away without his errand If mercy he asked mercy he found were his sin never so great were his Disease never so grievous Nay he offered and gave his mercy to many that never asked it being moved only with the Bowels of his own compassion and the sight of their misery as to the woman of Samaria the widow of Naim and to the sick man that lay at the Pool of Bethesda who had been 38 years sick If he thus willingly gave his mercy to them that did not ask it and was found of them as the Prophet saith that sought him not will he deny mercy unto thee who dost so earnestly pray for it with Tears and dost like the poor Publican so heartily knock for it with penitent fists upon a bruised and broken heart Especially when thou prayest to thy Father in the name and mediation of Christ for whose sake he hath promised to grant whatsoever we shall ask of him as sure as God is true he will not Though Nineve's sins had provoked the Lord to send out his sentence against them yet upon their repentance he recalled it again and spared the City how much more if thou likewise repentest will he spare thee seeing his sentence is not yet gone forth against thee if he deferred the judgments all Ahab's days for the external shew only which he made of humiliation how much more will he clean turn away his vengeance if thou wilt unfeignedly repent of thy sin and return unto him for grace and mercy He offered his mercy unto Cain who murthered his innocent Brother If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted As if he should have said if thou wilt leave thy envy and malice and offer unto me from a faithful and contrite heart both thou and thine Oblation also shall be acceptable unto me And to Judas that so treacherously betray'd him in calling him friend a sweet appellation of love and when Judas offered he willingly consented with that mouth wherein never was found guile to kiss those dissembling lips under which lurked the poyson of Asps. Had Judas apprehended this word friend out of the mouth of Christ as Benhadad did the word Brother from the mouth of Ahab doubtless Judas should have found the God of Israel more merciful than Benhadad found the King of Israel But God was more displeased with Cain for despairing of his mercy than for murthering his Brother and with Judas for hanging himself than for betraying his Master in that they would make the sins of mortal men greater than â—he Infinite mercy of the eternal God or as if they could be more sinful than God was merciful Whereas the least drop of Christ's Blood is of more merit to procure God's mercy for thy salvation than all the sins that thou hast committed can be of force to provoke his wrath to thy damnation If Satan shall suggest that all this is true of God's mercy but that it doth not belong unto thee because thy sins are greater than other mens as being sins of knowledge and of many years continuance and such as whereby others have been undone and all for the most part â—ommitted wilfully and presumptuously against God and thy Conscience And therefore though he will be merciful unto others yet he will not be merciful unto thee Meditate 1. That many who are now in Heaven most blessed and glorious Saints committed in the same kind when they lived on earth as great and greater sins then ever thou hast committed and continued before they repented in those sins as long as ever thou hast done As therefore all their sins and the continuance in them could not hinder God's mercy upon their repentance from forgiving their sins and receiving them into favour no more shall thy sins and continuance therein hinder him from being merciful unto thee if thou dost repent as they did yea upon thy Repentance every one of their examples is a pledge that he will do the same unto thee that he did unto them For as the least sin in God's Justice without repentance is damnable so the greatest sin upon repentance is in his mercy pardonable Thy greatest and inveteratest sins are but the sins of a man but the least of his Mercies is the mercy of God Because thou knowest thine own sins thou doubtest whether they shall be pardoned Mark how this doubtful case is resolved by Good himself Many in Isaiah's days thought as thou dost that they had continued so long in sin that it was too late for them now to seek to return unto God for Grace and Mercy But God answereth them Seek ye the Lord whilst he may be found call ye upon him whilst he is near As if he had said whilst life lasteth and my Word is preached I am near to be found of all that seek me and pray unto me The People reply But we O Lord are grievous sinners and therefore dare not presume to call upon thy Name or to come near thine Holiness To this the Lord answereth Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts and let him return unto me and I will have mercy upon him and to his God and I will pardon him abundantly But we would think say the people that if our sins were but ordinary sins this promise of Mercy might belong unto us But because our sins are so great and of such long continuance therefore we fear lest when we appear before God he will reject us To this God answereth again My thoughts of mercy are not your thoughts neither are your ways of pardoning my ways for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts If therefore every sinner in the world were a world of such sinners as thou art do thou but yet what God bids thee repent and believe and the Blood of Jesus Christ being the Blood of God will cleanse both thee and them from all your sins 2. That as God did foresee all the sins which the world should commit and yet all those could not hinder him from loving the world so that he gave his only begotten Son to death to save as many of the world as would believe and repent much less shall thy sins being the sins of the least member of the world be able to hinder God from loving thy soul and forgiving thy sins if thou dost repent and believe 3. That if he loved thee so dearly when thou wast his Enemy that he payed for thee so dear a price as the spilling of his heart blood how can he now but be gracious unto thee when to save thee will cost him but the casting of a gracious look upon thee Look nor thou therefore to the greatness of thy sins but to the infiniteness of his mercy which is so surpassing great that if thou puttest all thine own grievous sins
Vertues as to call drunken carousing drinking of healths spilling innocent blood Valour Gluttony Hospitality Covetousness Thriftiness Whoredom loving a Mistress Simony Gratuity Pride Gracefulness Dissembling Complement Children of Belial Good Fellows Wrath Hastiness Ribaldry Mirth So on the other side to call Sobriety in words and actions Hypocrisie Alms-deeds Vain-glory Devotion Superstition Zeal in Religion Puritanism Humility Crouching scruple of Conscience Preciseness c. And whilst thus we call evil good and good evil true Piety is much hindred in her progress And thus much of the first hindrance of Piety by mistaking the true sence of some special places of Scripture and grounds of Christian Religion The second hindrance of Piety 2. The evil example of great Persons The practice of whose prophane lives they preferr for their imitation before the Precepts of God's holy Word So that when they see the greatest Men in the State and many chief Gentlemen in their Country to make neither care nor Conscience to hear Sermons to receive the Communion nor to sanctifie the Lord's Sabbath c. but to be Swearers Adulterers Carousers Oppressors c. Then they think that the using of these holy Ordinances are not matters of so great moment for if they were such great and wise Men would not set so little by them Hereupon they think that Religion is not a matter of necessity And therefore where they should like Christians row against the stream of impiety towards Heaven they suffer themselves to be carried with the multitude down right into Hell thinking it impossiâ—le that God will suffer so many to be damned Whereas if the good of this world had not blinded the eyes of their minds the Holy Scriptures would teach them that Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called c. but that for the most part the poor receive the Gospel and that few rich men shall be saved And that howsoever many are called yet the chosen are but few Neither did the multitude ever save any from damnation As God hath advanced men in greatness above others so doth God expect that they in Religion and Piety should go before others otherwise greatness abused in the time of their Stewardship shall turn to their greater condemnation in the day of their accounts At what time sinful great and mighty men as well as the poorest slaves and bond-men shall wish that the Rocks and Mountains may fall upon them and hide them from the presence of the Judge and from his just deserved wrath It will prove but a miserable solace to have a great company of great Men partakers with thee of thine eternal torments The multitude of sinners doth not extenuate but aggravate sin as in Sodom Better it is therefore with a few to be saved in the Ark than with the whole world to be drowned in the flood Walk with the few godly in the Scriptures narrow path to Heaven but crownd not with the godless multitude in the broad way to Hell Let not the examples of irreligious great men hinder thy repentance for their greatness cannot at that day exempt themselves from their own most grievous punishment The third hindrance of Piety 3. The long escape of diserved punishment in this life Because sentance saith Solomon is not speedily executed against an evil worker therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evil not knowing that the bouâ—tifulness of God leadeth them to repentance But when his patience is abused and man's sins are ripened his Justice will at once both begin and make an end of the sinner and he will recompence the slowness of his delay with the grievousness of his punishment Though they were suffered to run on the score all the days of their life yet they shall be sure to pay the utmost farthing at the day of their death And whilst they suppose themselves to be free from Judgment they are already smitten with the Heaviest of God's Judgments a heart that cannot repent The stone in the reins or bladder is a grievous pain that kills many a man's body but there is no disease to the stone in the heart whereof Nabal died and which killeth millions of Souls They refuse the trial of Christ and his Cross but they are stoned by Hell's Executioner to eternal death Because many Nobles and Gentlemen are not smitten with present judgment for their outrageous Swearing Adultery Drunkenness Oppression prophaning of the Sabbath and disgraceful neglect of God's Worship and Service they begin to doubt of Divine Providence and Justice Both which two Eyes they would as willingly put out in God as the Philistines bored out the eyes of Sampson It is greatly therefore to be feared lest they will provoke the Lord to cry out against them as Sampson against the Philistines By neglecting the Law and walking after their own hearts they put out as much as in them lieth the eyes of my Providence and Justice Lead me therefore to these chief Pillars whereupon the Realm standeth that I may pull the Realm upon their heads and be at once avenged on them for my two eyes Let not God's patience hinder thy repentance but because he is so patient therefore do thou the rather repent The fourth hindrance of Piety 4. The presumption of God's mercy For when Men are justly convinced of their sins forthwith they betake themselves to this Shield Christ is merciful so that every sinner makes Christ the Patron of his sin as though he had come into the world to bolster sin and not to destroy the works of the Devil Hereupon the carnal Christian presumeth that though he continueth a while longer in his sin God will not shorten his days But what is this but to be an implicite Atheist Doubting that either God seeth not his sins or if he doth that he is not just for if he believeth that God is just how can he think that God who for sin so severely punisheth others can love him who still loveth to continue in sin True it is Christ is merciful but to whom only to them that repent and turn from iniquity in Jacob. But if any man bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walk according to the stubbornness of mine own heart thus adding drunkenness to thirst the Lord will not be merciful unto him c. O mad Men who dare bless themselves when God pronounceth them accursed Look therefore how far thou art from finding repentance in thy self so far art thou from any assurance of finding mercy in Christ. Let therefore the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous his own imaginations and return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive Despair is nothing so dangerous as presumption For we read not in all
Journey towards God 2. If thou hast Children give to every one of them a Portion according to thy ability in thy life-time that thy life may seem an ease and not a yoak unto them yet so give as that thy Children may still be beholden unto thee and noâ— thou unto them But if thou keep all iâ— thy hands whilst thou livest they may thank Death and not thee for the portion that thou leavest them If thou hast nâ— Children and the Lord hath blest theâ— with a great portion of the goods of thiâ— World and if thou meanest to bestow them upon any charitable or pious uses put not over that good work to the trusâ— of others seeing thou seest how most oâ— other mens Executors prove almost Exeâ—cutioners And if Friends be so unfaithfuâ—â— in a man's life how much greater causâ— hast thou to distrust their fidelity afteâ— thy death Lamentable experience sheweth how many dead men's Wills have of laâ— either been quite concealed utterly overthrown or by cavils and quirks of Law frustrated or altered whereas by the Law of God the will of the dead should not be violated but all his godly intentions conscionably performed and fulfilled as in the sight of God who in the Day of the Resurrection will be just Judge both of the quick and dead And if any thing should hap in his Will to be ambiguous or doubtful it should be construed as it might come nearest to the Honour of God and the honest Intention of the Testator But let the vengeance due to such unchristian Deeds light on the Actors that do them not on the Kingdom wherein they are suffered to be done And let other rich Men be warned by such wretched examples not so to marry their Minds to their Money as that they will do no good with their Goods till Death divorceth them Considering therefore the shortness of thine own life and the uncertainty of others just dealing after thy death in these unjust days let me advise thee whom God hath blessed with ability and an intent to do good to become in thy life time thine own Administrator make thine own Hands thine Executors and thine own Eyes thy Over-seers cause thy Lanthorn to give her light before thee and not behind thee give God the Glory and thou shalt receive of him in due time the reward which of his grace and mercy he hath promised to thy good works 4. Having thus set thy House and Soul in order if the determined number of thy days be not expired God will either have mercy upon thee and say Spare him O killing Malady that he go not down into the pit for I have received a reconciliation Or else his Fatherly providence will direct thee to such a Physician and to such means as that by his blessing upon their endeavours thou shalt recover and be restored to thy former Health again But in any wise take heed that thou nor none for thee send unto Sorcerers Wizards Charmers or Inchanters for help for this were to leave the God of Israel and to go to Baal-zebub the God of Ekron for help as did wicked Ahaziah and to break thy Vow which thou hast made with the blessed Trinity in thy Baptism and be sure that God will never give a Blessing by those means which he hath accursed but if he permit Satan to cure thy Body fear lest it tend to the damnation of thy Soul Thou art tried beware 5. When thou hast sent for the Physician take heed that thou put not thy trust rather in the Physician than in the Lord as Asa did of whom it is said that he sought not to the Lord in his Disease but to the Physician which is a kind of Idolatry that will increase the Lord's anger and make the Physick received uneffectual Use therefore the Physician as God's Instrument and Physick as God's Means And seeing it is not lawful without Prayer to use ordinary food 1 Tim. 4. 4. much less extraordinary Physick whose good effect depends upon the blessing of God before thou takest thy Physick pray therefore heartily unto God to bless it unto thy use in these or the like words A Prayer before taking of Physick O Merciful Father who art the Lord of health and of sickness of life and of death who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the grave and raisest up again I come unto thee as to the only Physician who canst cure my Soul from sin and my Body from sickness I desire neither life nor death but refer my self to thy most holy Will For tho' we must needs die and being dead our lives are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gather'd up again yet hath thy gracious Providence whilst liâ—â— remaineth appointed means which thou wilt have thy Children to use and by the lawful use thereof to expect thy blessing upon thine own means to the curing of their sickness and restitution of their health Aâ—d now O Lord in this my necessity I have according to thine Ordinance seâ—t for thy Servant the Physician who hath prepared for me this Physick which I receive as means sent from thy fatherly hand I beseech thee therefore that as by thy blessing on a lâ—â—p of dry Figs thou didst heal Hezekiah's sore that he recovered and by seven times washing in the river of Jordan didst cleanse Naaman the Syrian of his Leprosie and didst restore the Man that was blind from his birth by anointing his Eyes with Clay and Spittle and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam and by touching the hand of Peter's Wife's Mother didst cure her of her Fever and didst restore the Woman that touched the hem of thy Garment from her bloody Issue So it would please thee of thine infinite goodness and mercy to sanctifie this Physick to my use and to give such a blessing unto it that it may if it be thy Will and Pleasure remove this my sickness and â—ain and restore me to health and strength again But if the number of those days which thou hast appointed for me to live in this Vale of misery be at an end and that thou hast sent this sickness as thy Messenger to call me out of this mortal life then Lord let thy blessed will be done for I submit my will to thy most holy Pleasure Only I beseech thee increase my faith and patience and let thy grace and mercy be never wanting unto me but in the midst of all extremities assist me with thy Holy Spirit that I may willingly and chearfully resign up my Soul the price of thine own Blood into thy most gracious hands and custody Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory both now and evermore Amen Meditations for the sick WHilst thy sickness remaineth use often for thy comfort these
day of affliction in the time of health think on sickness in the time of sickness make my self ready for death and when death approacheth prepare my self for Judgment Let my whole life be an expressing thankfulness unto thee for thy Grace and Mercy And therefore O Lord I do here from the very bottom of my heart together with the thousand thousands of Angels the four Beasts and twentâ— four Elders and all the creatures in heaveâ— and on the earth acknowledge to be due untâ— thee O Father which sittest upon the Throneâ— and to the Lamb thy Son who sitteth at thâ— right hand and to the Holy Spirit which proceedeth from both the holy Trinity 〈◊〉 Persons in unity of substance all praisâ— honour glory and power from this timâ— forth and for evermore Amen Meditations for one that is like to die IF thy Sickness be like to encrease unto Death then meditate on Three thingsâ— First how graciously God dealeth with theeâ— Secondly from what evils Death will freâ— thee Thirdly what good Death will brinâ— unto thee First Concerning God's favourable dealing with thee 1. Meditate That God useth this chastisement of thy Body but as a Medicine to cure thy Soul by drawing thee who arâ— sick in Sin to come by Repentance unto Christ thy Physician to have thy Soâ—â— healed 2. That the sorest Sickness or painfulleâ—â— Disease which thou canst endure is nâ—â—thing if it be compared to those dolours and pains which Jesus Christ thy Saviour hath suffered for thee when in a bloody sweat he endured the wrath of God the pains of hell and a cursed death which was due to thy sins Justly therefore may I use those words of Jeremy Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath Hath the Son of God endured so much for thy redemption and wilt not thou a sinful man endure a little sickness for his pleasure especially when it is for thy good 3. That when thy sickness and disease is at the extreamest yet it is less and easier than thy sins have deserved Let thine own Conscience judge whether thou hast not deserved worse than all that thou dost suffer Murmur not therefore but considering thy manifold and grievous sins thank God that thou art not plagued with far more grievous punishments Think how willingly the damned in Hell would endure the extreamest pains a thousand years on condition that they had but the hope to be saved and after so many years to be eased of their eternal torments And seeing that it is his mercy that thou art not rather consumed than corrected how canst thou but bear patiently his temporal correction seeing the end is to save thee from eternal damnation 4. That nothing cometh to pass in this case unto thee but such as ordinarily befell to others thy Brethren who being the beloved and undoubted servants of God when they lived on earth are now most blessed and glorious Saints with Christ in Heaven as Job David Lazarus c. They groaned for a time as thou dost under the like burthen but they are now delivered from all their miseries troubles and calamities And so likewise ere long if thou wilt patiently tarry the Lord's leisure thou shalt also be delivered from thy sickness and pain either by restitution to thy former health with Job or which is far better by being received to heavenly rest with Lazarus 5. Lastly that God hath not given thee over into the hand of thine Enemy to be punished and disgraced but being thy loving Father he correcteth thee with his own merciful hand When David had his wish to chuse his own chastisement he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God than by any other means Let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man Who will not take any affliction in good part when it cometh from the hand of God from whom though no Affliction seemeth joyous for the present we know nothing cometh but what is good The confideration hereof made David to endure Shimei's cursed railing with greater patience and to correct himself another time for his impatiency I should not have opened my mouth because thou didst it and Job to reprove the unadvised speech of his Wife Thou speakest like a foolish Woman What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not receive evil And though the Cup of God's wrath due to our sins was such a horror to our Saviour's humane nature that he earnestly prayed that it might pass from him yet when he considered that it was reached unto him by the hand and will of his Father he willingly submitted himself to drink it to the very dregs thereof Nothing will more arm thee with Patience in thy sickness than to see that it cometh from the hand of thy heavenly Father who would never send it but that he sees it to be unto thee both needful and profitable The second sort of Meditations are to consider from what evils death will free thee IT freeth thee from a corruptible Body which was conceived in the weakness of flesh the heat of lust the stain of sin and born in the blood of filthiness a liviâ—g Prison of thy Soul a lively instrument of â—in a very sack of stinking dung the exâ—â—ements of whose Nostrils Ears Pores and â—ther passages duly considered will seem more loathsome than the uncleanest sink â—r vault Insomuch that whereas Trees and Plants bring forth Leaves Flowers Fruits â—nd sweet smells man's body brings forth â—â—turally nothing but Lice Worms Rottenâ—ss and filthy stinks His affections are alâ—ogether corrupted and the imaginations 〈◊〉 heart are only evil continually Hence 〈◊〉 is that the ungodly is not satisfied with prophaneness nor the voluptuous with pleasures nor the ambitious with perferments nor the curious with preciseness nor the malicious with revenge nor the leacherous with uncleanness nor the covetous with gain nor the drunkard with drinking New passions and fashions do daily grow new Fears and Afflictions do still arise here Wrath lies in wait there Vain-glory vexeth here pride lifts up there disgrace casts down and every one waiteth who shalâ— arise in the ruine of another Now a Maâ— is privily stung with Back-biters like fiery Serpents anon he is in danger to be openly devoured of his enemies like Daniel's Lionsâ— And a godly man where ere he liveth shall ever be vexed like Lot with Sodom's uncleanness 2. Death brings unto the godly an end of sinning and of all the miseries which arâ— due unto sin so that after Death there shaâ—â— be no more sorrow nor crying neither shalâ— there be any more pain for God shall wipe aâ— way all tears from their eyes Yea by death we are separated from
fruit thou didst hang on the cursed tree I plaid the glutton and thou didst fast evil concupiscence drew me to eat the pleasaâ—â— apple and perfect charity led thee to drink of the bitter cup I assayed the sweetness of the fruit and thou didst taste the bitterness of the gall Foolish Eve smiled when I laughed but blessed Mary wept when thy heart bled died O my God here I see thy goodness and my badness thy justice and my injustice the impiety of my flesh and the piety of thy nature And now O blessed Lord thou hast endured all this for my sake what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits bestowed upon me a sinful soul Indeed Lord I acknowledge that I owe thee already for my creation more than I am able to pay for I am in that respect bound with all my powers and affections to love and adore thee If I owed my self unto thee for giving me my self in my creation what shall I now render to thee for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption Great was the benefit that thou wouldest create me of nothing but what tongue can express the greatness of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing Surely Lord if I cannot pay the thanks I owe thee and who can pay thee who bestowest thy graces without respect of merit or regard of measure it is the abundance of thy blessings that makes me such a bankrupt that I am so far unable to pay the principal that I cannot possibly pay so much as the interest of thy love But O my Lord thou knowest that since the loss of thine Image by the fall of my first unhappy Parents I cannot love thee with all my might and mind as I should therefore as thou didst first cast thy love upon me when I was a child of wrath and a lump of the lost and condemned world so now I beseech thee shed abroad thy love by thy Spirit through all my faculties and affections that though I can never pay thee in that measure of love which thou hast deserved yet I may endeavour to repay thee in such a manner as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy that I may in truth of heart love my neighbour for thy sake and love thee above all for thine own sake Let nothing be pleasant unto me but that which is pleasing unto thee And sweet Saviour suffer me never to be lost or cast away whom thou hast bought so dearly with thine own most precious blood O Lord let me never forget thine infinite love and this unspeakable benefit of my Redemption without which it had been better for me never to have been than to have any being And seeing that thou hast vouchsafed me the assistance of thy holy Spirit suffer me O heavenly Father who art the Father of Spirits in the meditation of thy Son to speak a few words in the ears of my Lord. If thou O Father despisest me for mine iniquities as I have deserved yet be merciful unto me for the merits of thy Son who so much for me hath suffered What if thou seest nothing in me but misery which might move anger and passion Yet behold the merits of thy Son and thou shalt see enough to move thee to mercy and compassion Behold the mystery of his incarnation and remit the misery of my transgression And as oft as the wounds of thy Son appear in thy sight O let the woes of my sins be hid from thy presence As oft as the redness of his blood glisters in thine eyes O let the guiltiness of my sins be blotted out of thy Book The wantonness of my flesh provoked thee unto wrath O let the chastity of his flesh perswade thee to mercy that as my flesh seduced me to sin so his flesh may reduce me unto thy favour My disobedience hath deserved a great revenge but his obedience merits a greater weight of mercy for what can man deserve to suffer which God made man cannot merit to have forgiven When I consider the greatness of thy passion then do I see the trueness of that saying That Christ came into the world to save the chiefest sinners Dâ—rest thou O Cain say that thy sins are greater than may be forgiven Thou lâ—est like a murtherer the mercies of one Christ are able to forgive a world of Cains if they 'll believe repent The sins of all sinners are finite the mercies of God are infinite Therefore O Father for the death and passions sake which thy Son Jesu Christ hath suffer'd for me I have now remembred to thee pardon and forgive thou unto me all my sins deliver me from the curse vengeance which they have justly deserved through his merits make me O Lord a partaker of thy mercy It is thy mercy that I so earnestly knock for neither shall mine importunity cease to call and knock with the man that would borrow the loaves until thou arise and open unto me thy gates of grace And if thou wilt not bestow on me thy loaves yet O Lord deny me not the crums of thy mercy and those shall suffice thy hungry hand-mind And seeing thou reqâ—i est nothing for thy benefits but that I love thee in the truth of my inward heart whereof a new creature is the truest outward testimony and that it is as easie for thee to make me a new creature as to bid me to be such create in me O Christ a new heart and renew in me a right spirit and then thou shalt see how mortifying old Adam and his corrupt lust I will serve thee as thy new creature in a new life after a new way with a new tongue and new manners with new words and new works to the glory of thy Name and the winning other sinful souls unto thy Faith by my devout example Keep me for ever O my Saviour from the torments of hell and tyranny of the Devil And when I am to depart this life send thy holy Angels to carry me as they did the soul of Lazarus into thy Kingdom Receive me into that joyful Paradise which thou didst promise to thâ— penitent thief which at his last gasp upon the Cross so devoutly begg'd thy mercy and admission into thy Kingdom Grant this O Christ for thy own Name 's sake to whom as is most due I ascribe all glory and honour praise and dominion both now and for ever Amen FINIS * 1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev. 12. 13. †1 Sam. 20. 20. * 2 Chron. 34. 3. * Qui monet ut facias quod jam facis ipse moneâ— do Laudat hortatu comprobat acta suo 2 Cor. 8. 7. Matth. 15. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 4. * Exemplum accidit mulieris Domino teste quae Theatrum adiit inde cum daemonio â—â—diit Itaque in exorcismo cùm oneraretur immundus spiritus quod ausus est fidelem aggredi
to Consider with me how false how vain how vile are those things which still retain and chain thee in this wretched and cursed estate wherein thou livest and do hinder thee from the favour of God and the hope of eternal life and happiness Meditations on the hindrances which keep back a Sinner from the Practice of Piety THose hindrances are chiefly seven 1. An ignorant mistaking of the true meaning of certain places of the holy Scriptures and some other chief grounds of Christian Religion The Scriptures mistaken are these 1. Ezek. 33. 13 16. At what time soever a sinner repenteth him of his sin I will blot out all c. Hence the carnal Christian gathereth that he may repent when he will It is true whensoever a sinner doth repent God will forgive but the Text saith not that a sinner may repent whensoever he will but when God will give him Grace Many saith the Scripture when they would have repented were rejected and could not repent tho' they sought it carefully with tears What comfort yields this Text to thee who hast not repented nor knowest whether thou shalt have grace to repent hereafter 2. Matth. 11. 26. Come unto me all you that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Hence the lewdest man collects that he may come unto Christ when he list But he must know that no man ever comes to Christ but he who as Peter saith Having known the way of righteousness hath escaped the pollutions of this world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To come unto Christ is to repent and believe and this no man can do unless his heavenly Father draweth him by his grace 3. Rom 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus True but they are such who walk not after the flesh as thou dost but after the Spirit which thou didst never yet resolve to do 4. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners c. True but such sinners who like St. Paul are converted from their wicked life not like thee who still continuest in thy lewdness For that Grace of God which bringeth salvation unto all men teacheth us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world 5. Prov. 24. 16. A just man falleth seven times in a day and riseth c. In a day is not in the Text which means not falling into sin but falling into trouble which his malicious enemy plots against the just and from which God delivers him And though it meant falling in and rising out of sin what is this to thee whose falls all men may see every day but neither God nor Man can at any time see thy rising again by repentance 6. Isa. 64. 6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Hence the Carnal Christian gathers that seeing the best works of the best Saints are no better then his are good enough and therefore he needs not much grieve that his devotions are so imperfect But Isaiah means not in this place the righteous Works of the Regenerate as fervent Prayers in the name of God charitable Alms from the bowels of mercy suffering in the Gospel's defence the spoil of Goods and spilling of Blood and such works which Saint Paul calls the fruits of the Spirit But the Prophet making an humble confession in the name of the Jewish Church when she had fallen from God to Idolatry acknowledgeth that whilst they were by their filthy sins separated from God as Lepers are by their infected sores and polluted cloaths from Men their chiefest Righteousness could not but be abominable in his sight And though our best works compared with Christ's righteousness are no better than unclean rags yet in God's acceptation for Christ's sake they are called white rayment yea pure sine linen and shining far unlike the Leopard's spots and filthy garments 7. James â— 2. In many things we sin all True but God's Children sin not in all things as thou dost without either bridling their lusts or mortifying their corruptions and though the relicks of sin remain in the dearest children of God that they had need daily to cry Our Father which art in heaven forgive us our trespasses yet in the New Testament none are properly called Sinners but the unregenerate but the Regenerate in respect of their Zealous endeavour to serve God in unfeigned holiness are every where called Saints Insomuch that St. John saith that whosoever is born of God sinneth not that is liveth not in wilful filthiness suffering sin to reign in him as thou dost Deceive not thy self with the name of a Christian whosoever liveth in any customary gross sin he liveth not in the state of grace Let therefore saith St. Paul every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The regenerate sin but upon â—railty they repent and God doth pardon therefore they sin not to death The Reprobate sin maliciously sinfully and delight there in so that by their good will sin shall leave them before they leave it They will not repent and God will not pardon Therefore their sins are mortal saith St. John or rather immortal as saith St. Paul Rom. 2. 5. It is no excuse therefore to say we are all sinners True Christians thou seest are all Saints 8. Luke 23. 43. The Thief converted at the last gasp was received to Paradise what then If I may have but time to say when I am dying Lord have mercy upon me I shall likewise be saved But what if thou shalt not And yet many in that day shall say Lord Lord and the Lord will not know them The Thief was saved for he repented but his fellow had no grace to repent and was damned Beware therefore lest trusting to too late repentance at thy last end on Earth thou be not driven to repent too late without end in Hell 9. 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin And 1 John 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous c. Oh comfortable But hear what Sâ— John saith in the same place My little children these things write I unto you that ye sin not If therefore thou leavest thy sin these Comforts are thine else they belong not to thee 10. Rom. 5. 20. Where sin abounded grace did abound much more O sweet But hear what St. Paul addeth What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 1 2. This place teacheth us not to presume but that we should not despair None therefore of these Promises promiseth any grace to any but to the penitent heart The grounds of Religion mistaken are these 1. From the Doctrine of Justification
without reproof Hereupon Christ commends to his Disciples the care of his keeping of his Commandments as the truest testimony of our love unto him So far therefore doth a Man love Christ as he makes conscience to walk in his Commandmenâ—s and the more unto Christ is our love the less will our pains seem in keeping his Law The Laws curse which under the Old Testament was so terrible is under the New by the Death of Christ abolished to the regenerate the rigour which made it so impossible to our Nature before is now to the new born so mollified by the spirit that it seems facil and easie The Apostles indeed pressed on the unconverted Jews and Gentiles the impossibility of keeping the Law by ability of Nature corrupted But when they have to do with regenerate Christians they require to the Law which is the Rule of righteousness true obedience in word and deed the mortifying of their members the crucifying of the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof resurrection to newness of life walking in the spirit overcoming of the world by faith so that tho' no Man can say as Christ Which of you can rebuke me of sin yet every regenerate Christian can say of himself which of you can rebuke me of being an Adulterer Whoremonger Swearer Drunkard Thief Vsurer Oppressor Proud Malicious Covetous Prophaner of the holy Sabbath a Lyar a neglecter of God's Publick service and such like gross sins else he is no true Christian. When a man casts off the conscience of being ruled by God's Law then God gives him over to be led by his own lusts the surest sign of a Reprobate sense Thus the Law which since the fall no man by his own natural ability can fulfil is fulfilled in truth of every true regenerate Christian through the gracious assistance of Christ's Holy Spirit And this Spirit God will give to every Christian that will pray for it and incline his heart to keep his Laws V. When the unregenerate man hears that God delights more in the inward mind than in the outward man then he feigneth with himself that all outward reverence and profession is but either superstitious or superfluous Hence it is that he seldom kneeleth in the Church that he puts on his Hat at singing of Psalms and the publick Prayers which the prophane Varlet would not offer to do in the presence of a Prince or Noble man And so that he keep his mind unto God he thinks he may fashion himself in other things to the world He divides his thoughts and gives so much to God and so much to his own lusts yea he will divide with God the Sabbath and will give him almost the one half and spend the other wholly in his own pleasures But know O carnal Man that Almighty God will not be served by halfs because he hath created and redeemed the whole Man And as God detests the service of the outward man without the inward heart as hypocrisie so he counts the inward service without all external reverence to be meer prophaneness he requireth both in his worship In prayer therefore bow thy knees in witness of thy humiliation lift up thine eyes and thy hand in testimony of thy confidence hang dowâ— thy head and smite thy brest in token of thy contrition but especially call upon God with a sincere heart serve him holily serve him wholly serve him only for God and the Prince of this world are two contrary masters and therefore no man can possibly serve both VI. The unregenerate Christian holds the hearing of the Gospel preached to be but an indifferent matter which he may use or not use at his pleasure but whosoever thou art that will be assured in thy heart that thou art one of Christ's Elect Sheep thou must have a special care and conscience if possibly thou canst to hear God's Word Preached For first the preaching of the Gospel is the chief ordinary means which God hath appointed to convert the souls of all that he hath predestinated to be saved therefore it is called the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth And where this Divine Ordinance is not the people perish and whosoever shall refuse it it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for those people Secondly the preaching of the Gospel is the Standard or Ensign of Christ to which all Soldiers and Elect People must assemble themselves when this Ensign is displayed as upon the Lord's Day he is none of Christ's People that flocks not unto it neither shall any drop of the rain of his Grace light on their souls Thirdly it is the ordinary means by which the Holy Ghost begetteth faith in our hearts without which we cannot please God If the hearing of Christ's voice be the chief Mark of Christ's Elect sheep and of the Bridegrooms friends then must it be a fearful mark of a reprobate goat either to neglect or contemn to hear the preaching of the Gospel Let no man think this position foolish for by this foolishness of preaching it pleaseth God to save them which believe Their state is therefore fearful who live in peace without caring for the preaching of the Gospel Can men look for God's mercy and despâ—â—s his means He saith Christ of the Preachers of his Gospel that despiseth you despiseth me He that is of God heareth God's Word ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God Had not the Israelites heard Phineas's message they had never wept Had not the Baptist preached the Jews had never mourned Had not they who crucified Christ heard Peter's Sermon their hearts had never been pricked Had not the Ninevites heard Jonas preaching they had never repented and if thou wilt not hear and repent thou shalt never be saved VII The opinion that the Sacraments are but bare signs and seals of God's promise and grace unto us doth not a little hinder Piety whereas indeed they are seals as well of our service and obedience unto God which service if we perform not unto him the Sacraments seal no Grace unto us But if we receive them upon the resolution to be his faithful and penitent servants then the Sacraments do not only signifie and offer but also seal and exhibit indeed the inward spiritual grace which they outwardly promise and represent and to this end Baptism is called the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost and the Lord's Supper The Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Were this truth believed the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper would be oftener and with greater revereâ—ce received VIII The last and not the least block whereat Piety stumbleth in the course of Religion is by adorning Vices with the names of
the Scriptures of above three or four whom roaring Despair overthrew but secure Presumption hath sent millions to perdition without any noise As therefore the Damosels of Israel sang in their Dances Saul hath killed his thousands and David his ten thousands so may I say that despair of God's mercy hath damned thousands but the presumption of God's mercy hath damned ten thousands and sent them quick to Hell where now they remain in eternal torments without all help or ease or hope of redemption God spared the Thief but not his fellow God spared one that no Man might despair God spared but one that no Man should presume Joyful assurance to a Sinner that repents no comfort to him that remains impenitent God is infinite in mercy but to them only who turn from their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. To keep thee therefore from the hinderance of presumption remember that as Christ is a Saviour so Moses is an Accuser Live therefore as though there were no Gospel die as though there were no Law Pass thy life as though thou wert under the conduct of Moses depart this life as if thou knewest none but Christ and him crucified Presume not if thou wilt not perish Repent if thou wilt be saved The fifth hinderance of Pieâ—y 5. Evil company commonly term'd good fellows but indeed the Devil 's chief instruments to hinder a wretched Sinner from repentance and Piety The first sign of God's favour to a Sinner is to give him grace to forsake evil companions such who wilfully continue in sin contemn the means of their Calling gibing at the sincerity of profession in others and shaming Christian Religion by their own prophane lives These sit in the seat of the scorners For as soon as God admits a sinner to be one of his People he bids him Come out of Babylon Every lewd company is a Babylon out of which let every child of God either keep himself or if he be in think that he hears his Father's voice sounding in his ears Come out of Babylon my child As soon as Christ looked in mercy upon Peter he went out of the company that was in the High-Priest's Hall and wept bitterly for his offence David vowing upon recovery a new life said Away from me all ye workers of iniquity c. As if it were impossible to become a new man till he had shaken off all old ill Companions The truest proof of a man's Religion is the quality of his companions Prophane companions are the chief enemies of Piety and quellers of holy motions Many a time is poor Christ offering to be new born in thee thrust into the Stable when these lewd companions by their drinking plays and jests take up all the best Rooms in the Inn of thy heart Oh let not the company of earthly sinners hinder thee from the Society of heavenly Saints and Angels The sixth hindrance of Piety 6. A conceited fear least the practice of Piety should make a Man especially a young Man to wax too sad and pensive whereas indeed none can better joy nor have more cause to rejoyce than pious and religious Christians For as soon as they are justified by faith they have peace with God than which there can be no greater joy Besides they have already the Kingdom of grace descended into their hearâ—s as an assurance that in God's good time they shall ascend into his Kingdom of glory This Kingdom of grace consists in three things First Righteousness for having Christ's righteousness to justifie them before God they endeavour to live righteously before men Secondly Peace for the peace of conscience inseparably followeth a righteous conversation Thirdly the joy of the Holy Ghost which joy is only felt in the peace of a good conscience and is so great that it passeth all understanding No tongue can express it no heart can conceive it but only he that feels it This is that fulness of joy which Christ promised his Disciples in the midst of their troubles a joy that no man could take from them The feeling of this joy David upon his repentance begged so earnestly at the hands of God Restore me to the joy of thy salvation And if the Angels in Heaven rejoyce so much at the conversion of a sinner the joy of a sinner converted must needs be exceeding great in his own heart It is worldly sorrow that snows so timely upon men's heads and fills the furrows of their hearts with the sorrows of death The godly sorrow of the Godly when God thinks it meet to try them causeth in them repentance not to be repented of for it doth but further their salvation and in all such tribulation they shall be sure to have the Holy Ghost to be their Comforter who will make our consolation to abound through Christ as the sufferings of Christ shall abound in us but whilest a man liveth in impiety he hath no peace saith Esay his laughter is but madness saith Solomon his riches are but clay saith Habbakkuk nay the Apostle accounts them no better than dung in comparison of the pious man's treasure all his joys shall end in woes saith Christ. Let not therefore this false fear hinder thee from the practice of Piety Better it is to go sickly with Lazarous to Heaven than full of mirth and pleasure with Dives to Hell Better it is to mourn for a time with men than to be tormented for ever with Devils The seventh hindrance of Piety 7. And lastly the hope of long life for were it possible that a wicked liver thought this year to be his last year this month his last month this week his last week but that he would change and amend his wicked life no verily he would use the best means to repent and to become a new man But as the rich man in the Gospel promised himself many years to live in mirth ease and fulness when he had not one night to live longer so many wicked Epicures falsly promise themselves the age of many years when the thread of their life is already almost drawn out to an end So Jeremy ascribes the cause of the Jews sins and calamities to this that she remembered not her last end The longest space betwixt a man's coming by the womb and going by the grave is but short for man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live He hath but a few days and those full of nothing but troubles And except the Practice of Piety how much better is the state of the child that yesterday was baptized and to day is buried than Methusalem's who lived nine hundred sixty nine years and then died of the two happier the Babe because he had less sin and fewer sorrows And what now remains of both but
that God should forget to save thee in thy death who art so unmindful now to serve him in thy life the fear of Death will drive many at that time to cry Lord Lord but Christ protesteth that he will not then know them for his Yea many shall then like Esau with tears seek to repent and yet find no place of repentance For Man hath not free-will to repent when he will but when God will give him grace And if Mercy shewed her self so inexorable that she would not open her gates to so tender suitors as Virgins to so earnest suitors as kneâ—kers because they knocked too late How thinkest thou that she will ever suffer thee to enter her gates being so impure a wretch that nâ—ver thinkest to leave sin till sin first leaveth thee and didst never yet knock with thine own fists upon the breasts of a penitent heart and justly doth her grace deny to open the gates of Heaven when thou knockest in thine adversity who in thy prosperity wouldest not suffer Christ whilst he knocked to enter in at the door of thy heart Trust not either late repentance or long life not late repentance because it is much to be feared lest that the repentance which the fear of Death enforceth dies with a man dying And the Hypocrite who deceived others in his life may deceive himself in his death God accepteth none but free-will offerings and the repentance that pleaseth him must be voluntary and not of constraint Not long life for old age will fall upon the neck of youth and as nothing is more sure than Death so nothing is more uncertain than the time of dying Yea often times when ripeness of sin is hastened by outragiousness of sinning God suddenly cutteth off such vicious livers either with the sword intemperateness luxury surfeit or some other fearful manner of sickness Mayst thou not see that it is the evil spirit that persuades thee to deferr thy repentance till old Age when experience tells thee that not one of a thousand that takes thy course doth ever attain unto it Let Goa's holy Spirit move thee not to give thy self any longer to eat and drink with the drunken lest thy master send death for thee in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an hour that thou art not aware of and so suddenly cut thee off and appoint thee thy portion with the hâ—pocrites where shall be weeping aâ—d gnashing of teeth But if thou lovest long life fear God and long for life everlasting The longest life here when it is come to the Period will appear to have been but as a tale that is told a vanishing vapour a flitting shadow a seeming dream a glorious flower growing and flourishing in the morning but in the evening cut down and withered or like a Weavers shuttle which by winding here and there swiftly unwinded it self to an end It is but a moment saith St. Paul O then the madness of Man that for a moment of sinful pleasure will hazard the loss of an Eternal weight of glory These are the seven chief hinderers of Piety which must be cast out like Mary Magdalen 's seven Devils before ever thou canst become a true Practicer of Piety or have any sound hope to enjoy either favour from Christ by grace or fellowship with him in glory The Conclusion TO conclude all for as much as thou seest that without Christ thou art but a slave of sin Death's Vassal and Worms Meat whose thoughts are vain whose deeds are vile whose pleasures have scarce beginnings whose miseries never know end what wise Man would incurr these helâ—ish torments tho' he might by living in sin purchase to himself for a time the Empire of Augustus the riches of Croesus the pleasures of Solomon the policy of Achitophel the voluptuous fair and fine apparel of Dives for what should it avail a Man as our Saviour saith to win the whole world far a time and then to lose his soul in hell for ever And seeing that likewise thou seest how great is thy happiness in Christ and how vain are the hindrances that debar thee from the same bâ—ware as the Apostle exhorteth of the deceitfulness of sin For that sin which seems now to be so pleasing to thy corrupt nature will one day prove the bitterest enemy to thy distressed soul and in the mean while harden unawares thine impenitent heart Sin as a Serpent seems beautiful to the eye but take heed of the sting behind whose venomous Effects if thou knewest thou wouldest as carefully fly from sin as from a Serpent For 1. Sin did never any Man good and the more sin a Man hath committed the more odious he hath made himself to God the more hateful to all good Men. 2. Sin brought upon thee all the evil crosses losses disgraces and sicknesses that ever befel thee Fools saith David by reason of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted Jeremy in lamenting manner asketh the question Wherefore is the living man sorrowful The Holy Ghost answereth him Man suffereth for his sin Hereupon the Prophet takes up that doleful out-cry against sin as the cause of all their miseries Wo now unto us that ever we have sinned 3 If thou dost not speedily repent thee of thy sins they will bring upon thee yet far greater plagues losses crosses shame and judgments than ever hitherto befel thee Read Levit. 26. ver 18 c. Deut. 28 15 c. 4. And lastly if thou wilt not cast off thy sin God when the measure of thine iniquity is full will cast thee off for thy sin for as he is just so he hath power to kill and cast into hell all hardened and impenitent sinners If therefore thou wilt avoid the cursed effects of sin in this life and the eternal wrath due thereto in the world to come and be assured that thou art not one of those who are given over to a reprobate sense Let then O sinner my counsel be acceptable unto thee break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy towards the poor O let there at length be an healing of thine error Nathan used but one Parable and David was converted Jonas preached but once to Nineveh and the whole City repented Christ looked but once on Peter and be went out and wept bitterly And now that thou art oft and so lovingly intreated not by a Prophet but by Christ the Lord of Prophets yea that God himself by his Embassadors doth pray thee to be reconciled unto him leave off thine adultery with David repent of thy sins like a true Ninevite and whilst Christ looketh in mercy upon thee leave thy wicked companions and weep bitterly for thine offences Content not thy self with that formal Religion which unregenerated Men have framed to themselves instead of
their sins and that they might be found ready at the coming of Christ. And how that David was not concent to pray at Morning at Evening and at Noon but he would also rise up at midnight to pray unto God And if Christ did chide his Disciples because they would not watch with him one hour in praying what chiding dost thou deserve who thinkest it too long to continue in prayer but one quarter of an hour If thou hast spent divers hours in seeing a vain Mask or Play yea whole days and nights in carding and dicing to please thy flesh be ashamed to think a Prayer of a quarter of an hour long to be too long an exercise for the service of God 5. Consider that if the Papists in their blind superstition do in an unknown and therefore unedifying Tongue fit only for the Children of mystical Babylon mutter over upon their Beads every morning and evening so many scores of Ave-Maries Pater-Nosters and idolatrous prayers how shall they in their superstitious devotion rise up in judgment against thee professing thy self to be a true worshipper of Christ If that thou thinkest these Prayers to be too long a task being shorter for quantity than theirs but far more profitable for quality tending only to God's glory and thy good and so compiled of Scripture phrase as that thou may'st speak to God as well in his own holy words as in thine own native language Be ashamed that Papists in their superstitious worshipping of creatures should shew themselves more devout than thou in the sincere worshipping of the true and only God And indeed a prayer in private devotion should be one continued speech rather than many broken fragments 6. Lastly When such thoughts come into thy head either to keep thee from prayer or to distract thee in praying remember that those are the Fowls which the evil one sends to devour the good seed and the carcases of thy spiritual Sacrifices but endeavour with Abraham to drive them away Yet notwithstanding if thou perceivest at some times that thy spirits are dull and thy mind not apt for Prayer and holy devotion strive not too much for that time but humbling thy self at the sense of thine infirmity and dulness knowing that God accepteth the willing mind tho' it be oppressed with the heaviness of the flesh endeavour the next time to recompence this dulness by redoubling the zeal and for the time present commend thy soul to God in this or the like short Prayer Another shorter Morning Prayer O Most gracious God and merciful Father I thine unworthy Servant do here acknowledge that as I have been born in sin so I have lived in iniquity and broken every one of thy Commandments in thought word and deed following the desires of mine own will and lusts of my flesh not caring to be governed by thy holy Word and Spirit and therefore I have justly deserved all shame and misery in this life and everlasting condemnation in hell-fire if thou shouldest but deal with me according to thy Justice and my desert Wherefore O heavenly Father I beseech thee for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the Merits of that bitter Death and bloody Passion which I believe that he hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and deliver me from the shame and vengeance which is due to me for them And send thy Holy Spirit into my heart which may assure me that thou art my Father and that I am thy Child and that thou lovest me with an unchangeable love and let the same thy good Spirit lead me in thy truth and crucifie in me more and more all worldly and carnal lusts that my sins may more and more die in me and that I may serve thee in unfeigned righteousness and holiness this day and all the days of my life That when this mortal life is ended I may through thy mercy in CHRIST be made partaker of everlasting glory in thy heavenly Kingdom And here O Lord from the bottom of my heart I thank thee for all thy blessings which thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for electing me in thy love redeeming me by thy Son sanctifying me by thy Spirit and preserving me from my youth up until this present day and hour by thy most gracious providence I thaâ—k thee more especially for that thou hast defended me this night from all perils and dangers and hast brought me safe to the beginning of this day And now good Lord I beseech thee keep me this day from all evil that may hurt me and from falliâ—g into any gross sin that should offend thee Set thy fear before mine eyes and let thy spirit so rule my heart that all that I shall think do or speak this day may tend to thy glory the good of others and the peace of mine own conscience And to this end I commend my self and all my ways and actions together with all that do belong unto me unto thy gracious direction and protection praying thee to keep both them and me from all evil and to give a blessing to all our honest labours and endeavours Defend thy whole Church from the tyranny of the world and of Antichrist Preserve our gracious King from all conspiracies and treasons grant him a long and prosperous reign over us Bless our gracious Queen Mary Prince Charles the Lady Maâ—â— the Lady Elizabeth and her Princely â—â—sue endue them with thy grace and defend them from all evil Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with those graces and gifts which thou knowest necessary for their places Be favourable to all that fear thee and tremble at thy judgments comfort all those that are sick and comfortless Lord keep me in a continual readiness by faith and repentance â—or my last end that whether I live or die I may be found thine own to thine eternal glory and mine everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ my only Saviour In whose blessed name I beg these mercies at thy hands and give unto thee thy praise and glory in that praâ—er which he hath sanctifyed with his own lips saving Our Father which art in Heaven hallâ—â—â—d be thy Name c. Further Meditations to stir us up to Prayer in the Morning THink not any business or haste though never so great a sufficient excuse to omit prayer in the Morning but meditate 1. That the greater thy business is by so much the more need thou hast to pray for God's good speed and blessing thereon seeing it is certain that nothing can prosper without his blessing 2. That many a Man when he thought himself surest hath been soonest crossed so maist thou 3. That many a Man hath gone out of his door and never come in again Many a Man who rose well and lively in the morning hath been seen a dead Man ere night So may it befal thee and if thou
the compass of thy calling distrust not God's Providence tho' thou see the means either wanting or weak And if means do offer themselves be sure that they be lawful and having gotten lawful means take heed that thou rely not more upon them than upon God himself Labour in a lawful calling is God's ordinary means by which he blesseth his children with outwards things Pray therefore for God's blessing upon his own means In earthly business bear an heavenly mind do thou thy best endeavour and commit the whole success to the fore-ordaining wisdom of Almighty God Never think to thrive by those means which God hath accursed That will not in the end prove gain which is gotten with the loss of thy Soul In all therefore both actions and means endeavour with Paul to have alway a clear conscience towards God and towards men Look to your selves what conscience ye have For conscience shall damn and conscience shall save 4. Love all good things for God's sake but God for his own sake Whilst thou holdest God thy friend thou needest not fear who is thine enemy for either God will make thine enemy to become thy friend or will bridle him that he cannot hurt thee No man is overthrown by his enemy unless that first his sin have prevailed over him and God hath left him to himself he that would therefore be safe from the fear of his enemies and live still in the favour of his God let him redeem the folly of the time past with serious repentance look to the time present with religious diligence and take heed to the time to come with careful providence 5. Give every man the honour due to his place but honour a man more for his goodness than for his greatness And of whomsoever thou hast received a benefit unto him as God shall enable thee remember to be thankful Acknowledge it lovingly unto Men and pray for him heartily unto God and count every blessing received from God as a pledge of his eternal love and a spur to a godly life 6. Be not proud for any external worldly goods nor for any internal spiritual gifts Not for external goods because that as they came lately so they will shortly be gone again their loss therefore is the less to be grieved at Not for any internal gifts for as God gave them so will he likewise take them away if forgetting the giver thou shalt abuse his gifts to puff up thine heart with a pride of thine own worth and contemn others for whose good Almighty God bestowed those gifts upon thee Hast thou any one vertus that moves thee to be self-conceited thou hast twenty vices that may better vilisie thee in thine own eyes Be the same in the sight of God who beholds thy heart that thou seemest to be in the eyes of Men that see thy face Content not thy self with an outward good nâ—mè when thy Conscience shall inwardly tell thee it is undeserved and therefore none of thine A deserved good name for any thing but for godliness lasts little and is less worth In all the holy Scriptures I never read of an Hypocrite's repentance and no wonder for whereas after sin conversion is left as a means to cure all other sinners what means remain to recover him who hath converted conversion it self into sin Wo therefore unto the Soul that is not and yet still seemeth religious 7. Mark the fearful ends of notorious evil Men to abhor their wicked actions mark the life of the godly that thou maist imitate it and his blessed end that it may comfort thee Obey thy betters observe the wise accompany the honest and love the religious And seeing the corrupt nature of man is prone to hypocrisie beware that thou use not the exercise of Religion as matters of course and custom without care and conscience to grow more holy and devout thereby Observe therefore how by the continual use of God's means thou feelest thy special corruptions weakened and thy sanctification more and more encreased and make no more shew of holiness outwardly to the world than thou hast in the sight of God inwardly in thine heart 8. Endeavour to rule those who live under thine authority rather by love than by fear for to rule by love is easie and safe but tyranny is ever accompanied with care and terror Oppression will force the oppressed to take any advantage to shake off the Yoke that they are not able to bear neither will God's Justice suffer the sway that is grounded on Tyranny long to continue Remember that tho' by humane ordinance they serve thee yet by a more peculiar right they are God's servants Yea now being Christians not as thy servants but above servants brethren beloved in the Lord. Rule therefore over Christians being a Christian in love and mercy like Christ thy Master 9. Remember that of all actions none makes a Magistrate more like God whose Vice-gerent he is than doing Justice justly For the due execution whereof First have ever an open ear to the just complaints of unjust dealings Secondly so lend one ear to the Accuser as that thou keep the other for the accused for he that decreeth for either part before both be heard the decree may be just but himself is unjust Thirdly in hearing both parts incline not to the right-hand of affection or to the left of hatred as to believe arguments of perswasion for a friend before arguments concluding for a foe Fourthly deny not Justice which is Regia mensura to the meanest Subject but let the Cause of the poor and needy come in equal balance with the rich and mighty If thou perceivest on the one side in a cause the high hills of cunning advantage powerful combination and violent prosecution and on the other side the low valleys of poverty simplicity and desolation prepare thy way as God doth to judgment by raising Valleys and taking down Hills equally inequality that so thou maist lay the Foundation of thy sentence upon an even ground In matters of right and wrong 'twixt party and party let thy Conscience be careful rather Jus dicere to pronounce the Law that is made secundùm allegata probata than Jus dare to make a Law of thine own upon the authority of sic volo si jubeo fearing that fearful Malediction Cursed be he that removeth his Neighbour's Land-Mark In Trials of Life and Death let Judges like Elohim in justice remember mercy and so cast the severe Eye of Justice upon the Fact as that they look with the pitiful eye of Mercy upon the Malefactor wresting the favour of Law to the favour of Life where Grace promiseth amendment but if Justice requireth that one rather than unity must perish and that a rotten member must be cut off to save the whole body from putrefying
day 5. Praying for rest and protection that night 6. Remembering the state of the Church the King and the Royal Posterity our Ministers and Magistrates and all our Brethren visited or persecuted 7. Lastly commending thy self and all thine to his gracious custody All which thou maist do in these or the like words A Prayer for the Evening O Most gracious God and loving Father who art about my bed and knowest my down-lying and mine up-rising and art near unto all that call upon thee in truth and sincerity I wretched sinner do beseech thee to look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy and not to behold me as I am in my self For then thou shalt see but an unclean and defiled creature conceived in sin and living in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift up mine eyes to heaven knowing how grievously I have sinned against heaven and before thee For O Lord I have transgressed all thy Commandments and righteous Laws not only through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through willful presumption contrary to my knowledge yea contrary to the motions of thy Holy spirit reclaiming me from them so that I have wounded my conscience and grieved thy Holy Spirit by whom thou hast sealed me to the day of redemption Thou hast consecrated my soul and body to be the temples of the Holy Ghost I wretched sinner have defiled both with all manner of pollution and uncleanness My eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanity mine ears in hearing impure and unchaste speeches my tongue in leasing and evil speaking my hands are so full of impurity that I am ashamed to lift them up unto thee and my feet have carried me after mine own ways my understanding and reasoning which are so quick in all earthly matters are only blind and stupid when I come to meditate or discourse of spiritual and heavenly things my memory which should be the treasury of all goodness is not so apt to remember any thing as those things which are vile and vain Yea Lord by woful experience I find that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of mine heart are only evil continually And these my sins are more in number than the hairs upon mine head and they have grown over me like a loathsom leprosie that from the Crown of my head to the sole of my feet there remains no part which they have not infected They make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more abominable must I then appear in thy sight And the custom of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sin and pulled upon me such dullness of sense and hardness of heart that thy judgments denounced against my sins by the faithful Preachers of thy Word do not terrifie me to return unto thee by unfeigned repentance for them And if thou Lord shouldest but deal with me according to thy justice and my desert I should utterly be confounded and condemned But seeing that of thine infinite mercy thou hast spared me so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the bitter death and bloody passion sake which Jesus Christ hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto me all my sins and offences and open unto me that ever streaming fountain of the blood of Christ which thou hast promised to open under the New Testament to the penitent of the house of David that all my sins and uncleanness may be so bathed in his blood buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they may never be more seen to shame me in this life or to condemn me before thy Judgment-seat in the World which is to come And for as much O Lord as thou know'st that it is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert and seeing that it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to bid me to be such O my God give me grace to do what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt and thou shalt find me willing to do thy blessed will And to this end give unto me thine Holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give to the world's end unto all thine Elect people And let the same thy holy Spirit purge my heart heal my corruption sanctifie my nature and consecrate my soul and body that they may become the temples of the Holy Ghost to serve thee in righteousness and holiness all the days of my life that when by the direction and assistance of thy holy Spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may chearfully leave this world and resign my soul into thy Fatherly hands in the assured confidence of enjoying everlasting life with thee in thine heavenly Kingdom which thou hast prepared for thine elect Saints who love the Lord Jesus and expect his appearing In the mean while O Father I beseech thee let thy holy Spirit work in me such a serious repentance as that I may with tears lament my sins past with grief of heart be humble for my sins present and with all mine endeavour resist the like filthy sins in time to come And let the same thy holy Spirit likewise keep me in the Vnity of thy Church lead me in the truth of thy Word and preserve me that I never swerve from the same to Popery nor any other errour or false worship And let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may daily defend thy truth and set forth thy praise Increase in me those good gifts which of thy mercy thou hast already bestowed upon me and give unto me a patient spirit a chast heart a contented mind pure affections wise behaviour and all other graces which thou feest to be necessary for me to govern my heart in thy fear and to guide all my life in thy favour that whether I live or die I may live and die unto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render unto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thanks for all those blessings and benefits which so graciously and plentuously thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for this life and for that which is to come namely for mine Election Creation Redemption Vocation Justification Sanctification and Preservation from my child-hood until this present day and hour and for the firm hope which thou hast given me of my Glorification Likewise for my health wealth food raiment and prosperity and more especially for that thou hast defended me this day now past from all perils and dangers both of body and soul furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of And as thou hast ordained the day for
the Creation the first day wherein it was finished was consecrated for a Sabbath so in the time of Redemption the first day wherein it was perfected must be dedicated to a holy rest but still a seventh day kept according to God's moral Commandment The Jews kept the last day of the week beginning their Sabbath with the night when God rested but Christians honour the Lord better on the first day of the week beginning the Sabbath with the day when the Lord arose They kept their Sabbath in remembrance of the World's Creation but Christians celebrate it in memorial of the World's Redemption yea the Lord's-day being the first of the Creation and Redemption puts us in mind both of the making of the old and redeeming of the new World As therefore under the old Testament God by the glory consisting of seven Lamps seven Branches c. put them in remembrance of the Creation Light and Sabbath's â—est So under the New Testament Christ the true light of the world appeareth in the midst of the 7 lampâ— and seven golden candle-sticks to put us in minâ— to honour our Redeemer in in the light of the Gospel of the Lord's seventh day of rest And seeing the Redemption both for might and mercy so fâ—r exceedeth the Câ—cation it stood with great reason thee the greater work should carry the honour of the day Neither doth he honourable title of the Lord's-day diminish the glory of the Sabbath but rather being added augments the dignity thereof as the name of Israel added unto Jacob made the Patriarch the more renowned The reason taken from the example of God's resting from the work of the Creation of the World continued in force till the Son of God ceased from the work of the Redemption of the World and then the former gave place to the latter 4. Because it was foretold in the Old Testament that the Sabbath should be kept under the New Testament on the first-day of the week For first in the 110 Psalm which is a Prophecy of Christ and his Kingdom it is plainly foretold that there should be a solemn day of assembling wherein all Christ's people should willingly come together in the beauty of holiness Insomuch that no rain of peace shall be upon those Families that in the feast will not go up to Jerusalem the Church to worship the King the Lord of hosts Now on what day this holy Feast and Assembly should be kept David sheweth plainly in Psal. 118 which was a prophecy of Christ as appears Mat. 21. 42 Acts 4. 11. Ephes. 2. 20. as also by the consent of all the Jews as Jerom witnesseth For shewing how Christ by his ignominious death should be as a stone rejected of the Builders or chief Rulers of Judea and yet by his glorious Resurrection should become the chief stâ—ne of the Corner he wisheth the whole Church to keep holy that day whereupon Christ should effect this wonderful work saying This is the day which the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it And seeing that upon this day that which Peter saith of Christ appeareth to be true That God made him both Lord and Christ Acts 2. 36. therefore the whole Church under the New Testament must celebrate the day of Christ's Resurrection Rabby Bachay also saw by the fall of Adam on the sixth day that on the same day the Messias should finish the work of man's redemption And alluding to the speech of Boaz to Ruth sleep unto the Morning that Messias should rest in his grave all their Sabbath-day And he gathereth from that speech Gen. 1. on the first day Let their be light that the Messias should rise on the first day of the week from death to life and cause the spiritual light of the Gospel to enlighten the World that lay in the shadow of darkness and death The Hebrew Author of the Book called Sedar Olam Rabbi cap. 7. recordeth many memorable things which were done upon the first day of the week as so many Types that the chief worship of God should under the New Testament be celebrated upon this day As that on this day the cloud of God's Majesty first sate upon his people Aaron and his Children first executed their Priesthood God first solemnly blessed his people The Princes of his people first offered publickly unto God The first day wherein fire descended from heaven The first day of the World of the Year of the Month of the week c. All shadowing that it should be the first and chief holy-day of the New Testament St. Augustine proveth by divers places and reasons out of the holy Scripture that the Fathers and all the holy Prophets under the Old Testament did foresee and know that our Lord's-day was shadowed by their eighth day of Circumcision And that the Sabbath should be changed from the seventh day to the eighth or first day of the week And Junius out of Cyprian saith that Circumcision was commanded on the eighth day as a Sacrament of the eighth day when Christ should arise from the dead The Council Foro-Juliense affirms That Esay prophesied of the keeping of the Sabbath upon the first day of the week If this Mystery was so clearly seen by the Fathers under the shadows of the Old Testament sure the God of this World hath deeply blinded their minds who cannot see the Truth thereof under the shining light of the Gospel Therefore this change of the Sabbath-day under the New was nothing but a fulfilling of that which was prefigured and fore-prophesied under the Old Testament 5. According to their Lord's Mind and Commandment and the direction of the Holy Ghost which alway assisted them in their Ministerial Office the Apostles in all the Christian Churches which they planted ordained that the Christians should keep the holy Sabbath upon that seventh Day which is the first Day of the week Concerning the gathering for the Saints as I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia so do ye also Every first-day of the week c. When ye come together in the Church being the Lord's-day to eat the Lord's-Supper to remember and shew the Lord's death till he come c. In which words note 1. That the Apostle ordained this Day to be kept holy therefore a divine Institution 2. That the Day is named the first-day of the week therefore not the Jewish seventh or any other 3. Every first-day of the week which sheweth a perpetuity 4. That it was ordained in the Churches of Galatia as well as of Corinth and he settled one uniform order in all the Churches of the Saints therefore it was universal 5. That the exercises of this day were Collections for the poor which appears by Acts 2. 42. and Justin Martyr's testimony Apolog. 2. which were gathered in the holy Assembly after Prayer preaching of the Word and Administration of the Sacraments therefore it
thou hast and a supply of those which thou wantest But especially pray that thou maist have Grace to hear the word of God read and preached with profit and that thou maist receive the holy Sacrament with comfort if it be Communion day that God by his Holy Spirit would assist the Preacher to speak something that may kill thy sin and comfort thy soul which thou maist do in this or the like sort A morning Prayer for the Sabbath-day O Lord most high O God eternal all whose works are glorious and whose thoughts are very deep there can be no better thing than to praise thy Name and to declare thy loving kindness in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day For it is thy Will and Commandment that we should sanctiâ—ie this day in thy service and praise and in the thankful remembrance as of the creation of the world by the power of thy Word so of the redemption of Mankind by the death of thy Son Thine O Lord I confess is greatness and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in heaven and earth is thine Thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou excellest as head over all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to give grace unto all Now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I a wretched sinner having so many ways provoked thy Majesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy favour and goodness passing by my prophaneness and infirmities hast vouchsafed to add this Sabbath again unto the number of my days And vouchsafe O heavenly Father for the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son whose glorious resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgive me all my sins and misdeeds Especially O Lord cleanse my soul from those filthy sins with the blood of thy most pure and undefiled Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world And let thy Holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine own Image to serve thee in newness of life and holiness of conversation And as of thy mercy thou hast brought me to the beginning of this blessed day so I do beseech thee make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinful Soul and thy Divine Majesty Give me grace to make it a day of Repentance unto thee that thy goodness may seal iâ— to be a day of pardon unto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this day is a Commandment which thine own finger hath written That on this day I might meditate on thy glorious works of our Creation and Redemption and learn how to know and to keep all the rest of thy holy Laws and Commandments And when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appear before thy Presence in thy House to offer unto thee our Morning Sacrifice of praise and Prayer and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto thy servant Oh let not my sins stand as a Cloud to stop my Prayers from ascending unto thee or to keep back thy grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to think that three parts of the good seed falls upon bad ground O let not my heart be like the high-way which through hardness and want of true understanding receives not the seed till the evil one cometh and catcheth it away nor like to the stony ground which heareth with joy for a time but falleth away as soon as persecution ariseth for the Gospel's sake nor like the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and makes it altogether unfruitful but thâ—t like unto the good ground I may hear thy Word with an honest and good heart understand it and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Wisdom shall think meet for thy glory and mine everlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the door of utterance unto thy faithful servant whom thou hast sent unto us to open our Eyes that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that we may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ. And give me grace to submit my self unto his Ministery as well when he terriâ—ieth me with judgments as when he comforteth me with thy Mercies And that I may have him in singular love for his works sake because he watcheth for my soul as he that must give an account for the same unto his Master And give me grace to behave my self in the holy Congregation with comeliness and reverence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keep me from drowsiness and sleeping and from all wandring thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my Memory that it may be apt to receive and firm to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught unto us out of thy Word And that through the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may put the same Lessons in practice for my direction in Prosperity for my consolation in Misery for the amendment of my Life and the glory of thy Name And that this day which godless and prophane Persons spend in their own Lusts and Pleasures I as one of thy obedient Servants may make my chief delight to consecrate to thy glory and honour not doing mine own ways nor seeking mine own will nor speaking a vain word but that ceasing from the works of sin as well as from the works of mine ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feel in my heart the beginning of that eternal Sabbath which in unspeakable joy and glory I shall celebrate with Saints and Angels to thy praise and worship in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore All which I humbly crave at thy hands in the name and mediation of my Lord Jesus in that form of Prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. Having thus in private prepared thine own soul if thou hasâ— the charge of a Family call all thy Houshold together read a Chapter and pray as in the week-days but remember so to dispatch these private preparations and duties as that thou and thy family may be in the Church before the beginning of Prayers Else your private exercises are rather an hindranâ—e than a preparation And as thou and thy Houshold do go in all reverence towards the Church let every one meditate thus with himself Things to be meditated as thou goest to the Church 1. That thou art going to the Court of the Lord and to speak with the great God by prayer and to hear his Majesty speak unto
grace and mercy Yea we read of many in the Gospel that by sicknesses and afflictions were driven to câ—me unto Christ who if they had had health and prosperity as others would have like others neglected or contemn'd their Saviour and never have sought unto him for his saving health and grace For as the Ark of Noah the higher it was tossed with the Flood the nearer it mounted towards Heaven so the sanctified Soul the more it is exercised with affliction the nearer it is lifted towards God O blessed is that Cross that draweth a sinner to come upon the knees of his heart unto Christ to confess his own misery and to implore his endless mercy Oh blessed ever blessed be that Christ that never refuseth the sinner that cometh unto him though weather-driven by affliction and misery 7. Affliction worketh in us pity and compassion towards our fellow brethren that be in distress and misery whereby we learn to have a fellow-feeling of their Calamities and to condole their estate as if we suffer'd with them And for this cause Christ himself would suffer and be tempted in all things like unto us sin only excepted that he might be a merciful High Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities For none can so heartily bemoan the misery of another as he who first suffered himself the same affliction Hereupon a Sinner in misery may boldly say unto Christ Non ignare mali miseris succurito Christe Our frailty sith O Christ thou didst perceive Condole our state who still in frailty cleave 8. God useth our sicknesses and afflictions as means and examples both to manifest unto others the faith and vertues which he hath bestowed upon us as also to strengthen those who have not received so great a measure of Faith as we For there can be no greater encouragement to a weak Christian than behold a true Professor in the extreamest sickness of his Body supported with greater patience and consolation in his Soul And the comfortable and blessed departure of such a man will arm him against the fear of death and assure him that the hope of the godly is a far more precious thing than that flesh and blood can understand or mortal eyes behold in this vale of misery And were it not that we did see many of those whom we know to be the undoubted Children of God to have endured such afflictions and calamities before us the greatness of the miseries and crosses which oft-times we endure would make us doubt whether we be the Children of God or no. And to this purpose St. James saith God made Job and the Prophets an example of suffering adversity and of long patience 9. By afflictions God makes us conformable to the Image of Christ his Son who being the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through sufferings And therefore he first bare the Cross in shame before he was crowned with glory and did first taste gall before he did eat the honey-comb and was first derided King of the Jews by the Soldiers in the High-Priests Hall before he was saluted King of Glory by the angels in his Father's Court. And the more lively our Heavenly Father shall perceive the Image of his natural Son to appear in us the better he will love us and when we have for a time born his likeness in his sufferings and fought and overcome we shall be crowned by Christ and with Christ sit on his Throne and of Christ receive the precious white Stone and morning Star that shall make us shine like Christ for ever in his Glory 10. Lastly That the godly may be humbled in respect of their own state and misery and God glorified by delivering them out of their Troubles and Afflictions when they call upon him for his help and succour For though there be no Man so pure but if the Lord will straitly mark Iniquities he shall find in him just cause to punish him for his sin yet the Lord in mercy doth not always in the affliction of his Children respect their sins but sometimes layeth afflictions and crosses upon them for his glories sake Thus our Saviour Christ told his Disciples That the man was not born blind for his own or his Parents sin but that the work of God should be shewed on him So he told them likewise that Lazarus's sickness was not unto the death but for the glory of God O the unspeakable goodness of God which turneth those afflictions which are the shame and punishment due to our sins to be the subject of his honour and glory These are the blessed and profitable ends wherefore God sendeth sickness and affliction upon his Children whereby it may plainly appear that afflictions are not signs either of God's hatred or of our reprobation but rather tokens and pledges of his fatherly love unto his Children whom he loveth and therefore chasteneth them in this life where upon repentance there remains hope of pardon rather than to refer the punishment to that life where there is no hope of pardon nor end of punishment For this cause the Christians in the Primitive Church were wont to give God great thanks for afflicting them in this life So the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's Name Acts 5. 41. And the Christian Hebrews suffered with joy the spoiling of their goods knowing that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10. 34. And in respect of those holy Ends the Apostle saith That though no affliction for the present seemeth joyous but grievous yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness to them who are thereby exercised Pray therefore heartily that as God hath sent unto thee this sickness so it would please him to come himself unto thee with thy sickness by teaching thee to make those sanctified uses of it for which he hath inflicted the same upon thee Meditations for one that is recovered from Sickness IF God hath of his mercy heard thy Prayers and restored thee to thy health again consider with thy self 1. That thou hast now received from God as it were another life Spend it therefore to the honour of God in newness of life Let thy sin die with thy sickness but live thou by grace to holiness 2. Be not the more secure that thou art restored to health neither insult in thy self that thou hast escaped Death but think rather that God seeing how unprepared thou wast hath of his mercy heard thy Prayer spared thee and given thee some little longer time of respite that thou maist both amend thy life and put thy self in a better readiness against the time that he shall call for thee without further delay out of this World For though thou hast escaped this it may be thou shalt not escape the next sickness 3. Consider how fearful a reckoning