liuing that they take héed of such sinnes I will deliuer vnto you a rare example I knew a Gentleman of good sort who seldome came to the Church in the time of his health I was sent for to him in the time of his sicknesse and after many instructions deliuered vnto him he vttered vnto me this speech Sir I am beholding to you for this paines and thanke God for this comfort But if God had now denied this fauour vnto mee hee should haue dealt with me but according to iustice I haue liued a good time in this Parish I haue beene inuited by my friends called by the Bel mooued by the good report I heard of you and others to come to this Church but I made many excuses as of sicknesse and going to other places and did not come And though I haue many sinnes which I must answere for yet none at this time grieueth mee more then that I haue liued vnder a painfull Ministerie and yet was neuer partaker of it so that you and the whole Parish may iudge that I am either of no Religion or of a contrarie Religion to that which is professed in this Kingdome pray for mee that this sinne may bee pardoned heare me make a confession of my faith and that I die in the faith of Christ and am heartily sorrie for this mine offence I pray you therefore make it knowne when I am dead An. This I did and thus must we do ye◠in discretion that we may not be thought biters of the dead if either for crownes or gownes we doe otherwise it is a sinne Quest You propounded in the beginning fiue thinges which I ought euer to meditate on The first is expounded to my great comfort concerning the second which is Christs passion and death what ought I especially to thinke of Answ It is necessarie indéed you should thinke often of it for nothing will make you more willing to die then to be perswaded that Christ by his death hath washed you from sinnes and by his resurrection hath giuen vnto you eternall life I remember that Hierome complaining much of the people of his time that they had little féeling of the passion of Christ crieth out after this sort Euery Creature suffereth together with Christ at his suffering the Sun is darkened the Earth is mooued the Rockes cleaue a sunder the Vaile of the Temple is diuided the graues are opened only miserable man suffereth not with Christ for whom alone Christ suffered And Saint Bernard complaining of himselfe saith I went on securely knowing nothing of that fearefull iudgement of God which was in heauen denounced against mee and behold the Sonne of a Virgin the Sonne of the most high God is sent and commanded to be slaine that by the precious balme of his blood hee might heale all my wounds Consider O man how great are those wounds for the curing of which the Lord Christ must needs be wounded If these wounds had not beene deadly yea and to eternall death the Sonne of God would neuer haue dyed that he might cure them And that Augustine meditating on the passion of Christ saith The Crosse of Christ it to vs the cause of all happinesse it hath deliuered vs from the blindnesse of error it hath restored vs from darknesse to light it hath conioyned vs being aliens to God wee were farre from him it hath brought vs to his presence wee were pilgrime Citizens it shewed vs to him his crosse is the cutting off of discord the foundation of peace aboundance and largesse of all gifts Quest What then is the passion of Christ Answ It is that al-sufficient sacrifice of the Sonne of God whereby he offered himselfe to the Father that he might merit for all that beléeue in him iustification by this obedience sanctification by his Spirit redemption by his death and eternall life by his resurrection from the dead Quest What moued Christ thus to suffer Answ 1 The good will and pleasure of the Father 2 The misery of mankinde 3 Gods infinite and vnspeakeable loue 4 The voluntary obedience of Christ himselfe Quest Of what continuance was this passion of his An. From the day of his birth till the houre of his resurrection Quest Tell me what he suffered from his birth till his death Answ He suffered in his body circumcision hunger weeping and wearinesse in his soule temptation and heauinesse in his estate pouerty and needinesse in his name ignominy and contemptuousnesse in person persecution and weakenesse and in his whole life miserie and wretchednesse and to this end onely that he thus freeing vs from deserued ignominy might bring vs in the ende vnto eternall glory Quest But because his greatest suffering was about and at his death shew mee first what he suffered not long before he died Ans When Dauid considered by the spirit of prophecie of this point he saith The sorrowes of the graue haue compassed mee the troubles of hel haue taken hold vpon me And when Ieremy did consider it by the same Spirit he crieth out in the person of Christ Lament 1.12 Haue you no regard all yee that passe by this way Behold and 〈◊〉 if there bee any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce wrath from aboue he hath sent fire into my bones which preuaileth against them hee hath spread a net for my feet and turned mee backe hee hath made mee desolate and daily in heauinesse He was in a Garden where Adam transgressed his soule was heauy vnto death hee sweat drops or rather cloddes of bloud trickling downe vnto the ground and was constrained to cry Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee There hee was assaulted by Satan betrayed by Iudas apprehended by Souldiers and forsaken of all his professed Disciples Quest And why thinke you was his soule thus perplexed Ans Not for the feare of a bodily death for that he might if he would haue auoided But 1 The meditation of sinnes tyranny deaths victory and Satans malice al which had made hauocke of mankinde 2 The consideration of those cursed contumelies and that damnable death which he was to vndergoe in his blessed body 3 The thoughts he had of mans ingratitude who was not thankefull nor mindeful of so great saluation 4 The sense and féeling of Gods wrath which hee susteined and satisfied for our sinnes Quest When he was apprehended and brought vnto Caiphas surely the high Priest would vse him well Ans Nay hee is by him arraigned as a theefe mocked as a foole accused as an incendiary stricken as one contemptible and spit vpon as an execrable person and all this to frée vs from that shamefull execration Qu. Was he no better vsed when he came before Pilate Answ Not a whit for 1 Hee was accused as a seducer of the people a seditious person a conspiratour against the State a subuerter of the Nation an enemy to Caesar
content our selues with a profession of piety and labour not for the power of godlinesse And as for our liues they abound with actuall transgression against euery one of thy ten Commandements hauing broken the same ten thousand tims We Lord haue liued in contempt of thy prouidence committing idolatry with thy creatures taking thy glorious name in vaine and profaning of thy most holy Sabbaths We euen we who should haue been vpright haue not regarded our betters but enuied our brethrē defiled our soules with vnchaste desires laboured to be rich by vnlawfull meanes disgraced our neighbours and longed after that which was none of ours Wee haue heard thy word O Lord but we haue not beleeued it we haue known the word but haue not practised it Wee haue come to thine house without reuerence approched to thy Table without repentance and practised many sins without remorse Doe we any good wee please our selues too much Doe we any euil we feare thée too little we are wearie of praying when we talke with thée we are carelesse in hearing when thou speakest to vs. If we reade thy Sacred and Holy Word it is not swéete vnto vs as the hony combe but wee delight more euen in vngodly bookes Yea O Lord the pampering of our bellies the pride of our apparel the negligence in our calling the mispending of our time our vaine conference at table our wandring eyes our wanton lusts our ambitious minds our couetous desires our vngodly spéeches our lasciuious eares our censuring of our brethren our sinne in recreations our vnwillingnesse to labour our vnfaithfulnesse in life our forgetfulnesse of death and our abuse of thy mercies especially in Christ doe testifie against vs that wée haue sinned against Heauen and against thee and are no more worthie to be called thy children Are wee ashamed at this and reclaimed from it no Lord wee are not ashamed but howsoeuer it hath pleased thee to vse many meanes as partly by thy Word and partly by thy Spirit and partly by thy mercies partly by thy iudgments to the end we might bee reclaimed from our crooked wayes yet we haue contemned thy Word the Ministerie of saluation greiued thy spirit the earnest of our inheritance abused thy mercies the pledges of thy loue and forgotten thy iudgments the messengers of thy wrath Enter not into iudgement with vs thy seruants O Lord for then shall no flesh liuing bee iustified in thy sight Be mercifull vnto vs in forgiuing sinnes past and be gracious vnto vs in preuenting sinnes to come Correct vs O Lord but with mercie not in thy iudgement for then shall we be consumed and brought to nought Open our blind eyes that we may come to a particular knowledge of our particular sinnes especially such as wee are most giuen vnto Soften our hard and stonie hearts that wee may sigh and grone vnder the burden of them make vs good God displeased with our selues because by sinne wee haue dishonoured thy Maiestie Stirre vp our dead and dul hearts that we may hunger after Christ and his righteousnesse and after euery drop of his precious bloud In that Sonne of thine looke on vs thy seruants and for his merits and righteousnesse vouchsafe good God mercifully and fréely to do away al our offences Wash them away in his blood and by the purity of his spirit clense our hearts from the pollution and impurity of them all say vnto our soules thou art our saluation let thy spirit in our hearts crie Abba Father Teach vs. O Lord thy way we shal walk in thy truth O knit our hearts vnto thée that we may feare thy Name And because through corruption in our hearts and sinne in our liues our faith is féeble and our confidence small wée doe humbly beséech thée to strengthen our faith by the daily meditation and particular application of thy mercifull promises made vnto vs in thy Sonne Christ that neither in the dangers of this world nor in the troubles of conscience nor in the houre of death we may fall from thée Gracious Father expell out of our hearts al carnal confidence the vnderminer of our faith teach vs in the spirit of true humilitie to denie our selues and to relie only vpon thée and the merit of Christ in the matter of our saluation And because it is not enough to come vnto thée by prayer and to sue vnto thée for pardon but all that are in Christ must be new creatures therefore we call vpon thée for the spirit of regeneration mortifie therby the corruptions of our flesh quicken vs thereby in the inner man By the power of Christs death let vs die vnto sinne and by the power of his resurrection let vs rise to righteousnesse and newnes of life let the one as a corrasiue eate vp the dead flesh of vngodlinesse and the other as a spur stir vs vp to holinesse Illuminate our mindes that wee may know thy will giue vs spirituall vnderstanding to discerne good and euill Sanctifie our memories to treasure vp good things purifie our consciences to haue peace in thée reforme our willes to doe thy will and let all our affections be ordered aright Teach vs to feare thée continually wheresoeuer wee are to neglect all things in regard of Christ to loue thée and our brethren for thy sake to be zealous of thy glorie to bée grieued at our owne and others sinnes and ioyfull when we can please thée Let our bodies the instruments of sinne be euer hereafter clensed by thy spirit that they may bee temples for that spirit to dwell in keepe our eyes from beholding vanitie our eares from hearkening to variety our mouthes from speaking blasphemie our hands from committing of iniquitie and our bodies from the action of adulterie Let our light so shine before men that they séeing our good workes may glorifie thee our heauenly Father Make vs to remember that as we are sonnes we must depend vpon thée as wee are seruants we must obey thée and as wee are Christians we ought to walke worthy of our vocation calling And because we haue all some particular calling either of rule or seruice or trust or fauour make vs from the highest to the lowest faithfull in our callings and to remember that a day will come in which wee must giue an account vnto thée of all our actions done in this flesh whether they bée good or euill Take away from vs all opportunitie of sinning and make vs euer thankfull that wee liue so as wée want allurements to many sinnes Cause vs to sée how deformed sinne is in it selfe and to what confusion it is like to bring vs Lord make vs to flie the very occasions of sinne and to resist the beginnings of all temptatition let not a night passe ouer our heads in which wee examine not how wée haue spent the day neuer let vs come into any companie wherein wee may not doe or receiue some good Keepe vs that wee fashion not
banket Giue mee grace to put on my wedding garment that the Bridegrome of this feast neuer say vnto me Frind how camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment Hast thou now commanded me to examin my selfe let me now trie and examine mine heart and looke how I stand in thy sight The Iewes would not eate with vnwashen hands dare I eat with an vnwashen heart they would not drink but their vessels must be purified and dare I now drinke and my soule not purified Before the passeouer they sanctified themselues and before this sacrament shall not I now sanctifie my self I desire to doe it Lord helpe my desire lest eating and drinking vnworthily I eate and drinke mine owne damnation I therefore being now readie to come to thy Table doe acknowledge and confesse mine owne vnworthinesse I haue sinned against thée many waies and that since I last receiued this Sacrament I haue not knowne thée in thy word beheld thée in thy workes apprehended thée in thy Sonne serued thée in the spirit applied thee by faith feared thée for thy iustice nor admired thée as I ought for thy great mercies I haue not frequented thine house heard thy word laid it vp in mine heart nor practised it in my life as I should I euen I by the lusts of mine eyes the lusts of my flesh and the pride of life haue dishonoured thy great and glorious name And when thou hast forgiuen me ten thousand talents I would not forgiue my brother and hundred pence What shall I say vnto my selfe I haue sinned I will doe so no more I haue sinned Lord forgiue me all my sins and grant that in the whole course of my life hereafter I may liue to the honour of thy great name Giue vnto me now a broken heart a contrite spirit a sorrowfull soule and a minde hungring and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnes Giue me now grace to know thée the only true God the Creator and preseruer of mankinde Giue me grace now to féele the burden of my sinnes and that I am eased of them by the blood of Christ Iesus I doe beléeue in him helpe my vnbeléefe I am sorrie for my sins make me to be heartily and vnfainedly sorrowfull I promise now to liue neerer to thée then euer I haue done giue mee power to performe my promise I forgiue all that haue wronged me euen as thou for Christs sake hast forgiuen me Let this forgiuenesse of mine be without dissimulation And because I am now to taste of bread and wine make mee to consider the vse of them I know O Lord that this sacramentall bread is not the body of thy Son this sacramentall wine is not the blood of thy Sonne but this I know out of thy holy word that they are seales of his bodie and blood Teach me therefore now most gracious God that I seeing bread and wine on the table may behold Christ vpon the crosse and obseruing the bread broken to me may consider of Christs body crucified for mee looking vpon the wine powred out of the vessell may thinke how Christs blood was powred out for my sinnes And as I receiue this bread wine into my stomack for bodily sustenance so cause me to féede on the body and blood of our Sauiour Christ that it may be nourishment for my soule Grant O Lord that I may so now come to thy holy table that hereafter I may bee partaker of thy heauenly Table through Christ my Lord and only Sauiour Amen Our Father which art c. A THANKESGIVING after the Communion ALL glorie honour and praise be giuen to thée most glorious God for all thy mercies bestowed vpon mee for mine election in thy loue my redemption by thy Sonne my sanctification by thy spirit in this life and hope of glorification in the life to come I thank thée for thy word in which I beare of thy goodnesse and I thanke thee for this Sacrament in which I behold thy fauour I haue now béene partaker of bread and wine Lord make mee partaker of Christs bodie and blood Those they will turne to the nourishment of my body let these turne to the nourishment of my soule By those I féele some refreshing for a while by these let mee feele refreshing for euer O let not Christs blood be shed in vaine for me but by it cleanse me from all my sinnes I haue now cast vp all the poyson of impietie suffer me not hereafter to licke it vp againe I haue now disgorged my selfe of reuenge let me neuer returne to my vomit againe I am now washed from all my pollution make me to remember that it is the part of a swine to wallow againe in mud or mire I haue promised now to liue better than before make the latter part of my life better than the former I am a liuing stone in thy building knit me fast to the corner stone I am a branch of the vine set mee fast in that roote I am a member of Christs body kéepe mee that I neuer bee cut off I haue renued this day my couenant with thée grant that I may kéep it to my liues end I haue this day béen put in mind of the benefit by Christs death let me euery day thinke often of his death that therby I may learn to die vnto sin And grant that euer hereafter I may so walk before thee that all such as know that I haue béen at thy table may see that I am become a new creature As for the rest of this day in which thou hast thus shewed thy selfe vnto mee grant that I may spend the same not in surfetting and drunkennesse not in chambring and wantonnesse not in sporting and idlenesse but in hearing of thy word calling on thy name meditation of thy mercies and in holy conference about heauenly things Vnto thee O Father my Creator and preseruer vnto thee O Christ my Redéemer and Iustifier vnto thee O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier and Instructor bee ascribed of mee and thy whole Church all praise and power might and Maiestie glorie and dominion both now whilest we doe liue and for euer whilest we shal liue Amen Our Father which art c. NOw the very God of peace sanctifie me throughout and I pray God that my whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen Amen A THANKESGIVING FOR our late Deliuerance from that vnnaturall conspiracie against our King and State ALmightie Lord God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our most gracious and mercifull Father many are thy mercies towards vs and that our soules know right well And as we cannot be ignorant of them vnlesse wee bee senselesse so we may not be forgetfull vnlesse we be thanklesse By thée our lot is fallen into a good soile and by thée wée haue a goodly inheritance by thée are our bodies deliuered from sicknesse and by thée are our soules
and that he said of himselfe he was Christ the King This he suffered that so he might deriue and take to himselfe that rebellion against Gods Maiestie whereof we all were guilty in Adam and by this humiliation make satisfaction to God for vs. If he had defended himselfe we had beene accused or acquitted himselfe we had perished but as a Lambe before the shearer he opened not his mouth that wee might haue liberty to call vpon God 2 He is ballanced with Barabbas and thought lighter then a murderer hee is condemned by a Iudge in the name of the whole Empire and being thus condemned though pronounced innocent hee is scorned by Souldiers attired like a foole beaten with rods spit vpon with reproch and only because he bare the iniquities of vs all Isai 53. 3 He is cast out of the City to giue vs a City hee carried his Crosse to carry our sinnes he is brought to Golgatha to suffer our reproach he is crucified on the Crosse to giue vs a crowne euen a crowne of glory reserued in heauen for vs. 1. Pet. 1. 4 He was crucified with theeues that he might glorifie vs with Angels with his hands spread abroad that he might call all vnto him with his naked body that wee might not be ashamed of our nakednesse in heauen with a feeling of thirst that hee might shew his desire of our saluation wâ—th drinking of gall that hee might satisfie for tâ—at deadly iuice which Adam sucked out of the forbidden fruit with his side pierced thorow that the Church might bee washed with the blood and water that came out with crying in feare that wee might cry in faith and with the losse of his life that he might saue ours Quest O cursed Caiphas who thus arraigned him O cursed Pilate who thus condemned O thrice cursed both Iewes and Romans who thus did execute the Sonne of God Answ Nay rather cursed bee our sins for which he was arraigned condemned and executed Hee that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5. He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes wee are healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray wee haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laide vpon him the iniquities of vs all Isai 53.5.6 Hee hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law being made a curse for vs that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Gal. 3.14 And wee were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from our vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the Fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot Quest And at what time of the yeere did he suffer all this An. At Easter at the feast of the Passouer when the Iewes were commanded to kill a lambe in remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt to shew that he was that lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world yea and that Lambe which in Gods counsell and its owne efficacie was slaine from the beginning of the world Quest You said before that our Sauiour was crucified to what end did hee vndergoe this punishment Ans 1 That he might deriue the curse of the Law from vs vnto himselfe Gal. 3.14 2 That the corruption of our nature being crucified with him our inherent vitiositie might be abolished that henceforth wee should not serue sinne Rom. 6.6 3 That hauing paied our debt he might bring in and cancell that hand-writing wherewith wee were bounden that so the memory of our sinnes being blotted out they might not appeare before God against vs. 5 That his bloud might bee a lauer to purge our soules from all their spots of sinne 6 That we might so haue iust cause euer to acknowledge and magnifie the loue of Christ towards vs. Ephes 5.1 Quest I see by this why Christ was crucified but why did he die vpon the Crosse Answ 1 That hee might ratifie the eternall couenant and testament of grace Heb. 9.15 2 That he might abolish sin Rom. 6.10 3 That he might take away the stipend of sinne which is death Rom. 6.20 2. Tim. 1.10 4 That by death hee might ouercome him who had the power of death that is the diuell Heb. 2.14 5 That he might take from vs the feare of death Heb. 2.15 6 That we by it should die so vnto sin Rom. 6.11 that it should no more reigne in our mortall bodies Rom. 6.13 7 That wee might belong properly to Christ Rom. 7.4 8 That they which liue should no more liue vnto themselues but vnto Christ who died and rose againe for vs. 2. Cor. 5.15 9 That wee might know and acknowledge the great loue of Christ towards vs. 1. Ioh. 3.16 10 That wee might liue with Christ 1. Thess 5.10 11 That we might learne to die couragiously for his and our brethrens cause 1. Ioh. 3.16 12 That by this meanes Gods mercy and iustice might both be glorifyed in this redemption and saluation of mankinde Iohn 3.14 Quest Is this death of Christ profitable to euery singular man in the world Ans It was effectually profitable onely to the elect for 1 He gaue his life for his sheepe Iohn 10.15 2 Hee deliuered his people from their sinnes Matth. 21. 3 For them he sanctified himselfe Ioh. 17. He praied onely for them Ioh. 17. If he had died intentionally for all and all had not beene saued hee should haue missed of his purpose 4 Els the sinne of man were of ability to disanull the intent of Christ Quest How is Christs death thus meritorious Answ 1 In that hée was both God and man Acts 20. 2 In that it was a voluntary death Philip. 2.7 Quest Tell mee now what benefit comes vnto me by this death of Christ Answ Great euery way for by it 1 There is such a satisfaction made fully for your sinnes that they shall neuer rise vp in iudgement against you 1. Ioh. 1.7 2 God is pacified and reconciled to man Rom. 3.24 3 Satan is ouercome Gen. 3.15 4 Death is swallowed vp in victory and the feare thereof is so taken away that to the faithfull it is now nothing but a passage to eternall life Hos 13.14 5 You are acquitted and iustified from your sinnes Rom. 4.25 5.19 6 The Partition-wall betwixt Iewes and Gentiles is broken downe Eph. 2.14 7 All the faithfull vnder both the Old and New Testament are become subiect vnto one Head from which they were fallen and are gathered into one body Eph. 1.10 Coloss 1.21 8 The prophecies are accomplished the Truth is become agreeable to the figure of Sampson killing more at his death then in his life the brasen Serpent which cured such as looked vp vnto it and the sacrifices which were offered before for sinnes 9 By the death of Christ you euer die to
of thee when we pray vnto thée We haue nothing to say for our selues O Lord but that shame and confusion belongeth vnto vs mercie and forgiuenesse belongeth vnto thee Haue mercie therefore vpon vs most mercifull Father and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all our offences We confesse indéed that wee are miserable sinners yet by thy Spirit thou hast taught vs that we be thine And therefore wee beséech thee to seperate our sinnes from vs which otherwise will seperate vs from thée If we remember our sinnes thou wilt forget them teach vs therefore to remember them in the bitternes of our soules If we sorrow for them in this life wee shall not sorrow for them in the life to come make vs truly sorrowfull that wee haue offended thée our gratious Father To this end giue vnto vs the comfort of thy Spirit to assure vs of thy fauour by which we may be as readie to euery good worke as we are prone to all that is euill Thou hast renued in vs O Lord the image of thy Sonne O let vs not turne it into the image of Satan neither let thy enemie take vs away from thée we desire good God to warre against him and his champions the flesh and the world we cannot ouercome without thée we pray thée therefore to arme vs with the shield of faith and the sword of thy Spirit against all their assaults and to put vpon vs thy complete armour and wherein we are most weake there make thou vs most strong that in the end wee may be more than conquerers Kéepe vs now and euer in the feare of thy Maiestie And because we go now forth to sight against all the enemies of our saluation the weakest whereof are stronger than weâ— therefore we come vnto thée for the assistance of thy Spirit and do humbly entreate thée to aid vs by thy prouidence arme vs by thy power guard vs by thine Angels instruct vs by thy Word and gouerne vs by thy Spirit in all our actions Let thy blessing be vpon vs thy seruants in our going out and comming in and in euery action wee vndertake from this time forth and for euermore Let all our thoughts words and workes this day tend to the glorie of thy name the good of thy Church and the euerlasting saluation of our soules Let vs make conscience of al that we do neither let vs account any sin little because thy Sonne died for the least Let vs cast away the workes of darknesse and put vpon vs the armour of light And howsoeuer heretofore by lying and swearing and sporting and spending inordinate liuing we haue offended thée yet grant that we may leaue them all lest they leaue not vs till they haue brought vs to destruction Make vs to discerne betwixt right and wrong good and euill truth and error and to learne some good thing euery day make vs skilfull in the profession of pietie that we may know how to serue thee and let vs not be ignorant in the mysteries of our callâ—ngs that wee may learne how to liue thereby Settle our affections in the loue of thy Maiestie zeale of thy glorie and vnfained good will one towards another so as we may as much ioy at the prosperitie of others as in our owne Are we merrie let it be in thée are we sorrowfull let it be for our sins haue we peace make it in vs all the peace of a good conscience are wee â—fraid let it bee of sin that we with as great delight may run the waies of thy Commaundements as euer we haue ouerrun thée in the waies of wickednesse Thou hast bin good vnto vs many waies O Lord as in our creation when we were nothing in our redemption when we were worse than nothing in our vocation when we thought not of thée and in our sanctification when wee were defiled before thee Thou thou alone hast preserued vs by thy prouidence preuented vs by thy goodnesse instructed vs by thy word acquainted vs with thy Maiestie and deliuered vs from many dangers And all to this end that we should goe as farre before others in thankfulnesse towards thée as far as thou goest in mercie towards vs before them We do acknowledge O Lord this fauour of thine and wee desire from our hearts to acknowledge it more taking all that wee haue as a gift from thée And in a thankfull remembrance of these thy mercies we desire thee O Lord to settle euery one of vs in such a constant course of obedience to thée that we may serue thée from this houre with all those duties which the world the flesh and the diuell would haue vs to deferre till the day of death O let vs thinke alwaies of our last houre yea last iudgement the ioyes of heauen the torments of hell and what a bitter death thy Sonne Iesus did suffer to redéeme our soules out of the hands of the diuell Let vs spend the rest of our vncertaine life in a renued repentance for our sins paâ—â— make vs to leaue the pleasures of this world before that they doe leaue vs. And now O Lord albeit we are vnworthie to aske any thing for our selues yet because thou hast commanded vs we doe intreate thée for others not as Abraham did for the Sodomites but as Samuel did for the Israelites Be fauourable to Sion build vp the walles of Ierusalem Behold with the eye of pitie compassion the great ruines and desolations of the Church Feede it as thy flock foster it as the familie dresse it as thy vineyard deck it as thy spouse and euer rule in it as in thine owne kingdome Many are the enemies that crie Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Abate their pride asswage their malice confound their deuices and let their counsell in the end be as the councell of Achitophel so that peace may be within her walles and prosperitie in all her palaces so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth To this end giue vnto our Prince the wisedome of Salomon to his Counsellors the prouidence of Hushâ—y to our Iudges the conscience of Samuel to our Ministers the diligence of Paul and to our people the obedience of those subiects who with one consent cried out vnto their Gouernour Whatsoeuer God shall command vs by him that will we doe Thus we O Lord and our posteritie after vs shall enioy a spirituall communion of Saints in this life and a blessed communion in the life to come Many of thy seruants suffer for thy cause let all such sée the truth of their cause thy comfort in their calamitie and an happie deliuerance if it be thy will Are any now lying in the anguish of their conscience disburden them of the feare of thy iudgement and refresh them right soone with the conduit of thy comfort And as thou hast made them examples for vs so teach vs to take example by them that we may looke vpon thy promises
thy Sonne Sanctifie vs by thy Gospell that we may haue spirituall contentation in the possession of Christ extraordinary sweetnesse in the fruits of thy Spirit an holy admiration of these workes of mercy tendernesse of conscience in allour actions boldnesse to approch to the throne of grace a minde estranged from the loue of this world readinesse and patience to endure the crosse and a desire to be dissolued and to be with thée Wee must one day O Lord leaue this world yet it is thy pleasure that we should serue thee in it so long as we liue and why should we not serue thee all the daies of our life thou requirest it at our hands wee haue thy Spirit to that purpose it was the practise of thy Saints we were redeemed to this end and Christ prayeth that we may doe it Doth Satan daily tempt vs wee must daily resist him Is our life vncertaine we must euer be ready are we strangers in this world we must each day set one foote forward towards our countrey O therfore grant vnto vs thy grace that we may know we haue no time allotted to sin but al must be spent in thy seruice and this seruice of ours euer to bee harty without hypocrisie generall without partiality continuall without vncertainty conscionable without indifferency cheerefull without difficâ—â—ty and spirituall without carnality that by this way of obedience we may be assured of our saluation get the mastery of inconstancy performe holy duties more easily haue sweeter fellowship with thy Spirit and preuent many noysome lusts which otherwise would fasten vpon vs. We confesse O Lord that vnlesse we as watchmen doe looke vnto our selues and séeke to please thée in all things we cannot bee freed from many temporall iudgements our score wil be the greater in the day of account our couersation cannot be in heauen we cannot be armed against temptation nor weaned from the loue of this wrethed world We must euer be readie to meete our Sauiour let vs euer haue this oyle in our lamps we must sée our vnsufficiency to serue thee let vs labour to please thee that wee may see it wée must winne others to the knowledge of thée let our light of good life euer shine before them we must grow forward toward perfection leade vs forward in a constant course that we may obtaine the end of our faith which is the saluation of our soules Now because our best seruice must bee sanctified by repentance giue vs true and vnfained repentance for all our sins make vs to see them in the glasse of thy Law to mourne for them in the clossets of our harts and to confesse them in the bitternesse of our soules We haue O Lord we haue sinned against thée yea our forefathers did our people haue and wee all doe transgresse thy commandements We haue omitted much good and committed much euill partly of ignorance partly of infirmity and partly of knowledge and if we did but know our vnknowne sinnes wee would bee ashamed of our selues When we consider the excellencie our selues When wee consider the excellencie of thy Maiestie whom wee haue offended the vilenesse of our selues who durst offend the danger wee are in by reason of our offence and the greatnesse of the price which was paid for our offences we begin O Lord to abhorre our selues for our vnthankfulnesse against the blood of thy couenant that we haue grieued thy good Spirit quenched thy graces and done as much as we could to make the blood of Christ of none effect Giue vs O Lord what wilt thou giue vs giue vs a true and a liuely faith to apprehend and applie all the promises of saluation to our sinfull soules giue vs hope of pardon by thy mercies in Christ an hungring and thirsting after him his merits let vs prise it aboue all treasure ioy in it aboue all other comfort sue for it as our best acquittance and take hold on it against the curse of the law And because that liuely faith hath her life in the heart giue vnto vs wee beséech thée a pure heart which is the delight of thy Maiestie and the fountaine of all actions Awaken it O Lord that it sléepe not in death so that neither by ignorance of it selfe neglect of the meanes ceasing of thy Spirit committing of sin or securitie in prosperitie and sin or presumption of thy mercies or stupiditie after iudgements or spirituall blindnesse and hardnesse therof it be at any time in a dead fléepe Make vs euer to watch ouer it that neither the terrors of conscience nor loathing of holy duties nor loue of any one sin nor vnwillingnesse to depart this life do cast our hearts into a spirituall slumber We do know good God and often times by wofull experience doe know that our hearts lie open to all temptations and many are our enemies who doe assault vs teach vs therfore to put on thine appointed armor Giue vnto vs a rectified iudgemeÌ„t to know soundly thy truth not obstinate in error but desirous to bee reformed in what it mistaketh Sanctifie our consciences that they may witnes our adoption checke vs for sin approue our vprightnes procure our peace make vs euer content cheerefull in seruice couragious in the truth victorious in troubles and willing to die Rectifie our willes that they may be cheerfull in well doing resisting of all the occasions of sinne yeelding to no sinne without griefe and rising by repentance out of the same Order in such sort euery one of our affections that by the benefit thereof we may subdue our most vnruly thoughts bee comforted and contented in our Christian callings more readie prest to all good actions deliuered from many noisome temptations and better enabled for the conuersion of our brethren And because thou hast afforded vs the benefit of speech which thou hast denied to all other creatures we desire that we may euer speake as in thy presence considering that wee haue no libertie giuen vs for idle talke but that all our spéech must be to edification and that one day wee must giue an account of our words Are we to take thy name into our mouthes let it only be vpon weightie occasions and in all reuerence and loue to thy Maiestie Are wee to speake at any time of our neighbours good make vs to doe it cheerefully without repining wisely without dissembling indifferently without part-taking constantly without recalling truly without deluding and chartablie to the preseruing of his good name Is he fallen let vs restore him doth hee stand let vs comfort him make thou our spéeches euer gracious to others Wee desire also to please thée in all our actions O let them euer proceed from a good ground bee performed in an holie manner and aime at the best end which is the glorie of thy great name Principally let vs aiâ— at the duties of the first table consequently at the duties of the second let vs haue a respect to all thy
commandements not so much in outward conformitie as in soundnes of heart And when we haue done thée the best seruice wee can teach vs to say in humilitie We are vnprofitable seruants And séeing it is not sufficient to do good but it is also our dutie to auoid euill make vs to abhorre al appearance of euill knowing out of thy word that it defileth the soule may be committed in thought is of omission as well as commission and if we commit but the least sinne we offend the puritie of thine excellencie and are guiltie of the whole law Make vs therefore euer to remember that sin is filthie and lothsome euen in the greatest pleasure and act thereof that the end thereof is bitter and the inward parts most abominable Teach vs O thou Master of Israel to kéep a continual watch ouer our inner and outward man to feare our selues euen then when thou art most mercifull to vs to walke alwaies as in thy presence to meditate of thy iudgements inflicted vpon thy dearest children for sin and in faith patience diligence and humilitie to be euer laboring in our vocation Make vs to mourne for our delight in sinne to know that we carrie this traytor about vs that we can neuer subdue him but by prayer to thée and practising vertues contrary to his assaults But because all is in vaine without perseuerance wee intreate thée that wee may continue in the practise of all holy duties to thée euen vnto our liues end Wee thanke thée O Lord for all thy benefits this day past in our whole life thou hast giuen thy Son for a ransome thy Spirit for a pledge thy word for a guide and reseruest a kingdome for our perpetuall inheritance Thou mightest haue said before we were formed let them be monsters let them be Infidels or let them be beggers or cripples or bondslaues as long as they liue But thou hast made vs in the best likenesse and nurced vs in the best religion and placed vs in the best land so that thousands would thinke themselues happie if they had but a piece of our happinesse We want nothing but thankfulnesse to thée make vs more thankefull then euer we haue béene heretofore and because wee know not how long wee shall enioy these blessings of thine by reason of our sins fit and prepare vs for harder times that wee may bee contented with whatsoeuer thou shalt send Blesse thy Church and children this night and for euer according to their seueral necessities be merciful vnto them Blesse this Land wherein we doe liue the gouernment and Gouernours of the same from the highest to the lowest And because we are now to rest in our beds watch ouer vs in this rest of ours giue vnto vs comfortable and swéet sleepe fit vs for all seruices of the day following make our soules to watch for the comming of Christ let our beds put vs in minde of our graues and our rising from thence of the last resurrection so that whether we wake or sléepe we being thine may waite for thée Forgiue vs the sinnes of this day past this houre present and our whole life before not for our merits but for Christs mercies in whom alone thou art well pleased and in whose name and whose words we further call vpon thee and thanke thée saying Our father which art c. NOw the very God of peace sanctifie vs throughout and hee grant that our whole spirit and soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God the Father the blessing of God the Sonne and the comfort of God the holy Ghost be with vs and all the seruants of Christ Iesus to preserue our bodies from sicknesse our soules from sin and our estates from ruine this night and for euer more Amen A PRAYER TO BE VSED by a mans selfe or with others changing the number O Lord my God mercifull and louing to all thy seruants pitifull and patient to mee thy child I with that poore Publican cast my selfe downe at the foot-stoole of thy Maiestie and with an vnfained sorrow for all my sinnes do as he did crie vnto thée for fauour saying Lord bee mercifull to mee a sinner One déepe calleth to an other the depth of miserie to the depth of mercie Haue mercy vpon me O Lord according to thy great goodnesse and in the multitude of thy mercies doe away al mine offences Lord I acknowledge confesse my sins and mine iniquities are not hid from thée By creation I confesse thou diddest make me good in righteousnesse and true holinesse I was like vnto thée if my first Parents had not defaced that image I should haue serued thée in truth all the daies of my life But they falling from thée I fel with them and they sinning against thée I sinned with them And as when a great man is a traitor his blood is stained so by Adams transgression his posteritie is tainted Thus O Lord I was conceiued in sin and brought foorth in iniquitie and now I know that in mee that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing yea I am by nature the child of wrath if I haue none other but my first birth I may curse the day that euer I was borne I féele O Lord but it is thy spirit that giueth me this féeling that mine vnderstanding is darkened conscience seared memorie decaied will bewitched heart hardened affections disordered conuersation corrupted my thoughts desires and best actions are abominable sinnes in thy sight Mine eyes cannot sée thée in thy creatures mine eares cannot heare thée in thy word my mouth cannot praise thée in thy workes mine hands and féete cannot serue thée in my calling destruction and calamitie are in all my waies and the way of peace I haue not knowne For these sinnes of mine I am subiect to the curse for cursed are they that erre from thy statutes Cursed is the earth with briers and barrennesse and cursed is the heauen with often droughts and moistnesse And for my selfe what am I not subiect to by reason of sinne My bodie is subiect to all diseases my soule to all her sicknesses my name to all reproches mine estate to all casualties I deserue iustly to bee deliuered ouer to the illusions of Satan allurements of the world corruptions of my flesh hardnesse of heart desperation of thy goodnesse calamities in my calling and to eternall destruction after I am dead Vnto whom now shall I come for comfort vnto whom now shall I sue for succour I am stung with a Serpent I will looke vp to the brasen Serpent I am sicke of sinne I will goe to the Physician of my soule I lie dead in the graue of corruption who shall raise mee vp but he that is the resurrection and the life O bountifull Iesu O swéet Sauiour O thou Lambe of God that takest away the sins of the world haue mercie vpon mee Lord giue vnto me
before I shooke it off but it will come againe make me in prosperitie to thinke on aduersitie in health to thinke on sicknesse in sicknesse to thinke on death and at all times to thinke so on iudgement that whether I wake or sleep eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I do els I may euer haue this voice sounding in mine eares Arise yee dead and come vnto iudgement I will sing vnto the Lord all my life as long as I haue any being I will sing praises vnto my God O my soule praise thou the Lord. Praise yee the Lord. Praised bee the Lord God of Israel from this time forth and for euermore and let all people say Amen Are there not ten clensed where are the nine there is none returned to giue thanks but this one and he is a Samaritan Luk. 17.17.18 Behold thou art now whole sin no more lest a worse thing happen vnto thée A PRAYER FOR A SICK person man or woman changing the sexe O Almightie euer-liuing and euer-louing God and in Christ Iesus our most gracious and mercifull father thou hast taught vs out of thine holy word that Man which is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and is full of miserie his life is a shadow his daies are vanitie his yeeres are nothing in comparison of thée and in the end hee fadeth as a flower of the field and neuer continueth in one stay Experience we haue of the frailtie of our life in beholding this diseased and distressed feruant of thine whom thou hast cast downe vpon the bed of sicknesse He was as we thought of late in good health and now we sée him at the point of death In him let vs behold our fraile estate and truly to consider that all flesh is grasse And because we are now in this house of mourning let vs be admonished of our later end and behold what afterward shall become of vs. Make vs truly to mourne with them that mourne and to weepe with them that weepe And grant vnto vs all the forgiuenesse of our sinnes â—he assistance of thy Spirit assurance to be heard and a fellow feeling of our brothers miseries that we may the better call vpon thy name and pray to thée for him who standeth in néede to be prayed for Thou art O Lord the conduit of comfort bee a God of comfort and consolation vnto him thou art the forgiuer of all our sinnes blot all his sinnes out of thy remembrance thou art the Physitian to cure all sores looke fauourably vpon him in this sicknesse of his And as thou art the God of patience mitigate his paines of hope assure his heart of mercie confirme his faith of iustice looke vpon thy Sonne and as thou art the resurrection and the life be vnto him both life and resurrection It is true O Lord that he hath deserued a farre greater punishment and that thou shouldest scourge him with all thy rods hee feeleth his sinne he feareth thy iustice he is affrighted at death hee trembleth at thy iudgements and vnlesse thy law were his delight he should haue perished in this his trouble He appealeth from thy iustice vnto thy mercie and in consideration of thine abundant goodnesse doth say vnto thee in the bitternesse of his soule Lord bee mercifull vnto me a sinner Haue mercie vpon him O Lord haue mercie vpon him and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all his offences Grant him thy grace to beare willingly this crosse the crosse of sicknesse to drinke heartily of this cup the cup of affliction to endure patiently this yoke the yoke of tribulation and to suffer meekely this rod the rod of correction Naked hee came out of his mothers womb and naked shall he returne againe O Let him now say with thy seruant Iob The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. He hath receiued good things of thée make him to receiue euill also and as heretofore he reioyced in his health so teach him now to reioyce in sicknesse and as hee was not ashamed to liue so let him not bee afraid to die because his life is hid with Christ in heauen Teach him O Lord by thy holy Spirit that hee cannot suffer more for thee than Christ his Sauiour suffered for him and though thou hast now powred into the wounds of his corruption the sharpe wine of grieuous tribulation yet after the example of the good Samaritan instill also the suppling oyle of comfort whereby hee may bee able to endure these troubles which otherwise would bee intollerable vnto him As his paine encreaseth so increase his patience and as it decreaseth so increase his thankfulnesse Turne this visitation to the good of his soule lay no more vpon him than hee is able to beare and as hee feeleth thy iustice in suffering for his sinnes so let him feele thy mercie in correcting him for them and as thou now triest whe her he will loue thée or no so make him now most to loue thee when thou correctest him as thy sonne Let his heart be glad his tongue reioyce and his flesh also rest in hope because thou wilt not suffer his soule in the graue nor his flesh through thine Holy one to sée corruption Remember not Lord his or our iniquities spare him good Lord spare thy seruant whom Christ hath redeemed with his most pretious blood and bee not angrie with vs for euer Lord saue thy seruant which putteth his trust in thée send him helpe from thy holy place and euermore mightily defend him let the enemie haue none aduantage against him nor the wicked approch neere vnto him be vnto him a strong tower against the face of his enemie O Lord heare our prayers and let our crie come vnto thée Wée crie and call vnto thee alone for him visite him as thou diddest visite Peters wiues mother comfort him as thou diddest comfort the sick of the palsie chéere him as thou diddest cheere that godly man Simeon that hée now seeing his Sauiour in heauen may ioyfully say Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation In the meane time strengthen him against all temptations defend him against all assaults relieue him in all his weakenesse and deliuer him from all his feares O Lord Iesu Christ who for his and our sakes camest into the World obeyedst the law sufferedst reproch baredst our sinnes and gauest ouer for vs thy pretious life to death looke thou vpon this thy patient let thy blood wash away the spots of his sinnes let thy righteousnesse couer his vnrighteousnesse and let thy satisfaction bee his merit O holie Ghost the comforter of all that want comfort send downe thy grace into the heart of thy seruant call to his minde whatsoeuer consolation he hath before learned cut of thy word especially that by Christ he shall inherit heauen giue him now such a portion of thy grace that he neither
giue vs all that which is fit for vs. Euch. What do you heere pâ—ay against Phil. 1. I pray against vnseasonable weather disorder of creatures vngodly lawes cowardly souldiers and vnfit people for their places and callings 2 I pray against vniust wars cleannes of teeth and that the staffe of bread may not be taken from vs. 3 I pray against pride in abundance discontent in want negligence in mens callings vnfaithfulnesse in dealing improuidence in getting parsimonie in hoording prodigalitie in spending and vnmercifulnes in not giuing to the poore 4 In a word I pray against all vnthankfulnes for Gods creatures our much abusing of such good gifts of God yea against all such sicknes as may hinder vs from getting our daily bread Euch. What do you heere giue thanks for Phil. I thanke God héere for seasonable times godly Gouernours abundance of all things and for all such things as before I prayed for And by name I thank God that he hath hitherto prouided so bountifully for me others that wée haue a sufficiencie for our present estate and doe sée his blessing in the getting hauing and vsing of al his creatures And that in the sweate of our browes wee doe eat that bread which by reason thereof cannot bee called the bread of idlenesse Euch. Which are the two last petions Phil. Forgiue vs our trespasses Forgiue vs c. Lead vs not c. as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill Euch. What doe you learne out of this order that after our praying for daily bread we say And forgiue vs our trespasses and leade vs not into temptation c Phil. I do héere learne these sixe lessons 1 By hauing my daily bread to lift vp my mind for spirituall blessings to God a Luk. 11.13 2 To séeke more earnestly for the pardon of my sinnes then I doe though alas I doe not for my daily bread b Act. 2.39 3 That séeing I make these two petitions for my soule therefore my care must be double to do good for my soule c 2. Pet. 1.10 4 That it is nothing to haue my daily bread vnlesse God giue vnto me the pardon of my sinnes d Wisd 5.8 5 That if God giue me my daily bread I had most néed to pray for the forgiuenesse of my sins because therein I am most subiect to sinne against God e 2. Sam. 1.11.1 6 That if I want my daily bread sin is the cause that I want it and all blessings f Psal 107.34 Lam. 3.44 Isai 59.2 Euch. What is contained in these two last petitions Phil. In the former of them I pray for grace and in the latter for perseuerance in grace Euch. Forgiue vs our trespasses c. How many things are contained in the fifth petition Forgiue vs our trespasses c Phil. Two things 1. A prayer in these words Forgiue vs our trespasses 2 A condition as wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs. Euch. What is the summe of this petition Phil. That it would please God for his Sons sake to be good to me and all his children in the dashing out and washing away al our sinnes as we are ready to forgiue others g Math. 6.14.15 Euch. Why do you pray thus Phil. 1 To manifest Gods goodnes who tels me héere that it is possible to obtaine forgiuenesse of sinnes 2 To the ende I might thinke of the nature of sinne which hinders vs from al good things héere Leuit. 26. and of Gods kingdome héereafter Psal 15.2.3 Reuel 21. 3 To meditate of Gods mercie to man to man I say he spared not the Angels that sinned 2. Pet. 2. he will spare vs. 4 To assure me that though I by sinne forget to performe the obedience of a sonne yet God still retaineth the compassion of a Father Euch. Vnto whom do you pray for the forgiuenesse of sinnes Phil. Not vnto any Angell Saint creature or man but I pray onely to my Lord God h Psal 51.1 Euch. Why do you pray thus only to him Phil. 1 Because hee only can forgiue sinnes i Mat 9.2 2 Because I am commanded so to pray k Hos 14.3 3 Because against him onely I haue sinned l Psal 51.4 4 Because I must not giue his honor to another m Dan. 9.5 5 Because the Church vseth so to pray n Ps 50.10 6 Because I beléeue only on him o Ioh. 14.1 Euch. What doth this teach you Phil. 1 That God alone is to bee called vpon p Psa 25.1 2 That Christ is very God because of himselfe he forgiueth sinnes q Mat. 9.2 Euch. What vse can you make of this doctrine Phil. 1 That when I haue sinned I must come to him for pardon r 2. Sam. 14.10 2 That their doctrine is an erroneous doctrine which call vpon Saints aswell as vpon God Å¿ Mat. 15.24 or dreame of perfection in this life Iob. 9.3 Pro. 24.16 Rom. 7.23 3 That I must be thankfull to my gratious God who wil pardon and forgiue me all my sinnes t Ps 103.3 4 That I must take héed of sin because I must euer craue pardon for it u Rom. 6.21 5 I must labor to bee in the number of those vs who may sue for pardon Euch. What doe you meane by this word Forgiue Forgiue Phil. That it would please God so to discharge and couer all my sinnes as that they may neuer be imputed vnto mee either to make mee despaire in this life or to bee punished in the life to come x Act. 7.60 Euch. How are sins said to be discharged Phil. 1 When they are discharged by the person that committed them so the diuels and the damned discharge their debts by suffring y Mat. 18.34.25.41 2 When they are paied by another and so are our sinnes discharged by Christ * Gal. 3.14 Euch. In what respect may this second satisfaction be called forgiuenesse Phil. 1 In respect of vs who neither do nor can confer any thing to this satisfaction a Luk. 17.10 2 In regard of Christ who alone doth forgiue them b Mat. 9.2 and we no way are able to requite him c Ps 103.1 3 In respect of God the Father who in loue giueth his Sonne and accepteth his obedience as our satisfaction d Io. 3.16 Euch. What learne you by this Phil. 1 That as Benadad did to the King of Israel e 1. King 20.31 so I must humble my selfe to this King of Kings 2 That I must confesse my sins to him because he is readie to forgiue my sinnes f 1. Io. 1.7 3 That there can be by man no satisfaction for sins g Mat. 16.26 for Our merits is Gods mercie saith a Father Euch. What sinnes must you confesse to God Phil. Both knowne and vnknowen knowen in particular h 2. Sam. 12. vnknowen
and such base animals It is the propertie of a sicke and not a sound man to bee testie and fretfull 3 I haue much comfort by it 1. Sā 25.31 4 I shal banish malice out of mine heart 5 I may with assured comfort sue vnto God for mine owne pardon Mar. 18.6.14 6 I shall cause mine enemie to loue me 7 Then God will auenge my cause Prou. 25.21 8 I shall be fitter for the Lords Supper Mat. 5.25 Gen. 4.4 Euch. May a man forgiue him that hath offended him and yet sue him at the law Phil. Hee may not only sue his aduersarie but pursue him to death and yet forgiue him for vnlesse offendors be punished Gods glorie will bée hindered q 1. Sam. 15.9 Eccl. 8.11 Iustice decayed r Hos 5.10 Pro. 11.14 the Common-weale ruined ſ Pro. 29.4 and all men wronged t Iud. 17.6 and bad Iudges punished u Ier. 22.17 Pro. 24.24 Euch. What rules must you obserue in going to Law Phil. 1 I must doe nothing with a reuenging mind x Rom. 12.19 2 I must take héede that I offend not the Church y 1. Cor. 6.1.2 3 I must doe it for the maintenance of peace z Act. 21.22 4 I must labour by it to better mine aduersarie a Iam. 5.19 5 I must not sue for each trifling matter b 1. Cor. 6.7 6 I must vse all other good meanes and make law my last remedie c Matth. 18.29.31 Euch. May the Magistrate punish a Malefactor and yet be said to forgiue him Phil. Hee may doe it for hee is 1 The Minister of God to take vengeance of him that doth euill Rom. 13.4 2 The offence which he doth punish is not against his person but against the Common-wealth Euch. But when the flesh will tell you that you must bee reuenged what cautions were giuen you to stay your anger Phil. You gaue me these cautions 1 That I must consider that it is Gods doing d 2. Sam. 16.10 2 That I haue also wronged God and man c Eccl. 7.24 3 That Christ hath forgiuen me more f Mat. 17.32 4 That forgiuing is a dutie of loue g Gal. 5.13 14. 5 That I must not destroy him for whom Christ died h 1. Cor. 8.11 6 If I doe not forgiue I incurre Gods wrath i Mat. 6.15 7 That by forgiuing I am like vnto God k Ephes 4.31.32 8 That it is my dutie to doe nothing through contention l Phil. 2.3 Euch. But if I must forgiue mine enemies why did Dauid and others pray against theirs Psalme 54.7 Numb 16.15 2. Timoth. 4.14 Phil. They did so not in malice or desire of reuenge but 1 Vpon a zeale to Gods glorie 2 By the spirit of reuelation knowing that such men were in truth case awayes and vtter enemies to the truth of God Euch. What vse doe you make of this Phil. 1 That I am bound to forgiue all persons m Collos 3.12 all sinnes n Prou. 10. and at all times o Mat. 17.22 when man offends me and that fully 2 That I must liue in peace p 2. Cor. 13.11 and labour to make peace q Mat. 5.9 Exod. 2.13 and shew all tokens of loue to mine aduersary that he may assure himselfe that I haue forgiuen him not by halfe but altogether 3 That if I forgiue not I curse my selfe r Mat. 6.12 4 That they hurt themselues who leaue out this conditition in the Lords Prayer because they will not forgiue 5 That it is a signe of grace to forgiue ſ Matth 17 32. 6 That no man liuing in malice can say the Lords Prayer as he ought to doe t Mat. 5.24 7 That is it difficult to beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes u Marke 9.24 because this petition hath a condition to perswade vs annexed vnto it 8 That if they bee commended who forgiue their enemies what shall become of them who prosecute and persecute the Saints of God by whom they receiue much good Prou. 11.11 Euch. What doe you heere bewaile Phil. 1 The corruption of my nature prone to sinne 2 The burden of my sinne which I my selfe can neuer beare 3 That I féele not the want of Christ who only can forgiue sinne 4 That I am not so readie to forgiue men as God is readie to forgiue me Euch. What things doe you here pray for Phil. For thrée things 1 For Humiliation 2 For Iustification 3 For Reconciliation and loue to men Euch. In Humiliation what doe you pray for Phil. 1 That I may sée my sinnes 2 That I may féele them 3 That I may bewaile them 4 That I may most earnestly craue pardon for them séeing the burden of sinne is a most heauie burden Euch. How doe you pray for Iustification Phil. That Christs righteousnesse may be made mine and my sinnes may bee laid vpon Christ for his mercies sake Euch. How doe you pray for reconciliation Phil. That God would giue me a heart to bee reconciled to men so as I may pardon them and they me Euch. What thinges doe you pray against Phil. I pray against blindnesse of minde heardnes of hart continuance in sinne and the least opinion of mine owne righteousnesse that I should lightly regard Christ And lastly against al hatred by which I am kept from louing my brother Euch. What doe you giue thankes for Phil. I thanke God that hee hath giuen mee a sight and sense of sinne and perswaded mee of the pardon and forgiuenesse of them in his Sonne and that howsoeuer I sustaine many wronges at the handes of men yet I can bee contented to forgiue them as God for Christs sake hath forgiuen mée Euch. Which is the sixth petition Phil. The sixth Petition And lead vs not into temptation but c. Euch. Why is it placed after the fourth petition Giue vs c Phil. To teach me that if God giue mée daily bread I am subiect to be tempted with pride a Psa 30.6 Leade vs not into temptatiō and therefore must pray against it and if he deny mee daily bread I am subiect to be tempted with despaire b Ps 22.1.2 and so must pray against it Euch. Why is it set after Forgiue vs our debts Phil. That by this I may learne 1 That forgiuenesse of sinnes and temptations are inseparable companions c Luk. 22.31.32 2. Cor. 7.5 and that such as are not acquainted with temptations are as yet in the power of that strong man who keepeth the house of a secure soule d Lu. 11.21 2 That as the former petition answereth to the first part of the couenant of grace consisting in the remission of sinnes so this is answerable to the second part which consisteth in the writing of Gods Law in our hearts so as we shall not finally bee ouercome in temptation Euch. Why is it coupled to the former petition by this word and Phil. 1
giue why you must examine your obedience Answ Amongst many I giue these 1 Disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft 1. Sam. 15.23 2 Obedience is better then sacrifice 1. Sam. 15.22 3 It is a fruit of faith Rom. 8.1 4 By this examination I shal be moued to repent Ierem. 31.19 5 If I haue done any thing that is good I shall haue cause to giue God due thankes 6 Without it I cannot appeare before God Ierem. 7.9 Quest How many properties are there of this obedience Answ Fiue 1 It must be frée without constraint Psalm 110.3 2 Sincere without hypocrisie 2. Tim. 1.5 3 Vniuersall not to some but to all the Commaundements Psalm 119.6 Iam. 2.10 4 Perpetuall till the houre of our death Matth. 24.13 5 Personall in regard of our personall calling 1. Pet. 5.1 Quest Which is the last part of examination Answ Our reconciling our selues vnto our brethren if we haue made them any offence Matth. 5.24 Quest Can you shew mee any reasons of this examination Answ Yea surely For 1 If I loue not my brother God loues not me 1. Ioh. 3.14 2 If I forgiue not my brother God forgiueth not me Matth. 6.15 3 If I want loue I am none of Christs disciples Ioh. 13.35 4 Without it I shall neuer doe good to my brother 1. Cor. 13.2 Quest By what signes may you know whether you are so reconciled that you loue your brother Answ By these 1 If I be not ouercome with euill Rom. 12.21 2 If I ouercome euill with goodnesse Rom. 12.21 3 If I can pray for him Acts 7.60 4 If I can yéeld to him Gen. 13.19 5 If I can conceale my wrongs and his infirmities Prou. 11.12.13 6 If I can conuerse friendly with him Genes 34.4 7 If I can depart sometime from my right Gen. 13.10 8 If when I may I auenge not my selfe 2. Sam. 19.23 Quest When are we fit to receiue the Sacrament in regard of reconciliation Answ Euen then when we are fit to say in the Lords prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And therefore many indanger their own consciences in refusing to receiue lest they should leaue their sinnes and be reconciled to men Now the Lord grant that I may after this sort examine my selfe that at all times by putting off the old man and putting on the new I may be fit to come to Gods Table Quest I hope you are well instructed in examination Tell mee what premeditation the second part of preparation is Answ It is a consideration of those graces which wee doe receiue by the death of Christ signified in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Quest Which are those graces that wee must consider of Answ Our redemption from hell our deliuerance from death damnation and the curse of the Law 2 The remission of our sinnes whereby we receiue freedome from sinne and acceptation to life Psalme 103.3.4 3 Which is a fruit of the former reconciliation with God when wee are made friends with him Colos 1.20 4 Our communion and fellowship with Christ 1. Cor. 10.16 5 Interest and title to eternall life by Christ in whom we are sonnes Iohn 1.12 Rom. 8.13 Quest What fruit ariseth out of these two Answ A spirituall hunger after Christ and his benefits for when a man hath examined his wants and hath considered the riches of Christ his hart longs after the same Ioh. 7.37 Quest You haue well said all that you haue yet said how must you be disposed in the action of receiuing Answ I must seriously thinke of these fiue points 1 When I sée the Minister take bread and wine I must consider the action of God whereby he sent Christ to worke my redemption 2 When I sée the bread broken and the wine powred out I must consider first The bitter passion of Christ for me in so suffering secondly Gods infinite loue to mée who sent Christ to redéeme me his enemy thirdly Gods wrath towards me for my sinne which nothing could satisfie but the death of Christ Fourthly I must detest those sins of mine which caused Christ thus to suffer 3 When the minister distributeth bread and wine I must consider that as it is truly offered vnto me by man so Christ is truly offered vnto me by God 4 In receiuing bread and wine I must apprehend Christ by faith 5 In eating that bread and drinking that wine I must apply Christ particularly to my selfe and be perswaded that as that bread and wine is made the nourishment of my bodie so Christs body and blood is made the nourishment of my soule Yea I must féele the power of Christ to mortifie the corruption of my nature by his death to quicken me in newnesse of life by his resurrection and to giue me power to fight against my deadly aduersaries the world the flesh and the diuell Quest When you are to receiue these consecrated mysteries may you receiue them kneeling vpon your knees Answ You taught me that this gesture hath béen much abused yet at the commandement of the Church it may be vsed without impietie 1 Because knéeling is a thing indifferent as is the vncouering of the head at that time 2 Because the Minister then prayeth to God as he giueth them 3 Because Christ is more particularlie then offered then in the word 4 That we may stoppe our aduersaries mouthes who crie out against vs that we regard not this Sacrament 5 Because then especially God requires our humiliation 6 That the better wee may lift vp our hearts to God 7 Because in matters of indifferencie we are bound to kéep the peace of the Church 8 Because we teach that this reuerence is not done to the creatures but to our Creator 9 Because by this gesture we are moued to receiue with greater reuerence 10 It is reteined by the Church of Bohemia Quest But this Ceremonie sauoreth of adoring a breaden god Answ To our aduersaries it doth to vs it doth not being taught the contrarie therfore if it be not taken away it may be vsed if it were the feare of superstition were taken away with it But in things which may be well vsed let no man be contentious we haue no such custome neither haue the Churches of God Ambrose his counsell to 〈…〉 and his mother Monica is good counsell When I am at Millaine I fast not on Saturday because there they fast not and when I come to Rome I fast on Saturday because there they then fast Thus must we doe in things indifferent that we may keep the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace Quest Yet were it not fit to follow the example of Christ who did administer it sitting at the table Answ Marke what I say And the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things 1 If we must precisely follow Christs practise in this then they who receiue standing transgresse in practise as well as they who receiue kneeling which I thinke you will not
vs by the Word and Sacraments The secōd Position I beléeue this faith to bee wrought in vs of the holy Ghost by the Word and Sacraments that by this faith wee might immediatly receiue and eate the bodie of Christ which was deliuered vp for vs and receiue and drinke the bloud of Christ which was shed for vs for remission of sinnes And so we might more and more bee engraffed and immediatly vnited vnto the bodie of Christ as our Mediatour who died for vs. For euen as the Bread and Wine being Earthly and Materiall Bodies cannot bee incorporated into our Earthly bodies vnlesse wee receiue them in at our mouth and eate them and drinke them So wee cannot bée vnited and incorporated into the bodie and bloud of Christ which Irenaeus calleth an Heauenly thing vnlesse by faith we take hold on Christ eate him and drinke him that is applie him vnto vs. The third Position OF the vse for which we eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud I beléeue that the bodie of Christ in the Supper is offered and exhibited vnto vs to be eaten and his bloud to bee drunke and that faith by the Word and Sacraments by the helpe of the Holy Ghost being wrought in our hearts it is eaten of vs indéed to the end that we being more neerely and effectually incorporated into Christ we may also bee more throughly confirmed in the New Couenant which in Christ is communicated vnto vs. For as Christ did therefore deliuer his bodie vnto death and shed his bloud that by his death and bloud our sinnes being purged hee might confirme and for euer establish the couenant being renued betwéene God the Father and vs euen as the words of the Supper concerning the bloud doe teach vs and other bookes of the Scripture especially the Epistle to the Hebrewes doe confirme euen so for this end also the body and bloud of Christ is communicated vnto vs that by the participation of them we in like manner being more and more incorporated into Christ might be more and more confirmed in the New Testament Therefore when Christ gaue forth the cuppe in plaine wordes hee named the New Testament that the Apostles might vnderstand to what end the bloud of the sonne of God was not only shed and powred out but also was exhibited to be drunken of them Verily to this end that as by the shedding of his bloud their sinnes and the sinnes of all Gods Elect were purged and being purged the couenant betweene them and God was for all eternitie confirmed So also by drinking of the same both they and all the Elect being more and more incorporated may know themselues to be confirmed and established in the euerlasting Couenant But yet because the Couenant and the flesh and bloud of Christ are diuers obiects and the one is ordinated vnto the other therefore for doctrine sake I distinguish the one from the other and shew what is the proper vse of either of them The fourth Position OF the benefit or vse of the Couenant communicated vnto vs. Lastly I beléeue the couenant it selfe being ratified and confirmed in the bodie of Christ and by the bloud of Christ to bee more and more communicated vnto vs in the same bodie and bloud of Christ that by the bond thereof wee may wholy whatsoeuer we are bee vnited more and more vnto God the Father the Fountaine as of the whole Diuinitie so of all goodnesse and blessednesse by Christ the Mediatour the Spirit working and dwelling in vs and that we may be so vnited that in mind wee may daily more clearely acknowledge him by the Holy Ghost to be our true and our best Father in Christ and in our heart loue him more feruently in Iesus Christ through the Holy Ghost yea with all the powers of soule and bodie wee may daily more sincerely honour him and may bee made like vnto him in Holinesse and Iustice vntill at length sinne being vtterly destroyed and death abolished and the perfect Image of God recouered wee may so perfectly through Christ in the Spirit of God bee vnited and coupled after this life vnto God the Father that he may be all in all Amen For this is the last end vnto which not only the Supper of the Lord but also Baptisme yea the whole Word of God all his benefits all his corrections lastly all the words and works of God doe lead vs vnto CHAP. III. Of the dutie of a Christian man in the Supper of the Lord. WHerefore I thinke and beléeue that these are the duties of a Christian man in the Lords Supper First that he set before his eyes the perfect Communion with God which is none at al without Christ and is to be found only in him and that he direct all things vnto it as vnto the last end Secondly that hee may come vnto this end hee must make his beginning from the meanes which doe incurre into our senses as those things which are first perceiued by our vnderstanding and are better knowne by nature as also hee must heare the word attentiuely and come vnto the Sacraments reuerently and diligently consider as well what the word signifieth as what the Sacraments doe represent and what is offered vnto vs by the Ministerie of them both which is this that Christ hath offered vp his bodie vnto death for vs and shedde his bloud for remission of sinnes and therefore hee hath by his bloud sealed and confirmed in himselfe being Mediatour the New Testament of our euerlasting reconciliation and peace with God And these things are so signified by the Sacraments that they are also offered and giuen vnto vs to be receiued Whereby it comes to passe that they are truly called Signes not only signifying but also exhibiting and giuing the things which they signifie Thirdly I beleeue because the thinges signified and offered by the Signes are to be receiued by faith and faith is the gift of God therefore God is to be praied vnto as hee who offereth the things by the Signes and who commands vs to receiue them by faith He also can giue and increase faith whereby we are able to receiue them Fourthly I beléeue that faith being begotten in vs by hearing of the Word and increased by the diligent consideration of the Sacraments through the Holy Ghost it is the dutie of a Christian man while he receiueth the Externall and Visible Signes with his hand being also Externall and Visible and eateth them with the mouth of his body and drinketh them heare vpon Earth together also to receiue with the hand and mouth of faith and to eate and drinke the Heauenly and Inuisible thinges namely the flesh and bloud of Christ with a faithful heart lifted vp vnto the Heauenly Table that hee being more and more coupled vnto Christ and made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones may liue in Christ and Christ in him For I beleeue the faithfull in the Supper truly to
calamities Isay 57.2 3 Our soules are receiued into glorie Luke 23.43 4 Our bodies are reserued to like glorie Philip. 3.20 5 That wise man Salomon thought so Eccles 7.3 6 That holy man Paul wished so Philip 1.23 Quest But because Paul desired to die may we also desire to die Answ Though the bodie and soule bee as man and wife conioyned together yet with some cautions a man may desire the diuorce of these twaine 1 If he resigne his wil to the wil of God 2 If hee can tarrie the good leasure of God 3 If he doe it that he may be with God 4 That hée may bee disburdened of this bodie of sinne and thus Paul desired to bée dissolued and to be with Christ Philip. 1.23 Quest What thinke you of such as are in miserie and desire to die to bee freed from miserie Answ I thinke their desires are not simply vnlawful especially if they submit them to the will of God I am vexed with a long and lingering disease I would bee fréed by death if God would frée me I am detained in Prison I would be deliuered by death if God would deliuer mee I am exiled from my Countrie I would goe to Heauen if God would send for mee Doe I sinne in this God forbid Elias did it when hee desired God to take away his life 1. Kings 19.4 And Iob did it when hee would haue béene contented to depart this life and many of Gods children haue done the like Quest Why then did Hezekiah mourne when he was to die and why did Dauid say Let my soule liue and Christ Let this cuppe passe from me Answ Hezekiah did so because at this time he had not receiued a promised issue to succéed him Christ did so because hee was to die the death of the crosse and Dauid did so both because he was in a grieuous temptation and if he had then died his enemies would haue triumphed ouer him Quest But all this while you haue not told me what death is Answ It is nothing else but the priuation of this naturall life or the departure of the soule from the bodie or as it were the deposition of an heauie burden of troubles in this life by which we are eased especially if wee carry not with vs such a burden of sinnes as may weigh vs downe to the pit of perdition Secundus the Philosopher being asked this question by Hadrian the Emperour said Death is an eternall sleep the dissolution of our bodies the feare of rich men the desire of poore men an ineuitable euent an vncertaine Pilgrimage a robber of Mankind the Mother of sléepe the passage of life the departure of the liuing and a dissolution of all Quest Should Adam haue tasted of this death if he had stood in his innocencie Answ Hee should not for the stipend and wages of sinne is death Romans 6.23 His bodie indéed was subiect to mortalitie but should not haue died as our bodies now are subiect to sicknesse and yet we may die without sicknesse to wounding and yet it may bée they are neuer wounded and as the garments of the Children of Israel did not by Gods prouidence weare by the space of fortie yéeres though they were subiect to wearing so we may say of Adams bodie it should not haue died though it were subiect to death Quest Are wee then any better in Christ then we were in Adam Answ We are much for in Adam wée might haue died and by him doe die In Christ wee cannot die but change this life for a farre better Quest Are there any Monitors or Messengers of death Answ There are thrée casualtie sickenesse and old age Casualtie foretels me my death is doubtfull Sicknesse that death may be grieuous Olde age that death is certaine Casualtie foretels mée of death at my backe sicknesse that she is at my héeles old age that she is before my face Quest That I may giue the better entertainment to death when shee commeth who hath sent these three Harbengers before her what can you aduise me for to doe Answ Surely I would wish you first to beléeue in Christ by whom the sting of death is taken out for They onely feare death who doubt whether Christ died for them 2 To liue well so long as you liue for Hee can neuer feare death who by a good life hath giuen entertainment to the feare of God Quest What euen in my youth must I begin to liue wel Will not God accept of my seruice when I am old Answ Will you wound your selfe that you may goe to the Chirurgian and will you sinne in your youth that you may sue for pardon in your old age will you lay all the burden vpon a lame Horse when you haue many stronger in your teame shall the Deuill haue your Flowers and God your wéeds the Deuill your wine and God the lées the Deuill the fattest and fairest of your flocke and God an halt a lame and a leane Sacrifice God forbid Quest Yet if I haue but time to say Lord haue mercie vpon me though I haue liued neuer so badly God will haue mercie vpon me Ans It is true indéed That holy Théefe did it vpon the crosse and God had mercie vpon him Marie Magdalen did it after her lewd life and God had mercie vpon her But first are you not worthie to want fauour at your death who haue refused it all your life Secondly doe you thinke that your repentance is vnfained which is but only for a few dayes or houres Thirdly doe you not sée that such repentance is often hypocriticall when men that recouer from sicknesse fall againe to sinne after such a kind of repentance Fourthly doe not many fal into desperation at their death because they haue not serued God in their life Fiftly is it not a folly to doe that all day which you must bee enforced to vndoe at night Sixtly doe you not sée that God in his Iustice doth take sense and reason from many at their death who haue refused his mercie all the dayes of their life Quest Yet you cannot denie but many bad men haue made a faire shew at the houre of death haue called vpon God and died like Lambes Ans Like Lambes why the most of them die like stones they haue liued a sottish and a senselesse life and so they die Nabal did so but hee died like a foole the rich glutton did so but he died like a beast Quest And you know also that many persons who haue liued a very strict life haue died in despaire and blaspheming of God Ans By the gates of hell they went into Heauen by the extremitie of their disease they might speake they knew not what and by the sense of Gods iudgments they might say My God why hast thou forsaken mee But know this that he neuer dies ill who hath liued well and hee seldome dies well who hath liued ill We must iudge men by their life and not iudge any by
great sin For 1 It argues madnesse for a man to lay violent hands vpon himselfe 2 Impatience that he cannot wait the leisure of God 3 Cowardlinesse that he wil not endure that which might be inflicted vpon him 4 Vnthankfulnesse not to preserue this Iewell which is bestowed vpon him And in a word such a practise causeth not onely the actors but their actions profession posteritie and Countrie to bee euill spoken of Quest Well say then that I be cast vpon my sicke bed what rules can you giue mee to obserue at that time Answ You are first to set your soule in order and sée how you stand in the fauour of God Quest And what are the reasons of this rule Answ 1 Because the sicknesse of the bodie doth procéed from the sinne of the soule Lament 3.39 2 The cure of the soule procures often the health of the bodie Matth. 9.2 3 If your sicknes be a sicknesse to death you shall die more quietly otherwise death is most fearefull in sicknesse 4 By this you shall take your sicknesse the more patiently 5 You shall so giue example to such as come to visit you to doe the like 6 All your friends shall by this bee perswaded that you are the childe of God Quest Doe you thinke in this case it is fit whilest I am in good memorie and it may be in some hope of recouerie to send for my godly Minister to comfort me Answ O it cannot but bee very fit for he is 1 The Lords messenger to declare vnto man his reconciliation by Christ 2 Hee is able to beat you downe by the curses of the Law and to raise you vp by the promises of the Gospell 3 Hee hath experience to speake a word in due season vnto you 4 Hee especially as Gods Physitian hath store of salues to cure your sicke soule 5 You may boldly vncouer your sores to him who will not discouer them to your future shame 6 Hee can see further into the nature of your heart then oftentimes you your selfe can 7 He will boldly rip vp your vlcers that after he may the better cure them 8 If he comfort or correct you for sinne you may be perswaded that both come from God 9 You shall by this much ease your owne heart by crauing comfort from a godly Preacher 10 You shall cause others in the like visitation to doe as you haue done and you your selfe he fitter to die Quest When I haue taken this course for my soule what must I doe in the next place for my body An. You are then to vse the helpe of a godly Physitian and that for these reasons 1 Your body is the soules house if it be decaying you must seeke to repaire it by al good meanes you can 2 God hath giuen expert Physitians skil to restore many diseases of the body 3 God hath appointed many soueraigne remedies to recouer man in his sicke estate 4 You shall better satisfie your selfe if you die in that you neglected not lawfull meanes 6 For want of this dutie many doe perish who might recouer Quest Now in taking Physicke what must I doe Answ You must 1 Commend it to Gods blessing by praier 2 Not rely onely vpon the meanes 3 Know that it cannot preuent either old age or death 4 Humble your soule that God may heale your body 5 Waite Gods leasure in blessing the meanes 6 Bée thankefull to God if by it you recouer Quest What then may I thinke of seeking to vngodly or superstitious Physitians though learned Answ 1 If you cannot haue any other you may with good conscience vse such 2 If they haue a peculiar gift to cure that disease which troubleth you you may goe vnto them Quest And may I not aswell vse them as Religious Physitians Answ I thinke not for 1 They will make little conscience to cure you 2 You cannot hope that they shall cure you 3 You doe as much as in you lyeth countenance them in their sinne and superstition 4 You make them able to doe much hurt 5 It is an argument that you put more confidence in such meanes then in God 6 You discourage godly men in that calling 7 You make the Gospell to bee euil spoken of 8 What doe you know whether it will one day bee a corrosiue to your conscience that you haue vsed bad meanes when as God offered you good Quest It seemeth then that to vse the helpe of good Witches or Cunning men or women as they are called is most vnlawfull Answ To vse their helpe is to goe from the God of Israel to Baalzebub God of Eckron from Samuel in Ramoth to the Witch at Endor from the Riuers of Samaria to the Waters of Damascus from the Liuing to the Dead and from God to the Deuill and yet this is the practise of most people Quest And why now I pray you would you haue mee first to send for a Physitian for my soule before I send for a Physitian for my bodie Surely this is not the customary course but rather the contrarie Answ It is so first wee haue the Physitian and when hee leaues vs then the Minister is sent for and when hee once comes wee thinke all the World is gone with vs but it is a preposterous course for these reasons 1 Neuer looke for health in bodie til you haue a good soule 2 You must desire God to blesse the meanes hee vseth which you truly cannot doe till your conscience bee perswaded of the pardon of your sinnes 3 The memorie of the torments for sin may be a meanes to increase the greatnesse of your disease 4 You shal else make the World beléeue that you are perswaded that you hope still for life Quest Well say then that I send for my Preacher and why should I not send for him as well as for my Physitian what must I doe when he is come vnto me Answ You are bound 1 To acknowledge and confesse all such sinnes as doe any way so disquiet you that you cannot bee perswaded of the pardon of them 2 You are to reueale those seuerall temptations by which Sathan assaileth you in your sicknesse 3 You are to desire comfort from him against the burden of your sinnes and those temptations of the Deuill 4 You must beléeue that whatsoeuer he saith to you out of Gods word is the voice of God 5 You must hide nothing from him by which you like hypocrites desire to bee thought to be in a better estate then you are 6 You must desire him to pray for you that God may either recouer your health or receiue your soule 7 You must not be sorrie if hee say vnto you that your sicknesse may bee a sicknesse to death and that therefore you had néed to prouide for another World 8 If you be ignorant in pietie and godlinesse you must neuer leaue him till you haue gotten a sauing and sure knowledge of God in Christ Quest And what must he doe then to
the fierie darts of Sathan can neuer enter You haue the sword of the Spirit it is sharper then the sword of Goliah you haue the sling of Dauid it is more forcible then the speare of Goliah you may walke vpon this Lion and Aspe this young deuouring Lion and Dragon you may treade vnder your féete Psal 91.13 What if he bee wise yet God is wiser What if he be strong yet Christ is stronger What if skilfull yet the Lord is more skilfull What if he be vigilant yet the Al-séeing is more watchfull If you can call to God for aide against him as Iehoshaphat did against the Aramite and say O my God there is no strength in mee to stand before this great multitude that commeth against me neither doe I know what to doe but mine eyes are towards thee 2. Chron. 20.12 feare not neither bee afraid goe out against them the Lord will be with thee and thou shalt ouercome Say that hee ouercame Adam by ambition Saul by hypocrisie and Iudas by auarice yet by the grace of Christ hee shall not ouercome thee Thou dwellest in the secret of the most High and shalt abide in the shadow of the Almightie Hee will deliuer thée from the snare of the Hunter and from the noysome Pestilence hee will couer thée vnder his wings and thou shalt bee sure vnder his feathers his truth shall bee thy shield and buckler hee will giue his Angels charge ouer thée to kéepe thée in all thy wayes they shal beare thée vp in their hands so that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone Quest I confesse that God is able to deliuer me from Sathan but O my sinnes my sins mee thinkes giue mee ouer to Sathan helpe mee with comfort against this temptation I haue sinned and may now die in my sinnes Ans O consider with me what the word doth say Where sinne abounded grace hath superabounded Romans 5. The bloud of Iesus Christ hath purged vs from all sinne 1. Iohn 1.7 If any man sinne wee haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes 1. Iohn 2.1.2 This is a true saying and worthie by all meanes to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the World to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe 1. Tim. 1. Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the World Iohn 1. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance 1. Matth. 11. The Sonne of man came to séeke and saue that which was lost Matth. 9. Come vnto mee all yee that are wearie and heauie laden and I will refresh you Matth. 11. Hee died for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification Rom. 4. Hee hath loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his bloud Reuel 1.6 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for hee shall saue his people from their sinnes Matth. 1. Hee gaue himselfe for vs that hee might redéeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to bee a peculiar people vnto himselfe Titus 1.2 I will bée mercifull to their vnrighteousnesse and will remember their sinnes and their iniquities no more Hebr. 8.12 Doe you now beléeue these sayings are you perswaded that you haue faith in Christ If you haue faith you haue iustification if you haue iustification you haue no sinne I meane no such sinne as shall be able to condemne you in the day of iudgement for it is God that iustifieth who shall condemne Besides you are a member of Christs Church and this Church is without spot and wrinkle which it could not bee if you were yet in your sinnes Againe if your iniquities were not forgiuen in Christ to what end thinke you did he come into the World Furthermore consider what your Baptisme doth signifie that as pollution from your bodie is washed by water so sinne from your soule is washed by Christ Haue you forgotten that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper sealeth vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes by Christs death Is the Earth full of the mercies of the Lord and shal not this mercie be greater to you then all your miseries Doe you acknowledge and confesse your sinnes and will not he be faithfull and iust to forgiue you your sinnes Doe you aske and shall you not haue doe you séeke and shall you not find doe you knocke and shal not the dore of mercie be opened vnto you I thinke you know that Christs is a Physitian and to what end but to cure the diseased and what disease more dangerous then sinne I hope you know the Gospell of Christ is called the word of reconciliation of grace saluation and of life and that only because it offers all these to sinners And tell mee you that doubt of the forgiuenesse of sinnes what difference is there betwixt the sonnes of God and the sonnes of the Deuill but that they haue their sinnes forgiuen these not To conclude looke vpon the calling of the Preachers of the Gospell if they haue power to pronounce the pardon of sinnes to penitent sinners Christ hath power to giue pardon to the same sinners Therefore bee of good comfort your sinnes are forgiuen you Matth. 9.2 Quest What euen my great and grieuous sinnes mine infidelitie in mistrusting impatience in murmuring blasphemie in profaning the name of God Is the couetousnesse of monie the desire of reuenge the loue of pleasure more then the loue of God forgiuen mee Ans If you beléeue in Christ all things are possible to him that beléeueth your sinnes past shall neuer hurt you if sinne present doe not please you Though your sinnes were as redde as Scarlet God can make them as white as Snow There is no cloud so thicke but this Sun will dispell it no staine so foule but this Fullers sope will wash it out no treason so horrible but this King may pardon it and no sinne so great but God for Christs sake will forgiue it The infidelitie of Adam the Idolatrie of Abraham the incest of Lot the adulterie of Dauid the Apostasie of Peter the persecutions of Paul were grieuous sinnes but God in Christ did remit them all And whatsoeuer was written before time is written for your learning that you through patience and consolation of the Scriptures might haue hope Applie them therefore to your selfe If you owe to this creditor tenne thousand talents if you can sue to him for mercie hee will forgiue them all his Iustice can punish any sinne and his mercie can pardon any sinne When he liued vpon Earth he cured all sicknesses now hee is in Heauen hee can purge all sinnes He hath promised as a Porter to beare our iniquities is there any iniquitie too heauie for him Neuer say then despairing of Gods mercie my sinnes haue taken such hold vpon mee that I am not able to looke vp as an heauie burden they lie vpon mee I am not able to beare them Quest I hope that I shall lay these comforts to mine heart that the greatnesse
of my sinnes shall not cause mee to despaire yet when I looke vpon the multitude of those sinnes which I haue committed against God I feele my selfe in a wofull estate comfort me I pray you in this temptation Answ Doe the number of your sinnes now disquiet you yet comfort your soule with these meditations There is no man liuing which sinneth not The iust man falleth seuen times a day Who can tell how oft hee offendeth Psal 19. The Apostle and excellent man cried out I am Carnall and sold vnder sinne Rom. 7. The good that I would doe I doe not and the euill which I would not that doe I. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh Galathians 5.17 Yet for all this hee trusted in the mercies of God as others did being perswaded that his imperfections were not imputed to him but couered with the righteousnesse of Christ And this the same Paul testifieth in that he saith Now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 And what is the reason that wee daily pray Forgiue vs our debts but that wee sinne daily Yea though the bloud of Christ were but once shed yet by it is he an eternall Mediatour satisfying the iustice of God for sinnes past present and to come He is not like vnto many in this World who hauing once remitted some trespasse wil remit no more or paied a debt wil pay no more but as Esaus father had many blessings so God our father hath many mercies If wee fall a thousand times he will at our repentance recouer vs a thousand times He doth not forgiue vs till seuen times but till seuentie times seuen times Larga Dei bonitas totum non dimidiabit Aut nihil aut totum te lachrymante dabit The bountie large of God will not diuide the whole He either al or nothing giues vnto the weeping soule Quest Truth it is as you say that God will forgiue my manifold sinnes but mine heart tels me that Gods law requires perfect obedience and this alas I cannot performe what comfort can you giue me now that mine obedience is imperfect Answ Why the obedience of the best is both perfect imperfect perfect in Christ imperfect in vs imperfect in this life perfect in the life to come perfect by imputation imperfect by sanctification perfect in parts imperfect in degrée that is the whole bodie and soule of a Christian are in euery part sanctified but yet both of them in all their parts and faculties grow vp to a greater measure of sanctification A child so soon as it is borne is a perfect man because it hath al the parts of a man and this is a perfection of parts it is not perfect in regard of that growth it may haue in strength and vnderstanding and that is the perfection of degrées We are babes in Christ and so perfect Christians at the beginning of sanctification we must grow vp to be tall men that we may be perfectly perfect in our glorification It is Gods mercie towards vs that wee cannot come to perfection in this life the dregs of corruption will neuer whilest wee liue be drawne out the tares of vngodlines will neuer quite be pulled vp the chaffe of iniquitie wil neuer be cleane remoued from the wheate and the rags of the old Adam will neuer cleane be put off and that as I take it for these reasons 1 That we might giue al glorie to God 2 That wee might euer depend vpon God 3 That knowing our owne weaknesse we should not presume too much on our own strength 4 That by recouering our selues aftâ—â— falling wee might haue experience and patience in Gods fauour 5 That wee might worke out our saluation with feare and trembling 6 That with Paul we might learne that the grace of God is sufficient for vs. 7 That wee might be the more whetted on to an increase of faith and confidence in Christ 8 That we might with greater earnestnesse call vpon God in all our feares 9 That with more contention we should run the race set before vs. 10 That wee should know that it is grace not nature by which we stand 11 That receiuing many foyles our selues we might better comfort and pitie others that fall 12 That wee might the rather with the Apostle desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Know therefore that it is good for you that you are not perfect you would bee proud of it if you were the holiest men could neuer attaine it the most holy God doth not require it If you haue truth in the inward parts and desire to please God without hypocrisie labour to grow in the graces of Gods spirit God your father will make more of you by reason of your imperfections as a good mother doth of that childe that is diseased or lamed It is pride that makes men dreame of perfection in this life and they that thinke to goe to heauen this way must goe alone for none can follow them Let vs not glorie of our perfection but let vs glorie in our Redemption The Church is a companie of sinners saued by Christ of sicke persons cured by Christ of Israelites dwelling among the Cananites of malefactors crying with that holy théefe Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome and of Publicans casting themselues down and saying Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner The Church is but the Moone and some times so eclipsed that she is but a litle lightened by the Sunne God indeede as a good Physitian prescribes vnto vs a perfect diet but wee like vnto disordered Patients tast of that which causeth a relapse and then we must come to the Physitian againe and like a skilfull Physitian God out of our falls doth make a preseruatiue to kéepe vs from falling Quest By this that you haue said I shall as I hope receiue much comfort if God cast mee vpon my sick bed yet because after death coÌ„meth iudgement how shall I bee able to perswade my selfe in death that I may with ioy looke vpon my Iudge Answ Consider that you are in Christ and there is no condemnation to them that are in him it is God that hath iustified you who shall condemne you it is your Father that shall iudge you why do you feare him be then of good comfort he wil say vnto you Come thou blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for thée before the foundations of the world were laid Quest If I lay all these comforts to mine heart in health what benefit shall come to me at my death Answ You shall shew your selfe an excellent scholler in the schoole of wisedome and that you haue not spent your time ill who haue thus learned to die well For hée hath last his whole time who knowes not how to end it Hee liueth ill saith Seneca who knoweth not to die well neither is he borne in vaine who deceaseth in peace We must
subdue them in me I may haue afflictions in this world but Christ bids me to bee of good comfort for he hath ouercome the world Ioh. 16.33 and This is the victory that ouercommeth the world euen my faith 1. Ioh. 5.4 I will say with Dauid Why art thou disquieted O my soule and why art thou troubled within me The Lord is on my side I will not feare what either man or miserie or sin or death or hell or the Diuel can doe against mee I haue God to bée my Father and Christ to be my elder brother I will not feare in the euil day I am not alone Christ is my companion This shall be my studie to beléeue thinges inuisible to hope for that which is deferred and to loue God to the end though he writeth bitter things against me and maketh mee to possesse the sinnes of my youth Though hee kill me I will trust in him I am in Christ Iesus and therefore fréed by his bonds healed by his stripes crucified by his death raised by his resurrection iustified by his obedience sanctified by his spirit and glorified by his glorious Ascension into Heauen Now my flesh by the benefit of Christ who rose againe in my flesh is not spe but re not in hope but indéede saued For in him mine head it is alreadie both risen and ascended vp into Heauen My flesh being safe in this her head shall bee also saued in her members Let them securely triumph their head will neuer forsake them 2 You must learne to rise from sinne to newnesse of life to séeke those thinges that are aboue and not those thinges which are beneath to set your affections on Heauen and heauenly things If you be partaker of the first resurrection the second death shall take no hold of you Reuel 20.6 If you doe not this Christs death shal doe you no good For as hee died and rose againe so must you rise from sinne to righteousnesse and from death to life Therefore awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life Ephes 5.14 Quest If I can thus meditate of Christs death and resurrection I doubt not but death will bee better welcome for if I weare his Crowne of thornes I shall one day weare his Crowne of glorie If I can pledge him in his Cup of gall I shall drinke of his sweet wine If I die with him in this World I shall liue with him in that which is to come But you told mee that I must meditate of the deceitfulnesse of this World must I doe so that I may leaue it more willingly Answ You must néeds doe it the World is like Laban it will giue you Leah for Rachel it will change your wages it wil send you with Iaakob emptie away It is a Syren it will sing to you to sinke you It is as Iael Hebers wife it will offer you milke and couer you with a mantle and in the end strike a naile into the temples of your head It will salute you as Ioab did Amasa and kill you as Amasa was by Ioab killed With Iudas it will kisse you and with Iudas also it will betray you For this cause Salomon cried Vanitie of vanities all is but vanitie Iohn said Loue not this World nor the thinges of this World hee that loueth this World the loue of the Father is not in him 1. Ioh. 2.16 To this purpose the Fathers haue many notable Meditations Augustine said This World is more dangerous fauning then fighting and more to be auoided when she inticeth to loue then when shee compelleth to contempt Againe O yee louers of this World for what doe you labour haue you heere any greater hope then to become friendes of this World what is there which is not fraile and full of perill and by how many perils doe you come to a greater perill This life is miserable death vncertaine it comes vnawares and after all the punishment of our negligence is eternall punishment Againe The World passeth away and the lusts thereof What wilt thou doe whether wilt thou loue temporall thinges and passe away with time or loue Christ and liue for euer Againe Behold the World is troublesome and we like it what would wee doe if it were calme how would wee cleaue vnto beautie if wee so affect deformitie how fast would wee gather the flowers who fill our hands with the thornes Againe This ruinous World is beloued of vs what would we doe if the building were faire Againe The Lords of this World haue true asperitie false iucunditie certaine miserie and hopelesse felicitie Gregorie said Beholde this World which wee loue so much passeth away These Saints at whose monuments wee stand did contemne the then florishing World they had long life continuall health rich estate many children long peace and yet when that World florished in it selfe it withered in their hearts Beholde now it withereth in it selfe and florisheth in our hearts Euerie where death sorrow desolation is at hand Wee are beaten on all sides filled on all sides are we with bitternesse and yet being blinded with carnall concupiscence we loue the bitternesse of this World shee flieth we pursue her she falleth we leane vpon her and because wee cannot keepe her from falling we fal with her whom we hold falling Bernard said Hee that begins to thinke Christ sweet will esteeme quickly the world as bitter Againe This World is full of thornes they are in the Earth they sticke in thy flesh To bee amongst them and not to bee hurt by them proceeds from Gods power not our owne Againe The World crieth I wil faile thâ—â— the flesh crieth I will infect thee the Deuill crieth I will deceiue thee but Christ crieth I will refresh thee Againe The danger of this World is seene in the paueitie of such as passe well thorow it and the multitude that perish in it In the Massilian Sea of foure Shippes scant one is drowned in the Sea of this World of foure soules scant one is saued Chrysostome said The World is a Sea the Church a Ship the Saile Repentance the Rudder the Crosse the Pilot Christ and the Holy Ghost the Windes I would with you therefore to bid this vaine World Adieu and to say with the blessed Apostle Saint Paul God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing saue in the crosse of Christ whereby the World is crucified to me and I vnto the World Quest I shall doe this the better if you tell mee what God hath prepared for mee in Heauen and of this I desire to be instructed from you Answ The Apostle Paul thinking vpon this saith The Eye hath not seene the Eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceiue the good things which God hath prepared for them which loue him The Eye saith Augustine hath not seene it because it is not Colour the Eare hath not heard it because it is not a Sound the
a true and liuely faith to apprehend and applie all the promises of saluation to my sinfull soule and to this purpose illuminate mine vnderstanding confirme my memorie purifie my conscience inlarge mine heart rectifie my will order al the members of my body and so sanctifie me throughout that my whole bodie soule and spirit may be kept blamelesse till the glorious appearance of my Sauiour Christ Grant me I beséech thée knowledge of thy truth faith in thy promises feare of thy Maiestie zeale of thy glorie obedience to thy statutes faithfulnesse in my calling patience in troubles hungring after righteousnesse and a tender affection towards all my brethren Grant me I beséech thée the gift of Regeneration to become thy childe of faith to beléeue thy promises of obedience to doe thy will of prayer to séeke thy presence of comfort to endure thy trials and of strength to continue thy seruant to my liues end Grant me again and grant it I intreate thée the sauing knowledge of thy word let it bee in my minde by vnderstanding memorie by remembring thought by meditating heart by affecting tongue by speaking and mine actions by performing it to my dying day Mine heart O Lord is deceitfull let mée watch ouer it my will is vnwilling to all goodnesse let it run the way to thy commandements Many behold my life conuersation let it I beséech thée be ordered aright To this end teach mee to sanctifie thy name aduance thy kingdome doe thy will Thou hast placed me in a calling make me painfull in it that thereby from thée I may haue my daily bread If I haue it kéepe me from pride if not kéepe me from despaire And forgiue mee the abuse of all thy good blessings And howsoeuer I must néeds liue in this world yet let me vse it as though I vsed it not let my conuersation be in heauen mine eyes on thy presence my trust in thy prouidence my delight in thy word and the communion of Saints Make me thinke often of heauen that I may loue it of hel that I may feare it of death that I may exspect it of iudgement that I may escape it and of the vanitie of this present world that thereby I may learne to contemne it I liue by thy prouidence a life of nature I desire by thy spirit to liue the life of grace put on this desire O my God by thy spirit and draw me from good desires to delights from delights to actions from actions to continuance in dooing that which is good And because Satan the aduersarie of thine elect goeth about as a roring lion séeking whom he may deuoure let mee not be ignorant of all his enterprises Make mee wise to foresée his stratagems vigilant to beware his pitfals circumspect to preuent his practises couragious to resist his temptations and constant to ouercome his suggestions He is strong be thou stronger in me he is wise be thou wiser for me hee is watchfull be thou more watchfull about mee hee is malitious bee thou mercifull vnto me Let him neuer finde me idle for then he will allure nor carelesse for then he will surprise nor sinning for then hee will subdue O Iesu be thou Iesus vnto me saue me O Lord from this enemie of mine that this Dragon neuer infect mee with his poyson this Serpent neuer kill mee with his sting this Lion neuer teare mee with his teeth and this aduersarie neuer haue power to ouerthrow me O Christ bee thou Christ vnto mee and anoint mee so with the oile of thy Spirit that of thy fulnesse I may bee filled with grace euen that grace which may further my saluation By it I acknowledge my misery by it let mee féele thy mercie giue mee by it a broken heart a contrite spirit a sorrowfull soule an humble minde a liuely faith that by humbling my selfe I may bee lifted vp by thée and by beléeuing thy promises I may come vnto thée and that as by the one I may mourne for my sinnes so by the other I may beléeue they are pardoned I durst not bee so bold as craue this thy fauour but that I am incouraged by confidence of thy mercie Doe the simple beg wisdome thou giuest it doe the afflicted beg deliuerance thou grantest it doth he that is troubled with his sinnes come vnto thée thou séest him a farre off thou embracest him in thine armes receiuest him into thy grace againe Thou commandest why should I not obey thou promisest why should I not beléeue thou hearest why should I not speake I speake vnto thée in the language of Canaan kéepe not silence at these my prayers Thou O my Sauiour hast died for my sinnes let the power of thy death make me die vnto sin especially to my beloued sins and such as I can hardly get the mastery of Thou O Lord Christ art risen from the dead let the power of thy resurrection make mee to rise vnto newnesse of life And that which is impossible to flesh and blood make it possible by the vertue of thy blood Thou hast redéemed me suffer me not to be in sinnes captiuitie thou hast triumphed ouer Satan for me suffer mee not to be vnder his tyrannie Thou hast couered mee with the robes of righteousnesse teach mee to cast off the rags of iniquitie Thou hast washed me and I am cleane kéepe me that I return not with the swine to my wallow Thou hast begun thy good work in me performe the worke that thou hast begun and strengthen mee in the workes which I doe haue or shall take in hand Kéepe mée good Lord in my old age forsake mee not when I am gray-headed And when it shall please thée to cast me vpon my sicke bed as what man liueth who shall not sée death grant that I may take my sicknesse patiently and at the last gaspe let not either sinne or Satan take such hold vpon me that I depart this life with crying and scrichings and words of despaire but that beleeuing thy word and yéelding to thine ordinance my last houre may bee my best houre and I may say with the Psalmist Lord into thine hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Thus I still crie vnto thée for mercie because my sins crie against mee for iustice Preserue me O Lord for I trust in thée and let me in all things see that I am preserued by thee let me see it in the health of my body the peace of my conscience the gifts of my minde the credit of my name the works of my calling and vpon all such as are neere and deare vnto me Thou hast beene good vnto me in times past O that I could depend vpon thee for the time to come Thou hast by thy mercie kept mee from grosse sinnes cleanse mee I pray thée from my secret sinnes especially such as put forth their heads when I am but a little moued Am I prouoked stay mine anger is my enemy
aduaÌ„ced â—sswage mine enuie haue I abundance temper mine intemperance am I in want mitigate my feares doest thou exalt me keepe me from pride doest thou humble me kéep me from impatience doest thou withdraw thy selfe from mee let mee euer say Vp Lord why sleepest thou doth Satan assault mee because I am rich in grace preserue me O Lord that I lose not thy grace For woe is mee if I fall from thée I haue promised that I will not fall thou hast promised I shall not fall leade mee by thine hand that I do not fall Finally because thou hast been good vnto me many waies Lord make me thankful for all thy fauours Thou hast made mee a man not a beast a Christian not an Heathen a Protestant not a Papist Whilest many are ignorant I haue knowledge whilest many are profane I haue been obedient to thy will whilest many want the ordinarie meanes of saluation thou affordest me meanes for saluation of my soule Many are bound I am free in prison I haue libertie in want I haue sufficiencie They liue in warres I in peace they in persecution I in free profession of the truth they in sicknesse I in health And although by my sinnes I deserue to bee consumed yet thou hast spared me a great while and giuen me a long time of repentance What shall I giue vnto thee for all these mercies and fauours of thine I will take the cup of saluation praise thy great and glorious name and most humblie entreate thée that as thou neuer ceasest to bee good vnto me so I may neuer cease to be thankfull vnto thée Pardon good God my losse of time my abuse of thy creatures my negligence in my calling my vnthankfulnesse for thy kindnesse and whatsoeuer is wanting in my person practise prayer or thanksgiuing make a supplie of it in the merit of Christ Iesus to whom with thée and thy blessed spirit be all praise and glorie now and for euermore Amen A PRAIER TO BE SAID by a sick person or for him changing my vnto vs c. ALmightie God and in Iesus Christ my most mercifull and all-sufficient Sauiour I thy sicke and sinfull seruant diseassed in my bodie and distressed in my soule doe flie vnto thée yea to thée alone for succour I haue liued heretofore in the health of my bodie I acknowledge that thou wast the author of my health I am cast downe vpon my sicke bed thou hast by thy prouidence sent this Herauld to arrest me It is O Lord the messenger of death preaching vnto mee that vndoubted doctrine which I haue beene learning euer since I was borne namely That it is appointed that all must die and after death commeth iudgement My spirit is willing and would faine say Come Lord Iesus come quickly my flesh is fraile and in weaknesse doth say Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And as in mine health I did nothing but sinne when I was not assisted by thy good Spirit so now in my sicknesse I shall doe nothing but sorrow vnlesse I bee comforted by the same Spirit O Lord comfort me in this agonie of mine and say vnto my soule I am thy saluation Thou art the Physitian heale me thou art that Samaritan pitie me thou art the resurrection and the life quicken me and quicken mee so in the inner man that neither the loue of this world nor the losseÌ„ of this light nor the consideration of thy Iustice nor the feare of death nor the terror of hell may make me vnwilling to depart this life Thou alone knowest the sorrowes of mine heart take them away thou beholdest my feare of death deliuer me out of al my feares couer my sores with the righteousnesse of thy Son heale them by the blood of thy Son and though thou launce them with the knife of the law yet bind them vp againe with the bands of the Gospell I know that my Physitian dwelleth in heauen yet he sendeth his medicines downe vpon the earth Besides thee none in heauen can helpe me and there is none in earth in comparison of thée to do me any good I am weake strengthen me I am sick cure me I am faint comfort me I must die quicken me I am assaulted defend me I am full of feare encourage mee I haue desired to liue the life of the righteous O let mee die the death of the righteous and let my last houre be like vnto his Into thine hands doe I commend my soule for thou hast redeemed it ô Lord God of truth My conscience doth tell mee that I haue sinned against thee and whatsoeuer I now suffer it is for my sinnes they are like an heauie burden vpon my soule they presse me downe to the graue of death and Satan doth lay them now especially before me to make me despaire of thy mercies in Christ Lord assure mee of the pardon of them all perswade my soule by the Spirit of my Sauiour that they are nailed to his crosse washed in his blood couered in his righteousnesse acquited by his death buried in his graue and fully discharged by his alone satisfaction Now now I stand in néed of thy Spirit let it crie in mine heart Abba Father I desire none Angell from heauen to comfort me I desire the Spirit of adoption to assure me to assure me o Lord that thou art my Father and I thy son thou my shepheard and I thy sheepe thou my king and I one of those subiects who shall shortly waite vpon thée in the kingdome of heauen to which I must passe by the gates of death O though I haue now a sick body yet grant me I pray thée a sound soule In thy hands are life and death thou hast the keyes of the graue and death thou bringest to the graue and pullest back again my mother bare mee a mortall man I came into this world to leaue it at thy pleasure it pleaseth thee now to forewarne me of mine end which might haue come vpon mee before this time I might haue perished either in the womb or in my cradle or in my childhood or before I had knowne thée or suddenly might I haue béen taken away and I deserued to die so soone as I was borne I owe thée a death as Christ Iesus died for me I haue béene salling to this hauen euer since I was borne be thou my Pilot that I sinck not in the hauens mouth but that I may land at the port of paradise I haue done I confesse little seruice vnto thée and if thou shouldest now take mee away I should die before I haue begun to liue Thou knowest what is best for me Conuert me O Lord and I shall be conuerted O Lord turne me and in a moment I shall bee turned vnto thee Therefore déere Father giue me that mind which a sick man should haue faith in thy promises hope of eternall life patience with my paine a desire to bee loosed and to bee with Christ and
all those benefits which from my cradle thou hast heaped vpon mee till this present houre When I was nothing I was created by thée when I was worse than nothing I was redeemed by thee When I was worthie nothing I was sanctified by thee and when I shall returne to nothing I shall bee glorified by thée And though I neuer knew thee as I ought loued thee as I should obeyed thee as thou commandest nor thanked thée as thou deseruest for all thy fauours yet hast thou loaded mee so with thine abundant fauours as if I had euer done thy will Experience haue I had of thy goodnesse many times but neuer more then in my late last visitation I acknowledge O Lord that at that time I chattered like a swallow I mourned like a doue I panted like an hart all ioy and gladnesse was parted from my soule I looked vpon my friends they could not reliue mee I sent to the Physitians they could not recouer mee I vsed all meanes no meanes would helpe mee I sought vnto thée yea to thée alone in my trouble and thou hast deliuered mee from all my distresse My mourning is turned into mirth my sorrow into solace my sicknesse into health and my death into life O thou that art the welspring of life the fountaine of health and the alone preseruer of al mankind what shal I render vnto thee for all those mercies that I haue receiued and for all those iudgements that I haue escaped aske of mee and I will giue it command mee and I will performe it tell mee and I will do it A thankfull heart is a sacrifice to thée a gratefull minde is well pleasing vnto thée and therefore in the sight of thy sacred Maiestie and in the eyes of all thy people I will take the cup of saluation and magnifie praise thy holy name that thou hast dealt so fauorablie with me The pangs of death had seized vpon mee thou hast restored me from death to life the sorrowes of the graue had taken hold vpon mee thou hast deliuered my soule from the graue Thou diddest hide the face of thy louing kindnesse from me now the light of thy countenance hath shined vpon mee And I who heard of late this message with Hezechiah Set thy soule in order for thou shalt die and not liue do now sée and féele this ioyfull promise I haue added to thy life yet a number of daies Teach mee so to number these my daies aright that I may applie mine hart vnto wisedome and that howsoeuer I liue heere for a while yet that thou hast appointed that I shall once die And because this meditation ought to be the meditation of all Christians and will teach vs to contemne this present euill world grant me that I euer may thinke of mine end and that exact account which I must giue vnto thée of euerie action I doe in this flesh whether it bee good or euill To this purpose grant me the assistance of thy Spirit that I may so liue hereafter before thee in this life that I may liue with thée eternally in the life to come Teach mee O Lord thy way and I will walke in thy truth knit mine heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name teach mee to do thy will for thou art my God let thy good Spirit leade me into the land of righteousnesse Create in mee a new heart renue a right spirit within mee and establish me with thy free Spirit I asked of thee life and thou gauest it mee I called for thy saluation and thou heardest me I will praise thee O Lord with all mine heart and I will magnifie thy name for euer For many are thy mercies towards mee and thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue If thou desiredst burnt offrings I would giue it thée if all that I haue I would bestow it on thee but a thankfull heart an obedient life a zealous profession a godly conuersation is the only sacrifice thou delightest in make me therefore euer hereafter to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lustes and to liue soberly and godly and righteously in this world that others séeing my godly behauiour may glorifie thée in the day of visitation Make me to repent of my sinnes the causes of my sicknesse to beleeue in Christ the author of my health and to depend vpon thée the doer and giuer of all good things And now I am whole giue me thy grace not to sinne againe lest a worse thing happen vnto mee To this end rectifie my iudgement strengthen my memorie purifie my conscience whet on mine affections order my will and put on all the faculties of my soule and bodie that I may loue thee for thy mercies vnfainedly feare thée for thy iudgements vncessantly praise thee for thy fauours continually pray vnto thee for thy goodnesse daily and obey thee according to thy will dutifully Make me to know thee as thou hast reuealed thy selfe in thy Word to acknowledge thee as thou hast opened thy selfe in thy Sonne to thinke on thee as the solace of my soule to cleaue vnto thee as the authour of saluation and to speake of thee as thou art wonderfull in all thy workes My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within mee praise his holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities which redeemeth thy life from the graue and crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnesse which satisfieth thy mouth with good things and renueth thy youth like the Eagles Thou art full of compassion and mercie slow to anger and great kindnesse Thou wilt not alway chide neither keepest thou thine anger for euer Thou hast not dealt with me according to my sinnes nor rewarded me according to mine iniquities For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is thy mercie towards them that feare thee As farre as the East is from the West so farre thou remouest my sinnes from me As a Father hath compassion on his children so hast thou compassion on them that feare thee Thou knowest whereof we be made thou remembrest that we are but dust I will praise thee O Lord among the people I will sing vnto thoe in the congregation of the Saints For thy mercie is great aboue the heauens and thy truth aboue the clouds Let my soule liue and it shall praise thee and thy iudgements shall helpe mee Helpe mee they shall to loue thee more zealously to feare thee more reuerently and to obey thee more carefully all the daies of my life I confesse O Lord that before I was afflicted I went astray but now I haue learned thy precepts It is good for mee that I was afflicted for I sought vnto thee in my troubles I was in mine health an vntamed heifer it was thy goodnesse to lay thy yoke vpon mee and to giue mee courage to beare it patiently Thou hast taken it from mee
wauer in his faith nor stagger in his hope nor faint in his patience nor coole in his loue nor sorrow at his dissolution nor looke backe to the world nor bee ouermuch cast downe with the dread of death Grant that when death shall haue closed vp the eyes of his body the eyes of his soule may be fixed vpon thee that when his speech shall be taken from him then his heart may crie vnto thée say Come Lord Iesu come quickly Heare vs good Lord praying for him heare him praying for himselfe heare vs al for Christ Iesus his sake in whom alone thou art well pleased and in whose name and in whose words we conclude our vnperfect prayers saying Our Father c. LOrd blesse vs and kéepe vs Lord make the light of thy countenance thine vpon vs and grant vs thy peace O God the Father looke vpon thy sonne O God the Son looke vpon thy seruant O God the holie Ghost enter into thy temple O holie Father O righteous Sonne O comforting holie Ghost O blessed and glorious Trinitie one in essence thrée in person be with this thy seruant comfort him with that comfort which we would desire in the like visitation let thine Angels pitch their tents about him let his last houre bee his best houre make his life victorious his death pretious and his and our resurrection glorious through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Lord Iesu be with his spirit Amen Amen A THANKES GIVING FOR THE faithfull departure of one after he or she is dead changing as before O Lord God the onely health of them that liue and the alone life of them that die according to thy commandement we called vpon thée and in desire of thy goodnesse we cried vnto thée that thou wouldest be gratious vnto this seruant of thine whose body lieth dead before our eyes We asked his life thou gauest it not because thou sawest what was best for him wee desired his patience to endure this crosse thou heardest our prayers and hast not denied vs the request of our lips because that alone was fittest for him He died not as a foole dieth neither was his dissolution bitter vnto him He is now O Lord a tree planted in thine orchard a stone setled in thy building a Priest sacrificing at thine altar a starre fixed in thy heauen and an heire reigning in thy kingdom If he had died like Absolom we might haue taken vpon vs Dauids lamentation or like Saul we might haue taken vpon vs Samuels lamentation or as the malefactor on the left hand of Christ wee might haue lamented and mourned for him as doubting that hee died not the death of the righteous But precious in thy fight was this death of his and comfortable in our sight was this departure of his Hee like a Lion triumphed ouer death and like a Lambe resigned vp his life he knew that this Redeemer liued and that Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. His faith was in thy promises his hope was in thy mercies his loue was on thy ioyes his zeale was on thy glorie and his desire was to be in heauen For this thy fauour towards our Christian brother wee yeeld vnto thy Maiestie all possible thankes and that thou taking him out of this vale of miserie hast by thine Angels carried his soule to the throne of thy glorie We are O Lord we confesse full of sorrow in that we haue lost the comfort of his presence and we could haue béen contented to haue enioyed him longer if it might haue stood with the good pleasure of thy will But we néed not to mourne as men without hope because we are perswaded he so died in thy fauour that as his soule is partaker of eternall glorie so in that great day of assise and generall iudgement this bodie of his which shall returne to dust must be raised vp againe to liue for euer and then bee made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus in heauen He O Lord is gone before vs and we must one day follow after him O how can we render vnto thée sufficient thankes for thy great fauour to vs Christian people aboue all the nations of the world whom when thou callest out of this wretched life thou vouchsafest to place vs with thine Angels in thy kingdome In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die but in the eyes of the godly they are translated from death to life They are arayed with white haue crownes on their heads and Palmes in their hands they shall not die but liue and do behold thy goodnesse in the land of the liuing They serue thée at thy table eate in thy kingdome sing of thy praises are freed from all miseries and they follow the Lambe whither soeuer hee goeth and enioy such pleasures as the eye hath not seene because they are not visible yet the heart doth beleeue because they are most comfortable We beseech thee O Lord that since we must for a while go on in our pilgrimage we may euer haue our eyes bent towards our countrie raise vs out of the graue of sinne renue in vs the life of righteousnes estrange vs from the loue of this world possesse vs with a loue of heauen take from our féete the fetters of pleasure that we may runne as fast to heauen as the wicked do to hell take from our backes the burden of worldlinesse that we may looke as stedfastly vpon things that are aboue as worldlings do vpon things that are below Guide vs euer so by the direction of thy Spirit that both in sicknesse and in health in prosperitie and aduersitie in life at death we may so behaue our selues in this present world that whensoeuer it shall please thée to call vs hence we may by faith in thy promises hope of thy mercies commend our bodies and soules into thy mercifull hands In the meane time hasten the comming of thy Sonne shorten these daies of sinne confound the enemies of saluation dissolue in euery one of vs the cursed workes of Satan sanctifie thy name aduance thy kingdome accomplish thy will giue vs our daily bread forgiue vs all our sinnes giue vs not ouer into any temptation but deliuer vs from all euill both of sinne in this life and of punishment in the life to come so that we with this our brother and all other departed in the faith of Christ may haue our perfect consummation and blisse in thy eternall and euerlasting kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thée our Father and the holie Ghost our Sanctifier our sanctifier in this life and our glorifier in the life to come bee all praise power Maiestie might and dominion ascribed of vs and thy whole Church from this time forth and for euermore Amen A PRAYER FOR A WOman in trauaile O Lord our Lord Creator of all things preseruer of al mankind comforter of all thine afflicted and the only deliuerer of such as are in danger we
deliuered from sinne by thée our names are not a reproch vnto our enemies and by thée our estates are not a prey vnto the Idolatrous Thou euen thou hast done great things in our land and thy right hand amongst vs hath brought mightie things to passe What is it O Lord that thou hast not done vnto this vine of thine English Israel and what couldest thou doe more for it then thou hast Thou hast planted it by thy hand placed it in thy vineyard hedged it by thy prouidence garded it by thine Angels watred it by thy Spirit pruned it by thy rods supported it by thy power committed it to thy husbandmen beautified it by thy mercies and fructified it by thine abundance not of sowre but swéete grapes The wilde Boare of the woods can neuer roote it vp the beasts of the forrest shall neuer deuoure it Lord continue stil to visit this vine which without thy visitation must be fruitlesse and strengthlesse Thou hast cast out the heathen and planted vs in thou hast subdued our enemies and made vs the mirror of the whole world Thou hast giuen vs thy Sonne to be our Sauiour thy word to bee our instructor thy Spirit to be our sanctifier thy Preachers to be our monitors thy Sacraments to be our seales and Kings to be our nursing Fathers 1588. Q. Elizabeth K. Iames. 1603. and Quéenes to be our nursing Mothers When our enemies came against vs thou subduedst them when our light was extinguished thou diddest set vp a greater when the Plague was amongst vs thou calmedst it and when our Countrie was to bee betraied then wast our deliuerer What shall wee render vnto thée for all these fauours or what can we render for all these mercies O our soules praise the Lord and all that is within vs praise his holie Name O our soules praise the Lord and let vs neuer forget his benefits We Lord had béene blowen vp with the powder of rebellion had not the power of thy prouidence watched ouer vs. We therefore our Princes Nobles Clergie Commons our Wiues Children Seruants and all are heere before thy Maiestie this day now render vnto thée for more we cannot and more thou desirest not the sacrifice of praise the calues of our lips for this wonderfull deliuerance shewed vnto our gracious King and Countrie Lord teach vs thereby to bee thankfull vnto thée obedient to our Gouernours frequent in prayer feruent in the spirit and zealous in good workes lest a worse thing hereafter happen vnto vs. Make vs to detest Poperie the poyson of Authoritie Iesuites the bellowes of sedition Papists the plotters of rebellion to thinke better of our Christian Brethren this not new but most ancient Religiō of ours by which we are taught pietie to God loyaltie to Gouernors peace to the Church reuerence of superiority charitie to our inferiours amitie to our equals loue to our enemies patiēce in tribulation thankfulnesse in prosperitie faithfulnesse in our calling and honestie to all And séeing of late thou hast deliuered our backes from whipping our libertie from seruing our soules from dying our country from consuming our King and State from a sudden blowing vp Lord wee pray thée that the meditation of this mercy may neuer depart out of our mindes but that wée may bee thankfull vnto thée for mercies receiued and feareful of thée for iudgements escaped Teach vs to pray vnto thée alone who canst heare and grant our requests to kéepe our Countrey from inuasion our Church from dissension our houses from infection our State from alteration and people from the cruell mercies of the Italian Popedome whose faith is fancie whose force is fraud whose trust is treason whose obedience is hypocrisie whose lawes are traditions whose pardoners are Priests whose sauiour is the Pope whose god is an idoll whose seruice is ceremonies whose glorie is their shame and whose end is damnation except they repent Let the Sunne of the Gospell be neuer eclipsed the light of thine Israel neuer bee extinguished the hope of our happinesse neuer be subuerted nor the branches of our vine euer cut off Thus we thy people and shéepe of thy pasture shall haue iust occasion to prayse thy great Name in the face of thy Congregation from this time forth for euermore Lord kéepe in our King the spirit of Maiestie in our Quéene the spirit of Chastitie in our Prince the spirit of Pietie in our Nobles the spirit of loyaltie in our Counsellers the spirit of Prudencie in our Clergie the spirit of Vigilancie and in vs all the spirit of Fidelitie And as for such as wish euill to this Sion of ours the Honor of thy Name the Palace of thy pleasure the Place of thy protection and the wonder of the world if they belong to thée giue them hearts to repent and to returne to vs if not or euer their pots be hot with thornes let indignation vexe them as a thing that is rawe Euen so let all thine enemies perish O Lord. And vnlesse their Children be better than the Parents as the Prophet prayeth deliuer them vp to famine let them drop by the force of the sword let their wiues be robbed of their children and be widowes and let their husbands bee put to death let their confederate yong men be slain by the sword let them be ouerthrowne in the day of thine anger and let none be left to make lamentation for them and to say O my brother O my sister Lord roote all Cananites out of this land of the liuing that such as feare thée may dwell safely Blessed be the Lord God of our saluation for euer and euer and let all the people say Amen Amen 1. Sam. 12.24.25 Now therefore feare yee the Lord and serue him in the truth with all your hearts and consider how great things hee hath done for you But if yee doe wickedly yee shall perish both yee and your King GRACES He that eateth and drinketh and letteth Grace passe Sitteh downe like an Oxe and riseth like an Asse Grace before meate WE acknowledge and confesse this fauour of thine eternal God and gracious Father that it pleaseth thy Maiestie to giue vnto vs so many opportunities to méet together we beséech thée to blesse vs our méeting at this time all thy good creatures prouided for vs and grant that we may vse them soberly as in thy presence and receiue them thankfull as from thine hand to the glory of thy Name the good of our bodies the future saluation of our soules through Christ our Lord and alone blessed Sauiour Amen Grace before meate ALmightie Lord God our mercifull Father we beséech thy Maiestie to bee good vnto vs in the pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinne past and by the assistance of thy good and holy Spirit to preuent all them that are to come to watch ouer vs as thou hast done by thy speciall prouidence to direct vs continually by thy holy word to blesse vs in thy vse of all thy good creatures that now wee shall receiue from thy bountifull hand giuing strength to them to nourish vs and giuing hearts vnto vs to bee thankfull vnto thée for the same And grant that whether we eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we do else we may do all to the glorie of thy most holy Name through Christ thy Sonne and our only Sauiour Amen Grace after meate WE beséech thy Maiestie eternall God gracious Father to make vs truly and vnfainedly thankfull vnto thée for all those mercies that we haue receiued and for all those iudgements that we haue escaped both temporall concerning this life eternall concerning that life to come for thy gratious prouidence this day past for our comfortable and peaceable chéerefull méeting together in thy feare at this time and for all thy good creatures bestowed vpon vs for the comforting refreshing of these feeble and weake bodies of ours Now we humbly intreate thée that as thou hast fed them with that foode which is conuenient and necessarie for the same so it would please thée to féede our soules with that foode which perisheth not but endureth to eternall and euerlasting saluation so as we may séek so to passe through these things temporall that finally we lose not things eternall Blesse with vs thine vniuersall Church our Kings Quéenes Maiestie the Prince and their Realmes O Lord continue thy truth and peace amongst vs with the pardon and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes this day at this time and héeretofore committed against thée through Christ our Lord and blessed Sauiour Amen Another after meate O Lord of eternall glorie who hast elected vs in the loue of a Father redeemed vs by the obedience of thy Son sanctified vs by the operation of thy Spirit preserued vs hitherto by thy gracious prouidence instructed vs many times by thy good and holy word and now at this present and often heeretofore most gratiously and bountifully refreshed comforted vs with thy good creatures and with the mutuall societie and comfort one of another and hast bestowed many other good blessings and benefits vpon vs as health of bodie peace of conscience and abundance of thy good creatures which thou hast denied to many of thy seruants and déere children which deserue the same as well as our selues thy Maiesties Name be blessed and praised of vs and thy whole Church both now and for euer-more Amen FINIS