but mock thee How can I believe my sin odious while I embrace and cherish it How can I believe it kill'd thee while I make much of it How can I believe it drew Sweats of Blood from thee while I water it and keep it warm Oh! I am weary of this vain Belief Rid me of it Deliver me from it Let all my neighbours see that I believe these things indeed Let the World see by my Conversation that these things work upon me Oh! Let me not only believe these great things but live them over Come forth my dearest Lord and meet me No Man can come to thee but he whom thou drawest to thee Oh let me touch but the hem of thy Garment and I shall recover Let me so Believe in thee that it may appear thou livest in me that I may at last obtain the end of my Faith even the Salvation of my Soul Great Author and Finisher of my Faith hear me for thy Mercies sake Amen A Prayer for a lively Hope O Thou in whom my Fathers hoped They hoped in thee and thou didst deliver them Thou art all Goodness all Sweetness all Clemency Who would not hope in thee Thy Mercies bid me hope Thy Promises bid me hope and all thy Revelations bid me hope O thou Hope of Israel Here I am Here I lie prostrate before thy Face Here my Soul intends to breath out her desires O my Lord When will that happy day come that Glorious day which shall have no Night no Clouds no Darkness Thou hast spoke of it thy Prophets have seen Visions of it Thy Apostles have Declared it One was wrapt up above the Clouds to take a view of it The Son that came out of thy bosom hath assured me of it It is the bright day when I shall enter inter into thy Joy be made a Co-heir with Christ be cloathed in White shine as the Stars look upon thee and not be ashamed Thou hast promised it and shall not I hope for it Oh my Lord that seest me that art present with me and knowest my Heart my Sighs my Desires thou knowest I hope for it Oh let this Hope be lively let it be a Hope which may purify me even as God is pure Nay my very flesh shall rest in Hope and thou wilt not suffer my Body to see everlasting corruption Thou wilt raise me from the Dust at last All my Bones shall say Lord Who is like unto thee I know that my Redeemer lives and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth and though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my Flesh shall I see God whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold and not another and having this Hope O assist me O perswade me O prompt me to cleanse my self from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and to perfect Holiness in the fear of God Deck my Soul with Humility with Patience with Constancy that no Rods no Stripes no Prison no Torment no Shipwrack no perils of Waters no perils of Robbers no perils among my own Countrey-men no perils among Heathens no perils in the City no perils in the Wilderness no perils in the Sea no perils among false Brethren no weariness no painfulness no Watchings no Hunger no Thirst no Cold no Nakedness no Weakness no Infirmity no Honour or Dishonour no good Report or evil Report may discourage me from trusting in thee Though the Lord should kill me yet let me hope in him If in this Life only I have Hope in Christ I am of all Men most miserable The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this will I be confident for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle he shall hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock Thou art he that took me out of the Womb thou didst make me Hope when I was upon my Mothers Breasts O let it not be in the power of Men or Divels to shake this Hope Let it be my Anchor sure and stedfast which no Waves no Billows no Storms no Tempests can move Whatever evils befall me let me think they come from a Fathers Hand Let no prosperity no Sun-shine no Calmness no smiling Fortune subvert this Hope in my Soul Let me look upon all these outward Comforts as Vanity Vanity of Vanities which can give no Ease no Comfort no satisfaction to a Soul of a Spiritual Appetite Let me thirst after nothing so much as after thy Love as after Spiritual Blessings as after the hidden Manna as after the white Stone which no man knows save he who receives it I will not hope in any creature I will arise and depart for here is not my rest Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him He ony is my Rock and my Salvation he is my Defence I shall not be moved In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my Strength and my Refuge is in God Trust in him at all times ye People pour out your Hearts before him Thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong Tower from the Enemy From the end of the Earth will I cry unto thee when my Heart is overwhelm'd O my God my Goodness extends not to thee The Lord is the portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup thou maintainest my Lot Who was ever confounded that trusted in thee Who was ever forsaken that hoped in thee Who was ever despised that in good earnest called upon thee All Hail my dearest Lord my Hope I love thee I embrace thee I renounce all those lesser Goods which are in the World that I may make thee my highest and my chiefest Good It 's true Lord I am a sinner and have been a very ungrateful wretch The least of thy Mercies is more then I have deserved My very Righteousnesses have been as filthy Rags but I will not trust in my Bow neither is it my Sword that shall save me but thy Mercy O Lord thy Mercy and the palmes of thy Hands on which thou hast engraven my Name shall be my refuge I have no merits no deserts to trust to I can claim nothing as my Right all I am and all I have is thy Charity What Goodness there is in me is entirely owing to thy Grace and Compassion With this thou crownest me with this thou enrichest me with this thou anointest my Head that I may work in thy Vineyard and receive the Penny at night I confide not in my Works I depend not upon my Industry I
for the Temporal Gain and Profit his Hand sends me by consecrating some part of it to good uses nor must I be fond of that Profit which arises from undermining my neighbour I must not study the ease of my Flesh much but take opportunities to use it to some hardships that it may become more obedient to my Reason I must not stay at my sport so long as my sensual desires crave but use only so much of it as may render me serviceable to God and Man Consc. And dost thou verily believe that this is the way to Eternal Life Christ. Yes certainly for this is the way that the Primitive Believers walked in They did not think that Heaven was to be gained at a cheaper rate and why should I Thus did the Apostles thus did their Followers and without such Self-denial they thought there was no arriving to Happiness Besides this is most agreeable to the Precepts of the Gospel and why should I think that I may be-Saved another way then God himself hath appointed Consc. If thou art perswaded that this is the way Lord Why dost not thou set about it Why art thou so loth to come to it Why dost thou act so contrary to it when every moment thou art in danger of death and upon thy death there depends Eternity Christ. O this base this wicked World hinders me the ill examples of my careless Neighbours care of getting a livelyhood the many crosses and disappointments I meet with hopes of having more time hereafter the company I converse with the people I have to deal with fear of Want and the Calling and Condition I am in are such impediments I know not how to shake off Consc. Is it not possible to live in the World and to keep thy self unspotted from it If it be not live a Beggar rather live despised live contemptible live dis-regarded by all Men rather then not enter into these everlasting Joys Shall a pleasant sinful Life hinder thee from the everlasting enjoyment of God! Shall the fawnings or applauses of Men hinder thee from the Eternal applause of Angels Think if thou wert standing at the great Tribunal trembling at the Eternal horror thou art condemned too Think whether thou wouldst not wish that thou hadst lived in Caves and Holes poor destitute afflicted for a few years rather then have come to this miserable end Why should the examples of thy careless neighbors move thee when thou knowest there are but few that will be saved Canst not thou get a livelyhood except thou art rich and greedy after the glories of the World If thou canst but get Food and Raiment content thy self and that most certainly thou wilt get if thou art industrious in thy lawful Calling and darest but trust God Crosses Losses and Disappointments are necessary for thee to drive thee from Earth to Heaven and if all this while thou dost not lose thy Soul thou art safe enough Do but look upon thy Soul as worth more then a thousand Worlds and none of these things will deject thee Thy hopes of having time to repent hereafter is a meer cheat and if thou trust to that thou wilt never be saved A Spiritual life is a thing of labour and pains and circumspection and canst thou be so silly as to think a few careless Prayers at last will plant it in thee Alas These are childish reasonings The company thou conversest withal if they are thy bane must be shaken off whatever comes on 't There is no dallying in a thing of this consequence and if other men will poison themselves why shouldst thou Let the People thou dealest with be never so bad tha't 's no example for thee to follow If they are unreasonable why shouldst thou lose thy Wits and thy Salvation for their sakes If they cheat or abuse thee they do themselves more wrong then thee nor will thy fuming and fretting at them convert or bring them into a better temper Why shouldst thou be afraid of Want when thou doest not see a Bird starve or die for want of Food and can Want be grievous when the Author and Captain of thy Salvation was in want and his followers were so too and yet did live in Heaven Either thy Calling is honest or dishonest if dishonest and an inevitable occasion of sinning away with it and turn Ploughman or Servant rather then live in it If hohonest do not involve thy self in too much business for that will certainly hinder thee from frequent Prayer and Meditation and looking after the concerns of thy Soul and as for necessaries thy God will not suffer thee to want them Lift up thine Eyes look upon this World The greatest part of the Men thou seest will certainly be Eternally miserable Why shouldst thou venture with them Doest thou think that howling with them at last will give thee any comfort There is a prize put in thy hand Why shouldst thou slight it and lament thy contempt for ever Neglect not the present time Do not let this opportunity slip Thy God waits for thee Come in before the door be shut believe in good earnest and nothing will seem difficult Christ. I am convinced I yield I have nothing to say against all this Great God! Help me Draw me after thee and I will run Up up my lazy idle sleeping Soul Open thine Eyes put on Resolution wash away thy filth shake off thy prison Garments gird up thy Loins make haste run to God break the chains of Sin and present thy Heart to the living God Lift up thine Eyes Look into Heaven Listen with thine Ears view the Holy Angels hearken to their Hallelujah's chase away thy darkness cleanse thy self become an humble Spouse of the Lord Jesus Feed thy self with his Beauty Kiss him with the Lips of Faith make him thy Darling receive him into thy bosom Quench thy Thirst with his Blood Hold him fast Do not let him goe Sing his Praises Admire his Love Meet him by Repentance Keep him by Holy Fervours Honour his Name Dare to speak for him Be not ashamed of him Confess him before Men and he will confess thee before his Father and his Holy Angels PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS To be used Before and after Receiving of the Holy Sacrament OF THE LORDS SVPPER A Confession to be said by way of Preparation O Thou Great Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier of Men When I reflect upon my Life how contrary to thy Holy and wholsome I aws how unlike the Lives of thy Saints How unworthy of thy Mercies and Favours it hath been how can I forbear blushing How can I forbear prostrating my Self before Thee How can I forbear falling into the humblest postures my Soul and Body is capable of How have I abused thy Goodness How have I affronted thy Charity How have I trespassed upon thy Patience How have I resisted thy tender Calls How hast thou waited for me while I have been stubborn How hast thou courted me while I have been vain
the Characters How bloody were the Lines yet thy Blood makes them as white as snow O my Lord I hear thy words sharper then any two edged Sword and piercing to the dividing asunder of the Bones and Marrow I hear thy complaints I mean which broke the Rocks and shook the Earth and shall not my heart be moved at them For Thee the Son of God to cry out My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death Who can hear this Who can think of it and not stand confounded For Omnipotence to sink thus For infinite Perfection to faint thus For him that sate on the circle of the Earth and before whom all Nations were as Grashoppers for him thus to Swound thus to Weep thus to Mourn What could be the reason Oh thou Prince of Peace For the iniquity of thy People thou vast struck for the sins of the World thou didst suffer banishment and wast used as if thou hadst not been anointed with Oyl or been guilty of the crimes thy foes accused thee of The snares of death did encompass thee thy friends forsook thee and thy heritage like a Lion out of the Wood did roar against thee O my Bowels be ye troubled at this remembrance O my flinty Heart canst thou see thy Lord as it were crucified before thine eyes and not break out into floods of Tears O Jesu Thou cryest to thy Father and he hears thee not He seems to be cruel to his Son and deaf to thy lamentations The windows of Heaven seem to be shut and a vail to be drawn over all the Joys and Comforts and Consolations that formerly water'd and enrich'd thy Soul See how dry and barren and burnt up this precious Soil appears No showers from above come down no Sun shines upon it the Stars of Heaven with-hold their influence and scarce an Angel will stir to thy assistance O Thou who art all Glorious within and art thy self the Glory of the Universe Were my Sins laid in a ballance they would weigh heavier then the Sand on the Sea-shore and then what need I wonder that thou cryest so loud under the heavy load for the arrows of the Lord stick in thee and his hand presses thee sore O Blessed Nazarite whiter then Snow brighter then the Sky purer then the Sun How is thy Face disfigured with Grief How do thine Eyes languish How dismal dost thou appear Is this the Face that was the perfection of Beauty Is this the Face that was once the desire of all Nations Is this the Face which so many Prophets and Righteous Men have desired to see Is this the Face that Abraham long'd to behold and the Patriarchs were ambitious to have a view of Is this the Face admired by Angels and dreaded by Divels What is thy Beloved more then another Beloved O thou fairest among Women Is this the mighty Bridegroom of the Church who was once transfigured on the Holy Mount and his Face did shine as the Sun and his raiment became white as the light Is this he whom God anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows whose garments smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia and cast such a scent that the Daughter of Tyre came with a Gift and the rich among the People entreated his favour How is he alter'd How is his Countenance chang'd How is the Gold become dim and the fine Gold changed Yet still thou art lovely to a Soul that sees farther then the outside Still thou art a Cordial to fainting Spirits Still thou art a fountain of living waters Still thou art the Joy of the whole Earth the Light of Heaven and the Song of Sion My thoughts O Lord shall follow thee to the Cross. Methinks I see how thou art going to die thou lookest back on thine Enemies and notwithstanding all their Affronts offerest them Mercy O incomprehensible Goodness Even then when thou art lifted up to the infamous Tree Thou drawest and invitest all Men to thee Thou Preachest on the Cross and thy very wounds are Sermons to the Children of Men and thy Blood trickling down is an exhortation to Repentance Surely it is good for me to adhere unto thee and to count it death to be separated from thee O whether shall I go but to thee who hast words of Eternal Life Thou art my Sun by Thee I shall be enlighten'd by Thee my Soul shall be warm'd O how comfortable are thy beams What a progress must that Soul make on which thou shinest and dartest thy Glorious Rays Thou art that lofty Cedar whose boughs over-spread the Believing World Under the shadow of that Tree will I rest It is for the healing of the Nations I will be glad in the Lord and rejoyce in my bleeding Jesus While the World despises thee I will honour thee While Great Men pass by and regard thee not I that am poor and needy will wait to be refreshed by thee Go ye fools be enamoured with your Trifles admire your Butterflies doat on your sensual Pleasures Here is one that looks charming in his Tears lovely in his Blood amiable in his Wounds and is more beautiful in the midst of all his distresses then the brightest Virgins Face adorned with all the glittering Treasures of the East O my Strength by Thee I desire to be comforted and supported O anoint my Eyes with thy Sovereign Eye-salve and I shall see and live O that the Clouds which dwell on my Understanding were dispersed that I might look upon thee sredfastly Oh! then thou wouldst appear more lovely to me on the Cross then Croesus in his Throne or Solomon in all his Glory God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ. In this lie hid vast treasures of Sweetness O my Jesus make me conformable to thy death and give me leave to carry thy marks in my Body Let me be crucified with thee and let Christ for ever live in me Canst thou live in a Soul that hath abused thy Mercy slighted thy Patience and so often baffled the stratagems of thy Compassion I believe Lord O help mine unbelief Thou camest to call not the Righteous but Sinners to repentance Oh! then my Husband will love me my Redeemer will come and live with me for my repentings are kindled I hate the sins that have defiled my Soul Away ye Swine Here are no Divels to enter in I am to receive my Bridegroom into my Heart Come Lord Jesu Come quickly Thou art the welcomest Guest I know How happy shall I be if thou wilt lodge in this earthly Tabernacle Happier then if all the Angels of Heaven took up their Habitation here O ye besotted Jews what makes you run so fast to kill the Lord of Life ye cannot live without him and what evil spirit doth possess you to kill and murther him Can you think of his miracles and do so Can you reflect upon his Doctrine and attempt such villanies Can you remember how he taught you in the Temple even
Heart is Sacrifice which he that was broke upon the account of thy sins will not despise Nay he will comfort the humble Soul and the contrite Spirit he will pour Wine and Oyl into its wounds supple it with Balm heal it with his Death and make it whole by his Agonies See here O my Soul the Bread which is broke is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ see how many broken pieces are here which all make but one Loaf So thou and thy fellow-Believers make one mystical Body whereof the Crucified Jesus is Head and Governour who influences the Body by his Spirit and from his fulness dispences Grace for Grace Rejoyce O my Soul For now the waves and billows of Gods wrath are laid The storm of vengeance is husht The thunder is gone The clouds cleer up thy broken Saviour hath turn'd the sound of the Trumpet of War into a still small Voice O break with him no more O preserve that friendship which was so dearly bought A friendship purchased by Blood sure must never dye Thou art his Friend O do not become his Enemy again for fear he be never friends with thee again On the pouring out of the Holy Wine THus O my Soul thus flow'd the precious Blood of the tormented Jesus In such streams it issued from his wounded Body Thus was the costly Juyce let out Thus the rich Veins emptied themselves of their Treasure and all that thou mightst mayst be clean And O Jerusalem wilt not thou be clean When shall it once be When God makes use of his own Blood to purify thee O my Soul Wilt thou wallow still in thy Dung and Nastiness This would be inexcusable Arise wash thy self in this Jordan and thy Flesh shall come again like unto the Flesh of a little Child O my Soul had not this Blood been shed there had been no remission of Sins From the shedding of this Blood date thy happiness when God saw this Blood the tide turned and thy offended Father looked on thee with a merciful Face How sweet is this Blood it nourishes into Eternal Life How high the value of it it redeemed a whole World How wholsom it expels all Sicknesses What pity was it that the least drop of it should fall upon the ground It was fit to be receiv'd by the hands of Angels But the Earth on which sinful Men walk'd was defiled and cursed and therefore it must fall upon it to take away the Curse Man's Sin had made it subject to O precious Blood Drop drop upon my Soul Let me feel thy Virtue Drive out the Curse Water this barren Ground that hath brought forth Briars and Thorns and let it bring forth pleasant Fruit again 6. When I receive the Holy Bread my Mind must vent it self in some such breathings as these Either O My Lord I do remember with Joy and Grief that thy Body was Crucified for me the meanest of thy Servants I remember it with joy because thy Love is wonderful O how vehement how violent was it to love an Enemy and by that Love to charm me into Obedience I remember it with grief because my Sins were thy Murtherers O my Lord I will stand out against thy offers of Grace no longer Here take my Heart I solemnly resolve to dedicate my Self and all I have to thy Service Or O God! this Sacred Bread puts me in mind how the Lamb of God was offered for me Do I believe this and shall not my Soul make thee her highest and her chiefest good O my God I take thee here not only for my Saviour but for my King and Master too Come Holy Spirit rule my Heart for I will hence forward serve no other Gods but the Great Jehovah alone who loved me and gave himself for me Or O my Jesus My Life My Joy My Comfort Thou diedst that I might live I remember it and adore thy Majesty in misery O make me thine and as this Bread doth mingle with my Substance so let thy Spirit mingle with my Soul that the same Mind may be in me which was also in Christ Jesus Or Look upon this Bread O my Soul it represents the bleeding Body of thy dearest Lord. Bleed O my Heart Give thy self up to him that groaned for thee It 's done O God neither Death nor Life shall separate me from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. 7. When I receive the Holy Wine my thoughts must still be at work and address themselves to God in Christ Jesus some such way as this Either O Jesu I thankfully remember that thy Blood was spilt for me What am I and what is my Fathers House that thou hast brought me thus far Thou hast loved me better than I have done my self O my Lord give me thy sweet thy tender thy free thy humble Spirit that I may be one with thee and may admire none in heaven but thee and desire nothing on Earth besides thee Or O blessed Balsom of my wounded Heart Welcome thou Sovereign Salve How seasonable is this Medicine I die if thy Blood relieve me not O wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow I have deserved to drink the Cup of Trembling and Astonishment and thou holdest out to me the Cup of Salvation O my Soul remember who it is that is so kind to thee O esteem adore magnifie and love him for ever Or O thou blessed Shepherd of my Soul How ought I to blush when I think of thy Blood which my Sins did spill Thou hast turned my Darkness into Light and my Treason into an Antidote Thou curest me by Contradictions and the Blood my Sins have drawn from thy flesh is become the only refuge I have in the day of Wrath. O look upon thine own Blood and hide me in thy Wounds I know not how to prize thy favour O do thou teach me to do great things for thee to deny my self to take up my Cross and to follow thee Or O my Lord By thy Tears and by thy Blood thou adjurest me this day to imitate thee in thy Graces in thy Meekness in thy Patience in thy Humility in thy Charity in thy Contempt of the World and in thy Heavenlymindedness My heart is fixed O God! my heart is fixed I will Sing and give Praise Thou shalt be my Pattern Here under thy Cross I promise Obedience and Conformity to thy Graces O do thou help me O assist me uphold me with thy free Spirit so shall I teach Transgressors thy Way and Sinners shall be converted unto thee Or Great Bishop of my Soul who hast left the ninety and nine in the Wilderness and art come to seek this straying Sheep Behold Lord the Prodigal is coming home again Thou comest towards me Bleeding Groaning Dying thou comest to receive him that hath forsaken thee to draw him that hath fled from thee to kiss him that did scourge thee to Crown him that did Prick thee to Embrace him that did
dark how dull how doubtful is my Faith sometimes it blazes then it disappears again sometimes it 's vigorous then slacks and grows remiss again I believe thee in Sun-shine and faint in a Storm sometimes I get a sight of thy Glory then I lose it again Oh how uneven is my Faith When thy Candle shines over my Head and I wash my Feet in Butter I believe but where is my Faith in the dark when the Fig-tree doth not blossom when there is no Fruit in the Vine when the labour of the Olive doth fail Oh how it sinks at such times how weak it grows Lord I believe help mine unbelief O thou Sun of Righteousness thou bright Morning-Star Thou mighty Star of Jacob shine upon me shine upon this dark Soul of mine press in by thy piercing beams scatter the Clouds of my unbelief Dispel those mists as chaff is driven away by the Wind so drive them away O thou Holy One of Israel I Believe but my Faith doth not rouze me from my Spiritual slumber I believe but my Faith doth not overcome difficulties I believe but my Faith doth not put me upon Self-denial I believe but my Faith doth not engage me to that cautiousness of offending thee which is necessary to Salvation I believe but my Faith doth not make me laborious doth not make me strive and fight and work and enter in at the strait Gate I do not believe as if I saw My Faith is not the substance of things unseen I do not represent that future Glory to my mind in such lively Characters as if it were present to my sight I seem to rejoyce in thy Promises but when I am to apply them what doubts what scruples what perplexities arise in my mind I believe thou hast overcome Death yet how do I tremble at its approaches I believe thou art present with me in affliction yet how often do I lose thy Image I believe my dearest Lord that thou camest from Heaven to reveal to me thy Fathers Will yet I do not so readily obey it as I would I believe but am too often overcome by a Passion too often by a Temptation too often by the World O my Lord Give me an active Faith a working Faith a vigorous Faith a lively Faith an effectual Faith A Faith which may oblige me to shake off all dulness all drousiness all laziness and which may make me awake to Righteousness Give me a Faith that may surmount all hardships may be afraid of nothing of no Bear no Lion in the way Give me a Faith which may make me bold as a Lion couragious in Danger resolute in the greatest Trials and magnanimous under the greatest burthens A Faith I want which may make all that is within me stoop to the yoak of Jesus which may cross my Flesh and Blood cruicfy my vain Desires and dash mine inordinate Affections O give me a Faith which may make me tender of thy Glory loth to do any thing that may be offensive to thee unwilling to displease thee the Author of my Being Give me a Faith which may oblige me to labour in thy Vineyard and work out my salvation with fear and trembling A Faith that may look into Eternity Survey the Glorious Mansions prepared by the Son of God live there and converse there and draw Comforts and Consolations from that perfection of Glory A Faith which may live upon thy Promises lay hold on them in despite of opposition and claim them as my Heritage for ever A Faith which may look Death in the Face defy its Power support it self with Christs victory and sing with Triumph over it Oh Death Where is thy sting A Faith which may make Affliction easy my Burthen Light and sweeten all my Troubles A Faith which may purify my Heart constrain me to Obedience and compel me to a cheerful running at thy Command and Order A Faith which may controul all my Lusts check my inordinate Desires bear down all before it set up the Lord Jesus Sovereign in my Soul and make every imagination subject to him who must Reign till he hath put all enemies under his Feet O Blessed Light which enlightnest every Man that comes into the World Direct my steps illuminate my Understanding shew me the way I must walk in that no Errour may mislead me no false Doctrine corrupt me no Heresy deceive me no false Fire beguile me stretch forth thy Hand and hold thou up my Goings in thy path that I may get safe to my Journeys end I am a Traveller and Pilgrim here goe thou before me and I 'll follow thee lead me through this barren Wilderness and leave me not till I enter into Canaan It is not Lord of him that Runs nor of him that Wills but of thee who shewest Mercy As Flesh and Blood could not have revealed these things unto me so thou alone must enable my Faith to quench all the fiery Darts of the Divel Arise O God and let thine enemies be scattered O how am I beholding to thee What Thanks what Praises do I owe thee that thou hast call'd me to the light of thy Gospel That thou hast discover'd to me those Errours which Persons of other Religions in the world lie involv'd in That I have liberty to read thy Word to peruse it and to know the things belonging to my Peace Thou hast not dealt so with other Persons and as for thy judgments they have not known them But what will this knowledge profit me if my practice be not sutable or my Belief strong and firm and vigorous I tremble to think how many thousands are like to perish for want of this Faith Ah! How few do believe in good earnest How few believe with any lively Affections How few act and live as if they did believe O most patient God pity pity that vast multitude of Christian Unbelievers See how Hell hath open'd her Mouth to swallow them up O thou that hast redeemed them with thy Blood Why should the enemy run away with thy purchase See how these poor creatures wander like Sheep without a Shepherd O Gather them O seek them that thou mayst find them Undeceive them let them see how far they are from the Kingdom of God! O my Lord I believe that thou art and wilt be a rewarder to them that diligently seek thee I believe if any man will do thy Will he shall know of thy Doctrine whether it be of God or no! I believe that not the least tittle of thy Word shall fail O encrease my Belief Let not my Faith rest upon thy Doctrine only but let it have regard to all thy Laws O let me so believe an approaching Eternity as to be concerned at the Thoughts of of it O let me not only talk of it but let my Belief rouze my Affections from their slumber O my Jesus I believe thou wast crucified for my sins How then should I live in sin Assure me that if I do I do