come if thou beleeve Christ himselfe wherein thou shalt have small cause to envie their felicity To conclude then this prize is set up for them that will strive for it For t is not every one that saith to Christ Lord Lord that shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but they onely which doe the will of Christ his Father in heaven Though this Kingdome of Christ be set out to all yet every man shall not come to raigne with Christ but such onely as shall be content to suffer with Christ Thou art therefore to sit down and consider according to thy Saviours councell what thou wilt doe whether thou have so much spirituall money as is sufficient to build this Towre or no That is whether thou have so much good will as to bestow the paines of suffering with Christ if it be rather to be called pain then pleasure that so thou maist raigne with him in his Kingdome This is the question that is the very whole issue of the matter that hath been spoken before either of thy particular end or of the Majestie bounty and justice of God and of the account he wil demand of thee Also of the punishment or reward laid up for thee All this is spoken to this end that thou wouldest finally resolve what thou shouldest doe and not to pass over thy t me in careless negligence as many doe never spying their owne errour untill it be too late to amend it For the love of God then deare brother and for the love that thou bearest to thine owne soule shake off this dangerous security which flesh and blood is wont to lull men in and make some earnest resolution for looking for thy soule in the life to come remember often that worthy sentence This life is but a moment of time whereof all eternity of life or death to come dependeth If it be a moment and a moment of so great importance how is it past over by worldly men with so little care as it is And if all this thatc hath been said gentle Reader will not prevaile with thee little hope is there that any other will doe thee good Wherefore here I end beseeching our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ which was content to pay his own blood for the purchasing this noble inheritance unto us give us his holy grace to esteeme of it as the great waight of the matter requireth and not by negligence to lose our portions therein Of the choise of Religion VAriety in any thing disturbeth the mind and leaves it waving in a dubious trouble and then how easie is it to sway the mind to either side But among all the diversities that wee meet with none troubles us more then those that are of Religion T is rare to finde two Kingdoms one as if every Nation had if not a God yet at least a way to God by it selfe This stumbles the unsetled soule that not knowing which way to take without danger of erring sticks to none so dyes ere he doe that for which he was made to live the service of the true Almighty We are borne as men set down in the middest of a Wood circled round with severall voyces calling us At first we see not which will lead us the right way out So divided in our selves we sit still and follow none remaining blind in a flat Atheisme which strickes deep at the Foundation both of our own the whole worlds happiness T is true if we let our dimmed understanding search in these varieties which yet is the onely meanes that we have in our selves to do it with we shall certainly lose our selves in our windings there being in every of them some thing to beleeve above that reason which leads us to the search Reason gives us the Annatomy of things and illustrates with a great deale of plaineness all the waies that shee goes but her line is too short to reach the depths of Religion Religion carries a confutation along with it and with a high hand of soveragnity awes the inquisitive tongue of nature and when shee would sometimes murmur privately she will not let her speake Reason like a milde Prince is content to shew his subjects the causes of his commands and rule Religion with a higher straine of Majestie bids doe it without inquiring further then the bare command which without doubt is a meanes of procuring mighty reverence What we know not we reverently admire what we doe know is in some sort subject to the triumphs of the soul that hath discovered it and this not knowing makes us not able to judge Every one tells us his own is the truest and there is none I thinke but hath been sealed with the blood of some nor can I see how we may more then proprobably prove any they being all set in such heights as they are not subject to the demonstrations of reason And as wee may easier say what a soule is not then what it is so we may more easily disproove a Religion for false then proove it for one that is true There being in the world farre more error then truth Yet is there besides another misery neere as great as this and that is that we cannot be our owne chousers but must take it upon trust from others Are we not oft befor we can discerne the true brought up and grounded in the false suckng Heresie with our milke in childhood Nay when we come to yeares of abler judgement wherein the mind is grown up compleate man we examine not the soundness but retaine it meerely because our Fathers taught it us what a lamentable weakness is this in man that he should build his eternall wellfare on the approbation of perhaps a weake and ignorant Parent Oh why is our neglect the most in that wherein our care should be greatest How few are there which fulfill that precept of trying all things and taking the best Assuredly though Faith be above Reason yet is there a reason to be given of our faith he is a foole that beleeves he knows not what nor why Among all the diversities of Religion that the world holds I think it may stand with most safety to take that which makes most for Gods glory and mans quiet I confess in all the Treatises of Religion that I ever saw I find none that I should so soone follow as that of the Church of England I never found so sound foundation so sure a direction for Religion as the Song of the Angels at the birth of Christ Glory be to God on high There is the honour the reverent obedience and the admiration and the adoration which we ought to give him On earth peace This is the effect of the former working in the hearts of men whereby the world appeares in his noblest beuty being an intire chaine of inter-mutuall amity And good will towards men This is Gods mercy to reconcile man to himselfe after his fearfull dissertion of his maker Search all
chant it as cheerfully in September the beginning of Winter as in March the approach of the Summer why should not we thinke I give as cheerfull entâ—rtainment to the hoary Haires of ouâ— ages Winter as to the Primroses of our youths spring why not to the declining Sunne in adversity as like Persians to the rising Sunne of prosperity I am sent to the Ant to learne industry to the Dove to learne innocencie to the Serpâ—nt to learne wisdome aâ—d why not to this Bird to lâ—arne Equanimity and patience aâ—â— to keep the same tenoâ— of my mindâ—â— qâ—â—etness as well at the appâ—â—acâ—â— of calamitous Winter as of the Spring of hâ—ppinâ—ssâ— And since the Romans constancâ—e is so commended who changed not his countenancâ— with his changed Fortunes why shâ—uld not I with a Christian resolution hold a steddy cou se in all weatâ—ers and though I be â—orced with crosse Winds â—o shift my Sayles and catch at side Winds yâ—t skilfully to steare and keep on my course by the Cape of good hope till I arrive at the haven of eternall happinesse And now to conclude Meditation is a busie search in the Store-house of Fantasie for some Ideas of matters to be cast in the moulds of resolution into some formes of words or actions in which search when I have used my greatest diligence I finde this in conclusion that to meditate on the best is the best of Meditations and a resolution to make a good end is a good end of my resolutions A Morning Prayer O Most gracious God and loving Father we heartily thanke thee for all thy loving kindnesses so abundantly shewed upon us for our Election Creation Redemption mercifull Vocation Justification Sanctification and continuall preservation and for our assured hope of our Glorification in the world to come We praise thy gracious goodnesse for so mercifully preserving us this night past and delivering us from all dangers both of soule and body for that thou hast given us so sweet and comfortable rest and hast brought us to the beginning of this day And as thou hast safely preserved us unto this present houre from all dangers of this life so we beseech thee to continue this thy favour towards us this day and the whole course of our life suffer us not by vaine alurements of this world to be drawne away into sinne and wickednesse assist us with thy Grace and holy Spirit that we spend not our times vainely or idely but that we may alwaies be diligently exercised in the duties of our Calling to the benefit of our Brethren and discharge of our Conscience Grant that in all our consultations words and workes we may ever have thee present before our eyes through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen An Evening Prayer O Most gracious Lord God and loving Father we heartily thanke thee for all thy mercies blessings benefits and preservations so abundantly shewed towards us We doe praise thy glorious goodnesse for so mercifully preserving us this day past and delivering us from all perills and dangers both of body and soule for prospering and preserving us in health and prosperity for giving us all things necessary for this present life as health food and apparrell and other convenient things needfull this gracious goodnesse of thine we beseech thee O Lord to continue towards us for ever And here O Lord God we offer up unto thee our selves and ours our soules our bodies we recommend our lives our meanes and all we have unto thy gracious preservation and protection in assurance that that cannot perish which is committed unto thee keep us this night in safety and grant good Lord that our bodies may sleep and ouâ— souâ—es may watch for the commiâ—g of our Saviour thy Son Jesus Christ thaâ— so our soules and bodies may be more apt and able to serve thee in that estate and Calling wherein thou hast thought good to place us we doe confesse and acknowledge O mercifull God that we are most miserable and wicked sinners as well by originall corruption of Nature as by the course of our evill and naughty life we have and doe daily breake and transgresse thy most holy Law and Commandements both in thought word and deed By the meanes of this sinne and corruption we doe continually deserve most just condemnation and to be for ever cast out of thy presence yet such is thy goodnesse towards us thou wouldest not suffer us thus to perish in our sins but hast sent thine owne deare Sonne Christ Jesus to take upon him whatsoever is due to us and to reconcile and makâ— us one with thee againe In him therefore and thorow him we come unto thee beseeching thee for his sake that we feeliâ—g the grievâ—usnesse of our siâ—nes and groaning under the burthen of them may finde the release and â—ase of them in that we through thy â—â—â—y Spirit stedfastly belâ—eve that Christ hath borne the burthen of them even for us Grant O Lord that we being assured hereof in our conscience may through thy holy Spirit be renewed with more graces and hate detest and abhorre all manner of sinne and study to live in all things according to thy blessed Will during our whole life Grant this O deare Father for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for remission of sins O Lord glorious ever-living loving everlasting Father I wretched sinner presume once againe after my sinne to returne home unto thee requesting begging praying and desiring of thy heavenly Majesty that thou wilâ— look downe upon me I confesse were it not for the hope of thy mercy anâ— the hold of thy comfort and the renewing graces which sometimes I feele from thee and that sweet taste and feeling of thy good gifts and thy heavenly Word I should sinke in despaire for my sinne is alwaies before me if I go they follow me if I run they fly after me if I look back they stare upon me if I go forward they meet me if I turne to the right hand they terrifie me if to the left hand they torment me If I look down to earth Hell is ready to devour me now have I no way but to look up to thee Lord be thou then hore ready to receive me help me good God save me deare Father succour me sweet Redeemer assist me mercifull Creator that my prayers may be so fervent so zealous so affectionate towards thee that they may draw down thy mercies upon me powre down thy blessings shower down thy graces open thy hand of mercy restore joy and comfort to my heavie and laden soule wash away my sins wipe away mine iniquity heale my infirmities purge my wicked minde of all evill thoughts pardon all misdeeds and wicked dealings renew the good Spirit of heâ—venly graces restore the joyes of thy holy comsorts upon me O Lord let me have some feeling some taste some scent some glimmering of thy glorious presence Let me feele some comfort finde some joy have some rest good Lord let
me be once truly renewed by thy grace and setled in thy service that I never slip nor slide back but grant unto me most mercifull Father a sure and setled dependance upon thee so that in all my wordt workâ— and deeds I may rejoyce in serving fearing and obeying thee and that I may spend all the residue of my dayes truly serving thee seeking to glorifie thy Name and magnifie thy goodnesse unto me so long as it shall please thâ—e to lend me breath to this fâ—aile body And mercifull Father favourably governe and guide help instruct and teach me in thy wiâ—dom to magnifie thy holy Name multiply and increaâ—e thy mercies on me O Lord preserve and prospâ—r me in all my waies and works and all about me remember thy poore flock build up thy Church renew Sion governe assist and blesse all pain ull Preachers and Pastors of thy Word teach them and us understanding rihgtly to know thee and truly to follow thee awake my drowsie soule defend it from evill imaginations keep me in holy and heavenly meditations grant me to observe thy waies so that I may walke in piety and peace set my sinnes so before mine eyes that when I look back on them I may with sorrow weep lament and repent my time past which hath been spent so wickedly or unprofitably O powerfull Preserver remember me restore me to joy and comfort and hasten in time thy salvation unto me Draw my lingring soule and it shall run after thee turne me unto thee with all williâ—gnesse come thou neare unto me gâ—â—d Lord and dâ—clare and shew thy mercies on me estâ—blish me in grace excite me to goodâ—â—sse Give me grace that I may alwaies grow stronger and â—â—â—â—â—ger to walke before thee weaker and weâ—ker to sinne faithfull and â—â—â—me in thy service Grant this deare Gâ—d and mercifull Father for Christ Ieâ—us his sake our Saviour and Redeâ—mer Amen A Prayer in time of Warre O Glorious Lord God and everlasting Father we intreat theâ— mercifully to looke downe upon us and hearken unto our complaintâ— and desires and grant we beseech thee our requests O gracious Father thou knowest nor sinnes and our iniquities are not hid from thee they lye open to thy Judgements yet we know that thy mercies are the cure of our miseries and when wâ— fly to thee thou drawest neare to us we beseech thee now to be favourable and spare us for all our sinneâ— past and be ready to deliver us from sinnes to come looke down in mercy upon us and as thou hast been ouâ— everlasting defence so now defenâ— us from the rage of our enemies goâ— in ond out O Lord before our Armies before our Generalls before ouâ— Fleets and Commanders And granâ— we may be thy Souldiers to fight under thy Banner stirre up our hearts and strength against the enemy defend thy afflicted Flock remember we beseech thee the burthen of misery laid upon thy Church in this time in these our Kingdomes and elsewhere and in thy due time restore them to their former glory Settle our hearts and affections to regaine and recover that which hath been lost and grant that we seeing their double dealing may no longer trust to them which have no truth they imagine mischief in their hearts and are set on fire to doe ill but breake thou the knot of their malice lay open their plots discover their devices weaken their Armies over-throw their Inventions confound their Councels and consume their numbers O Lord thou hast in times past made the Starres to fight in order the Sun to stand still the Seas to devoure the Winds to overthrow thy enemies So now O Lord cause these thy Creatures to assist and help us and our distressed Neighbours that all the world may know It is thou that fightest our Battels and undertakest our cause Finally O Lord blesse we beseech thee us and every one of us in what we shall take in hand for defence of thy Church and Truth blesse we intreat thee our King and Parliament our State and Clergy our Communalty and give thy blessing unto us all and last of all blesse we beseech thee all the worthy Companies of Souldiers in Cities and all other places in the Land blesse O Lord their inventions of Warre and make them expert by their practises prosper all their undertakings so that all the world may know that thou art the Guider of our Councells and Leader of our Armies Grant this deare Father and all other good things unto us for the good of the Church amongst us and the reliefe of others by us now and ever for Christ Jesus sake our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer for Gods protection of his Church in respect of the present troubles of it ALmighty God the Lord of Hosts and Governour of all things whose power no Creature is able to resist to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners and to be mercifull to them that truly repent Worke in us and in all thy people unfained and effectuall repentance that what thou seest amisse in us and amongst us or in any parts of thy Church may speedily and thorowly be reformed that which is righteous and good in thy sight may be established and maintained especially in this our Land and other places professing thy Truth and Gospell and in the meane time while we strive after that which may be most agreeable to thy holy Will as it is revealed in thy holy Word be mercifull unto us and bring us on as thou seest it needfull evermore supporting us in our most gracious Shepherd by thy staffe of comfort And thou Sonne of David that knowest the mercilesse condition of Satan and cruell men his cursed Instruments we humbly beseech thee never to deliver us over into their power but save and defend us and all thy people evermore from the hands of all our enemies both bodily and ghostly And more particularly at this time we earnestly beseech thee O heavenly Father by the mediation of thy Sonne Jesus our only Mediator to be mercifull to those that are joyned with us or stand out for thy Truth or any righteous Cause and give that issue to the present troubles of thy Church as may make most for thy glory the advancement of thy Truth and Gospell the reliefe of all thy distressed people in all those parts of thy troubled Church and for the establishing of truth and peace in this our Land May it please thee once to free all our Brethren from the dominion of that Mistery of Iniquity as also still to shield and secure us and all other professing thy Name and Truth from that cruell Faction which as if they delighted in bloud have already spoyled so many Nations Lord thou only art the Catholick King we can acknowledge no King over all the Earth but thy selfe nor any Universâ—ll Head over all thy Church but that only Arch-bishop of of our soules thy Sonne Jesus our blessed Saviour to whom all power is
given both in Heaven and Earth Arise then thou Lord to whom the Kingdomes doe belong and shew thy selfe and let not the man of the Earth any longer exalt himselfe least he be too proud and least he ascribe to himselfe or to his graven Images or vaine Idols the conquest that thou shalt see and suffer over thy people Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be the praise For the honour of thy Name arise before Ephraim Benjamin and Manasses before Great Britaine Ireland and other Countries that call upon thy Name arise and shew thy selfe for us for on thee only doe we call We call on thee to save us and our Forces and thy people now in more danger how and in what manner and at what time fully to declare thy Salvation we referre to thy heavenly wisedome only in the meane time that it may please thee to sanctifie and save to preserâ—e and provide for them and us and all thine both in Field and City Protect and defend deliver us and ours at home and abroad And thou great Sheheard of Israel be pleased to take downe more and more that Man of Sinne that hath and would exalt himselfe against thee Asswage then the malice of those that are enemies to us or to any of thy people and evermore confound all their devices that we being armed with thy defence may ever more and more give praise to thee which art the only Author of our peace and Giver of all victory And all this good Lord for us for them and all thine not for our merits but for thy great Mercy sake and for the Truth sake of thy gracious Promises in Jesus Christ our Lord and only Advocate and Redeemer To whom with thee O Father and the holy Spirit be all praise and glory now and for ever-more Amen A Prayer before Sermon O Most gracious God assist me I humbly beseech thee in this my good purpose and zeale and give me grace at this present time godly to enter into thy service Deare Father assist me with thy holy Spirit and drive away all vain and idle cogitations out of my minde that I may heare thy Word to my Soules comfort grant that it may take deepe roote in my heart and bring forth plentifully to the honour of thy blessed Name to the comfort of my Soule and the good example of my Brethren who seeing my good workes may glorifie thee my only Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer before the receiving of the Sacrament O Most sweet lover of all Mankinde Lord and Saviour I beseech thee for thy bitter Passion sake to remove from me all pride envie and detraction wrath malice and impatience and all other sicknesses and diseases of the Soule and plant good Lord in my heart and minde true meeknesse charity temperance and modesty with all such other vertues and preservatives unto the Soule And mortifie in me good Lord all uncleane motions carnall desires and inordinate affections and revive in me the love of vertues and the perpetuall exercise thereof so that at this time and at all times I may worthily receive this holy and blessed Sacrament unto thine honour and glory and my soules endlesse joy and comfort Amen A Prayer after receiving of the Sacrament JN most humble and most hearty manner with most due reverence I thank thee good Lord most holy Father and everlasting God thaâ— by the bounty of thy mercifull grace wouldest vouchsafe thus to refresh and feed my Soule through faith with the benefit of the Death and Passion of thy Sonne our Lord God and Saviour Iesus Christ And I beseech thine infinite goodnesse that this the Sacrament of this thy Death and Passion which I most unworthy wretch have now received may never come hereafter in Iudgement and Condemnation unto me for mine evill merits and deservings but rather good Lord it may come to the profit and comfort of my body and to the salvation of my Soule unto the life everlasting Amen A Prayer at the houre of death O Heavenly Lord God wee poore wretches being overcome with griefe come all here attending thy good pleasure with this sick Servant of thine O Lord incline to heare our Prayers and his complaints unto thee be now O Lord present and send thy good Angels and Spirit to attend us be with us O Lord and comfort this sick person and now if the time be come of his departure grant O Lord he may depart with godly comfort and joy everlasting into thy Kingdome Ease O Lord his griefs mittigate his paines asswage his sorrowes anâ— give him a lively touch of thy heavenly comfort put by all worldly thoughts and beat downe all bad suggestions let nothing but good come in his minde and grant that he may to the last gaspe of breath breath out still some comfort of thy helpe and grant when he hath done his last to finish this mortall life then he may with Lazarus be carried into Abrahams bosome O Lord forgive him O Lord receive him O Lord protect him O Lord succour and save him and now and for ever grant he may rest with thee in eternall glory Heare us good Father for this our Brother and doe for him and us according to thy Fatherly mercy in Jesus Christ to whom we commend him with these our prayers for him and all his and our occasions in thaâ— prayer which thy blessed Sonne hath taught us Our Father which art c. FINIS Novemb. 29. 1648. Imprimatur John Downham
because thou hast not refused to doe it I sweare to thee saith he by my selfe that I will multiply thy seed as the starres of heaven and the sands of the Sea and among them also one shall be Christ the Saviour of the world Was not this good pay for so little paines King David one night began to think with himselfe that he had ow a house of Cedar and the Arke of God lay but under a Tent and therefore resolved to build a House for the said Arke which onely cogitation God took in so good part as he sent Nathan the Prophet unto him presently to refuse the thing but yet to tell him that forsomuch as he had determined such a matter God would build a house or rather a Kâ—ngdome to him and his posteritie which should last for ever and from which he would never take away his mercy which promise we see now fulfilled in Christ what should I recite many like examples Christ giveth a generall note hereof when he calleth the workmen payeth to each man his wages so duly as also when he saith of himself Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me by which place is evident that God suffereth no labour in his service to be lost or unpaid And albeit he payeth also and that abundantly in this life yet as by those two examples appeareth he deferreth his chiefe pay unto his coming in the end of the day that is after this life in the resurrection of the just as himselfe saith in another place of this payment then reserved for Gods servants in the life to come We are now to consider what and what manner a thing it is and whether it be worth so much labour and travell as the service of God requireth or no. And first of all if we will beleeve the holy Scripturs calling it a Kingdome an heavenly Kingdome an everlasting Kingdome a most blessed Kingdome We must needes confesse it to be a marvellous great reward For that worldly Princes doe not use to give Kingdoms to their servants for recompence of their labours and if they did or were able to doe it yet could it be neither heavenly nor everlasting nor a blessed Kingdome Secondly if we credit that which St. Paul saith of it that neither eye hath seen nor eare heard nor heart of man conceived how great a matter it is Then must we yet admit a greater opinion thereof for that we have seen many wonderfull things in our dayes we have heard more wonderfull we may conceive most wonderfull and almost infinit How then shall we come to understand the greatnesse and value of the rewards surely no tongue created either of man or Angel can expresse the same No imagination conceive no understanding comprehend it Christ himself hath said no man knoweth it but he that injoyeth it and therefore he calleth it hidden Manna in the same place notwithstanding as it is reported of a learned Geometrician that finding the length of Hercules foote upon the hill of Olimpus drew out his whole body by the proportion of that one part so we by some thing only set down in Scripture and by some other Circumstances agreeing thereunto may frame a conjecture of the matter though it come far behind the thing it self I have shewed before how the Scripture calleth it a heavenly and everlasting and a most blessed Kingdom whereby is signified that all must be Kings that are admitted thither To take effect it is called in other places a Crown of glory a Throne of Majesty a Paradice or place of pleasure a life everlasting St. John the Evangelist being in his banishment by speciall priviledge made privy to some knowledge and feeling thereof as well for his own comfort as for ours taketh in and to describe it by comparison of City affirming that the whole City was of pure gold with a great and high wall of the precious stone called Jaspis This wall had also 12. foundations made of 12. distinct precious stones which he there nameth also 12. gates made of 12. rich stones called Margarites and every gate hath an entire Margarite The streets of the City were paved with gold interlaid also with pearles and precious stones the light of the City was the clearnesse and shining of Christ himself siting in the midst thereof From whose seate proceeded a River of water as cleare as Cristall to refresh the City and on both sides of the bankes there grew the tree of life giving out continuall and perpetual fruit There was no night in that City nor any defiled thing entred there but they that are within shall raign saith he for ever and ever By this description of the most rich and precious things that this world hath St. John would give us to understand the infinite value glory and majesty of this felicity prepared for us in heaven though as I have noted before it being the princely inheritance of our Saviour Christ the Kingdom of his Father the eternall habitation of the holy Trinity prepared before all worlds to set out the glory and expresse the power of him that hath no end not measure either in power or glory we may very well think with St. Paul that neither tongue can declare it nor heart can imagine it O miserable Children of men that are born to so rare and singuler a dignity and yet cannot be brought to consider love or esteem of the same Other such considerations there be to shew the greatnesse of this felicity is that if God hath given so many pleasures and comfortable guifts in this life as we see are in this world being a place of bannishment a place of sinners a vail of misery and the time of repenting weeping and wailing what will he do in the life to come to the just to his friends in the time of joy and marriage of his Son This was a most forceable consideration with good St. Augustine who in the secret speech of his soule with God said thus O Lord if thou for this vile body of ours give us so great and innumerable benefits from the Firmament from the Ayre from the Earth from the Sea by light by darknesse by heate by shadow by dewes by showers by winds by raines by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by multitude of hearbes and variety of plants and by the ministry of all thy Creatures O sweet Lord what manner of things how great how good and how innumerable are those which thou hast prepared in our heavenly country where wâ— shall see thee face to face If thou do 〈◊〉 great things for us in our prison whâ—â— wilt thou give us in our pallace If thâ—â— givest so many things in this world tâ— good and evill men together whâ—â— hast thou layd up for good men onlâ— in the world to come If thine enemieâ— and friends together are so well provided for in this life what shall thâ— only friends receive in the life to comâ—â— If there be so great
in respect of our obedience unto him deserveth not the name of true patience True patience will make a man so to depend upon the will God in all his afflictions as he dares not ease himselfe of his crosse by any unlawfull meanes by any other way then such as the Lord hâ—th appâ—inted or permitted him to uâ—e True patience whereby we obediently submit our selves to the will of God in our affections will moderate our passions and make us more meeke spirited even towards men yea towards such men as have had any hand or bin any instrument in our afflictions God finished the world in six dayes and Christ finished his prayer he taught us in six Petitions that so the works which God formed for man and the words which Christ framed for man may have a correspondency When we say Hallowed be thy name we meane not to make it holy for it is holinesse it self nor to make it more holy for it is infinite it selfe nor to keep it holy for it is eternity it selfe but to joyne with the Heavens in declaring his glory and with the Firmament in shewing his handy-worke as then onely hallowing his Name when we name him only holy and therein consisting our work of Sanctifying him when in him we acknowledge our workes to be sanctified And indeed if we marke this Petition well we shall finde a peculiar Majesty an extraordinary preheminence in it above all the other for it is not onely the Primum mobile from which all the other have their motions but it is the Center also to which all the other bend their motions For when we say Thy kingdome come it is but to come that we may hallow Gods name and when we say Thy will be done it is but this that we hallow Gods Name and when we pray for daily bread it is but to strengthen us that we may hallow Gods Name And when we say Forgive us our trespasses it is but to cleanse us that we may hallow Gods Name And when we say Leade us not into temptation it is but to remore impediments that we may hallow Gods Name O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world Wherefore O my Soule doe thou by this Name of God as David in the 1 19 Psalm doth by the Law of God whereof he seemes jealous and so loath to leave it that the word is no sooner out of his mouth but he snatcheth it in againe and there is not so short a sentence in all this long Psalm but the Law of God is a word in it And so doe thou by the Name of God let it not onely evermore be in thy mouth but evermore be in thy heart that thou make it not a common name but keep it holy For if thou take it not in vaine to Gods dishonour thou shalt be sure not to take it in vaine to thine owne benefit for God will plentifully bleâ—se it and the next newes thou shalt heare of will be the comming of his kingdome When we say the Petition Thy â—ingdome come the meaning is that God by his Spirit would so rule over us that our spirits may wholly be ruled by him and that his Kingdome of Grace may so come unto us that we may come at last to his Kingdome of glory In some the world governes and he who is Prince of this world the Devill and this government is a very tyranny the people here are not subjects but slaves they have fetters on all their faculties and if they doe not feele them it is because they are past feeling The ayre of this place is only Foggs and Mists which both blinde theis eyes and infect their spirits and makes it their Paradice to be wallowing in puddle He is no true Prince but an usurper and therefore rules all by force and falshood He takes upon him to be their Pilate launcheth them out into the maine and then leaves them to stormes and tempests and their Haven is to split against the rocks So here is no being for thee my Soul thou hadst need to make haste hence and to seek thee out some better harbour In some the flesh governes and they which be Ladies of the flesh Pride and Lust and this government is a very Anarchie every base fancy hath an even sway with noble reason wisedome here is not justified of her Children they speake the Language of Canaan but they are all Natives of Sodome Their eyes are sealed up yet their flight is only downe hill for they are travelling to the bottomlesse Pit So this O my Soul is no place for thee neither no resting for thee here seeing there is no rest but all in motion and all motion here is commotion In some the Spirit governes and he who is Father of Spirits God himselfe and this government is a perfect Kingdome He hath Majesty for his Crowne Mercy for his Seat and Justice for his Scepter He hath Wisdom for his Councellor Almightinesse for his Guard and Eternity for his date He hath Heaven for his Pallace the Earth for his Foot-stoole and Hell for his Prison He hath Laws to which Nature assents and Reason subscribes that doe not fetter us but free us for by them Nature gets the wings of Grace and transcends the Earth Reason gets the eyes of Faith and ascends up to Heaven He hath a yoke indeed but it is easie a burthen but it is light his reward is with him and his work before him He is established in his Soveraignty not by his Subjects election of him but by his election of his Subjects not as raising himselfe to a higher title but an humbling himselfe to a lower Calling and as not receiving it from a Predecessor who is before all so never leaving it to a Successor who is after all This is the place where my Soul shall dwell here will I pitch my Tabernacle Only O Lord let me be taken into the number of thy Subjects and indue me with the priviledges of thy Kingdome and I will freely and faithfully serve thee for ever Other Lords besides thee have heretofore ruled us but now we will remember thee only and only thy name When we make this Petition to God that his Kingdom may come we should do well to remember a Petition which God makes to us My Sonne give me thine heart for unlesse we give God our hearts whither do we think this Kingdom should come For if it come to the ears as often times it makes offer at the hearing of Gods Word it findes that a thorow-faire which lyes open on every side and no fit place to make a residence in and therefore commonly goes away as it came and makes no stay there And if it come to the eyes as sometimes it doth at the sight of Gods workes it findes them not able to stay long open but must have their windows shut in and so are apt to keep it out or if they stand open they are apt to let
in being righteous as he is righteous that is by casting off the old man which is corrupt thorow deceivable lusts and to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse This casting off and putting on doth teach us that there is in us something that befits us not to retaine if we will be the true Sonnes of God not by reputation amongst men but by imputation in Christ What is to he cast off and what is to be put on is plainely expressed in the Apostles words namely to cast off all deceivable lusts which includeth all things forbidden and to put on righteousnesse which implyeth a spirituall indowment of all heavenly graces among which none is of that singular force vertue and effect as is zealous and hearty prayer in faith unfained which none can effectually make but such as have put on this new man For the old man knoweth not how to pray being clothed with corruption and blinded with the mist of ignorance The new man onely shaped in holinesse knoweth to whom when in whom for what and how to pray all which circumstances are duely to be considered in Prayer and yet none of these doth the naturall man that is the olde man truely apprehend and consequently the lip-labour that he pretendeth to bestow in prayer is not onely not profitable but sinfull To pray unto God with the lips for any corporall benefit and yet to have tâ—e eye of the heart fixed in confidence upon naturall meanes is a kind of spirituall Adultery For what man is he that having a wife outwardly affable using words of love unto him and yet her heart set upon another man will not think her a faithlesse and unchaste wife And is God lesse jealous thinke wee who craveth our hearts when we shall worship him in words and outward shew of works when our Consciences cannot but tell us that we aske that of God which we inwardly believe more probably and possible to be obtained by meanes without him Is not this a fasilfying of our faith and dissembling of our prayers Is not this a manifest breach of the Law that sayes we shall have no other Gods but JEHOVAH As also not to take his Name in vaine as they doe which call upon him with their lips their hearts farre from him God requireth not our prayers because he hath neede of them as a service beneficiall or profitable unto him but because we have need of his graces and blessings and that he loveth us in his beloved Sonne he willeth us to pray unto him for every spirituall and corporall blessing And although it be true that he knowes whereof we have need yet in common reason he that wanteth and disdaines to ask he is not worthy to receive that whereof he hath need And heavily it will befall them who having received so many blessings at Gods hands are no whit the more moved to love him And so many threats for their unbeliefe and ingratitude and yet not moved to feare him Will they not be drawne then from their deceiveable vanities Will they rather then for lesse then an Aple or a messe of Pottage disclaime their Birth-rights and lose that Kingdom and Crowne so dearely purchased for the faithfull Nay were losse of it all it were not so horrible If a man missing the good promised could avoid the danger threatned it would something mittigate the dispairing Conscience and ease the troubled minde If after death there were neither life nor death If a man might have no being nor feele nor endure torment though he had no comfort it were a kinde of ease to the carnall minde that knoweth no other heaven then the profits and pleasures of this life Nor feareth other Hell then the misery penury and afflictions of the same But the case is otherwise They that misse the Kingdome of heaven by not beleeving the promises of God by not praying unto God for direction in the course of their lives may assure themselves though they seeme not yet to beleeve it that there remaines for them and attends them the god of darknesse and the Angel of Horrour and of Torment But possesse thou me my sweet Soveraigne and raigne in my body by obedience to thy Lawes and in my soule by confidence in thy promises Frame my tongue to praise thee my knees to reverence thee my strength to serve thee my desires to covet thee and my heart to love and imbrace thee And as thou hast formed me according to thine Image so frame me according to thy will And as thou hast made me a vessell by the stampe of thy creation to serve thee here on Earth so make me a vessell of Honour by the priviledge of thy grace to serve thee in thy everlasting Kingdom sweet Father I beseech thee Comfortable Sentences for such that are afflicted COme and let us returne unto the Lord for he hath torne and he wâ—ll heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up Hos 6.1 I know O Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Psal 119.75 We have had the fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence spall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of our Spirits and live for they verily for a few dayes did chastice us after their owne pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakâ—rs of hâ—â— holinesse Heb. 29.10 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation make way to escape that yee may be able to beare it 1 Cor. 2.3 For his anger endureth but a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy commeth in the morning Psal 30.5 He will not alwaies chide neither will hâ— keep his anger for ever Psal 103.9 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous least the righteous put forth their hands to iniquity Psal 125.3 For yet a very little while and mine anger shall cease in their destruction Esa 10.25 Come my people enter into thy Chambers and shut the doores about thee hide thy selfe as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be over-past Esay 26.20 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but in great mercies will I gather thee in a little wrath I hid my selfe from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy redeemer Esay 54.7 8. For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth for the Spirit should faile before me and the Soules which I have made Esay 57.16 For I am mercifull saith the Lord thy redeemer and I will not keepe anger for ever Jer. 3.12 So will I make my fury towards theâ— to rest and my jealousie shall depart froâ— thee and I