regular in thy course and withal be mindful who it is that must be thy Judge 4. Be much in the attendance of the Word read and preached for that is the only way that God has appointed for himself to be found in moreover it is that that will discover unto thee what is thy Duty 5. And lastly Be much in Prayer for this is that that will give success to all other this is the Conduit-pipe to convay or discover all our wants to God and mercies from God to us FORMS OF PRAYERS For Particular Persons For every Day in the Week A Prayer for the Sabbath-day Morning MOst Holy and Glorious Lord God I sinful dust and ashes presuming to approach thy presence desire that thou wilt please to fit my heart for the approaching so holy a Presence as thine is that on this day I may be so sitted according to the preparations of thy Sanctuary as that I may meet with thy self that thou mayest communicate something that may be of refreshment unto my Soul by thy Word and Spirit yea that I may be found in the Spirit on the Lord's day O Lord pardon my sins that I have been guilty of this week past and all my life past and let them not stand as a flood to stop my Prayers from ascending unto thee or to keep back the influences of thy holy Spirit from my Soul O Lord looking upon them and upon my nature polluted by them it makes me afraid to look up unto Heaven Nay indeed I durst not only thou hast commanded me to come unto thee by the vertue of the precious Blood of thy Son Christ that is my strong consolation hope and comfort Moreover Lord thou hast prescribed a comfortable promise that thou wilt pardon the sins of thy People for thy own Names sake O therefore for thy own Names sake do away all my sins in the Blood of Jesus Christ that I may appear before thee in the Robes of Christ's Righteousness and and not in mine own seeing all mine is but as menstruous cloth and filthy rags Lord prepare me for this thy days work help me in it and keep me after it that thy Spirit may seal up Divine Truths in the closet of my heart that laying them up in my heart I may practise them in my life and bring forth fruit with patience meet for repentance Lord let neither the cares of the World nor the deceitful thoughts of riches choak thy Seed sown nor let Satan steal it out of my heart but let it be as good seed sown in a good and honest heart that taking root downward it may bring forth fruit upward being watered with the bedewings of thy Spirit O come in this day with fresh reviving Grace that thereby I may be so quickned and qualified as that I may meet with thy self Let this day be so sanctified to me as that I may say in the close thereof 't is not in vain but good to draw nigh to thy self that I am drawn a step nigher this day to thy self by the Blood of Christ Lord pardon the want of a reverent frame of spirit the unworthy obtrusion into thy presence at this time and look upon my unworthiness in the worthiness of Christ my imperfection in his perfection my sinfulness in his righteousness and my weakness in his strength that I may appear righteous in thy sight in his righteousness and that for his own sake Amen A Prayer for the Sabbath-day Evening GRacious God notwithstanding the much imperfection my Soul has been clogged with this day thou hast given me cause this day to say from a grounded experience that it is not in vain to draw nigh unto thee Lord I heartily thank thee for the refreshing smiles of thy countenance this day in thy Ordinances O how good is it to draw nigh to God in his own way Blessed be thy Name holy God That never saidst to the Seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain Lord thou hast been so good in communicating thy self unto me by thy Word and Spirit that I may say with thy Servant David What shall I render unto the Lord for all his Mercies Lord it is matter of wonder and admiration to me that thou shouldest deal so with me seeing thou hast been provoked by my coldness and deadness in such a manner I beseech thee O Lord pass by all my miscarriages that I have been guilty of this day let not them be a prevention of a future supply of my wants and necessities Nay let not them be the cause of thy withdrawing thy self in future attendances on thee nor the cause of removing thy Ordinances thy Gospel thy faithful Ministers and Messengers O Lord thou hast declared thy self a God of mercy and indeed I may as it were set to my Seal seeing my provocations have been so many and so great Lord thou hast not dealt after the manner of men with me Let thy manifold Mercies be an engagement to stir me up to a more watchful frame of spirit that by my negligence I incur not thy displeasure Lord pardon sins past and humble me for sins present and keep me from sins â—o come that thereby I may be rendred meet for every good word and work Accept my willing ness and overlook my weakness in thy only Son Jesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased In whose Name I thank thee for all my enjoyments and through whose Blood I desire to receive all my Mercies and for whom I desire to bless thee To him and thee the onely wise God be praise for ever Amen A Prayer for Monday Morning BLessed God all thy dealings with the Sons of men attest thy liberality â—y and bounty thou renewest thy merâ—ies every morning Lord renew my â—eart that I may be capacitated to serve thee and to sing new Songs of praises â—o thee every morning Blessed God thank thee that thou hast made my life â—recious in thy sight that thou hast chained up Satan that roaring Lyon that goes about night and day seeking whom be may devour that would have devoured me Soul and Bâ—dy unless prevented by thy power and goodness O help me so long as I have a being to praise thee Lord how mightest thou have made my â—ed my grave my sleep my death and have cut me off from the Land of the living yet thou hast been pleased to preserve me and keep me from the rage of cruel Enemies both spiritual and corporal Seeing Lord thou hast dealt thus with me let this day be of great use to to me that I may learn some things in it that may be of special use for my Souls advantage and that seeing all time was given for the Service of God that I may in my employment meditate either on the word that I have heard thy day past or thy works in which are many wonderful mysterious things to be seen worthy taking notice of and contemplating upon Help me so to begin the week
Satan come and catch away the Seed but O that it may be as seed sown in good and honest hearts bringing forth fruit with patience meet for repentance and let it be for the weakning of sin but for the strengthening of faith and grace Let thy Word be as Manna for our poor Souls to feed upon for the week to come that thereby we may grow up in grace as we grow in years Let thy word be a sutable word unto every one of our conditions and come thou into our Souls with it with the freest influence of thy Spirit that we may of a truth meet with God communicating of himself unto us by his Word and Spirit And as the Soul is separated from the Body by Death so let sin be separated from our Souls by thy Word and Spirit O let it be separate from our Souls or else it will separate the Souls of us poor Creatures from God Let thy Minister who is thy Messenger be strengthened and touch his tongue with a coal from thine Altar that he may preach experimental truth to the hearts of us poor Creatures that desire to attend on thine Ordinances O let us taste and see how gracious the Lord is and let us have cause to say It is good to draw nigh to God in his own Ordinances on his own Day And let this day of rest be a certain pledge of an eternal rest purchased by our great high Priest who is preparing a place for his select ones O that this thy day may be spent in the performances of holy duties in praise and thanksgiving the work of thine appointment Unvail some secret this day let us be drawn nigher every day unto thy self Let us be so enlightened that sin may decay and grace may be renewed in us Let us come hungering and thursting after Spiritual Food for our Souls so that in the close of this day we by a grounded experience may say that God has satisfied our hungring Souls with refreshing influences from Heaven thorow the Blood of Jesus Christ in whose words we conclude our imperfect requests as he himself has taught us saying Our Father c. An Evening Prayer for the Sabbath MOst Holy and ever Blessed Lord God who fillest Heaven and Earth with thy presence fill the Souls of thy poor empty Creatures with the presence of thy Grace and let thy good Spirit bring to our remembrance the truths that we by thy providence have heard this thy day that we may lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives that we may be of those blessed ones that hear thy word and keep it and bring forth fruit in abundance and let it take root in our hearts downward and bring forth fruit upward Establish our Souls in the practice of Holiness without which we can never come to see thy self and let the power of sin be weakened but let Grace be strengthened every day Pardon that unpreparedness that we have intruded into thy presence with and that irreverence whilst under thy Ordinances and that carelesness after that we all have been guilty of Pardon our forgetfulness and pardon our imperfection in the perfection of Christ our weakness in the strength of Christ that thereby we may find acceptance with thee who art all fulness and in whose hands is all perfection Fill our Souls with the fulness of God and let the bedewings of thy Spirit and Word cause us to grow in our spiritual stature Help us to prize the priviledge of the Gospel at an inestimable rate and give us repentance from dead works that we may be changed from darkness unto light and from the power of sin unto God And help us to manifest in our lives and conversation what is the hope of our calling that we may be in Heaven whilst on Earth Pardon the sins of our holy things sins of omission and commission sins against thy Law and sins against thy Gospel Give us Wisdom to direct and teach us Righteousness to establish us Redemption to deliver us from the jaws of Sin and Hell Strengthen our weak Faith enlarge our shallow Capacities quiet our disturbed Consciences tread down Satan under our feet and subjugate our Necks under thy Yoak and help us to resign our selves to thy Will and fit us for Eternity at last that after these Sabbaths be ended here we may begin an everlasting Sabbath with the God of Sabbaths where we shall admire thy self in Christ in whose Name we conclude our imperfect requests in his own words as he hath taught us saying Our Father c. A Prayer for Monday Morning BLessed Lord thou renewest thy mercies every Morning it is of thy mercy that one day more is added to us poor Creatures Thou art he on whom depends our being rest life and all thou has been pleased to cause us to acquiesce in and under thy protection for our refreshment O Lord preserve us this day under the shadow of thy wing and keep us in thy ways and let thy watchful providence be an instigation to an holy walking and to redeem the time seeing the days are evil and to live as ever before the Eye of thy All-seeing Providence Keep us from sin and enable us to live with thankful hearts bearing in mind the acts of thy Spirit and the daily Mercies we enjoy help us to shew a thankfulness for Mercies received and humility for and under Afflictions Let the bitterness of Sin and the loveliness of Holiness make deep impression on the hearts of thy poor Creatures Let the great work of Salvation be much meditated upon that that work daily may be propagated by us with fear and trembling Let union and communion with Christ be our great design Let our Natures be changed Deliver us from a dark understanding and hardness of heart stupid consciences together with unmortisied wills Help us to be wise for the future wherein we have done foolishly and help us wisely to improve our Talents in every opportunity Let thy mercies constrain us to love fear and obey thee Subdue us wholly to thy self that our affections may be elevated from the Earth and transplanted into Heaven Help us in every transaction in our lives to consider that with thee every action is poised and thoughts words and works reviewed and taken notice of O that the affairs of this day and all the week to come may be no obstruction to the work of our immortal Souls And grant that every day that passes over our heads we may be a step nearer to thy self Preserve us by thy Grace and Spirit until it shall be thy will to translate us into that Glory that is prepared for them that wait for the coming of Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Monday Evening MOst Holy Eternal and ever Blessed Lord God in whom all our springs are it is good to draw nigh to thy self Thou that never slumberest nor sleepest suffer us not to sleep the sleep of Death The Day thou hast
thee more to have blessed me in all my Enterprizes Lord help me to redeem time because the days are evil I thank thee for thy care and preserving providence this day As touching those things that have been done amiss in any way or manner this day by me let them not prevent night mercies O deal in Mercy and not in Judgement with me let thy love conceal all my offences As touching this night Let my rest in it be sweet unto me Let every night be as it were a memento of the silent night in the Grave a remembrance of death to put me in mind of my later end Make my rest sweet unto me that being refreshed with moderate rest I may the next morning bless thy name and be ingaged to a more lively activity for God the next day and that for Christs sake Amen A Prayer for Fryday Morning GLorious Lord 't is thy great condescension that thou dost after such a manner afford the priviledge of the means of Grace unto me and that thou doest give me fresh occasions every morning to praise thee and to pray unto thee to thank thee for Mercies received and to beg further supplies of future Mercies O Lord let not my unthankfulness prevent what further blessings thou mayest design for me O I have been very ungrateful unthankful and unkind in that I have expressed my thankfulness no more by an holy humble and a regular walking before thee Pardon that black sin of ingratitude of which I have been too too much guilty by walking contrary to thy Prescriptions and contrary to the Canons and Constitutions of Heaven Pardon that I have done so little for God that I have loved so little whereas God has loved me so much evidenced by his gracious dealings to me-wards O help me to believe and that strongly hope for Heaven more confidently and love thee more servently and bear the Cross more patiently and submissively that thereby I might steer my course more evenly to the New Jerusalem Lord thou hast been very kind unto me thou hast dealt with me in love this night in my preservation and protection in Soul and Body from Spiritual and Corporal Enemies thou hast guarded me by thy special Providence Accept of my thankfulness and grant that my humility and thankfulness may ingage thee to extend more of thy benignity prosperity and ability in the affairs of this life Sanctifie my heart that this day I may act for God as in the presence of God Direct me in the courses not only of this day but all my days that all may be to thy Glory and the comfort of my Soul through Christ Amen A Prayer for Fryday Evening BLessed God it is the great comfort of thy People that at any time thou art pleased in such a condescending manner to let them spread their cases before thee O Lord sure I am Thou never saidst to the Seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain for so thy word manifests unto us Whereas Lord I dust and clay have rebelled against thee from time to time yet thou art pleased to admit me to come into thy presence and to tell what my wants are and blessed be thy Name thou hast granted a supply and hast encouraged me to come again and hast not dealt with me after the manner of men but hast been pleased many times to grant me the same Mercies that I formerly abused How many days have I spent vainly and yet thou hast given me the enjoyment of more I pray thee pass by my many miscarriages in this very days course O how little have I done for thee how little honour have I brought to thy Name How selfish have I been How unmindful of God have I been How little have I done in order to the making of my Calling and Election sure Lord how shall I escape in the neglecting so many precious opportunities Instead of doing thy will I have followed the dictates of mine own carnal heart and corruption Instead of doing thy will I have done mine own Pardon what is amiss this day and sanctifie this nights Mercy unto me Let thy good Angels keep me let thy Spirit preserve me let my very thoughts be towards thee keep me from vanity from sin that foul destructive enemy and keep me from the Paw of that roaring Lyon Let me acquiesce and rest in thee through thy Son Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for Saturday Morning LOrd God Merciful and Gracious and abundant in Goodness and Truth thou hast been pleased to preserve me with thy special Providence from time to time from day to day and night to night and to keep me under and in all straits in and amidst the vicissitudes of this World of Incumbrances O thou hast dealt bountifully with me Grant that I may not be barren under all that thy Providences may not be silent to me Thou hast said Day unto Day uttereth Wisdom and Night unto Night sheweth Knowledge O teach me by all Let every Mornings Mercy and every Evenings Mercy and every Days Mercy be of much use unto me yea let all Seasons be advantagious to me Let time be improved by me for God for which end all Time was given to Man Lord direct me in all my Affairs this day counsel me in all my Concerns prosper me in all my Designs strengthen me in all my undertakings and grant that as thou renewest my strength by rest and sleep thou also may'st renew me in the spirit of my mind let not my heart be set upon the world as to draw my assections from thee nor let the cares of the world prevent me in the care for my Soul Mortifie all my corruptions in me for me rectifie my Judgment mortifie my Will change my Nature illuminate my Understanding and transform me to the Image of God Grant these and what thou in thy wisdom know'st necessary for me through Christ Jesus Amen A Prayer for Saturday Evening HOly Lord what great cause have I to bless thee that thou hast pleased to preserve me all this week and keep me in the midst of all the vicissitudes of this sickle and unconstant world and admittest me yet again to come before thee by way of duty Grant that I may not look upon it as a Duty only but as a Priviledg and that a great one a Priviledge that many enjoy not And what am I more than they I have been guilty of sins both for quantity and quality it may be that they were never guilty of Opardon me that I can be no more thankful for nor profitable in the enjoyment of the same Work in me Lord a more active frame of spirit that I may bring more honour to thy Name let the fruits of Grace spring more apparently in my life Let thy Word teach me thy Spirit guide and sanctifie me thy Son redeem me thy Power preserve me and thy Providence sustain me Yea let all work together for the best for me Pardon the sins of this
thou keep'st not strict watch Be much in the exercise of thy Weapons especially the Sword of the Spirit viz. the Word and learn to imitate thy Captain he repels Sathans blows with a Scriptum est It 's written O Christian quit thy â—lf like a man Nay in a word Be in the exercise of all thy Armour least by disuse and disaccustom'dness thereunto thou be to seek when thou shouldst be upon thy Guard Let nothing offend thee neither Prosperity nor Adversity Strength nor Weakness Let not Insidelity prevail over thee He that hath sent thy Captain and given him how shall he not with him freely give thee all things O blessed King and Captain that hath left poor Christians such a Store-house such a Magazine O Christian set upon thy Warfare make use much of that powerful Javelin Prayer Get the art of casting it that in case at any time thou standest in need and be in a strait thou mayst make use of the same And let me caution thee against two things that thou be not too secure in time of thy Peace and Prosperity nor too much careful in time of Trouble and Adversity And now for thy Prosperity and Success thou need'st not be afraid for thy King and Captain will be all in all to thee and for thee So sight on EZEKIEL chap. 37. v. 3. Son of man can these dry Bones Lord Soul The Prayers of a Righteous Man availeth much A broken Heart Mercâ—ntâ— Mori Far well Vaine World A Direction to an Holy Life THough 't is true that never any Man was or can be saved by the Merits of his own Righteousness or Holiness yet 't is as great and as infallible a truth that never any was or can be saved without Holiness Shall I instance The most Righteous Abel the Meekest Moses the most patient Job the Holiest David the Wisest Solomon the Strongest Sampson nay the most Evangelical Prophets and Apostles were they saved by their own Righteousness Nay neither were they saved without their own Righteousness which is palpably evident in Scripture But a little to demonstrate the nature of Holiness It is that that makes us resemble God our Creator and Maker its Nature also is such as that it always aims at God its Center As it is of and from God so it always draws the Soul to God It is a sure guiding Thred to direct the Soul thorow the Nocturnal Labyrinth of a crooked World to the Celestial Canaan of splendid Glory and permanent Happiness Moreover It is Diametrically oppugnant to all Evils in a word It differs â—â—om all Sin and Evil as Light doth from â—arkness What communion has God with Belial And know O Man or Woman whosoever thou art Holiness is indispensably necessary if thou desire to be Happy Wouldst thou be Happy or wouldst thou not Wouldst thou enjoy God or wouldst thou not If thou wouldst not shut and lay by for I do not desire to aggravate thy Torments for know that the Word read or preached will be the savor of Life unto Life or the savor of Death unto Death If thou wouldst be directed in that Narrow Way that leads to Happiness here is a few Directions for thee But methinks I hear thee say How comes it to be of such indispensable necessity to be so holy Answer Of the many Reasons together with Arguments that might be drawn from both Sacred and Prophane Writings I shall prefix only two with some Scriptures 1. The first is Because otherwise there is no appearing before God it â—eing the ordinary way God has appointed Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men â—â—d Holiness without which no Man shall â—ee the Lord. Without Holiness there can undoubtedly be no Happiness without Piety there can be no Purity and without Purity no coming to God for God is one that can behold no unclean thing and without coming to God nothing but misery Moreover he loseth all the advantages in respect of this life in particular that honour that God doth dignifie his people with It is Moses's great Title God gives him viz. My Servant It is in Scripture accounted by the Evangelist John an honour to bear Christ's Shooes much more an honour to suffer for Christ They that honour me I will honour 2. The comforts of this life the pleasures and delights that otherwise he might enjoy I mean not outward but inward pleasures and comforts which are the true Nay in a word Godliness is profitable for all things having the promise of this life and that which is to come 2. So long as a man remains going on in a way of impiety and unholiness he is not only kept from the beholding of God's face or countenance in any of God's Ordinances but also he doth more and more every day incur God's wrath displeasure and anger against him Psal 1.11 God is angry with the wicked every day Nay further he ingages himself more and confirms himself to be a Servant of the Devil and so instead of listing himself under the Banner of Christ he lists himself under the Banner of Satan and consequently becomes Col. 1.21 the enemy of God and his ways and not only an enemy but enmity it self Rom. 8.7 and can a man or woman be supposed to be in a good condition whilst at variance with God who is but as chaff before the wind and as stubble before the fire As I said before many Reasons and Arguments to prove the necessity of an holy Life might be drawn from Sacred and Prophane Writings and Arguments even from a Principle of Morality or humane Reason but seeing it is not our design at this time to produce them since so many Worthies have so palpably demonstrated and proved it with invinceable Arguments even as a Cloud of Witnesses we shall only note some few Scriptures which will stop the mouths of the most bloody Noro's tyrannizing Pharaoh's subtle Ahitophel's and persecuting Saul's Heb. 12.14 fore-cited Psal 93.5 Holiness becomes thine house for ever Rom. 6.19 22. 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 3.13 and 4.13 Lev. 5.15 c. But indeed the best Motive to an holy Life is the consideration of the effects of Death of which in its place The first thing that I shall do shall be to give some few Directions in order to an holy Life whereby to get a better and nearer intimacy with God and to ingage the Heart more to love God and God more to love again or rather indeed God to love first and then the heart to love again for God must first love or else we cannot love him God must first work both to will and to do of his own good pleasure After acquaintance with God to keep up holy communion with him the first and best way will be to improve this acquaintance as much as in us hes for sure I am that though a man have attained to a competent knowledge of the things of God and hath found some Beams of God's radient love breaking out and breathing
upon his Soul if not improved will not only damp the heart and make it cold but will cause God to withdraw himself from that Soul He so soon as he finds his love and kindness slighted cannot but withdraw coming into that Soul and hide himself This very cause we find amongst men where one hath done a kindness for another it may be voluntarily out of love if he finds that he be slighted and kindness be slighted and disregarded how can such an one but take it ill and repent him of both the kindness done and hinder him from giving or doing any thing more and that not without good ground of Reason Ingratum est qui bene merenti non reponit Unthankful is he that doth not either reward a kindness received at one time or another if able or at least express a willing mind by a continued acknowledgment thereof Obj. But you will say How or what shall a man do to improve this acquaintance with God that thereby he may obtain a fuller fruition of and have more communion with God Ans The best and safest way will be First of all to be careful to speak think or do nothing that tends to the dishonour of God or his ways God cannot but take it very unkindly from any one for whom he hath done so much and towards whom his tender Bowels has been expatiated and inlarged to whom he has unspeably demonstrated his infinite care and tenderness of affection from time to time to be either badly or malignantly spoke of or hardly thought on or injuriously wronged any way For indeed how can it otherwise be expected whom should God have to be his friends but they to whom he has extended a multiplicity of kindness of whom should God be honoured but by them whom he has honoured and indeed there is none that has done any thing for God but he will reward it and that infinitely an hundred-fold and there is a finite number for an infinite Matth. 19.29 For we have his Word and Promise for it and he is one that cannot Lye 1 Sam. 2.30 Them that honour me I will honour And indeed they that do not care for honouring God may expect that God will not care for honouring them but adds immediately and that palpably But they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Secondly Be sure always in all your affairs to set the Lord always before your eyes questioning with your selves how you shall answer any thing you do when called before the great Tribunal of the most high God whether it be neither the cause to incur his displeasure or wound your Soul and Conscience and this we find holy David in the practise of Psal 26 8. I have set the Lord always before me We find Job in this same practise Job 31.14 What shall I do when God riseth up or when he visiteth what shall I answer him We find Joseph making use of this Engine to resist the Devil in the temptation of his Mistress How shall I do this great evil and sin against God Gen. 39.9 We find these three Worthies always upon their watch with this Javelin and indeed it is the reason many times why men run into so many wicked and diabolical practises and so help forward the Devils designs and temptations and congratulate the lusts of the flesh because they do not either rightly conceive what God is or else not set him before their eyes 3. Let Morning and Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise be offered up unto God To which purpose we have composed a few short Prayers for every day in the week and also for other occasions Ps 92.1 2. Beware to be found prayerless Families that call not on Gods Name for why should there be wrath upon your Families Jer. 10.25 O miserable Families that are without God in the world that are without Family Prayer What have you so many Family wants Family sins Family mercies every day every moment and no Family Prayers What is it to pray with all prayer and supplication to have no prayer Beware to say I have no time what hast thou all thy time for hast thou it on purpose to serve thy God and art careful for nothing less than to serve and glorifie him in it O beware of this hath God commanded to pray continually or without ceasing that is always to be in a praying frame and art thou no more solicitous to obey Gods command In a word Prayer is the procurer of all our Mercies Jer. 29.12 2 Sam. 7.2 9. It will be very requisite that some preparation be made 1. It will be of great use to examine how you have spent your time if at Night how you have walked with God if in the Morning how kind God hath been unto you in keeping you from all spiritual and corporal enemies and consider farther how God might have thrown you into Hell I remember I have read concerning a Heathen that used every night to set an hours time apart to examine himself how he had spent the anteceding day and to beg of the gods to pardon both his mispent time and intreat for a supply of his wants And shall an Heathen shame those that profess to be the Souldiers of Christ Consider what Mercies you have received or what you stand in need of most and let the Vitals of your Soul be most for that only let it be with an holy submission to the will of God in and for all things especially in Temporals or in things conducing to the Body 4. When thou appear'st before God let it be with an elated esteem of the Greatness Holiness and Purity of God and with a regardless esteem of thy self the best way to come unto God is by a self-debasement seeing by a self-ambition of being as god's knowing good and evil all mankind lost Heaven and so involved themselves into a delapsed condition and indeed we can imitate Christ no more than in an humble deportment to God-ward in all our Supplications Moreover so long as we come in the humility of our heart to God we have Gods ingagement that he will not turn us off he will accept us The first step to Exaltation is by Humility and Self-abasement and abandoning all self-ishness and the best and chiefest way to the attainment of this is by the admiring thoughts of God not only in respect of his creating providential Power in first creating all things of nothing of no Being to make a Being of a confused Chaos to form a fair and splendid Fabrick as the Greek word signifies I say not only in respect of that great and magnificent Power by which all things were made and also that providential Power by which all things are preserved and kept but also in respect of the more magnificent and powerful and infinite wise contrivance of the second and new Creation I mean of that procuring a possibility whereby man might be restored and redeemed from that lapsed and unspeakably
them lest they should split their Ship and lose both Ship Treasure and themselves and all O! what obnublating darkness will they find themselves in and understandings overshadowed with that can't see how many have sunk and perished in this Gulf And that will not know their day of peace before it be hid from their eyes And that like the rich man in the Gospel spend their portion of good things in this life upon their pleasures and in gratifying their own lusts which procures nothing but fuel to their fire miseries to their torments yea death it self Which what and how great and intollerable if they did but conceive once and understand surely they would not do for a thousand worlds What will those Sons of pleasure say and do when all their joys shall be turned into sorrow their pleasure into pain their mirth into mourning their pride into indigency and poverty their gold into brass their songs into sighs their riches into rust Then they that thought themselves to be full and rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing will be found blind and naked wretched and miserable Rev. 3.17 Mistake not Treasures Lands and large Possessions without a right improvement will be but as a World of Lead to press thee into the lowest Hell And what profit shall a man have to gain the whole world and lose his own soul They will not only not profit but greatly disprofit they will not only flee away but when they do hetake themselves to flight they 'll leave like the Worms such a suffocating slime behind them that is like to choke the soul unless washed in that Fountain that is set open for sin and for uncleanness Honours and an Arm of Flesh will stand thee in no stead God has put a weak and frail nature in all terrestrial things What! and trust to any of them Trust in Broken Reeds that like Jonas's Gourd wither away and leave thy soul to wind and weather Thrice blessed and sweet is our Lord's Advice who would have us turn the Eye of our Delight from the staining glass and dying glory of all Terrestrial Treasures which mostly gender mischief at least harbours an inbred corruption gilded over to intice a carnal eye upon which many times an evil conscience is an attendant The one like a Worm eats out the Heart when the Harvest is expected the other seizes upon the Soul in time of sorrow And as for Friends and Acquaintance they may environ thee so long as thy sails flee before a fair and prosperous gale but as soon as the clouds of indigency and poverty appear where are they then Have they not left thee and fled like a shaddow 'T is true it is good to be seeking and to employ all thy time and strength for Riches and Treasures and a Magazine but be sure it be one that is not corruptible Not one that will stand in no stead If thou be employed be employed in the best Trade If thou get get the best things If thou dig dig for the Pearl of price If thou play the Merchant trade in the best Merchandize Not in temporary things not in gold and silver that rusts and cankers but in the durable râ—â—â—â—s of Jesus that has all durable riâ—â—â—â— and fulness in himself Not in Indian Treasures but Canaans Treasures Not in Egypts Treasure but in Treasure that bears price at the New Jerusalem The one thou mayest carry with thee the other thou canst not thou must leave it to others therefore if thou be wise be wise for thy self Moreover if thou trade in merchandize for these Countries for Canaan and the New Jerusalem I 'll tell thee that a sound faith a fixed hope and a spotless conscience are the inestimable Jewels in these parts If thou sell all to buy these and obtain them it will be better than a thousand worlds to thee Thou shalt be crowned King thou shalt be Joynt Heir in Heaven with Christ thy Victorious King and Captain That which Worldlings make and embrace as gain count thou as loss That which they count as Pearls count thou as Dung That which they esteem above all count thou lighter than vanity and more contemptible than dirt under thy feet Instead of being wise for this World be wise for Eternity lest after thou shouldst heap up Treasures and say Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years thou shouldâ—st be stript of all and counted a fool for thy pains Instead of riches hoard up a stock of Grace in this plenteous Harvest of the Gospel Instead of worldly pleasures hoard up that that will procure everlasting pleasures for evermore Instead of a world of cares which always attend wealth and honours accumulate to thy self an undisturbed peace Peace with God peace with Conscience and peace with all men And with all thy getting get understanding I say instead of delighting thy self in vain pleasures which are the accommodations of an empty world of which afterward delight thy self in the Lord thy God and thou shalt be much wiser 14. Be content in and amidst all the vicissitudes of a fickle and unconstant world let it be thy chief study to learn that excellent Lesson of Contentment to know how to carry it as well towards a frowning as a flattering and fawning world when it frowns not to be troubled and when it fawns not to regard it to be so wise a Pilot as to steer thy course neither to split on Sylla on thy right hand nor Charybdis on thy left neither to soar so high on the wings of ambition in time of prosperity as to scorch thy wings nor sink so low in times of adversity as to be drowned in that Ocean of despair What an excellent proficiency had St. Paul made in this excellent Lesson he could say as very few else could say the like I have learned saith he in what state I am therewith to be content Philip. 4.11 And indeed it was not in word but indeed which plainly appears by that 11th of 2 Corinthians He had learned how to abound and how to suffer need If the World hold out a Scepter he can tell how to use it if a Shovel he can dig with it if a Crown he can wear it if a Cross he can bear it If a storm he can endure it if a calm he can enure it So that in the use of all things he lives as though he had them not amidst them What a rare frame is this to be able to turn ones hand to any Tune To which purpose he gives an excellent dictate in Heb. 12.5 Be content with such things as you have and he adds the Reason For he hath said I 'll never leave thee nor forsake thee As if he should have said I tell you from mine own experience it is the best thing in the world to be content for my Master that learned me this Lesson laid an entail upon it that can never be cut off
of all my enjoyment for whom I bless thee and to whom with thy Holy Self and blessed Spirit be praises for evermore Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Morning HOly God grant me a pardon of all my sins and in particular the sins of this night past all my vain thoughts and cogitations Lord I cannot express them unto thee in particular yet thou knowest them all I pray thee Lord blot them out of the Book of thy remembrance cast them behind thy back let them never be seen any more either in this life or in the world to come to my condemnation Lord as thou art pleased every Morning to renew thy Mercies to me renew my heart within me that I may be occasioned to renew my thankfulness to thy self for thy bounty and benignity to me let the improvement of left-hand Mercies engage thee to a further supply of right-hand Mercies the improvement of temporal Mercies engage thee to a further supply of spiritual Mercies and let both be so improved by me that thou mayest have the Glory and I may have comfort in and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ Help me this day in all my transactions to remember thee and that I may set the Lord always before mine eyes that I may thereby resist every temptation as thy Servants Job Joseph and David did Let the soundness of my state be demonstrated by the regularity of my course Regulate and rectifie what thou seest irregular in my life that all my designs and purposes may be for thy Honour let Piety be my delight let sin be the object of my hatred accept what is good in me Be my counsel in my enterprizes and undertakings and direct my will that I may do nothing but what tends to thy Glory for Christ's sake Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Evening O Eternal God who art glorious in Holiness fearful in thy Praises doing Wonders Blessed by thy holy Name thou givest poor C eatures such as I occasion to rejoyce in thee and to seek unto thee through the mediation of thy dear and well-beloved Son Jesus Christ Lord let all Mercies be of great use to me for the drawing out of my heart after thy self Pardon me that I have been no more enamour'd with thy Son that he has been no more amiable to my Soul even the fountain of all my Mercies the well-spring of all Goodness the Author of all my Enjoyments and by whom all my sins must be pardoned if they be pardoned O Lord look upon his satisfaction and intercession for me O divest me of the rags of my sin and invest me with the Robes of Christ's Righteousness let the stream of his precious Blood obliterate those crimson and scarlet stains that sin hath made in my poor Soul O Lord what time might I have redeem d wherein I might have had more communion with thy self and thy Son Christ and done more for thy Honour if I had been wiser Lord help me this night to experience more of thy love to my Soul by coming in with fresh supplies of Grace received Grace is not sufficient for me my nature is very much declining and therefore grant me fresh streams of Love and Grace that thereby I may acquiesce in and upon thee knowing thou art a God sufficient for all these things I stand in need of I bless thee for my preservation and sustentation thou hast preserved and sustained me with O sustain my Soul with fresh influences of thy Countenance and as I am about to betake my self to my rest draw thou the Curtain of thy Fatherly Protection about me Help me to sanctifie thee in my heart laying my head to my pillow And that for Christ's sake Amen A Prayer for Thursday Morning MOst Holy God before whose presence the Angels themselves who are such spotless Creatures vail their faces even them thou chargest with folly and if them what mayest thou charge such a sinful wretch as I with Nay Lord the best of my actions they are full of impurity Help me Lord to lay my face in the dust and to confess my uncleanness one of an uncircumcised Heart and Ears that since I could do any thing could sin and since I could sin I could almost do nothing but sin O Lord pardon me for the greatness of my sins is intollerable they are more than I am able to bear Help me to lay them on him who is mighty â—o save No sin O Lord is so great but thy Mercy is greater No sin is too great for thee to pardon Pardon sins of omission and commission actual and original do all away in the Blood of Christ O Lord let not the sinning away of received Mercies prevent future Mercies Pardon my vain and sinful thoughts this night or whatsoever thou hast seen amiss in me and accept my requests O Lord as a Sacrifice in Jesus Christ renew that league my very Dreams have broke and accept my thankfulness for thy prottecting Providence thou might est have made my bed my grave my sleep my death and cut me off from the land of the living but blessed be thy Name thou hast yet made me praise thee in the land of the living praises to thy holy Name Let the Mercies of this night stir me to an holy and close walking with thee all this day let me be actuated by thy Spirit they being only in a right frame to whom thy Sprit is leader and guider Bless my undertakings and let them be for thy Glory through thy Son the Mediator of the New Covenant Jesus Christ the Righteous to him and to thy self for him be praises Amen A Prayer for Thursday Evening MOst Holy Lord and in thy Son our most merciful Father speak to my Soul that I may hear and live that I though but a wilde Olive-branch may be grafted into the true Vine let me no longer be a stranger to the Covenant of Grace O Lord I have been very sinful and rebellious against thy self in all my deportment I have many times sinned against my own knowledge I have sinned against light and against love Pardon all my miscarriages not only this day but all my days O do all away in the blood of Jesus Christ and let me appear in my Elder Brother's Carments invest me with his Righteousness but first of all divest me of my own let thy Grace increase in me but let sin decrease let me grow in Grace as I grow in years and that no day may pass over my head wherein I have not learned something that tends to my Souls health Help me every day to learn something that may tend to the mortifying of some lust for my establishment in the truth and for the direction of my feet in the paths everlasting Pardon me that I have done no more for thee this day that I have redeemed no more time O Lord I might have redeemed more time if I had been wise wherein I might have had more Communion with thy self and might have engaged
appointed for Man to Labour in and the Night for Man to Rest into thy hands we commit our selves and desire to acquiesce in thee Let us be put in mind of the everlasting rest by every nights rest we enjoy Help us to make it our business to do our great work we have to do before the night of Death and the Grave overtake us O let not opportunities neglected and mispent be hindrances of the present and future enjoyments and opportunities Let not the abuse of time extinguish diminish or shorten our time Let not sin prevent our mercies neither let the guilt of sin nor punishment for the same overtake us at the same time Let not the sins of the day past mercies prevent us in night mercies but let them all be pardoned in the Blood of Jesus Preserve us this night and let the mercies of the night fit us for an humble walking with thee the day following that nights mercies and days mercies may be of such use unto us that we by both may be fitted for an enjoyment of thy self both here and hereafter Keep us from the vanity of our minds Keep us from all our Enemies Spiritual and Corporal let the roaring Lion be chained up that goes about seeking whom he may devour and let us acquiesce under the shadow of thy wings that we may both lie down and rise again in peace knowing the Lord sustains us for the sake of him that procures us all our happiness our mercies and blessings Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Morning HOly God it is not the least of thy mercies that thou commandest us to seek thee let us not think it a burden but a priviledge that we are admited in way of duty to call on thee not only to beg mercies of thee but to give thee thanks for mercies received We thank thee that thou out of thy Benignity hast been pleased to afford us thy providential protection this night past wherein we are brought to a farther experience of thy love Let every mercy be farther engagements to praise thee Thou our Lord hast made us to sleep in safety and hast made us to experience that unless thou keep the City the Watch-men watch in vain and that it is the blessing of thee our God that has preserved us this night past O Lord Let us in all our undertakings this day know that it is not rising up early and sitting up late and eating the Bread of carefulness that will do only the Lord that blesses what we undertake O Lord Act for us this day and help us in all that we do that it may be to thy praise O that our hearts and lives might speak forth thy praise for the renovation of mercies every morning and that our eyes may be towards thy self for all our strength in all our affairs this day that whatsoever we do all may be to the praise of our God Let our work prosper in our hands and let us find that God acts for us Help us to observe all the passages of thy providences that every day we may experience more of thy power that thereby we may be drawn out to fear thee and say surely the Lord is God and that he has made us and not we our selves and that he makes all work together for the best to them that love him O bless us in the beginning and in the close of this day bless us in our goings out and comings in bless us in our labours Let our pains and diligence put us in mind of our great work our industry for terrestrial put us in mind of celestial gain and help us with all our gettings to get understanding that we may be wise for our selves Deliver us from the infection of sin and enable us to keep our selves spotless from covetousness or any thing that is disconsonant to thy will in Christ Amen A Prayer for Tuesday Evening MOst gracious Lord thou art he and there is none else Thou hearest the Prayers of poor Creatures at all times and upon all occasions thou art near and ready to incline thine ear and to have mercy and forgive all the sinful miscarriages of thy poor Creatures Truly thou art good and dost good our Souls experience it every day thou art slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil O that we could walk so closely with thee as never to offend thee To whom Lord belongs praises but to thine own self who hast in all our concerts been our Agent for us O Lord let our Souls delight in thy self Let it be our recreation to do thy will And now O Lord we would commit our selves into thy hand desiring thy Providence to keep us thy Spirit to bless us that whether sleeping or waking we may be thine Refresh these frail Bodies of ours with quiet rest that our Bodies being refreshed we may both with Soul and Body which are thine sing forth thy praises Help us to meditate upon thy truths even on our Beds that we may spend many watchful hours about the great concerns of our everlasting Souls And help us laying our Heads to our Pillows to sanctifie thee in our hearts and when we awake the next morning we may awake in the same manner knowing that Sathan is ready to suggest some temptation and thereby steal away our hearts making the World or the Flesh our objects Help us always to study most to please God and displease Sathan and to give Sathan no ground knowing that so long as we resist him he thou Lord hast said shall slie from us Let us rest in thy self seeing thy Name is a strong Tower and they that flee into it are safe from sins dominion keep us from Sathans temptations defend us from our evil hearts secure us and sanctifie our hearts and send a bedewing of thy holy Spirit upon us to sweeten our troubles and sanctifie our mercies in Christ Jesus Amen A Prayer for Wednesday Morning HEavenly Father by whom and from whom all our strong consolations through Grace are enjoyed by us worthless Creatures sleeping and waking we are secured from the terrors of the night and those amazements wherewith thou sometimes hast amazed them that were better than our selves are O save us by thy Grace and prepare us for Glory deliver us from the sinners cursed questions What is the Almighty that we should serve him Or What profit shall we have if we pray unto him How oft are their Candles put out Give us grace to live to thee shewing the truth of Grace by dealing righteously towards all men that so keeping the faith in purity of conscience having our hope and heart fixed on thy self we may rejoyce in and call upon thy Name who only art a present help in time of trouble Preserve us in this wilderness the World until we shall attain to the Heavenly Canaan O let our Souls be more and more in love with Holiness to live the Life of Christ and the Life of the
punishment was greater than the punishment of Sodom O holy Lord open mine Eyes that I may see the evil of that sin for whom Young Men and Virgins were slain with the Sword the Virgins were trodden down as in a Wine-press O give me chastity of mind and purity of heart and let the inward man have the chief adorning Let me be adorned with that modesty and shamefastness that becomes those that profess the Gospel of Christ not with embroidred Garments and costly Apparels Help me to consider that there is no communion betwixt Light and Darkness Sin and Holiness Help me to live to that end for which I was created Help me always to bear in mind my Creator in the days of my Virginity that I may mark thy Law to do it O preserve me from the ways of sin and let death and judgement put me in mind of the great work I have to do that I may so act in this life as that I may live for ever hereafter with thee in Heaven in eternal bliss purchased by the precious Blood of Christ to whom be glory for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer MOst great and powerful Lord God whose ways are in the deep Seas and paths in the deep Waters and whose Footsteps are not known yet sets the bounds and limits of the raging Sea and sayest Hitherto shalt thou go and no farther and raiseth a storm and allayeth it let thy good providence keep me in the middest thereof and though the Sea rageth and roareth yet let thy everlasting strength environ and surround me so that I may be hid and be safe and being safe I may both with heart and soul sing forth his praise that hath been graciously pleased to preserve me amidst the tempests of the raging Seas but most of all I earnestly desire thee that thou wouldst keep me from the roaring rage of Sin and Sathan and as thou boundest the Sea so bind up Sathan that he may not be able to do me any harm that he may not tempt me to do any thing that may bring dishonour to thy Name either by distrust or otherwise O let me discern much of thy self O Lord in the Depths that I may bless thee in thee Land of the Living When Mans Wisdom and Power faileth stand thou up and deliver thy Servant when the Billows and Storms are raging do thou quell them so shalt thou rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant and at last bring me to the desired Haven for thy Sons sake to whom be everlasting strength ascribed for ever Amen The Sea-mans Prayer after a safe Voyage MOst powerful Lord God thou art the powerful preserver of thy Creatures thy power is not limited and thou art the same yesterday to day and for ever thy hand is not shortened thou savest both by Sea and Land thou that savedst Israel of old by bringing them thorow the Red Sea thou hast preserved me amidst all the Billows of raging Waves of the immense Ocean thou never failest those that trust in thee O let thy mercies engage me to praise thee that I may cry out Come and I will tell you what the Lord has done for my Soul and let this great deliverance enjoyn me to trust God for the future in the greatest of straits O help me to praise thee whilst I have any being O Let my Soul praise thee for this experienced mercy Open my mouth Lord and fill it with praises that I may sing unto the mighty God of Jacob the Redeemer of Israel O give me the Spirit of praises that I may extol the name Jehovah O Lord help me to love thee more every day and admire that Love that thou hast shewn and dost shew unto me every day O govern my affections words and actions and help me so to stear my course as that I may at length be brought to the Haven in Canaan for Christs sake alone the Strength of my Salvation and Hope Amen The Widdows Prayer MOst holy Lord thou art the fountain of all Comfort and God of all Consolation and changest not all the comfort of thy sorrowful Hand-maid is in thy self thou art able to make up all the losses and breaches thy providence has made O supply all that comfort thou hast taken away and thou that hast promised to be a Father to the Fatherless and an Husband to the Widdow be a Father to my Fatherless Children and an Husband to me a poor destitute Widdow Make up all my wants in thy self and pardon that sin contracted between us and pardon that negligence of seeking after better comforts than any this life affords pardon that inordinate care that was used by me in reference to the World and guide and support thy poor distressed Servant by thy Spirit O help me to sit silently under thy chastizing Rod and that because it is the dictate of thine own will and say thou Lord hast done it and say with thy Servant Job that emblem of patience The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. Let this last be an instigation to put me in mind of my last end and to consider the brevity of this frail life that thereby I may be taught to number my Days that I may both know how frail I am and may apply my heart unto Wisdom that I may bear in mind the great concerns of Eternity strengthen my Faith enlarge my Desire raise and elevate my Affections enflame my Love let Sin be most loathsome Grace most beautiful the World less desirable These and what thou knowest to be more necessary for me grant for Christs sake Amen The Orphans Prayer RIghteous Lord take thou charge of thy desolate Creature be thou a Father to the Fatherless thou art Righteous but I have sinned and therefore this sorrow hath taken hold on me my neglect of Duty hath removed away this Mercy O pardon and remove my Guilt and remember thy Promise to the Fatherless O save me for I am thine I desire none but thee be thou my Comfort and Guid unto Death Help me to be more an obedient Child to honour thee in my Generation Supply my wants and necessities and make up all in thy self and help me to eye thee as a God in Covenant and let me know that I am reconciled unto thy self by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant and let Mortality be swallowed up of Life and Lord help me though little in respect of Stature that I may be tall in respect of Grace and knowing that I have a great journey to take that I may set out be-times to enquire-the way and that when my Glass is run I may have finished my Masters Work and my Course with Joy and O that I may never cease Labouring until I have finished my Work knowing that they that run in a Race run all but one gets the Prize O let O Lord Integrity and Sincerity preserve me and that for Christs sake Amen
Consid To die is but once to be done and if we miscarry in that we miscarry and are undone for ever therefore make it thy chief business to learn to die It would be better never to have lived than to be ignorant to die Many will nay doubtless the prophanest wretch will desire the death of the righteous but unless it be learnt before by living the life of the righteous you shall never learn nor know how to die O learn this lesson seeing there is no working in the Grave whither we go 3. Consid That if thou make the best preparation for Death thou canst thou wilt find it hard enough to die if thy evidences be never so firm and good thou wilt find that all will be little enough if they be fair the Devil will blur them if he cannot blot them he 'll do what he can to accuse thee he is the accuser of the Brethren he 's the roaring Lion that will devour thee if he can 4. Consid That Death if not prepared for will look mighty ghastly and grim he is called The King of Terrors and Fears he 'll surprize thee for he comes suddenly as a thief in the night 't is true if he come thou being prepared it will put an end to all thy fears and dispossess thee of terrestrial substance and possess thee of a celestial and permanent substance 5. Consid That after Death that is after the Souls separation from the Body the Body will be but a loathsome spectacle all thy friends will as it were abhor it Abraham says Let me bury my dead out of sight 6. Consid That nothing will avail the Soul but Grace and a good Conscience when it shall after separation from the crasie House of Clay be brought before the great Tribunal of the most high God to give an account of all the deeds whether good or bad done in the Body 7. Consid That Christ who offers Salvation now by his Word and Mercies shall then appear in slaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know him not nor obey not his Gospel 8. Consid That having past once his Sentence whether of Life or Death it will be absolute and irrevocable O therefore be not slothful in this work lest the bubble of thy life be extinguished before thy work be done 9. Consid That after Death Gods Messenger hath executed his office viz. cut the thread of thy life thou must presently appear before God the great Judge to receive either the sentence of life or the sentence of everlasting death Considerations of Judgment O Thou impenitent sinner that wilt die in thy sins 1. Consider What a dreadful sight the coming of the Son of Man in the Clouds will be he whom thou hast so often by thy sins pierced whom thou hast rejected scorned and vilified and the blood thou hast so often trod under foot must then be thy Judge from whose righteous sentence there will be no appeal now he stands to invite thee and woo thee with the fairest terms of love but then he will pronounce thy dreadful doom and his poor redeemed ones which now thou thinkest not worthy to live but doest scorn mock revile persecute and kill will then sit on the Throne on the right hand of the Lamb as thy Judges too How then wouldst thou wish Rocks to fall upon thee and be beholding to Mountains to cover thee nay how sain wouldst thou change natures with Toads or Serpents Owls or Batts the worst of Creatures or that thou couldst be annihilated and that thy immortal Soul should become mortal 2. Consid Also That then all Relations will cease and so all Love and worldly Friendship Then the loving Husband must rejoyce in the Damnation of the wicked Wise and the tender and indulgent Mother must stand not only with dry and cheerful Checks and assent to the just Doom of her impenitent Children but glorifying God for executing his Justice and Vengeance upon them Therefore O sinner if thou wouldst have Christ Friends and Relations be-friend thee at that day be an unreconcileable enemy now unto thy sins and be at peace with God through thy Redeemer O miserable sinner Consider where wilt thou appear at that day when God will make a separation between good and bad when thou must give an account for all things done in the flesh for every thought of thine heart every word of thy mouth every moment of time every omission of any holy duty every commission all company thou camest in every Sermon thou hearest every Sabbath thou hast mispent and then all thy sins and villany whether committed secretly or openly will be viewed by the whole World To prevent this try now thy heart life calling thoughts words and deeds and arraign accuse and condemn thy self at the bar of thy Conscience that thou mayst be acquitted at Gods Judgment Bar at the last day If thou be a Saint consider that then thy Soul and Body must make make a second but a more happy and Blessed marriage joyntly and together to enjoy and be drown'd as it were in that glory that God prepared for his Elect from before the Foundation of the World then thy innocency and righteousness shall be clear and made conspicuous to the whole World when Christ sets thee at his right hand when thy Friend thy eldest Brother and thy Husband will be thy Judge then thy Pains Losses Crosses and Sufferings will be fully rewarded Thy Persecutors Troublers and Opposers will be avenged upon and all thy good Deeds reckoned up to thy comfort but all sin done away Then thou shalt sit on a throne crown'd with Immortality and Glory with those judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel and shalt hear that blessed that wonderfully acceptable and heart-ravishing invitation Come ye Blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom that was prepared for you from the foundation of the World When your Enemies and Troublers shall be packed to Hell with this dreadful and fatal doom Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Depart from Glory that 's Hell enough depart with a curse into fire and that everlasting Considerations of Hell COnsider first The pain of loss privation of Gods glorious presence and eternal separation from those everlasting felicities joys and bliss above is the more horrible part of Hell The Torments and Miseries of many Hells in the judgment of the Learned are nothing to the shutting out everlastingly from the Kingdom of Heaven and an unhappy Banishment from the beatifical Vision of the most Soveraign onely and chiefest good the thrice glorious Jehovah blessed for ever I say the loss of any of these will be a far greater loss than Ten thousand Worlds were they all composed of purest Gold and brimful with richest Jewels Let therefore every one in the Name and Fear of God as we would not for a few bitter-sweets or a vile lust in this World for an inch of time lose an
inconceivable delight to all Eternity in another World with St. Chrysostom chuse rather the punishments of Hell than offend Christ Of the pains of Sense 1. COnsider the horror anxiousness heart-corroding and too late vain repentance that will torment thy Soul for thy so sinful transacted life when thou thinkest how many precious opportunities thou mightest have improved for thy Souls eternal good but hast wilfully cast them away how many a good Sermon and Soul-market thou didst negligently go through How many dreadful things thou hast committed How many necessary duties thou hast omitted How thou hast dishonoured God grieved Friends and Relations and when thou wast call'd upon to repent thou wouldst not turn and live Ah! I say such considerations as these will then tear thy Soul to pieces and be a great part of thy Hell 2. And as to the things thou doest at present feel they will be unexpressible There is no tongue can express or heart conceive the extremity and exquisiteness of it all that the angry Arm of an Almighty power can inflict upon thee O sinner shall be inflicted upon thee to the full In a word If the several pains of Discases and Maladies incident to our Nature nay and add to it all the most exquisite and unheard of Tortures c. be collected all into one extream anguish yet it will be nothing to the Torment which shall ever possess and plague the least part of a damned Body And as for the Soul let all the griefs horrors and dispairs that ever rent in pieces any heavy heart and vexed consciences c. be heapt together into one extream Terror it would all fall infinitely short of that desperate rage and restless anguish which shall eternally torture the least and lowest faculty of the Soul Oh what rational man that hath Understanding Affections and Senses would not tremble at such thoughts as these and seriously project how to evade all this 3. As to the everlastingness of these Tortures consider that that will be another Hell to thee O Eternity Eternity upon which depends the height length breadth and depth of immortality in the World to come even two Eternities the one infinitely Blessed and the other infinitely Cursed the loss of everlasting joys and lying in eternal flames and never ending pleasures or pains follow the well or mispending this moment upon Earth With what unwearied Care and Watchfulness ought we to watch all the days of our appointed time to make our Calling and Election sure With what industry and diligence to ply this Moment to fit us for that Eternity Of the Joys of Heaven THe excellency of Heaven no mortal Heart no finite Head can possibly Conceive or Comprehend The Eye of Man hath seen Wonderful Things and the Ear heard most Delicious and Ravishing Melody the Heart can Conceive and Imagine strange Felicities yet cannot Apprehend this Our Gracious God in his Holy and unsearchable Wisdom doth detain from the Eye of our Understanding a full comprehension of the most Glorious state above to Exercise in the mean time our Faith Love Obedience Patience c. Heaven is caled a great City a Place most Glorious above all Comparison and Conceit Wherein many Mansions are Prepared for many thousands of glorified bodies after the last day besides the numberless numbers of blessed Angels Oh with what infinite sweet Delight may glorious Souls be Drowned in the Imaginations of these Felicities whilst in this vale of Tears Heaven is called the Kingdom of God of his own making who doth all things like himself It is called an Inheritance a rich and glorious Inheritance an Inheritance of the Saints in Light an Inheritance incorruptible a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life a Crown of Glory an exceeding Eternal weight of Glory fulness of Joys Everlasting Pleasures Who would not be ravisht with the very thoughts of this eternal and matchless Glory to which all other things are but as loss and dung and in comparison of whom are not worthy mentioning Of the Beauty and Blessedness of Glorfied Bodies THey shall be made like the Glorious Body of Christ and that is Honour enough and Happiness too besides their freedom from all Defects and Imperfections they shall be like the Angels of God in Heaven Pains Miseries and all Evils they shall have an Everlasting Redemption from and shall be Crowned Gloriously with many possitive Prerogatives c. 1. Imortality Glorified bodies cannot possibly die 2. Incorruptibleness never more to be obnoxious to the least Corruption or Putrefaction or Dissolution They shall be Spiritual and Heavenly as the Angels in Heaven and in all things subject to the Spirit of God Of the Happiness of the Soul WE shall know as we are known our Memory shall be perfected we shall be beatifically enlightned with a clear and glorious sight of God himself which Divines call a Beatifical Vision It is sufficient that in Heaven we shall see him face to face whose very Countenance to behold is the life of the Soul It ravisheth the Soul and fills it yea as full as ever it can hold or contain insomuch as some that have had but a glimpse of it whilest in this lower Orb have cryed out Enough enough Lord I can hold no more And if so full by one glance here what shall it be when immerg'd in the middest of that boundless Ocean of Immortality and Glory that for its Immensity can never be defined Paul when taken up in the Third Heaven saw things unutterable not to be express'd by any mortal man as if he should have said If any one should ask me what I saw I saw things a thousand times beyond what I or any montal man can express or imagine O the heighth breadth length and depth of that glory that is prepared for the Saints before the foundation of the the World Eye hath not seen Ear hath not heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive what great things are laid up for them that love God O happy Soul that shall be drowned in this boundless happiness No wonder if the sense of this makes Martyrs to rejoyce in their sufferings Paul desired to be dissolved A Consolatary Discourse OR A DIALOGUE between CHRIST and a Disquiet SOVL Christ MY Beloved why fearest thou and art so disquieted within thy self do'st thou well to be angry with my Chastisement And why art thou offended that I should make thee like unto my self causing thee to walk in that way of inward and outward griefs which I did tread before thee Why refusest thou to take up my Cross and follow me and to taste of that Cup that I drank before thee Soul O Lord give me of that Spirit of thine and that trouble with thee and for thee shall be sweet unto me Whatsoever thou didst bear it was for me and if I were so disposed as I should then would I be content to bear all that thou my God shouldst lay upon me But ah
alass it is my cursed Corruption that makes me think thy Cross my Burthen Lord therefore uphold me by thy Grace that I may count thy Yoke easie and find Joy in those Sufferings with thee Christ I know the cause of thy Grief and Terror to be the Consideration of thy Sin but I pray thee why lookest thou so to thy Sins that thou lookest not also to my Mercies Why wouldst thou so extol thy evil deeds that thou shouldst so extenuate my rich Mercies or in any way compare the one with the other Was it for thy good deeds that I first entred into friendship with thee and thinkest thou now that for thine evil deeds I will forsake thee Seeing it is among my praises that the work that I begin I will perfect I like it well indeed to see thee grieved for the Sins thou hast committed against me but I would have thee also be comforted in the Mercies I have shewed thee Call to mind my works of Old and what I have done to thee and for thee since thou canst Remember How cared I for thee in thy tender years look back now and see did not the Angel of my presence lead thee when thou hadst no wisdom no strength to Govern thee Did I not then begin to acquaint thee with the Knowledg and Fear of my Name Canst thou deny now that my Mercy preserved thee from thy Sins whereunto thy Nature was prone and ready to have declined And when thou sinnedst with what long patience have I waited thy turning and how lovingly have I winked at thy transgressions And when I had given thee Grace to repent of thy Sins and to seek my Favour and Mercy for the Sins of thy youth with a melting Heart and a mourning Eye canst thou deny that I have filled thy Heart with my Joys and made thy tongue burst out in Glorifying Speeches and why then wilt not thou trust in my Mercies to the end Soul I were Lord most unthankful if I should not confess that many a time in the multitude of my thoughts thy mercies have comforted me but ah alas I have not answered thy loving kindness for after many mercies received I have sinned against thee contrary to my light and my Sins are now before me witnessing that I am unworthy to taste any more of thy Mercies Christ Is my mercies for a day or for a year or is it for ever and ever to them whom I have made mine by my Sufferings Wilt thou restra in my Mercies and limit them within so narrow Bounds as to think they cannot be Extended over all thy Transgressions Wilt thou measure my mercies with so narrow a Span as to think I have no more to Give than thou hast an Heart to Receive Is it not among my praises that I am able to give to my Children more than they are able to think or ask of me Knowest thou not that as the Heavens are above the Earth so my thoughts are above thine Hast thou not considered that my Mercies is above all my Works how much more than is it above thee who art nothing in Comparison of my Works And if above thee how much more above all that thou canst do Why then wilt thou match thy Sins with my Mercies If I require such Mercies in my Children as I will have one to forgive another not only Seven times but Seventy times seven times what pitty compassion and readiness to forgive is in my Self Therefore my beloved despair not for the multitude of thy sins but be comforted with the promises of my Mercy I have made them without any exception of time for at what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sins I have promised to put away his wickedness out of my remembrance I have made them without exception of sins for albeit your sins were as Scarlet they shall be made as white as Snow I have made them without exception of Persons for whosoever shall depart from his wicked ways I shall receive him Let this threefold universality of my promise sustain thee that thy Infidelity contract not my Mercies into narrower bounds than I have extended them Soul Be merciful O Lord to my Infidelity I believe in Christ Lord help my unbelief Stablish and Confirm my unstable heart with thy good and holy Spirit My Conscience doth in such sort condemn me that I stand in fear of thy Justice for thou art greater than the Conscience and wilt much more condemn me if thou dost enter into Judgment with me Christ O my beloved consider that the cause of thy disquietness is because that with the one Eye thou lookest unto thy Sins and unto thy Fathers Justice with the other and that is the reason of thy disquietness but doth not look unto me in whom his Justice is satisfied and thy Sins already punished Tell me I pray thee dost thou think to get within thy self and in the holiness of thy Disposition that which will Exempt thee from the fear of his Justice or art thou content to seek it of me If in thy self thou seekest it remember what thou art a doing Wilt thou have the Lord bound and obliged to thee Wilt thou be thine own Saviour or shall it be said his mercy saved thee not If no Misery were in thee whereupon should his mercy be manifested and if thy Disposition in the Earth were every way such as it should be then what remaineth but that the praise of his Mercy should less appear turn thee therefore unto me and seek thy self in me If thou wilt know what is thine thou art a sinner let my praise be reserved to my self I am thy Saviour Esteemest thou that my wounds are ineffectual or that there is no force in my sufferings countest thou this as that my Vertue and Merit cannot cure them Will a Phisician pour out a rare Ointment where no need is or else where it cannot profit and thinkest thou that my Father would have my Blood to be shed in vain If his Justice terrifie thee remember it was satisfied in me and that he pronounceth this Sentence himself This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I came into the World not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Tarry not from me because thou art a sinner but for that cause come to me and I will refresh thee Soul O Lord I know that there is a cleansing and reconciling Vertue in thy Blood that Life is in thy Death but still I fear my sins deserve thou shouldest neither apply thy Vertue nor thy Merit to me for ah alas I find that yet the old Man is strong and lively in me and that yet the motions of sin have power in me to bring forth fruit unto death Christ Be not I pray thee injurious to the work of my Grace in thee complain not so of thy Corruption but that thou mayest give unto me mine own Praise Canst thou deny but that thou hast felt my
Power working in thy Soul Have I not sprinkled thy Conscience with my pacifying Blood from which hath flowed an attestation of good things such a sense of mercy as many times hath filled thy heart with Joy and thy mouth with a song of Praise Have not I stirred thee up in great fervency to call on the Name of the Lord Have I not made thee to give my Name a publick testimony with thine own disadvantage and how oft hath thine heart been effectually moved at the hearing of my Word in such sort as it hath wrought in thee an holy remorse and inward contrition for thy sins which hath broken out into tears Have I not made thee a wrestler against thine inordinate lusts Have I not given thee strength many a time to stand against Sathans tentations whereas if I had left thee to thy self how oft hadst thou been made a prey to thine enemy Rememberest thou not that the Tempter hath assaulted thee but I have withdrawn the occasion of thy sin and when the occasion served did I not restrain and hold back the Tempter yea when both the occasion and the Tempter were present have I not filled thy heart with the fear and love of my Name and so kept thee from sinning against me And whereas many times thou of thy weakness hast offended did I not with a melting Heart and a mourning Eye raise thee again and renew my former familiarity with thee so that thou canst never say from the first hour I began to renew thee that I suffered thee to lie in thy sins as have done others that are strangers to my Grace And many notable effects of my workings in thee thou canst not deny Are not these undoubted tokens of my Grace in thee Will Nature do such things Mayest not thou feel that by these I have begun to apply to thee my merit for the remission of thy sins and my vertue for quickning thee to a new life Therefore think of thy self as basely as thou wilt but let the work of my Grace be esteemed of thee according to the excellency of it Be humble and cast down when thou lookest upon thine own corruption I find no fault with thee but I rejoyce at the new workmanship I have begun in thee Indeed if there were nothing in thee but that which thou hast of Nature thy estate were miserable but seeing thou seest a new workmanship in thee be comforted Art thou so in darkness that there is no light in thee that besides it there is not in thee a will to do good also and a love to righteousness If thou sayest thou hast no sin in thee thou art a liar and thinkest thou that I who have begun to translate thee from darkness to light and to make thee a new creature will leave thee until I have done my work in and upon thee Therefore beloved give not ear to thine own Corruption and Satan as to take their testimony against thee or to make thee think that my pledges that I have given thee are not worthy of credit that by them thou shouldest be assured of mercy Soul I cannot deny O Lord but that many times I have felt the sweetness of thy consolations which have greatly rejoyced my Soul But alas my grief is so much the greater that by mine own default I should now be deprived of them for I have grieved thy holy Spirit yea I have done what I could to quench him and therefore it is that the Comforter who was wont to refresh my Soul is away nor can I feel his presence with me as before Christ Because I am not changed therefore is it that the Sons of Jacob are not consumed Many indeed are the changes whereunto ye are subject but I remain the same and there is no shadow of alteration in me James 1.17 Be not afraid O my well beloved neither esteem thy self to be rejected of me albeit I sometimes hide my Face from thee all my ways are mercy and truth to mine It is for thee that sometimes I go from thee and it is for thee that again I turn unto thee for if I come it is for thy consolation that continual heaviness through manifold temptations should not oppress thee How oft hast thou found this when thou wast sick of love I have strengthened thee with the Flaggons of Wine and comforted thee with my Apples my fruit hath been sweet in thy mouth and I have put my left hand under thy head and with my right hand I have embraced thee Can. 2. But least the greatness of my consolations should exalt thee to disdain thy Brother and offend me by imputing that to thine own disposition I have again drawn these glorious feelings from thee give me the praise that I know best what is expedient for thee Had my servant Paul need to be humbled with the buffets of Sathan lest he should be exalted above measure by the greatness of his Revelations and hast not thou need that by my inward exercises I should hold thee humble If my comfort were always present with thee thou wouldest think that thy Heaven and permanent City were on Earth and so cease to inquire for a better to come Thou wouldest take the place of thy Banishment for thy home and the Earnest for the Principal Summe which I have promised thee Consider this wifely with thy self that albeit I smile not alike on thee at all times and fill thee not always with my Joys yet I always love thee if thou continue in my Love for whom I love I love unto the end If I close my Chamber door upon thee it is not to hold thee out it is to learn thee to knock If I cover my self with many vails that thou canst not see a glance of my loving Countenance 't is only to stir thee up to seek me and if sometimes I seem to go from thee 't is to provoke thee to follow me that thou mayest make haste from the Earth to Heaven where thou shalt injoy me without intermission Was Joseph so wise as to conceal his tender affection from his Brethren till he brought them to an humble acknowledgment of their sin And was he again so loving as when he saw them so humbled his affection was enflamed and compelled him to reveal himself unto them And thinkest thou that I am less wise and loving in dealing with mine I gave at first sharp answers to that Woman of Canaans Petitions and so will I to deal roughly seemingly with those whom I love and to be angry even at their Prayers but in the end I will make my love manifest to them and with mine endless mercies imbrace them Soul Suffer me yet once again Lord to speak unto thee that thou mayest answer me and I shall complain no more If we saw that such were our Disposition as thy holy Word doth require in us then should thy comforts rejoyce us but alas how far am I from that which I should be my
strength is enfeebled therefore do mine inordinate affections oft-times overcharge me If I turn me to pray I cannot for the hardness of mine heart the contrite spirit the melting heart the mourning eye is gone from me If I seek comfort in thy Word I find it not I am troubled also with doubtings armies of fears and sorrows are against me and all through weakness of my faith partly for want of that light that should inform me my infidelity abuseth me to think that thy visitations come from thine anger and causeth me to answer the Reproofs of my conscience as if they were just occasions and partly for want of that apprehending and applying Vertue that is in Faith I am spoiled of the comfort that thy Word hath offered unto me Therefore O Lord have pity on the desolate state of my Soul Christ Let not my beloved the considerations of thy wants defects and imperfections discourage thee Remember that the measure of Grace which I have given to my Saints upon Earth I have called it an Earnest-penny and First-fruits of the Spirit to tell them that whatever grace they have gotten it is nothing in comparison of that which they will get Seek not that therefore in the Earth which I have resolved to give thee no wayes till thou come to Heaven thy Blessedness in this Life stands not in a satiety and full enjoying of that which thou would'st have but in an hungring and thirsting for it If I had pronounced them Blessed that are now satisfied with Righteousness then thy wants might most justly discourage thee But I called them Blessed that hunger If therefore thou dost follow after Sanctification and art weary with the servitude of thy sin if thou dost seek comfort in my Word and can find none of these at the first as thou wouldest yet remember I have promised to fulfil the desires of them that feer me If it greive thee that thou canst not pray at all times alike remember that my Children are oftentimes evil judges of themselves and that their Estate is not alwayes to be measured according to their feeling for many Prayers may be made in them to me by my Spirit with sighs and sobs which they themselves are not able to express yet are known to me and are like loud crying Voices which I cannot but answer Soul O my Soul content thee with the Lords dispensations and doubt not but all thy wants and holy desires shall all be satisfied Remember how careful thy Saviour was of those People that followed him I have Compassion saith he on this People because they have continued with me already three dayes and have nothing to eat I will not let them depart fasting lest they faint in the way O most sweet and comfortable Speeches they seek not from him and he is careful to give them if he was so careful to satisfie their Bodily necessities will he neglect the Spiritual necessities of his own They followed him three dayes and he counted it a long time they are to go from him and he feared lest they should faint O my distrustful Soul wilt thou once learn to trust in the Mercy of thy God assuredly Will he not satiate thee who seeks him Wil he not answer thee who prays unto him Will he not care for thee who hast waited upon him not three dayes but many years And will he let thee faint in following him who would not let them faint who were to go from him O sweet Saviour happy are they that trust in thee Lord therefore increase my Faith in thee that nothing be able ever to separate me from thee Christ As for the weakness of thy faith which I see is the ground of all thy trouble it proceedeth either from the want of knowledge or else from the want of Application 'T is indeed a special benefit to have the mind enlightned with true light seek therefore my light to shine unto thee by continual Prayer and seeking into the Scriptures that thou be not troubled with the error of conscience as if it were a just accusation I have indeed set conscience to be a warner unto thee but then shalt thou take heed to her warnings when they are warranted by my Word If the error of thy conscience terrifie thee in any thing and make thee think that thy Crosses and Visitations do come from mine anger go and inform conscience better by the Word Remember whom I chastise I love and when I chastise thee I am not seeking satisfaction to my justice What wonder such thoughts disquiet many Consider I pray thee that notable promise of mine made to my Servant David and in him to all the rest of my Saints If they break my Statutes I will visit their Transgressions with my Rods yet my loving kindness will I not take from them nor alter my Covenant Soul O Word full of comfort my Soul forget it never that even when his Rods are laid on thee and though thy Transgressions be many yet will he not alter his Covenant with thee Remember it I say that in thy trouble thou give no more place to those mis-conceptions of Gods working with thee as godly Job though in his trouble that the Lord was pursuing him for his sins and making him to possess the iniquity of his Youth which as yet appears by the course of that History was not the Lords intention So have I thought many times that the heavy hand of the Lord laid on me had proceeded from his wrath as if he had shut up his tender Mercy from me in displeasure for ever But Lord let thy Light abide with me that I sin no more with such distrustful motions against thee and now Lord speak on yet further to thy Servant for thy comforts have rejoyced my Soul Christ Now concerning the weakness of thy faith in the apprehension and aplication of my Promises Remember that I am he that will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the Smoaking Flax. What smaller thing is there than a Grain of Mustard-seed albeit the measure of thy faith were no more yet have I not excluded it from the participations of my promise A loving Father will delight to be holden by the hand of his tender Child and knowest thou not that as a Father spareth his Son so will the Lord spare him that fears him Hast thou not read that although the faith of my Servant Jacob was very weak as thou mayest perceive by the great fear he conceived of Esau yet his weak faith was able to hold me till I Blessed him be not therefore discouraged for albeit thou canst not lay hold with the hand of strong faith if thou canst but touch the Hem of my Garment with thy Finger thou shalt draw vertue out of me Consider also with thy self that the faith of my Children is never greater than when their feeling is weakest and least perceived 'T is easie for every one to believe in the mid'st of glorious feelings and
unspeakable joys but when a man can feel no comfort in me and yet believeth on me and waiteth on me for comfort certainly the faith of that man is great And such was the faith of my servant who in his greatest trouble gave me this answer Albeit thou slay me yet will I trust in thee O Lord Yet both against sense and feeling And did not also that Woman of Canaan with invinceable saith cleave unto my mercy even then when she had no feeling of mercy I gave her no favourable answer for which in the end I call'd her faith a great faith Soul O Lord thou art the strength whereby I stand in tentation cursed be he that would make my Soul conceive wrongfully of thee Be merciful O Lord unto me and never let the malice of mine Enemies prevail over me Sweet Jesus keep the heart that through thine own Grace would fain keep thee And now my Soul remember that this is but the time of fighting the time of triumphing will come Why then shall the continuance of these restless thoughts disquiet thee If thou hadst never been victorious but once in all thy life rime yet what mercy had it been that the Lord in the midst of the Battel should make one to triumph But thou canst not deny that many joyful Victories now and before hath the Lord given thee Therefore now my Soul rejoyce and return unto thy former rest for the Lord hath been beneficial to thee and account every one of these temporal victories a pledge to thee of that full and final victory that once thou shalt enjoy over all thine enemies when the God of Peace shall tread down Sathan under thy feet The Soul rejoyceth in the Lord. O Lord if such comfort be in thy Cross what is in thy Crown And if thou doest give us such joy when thou takest us into thine hand to correct us with thy rods Lord what wilt thou make us to find when thou shalt embrace us in thy Arms to kiss us with the kisses of thy Mouth O that these feelings might for ever abide with me What trouble would not be easie where thy comforts are present Surely O Lord all trouble vanisheth so soon as thou doest begin to glance upon my Soul Therefore O my Love my Light my Life my Joy my Crown my Glory my Strength help in the time of need stand thou on my side and I will not fear what my Enemy can do unto me O happy time that ever I knew thee Blessed be the Name of the Lord for evermore The Souls triumph over Sathan O Enemy Sathan albeit thine enmity be troublesome unto me yet I thank my God through Jesus Christ that thou art against me and that he hath put me in his Warfare to fight against thee When I consider that in Paradise the Lord proclaimed irreconcileable enmity between thee and my blessed Saviour the Seed of the Woman Christ Jesus I account my hope happy that thou art against me and that Grace is given to me to fight against thee for thereby I know that I am none of thine but I do stand on that side whereof Christ is the Captain all his Saints are Souldiers and the Victory is most certain O deceitful Serpent if I have found such error arising from those sins which foolishly I did by thy inticements what should I have found if I had followed thee in all the rest from the which the Lords preventing mercy kept me I have learned by experience that thou art a faithless Traytor thou dost tempt a man to sin and for the same sins that he did by thy instigation commit thou art he that doth first accuse him The Lord confirm this good purpose of my heart that I never hearken any more to thy lying words and suffer not my Soul to be circumvented with thy deceitful snares And as for the work of my Salvation seeing it is a work that my God will work in spite of thee wherefore shall I regard thy testimony Thou didst put it into question to my Saviour whether or no he was the Son of God and what wonder if thou darest say unto his Children that they are none of his Is there any truth so undoubted that thou wilt not deny at any time Why shall I enter into disputing with thee any more My Salvation standeth neither in thy questioning nor in my answering but upon the Lords unchangeable love of Election If thou shouldest speak for me yet should I not be the better neither if thou speak against me am I the worse When thou didst confess that Jesus was the Son of God he rebuked thee and thought it no honour to him to have thy testimony When thou didst cry out that Paul and Silas were the servants of the most high God albeit thou spakest the truth yet did they not accept of thy testimony so although thou wouldest say to me that I were the elect Child of God shall I think my self the surer for that and if on the contrary thou dost deny it am I therefore the more unsure of Salvation Speak what thou wilt thou art always like thy self thou hast been a liar from the beginning cursed of the Lord art thou in all thy ways and with all thy confederates Cursed are they that are in friendship with thee and blessed for ever be the Lord that hath delivered me from thy deceit and tyranny The Conclusion of the Dialogue BLessed be thou O Lord for that it hath pleased thee to visit the base estate of thy servant to succour me in my distress and to comfort me with thy mercies Lord evermore feed me with this Manna and refresh me with the springs of the water of Life Shew at all times some sign of thy mercy unto me that mine enemy Sathan who laboureth to disquiet me may be ashamed because thou art with me to succour me A comfortable Meditation IF ye will mark and consider ye shall find that the Children of God in all their Temptations are not so much doers with their will as sufferers against their will This cogitation coming into my mind suddenly comfort did spring in the middest of trouble God giving me grace to understand that these motions wherewith I am troubled were not so much actions done by me for in truth neither do I like or allow of them but as spiritual oppressions of mine enemy who still warreth against me sometimes with armies of fears sometimes with armies of doubtings sometimes with unclean hands of wandring motions and sometimes with troops of worldly cares making invasion upon my Soul and labouring to quench the spark of Spiritual Life which the Lord had begun in me therefore answer for me O Lord for I suffer violence Mine Enemy would oppress me but Lord my hope for ever is in thee Succour me with thy strength and I shall live and Lord impute not to me any of those sinful motions that mine enemy raiseth in me against my Soul Consider this wisely O
us of the evils that we have committed that God may repent him of the evils that he hath threatned 80. 'T is certain that wicked men sin if they pray not and it is true that even their Prayers are sin Prov. 15.8 Evening Meditations and Ejaculations coming in from ones Imployment O How good God has been to me this day in preserving me he might have struck me dead or have let me fall into some danger or other and yet has kept me from spiritual and temporal enemies and from the accidents attending on the trail nature of poor mortal Creatures O bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his Holy Name Meditations in time of undressing ones self I am puting off my Cloths O Lord it may be the last time O help me to put off my sins those rags that make me so deformed in thy sight O strip me of this depraved nature that all men are guilty of and invested with Being undressed a Meditation Lord I am naked and bare before thee and so are the secrets of all men and before whom all secrets shall be disclosed Lord disclose all the secrets of my treacherous heart that I may bewail what sins are not repented of Getting into Bed a Meditation It may be the last time that I shall lie down O put me in mind Lord of my lying down in the dust when the Worms shall be my Bed-fellows my Grave my Bed and the Grass my Cloths to cover me Going to Sleep a Meditation It may be I may sleep an everlasting sleep Lord let me whether sleeping or waking acquiesce in thee and let me by this rest be mindful of that everlasting rest for thy Saints Guard me with Angels that I may sleep secure Morning Meditations Awakened out of Sleep O God how mightst thou have made my Bed my Grave my Sleep my Death and yet I am presâ—rved by thy good hand of providenâ—â— blessed be thâ— Name Lord. O Lord as thou hast awaked me out of Tempered Sleep O let my Spiritual Eyes be opened that I may be more awakened out of the sleep of Sin Arising O Lord let my Arising put me in mind of the first Re 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ion to wiâ— from Sin and of the seâ—â—â—nd that is at the last day that by 〈◊〉 Arising of the one I may Arise with comfort aâ— the other Putting on the Doublet Lord help me to put on the Breast-plate of Righteousness that I may be able to resist all the â—iery darts of Sathan Putting on the Breeches Help me O Lord to gird my Loyns with Righteousness Putting on Stockings and Shoes O Lord help me to get my Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace Putting on the Coat Draw out my heart Lord to praise thee for thy Clothing me let me be clothed with the Garments of Righteousness cover me O Lord with the skirt of thy loving kindness Washing Lord wash me from all my sins in that Fountain that 's set open for sin and for uncleanness and help me to wash my hands in innocency Combing the Head and Brushing the Cloths Lord take away all that rust and dirt that sticks so close to my Soul and make me clean and then I shall be clean indeed Putting on the Band. Lord let thy wisdom be as a chain about my Neck A short Meditation before Prayer before one go to Work O what a reasonable thing is it that I should seeing God renews his Mercy every Morning renew my Acknowledgements in Prayer and Praises both for received Mercies and an Engagement for future Mercies O Lord let my Desires be as a Morning Sacrifice and the early smoak of my incense renew those leagues my sins this night may have broken Before Work Lord seeing thou hast dealt so kindly with me this night as to preserve me and keep me and bring me to my Imployment let my Actions all be to thy Glory and whatsoever I do it may be according as thou requirest in thy Word that doing nothing but what is or tends to thy Glory in a lawful Imployment I may be prospered in all my Deeds A Valediction to the World and its Inhabitants VAin World adieu whose chanting charms entice And keep me from the things of better price I now am bent for new discoveries In Lands that are beyond the azure Skies My faith a City fair hath in her eye Whose Subjects all are Saints thither go I There shall this drossie Flesh and Blood refin'd Immortal grow and free from â—ears of mind Where whilst my Saviours presence my mind chears My heart shall vent no sighs my eyes no tears But fill'd with joyes from age to age I 'll sing Sweet Allelujahs to my God and King 2. To Servants Farewel my Servants though my Covenant Requires attendance from you none I 'll want Your Master and mine own I go to see He calls me home but mourn you not for me I must confess a truant I have been Yet he hath sworn he 'll pay my wages in Serve I him but the twinkling of an eye I shall have wages paid eternally His Debtor deep and desperate was I Vntil he sent his Son for me to die O love stronger than death my Soul away Make speed 〈◊〉 thy dâ—ar Master for thee stay 3. To Intimate Friends Farewel my mind 's embeseâ—'d darlings dear I highly price you yâ—â— must needs forbear From imaging your enjâ—â—mâ—nt for I am call'd By the great Friend of Friends to be install'd With his triumphâ—â—â— friends that are above In the great Principality of Love Detain me not nor 〈◊〉 this an offence The King of Kings commands me I must hence 4. To Brothers Sisters and Kindred Farewel my Flesh and Blood my Kindred dear Whose homogeniâ—â— pâ—rts at first one were Till Rib made Eve made two who still one were Millions of millions now in number are I have attain'd new consanguinity Who sing sweet Requiems eternally To the enthroned Souls not to be cy'd By Mortal Opticks they are glorisi'd Heaven 's their Foot stool their Seat the Glorious Flore Of his great Throne that reigns for evermore 5. To Father Farewel my beings instrumental cause Assign'd by the Author of Divine Laws Who my new Father is and old one was Ere you were so to whem I now do pass Methinks with sorrow sore oppress's my heart To think that from you I aâ— last must part But O why do I grieve To go to him That gave his Son a ransom for my sin And by whose wonderfully great affection Made Love sole ground of my poor Souls election Father if you are loath I gone should be Come but to him you 'll surely come to me 6. To Mother Farewel dear Mold wherein I mortal clay Fram'd was that bar'st me nine â—onâ—ths night and day And after grievous travel gav'st me pass When by the eternal Potter I fram'd was Into this vail of tears thy torments bind me To boundless love yet thee must leave behind me Oh let me flee and haste thee after me To dwell together in solicity 7. To Children Farewel sweet implings death's sweet writ of ease Doth me remove from you th' Epitomes Of me and my dear second farewel I Must have a residence beyond the skie You therefore I commit unto your Father Who will you keep and unto me will gather You if you faithful be unto the death And give you crowns of life for transient breath In Heaven with Angels Saints and Martyrs throng To sing for ever Sions Lamb 's sweet Song 8. To Wife Farewel my better half life of my life And sub-celestial comfort dearest Wife One heart in two in parting we must cleave As we made one of two at meeting leave Spare these heart-melting cries let crys with tears Thy frailties to bewail sound in Gods ears Swim in those streams unto that harbour where The presence of our King thy heart will cheer I do but go before and thee expect Among the number of the Lords Elect. 9. To all joyntly Farewel World Servants Relations near Brothers and Sisters all my Kindred dear Father Mother Children and dear Wife All whom I dearly lov'd as my own life I must be gone I must depart from hence Seeing it is for my good you will not take offence My King and Captain calls me to install In Heaven above free from all slavish thrall Once more adieu unto you all until We shall together meet on Sions Hill Where we all joyntly shall loud praises sing Vnto our God our Saviour and our King FINIS