Grace Jesus Christ our Lord the Ark that saveth us from perishing in the Floods of our Iniquities Who was given for us who was conceived and born for us who lived and died for us who rose again for us and who ever liveth and maketh Intercession for us Who trod the Wine-Press alone The Son of God became the Son of Man that the Sons of Men might become the Sons of God Who was made like unto all that all might be made like unto him Who sought us in sharp ways and bought us with a dear price Who came from Heaven to Earth that we may go from Earth to Heaven The Brightness of the Fathers Glory and the Express Image of Person paid the Price of our Redemption to discharge us Rebels who were in our Filthiness in our Blood Our Jesus leap'd into a Sea of Wrath to save us from perishing He waded thro a Sea of Sufferings to procure a Pardon for our Transgressions Who made himself Sin for us who knew no Sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him He suffer'd our Cross that we might wear his Crown He died our Death that we might live his Life Who endured our Hell that we might enjoy his Heaven He bore our Griefs and carry'd our Sorrows He was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities The Chastisementâ— of our Peace was upon him and by his Stripes we may be healed We all like Sheep have gone astray but on him was laid the Iniquities of us all Adored be Christ Jesus who hath done what we ought to have done and suffered what we ought to have suffered This is the solid Basis of our Comfort The Lord of Life is the Way to escape Eternal Death Altho we have turn'd our Backs on Grace and with the Israelites loath'd the Manna and hath so little regarded what the Lord Christ hath done and suffer'd for us and that Blessed Treasure that he at so dear a rate bought for us and hath been daily offer'd unto us yet he pleadeth for us stoppeth Judgment and stayeth Divine Vengeance Altho the Earth was thought too good for him he thinketh not Heaven too good for us Our Praises wait upon the Majesty of Heaven for the continuance of the Gospel the Wisdom of God ordained before the World unto our Glory the Power of God unto Salvation unto every one that believe That mighty Efflux and Emanation of Life and Spirit freely issuing from an Omnipotent Source of Grace and Love That true God-like Vital Influence whereby Divinity derives it self into the Souls of Men inlivening and transforming them into its own likeness and strongly imprinting upon them a Copy of its own Beauty and Goodness Blessed be God that thy Precepts are yet our Heritage in the House of our Pilgrimage The Light without which the whole World would be but a dark Chaos Our Praises wait upon our God because we are within the sound of his Trumpets Because the Sun of the Gospel shineth upon the Lot of our Inheritance Our Praises wait upon thee because the Holy Spirit is still ready to bear witness to our Spirits the Truth of thy Holy Word which transcribeth thy Heart and Mind unto us Thy Judgments thou hast laid before us and the Way of Truth whereby we may be kept from the Paths of the Destroyer Our Praises wait upon thee our God for all the faithful Dispencers of thy Word and Sacraments It s great favour that thou hast not removed them into Corners and that their Tongues do not cleave to the roofs of their Mouths Jonah was sent from Samaria to Nineveh doubtless we have turn'd as deaf an Ear as ever did Samaria It s unspeakable Mercy that thou hast not commanded the Clouds that they rain no more rain upon us That thou hast not pronounced against us They that are filthy let them be filthy still and they that are unrighteous let them be unrighteous still Our Praises wait upon our God for all the great and precious Promises ratified by the Oath of God the Father sealed by the Blood of God the Son testified by God the Holy Ghost and deliver'd by the hand of Mercy Those Breathings of Divine Love The Breasts of the Gospel out of which we draw forth so much Consolation Those firm Foundations to build upon Great and precious Promises To the Chief of Sinners To them that have been prodigalizing all their days and spent all upon Lust To them that have all the day been standing idle in the Market-place even until the Eleventh hour Altho we have run so much upon the score that if thou shouldst arrest us all the Angels of Heaven could not
all prove such Predominant Lights that the People cannot but chuse us for Direction That we may be as Tutular Angels to our Flocks And that we may make all good to Heavens Eye that we shew to the World For a Blessing upon the WORD preached O Lord cause thy Word to run and be glorified Ingrave thy Counsels in our Hearts The fruitfulness of the Seed dependeth upon the Sun and the Rain Let us not onely have the presence of Ordinances but thy presence in the Ordinances Let us feel the inward Sweetness and Deliciousness that truly are in Divine Truths Confirm the Words of thy Servants and perform the Counsel of thy Messengers Shall our Lipps drop Honey and they taste no Sweetness Cause the Entrance of thy Word to give Light and Understanding to the Simple that thy Statutes may be our Songs in the House of our Pilgrimage That the efflux of Life and Power from God may beget in us a true and lively Faith The Law of the Lord being perfect cause it to convert the Soul the Testimonies of the Lord being sure that they may make Wise the Simple that the Testimonies of the Lord being right may rejoyce the Heart and the Commandments of the Lord being pure may inlighten the Eyes Imprint thy Word in Living Characters upon the Vital Powers of our Souls Cause the blind to see out of Obscurity and out of Darkness Our Sins are fast rooted in us the Branches are wide and large lay the Axe close to the Root of the Tree Let thy Call not onely reach our Ears but our Hearts That our Ears may not onely be tickl'd but our Hearts touch'd That thy VVord may not onely dwell with us but in us That we may not onely learn what to do but do what we learn That we may not onely talk like Christians but walk like Christians A good Profession and a good Conversation these two who God hath joyned together let no Man put assunder That we may be Companions of all them that fear thee and keep thy Commandments That we may not onely be Verbalists but Realists That our Heads may not onely be full of Notions but our Hearts full of Graces That Christ Jesus may not onely be the Subject of our Tongues but the Object of our Hearts That we may make it our Business yea our Meat and Drink to do the Will of our Lord. Cause the Word to prevail among us that we may meet with something that may meet with us That the Word of Christ may dwell in us in all Wisdom that his Testimonies may be our Delight and our Councellors that it may be unto us the Power of God unto Salvation Suffer not the Word to return void but that it may accomplish that which thou pleasest Quicken our Apprehensions strengthen our Memories let us not be like a Man beholding his Natural Face in a Glass and goeth away forgeting what manner of Man he was but grant that the Secret of the Lord may be with us that we may know his Covenant When the Watchmen sound the Lords Trumpet that we may take alarm with stout resolutions to follow the Lords Banner That the Words of thy Lips may keep us from the Paths of the Destroyer That the Gospel may not onely come unto us in Word but in Power in much Assurance and in the Holy Ghost Suffer not the Word to be intomb'd but inshrin'd in us That the Leaven may be hid within us until the whole be leavened that all the powers of our Souls may relish of it That we may be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy House and that we may drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasure Cause thy Word to be an Engine to effect our Repentance Cause it to be as a Fire to consume our Lusts and as a Hammer to break our hard Hearts upon the Cushion of thy Mercy Bore our Ears that we may hear when thou speakest in Mercy otherwise thou wilt force us to hear when thou speakest in Wrath. That we may bow to thy Septer of Mercy lest thou break us in pieces with the Rod of thy Wrath. Grant that our Eyes may be inlightned by tasting of the Honey of the Gospel Open our Eyes that we may see the Worth and Excellency of the Pearls that are cast before us that we may gather them to inrich us that we may be known by the Bridegroom at his coming by the Gold that we have bought and the White Rayment we have put on Cause the Word of Reconcilation to make such a Conjunction betwixt Christ and our Souls that they may never be separated Grant that we may hear in thy House of Instruction lest thou bring us to thy House of Correction That we may hear thy Word lest we bear the Rod. That we may turn at thy Reproof that thou may'st pour thy Spirit upon us and make known thy Words unto us lest thou hedg up our Way with Thorns and make a Wall that we cannot find our Paths Thou art the Lord that must teach us to profit that must lead us the way that we should go for thy Commandments are a Lamp and thy Law a Light and Reprooss of Instruction are the Way of Life Grant that the same Spirit that wrote the Word may teach us to understand it That through thy Precepts we may get Understanding and by Understanding hate every false Way Open our Eyes that we may see the wondrous Things that are in thy Law That we may follow the Star until we find Jesus the Christ to worship him When the Scriptures are opened to our Understandings then open our Understandings to the Scriptures That we may discern what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Quicken us with thy Precepts that we may never forget them That they may make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus That the light in the Golden Candle-sticks may so illuminate us that we may walk in thy paths without stumbling Cause thy Word to take Root downward that it may bear Fruit upward that we may have respect unto all thy Commandments Make the VVord to be as a Remora to stay our Carnal Desires which are Voyaging in the Ocean of VVorldy and Sinful Pleasures Make us not onely constant but conscionable Hearers That thy VVord may be in us that Incorruptible Seed that liveth and abideth for ever When we meet for the better make us better for the Meeting They that serve the Lord let them be accepted with favour that their Prayers may reach unto the Clouds Let the Eye of the Lord be upon them that fear him and that hope in his mercy Let the heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord. That they may be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even with the goodness of thy Holy Temple Dart in some Beams of Irresistible Light into our Minds That the Word may be a savour of Life unto Life and not of Death unto Death Cause that Word
afflicted them or the years wherein they have seen Evil. Thou hast watehed over them to break them down to root them out and to destroy them now watch over them to build and to plant In the interim help them to take up their Contentment in they Appointment That they may say Amen to Gods Amen If they cannot read Love in the Hands and Face of God by reason of Frowns and Strokes teach them to draw by the Vail and read Love in the Heart of God and cry out the Thoughts of God are Thoughts of Love and Peace That they may trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon their God They 'ave lost the Comforts which they could not keep give them to keep the Comforts which they cannot lose In regard their Cisterns are broken lead them to the Fountain Remember thy Footstool in the day of thine Anger Oh set bounds to those Seas Don't always Chide keep not thine Anger for ever Don't triumph in farther Executions Let thy Compassions say It is enough Plow not all the day to Sow Their strength is not as the strength of Stones Neither is their Flesh of Brass Thou knowest their Frame remember they are but Dust If thou should'st be extream in marking what is done amiss who is able to abide thy Wrath. Let it not be long before thou heal the Stroke of their Wound Regard their Affliction when thou hearest their Cry Doth the Wild Ass bray when he hath Grass or loweth the Oxe over his Fodder Deep calleth unto Deep at the noise of thy Water-spouts thy Waves and thy Billows are gone over them Wilt thou break a Leaf driven with the Wind Wilt thou pursue the dry Stubble Remember them in their low estate for thy mercies endure for ever Tho thou Chasten them sore give thm not over unto Death Tho thou take Vengeance of â—heir Inventions yet forgive them Psal 99. 8. Be their Defence and Refuge in â—he day of their Trouble that they may sing of thy Power Give Power unto the Faint and â—hem that have no Might Break the Yoke from their Neck burst their Bonds command Deâ—iverance for them Let not the Needy always be forgotten let not the Expectation of the Poor perish for ever Raise the Poor out of the Dust and the Needy out of the Dunghill Set them high from Affliction and make them Families like a Flock Bring back their Souls from the Pit and enlighten them with the Light of the Living The Conclusion GRant that all thy Dispensations to us may be a means to further us in that great Work in making our Calling and Election sure That in this our day we may improve our Talents get Oyl in our Lamps Grace in our Hearts that we may be own'd by the Bridegroom at his coming Make us live Spiritually before we die Naturally That the Temple of Grace may be raised before the Tabernacle of Nature be taken down That our Souls may be fit to be taken into Heaven before our Bodies be fit to be put into the Earth That the second Birth may have place in us least the second Death have power over us Let our Prayers be as Incense and the Lifting up our Hands as an acceptable Sacrifice Lord kindle our Sacrifice from Heaven That our Prayers may be as a Key to unlock the Bowels of Mercy Return Answers of Peaec into our own Bosoms That the Trade we drive in Prayer may increase our Stock of Grace We depend upon thee for we of our selves can do nothing Our Strength is never so un trusty as when 't is most trusted Thou know'st what we have to do and suffer before our course be finished All Futurities are treasured up in God Thou knowest Sin hath cut the Lock where our Strength lay We have lost the Rudder of Free Will Oh whither will the turbulenâ— Waves of our Corrupt Affections carry us if thou do not come to us and help us and stay the rageing of the Sea and command â— Calm If thy Presence go along with us we shall have Rest Let thy everlasting Arms be under us Put thy Left Hand under our Head and let thy Right Hand embrace us If thou do'st not provide us a Pillar of a Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night If thou do'st not fight our Battles and make our Way plain before us we shall never reach Canaan Cover thou our Heads in a day of Battle and teach our Hands to War and our Fingers to Fight Our Souls have broke their Wings thou only canst restore us therefore inable us that we may mount up with Wings as Eagles that we may run and not be weary that we may walk and not faint If the Heavenly Bodies did not move there would be no Motion here below When thou didst not lead Israel on they took up their Standings Inlarge our Steps under us that our Feet do not slide Gird us with Strength for thou art our Rock our Fortress our Deliverer the Strength in whom we will trust our Buckler the Horn of our Salvation and high Tower If the Face of the Sun be intercepted the Moon loseth her Light when thou hidest thy Face we are in Darkness Because thou art our Strength we will wait upon thee for God is our Defence Unto thee our Strength will we sing for God is our Defence the God of our Mercy Stir up thy Strength and come and save us That the Place of our Defence may be Munition of Rocks that Bread may be given unto us that our Waters may be sure Advance and confirm all our Resolutions for doing Good give a Prevailing Issue to all our Endeavours and cause Blessed Success to attend all our good Enterprizes If there be any good Desires in us thou hast begun them perform them until the day of Jesus Christ Send Auxiliary Graces to actuate the dull Habits of Inherent Graces That the Buds of our Good Desires may blossom into Resolutions and that those Blossoms may come to such perfection as to produce the Fruit of good Actions That we may not only purpose to be religious but religious to purpose That we may not only desire but endeavour and give thou that blessing to our Endeavours that they may be successful that we may do that which is well pleasing unto thee When we press forward towards the high Price of our Calling suffer not any discouragment to fasten upon us Suffer us not to unbend our Resolutions for Heaven Suffer not the Earth to put out the Fire Let not the things of the World choke our Zeal nor stifle the Motions of the Spirit Tho all the Instruments sound suffer us not to fall down to the Image that Nebuchadnezzar hath set up Suffer not Secular Proviso's to blunt the edge of our Zeal nor the things of the World to eat out the Heart of Religion Suffer not the Worlds Silver Trumpet to sound a Retreat to call us off from the Pursuit of Heaven Let not the
spoken in this Duty to a proportion or scantling of my Conceiving for I know however the ignorant and prophane World scoff the Product of Divine Inspiration must be a great Sum of Grace and Sanctity which do not onely ravish the hearts of them that possess them but expandeth to the inlightening of all about them It was the emptiness and insufficiency of too many that caus'd me to offer this which I call not a Form but a Sample Pattern or Directory I believe I shall many times perform this Duty and not vse any of these Expressions I bless God there 's enough from whence these came yet I observe a Method even this which I shew to the world I begin with Adoration then to Confession from Confession to Gratulation and so to Petition in general and afterward descend to particulars for the Church for Governours for the Ministers of the Gospel for a Blessing upon the Word preached for Unregenerate Men for Wounded Consciences for others in Affliction and then conclude rolling our selves upon God and committing our selves unto his Protection with some Earnest Supplications for his guiding of us and care over us c. In the using of this Method we shall not omit any part of Prayer This is my way in my Meditations for the preparation for the Duty and in performance of it And my grounds for it are that we ought to fill our Apprehensions and Understandings with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Great things of God the Infiniteness of the Glory Soveraignty Wisdom Power Justice and Purity of God this will bring a Dread and Consternation upon us Then come to consider his Grace Goodness Mercy Truth Sufficiency c. this will temper the Consternation that the Consideration of the more awful Attributes brought upon us So there will be a Gracious Mixture of Fear and Love To have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right Opinions and Apprehensions of God is the Architectonicon Basis and Foundation of all Devotion The Waiting upon God with a due sense of the Nature Attributes and the Dispensation of his Providences raiseth our Minds quickeneth our Affections and causeth us to take all up the Hill to the Sacrifice And when we have spent some time in this Exercise in Adoring Praising and Glorifying God then look we inward I believe in Divinity as well as in Phylosophy The Knowledge of one Contrary bringeth in the Contrary or another After we have consider'd that all the Prodigies of Greatness and Goodness are in God then to look upon and into our Selves and consider we are the Creatutes of the Most High and what Obligations he hath laid upon us and what kind of Returns we have made what Duties are incumbent upon us and how we have perform'd them c. These things done unfraudulently will bring Confusion upon our Faces this must humble us ay to the Earth These things being truly considered maketh us sick of our selves and so to loath our selves as to vomit up our Sin by Confession then we shall say in bitterness of Spirit not in a Theatrical Manner as the most do That we have left undone those things which we ought to have done And That we have done those things which we ought not to have done We shall with deep accents and resentments say we are miserable sinners for the nearer we draw to God the more light discovereth it self which will shew that guilt and polution in us that we were strangers to in respect of the apprehension of it Then it necessarily followeth that we shall fall upon the Admiring and Praising God's Long-suffering Mercy and Goodness that the effects of our Sins are not upon us and acknowledge our Selves the Living monuments of his Grace and return Hearty Thanks for all the Blessings We enjoy spiritual and temporal knowing our Selves to be utterly unworthy of them and that 't is meerly Divine Bounty that bestoweth them Then Free-grace will appear more beautiful than the Sun Then the Lord Christ the great Minister thereof will be the Chief of Ten thousand Then precious will the Promises and all the Means of Grace appear Certainly this is enough to make the Dumb to speak and enlarge every strait heart to give all possible thanks and to study what they shall render unto the Lord for all his benefits And by this time we shall be so high lifted out of Worldly Darkness that we shall see what Guilt even the best of us gather and contract day by day then shall we beg to be washed and purifi'd Also we shall see our Frailty and Inability and be earnest with God for such Graces and Qualifications as shall inable us to run the Race that is set before us and by considering other Mens conditions by our own we shall not fail to intercede for them This is the Method I constantly keep I can say with great benefit but in the words of the great Apostle If any one can Shew me a more excellent Way Noverint Universi I am not of them that despise Instruction The Second Want that I observ'd in the performance of this Duty is the not having full and weighty Expressions which is like the want of Wing-feathers to a Bird or of a Gale of Wind to a Ship under sail We ought to use full and significant Words in Prayer not so much to moâ—â— the Mind of God by Rhetorical Insinuations as by rehearsing and considering the Words to stir up in our selves Attention Adoration Contrition Gratulation Fervent Holy Desires c. Sinewy pregnant powerful Expressions are an Advertisement unto us and that Advertisement leadeth us unto a Consideration and the Consideration carrieth us to the Understanding Rehearsing of Words are profitable if thereto the Mind give heed then we pray with the Understanding as St. Paul mentions 1 Cor. 14. 15. I have here provided many hundreds of Expressions adapted and fitted for each part of Prayer I could have placed them so that they might have been more dependant and coherent but my Intention is not to teach Forms of Prayer I have laid them open that they who have not the Gift of Prayer for them this is chiefly intended may take and choose where they please and with a little Industry so order their Affairs that they may express themselves with variety every time they are call'd to the performance of this Duty to the great inlightening and refreshment of themselves and others I much fear that some of those Raptures are so high and lofty that they be obscured in the Clouds of some Mens Ignorance and to such will prove invaluable But I must as they that shew their Jewels openly abide the Curiosity and Censure of every Beholder And surely by the Ignorant the Richest shall be the least regarded Judgments being apt to err where they pass upon Things they understand not We take Unknown Coyn suspiciously and where there is no true Judgment the heaivest Judgment cometh I observe the Poets many times in their Prologues
spreadest thy Cloud upon it When we endeavour to make Discoveries of thee we strain our sight thou betakest thy self to thy heights Thy Glory can neither be manifested nor increased Who hath seen thee that he may tell us and who can magnifie thee as thou art As thou art of purer Eyes than to behold iniquity so we are of impurer eyes than to behold thy glory As the Heavens are above the Earth so are thy thoughts above our thoughts and thy ways above our ways Thou art that fix'd and unshaken Entity that art without the least shadow of variation All certainty floweth from thee from that Original Immutability that is in thy Self Thou hast an Independent an Eternal Certainty thou beholdest all Beings and Motions of Beings past present and to come Thou art the Reason and Order of all Things that with everlasting Laws do'st govern the World Thou from the beginning hast commanded Times to run according to their Order governing them by the Coelestial Bodies which thou hast placed obliging them to observe an absolute Harmony and Decorum in all their Motions to keep time with thy Musical Laws Thou composed'st all their Lessons and measured'st all their Dances Thou art most necessarily and eternally existing exalted in thy own strength above the highest reach of our imaginations In thee are all things through thee are all things and to thee are all things the beginning from which and the end to which all things do tend Thou art Inexhaustible in thy Sufficiency Infinite in thy Good Will who canst supply all our Necessities expecting no return but is our benefit to give Heaven and Earth and all that in them is depend upon thee as the Beams depend upon the Sun Unto thee the whole World is infinitely obliged Thou art that most Glorious and Super-essential Being of Beings that delightest thy self with scattering of Beams and in filling all things with th' Expandings and Circumfusions of thy Goodness In thy Hand is the Soul of every Living Thing and the Breath of all Mankind Thou art the Life of our Lives and the Soul of our Souls Thy Love is always bubbling and springing out of thy self and over-flowing out to all Thou fannest thy Favors forth to the Refreshing and Delight of Heaven and Earth Thou waterest the Hills from thy Chambers and satisfiest the Earth with the Fruit of thy Doings Thou crownest the year with thy Goodness and thy Paths drop Fatness Thou art the Source of the Springs of Lebanus All things by a graduate Derivation receive their life light and being from thee There is no Water in our Cisterns but what comes from thy Fountain Thou art that high and infinite Spring that always floweth out and is not impaired Thou art the Treasure of Heaven and Earth Thy over-flowing Favors are not given one by one but liberally bestowed with an open hand There is not any thing that hath any patrimony or being but what it hath from thee The Eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their Meat in due season There is nothing Infinite Eternal and Perfect but thy Self who art the Perfection of all things Thou art that Essential and Infinite Goodness Good not by Quality but by Essence whose Nature is Goodness it self In thee are Oceans of Perfections being the Perfection of Beings In thee all Perfections are concenter'd All Glory is hatch'd in the Bosom of God All the Beauty all Excellencies that lie scatter'd about in the Creature are but drops of thy Ocean beams of thy Sun glympses of thy Beauty All the worth that is in the Creature dependeth absolutely upon thee the highest End of all things whatsoever The Rays of thy Goodness inlivens all things Thou incompassest the World with thy out-stretched Arms and reachest Perseverance to the happiness of the Creation Thou fillest all things without inlarging thy self thou passest thro all things without moving of thy self Thou dwellest in all things without straitning thy self thou createdst all things without any necessity thou governest all things without any travel thou changest all things without any change to thy self thou judgest without error thou punishest without passion and givest to all things continually without exhausting thy Treasures There is nothing so little that declareth not thy greatness there is nothing so great that must not acknowledge thy Soveraignty there is nothing so low that leadeth us not up to acknowledge thy Majesty and nothing so high that descendeth not down to teach us thy Verity Thou our God art every way as full in all Goodness as thou art excellent in Glory Thou art not only to be worshipp'd and adored for the Excellencies that are in thy self but as the Benign Parent of all things and the great Benefactor of Mankind Every good and perfect Gift cometh from thee the Father of Lights All causes of Love and whatsoever can excite Desire are in thee We cannot desire any thing that is Good that our God hath not for us Thou that satisfiest the immense desires of the Angels canst answer all the desires of our Souls in a most eminent manner unto all Perfection Thou art the most Soul-suitable and Soul-satisfying Good If we strain out the Quintessence of the Creature or if we extract the most Exquisite Spirit it turns into froth but in thee is unspeakable Satisfaction If we ask Bread of the World it gives us a Stone if we look for a Fish we shall have a Serpent and when we wait for an Egg we shall not fail of a Scorpion We come not only off with Vanities of Vanities but with Vexation of Spirit but in thy Favour is Life Thy Loving Kindness is better than Life it self In thee is all possible Good whatsoever All Good Things are in thee originally essentially equally purely immutably infinitely and eternally Thou hast All sufficiency in thy Self for thy Self and for all thy Creatures The Inexhaustible Fountain of all Consolations In thee are Oceans of Comfort thou hast Light to inlighten us Wisdom to counsel us Power to support us Mercy to pardon us Glory to ravish us and Fulness to fill us When thou art absolutely consider'd thou art immeasurably lovely The most attractive Objects of Insatiable Love and all Aimable Excellencies are eminentiy and transcendently triumphant in thee eternally There is no end of thy Goodness no numbring of thy Wisdom nor fathoming thy Bounty Thou art the Spring of Being the Root of Life the Father of Wisdom the Fountain of Pleasure and the Haven of Desire Thine is the Greatness the Excellency the Glory and the Victory Thou art most worthy to be known because thou art the highest Truth most worthy of our love because thou art the chiefest Good most worthy of our fear because thou art most powerful most worthy of our obedience because thou art the most righteous Lawgiver and most worthy of our trust and confidence because thou art immutably Faithful The Mountains shall depart and the Hills shall be removed but thy Kindness
stop us in our Career of Sin Promises from Mount Gerizzim to allure us into the paths of life The Examples of Holy Men to guide us that we may follow the Foot-steps of the Flock and thy Holy Spirit attending upon these and many other Assistances in our Course to Heaven but we hate to be reform'd and make all our Returns in Ingratitude Altho thou hast made out unto us thy Wisdom Holiness Greatness and Goodness Mercy and Long Suffering Power and Justice And altho thou hast proclaimed Free Grace unto all those that are a willing People in the day of thy Power but Tribulation and Wrath unto the Disobedient And notwithstanding the Divine Authority that unlimited Supremacy that thou hast over us and notwithstanding the Righteousness of thy Scepter yet we have so degenerated from Reason and apostatized from all Ingenuity that we have not kept the way of the Lord but wickedly departed from our God We are like to the Wild Ass that snuffeth up the VVind at her pleasure in her occasion who can turn her away In the height of our Prosperity we say with Pharaoh Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice but in her Month they 'll find her So Extremities and Death-Bed Pangs will seize us the time is coming that we must fall into the hands of the Living God Thou hast given us space to repent but we have not found the place of Repentance We have had line upon line precept upon precept Thou hast hearken'd and heard no man speak aright saying What have I done Every one turn'd to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battle carelesly fearlesly and desperately the Stork of the Heavens knoweth her appointed time the Turtle the Swallow and the Crane know the time of their coming but we have not known the Judgments of the Lord. Those Irrational Creatures know by instinct of Nature to avoid such intemperate Weather as would be destructive to them yet we notwithstanding many Warnings have not flown from the wrath to come We have wrestled with thy patience and urged thee to swear in thy wrath that we shall never enter into thy rest Well may we be compared to Children sitting in the Market-place calling one unto another and saying We have piped unto ye but ye have not danced we have mourn'd unto ye but ye have not wept We have been inflexible to Promises and Threatnings Neither th'acute Demonstrations of Terror not the Ponderous Inductions of Interest have prevailed with us Thou hast many times beat up for Voluntiers amongst us and hast proclaimed the Priviledges Prerogatives Graces and Comforts that belong to thy Followers but we have turned our backs And thou hast warn'd us to flee from the wrath to come yet we have come in the very face of that wrath which thou hast warn'd us to flee The Trumpets have sounded and the Lions have roared upon us and yet we have hardened our hearts We have made thee to serve with our sins as tho thou wert bound to indure our abominations We have offered Violence to thy Law and have made such large Breaches in our Duty as tho thou wert forc'd to abide our Contempt We have been Professors of Piety but Practisers of Iniquity How little have we advanced in Religion The Faith of Christians have been in our Mouths but the works of Infidels in our Hearts We have been meer Promisers of Obedience We have betray'd our Lord Jesus with a Kiss Our Actions Religious have been meerly Theatrical and done in Subornation to some other Interest Our Goodness is but like the Morning Dew VVe have delighted more in the Theatre than in the Closet VVe have often bound our selves unto thee but we have forfeited our Indentures That which we have verbally detested we have actually embraced We have look'd Heaven-ward in our Profession but Hell-ward in our Conversation VVe have covenanted against Sin yet we have sin'd against Covenant We have been rather Superficial than Fundamental Christians The Heathen give real honour to counterfeit gods but we give a counterfeit honour to the true God Our Devotion to God our Love to our Brethren 't is a Measuring Cast hard to determine which is the Colder but both ready to faint and fall down dead We have put on the Sheep's Coat upon the Wolfs Back the Velvet Plaister of Profession upon the Stinking Ulcer of Corruption Our Righteousness is so imperfect that it can claim no Blessing and our Wickedness so great that it deserves nothing but Cursing We have the Spots and Tokens of the Plague of Plagues we sin and see it not therefore neither care nor fear nor repent nor amend Our Spot is not the Spot of thy People We have hired thy Plagues as Israel did the King of Assur Our Sins are envenomed with many hainous and hellish Circumstances We despise thy Authority we break righteous Laws we contemn precious Promises we give more credence to Satanical suggestions than we do to the Infallible Word of God We weave the VVeb of our own Woe and spin the Cords of our own Thraldom and every Sin breaketh the Sacred Covenant between Christ and our souls Thou mayst justly pronounce Lo-ruhamah against us We have been Traitors to our own Peace We have daily multipli'd our own Calamities Our own Inventions have intwined us and bewray'd us into many troubles and inclosed us in a Den of Thraldoms We day by day alarm Divine Justice We have cause to fear there are many in Hell cursing our Examples We know not how many we have infected with the plague that is upon us If thou should'st lay Judgement to the Line and Righteousness to the Plumb-line thou mayst righteously make thy Wrath to smoke against us We have provoked thee to feed us with Wormwood and to give us Gall to drink Our Sins have laid us most naked to thy Wrath. We have ripen'd our selves for Vengeance It s unspeakable forbearance that thy fury is not kindl'd and broke out into a Flame against us That the Water-flood hath not over-flown us that the Deep hath not swallow'd us up that the Pit hath not shut her mouth upon us GRATVLATION LEt our never ceasing Praises wait upon thee our God because thy wrath is not kindl'd and broke out into a Flame against us We are the Living Monuments of thy Mercy Thy Patience suspendeth Judgment If thou shouldst with-draw thy Patience and Long-suffering we should drop into Hell It s unspeakable Mercy that we are not invelopp'd in the revenging Flames of Hell Altho thou hast not look'd upon our Sins approvingly yet patiently If thou hadst but the Patience of Men and Angels we should spend it one day thou couldst not hold thy tongue and hands one hour The life of our Souls is wrapp'd up in the life of Grace All Sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour all Fatness is too little for a Burn'd Offering How low should we fall in adoration of thy Grace and how high should
with the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit in the Inner Man then we shall be more than Conquerors One Deep calleth to another the depth of our Weakness to the depth of thy Strength the depth of our Folly to the depth of thy Wisdom the depth of our Poverty to the depth of thy Riches the depth of our Miseries to the depth of thy Mercies Suffer not thy Displeasure to kindle and break out into a Flame against us Turn from us that Wrath that as a just recompence of our Provocations are due unto us Spare us according to the multitude of thy Mercies Lord Jesus thou art the hope of Israel with the Lord there is mercy and with thee there is plenteous redemption Let thy Obedience recompence our Obstinacy thy Abstinence our Superfluity thy Meekness and Patience our Pride Irefulness and Enmity Let thy Charity recompence our Malice thy Devotion our Dulness Love our unkindness thy holy and precious Death our wretched sinful Lives But forasmuch as thou resistest the Proud but giveâ—â— Grace to the Humble thou fillest the Hungry with good things but the Rich thou sendest empty away Therefore empty us of our Laodicean Riches discover our Spiritual Poverty and set home to our Consciences the weight and danger of our Sins Suffer not our Consciences to let us be quiet until they have drawn us before thee in all Humility and Brokenness of Spirit in Bitterness as one is in Bitterness for the loss of their First-born and confessing our selves loathing the Persons as well as the Actions With Detestation and Self-abhorrency and with indeclinable Resolves of Amendment of Life In regard there must be a Resurrection of our Actions as well as of our Persons if our Sins rise not again in this World to bring us to shame and confusion of face and unfeigned and sincere Repentance they will rise again in the World to come and be as so many Ghosts and Devils and torment us for ever and ever We had better judge our selves than put God to judge us Therefore O God by thy powerful voice raise our Sins that are graved in oblivion and set them in order before us that we may break them down by repentance Thou canst teach us to gather Grapes of Thorns and Figgs of Thistles because all things are possible unto thee There is no Evil so great but thou canst bring good out of it We turn Gold into Dross but thou canst turn Dross into Gold again Therefore be intreated thou Almighty One that in regard we are such miserable Sinners that our Sins may make us humble for humility is in the sight of God of great price And in regard we are so evil that we may be more charitable in judging of others let our own unworthiness hang so in our light that we may not be too busie in medling with others And in regard we are such great Debtors to Divine Justice that we may be more charitable in forgiving others That we may take heed of taking our Brother by the Throat lest thou call us to an account and cast us into prison until we have paid the utmost farthing And in regard we are such notorious Criminals that we may adore the light of the glory of God that shineth in the face of Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of his grace And in regard we have spent so much time in rebellion and yet thou art ready to shew mercy that therefore we may look upon our selves in future as persons ingaged to walk before thee in righteousness and holiness all our days Spiritualize our Affections every day more and more Irradiate our Souls with high apprehensions and so elevate us unto thy self where true Riches are to be had We stand as poor Beggars without but in consideration how thou feedest thy people with delicacies in the perfection of righteousness peace and joy O God we have heard with our ears and our Fathers have declared unto us the noble works that thou dost in Heaven and Earth O Lord arise help and deliver us for thine honour Bring us out of the Land of Egypt and out of the house of Bondage that thou maist feed us with Manna from Heaven and that we may offer unto God acceptable Sacrifices Make out unto us that thou art our God and we thy peculiar people That we may live in absolute resignation subjection and love unto thee Discover unto us the things beyond the World that our Affections may be taken off from the World The wise man trusteth in his wisdom the strong man in his strength and the rich man in his riches The ship-wrack'd man catcheth hold on what is next him Adam ship-wrack'd us all and we are floating in a Deluge of Calamity Man is born unto trouble as the Sparks flie up ward and in this wretcheduess we naturally catch hold on something Self-preservation being a clear Dictate of Nature But our ignorance and misapprehension make us to catch at deceitful things that fill every one that trust in them with disappointment some on Honour some on Pleasure some on Riches And here they abide until God shew them a more excellent way What ever the Objects of our Souls are we shall not desert them until better Objects be discovered unto us Altho it be an unsatisfied satisfaction that we enjoy by any sublunary thing yet when we know of no better we hold fast by what we have Therefore we pray for some Discoveries of that glory that shall afterward be revealed of those never-dying comforts for our never-dying souls 'T is but an unquiet quiet and a restless rest that we enjoy from the Creature We pray for the Contentment above the World which is better than the World without that Contentment Ever since thou dravest out the Man we have been seeking rest but have found none As Noah's Dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot until she return'd into the Ark again neither is there any rest for us until we return and center in our God Now when we turn our faces towards thee for we know not what to do but our Eyes are towards thee take us into the Ark of the Covenant We are very much foil'd with walking after the sight of our own eyes and desires of our own hearts take us into thy protection that we may lay us down in peace for thou makest thy people to dwell in safety Embrace us in the arms of thy mercy Hide us under the Covert of thy Wings cover us with the Canopy of thy Love that we may feel thy Power supporting us and thy Goodness supplying us That we may rejoyce in thee as our Treasure and rest in thee as our Center In this far Countrey we thought to have met with great matters when we ran away from thee but we find nothing but Husks which Swine feed upon and gladly we would fill our Bellies with them but cannot Here is no soul-suitable nor soul-satisfying good
therefore we find it absolutely necessary to return to our Fathers House where there is Bread enough and to spare there being infinite Treasures and Mansions at thy right hand With thee is that River of Pleasure in which our Souls may bathe with infinite delight even for ever and ever Take us into Favour and receive us with a Fatherly Affection When we cry unto the Lord with our voice let him hear us out of his holy Hill Doubtless thou art our Father thou art the Potter we are the Clay it is thou that hast made us and not we our selves We are thy people and sheep of thy pasture Where is thy Zeal and the sounding of thy Bowels and of thy Mercies are they restrained Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not We cannot have confidence in Saint or Angel but thou art our God in thy Word is our hope therefore we lift up our eyes to the Hills from whence cometh our hope Our help cometh from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth Cause thy Providences and thy Promises to meet together and kiss each other in opening to us that knock in being found of them that seek thee Lord separate us from the common condition of incapacity and indisposition Disband and loosen our Affections from all Terrene Beauties Convince us how good it is to draw nigh unto thee We erre in our hearts because we do not know thy ways We esteem not our God as we ought because of the ignorance that is in us Lighten our eyes lest that we sleep the sleep of death Purge our minds enough from the earthy dregs of Sense and Passion Bring thy Ark into our Hearts that Dagon may fall down Cause Aaron's rod to swallow up the Egyptians Rods. That the Stone cut out with hands may pound Nebuchadnezzar's Image to dust Cloath us with the Sun and we shall tread the Moon under our Feet That the Priviledges we may enjoy by our Lord Christ our most blessed Redeemer and Saviour may melt all our other Enjoyments into Nullities and implanr in us a disestimation of all the Endearments that we use to feed upon here below We have lost thee by Pride we hope to find thee in Humility we have lost our God in Luxury we hope to find thee in Abstinence we have lost thee by Oppression we will seek thee in Restitution Enlarge our Understandings that the Diamond of Grace may hinder the Loadstone of the World from drawing our hearts after it That we may be gain'd upon so much by Heavenly Things that Earthy Things may have no power on us That the Lustre of the Pearl of Price may make the Worlds glory to disappear Open our Eyes that we may see the Banner of the Gospel that we may become Voluntiers and run to Christ's Standard That we may account all things but loss and dross and dung in comparison of the Excellency of Jesus Christ our Lord. Wean us from the World that we may look towards our Maker and have respect to the Holy One of Israel Cloath us with a holy Indifferency and Neutrality in having or wanting Earthy Things That we may have a steady composure and an uninterrupted serenity of mind thro an unshaken submission to acquiescence in and conformity to the will of God in all Occurrences even in the greatest Storms to say Amen to God's Amen Instruct us and teach us what we should do and guide us with thine Eye Be thou as the Dew unto us that we may grow as the Lilly and cast forth our Roots as Lebanon that our Branches may spread and our Beauty as the Olive Tree and our smell as Lebanon that we may say with Ephraim What have we to do any more with Idols And that our Fruit may be found from thee Make us all Obedience by an infallible Resignation without Exception Reservation or Limitation That thy Will may be our Rule thy Spirit our Guide thy Precepts the Rule of our Practices and thy Decrees our Delight Our own Strength is never so untrusty as when it is most trusted therefore stay our steps in thy paths that our feet slide not Fill our Resolutions with the hope of Glory that we may press forward towards the high price of our Calling with facility and alacrity Set open the Gates of thy Treasures and Favours to us Draw us with the Favours of thy good Oyntments for it is therefore the Virgins love thee That we may be always in conjunction with God That we may every day learn a Vertue and damn a Vice Hide not thy Face from us lest we be found amongst them that go down into the Pit In regard that Christ our Lord is gone to prepare a place for us that we may prepare our selves for that place In regard that Jesus was crucified for our Sins sake help us to mortifie our Sins for Jesus's sake Bestow some tastes of thy Divine Love upon us the Earnest of the Spirit Then shall we be convinced that all the miseries of this life are not worthy to be compared with that glory that shall afterwards be revealed Inrich our Souls with all the Moveables of Heaven Bestow upon us the Spirit of Obedience and Fidelity too bey all the adored Commands of our Amiable Redeemer that we may answer all the inspiring Calls of Piety Give unto us all those degrees of Grace and Sanctity those Efficacious Movements towards the Kingdom of Glory that we may arrive at the unspeakable Consolation of thy Eternal Vision which is Essential Happiness of such Excellency and Super-eminent Perfection containing all Wisdom all Learning all Knowledge all Beauty all Fulness and Satisfaction and all other Causes of Love Joy and Contentation wherein our Souls may rest for ever and ever Let our Vertues and Graces be acquainted with no other Season but a Spring and let nothing skreen us from those Beams that should ripen all our good Desires into Enjoyments Father of Mercies do good unto all Mankind Oh the Bondage the Burden the Guilt that the World hath contracted The World lieth in Wickedness Vice hath invaded the Common-wealth of Man The Giants of Sin are grown to full stature Oh how Iniquity hath advanced her self in the hearts of Men. The height of Iniquity is come to the top the Fruit thereof is ripe and ready to drop upon us Sin is rampant The World goeth awry to damnation The paths of Sion do weep and wail for want of passengers What is become of Charity Truth Sincerity Humility and Piety Oh they are flown to Heaven from whence they came and have left the dangerous Successors Falshood Cruelty Pride Hypocrisie and Prophaneness Religion is in its last Period decaying by little and little entring the Cold Chillness of Dying Age. Not one in Forty thousand in whose hand a Spear or Shield is found Even all are imbarked in the Bold Adventure for Hell Pride Oppression and Prophaneness ride in Prosperous Triumphs without Controul and cover the face of the
that offereth Salvation to our Souls be a means to bring our Souls to Salvation Let the Word be transforming that we may be assimulated into Christ's likeness Cause our Affections to receive a Touch from the Word that they may be stirr'd up kindled and inflamed thereby That thy Message unto us may engage us to become a willing People in the day of thy Power Cause the Word to be quick and powerful quicker than a two-edged Sword so quick as to quicken us to every good duty and so powerful to subdue the Old Man of Sin Make it of such force as to make a Division between us and our best beloved Sins That the Sword of the Spirit may cut us off from the Wild Olive of Nature That we may not onely be acquainted with the Grace of Truth but the Truth of Grace Cause the Dew to fall with the Manna That the Dews of Hermon may fall upon the Hill of Sion That we may bring forth Fruits as the Vines of Engedi Cause thy Doctrine to drop as the Rain to distil as the Dew as the small Rain upon the tender Herb and as the Dew upon the Grass Drive the Birds from the Sacrifice When we draw nigh unto thee in Duty draw nigh unto us in Mercy Let not them that wait upon thee be ashamed Open the Doors of our Hearts that the King of Glory may enter Put a holy Fear into our Hearts that we may attend upon thee with Reverence That we may not receive it as the word of a sinful mortal Man but as indeed and in truth it is the Word of an Immortal God Cause the Word to be as a Bank to hinder the Inundation of our Sins Order our steps in thy Word that Iniquity may not have Dominion over us Make the Word to be as a Flaming Sword to keep us from the forbiden Fruit That it may be as a Curb to keep us from the stray of Offence That we may observe to do what the Lord commandeth us not turning to the right hand nor the left That it may be as a Rudder to steer us in our right Course Ingrave thy Counsels on the Frontispiece of our Hearts and cause them to be evermore in an applicative practice That we may grow by the sincere Milk of the Word That as the Bee gathers the Flowers and carrieth them home to the Hive and worketh them into Honey and liveth upon it in times of need so help us that we may gather the precious Truths out of thy holy Word and carry them home unto the Hive of our Hearts and work them into Grace and live upon it in a time of Trial. Lay hold on our Hearts by thy Omnipotent Grace Cause the Influences of thy Grace irresistibly to ingage us to do thy will That the manifestation of thy Grace may be as Showers to parched Grass that our drooping Souls that hang their Wings may revive and leap for joy That the Efflux of Life and power from God may beget in us true and lively Faith That Love may be enticed out of our selves to God Cause Heavenly Ordinances to leave Fruitful Influences That we may not onely enjoy the Gospel of Peace but the Peace of the Gospel We desire to sun our selves in the Light of thy Countenance Cause the Word like the Sun Beams not onely to enlighten us but heat and inliven us Let it be Honey in the Mouth Melody in the Ear and a Jubile in the Heart We see thy Foot-steps in the Creatures but we wait to see thy Face in the Ordinances Ordinances are the Pool of Bethesda that onely heal when the Spirit moveth the Waters The Gospel is the Pen but the Holy Ghost is the Guider of it Suffer not the Tree of Life to be too far from the Tree of Knowledg Cause Divine Truths to be manifested in the Purity of our Hearts and Lives That every Gale of Divinity may drive us nearer to the Haven of Felicity That we may not be all for Speculation but Sensation to taste how good the Lord is Open the Passage between our Heads and our Hearts Convey some warm sprinklings of thy Benediction into our inward parts Suffer not any of us to be like Gideon's dry Fleece Let not the Thirsty Souls that wait for thee as the Rain return like the Troops of Tema with their Heads covered For Vnregenerate Men. IN mercy remember the rebellious Children that take counsel but not of thee and cover but not with the covering of thy Spirit that they may add Sin unto Sin Whose Hearts are harden'd from thy Fear Sin at the first was the cause of Ignorance now Ignorance is the cause of Sin In the greatness of their Folly they go astray Who never peep'd out of the Bondage of Sensual Lust They rebel against the Light they know not the ways thereof neither will they come into these Paths Who walk after the vanity of their Minds having their Understanding darken'd being alienated from the Life of God thro the Ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their Hearts who being past feeling have given themselves over to work all Uncleanness with greediness Their god is their Belly their glory is their shame who mind Earthy things There is a Bridle in their Jaws which causeth them to err Lord pity them for they cannot pity themselves In provoking thee they provoke their own damnation Thou Being of Beings have mercy upon them Interrupt the Process of their Extravagances As they tread the paths of Death let them see the drawn Sword of thy Displeasure As they journey on in their Sins cause a Light to shine from Heaven Amaze them with the apprehensions of their woful and wretched Estate Suffer them not to breath quietly until they find the Fountain opened for Sin and for Uncleanness Set home unto their Consciences the weight and danger of their Sins That Conscience may be as a Scorpion in the Bosom Send the Fiery Serpents to sting and wound them that they may look after the Brazen Serpent A wake them out of their Mortal Lethargy Bring them out of the Womb of Natural Blindness that they may be born again altho they be Old Thou who at first caus'd Light to shine out of Darkness say Let there be Light and there shall be Light That the Day-spring from on high may visit them that sit in Darkness in the shadow of Death Cause the Day to dawn and the Day Star to arise in their Hearts Turn the Shadow of Death into the Morning Let the Spirit of Conviction come upon them and a wake them as a Man that is a waked out of his Sleep Our corrupt Nature is the most inexpugnable Fort in the World Cause the Dead to hear thy Voice and live Of those Stones raise up Children to Abraham Mollifie their hard Hearts that are not penetrable when the Arrows of Conviction are shot against them Cause Hell to enter into them that they may not enter