Satan There was none but he alone proper for so great an enterprize He alone who hath drawn us out of the path and slaughter of death to fill us with Triumphs He alone who is the Phaire and the Lanthorne who directs us to arive in a safe harbour and who hath ever his eyes open for our happinesse and watcheth over our affictions He alone who is the channel of perpetual sweetnesse which uncessantly distills on them who cast themselves into the Port of thy Clemency Great God The compasse of the Universs adores thy Grandure but as the glory of thy chiefest benefits are perpetually graved in the hearts of thy faithfull ones in whom by this holy sacrifice thou hast planted thy victorious lawrels Also it is requisite that I be the Temple in which for ever there may be chanting and sounding forth the Hymnes of thy Triumphs and that thou may'st be the sole object of my heart as thou art the cause of my repose and the end of my vowes as thou art the Redeemer and Conserver of my being what more beautyfull object my God can I enjoy then for ever to contemplate that Christ is the inexpugnable wall and Rampart of my life and that his charity heated with his watchfulnesse over me causeth without intermission to spring in thy compassions new sprouts of compassion This is the true Father of men who transported with the love of his children is offered for them in sacrifice and hath embraced their sorrowes and his death Up then my soul let thy thoughts be ravish't in the contemplation of this holy light of the world who shineth over the heaven and the earth and enlightneth with his flame the gloominesse of our most obscure night Up admire his compassion adore this Lamb without spot that holy Burnt-offering that eternal high Priest who hath given himself for thee Rejoyce thou oh my soul since thy clensing is so perfect and so pure since the merit of that death shall carry thee into the heavens Thou hast not my soul Heb. 7. one of those Sacrificers which are subject unto death made after the law of a carnal commandment who have need to offer continual sacrifices first for their own sinnes then for those of the people Thou hast one Sovereign high Priest made according to the power of an uncorruptible life and who hath one perpetual oblation one holy Priest Innocent separate from sinnes exalted far above all heavens who is consecrated for ever offering himself once to obtaine an eternal redemption The light of the world my soul chaseth the night and obscurity farre from thee but the knowledge of this sacrifice dissipateth all darknesse from thy eyes and renders thee capable happily to finish thy course on earth and attain with joy an aboad in Paradice Divine Trinity the only foundation of salvation Holy unity of three persons in whom consisteth all perfection and felicity whereof my soul can be render'd capable Grant me that I may worthily comprehend the majesty of this sacrifice and that all the dayes of my life I may meditate on its greatnesse Lord the Lamb is slain from the beginning of the world and both our fathers and we our selves have washed in one same blood and are redeemed by the same sacrifice 'T is what the Apostle saith our fathers were all under the cloud 1 Cor. 10.1 and have all passed throw the Sea and were all baptized in Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and have all eaten of one and the same spiritual food and have all dranke of one and the same spiritual cup. For they drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ So Lord the Patriarchs and Israelites have eaten and drank the same spiritual substance with us and have participated as we of the Communion of the body of the Saviour of the world The word Prophetick and Apostolick have the same efficacy Christ in the one and the other throw all equal to himself Their Sacraments giving them Jesus Christ to come to assume humane flesh and suffer for their sins and ours give to us the Saviour of the world come having taken flesh of the Virgin endured the Crosse and risen for our Justification The Manna and the water signified to them their future redemption and the bread and wine signifie to us the satisfaction of our Randsome acquitted by Christ come dead and risen after such a sort that we have but one like and same faith under divers signes Christ the only salvation of the Church in all its periods without the law under the law and under Grace He is prefigured in all the sacrifices exhibited in all Sacraments as well Old as New which are in all times unprofitable without Christ which is himself alone both the foundation and the sustance Abraham saw the day of the Lord and rejoyc't This great secret was revealed unto the Prophets who Publish't it through the world they were the signes of salvation to come Or Host and of the holy Bread which should be offered up for their sins and for our sakes the great Saviour of the world would rayse to the heavens at thy right hand the body which he had taken of the Virgin instituting the Sacrament of his body and of his blood to the intent that That which was once offered for the satisfaction of our sinnes should continually be honoured by a mystery Baptisme admitteth us into an allyance with God instead of ciricumcision The holy Supper instead of the Passeover nourisheth and entertaineth us Baptisme is called Regeneration that is to say a new birth The holy Supper The Communion of the body and blood of our Lord to nourish us to life eternal Of Baptisme water is the sign The blood of Christ the thing signified The water which washeth the staines of the body The blood which clenseth the sins of the soul In the holy Supper the bread and the wine are the signes The Body and the blood of Christ the things signified and signified most conveniently and properly by these signes of bread and wine for as much as the nourishment of our souls which is in Christ could not be better express'd than by that of our Body which converteth into their sustance that which they eate and drink So in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the bread which is blest and which is broken and given to eate and the cup which is blessed and given mee to drink represents to me The body and blood of Jesus Christ given and shed for me on the Crosse to me are the sacred Symboles and assured earnests that I am received into the communication of his body and of his blood which I spiritually enjoy by Faith in the Participation of the supper When I see the bread broken in the celebration of the supper I meditate with my self of his body which hath suffered death on the Crosse for the remission of my sinnes When I behold the wine poured into the cup I
call to my remembrance his blood shed for to acquire for me life eternal By the receiving the bread and the wine I enter by faith into a community into the society of the body and blood of the Son of God I draw life I draw absolution and am clothed again with his innocence and with his Justice By the vissible receiving which I performe of the bread and of the wine I am assured that I am spiritually united to Christ and made a Citizen of the Kingdome of heaven that he hath bequeath'd me and possessor of eternal life which he hath given me and in eating and drinking the bread and the wine at thy holy Table I am assured my God that I Participate of the body and of the blood of thy Son which I truely receive by faith and by which I participate of the Treasures and Heritage which he hath acquired by his death and which he hath bestowed on his faithful servants When I receive the bread and the wine I receive not only the Elements which are the figures and sacred signs of his body and of his blood but I receive by faith and in spirit the things themselves which are signified and represented Not that the bread and the wine of the Eucharist communicate to me his body and blood but thy goodnesse my God Thy truth Thy majesty Thy vertue and the efficacy of thy holy Spirit communicate and reach forth this body and blood to my understanding and my soul to be spiritually eaten and drank by faith The bread and wine serving to this purpose being sacred signes of his Body and of his blood which should be eaten by the operation of his holy Spirit without understanding any thing therein of sensual any thing corporeal ☜ any thing carnal and without searching here below and in our corporal mouths His true body with it's proper essentials with it's inseparable accidents with it's quantity and dimentions which is ascended to the heavens and set at the right hand of God where 't is requisite that the heavens contain him even until the restauration of all things Thus Lord I seek the body of Christ in heaven Acts 3.21 by faith I celebrate in the holy Supper the memory of his Death and of his Passion I declare it I esteem it and magnifie it even untill he come and I receive it not with a carnal mouth and corporal throat but after a Divine manner Sacramentally under a signifficant mystery with the mouth of my heart and spiritually by faith By faith which is the substance of things hoped for By faith whereby I really embrace his Body and blood and which bring to passe that in the holy Eucharist I am made partaker of it By faith which is the vessel and the hand whereby I receive thy Graces And as Lord 't is by faith that the Lamb was slaine from the beginning of the world 't is by faith that Abraham saw the day of the Lord 't is by faith that the Galatians have had Christ crucified before their eyes 'T is by faith that the Gospel gives me at this present eternal life Also Lord 't is by faith that in the celebration of thy holy Supper His body and his blood are present and subsistent in my heart in my spirit and in my soul 'T is by faith that I embrace his body and suck his blood which distilleth from his wounds And by means of this Sacramental eating and feeding on the body of the Saviour of the world and this spiritual drinking of his blood I am made bone of his bone flesh of his flesh I am incorporated in him I draw by faith eternal life from his flesh broken for me and from his blood shed for me I live of Christ and in Christ I live of his Justice instead that I should dye of my sinne I am justified by him sanctified in him to be eniivened and glorified in him By this holy Sacrament I am also admonished of my duty toward my Neighbour in regard as we are ransomed with the same blood made members of the same body and Dependants of one and the same Head and consequently one among our selves and by the Commandment of God and natural duty We all draw life from one and the same death nourishment from one and the same food and the self same cup. Up then my soul 't is here where thou oughts to Anchor and fix thy cogitations stay thy course and cast thy eyes upon the love of thy God 'T is here that thou oughtest to supplicate that Divine heavenly heart who onely bestowes motion upon men That only pulse and life of thy being 'T is the only base whereon thou foundest thy hope to inspire in thee the ardent flames of his Spirit and turn into thy heart the generous boylings of zeale heate and ardour toward him to the intent that thou mayest be a worthy partaker of that holy Sacrament which is the most singular consolation the most effectual remedy and greatest guift which he hath communicated to his upon the earth It 's the entyre Summe and Soveraign abridgment of his benefits it 's the certaine token of his infinite love the true treasure of his bounty Lord Eph. 1.7 thou hast ransomed me by the blood of thy Sonne according to the rickes of thy grace which thou causest plentifully to abound over me Instructing me in the secret of thy pleasure Thou hast informed me that 't is the bread of life by the which my soul is sustained That 't is the true Vine whereof I am a branch The gate of Honour and the rich assent which conducts me to the mount of Glory Thou hast called me to the communication of his body Hast applyed his merits to me made me his Co-heritor partaker of his Riches enjoying his celestial heritage In time-past I was not of thy people but now am I of the chosen generation of the Royal Priest-hood of the holy Nation of thy purchased people To th' intent I should set forth and magnifie thy grace and vertue my God who hast called me out of darknesse into thy merveilous light Thy Sonne is my only sacrifice my only oblation my onely Holocost by the vertue and merit whereof the heavens and all the treasures of heaven are open to me 'T is the onely remedy of my sin the onely spunge capable to efface my crimes 'T is the Sanctuary the Assillum of my salvation my heritage the joy and the Divine chaine sufficient to rayse me from these miserable places 'T is the tongue of succour who undertaketh my defence 'T is the sacred Anchor which stayeth my vessel and secureth it from ship-wrack and the prosperous Gale which freeth and delivereth me from the depths and Gulfes of the world If the food Lord which will sustaine me but one day obligeth me to praise thy Fatherly goodnesse how much more ought to be excited and enflamed my Devoyre to render thee thanks for the bread of life and for
end that the sharp Sword of thy Word may sever and reverse the deepest and profoundest roots of my infidelity and that the divine light of thy Gospel which hath enlightned thy Church from the Apostles even to this day may dissipate the thick darknesse which overwhelmes me Grant me that I may serve thee in holinesse and righteousnesse that I may furnish my memory with the beauty of thy divine power enlighten the gloominesse and obscurity which environes me prepare my feet to the path of peace and my mouth to pronounce thy praise and permit not that I be surpriz'd with any evil slumbers and that I sleep not unto death Raise up my Soul Lord by the fervour of devotion to a constant meditation on heavenly things conserve me as he whose name is written in thy book of life as he who is ransom'd with the blood of the Saviour of the World is destined to be a vessel of honour in thine house Unite my spirit by continual meditations to them of thine elect to the intent that being endowed with thy graces I may serve thee for a pleasant habitation as a fair Jerusalem In Conclusion Lord to thee I recommend my Soul and my Body my Councels and Cogitations my Words and Actions the conduct of all my Wayes the Course and End of my life A Discourse of Afflictions and Martyrdome THe Children of God are marked with a different Character from the rest of the Citizens of the Earth God hath assigned them for portion here below Poverty Ignominy the losse of kindred maladies and the most insufferable kinds of deaths but happy are these afflictions tending to salvation blessed these chastisements which are to correct not to destroy Praised be God who by these stroakes prevents the celerity of our gangrenes who hath recourse to absitions to preserve our lives and applies the lance to the inflammations of our ulcers untill the venome ceases to prevail Those whom he corrects not are such whom he disdaines to amend those are the children of the World who have their Paradise on earth not in heaven Their wealth often exceeds their wishes their honour surmounts their desires but the season of their delight fades in an instant and that of their calamity is eternal The Fatherly hand afflicteth not them daily they are only buffetted by the enemy of men which cometh too late and in recompence he tormenteth them for ever Let us then call to mind that it 's fore-told in the Gospel that we are destined to suffer griefs to support out-rages and be cut off from the world and that we are commanded to comfort our selves in these tribulations and to skip for joy in the midst of our torments for asmuch as our reward is great in heaven If we suffer our selves to be transported by heavinesse beyond measure 't is to be suspected that afflictions will overcome us give us over to despair as unworthy the consolations which are presented to us by the hand of God and of the certain promises which he hath left us by writing in his Word Let us raise up our soules then above all the things of this World Direct our cogitations to remember the state of our lives and on the remedies which God hath bestowed on us to solace our sorrowes and calamities of a truth our prosperity the sweetnesse of content ordinarily passeth in a little space and giveth place to afflictions who march on with a hideous and frightful visage Our life is nothing but a motion if one day be pleasant another renders it self unsupportable and that we enjoy of content never continues constant But since this is the condition in which it pleaseth God we should live we must not adde our bloody hands to tear our wounds and become unjust in respect of what remaines for the regreat of what we have lost It 's folly to take on ones self the punishment of his infelicity to stay upon the part offended and to look upon the worst side of our lives Let 's not then more imbitter our evils by our impatience neither hereafter render our greene wounds and emotions mortal stroakes and incurable ulcers Let 's cast behind us that pusilanimity which ever puts us to flight causing us to cast forth cries equal to the measure that the Ocean is irritated and raised up against us and hinders us from sustaining the storm without being appall'd Let 's fortifie our hearts let 's fill them with assurance to the intent that contemplating with a confident brow the miseries of the world not to apprehend their approach to sustain them with a couragious aspect and encounter them with valour Let 's approach afflictions to understand them and by the way resolve our selves to constancy The Souldier is unworthy of that name who trembles so soon as he beholds an enemy and perswades himself that already their Sword is at his throat and he is marveilous feeble who is afraid at the only appearance of afflictions Their view cannot offend us and their endeavours if we please may be rendered successelesse Why then make we any difficulty to enter into the lists against them since their wounds ought to harden us constantly to suffer their assaults Those who are nourisht in the shade dread the ardure of the Sun and not those that are accustomed to it Children are apprehensive and fear to behold their blood and not old Souldiers who have of 't seen it as it were continually to distill and flow from their wounds Few new afflictions can present themselves we already have beheld and sustained the most of them if they be great and confiderable the more danger and peril the more glory What delight to rend off the scales which would forme themselves against the brightnesse of our eyes what satisfaction to prevent those discords which would trouble our harmony Up then let us learn to accustome our selves to all diversity and inequality of life and to receive every thing of the saving hand of God And as the Superiour part of the aire which is nearest to the heavens is never darkned with clouds nor agitated with thunders so our soules ever elevated above these passions should never be shamefully overturned under griefs and sadnesse but so much as is necessary to bring her to repentance Let us not precipitate our selves desperately as mad men after our affections enduring with all our heart the adversity of the world ever calling to mind that as the divine benedictions which we shall one day enjoy are setled in a continued and happy rank so also these mortal things are tossed by an infinite number of blustres and totter and incline sometimes to one side sometimes to another It is familiar in the croud and throng of a battel to take ones fortune upon the Ocean to be beaten with stormes upon the earth with diverse afflictions The Pilate for having been preserved from so many tempests cannot longer dread Ship-wrack The Souldier for the frequency and assiduity of peril contemns
which shall Harp before the Saviour of the world who shall gloriously descend from the vaults of heaven all those whom the Sea hath overwhelm'd or the earth received to the intent that being clothed with their bodyes before the great Judge they may receive their definitive sentence of life or death O Lord that I may be of their number who shall arise to their glory and not of them who shall arise to their infamy that I may be of them who shall rejoyce with perpetual Triumph and not of those who shall for ever remain slaves of that horrible Monster That I may be of that number that may be borne into the brightnesse of heaven and not of those that shall be tumbled down into gloomy places and to eternal night That I may be a Citizen of thy heavenly habitation that I may inherit thy Paradice that my seat may be near my Saviour that my place may be there designed that I may not be of those victims prepar'd for Hell that I may not be of that number that shall be precipated into the abism of death which shall have their abode in darknesse and their habitation in the grave O good God suffer not my Barke to fall into so cruel so sad and dismal a storme It should be more expedient for me never to have been born than be ranck't in the number of them who were created to their destruction Bring to passe then at that great day that my rotten cossin may be listed up enlighten this extinguish't carcase cause it to live and shine with my soul make them to flourish together for ever and ever I am nothing Lord but a lump of mud yet never the lesse thy hands have compast me I am nothing but corruption but I bear on my brow thine Image drawn to the life I am all vice all sinne all abomination in thy sight Thy love makes no impression farther than my lips Thy Divine flame pierces not within my soul But Lord I have been washed with the water of holy Baptism I have participated of thy Sacraments I have received a seal a token a sacred testimony of my pardon I have sucked that powerful antidote that immortal Ambrosia that heavenly nourishment which shall concerve me against the poyson and venome of my sinnes and against the power of Satan Lord A lively Description of the last Judgment it seems to me that I already behold thee descending from on high set on thy Throne of Glory filling all with astonishment environed with a Million of Angels holding the sword of vengeance in thy hand It appears to me that I now behold an infinite company of scatter'd men delving the earth to hide themselves not daring ot sustain the bring flames of thy countenance that I behold the flock of thy chosen postrate at thy feet crying out that the squadrons of thy holy Angels dare not appears in reverence of thy just severity crying out that their souls were purchase by the precious blood of thy body That their sinnes are surmounted by thy grace that the honour of thy goodnesse is manifest in their salvation that thou wilt not cut and prune off thy members and reject those whose names are written in thy book of life It seems that I behold thy countenance turn'd toward them standing at thy right hand and thy mouth pronouncing their absolution and saying to them Come ye blessed of my Father possesse for heritage the Kingdome which was prepared for you from the foundation of the World Methinks I behold them rejoycing and filling themselves with splendour while thou art speaking beholding them transported by a sweet and delightful ravishment by an ardure full of zeal for thee and for thy glory to remain there for ever O good God 't is thither that we must direct all our vowes and confine all the desires of our soules 'T is the lustre of that glorious and holy day that should dazle our eyes and not the riches of this world 'T is the remembrance of these extream bright and perfect beauties which should ever entertain our thoughts and not the dark shadowes of our cares Bestir thee then let 's not longer stay on these earthly cares which are so many spiritual Divorces and Adulteries My Soul entertain not other discourse my heart have no other wishes my mouth pronounce no other name than that of our Saviour and thy salvation Let 's up and anchor here our bark in these fair desires let 's perfect this man finish this body let 's forbear to corrupt and ulcerate our wounds to encrease our woes to open again our miseries that our dolors that our convulsions that our fleames if it seem good to them hail us quick and drag us alive to the Tomb that our carcasses be consum'd with wormes that our bones may be reduc't to dust it matters not seeing that the Saviour of the world renders as possessors of the fruit of so signaland happy a victory that he bestowes on us our share and lot in his land that he covers us with Lawrels and with Palmes O God this Crown is very high 't is above this aspiring rock whose way is narrow and uneven incumber'd with thornes and bryars I lye tumbling on my Bed I cannot pull up my feet not raise my head above my bolster my carcasse is nothing but dung and my Soul then corruption I am laden with a counter-wait which ever presseth me down my offences are bolts and shackles on my feet which makes me ever stumble The Devil places them near the avenues to close up the passage to render the way dreadful and to drive me to despair of my salvation But what shall I say good God! I must not require the endeavours of my attenuated legs and my carcasse half benum'd to climb this Mountain to pierce the thicknesse of the clouds and raise my self even to the heighth 'T is onely requisite that I dive into the contrition of my heart the confession of my month I need but lift up my eyes and taise up my cogitations toward the great Saviour of the World who openeth his armes to transport me O my Rock thou art not then any longer hard for me to prevail with Christ the object of my faith Christ the only medicine who can close and consolidate my wounds Christ in whom I establish all my present and future felicity Christ my guide and my Bare star who must conduct me to the light of his ensign he shall open to me the way shall make my faith to surmount all despaires he shall deliver me from these hindrances he shall raise me up free and conduct me even into heaven making me mount by his divine degrees and shall guide by the might of his holy Spirit my blessed and happy soul into his high place where the seasons passe eternally I will leave to him this Triumph I will leave to him the accomplishment of this great work the honour shall be to his blood to his blood
infused into him all the treasure of those merits which he acquir'd on the Crosse is conferred on thee by the communion of this holy Sacrament of his Supper which is the Fountain of spiritual sweetnesse by the which God nourisheth sustaineth and conserveth the life he hath confer'd on us in Baptisme and hath united us unto himself making â—s as saith Saint Paul flesh of his flesh bones of his bones and members of his proper body But my God all times are ever present with thee thou mindest not the past nor attendest the future Thou watchest over my cogitations thou art the Judge of my intentions nothing is hid from thee all things to thee are naked and entirely manifest my heart is fast closed in my breast but my bosome is not other than glasse in thy sight and thou beholdest Lord that the fervour of my faith is as it were quite extinct that my brow hath neither sincerity nor candor that I take not repose but under the branches cracking with fruits of iniquity and that my soul is more defil'd than the mire of which my body is form'd I cannot then great God approach thy holy Table till I have in thy presence with a true resentment and entire affection without hypocrisie and with an open and free heart confessed my shame acknowledging thy glory Lord I am oppressed with fear and astonishment I humble my self at thy feet I poure forth in thy sight all my offences which appeal my countenance I accuse I blame and condemne my ingratitude and my failings I acknowledge I am the most infirme the most abject of all thy creatures the very scorn of the earth and the most vile and detestable of all that the heaven covers I have suffered my self to be carried away with the deceitful delusions and enticements of the world I am quite over-spread with foul and filthy scales which â—â—â—ke me stumble into precipices and inâ—â—ead that thou hast opened my mouth to the end I should exalt thee and hast given me the knowledge of thy truth to declare it on the earth I am ever backward to that which concerne thy glory and my salvation Lord thou mayest dart thy lightning from heaven thou canst consume and over-whelme me with thy storms but I am nothing and in punishing me thou losest thy labour and thy thunder thou art the Omnipotent God from all eternity and I a fraile man yet the work of thy hands as thou art powerful in thy wrath so art thou Omnipotent in thy clemency Rend not him then who is humbled I am thine now thou canst have no delight in my Funerals I am a great sinner but thou art yet greater in thy mercies thou holdest the lives of men in thy hands 't is thy mouth which pronounces their absolution have pity then on me my God by the infinite number of thy compassions blot out my innumerable iniquities and save by thy grace him whom thou mayst damne in thy justice deliver him who is ransom'd by the precious blood of thy Sonne of thy Sonne who all glittering and resplendent with glory hath so far humbled himself as to be cloathed with our flesh to raise up the mud and refuse of the earth toward the Throne of thy Grandure Cause Lord that my Repentance and Confession may be to thee sweet sacrifices agreeable and of pleasant odour I knock at the gate let it not be closed seeing thou art merciful with thee the word and effect are the same grant me pardon from deserved punishment and mollifie the hardnesse of my heart which is in thy power Lord in times past thou drewest out and deliverest thy people from the fetters of Egypt thou hast divided the Red Sea and formed a Rampart of waters against the waters continue then thy goodnesse towards thine own Deliver me Lord Deliver me immediately by the merits of thy Sonne from the servitude of mine iniquities under the bondage whereof with anguish I emplore thy succours Bow down thy greatnesse over me display upon my soul the rayes of thy holy Spirit and enlighten me with the lustre of thy divinity to the end that I may meditate and fully comprehend how the body of Jesus Christ my Saviour is given and broken for thine elect and his blood spil't on the Crosse is made mine by the communion of thy holy Sacrament I am unable of my self to raise me up from this miserable earth to a subject so High and Excellent But Lord Thou hast cleft the obscurity thence to draw out light Thy divine eye enlightens the darknesse touch my spirit with thy brightnesse as thou didst that of Saint Paul render me uncapable and untractable to the vanities of the World and clear-sighted in the inestimable treasures of thy Gospel Assure my faith establish my faith Lord stay it upon thy promises fortifie me mightly according to the riches of thy divinity so that Christ may abide in me and that I may comprehend with the Saints his love and greatresse Ephes 3.16 which passeth all understanding That we who when enemies having been reconciled by the death of the Saviour of the World may now much rather being justiâ—ed by his blond Rom. 5.10 Shall I be preserved from thine ire Regulate Lord the disordred affections and appetites of my heart mundifie the impure cogitations of my spirit cleanse all the pollutions of my lips and wrench my sins in the blood of thy Son to the intent I may present my self pure at thy Table Grant that my understanding may comprehend Thee that my heart may affect Thee my soul adore Thee and that all my powers and faculties may render and yield thee the obedience which is thy due Father of glory grant me the spirit of wisdome enlighten my eyes Eph. 1.18 to the end I may apprehend what is the excellency of thy Son whom thou hast caused to sit at thy right hand in the heâ—venly places and whom thou hast prefer'd to all principalities and powers and above every name which is invoked not onely in this world but likewise in that which is to come Give eare to me Thou onely object of the Angels through thy Sonne Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth in unity with Thee and thy holy Spirit for ever and ever Lord after having formed the light after having stretched out the heavens with thy hands separated the earth from the flood and finishest the creation of such a multitude of starres of so many creeping things of such a variety of Fowles who have a being to thy Glory Thou tookest dust thou embellished it and formed man subjecting the earth under his feet giving him dominion over the fishes of the Sea and over the Fowles of the Ayre And this man good God instead of lifting up without ceasing his vowes to thy honour and praise and to possesse with joy eternally the delights of Eden hath open'd his mouth against thee and contrary to thy expresse command and menaces hath tasted the fruit
this spiritual wine which giveth me an eternal Paradice which returneth me from death to life which giveth me so perfect a recovery that there remaines no scar in my ulcers which conducts me unto an estate wherein I shall not more suffer the temptations and approaches of sinne where I shall be no more subject to change where I shall be a Citizen of the Kingdome of heaven I prostrate my self then before thee my God who art my Judge my Creatour and Redeemer all in one give me I beseech thee both heart and lips and that I may adore thee with all the affections and all the faculties of my soul Drive away my disobedient humours fill me with true zeal and with sincere intentions to thy service and scatter far from me these desires of the world who entangle themselves in my cogitations and thwart my holy resolution I am happy my God Isa 22.7 to enjoy that which so many Kings Nahum 1.15 and so many Prophets desir'd to behold I am happy to possesse that holy Heritage which they having but obscurely seen and saluted by faith they have cryed out with vehement desire Rom. 10. â— 15.5 Oh how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Ghospel I am not Lord in the extremity of the poor Paraletick who attended so many yeares to have the first place in the Bath troubled by thy Angel I receive immediately my recovery of the blood of my Saviour and there is no need that one more sound than my self take me in his armes to embrace and carry me into the water For the Faith which thou hast given me lifts me up even unto heaven She thither conducts my soul which washeth her self in this pretious blood and comes forth clean and white I sinne continually and have cause of humiliation and to dread and apprehend Death and Hell and I am ever cheered with hope by the memory of that Eternal Sacrifice But my God make me so perfect that I receive not thy Manna unworthily that I take it not in contempt of thy Word and thy glory to be punish't in thy wrath as he who was devoured of a Lyon having contrary to thy command eaten bread in the house of the false Prophet to be punish't as he who was bound and cast into darknesse inasmuch as he came to the marriage without being cloathed with a Wedding garment Lord I know that 't is recorded in the Gospel that who so eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of Jesus Christ thy Son But my God Thou art Wonderful in thy mercies Thou rejectest no man Thou abhorrest not the Thief who confest thee nor the sinner who wept nor the Canaanite who accused her self Mary Magdalen nor the Disciple who denied Jesus nor even they themselves who persecuted thee insomuch as they repented And I Lord I confesse my sinnes I condemne them I accuse my self I beg thy pardon I entreat thee to behold thy goodnesse not my demerit Lord Thou hast vanquish't death thou hast raised my soul from the grave thou hast drawn me out of the pit thou hast opened to me the gates of eternal life Supply then my defaults with thy blessings and grant me that in thy Temple in the Assembly of thy faithful ones I may worthily receive with faith this heavenly food and this spiritual drink and that I take with zeal and reverence the bread and wine which are presented to me by him who hath the honour to preach thy Word and whose mouth is the breast of thy Church A Thanksgiving after the receiving of the Sacrament My Soul blesse the Lord who dayly filleth and loadeth thee with his treasures Blesse God who causeth the sweet dew of his Clemency to distill on thee My Soul blesse the Saviour of the World who hath loved us who hath washed our sinnes in his blood who hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father Blessed be the Lamb who sitteth upon the Throne Apoc. 5 13 to whom shall resound prayses for ever under the Vaults of heaven and his Sacred Name shall be Celebrated and Magnified from age to age Oh my glorious God how much satisfaction do I receive in casting and overthrowing my self at thy feet how happy am I to approach thy holy Table 'T is thou oh my God who hast tamed the Hidra of my miseries who hast preserved me from the devouring knives of the Devil who hast succoured me in my bloody agony who hast recented my afflictions seeing me exposed to the Savageness of the infernal Tygers who had reduc't me to the cruel darts of death I was buried in despair and in the grave swallowed and overwhelmed in the jawes of a miserable servitude overtaken with the storme of so many mis-fortunes But my God by thy singular compassion though I bedewed not my face with tears nor filled the ayre with my complaints Thou hast restored me to my first condition thou hast imbellish't me with-the splendour of the graces of thy countenance and pollish't me with the first lustre of my natural beauty I was overwhelm'd under my proper ruine I was entomb'd in the gulfe di gged with my own hands I had cast my self within the horrible Den of Satan but thou hast restored me thou hast lifted me up and delivered me from my extremities I was captive and now the gate of liberty is open to me my vessel was on every side batter'd with the Tempest It was ready to split it self against the bancks and now saileth gloriously on the water and cuts and divides the waves driven by a prosperous gale I was the prey of Satan and now triumph through thy mercies above all his temptations above all his ambushes and all his powers I cry out now Lord with Simeon let thy servant depart in peace according to thy Word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before all men to be the enlightning of all Nations and glory of thy people Israel Lord I render thee such thanks as I am able not such as I ought I am oblidg'd to magnifie thy Name for ever with a thousand sacrifices of praise to humble my self all contrite at thy feet to enflame my heart with repentance and sacrifice the ashes to thee Thou hast cleansed me wash't me from my offences made me approach thy holy Table and partaker of thy merits there remaines nothing after this Sacrament but to be united to thy glory Grant me Lord that I may submit to thy pleasure the remainder of my dayes Grant me repentance of my offences not for a day but which may last even unto my Sepulchre that I may continually addresse my vowes to thee that I may exalt thee without ceasing and that for ever I may be at thy feet to do thee homage as my God my Soveraign and my Redeemer Grant me Lord that I may be attentive to the reading of thy holy Scriptures to the
surprise us hell attends to torment us within it's horrours and the dreadful gulph is prepar'd to open his jawes eternally to consume us in his flames Meditations upon Repentance MY Soul Jerusalem the heritage of the Lord the beloved City hath transgressed she was not cleansed from the pollution of her feet neither hath she been mindful of her end wherefore she hath been rendred desart solitary and a prey to the Gentiles My soul Corah Dathan and Abiram for not having obeyed the Lord Num. 16 were punish't by the earth who opened her jawes and swallowed them in her gulph Mat. 24.25 The servant supriz'd in debauchery is punish't separated and ranck't with hypocrites Mat. 25.1 And the Virgins for being but a little separate from the Bridge-groom have found the door for ever clos'd against them These are the Judgments pronounc't by the Word of God who is High Penetrating and Effectual These are the Judgments pronounc't against them who stop their eares at the voice of the Saviour of the World Mat. 4.17 Who cryeth on the Earth amend you for the Kingdome of God is at hand Act. 3.19 Mat. 3.7 Amend you and be ye converted that your sins may be effaced Fly from the wrath to come bring forth fruit meet for repentance My soul be apprehensive then of the judgments of God Consider of thine own salvation apprehend so many new plagues which from the incensed heaven thou beholdest tumbling upon thee Consider so many woes that environ thee and such numberlesse fore-runners of future miseries Prevent the vengeance of God by humility and penance that so thou mayest not be prevented by his wrath Imitate the humble Dove who creeps into the bottome of the shrubs beholding afar off the ravenous Eagle cutting and dividing the aire with his wings and hasting to surprize her Fill the aire with thy sighths and regreates for thy vices even to the very bitternesse of thysoul cast forth cryes of displeasure and repentance demean thy self as altogether dejected altogether wasted perfectly penitent even at the foor-stool of the Lord spread forth thy hands toward his mercy addresse thy voes and most ardent supplications unto him to divert from thee the flames of his wrath and to appease his indignation Importune thy Saviour with so many plaints with so many sacrifices of praise thereby to shake the Sword out of his Hand Force the Kingdom of heaven and ravish it with violence Mat. 11.12 whil'st a means of reconciliation is open and be careful not to procrastinate till the day when the door shall be most securely bar'd Go to then my Soul defer not longer make hast to cover thy head with ashes and lamentations cause to distill tears of acknowledgment of thy sinnes and raise up thy meditations on high to avoid thy Destruction Retire thy self from the presse of the World and dispose thy self as the Pelican who seeketh the least frequented the most solitary places Come out of Babylon and follow the way of the heavenly Jerusalem propose for a pattern Jacob Abraham Moses Elias who retired from Mesepotamia from Caldea from Egypt and from the Court of Samaria Imitate the great Legislator of the Hebrewes Moses who separated himself from the multitude and went to the Mountain of Sinai the more freely to converse with God My soul be not like the inhabitants of Corazin and Bethsaida who shall be more rudely handled in the day of Judgement Mat. 11.21 than those of Tyre Sydon and of Sodome for that they were not reformed at the Word of the Lord. Contrarily immitate those of Hierusalem Mat. 3.5 of Judea and of the Country about Jordan which ran unto St. John who prepared the path of the Saviour of the world Oppose to the Justice of God his proper succours oppose the bloodshed by his Son oppose thy prayers thy vowes thy fasting and thy repentance He had decreed the sacking and ruine of Ninivâ— yet notwithstanding as soone as thy had bewaild their faults he suspended his decree sanctifie then a fast my sonne rend thy heart with teares and lamentations in the presence of thy God Returne unto him He is mercifull he is pityfull slow to anger and abundant in kindnesse In ancient times by a perpetual Ordinance 't was expresly commanded to his people to celebrate a fast on the tenth day of the seventh month which was the solemne feast of Propitiations He had ordained them to afflict their souls and to refrain from labour For as much as the Priest made a propitiation for them to the end they might be clensed from their sinnes in his presence This day my soul is the feast of propitiations to thee wherein 't is thy duty to be converted to the Lord. Imitate then the people afflict thy self masserate thy flesh with watchings and fastings to the intent thou may'st be the more strong and cry with the Priests who wept betwixt the Portck and the Altar Joel 2.16 Pardon me my God and expose not thy Heritage to Reproach Lord I lament before thee I seek by amendment of life to take a resolution to follow thee I humble my self I abase my self to attaine even unto the heavens But Lord for to approach to thee it 's requisite I retyre altogether out of my self and that I can no way effect without the succours of thy hand Lord the very Angels tremble in adoring thee and I wretched and abominable sinner manifest no token of astonishment I quake not I have not an humbled heart nor eyes drowned in teares I much desire it my God I heartily wish it but it 's impossible without thy grace For if thou Prevents not the wicked by thy compassion he can never amend A man revolted and slip't into disobedience returns not unto thee without the conduct of thy spirit Enlighten them Lord my soul by the operation of thy holy Spirit prevent its cold and slothfulnesse Pierce it with a thousand stings and thousands remorces of conscience to the end he may discover his malady unto thee and that to thee he may make his heat and anguish appear to obtain remedy Lord thou art the wise Pilot of my squiffe tottering at the mercy of the waves thou art not ignorant of the stormes and the floods that batter this fraile vessel thou art the bright and shining lanthorne which must be the Bear-star in all extremityes to guide to direct this poore Barke on this raging Sea Guard me then from ship-wrack rebuke the winds who mutiny against me and confederate together are set against my sayles Strike from the highest heaven one considerable stroke to engrave in my heart the lively impressions of the love of thee and to dispose my spirit to thy service Open my eyes as thou did'st the servant of Elisha encline my eares to thy Word arme my conscience against my flesh and make to arise out of this stone a childe of Abraham Mine iniquities are now against thy pleasure but then shall my
transgression upon transgression thou multipliest the acts of clemency Be not then My God inexorable to my fault pursue me not unto extremity The Nurse forbears not to give the breast to her child because it disturbs her repose and sleep Thou art to me more than a Fosterer be not then deaf to my plaints and deny not the milk and the sweetnesse of thy grace to thy infant whom thou hast imbellish't for an high designe and whom thou hast redeem'd with the life of thy onely Son I have forfeited thy grace my God but thou never losest thy goodnesse behold me in thy clemency not in thy justice my hopes survives in thee alone swallow my transgressions in thy compassions and the fruit shall remain to thy glory Lord my braines dissolve into teares my haires are full of ashes my visage heavy my eyes are hollow sunk and dull But Lord if my teares can render thee more gentle if they can move thee to extinguish the flames of my crimes set open the Fountaines of my weeping and cause me to bathe in the waters of my penitence untill that by the merits of the Saviour of the world thou hast overturned my transgression and impure desires under the power of thy compassion Lord I am nothing but Rottennesse and Corruption But the very ashes of a rich substance want not their value I am ransom'd by the stripes of thy Sonne I am cleansed by his blood I speak to thee by hismouth be mindful then of that sweet smelling sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered on the Crosse and do me the honour I may participate in the Triumph of his perfect and compleat Ministry Thou promisedst to Abraham not to destroy Sodom if so be that there thou couldst finde ten just persons and I Lord Gen. 15.36 I am holy I am enclosed I am a member of the just one without spot of one just justifying who hath swallowed my transgressions in the Ocean of his merits of one Just who is the light from whence I borrow the rayes of splendor Of one Just who hath cherish't me in his bosome and who makes me to draw the breath of his mouth Accept then the offerings my God of my humble acknowledgment which I bring to thy Altars with all the zeal and devotion whereof I am capable Psal 51. I beseech thee with the Psalmist David O God have pity upon me according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy compassions efface my offences wash me from mine iniquity and purge me from my sinne I acknowledge my transgressions and my faults are ever before thee I have sinned against thee purge me with bysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Turn thy face away from mine iniquities O God create in me a clean heart and a stedfast spirit east me not away from thy presence neither take from me the Spirit of thy holinesse Restore me to the gladnesse of thy salvation open may lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Lord cause thy graces to abide with me conduct and lead me in thy wholsom paths by a divine inspiration touch to the quick my spirit and my sense and fill me with an ardure to thy service Open my lips which my transgressions have closed make to spring in me piety integrity the love of my neighbours modesty and that my vices after having so long time abused thy creature may in conclusion quit and surrender the place to a blessed to a reformed estate Effect it that my very countenance may answer for me that one may read in my eyes and voice the integrity of my intentions Enable me that I may fructifie as Trees planted by the streames of waters Enable me to walk worthily as it is requisite before thee increasing in all sweet savour and declaring that I am a member of thy Church instructed in thy Gospel and that thy Word dwelleth in me Lord thou hast unto this day conserved me thou hast born me upon thy wings Enable me then to be obedient to thy Voice that I may keep thy Covenant and that I may be of the Kingdome of thy Priests and of thy holy Nation Engrave thy holy Ordinances in my spirit cause my eares to resound the sweet and gratious ayres of thy Word Bring to passe that my tongue may sing a perperual song and be an eccho to thy heavenly voice and for the time to come I may ever addresse most ardent supplications not idle drowsy words unto thee then when as carried away with a Designe or Slumber and that I speak and understand not my self Establish my heart in thy fear retain my inclinations in obedience to thine fill my soul with charity which is the Complement of the Law the establishment of grace the preparative to glory which as the influence of the Sunne enables me with a vertue to fructifie and increase Lord receive me into thy favours wholly blot out my sinne temper and aslwage the scaldings of my wounds Encamp thy Angels round about me dispel and scatter all evil farre from me Be thou my Guide through the perisous straights of the World and the turbulent stormes of the violence of my passions suffer me not to daâ—h against the rocks of this Sea of the world and under the conduct of thy Holy Spirit cause me to arive at the Port of thy salvarion and cast anchor in the midst of thine Love me my God to the intent I may love thee that I may seek thee serve thee pray to thee that I may give thee glory and honour for ever A Meditation upon the Holy Supper UP then my Soul continue not longer buried in the delights and vanities of the World Arise awake thee rouze thy self and lend an attentive ear to the sacred voice of the well-beloved Sonne of God who invites thee to take place at his feast to sit down to the Banquet of eternal life Arise recollect all thy strength and lift thy self up toward this Fountain of light who by his Sunne illustrates all the Starres of heaven and illuminates all the parts and corners of the earth He is the only Physician on whom depends all thy deliverance He is the onely Authour of grace who can conserve thee against darknesse against hell he onely is Omnipotent who can carry thee for ever into heaven Up then my Soul prostrate thy self before him fortifie thy zeal follow thy God who calleth thee to participate of that great divine mystery which he hath instituted and ordained in his Church which is the Sacrament of his body of which one must take part to obtain eternal life The Sacrament of his body by the which he is united unto thee to convey thee into his glory whereby he removeth he abolisheth he effaceth all that is in thee of sin of cursing and of death and there replanteth his grace his life and his felicity All whatever he has brought from heaven all the grace which is
of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil and with his rebellious throat hath swallowed at once the Apple and Death He hath swallowed the leprosie which hath corrupted the masse of all his blood and the poyson which hath penetrated through all the members issues of his body This Lord this fountaine which hath continued corrupt in all it's streames this is the gloomy and black cloud whence distills not one drop not infected 'T is Lord this cursed rebellion which hath constrained the heavens ever bright and serene before to conspire and confederate against man and to poure forth upon him deluges of blood and universal scourges to extirpate and exterminate the Posterity of this Ancestor 'T is this rebellion which hath caused man to totter from his first estate rendred him a slave of sinne and a prey of that roaring Lyon who graspeth his throat with his foot So soon as the prohibition was made sinne followed and by sinne we have all received a Decree of condemnation But great God thou hast rais'd up and restored thine through thy mercy Thou hast destroyed that cursed spirit who would glut himself with the blood of our entrals and hast born us upon thy wings as an Eagle his Ayry Thou hast brought back and renddred in a flourishing condition our soules who were languishing and abased unto death The deluge of our vices hath drawn a deluge of plagues upon us but the deluge of thy Compassions hath swallowed the deluge of these Maledictions Thou hast cleansed these streames of iniquity in a sorce perpetually flowing into life Thou hast healed these leprosies with a vermillion blood and corrected and abated the force of these poysons by a heavenly Antidote By the offence of one alone death reigned over men and by the merit of onely one men shall reigne unto life The transgression of Adam is fallen upon all to condemnation and the justice of Christ justifying is come also upon all to justification Many by the disobedience of one alone Rom. 5.17 were rendred sinners and by the obedience of one alone many are rendred just To the intent that as sinne reigned unto death grace should also reign unto eternal life 'T is Lord that which Thou hast so often foretold to our Fathers by the mouths of thy Prophets who have declared on the earth that thy Sonne should bear our sorrowes that he should charge on himself our afflictions that he should be pierced for our offences and bruised for our iniquities Thou hast caused all our out-rages to fall upon him and the wounds are come on him for the Transgressions of thy people As a Lamb is led to the slaughter neither hath he opened his lips Dan. 9.26 he is set as an oblation for the transgressions of them who have known him is cut off not for himself but for us Oh admirable Architect of the World who hast stretched out the heavens sustained the massive foundations of the earth and commanded the waters of the Ocean to distill gently through the veines of the Rocks for the nourishment of men Oh holy streame of our felicity the strength of our Might that the graces of thy divine goodnesse are singular the effect of thy providence marveilous in the conservation of men in having prepared for us by thy mercy this conciliation before the foundation of the World and from the beginning having prefigured this sacrifice by the Tree of life in the Terrestrial Paradise afterwards by the Paschal Lamb by the Manna by the loaves of propitiation by the bread which the Angel brought to the Prophet Eliah in the strength whereof it is said that he went even unto the Mountain to have instructed us that so much blood of Bulls and Goats which was spilt before thee and the ashes of an Heifer wherewith they besprinkled the unclean were prefigurations of that juslifying blood which was requisite to be poured on the earth to blot out our transgressions And lastly Lord after having often spoken to our Ancestors by thy Prophets Heb. 17. Thou wouldst speak to our fathers face to face by thy Son who is the brightnesse of thy glory who as the snow tumbling from heaven scattering it self to whiten our plaines so is he descended from on high to publish peace from the rising to the setting of the Sunne and to save those who were fallen among the precipices for for the punishment due to their offences The woman the first seduc'd sees her self a thousand times happier she did see her self a Virgin-Mother containing in her womb the Saviour of the World Oh happy day that thou art Remarkable among us for having first beheld and having first caused us to see the well-beloved Son of God the Father and the Redeemer of the faithful And you bright Services that you are precious having given growth to the body who hath suffered for our sinnes and who since is risen with so much glory And thou earth thou art happy to have nourish't within thy bosome and seen to march upon thy face the Saviour of the World The Sages conducted by the Star hasted to prostrate themselves at thy feet thy Angel in giving advice to the Shepherds and the multitude of the heavenly Host leaping for joy lifted up their voyces to thy honour saying Glory be to God on High in Earth peace good will toward men Acts 5.3 Then Lord he whom thou hast raised up by thy right hand for a Prince and Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sinnes appeared in the flesh that so the flesh might live and by his humanity thy Clemency might approach us which before was with-drawn Thou hast sent him as a Bright Sun to enlighten all the compasse of the Earth He appeared cloathed with humane flesh but all repleat and all shining with Divinity The Power of His Vertue was manifest to the eyes of all the people The most impetuous stormes and billowes of the Ocean gave way unto the sole power of His word The tempestuous whiâ—le-whinds which troubled the serenity of the aire gave truce to their whistlings roarings at the only waging of his hand and acknowledg'd that they ought him respect and silence and that all things should be prepared to receive His Commands Men captiv'd under the power of the Devil were enlarged with the onely glance of His eye The most inveterate maladies departed at the only touch of His garment and the bodies mouldering under the obscurity of the Coffin rose again at his voyce in the Tombe His life was nothing but an open Book of Doctrine with a multitude of miracles and favours toward men The limits of his Course were so pleasant they were so bright with the beames of his compassion so glittering with his triumphs over the enemy of men The History is therein so rich that the excesse takes away and obstructs the description And that the world as saith his Beloved Apostle is not sufficient to contain that which might
Blest is he who is capable happy he who is treated as the Master Happy he who is of those grapes The Children of this World who are not couch't in a divine estate make themselves merry they are weak-sighted altogether imperfect to contemplate on heavenly mysteries they are strayed too far to recover the right way they imagine not that the reward is at the end of the race but they shall one day find that our miseries shall terminate in delights which endure for ever and their pleasures end in horrible and eternal torments 'T is then in this Combat against afflictions and death that we must contest that we must vanquish and that we must search for the Crown of Christianity and Kingdome of God Our hearts will be crush't our eyes blemisht but our souls shall be filled with gladnesse we shall be beaten we shall be torn but our zeal shall augment and in its augmentation our contentment shall encrease Thou Barbarian thou mayst ravish our goods but the Eternal will not forsake us thou can'st exile us but all the Earth is the Lords Thou can'st threaten our lives but 't is those of our bodies 't is that of the World our soules are immortal Thou mayest send us to death but we conduct our selves thither we there shall receive it we will there suffer it patiently Our spirits are heads and masters of our bodies they are so elevated by the assistance of the Omnipotent Spirit that they are able to surmount all sorts of torments and death it self Infidels with what do you affright us so much with punishment with what do you menace us so highly to take away our lives with what do you make us so much afraid of death O pitiful Adversaries we contemn we despise the world we make no account of afflictions we trample over the fear of death Ha wherefore should we fear so much to give for so admirable and excellent a Subject so Glorious so Honourable That which such a multitude of persons lavish dayly to obtain a little pay That which so many Generals give so freely to merit to have their browes encircled with a branch of Olive or of Palme How many mighty men hazard themselves dayly to the peril of a thousand shot presse into dangers and into the croud of a battel on the hopes of an earthly victory rather than to behold their proper valour surmounted what a multitude presse and advance to the forefront bearing their bodies against wounds exposing themselves to the edge of the Sword stretching out their persons on the earth to sustaine the Banners of a stranger of whom they receive not above foure Crowns of pay With how much more reason than they should we render ourselves obstinate in the Combat resolute of the victory We contend not for a point of honour and glory we endure not for a stranger we suffer not for an inconsiderable reward we have a better and different hope than a punctillio of honour or of gain than of pay We contest for the immortal honour of true Christians we endure for the great God for the Creatour of heaven of earth of men we suffer for our Saviour our Christ our Salvation for a glittering recompence resplendent and enduring for ever God hath not given us a spirit of fear but of courage we can performe all things through Christ which strengthneth us 2 Tim. 1.7 Phil. 4.13 we can demonstrate that nothing can reverse the Banners of the Church and that every thing that opposeth it self against it's course is not but for the augmentation of its glory What if Murtherers leavy war against the Gospel they do nothing but dash against a mighty and puissant Rock which fixes and strengthens it self within it's own wait Let them satisfie their rage and fury they shall not for that overthrow the Kingdome of God Their fathers imagined they had massacred all the Prophets and neverthelesse the Lord reserved to himself seaven thousand men who had not bowed their knees to Baal 'T is requisite mauger all the Wolves that the Gospel passe from one Pole to the other That it cause his voyce to eccho over all that which the Sunne illustrates with his beames that it glide like a Thunderbolt of fire as a flash of lightning even to the most barbarous and savage regions and fill their mouths with the memorable and mighty acts of the Lord. God when it shall be seasonable for his glory will multiply his own by meriads when it shall be seasonable he will cause his Church to out-shine all the Idols of men To the intent that as he caused miraculously the Rod of Aaron to flourish among the twelve Num. 17. laid on the Tabernacle by the Tribes of Israel he ratified and confirmed his High Priest against the murmure of the people after the same sort having caus'd his Church to flourish above all false doctrines of men he shall by so much the more confirme his own When it shall be seasonable he will smite our enemies with dimnesse as he did the Inhabitants of Sodom who would have forc't the house of Lot wherein he had withdrawn two of his Angels When it shall be convenient he will silence these Vultures and these Ravens who foretell epidemical calamities these fire-brands and incendiaries who come to light again the flames and to foment the sparks of our adversities he will stifle and silence these Trumpets of sedition these bloody voyces these stomachs of Iron and of Brasse who howle without intermission to procure the destruction of Christians When it shall be seasonable he will cause to rebound on their account Luk. 11.51 the righteous blood spilt from that of Abel even unto that of Zechary who was slain betwixt the Altar and the Temple and from that of of Zecharie even untill this day But these dayes shall come in that rank which he hath ordained for them by his providence who now calls us to suffer affliction with constancy We know that the Nations ought to exalt themselves against us Mat. 24.6 that we must be led before Governours and Kings for Christs Name sake Our nearest relations must deliver us to death we must be afflicted we must be hated ☞ we must behold the abomination fore-told by Daniel the Prophet we must be torn as sheep by the Wolves we must suffer hunger and thirst we must be Vagabonds in Desarts and to endure persecution in every place but our reward is great in heaven and the same hath been practic'd against the Prophets We are blessed to suffer persecution for righteousnesse and to manifest that we are the Children of God in patience in anguish and in labours we are happy to be guided through these dusky nights to the desired haven of our repose Our bodies are blessed to suffer these stripes which heal their wounds and more blessed our souls to receive them to their salvation We shall relish somewhat of sweetnesse in our sufferings of repose in our inquietudes
Temple of my God Rev. 3.12 and he shall never go forth more and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is the new Jerusalem Who overcometh Rev. 3.21 I will cause to sit with me upon my Throne even as I also have overcome and am set with my Father in his Throne What hinders us now what doth obstruct us then to bear afflictions and miseries with constancy who hinders to surmount and overcome these things Is it this World are they our riches Alas why change we not chearfully and willingly our lands our habitations and our lives for repose for felicity for eternal beatitude Our life is short wherefore for so short a time do we renounce a perpetuity of blessednesse of the ages of Paradise Our life passeth in an instant why for to preserve a few dayes do we precipitate our soules in the Abisme Our life is precious to God he holds it he keeps it in his hands i◠he dispose it 't is for his honour 't is for our preservation ☞ why deny we him this glory and to our selves this profit Do we dread torments there is more of grief and anguish to finish ones life by a long and continued distemper than by a violent stroak death is more languishing and tormenting in a bed than in the sight of heaven in an assembly The Feavers Convulsions Catarrhs are more insupportable and fatal than torments Christ is present he exhorts us he offers himself to us he invites us he spreads his armes to receive us he will open the heavens for our consolation as to Saint Steven than when the enemies of the Gospel stoned him He will assist us with his strength and augment our courage as he hath done to so many Martyrs who have endured for his name Let us not then loyter any longer committing our selves into his hands The Lawrels and the Palmes never cast their leaves the true Children of God never quail The love of heaven doth so ravish them they are after such a manner fil'd with that divine fury so that when nothing remaines to them but their heart wherewith they are accustomed to contemne the most dreadful things that continues sound even to the end of their lives their souls are invincible untameable free and generous Let 's suffer then with patience lifting up our hearts to heaven Let those savage Beasts which are not satisfi'd but with blood and wounds who are not asswaged but with murthers who are not delighted but with the sounds of racks having nothing agreeable but to dismember Christians Let us suffer if it be the pleasure of God to deliver us into the hands of these Butchers if they cause our bodies to stoop under the weight of Martyrdome Let us suffer if they redouble their rage if they do not forbear any kind of cruelty and as Lyons Whelps fil'd with flesh they feed their eyes on our dead bodies and dabble their hands in our bloody effusions God will assist us with his power and will raise us by his Omnipotent Spirit when 't is for the honour of his Name above the racks and flames The most cruel torments shall not be considerable to us the greatest most ponderous punishments shall be pleasant unto us these cruelties cannot astonish us death it self shall be life Our faith shall sustain our bodies seeing them torn it shall the more encourage us to suffer Our holy zeal shall delude the most sowre afflictions will cause us to advance into flames without amazement we shalconsume our selves with satisfaction embracing Martyrdome We shall imitate those Martyrs who for such a subject have endured a thousand afflictions have a thousand times spilt their blood have sustained a thousand flames These Martyrs whose Names and Renowns have found the earth too narrow to comprehend them These Martyrs who have magnifi'd Christianity by their blood who have accepted Martyrdome for their Crown These Martyrs who by a few torments are gone for ever into Supreme felicity Up then Barbarians what havock and slaughter soever you make of our bodies we remain firme and resolv'd to die Our bodies are vanquish't our spirits remain Conquerors You shall behold us languish full of delight in a divine Martyrdome You shall see our blood boyling with devotion to distill and trickle into the flames That our death shall be lovely and beautiful to be for ever famous to Christianity That our bodies shall be blessed to be consumed for the glory of the Saviour of the World That our blood shall be precious to witnesse and trace out the way to heaven That those flames shall be exquisite which set a lustre on the truth in the eyes of a throng and croud of poor Ignorants That our ashes shall be pretious to celebrate publish and to spread the Gospel among men If the earth be glutted with our blood the example of our Martyrdome will make us re-created by Miriads if they consume us as the Phenix we shall be renewed within our ashes Meditations for one that is sick FRail Creature in the midst of thy imaginations thou wastest and consumest thy self thou straglest thou wanderest and losest thy self amongst the vanities of the World Thou runnest out of knowledge in these slippery paths without understanding thy feeblenesse without considering that at the first step upon the first advance thou mayst stumble that a sprain may turn thee quite short and that thou hast no sooner weighed anchor than thou art in danger of Ship-wrack thy health hath puft thee up thy courage hath raised thee up precipitating thee into pleasures and delights and suddenly a chilnesse surpriseth thee some heat a pain in the head thou art dejected thou tremblest thou doubtest whether it be some light distemper or rather a disease tending unto death O Lord the World to this moment hath possessed me her delusions have intoxicated me at this instant my sinnes stare in my face as if I were awaked from a prosound slumber I begin to recover my spirits my eyes retort their looks upon my self to behold my weaknesse and my body tyred and consum'd with the feavour which is mixt with my blood and with the pain which torments it is constrain'd to acknowledge her misery to reject her Presumption Lord these fogs which obscure heaven to me begin to fall off my Soul so long blinded recovers some glimmering I have lived to this very instant swimming and floating at the pleasure of the Tide give me grace that I may arrive at the Port I have passed my time in darknesse give me light in the rest of my dayes Poor Carcasse thy Original is in infection thy habitation in a station fil'd with tempests with diseases with torments with bloody wars in a place common to the savage beasts upon an ingrateful earth out of which thou can'st extract nothing but with the Plow-share and edge of the Iron For thy end thy flesh is the prey and triumph of wormes thy
our carcasses under the weight of his yeares how highly our dayes glide away That the present makes way to the future that importunes it that presseth it that treads on it's heels that our yeares are consum'd by months the months passe away by dayes the dayes glide by houres and the houres by moments and that encreasing to be we advance our selves to decrease and be no more Perceive I not Lord that in this world all things incline to their destruction posting to their period marching and running into death and notwithstanding that there are some works of thy hand very durable yet neverthelesse there is nothing that is permanent Witnesse those great and proud Cities who find themselves sudenly devoured and suddenly swallowed by earth-quakes Those nations grown insolent by their long rule authority who behold themselves in an instant mowed down by millions by the Pestilence I shall therefore prepare my self good God cheerfully to obey thy Ordinances I shall contemplate on my infirmity which by degrees cuts off the use of this life I observe that my fall is already far advanc't that death mixes and confounds it's self through out my life I shall joyfully and cheerfully receive and with an unastonish't countenance that which it pleaseth thee to ordain for this poor creature and shall not be of their number who submit to thee by constraint because the winde carryes them because the celestial decrees who ever conserve their puissance draw them from above and because they understand that in vain they should resist thy invincible power which tames and surmounts all things wherefore then esteeme I not my self blessed to have an entyre and absolute deliverance from my sufferings and to go and triumph with the ever blessed Citizens in heavenly joyes and delights who feel not any griefs nor distempers wherefore after having so long turn'd tost having so long time floated at the pleasure of the waves and floods do not I please my self to have attain'd the shore and to appear in the Port why should not the haven be agreeable from whence I see a far off the Sea swelling stir'd up and enraged by the tempest to lift it self up to the clouds and the Billowes foaming to sink the ships or cast them against the Shelves and the Rocks to break them and my self in the mean time freed from ship-wrack Up arise my soul thou art here far off from perfection fix not thy eyes longer on the earth with-draw thy sight from the miseries of the world efface them out of thy fantacy Imitate the Pilgrim who seekes the fresh and the cool shadows to ease him of his travel Up up my soul remember thy self that God gives not admission into his pleasant Syon but by the sacred gate of a blessed issue out of this world abandon the night to enjoy that Sun quit these desolate fields and desarts to enter into these quarters of flowers come out of these endlesse Gulfs of mischiefs to live in these fulnesse of blessings Up rouze thy courage fortifie thy zeal embrace this Divine present Embrace this passage to ascend to heaven Follow chearfully thy God who will catry thee for ever into his holy Temple all resplendent and glittering with glory and felicity where thy eyes shall perfectly behold him whom thy spirit adores where thine age shall remain firm where thou shalt be rendred more sparkling and bright than the Stars where thou shalt behold the earth under thee and the day to issue and break from under thy feet O wretched vessel which the waves which the winds and the Pilot direct and steer to such contrary courses that thou shalt be happy to have power speedily to traverse these dangerous Shelves and Rocks of this life to behold thy self in all safety and shelter in a freedome in a place of rest in a place where tranquility and peace inhabit forever O my soul that thou shalt be content freed from the vexations of the world to understand those holy notes and that sweet that pleasant and Divine harmony of heaven which so many millions of Angels render unseasantly unto the Lord Quit then thy shackles and thy prison ☞ render thy self into his hands who hath formed thee and will carry thee into this holy habitation wherein repose is infinite the satisfaction eternal and riches without measure where thy cogitations shall have no other aime than thy God thy eyes no other object than his glory where thou shalt flourish in an eternal spring ☞ and shalt breath nothing but most perfect and absolute felicity Praise praise this Divine Herald which comes intimating the day of thy departing that thou must cease to live and disrobe thee of thy desires imitate the swans who in dying render their voyces most harmonious being the last day of their songs Good God I am without colour without vigour and without motion unlesse that which perturbations of minde causes a thousand cares gnaw my spirit and a thousand snares of solitude entangle in my cogitations and hold me straightly fixt to their sorrowes the same distemper the same grief equally labours my body and my soul I miserably languish in this poor carcasse which surfeits on sorrows and savours of nothing but the Coffin My soul is stuffed with ignorance and gloominesse with ice and coldnesse 't is stupid and heavy but by thy grace in one instant she will mount her self into heaven she will be fil'd with splendour and light she shall be ravish't in the contemplation of the beauty of thy Divinity she will be partaker of joyes not to be exprest and with contentments the only contemplation whereof begets an ardent desire in my will she shall adorn her brow with a wreath the folyage whereof shall ever flourish and never wither she shall bathe her self in thy Divine spring there to draw water and drink to the intent never to thirst more to the end that that draught should be made a fountain of living water in her flowing into life eternal O holy stream Current of joy and entyre delight Eternal Source which never dryes up that my soul might ever repose under thy shadow that it might draw the sweetnesse of thine ayre let her live in the admiration of thy perfections This Lord is the ardent desire that inflames me 't is the only vow which possesseth my heart the health of this body concernes me not her greatest age is not so much as one poynt to the price of the eternity of my soul and then 't is necessary to return to earth to be fashioned anew that she may dye in Adam to be born again in Christ that she may descend into the grave to come forth immortal that she must hide her self under the earth even to the day that thou comest to awaken on a sudden raising it up to glorifie it until that great day which shall surprize all humane designs Thou shalt make this All to shiver at the sound of the Trumpets of thine Angels
the only vertue whereof shal fix establish this handful of earth higher than the heavens I already perceive the rayes of his divine grace which begin to shine over my soul I feel in my self the assistance of his holy Spirit Away then all worldly cares get you behind me be packing and approach no more You are nothing but corrupt water but rottennesse then infection in respect of those heavenly beauties of those odorifferous and fragrant flowers which cast forth so sweet a sent which surpriseth my spirit and ravisheth me in the contemplation of them But good God pain and torment cuts off my speech whilst I implore thee consider my malady which reinforces it self which redoubles its violence It appears to me that my feavour is obstinate to revenge on my flesh and on my bones the offences committed against thee the heat stifles me the chilnesse causeth the members of my feeble carcasse to shiver to sustain and endure a thousand torments I can do no more but sighth and bemoan my self I languish all wounded quite undone and my vigour hourely wasts and decayes I am thirsty my mouth is dry I can find nothing that can quench my infinite drought my feavour takes away from me the relish of every thing all liquors seem bitter all food is against stomach their very sight is nautious not so much as the thought I swallow my spittle instead of all nourishment Alas Lord I well perceive what will become of me I cannot longer resist the assaults of so many evils all the succours of the earth are too feeble to heal me my countenance droops its extinct my members begin to feel the rigour of death I tosse and tumble up and down I stretch my self and am no more I court a little repose a little sleep but it flyes me I can obtaine none Alas formerly my repose descended and dropt so pleasantly into my eyes The night was accustomed to bury all my cares to give truce to my labours to enclose all my torments in a grateful slumber I ever adjourn'd my trouble untill the day untill the Sun came to open mine eyes But now Lord I cannot with great difficulty close my eyes to slumber but instantly I waken my self affrighted with the terrour of a thousand dreams with a thousand horrible visions which appear before me successively The silence of the night which was so agreeable to me at present redoubles my horrours my eye-lids are inclined to watch perpetually my infirmity increases dayly its rigour and violence recovers new force every moment and oppresseth me the more it gains upon me Lord thou hast made adversity as saith the Prophet Amos thou hast created it as saith Isaiah and nothing comes upon us but by thy just providence as Job hath acknowledged in the extremity of his affliction Alas my God thy judgments are perfect I feel the effects of thy fury the weight of thine Arme I submit and render my self to thy mercy cure not my evil by another apply not remedies more sharp than the distemper have pity on my sufferings At least Lord prevent that the tediousnesse of my pain discompose not offend not nor overturn my spirit continue my judgment to me to the intent that I may employ that little time which remaines to meditate and consider thy graces and to beg my pardon Lord thou hast caused waters to flow out of the rock and to refresh thy people in the Desart cause to spring out of my faith a fountain to refresh my scaldings and to give intermission to my evils to the end that my soul fil'd with a divine zeal may wholly raise up her self to heaven and civert from this carcasse the sense of its miseries Lord Lord approach thee near to me my voyce cannot convey my sorrowes even to thy eares and so my miseries shall surpasse my plaints Lord from thy Royal Palace from thy holy and sacred Throne thou considerest all that is acted here below Alas incline thy countenance to my aid assistance redouble not more the extremities of my feavour augment not my sufferings I understand good God that by the destruction of this carcasse my Soul must enter into its felicity but cause what remains to dissolve easily cause that my natural faculties diminish by degrees and that my Soul may depart gently and from the midst of this bed she may fly to thee Lord my breath is so short my infirmity is so violent my dissolution is so near that I behold nothing but the shadow of my Coffin and the depth of my grave which attends me My half dead body makes me utter interrupted speeches my words vanish in my mouth and willing to continue my complaints I cannot make an end Alas good God I fear that my voyce will forsake me strengthen me for awhile or at least be so gracious that in my Soul I may acknowledge my faults and obtain thy pardon Grant me that the short time I have to live may be nothing else but a penitence for my sinnes and a meditation of thy goodnesse that I may not delight but in the sound of thy voice that thy holy volume may be in lieu of a pillow that my heart that my spirit may breath forth and contemplate thy praises Lord my distemper is so violent that it suffocates me yet notwithstanding it oppresseth me not so much as the vast number of my sinnes which I observe hasting before me and the punishment that followes I tremble when I turn my eyes toward thee great God revenger of iniquities which enlightneth and pierceth through the shadowes and remarkest the tracts of all my offences Thou beholdest my conscience without any vail without ornament all my cognitations are open to thee the past and present are both alike before thee thou readest during the course of my life the train of my offences that I have committed thou beholdest thy enemy in my habitation thou findest him inclosed in my bosome My voyce should ever sound in thy eares it ought incessantly to cause thy praises to eccho upon the earth on the contrary my mouth hath ever been open to blasphemies closed to thy Word Thou hast given me a spirit to know thee a heart to adore thee hands to stretch forth to the support and relief of my neighbour I am revolted from thee I have despised the afflicted and have avoided the path of the poor and needy fearing their ran-counter I have avoided their company as if I had dreaded to behold them When thy heaven hath thundred I have stopt my eares I have rendred my self deaf When thy Sun hath cast forth his beames upon me I have made my self blind when thou hast sought after me I have fled away when thou hast called me I have not answered when thou hast corrected I have been hardned at thy stroakes Inlieu of sacrifising my life for thine honour I have continually betrayed thy service I am abandoned to vices I have serv'd riches the follies and vanities
forbear to aggravate my torments regard my afflictions and my travel and forgive me all my offences Lord I suffer in my groanings I mingle my Couch with my tears I am pierc't with afflictions on the bed of languishing The earth is not capable to deliver me out of this extremity The heavens alone have the glory of the medicines that are requisite for me Make hast then to come to my deliverance my God who doth dayly comfort me in my distresse and shelter me in all my stormes Lord I am afflicted that I cannot depart more than that I cannot live But good God who hast freed from death the great Shepheard of the flock by the blood of the perpetual Covenant turn thy compallionate countenance towards my torment and cause it to shine upon me in joy and in salvation Lord thou hast instructed me to understand my end and what is the wretchednesse of my dayes But good God since thou hast ordain'd that I must die cause me to depart in thee that Imay live again I have sinned my God I have displeased thee I have a thousand and a thousand times every day provoked thy fury but thou art the God of my deliverance I am washt I am sanctifi'd I am justified by thy grace in the name of Jesus Christ who hath taken my sorrowes upon him and charged my offences upon himself I am a fellow-Citizen of the Saints of thy Houshold I am built upon the foundation of the Prophets and the Apostles Pardon then my sinnes Lord in the name of thy well-beloved Son correct me not in thy displeasure neither chasten me in thy fury have mercy on me that am destitute of strength I beseech thee my God in the bitternesse of my Soul in the words of the Propher David Lord heare my request and make my supplication come unto thee Hide not thy face from me in the time that I am in calamity encline thine ear unto me in the day that I cry unto thee hast thee to answer me for my bones are dryed as an hearth and they cleave to my flesh by reason of my groaning and my time vanisheth away like smoke and as a shadow which passeth away and as for me I am become withered as the grasse Lord I said once again with David Eternal reprove me not in thine indignation thine arrowes have pierc't me and thy hand hath overwhelm'd me there is no entire part in my flesh there is no rest in my bones by reason of my sinne for mine iniquities are gone over my head and are too weighty as â—n heavy burthen above my strength I am bowed down and swerve beyond measure I am weakned and bruised more and more Lord all my desires are before thee and my afflictions are not hid from thee Forsake me not my God be not far from me hast thee and help me All my hope is in thy mercy Lord thou hast spoken by the mouth of thy Prophet Esay I have heard thee in an acceptable season and succoured thee in the day of salvation My God now behold the agreeable time see now the day of salvation Be thou now Lord my Rock and my Fortresse be thou my Deliverer and sure Retrait The snares of death hath surpriz'd me destruction hath environ'd me but I lift up my self to thee my God hearken to my supplication from thy holy place and let my cry enter into thine ears Give me by thy free mercy the wages and entire reward notwithstanding that I entred not into thy Vineyard till at the close of the day shew me thy sight give me life eternal after this fleeting languishing and cransitory life and assure me of heaven to the intent that the grave swallow me not up for ever Grant me my God that when the Saviour of the World shall appear I may appear with him in glory Grant me that I may accompany that infinite number of thine which shall be before the Throne cloathed in long white Robes holding Palms in their hands and that I sing with a loud voyce with them salvation is of our God who is set upon the Throne and of the Lamb. Wash my garment and cleanse it in his innocent blood to the end that I may eternally serve thee in his holy Temple wherein I shall never suffer hunger nor thirst that I be no more molested nor distemper'd with the Sun nor with the Winter nor with miseries my tears and my pains wip't away with thy hand O Lord I am at the last gasp of my life in the agony and shadow of death to thee I direct my latest vowes my last words All my actions have not been better than vanity in respect hereof Good God arme not thy self with vengeance against me I render to thee my penitent Soul deploring languishing which savours of nought but earth and dust to which this carcasse shall be incontinently reduc't I oppose my cryes my tears my requests my plaints and my groans against my condemnation and my fall Let the confession of my mouth the contrition of my heart cause thy Sword to tumble out of thy hands let my gasping move thy goodnesse magnifie not thy power and might against a languishing attenuated immoveable carcasse against withered grasse laid on the earth expecting nought but to be driven away by the smallest blast I am at my end I neither have more power nor heart to offend thee but I may still serve thee to publish thy elemency the foundation of my hope and thy bounty the spring of my life I am thine from the Cradle thou hast sanctified me I have been redeem'd and ransom'd by the blood of thy Son who died innocent to give life to the guilty by the blood of thy Son who must open to me the door of felicity I have my recourse to him I beseech thee in his Name It is not reasonable that my sinnes should violate me in so holy a Sanctuary Rouse thee good God a rise speedily the extremity of my affliction will not admit any delay to the end that these sinnes be not too powerful for me hearken to my prayers give me strength to prevail against these billowes that drive me off from the heavenly shoar hast thee to absolve me preserve in thy hands my Soul lest it remain a prey drive these sins our of thy presence which are the work of thine enemy and Lord pardon me that am the work of thine hands Lord I render praise for that thou hast made me capable to participate of the heritage of Saints in thy light for that thou hast delivered me from the power of darknesse and hast transported me to the Kingdome of thy well-beloved Son in whom I have deliverance and remission from my sins Lord I perceive the establishment of thine assistance I feel my self replenish't with thy Holy Spirit who effaces my transgressions and ravisheth my Soul even unto heaven to shew him the inheritance which the mercy of thy Son hath bestowed on me in thy presence O good God! how blessed shall I be to hear from thy Holy Spirit that the last of my dayes shall be the first of my repose that I am not farther from my satisfaction than the length of the last groan of my life I am approaching Lord to thy Throne of grace with assurance to obtain mercy by the vertue of my High Priest who hath compassion on my infirmities I am coming to behold thee face to face whereas now I discern thee but darkly as in a mirrour I am quitting these miseries for a fulness of delight from these dolors into the Mountain of Syon from this Militant to the Triumphant Jerusalem from this World to the City of the living God I voluntarily cease to live on the Earth to survive in heaven I contentedly part with this wretched life for that which is most happy I chearfully quit my self to follow thee I abandon this carcasse and render my Soul into thy hands FINIS
of the world the executioners of my life I have been immoderate and excessive in every thing which is contrary to thy pleasure without having other bound than an imbicility to advance farther My memory Lord is not sufficient to comprehend and enumerate such a multitude of crimes and I now have more bashfulnesse to nominate them than I had shame to act them Also Lord what need the trouble to recount them seeing they present themselves they oppose themselves against me accusing and confounding me seeing that the least but lately committed is sufficient for my damnation without the trouble to search after the past which serve not but for astonishment how the nature of man could invent and commit so many mischiefs Behold them Lord they fail not to passe into my remembrance and as an heavy burthen presse me so sore that I am ready to yield to give my self up to dispayre and to lose my self Lord I cannot so much as deny them I have committed them they were acted in thy sight in thy presence with a feeble fearful and astonish't voyce I acknowledge them and am vanquish't the fear that I have beholding their great number hath frozen my heart and appaled my countenance And on the contrary considering the rigour and strictnesse of thy judgments my sense fails me and I attend nothing but the hour of punishment I will willingly lye down instantly half quick in my grave and in expiring draw the earth over me to the intent I may remove my self from before thy Justice so much do I dread that thy hand will wax heavy against me to destroy me I am like the poor Publican who durst not lift up his eyes towards thee I dare not so much as entertain any imagination of remission for a criminal so culpable I dispayre to avoid them even as undergoing the exemplar-punishment of my abominable practises The depravity of my manners renders the severity of thy censures sharp against me and I know that no man hath place in thy eternal felicity but those that are clensed from sin who are not fullyed with the spots of iniquity who have submitted and dedicated to thy service their hearts and their toungs as for me I have done quite otherwise Neverthelesse Lord thou wilt not bruise in thine indignation those whom thou hast created after thine own Image Thou wilt not precipitate into the gulf and forsake abandoned to the roring Lyon those who are graffed and regenerated in that great Mediatour in the grand Saviour of the world On the contrary Good God! Thou hast commanded us to pray to thee in his name Thou hast promised to hear us in his name Thou hast assured us that when our sins are as red as vermillion nevertheless thou wilt make them as white as wool seeing we have recourse to that Treasure of our Justification to that only Redeemer to that only Authour of our salvation Now O Saviour of the world O Precious Stone O Spirit of my Spirits I embrace thee I discharge the burthen of my sins upon thee I ease my self upon thee Thou art purposly descended here below thou art clothed with out flesh thou hast made thy self man to the intent that I might be able to speak to thee Thou hast stretc'h forth thy limbs on the Crosse thou hast shed thy blood thou haft seen it distil from thy wounds all vermillion to heal my mortal sores to dround my sinnes to cloath me again with innocence Thou hast suffered death to give me the life Thou hast made thy self the oblation and most immaculate offering to take upon thy self the pains which I have meritted Thou hast yielded thy self captive to set me at liberty of immortal thou hast made thy self mortal to the intent that of mortal to render me immortal Thy vertue ever flourisheth that never waxeth old display it over me approach touch my sins and they shall dissolve away as wax before the beames of thy Sun they cannot remain near thee thy sight shall be their flight thy presence their dissipation Thou shalt efface their steps and their straglings Thy hand can bruise the gate of hell thy hand can lift me up into the heavens and make me to ascend by the ladder that appeared to Jacob Lord I cannot sufficiently comprehend thy infinite goodnesse towards persons so vile and unworthy If I contemplate the excellence of thy Divinity in thy descent unto the earth or whether I consider them to whom thou art come I admire the Grandure of thy charity and farther Ruminating thereon I call to mind the happinesse of thy humane condition The Creatour of heaven and of earth The Omnipotent who is not displeas'd but with man is descended for man and made himself man is come to save him from the torture of the fire and the horrors of hell and hath taken his forme the Physitian is hasted to the succour of the diseased the Master to ransome the slaves the streight path presents it self to the straglers Life offers it self to the carcasses enclosed under the Tombs the Shepheard is descended from the top of the mountain to seek the straying sheep He hath again lifted them up on high and enclos'd them in his Fold The Hen hath gathered her chickings under her breast hath made a shield with her wings to protect them from the Ravenous Kite Now good God drive far from me those doubts which Satan goes about to frame in me assure me comfort my spirit fortifie my faith redouble it's strength make her to vanquish all fears all the dispayres which he would suggest unto her Enable her to repel all allutements and assaults of all his temptations She must not longer be affraid she may not longer tremble hell can have nothing against me seeing thine only Sonne hath taken my sinnes upon him because he hath wash't me with his pure blood after it hath pleas'd thee to allow on mine account the value of his satisfaction If thou art pleas'd Lord to proceed with me according to my deserts I should be far distant from any such happinesse my salvation would be desperate There was never any contention with so much disproportion the weapons are too unequal my fault is extreame so is thy Justice But Lord thy mercy is infinite thy goodness surpasseth my mallice Thou coverest my faults with the body of thy Son by his merit thou hast satisfied thy Justice Thou hast given me life there thou concervest me I hold of thy clemency Lord Thou hast spoken by the mouth of thy Prophets that thou art nigh to such as are of a broken heart and that thou deliverest such which have contrite spirits Lord thou contemnest not the afflicted thou hidest not thy face from them forget not then my oppression forget not my afflictions which are violent and permanent forget not the sorrowes of my heart which are augmented Lord my Soul is consumed even to the dust my belly cleaves to the earth Hear then my God myclamour and my supplication and