their death Quest Now then of all men that die in this World whose death is most miserable Ans The death of sinners for them we must mourne most and their death is most miserable Their birth is bad their life is worse their departure is worst of all their death is without death their end is without end and their want is without want But precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Quest Can you giue mee any example to proue this Ans I can One at the houre of his death féeling alreadie the torments of hell cried out after this sort O lamentable destinie O infinite calamitie O death without death O those continuall cryings which shall neuer be harkened vnto Our eyes can see nothing but sorrowfull spectacles and intolerable torments Our eares can heare nothing but woe woe without end wofull O thou earth why doest thou not swallow vs O yee mountaines why doe you not couer vs from the presence of the Iudge How farre doe the torments of Hell exceede all the tortures of this life O you bewitching pleasures of this VVorld how haue you ledde vs blindfold to the horrors of Hell Woe woe for euer vnto vs who without hope are cast from the fauour of God O that after tenne thousand yeares we might bee deliuered O that in any time we might haue an end But it cannot be our temporall pleasures haue eternall paines our mirth it is now turned into mourning and we are cast into eternall fire A King said O that I had neuer beene a King Quest Shew mee also some examples of good men who haue vttered things comfortable at their death Answ Christ said Father into thine hands I commend my spirit Luk. 23.46 Steuen said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Acts 7.59 Simeon said Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Saint Augustine said as Hierom reporteth Nature compels me to be dissolued I according to the Scripture phrase am to goe the way of my forefathers Now Christ inuiteth me now I desire to see celestiall fights O keepe you the faith thinke you also that you are mortall men Let this be your care to keepe the commandements of God that when you die all the Saints may receiue you as their familiars and friends into the euerlasting tabernacles If you regard mee or keepe any remembrance of me your Father thinke of these things sauour these things do these things Saint Iohn said My little children loue one another my little children loue one another and being demaunded why he did ingeminate so often this spéech He said My Lord and Master taught it vs in his life preached it before his death and if yee doe this it sufficeth Holy Effrem said O Lord God receiue preserue saue and be mercifull to vs by thy grace Tobiah said to his sonne Keepe thou the Law and the Commandements and shew thy selfe mercifull and iust that it may goe well with thee Chap. 14. 9. Mauritius the Emperour said when Phocas caused his children and wife to be slaine before his eyes and lastly himselfe The Lord is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes Psal 145. Antonius surnamed Pius that is the godly King said Why do you mourne for mee and not rather thinke of that common both death and pestilence And when his friends were readie to leaue him he said If you now leaue me fare yee well I but go before you And being demanded to whom he would leaue his sonne To God saith hée and you if he deserue well Master Deering a little before his death being by his friends raised vp in his bed séeing the Sunne shine and being desired to speake said There is but one Sun that giueth light to the world there is but one righteousnesse there is but one communion of Saints If I were the excellentest creature in the world If I were as righteous as Abraham Isaac and Iakob for they were excellent men in the world yet must we all confesse that we are great sinners and that there is no saluation but in the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus and wee haue all need of the grace of God And for my part as concerning death I feele such ioy of spirit that if I should haue the sentence of life on the one side and the sentence of death on the other side I had rather chuse a thousand times seeing God hath appointed the separation the sentence of death than the sentence of life The Earle of Essex said O God Creator of all things and Iudge of all men thou hast let mee know by warrant out of thy word that Satan is then most busie when our end is neerest and that Satan being resisted will flie I humblie beseech thee to assist mee in this my last combat and seeing thou acceptest euen of our desires as of our acts accept I beseech thee of my desires to resist him as of true resistance and perfect by thy grace what thou seest in my flesh to bee fraile and weake giue mee patience to beare as becommeth mee this iust punishment inflicted vpon mee by so honorable a triall Grant mee the inward comfort of thy Spirit let thy Spirit seale vnto my soule an assurance of thy mercies lift my soule aboue all earthly cogitations and when my life and bodie shall part send thy blessed Angels which may receiue my soule and conuey it to the ioyes in heauen Then concluding his prayer for all estates of the Realme hee shut vp all with the Lords Prayer reiterating this Petition Lord Iesus forgiue vs our trespasses Lord Iesus receiue my soule King Edward the sixt said Lord God deliuer mee out of this miserable and wretched life and take me among thy chosen Howbeit not my wil but thy wil be done Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest how happie it were for mee to bee with thee yet for thy chosens sake send me life health that I may truly serue thee O my Lord God blesse thy people and saue thine inheritance O Lord saue thy chosen people of England O my Lord defend this Realme from Papistrie and maintaine thy true Religion that I and my people may pâ—aise thy holy Name for thy Sonne Iesus Christs sake I am faint Lord haue mercie vpon me and take my spirit And manie of the like you may reade in the book of Martyrs Quest Are not they most happy that die in this sort and sing these Cygnean songs as funerall hymnes Answ O happie and thrice happy are they whose life is a continuall praysing of God and whose death is an vncessant prayer to God Quest Yet if it please God I would not die in my youth and the flower of mine age Answ Why are you of so couetous a disposition that you would measure all things by the ell Is nothing precious but that which is durable think you the tallest person the comliest person the greatest picture the best picture
to preserue vs from despaire and vpon thy threatnings that wee doe not presume Blesse them that fight thy battels by land or sea whether they incounter with Mahomet or Antichrist And blesse them thou God of hosts in such a sort that the Hâ—athen in the end may bee constrained to say Doubtlesse there is a reward for the righteous verely there is a God that iudgeth the earth And séeing only we heare of rumours of wars and liue in such libertie as neuer any nation hath done so long make vs thankfull vnto thée that we are in such a case that wée are not led into captiuitie neither is there complaining in our stréets And teach vs to build thy Church in our rest as Salomon built the Temple in his peace We haue O Lord béene long in prosperitie be mercifull to this sinfull nation which hath surfetted and is sicke of too too much ease Let not thy blessings rise vp against vs but make vs as rich in goodnesse as in goods in pietie as in plentie that as we go before all nations in prosperitie so wee may labour to excéede them in sinceritie Blesse this familie from the greatest to the least blesse it O Lord with thy grace and peace so that superiours may rule it according to thy word seruants may obey as the seruants of Christ and that euery one in the same may be loued of thée Thou séest O Lord how bold we are we haue called vpon thée for our selues and others but many other things should wee haue begged of thée because we want them and thanked thée for because we haue receiued them Our vnderstanding is shallow our memorie short and wee are vnworthy to pray vnto thée and most vnworthie to receiue the things which we haue prayed for therefore we commend our persons prayers actions and endeuours this day to thy most gratious and mercifull protection and that in the name of Christ thy Sonne and our Sauiour in whose name and in whose words we further call vpon thée and thank thée saying Our Father c. LEt thy mightie hand and outstretched arme O Lord be still our defence thy mercie louing kindnesse in Iesus Christ our saluation thy true and holy word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation vnto the end and in the end and let all héere present say Amen AN EVENING PRAYER FOR PRIVATE families O Lord prepare our hearts to praier MOst High and Mightie God father of eternitie and fountaine of mercie wee acknowledge and confesse this fauour of thine that thou giuest vnto vs these blessed opportunities publikely in thy Temple to méete together priuately in our Families to méet together especially we acknowledge now this worke of thy grace that we dare not commit our bodies to rest before we haue coÌ„mended our selues to thée Thou hast not dealt so with euery familie neither haue the wicked a desire to praise thée wee are now present before thée O Lord be thou president amongst vs grant vnto vs all such a portion of thy Spirit that in feare of thy Maiesty reuerence of thy name a sense of our miseries and an assurance of thy mercie we may come now before thée as before that God who séest our behauiour searchest our hearts knowest our wants art able to grant more then we can desire We acknowledge confesse before thy great Maiestie that in the loynes of our first parents thou diddest make vs to thine image but in them we fell away from that blessed estate and are plunged into a most wofull and desperate condition being able to doe nothing but displease thée Our forefathers haue eaten sowre grapes and their childrens téeth are set on edge By the transgression of one wee all haue sinned and are depriued of thy glorious image and as an hereditarie disease it hath infected all the powers of our soules and bodies Our vnderstandings are filled with blindnesse and darknesse not sauouring the things of saluation our consciences are wounded seared defiled and neuer soundly at peace in themselues our memories are fit to retaine euill and to forget euery thing that is good our willes run headlong to all iniquitie but are auerse to all goodnesse our affections are with violence carried after the sway of our willes our thoughts are vnsatiable and infinite in euill our best actions are great abominations and our whole conuersation is lothsome to God and man By this meanes O Lord we are odious to thy Maiestie execrable to thine Angels detestable to thy Saints slaues to Satan worthie to be accursed in this life and for euer By this means our bodies are subiect in each member to diseases and our soules are subiect in each facultie to disorder we by this means haue lost thy fauour are cast out of Paradise haue sold our birth-right and exchanged heauen for the pit of hell And héerein we are most miserable that we feele not our miserie feare not thy wrath desire not thy fauour and consider not what we lost when we fell from thée Yet thou art our Father and wée thy children thou art our God and we thy people thou art our shepheard and we the sheep of thy pasture And when no creature in heauen or in earth was able to reconcile vs vnto thy Maiesty thou in thy loue diddest send thy Son to be the propitiation for our sinnes In him therefore we come vnto thée in whom alone thou art well pleased with vs and since hee is that Lambe that taketh away our sinnes in him we beséech thée to looke vpon vs. Let the puritie of his nature answere the impuritie of ours the perfection of his obedience satisfie for our imperfection and the sufficiencie of his sufferings frée vs from all torments which wee deserued to suffer for our sins He hath conquered Satan by his glorious resurrection from the dead and by it hath triumphed ouer sinne and death And now we are restored into thy grace againe grant that wee may feele the fruits of that grace especially such faith in thy promises peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost zeale to good workes in this life present and assurance of happinesse in the life to come that we neuer hereafter doe fall from thee But because we cannot either stand vnlesse thou vphold vs nor walke vnlesse thou lead vs nor liue vnlesse thou quicken vs nor raigne vnlesse thou crowne vs therefore we entreate thee to vphold vs by thy hand that we fall not direct vs by thy word that we erre not quicken vs by thy Spirit that we die not and crowne vs with glorie that we lose not our inheritance Sanctifie vs al in thy truth thy word is that truth Sanctifie vs by the Law that by it we may see our miserie feele the want of Christ bee sorrowfull for our sinnes aduise what to do desire pardon resolue to come to thée confesse our iniquities and renounce al things in the world to get saluation in
will loue and embrace more earnestly our Christian Religion which teacheth obedience and practiseth it euen to such Gouernours as are bad d Pro. 24.2 Ier. 27.9 Rō 13.1.2 1. Pet. 2.13 14. Eccl. 10.20 D. Bilsons D. Mortons books of obedience though their Catholike Apologie stander vs with the contrarie Euch. How doth God tempt men by aduersitie Phil. Whether we will thinke 1 That godly men haue béene so tempted e Iam. 5.11 2 That it is Gods furnace to trie our faith f Ps 66.10 Dan. 3.25 3 That it is Gods medicine to purge our sinnes g Ioh. 15.2 4 That wee must not declame against God h Ps 38.13 Iob. 3.2 5 That we must more meditate of Heauen i 2. Cor. 4.17.5.1 6 That if wee féele not the Sunne rising of Gods grace we must not thinke that it is set for euer k Ps 31.14.77.7.8.9 7 That wee must endure all kindes of temptations whether of bodie by sicknesse or soule by sorrow or our person by imprisonment or state by pouerie or name by contempt c l Iam. 1.12 Euch. But to come to mans temptations What if man tempt you to Popish Religion how must you resist this temptation Phil. By considering that that Religion can bee no good Religion 1 Where the Scriptures are not knowne m Mat. 22.29 Iohn 5.39 Psal 1.1.119.9.20.4 2 Where Images are worshipped n Exo. 32.8 Deu. 27.15 3 Where a péece of bread is adored o 1. Cor. 11.24 4 Where Saints are inuocated p Isa 63.16 Mat. 15.24 5 Where ignorance is commended q Pro. 19.2 Iohn 17.3 6 Where Purgatorie is maintained r Mat 25.46 7 Where Christs merit is mangled ſ Heb. 13.8 8 Where subiects are so fréed from allegeance to their Soueraigne that if hee bee not a Romanist it shall bee as meritorious to kill that King as to eat their God t 1. Sā 24.6 2. Sam. 1.14.15 9 Where such soueraigne power is giuen to one man the Pope as that hee may determine the true sense of all Scripture x Lu. 24.32 define all causes of faith y 2. Tim. 13.16 call Councels z Act. 15.6 excommunicate any person a 1. Cor. 5.4 depose any King b Pro. 8.15 Dan. 4.34 forgiue sinnes properly c Isa 44.22 Psal 32.1 Matth. 9.2 decide all causes brought to Rome by appeale d Lu. 12.14 and make such Lawes as shall bind the conscience e Iam. 4.12 all which is giuen to the Bishop of Rome but is derogatorie to the Kingly Propheticall and Priestly Offices of Christ Euch. What if you be tempted to forsake the Church because of some abuses supposed in the Church how must you resist that temptation Phil. By considering that a child is not to be forsaken because it is sicke nor a bodie neglected because it is diseased and that Christ and his Apostles did not depart from the Churches As in the Church of Corinth 14. seueral errors as appeareth in the first Epistle though there were amongst them many abuses and the most of them greater then bee amongst vs who haue the Word purely preached and the Sacraments rightly administred That you may neuer depart from vs to them of the Shismaticall separation consider 1 That before Browne they can bring no one learned man that euer did write of or defend their opinion 2 They can shew none before that time that euer did suffer for that opinion 3 They of that separation will not liue in any reformed Church in the World 4 All reformed Churches condemne them as Shismatickes 5 They are very troublesome to the Christian Magistrate wheresoeuer they liue 6 Obserue how for matters of smal moment they excommunicate one another the father deliuering the sonne and the sonne the father ouer vnto Sathan 7 Note the varietie of strange opinions amongst them and you shall hardly finde one of their Ministers agrée with another but each of them are Broachers of strange Doctrine 8 If you obserue but the spirit of these men you shall truly sée it is not an humble but a rayling spirit 9 Many of them stand more vpon their outward discipline then that they may de a discipline to themselues 10 Suspect your owne iudgement suspend your sentence séeke peace bée not credulous looke as well vpon good thinges as those euils that are amongst vs and I hope you will neuer depart from vs. Euch. To come againe vnto Sathans temptations what must you doe to resist them Phil. I must labour 1 Not to be ignorant of his enterprises 2 To watch ouer my selfe continually g Mat. 26.41 3 To resist him by the shield of faith h Eph. 6.16 4 To subdue him by the sword of the Spirit i Eph. 6.17 5 To bee perswaded that hée will neuer cease k 1. Pet. 5.8 6 To thinke of my danger if I fall l Reu. 2.5 7 To consider how I may hurt others if I fall m 2. Sam. 12.14 8 That by falling I may deny my God n Lu. 22.61 9 That I shall bee rewarded if I continue a Reu. 2.7.11.17 and chap. 3.5.12.21 10 That by praier I shall haue power to resist him b Eph. 6.19 Euch. These rules indeed are generall but what if he tempt you to the sinne of couetousnesse what remedies must you vse Phil. I must meditate 1 That God hath taken vpon him to be my carefull protector c Ps 23.1 2 That this sinne is the roote of al euil d Tim. 6.10 3 That euery couetous man is an Idolater e Col. 3.5 4 That my life stands not in abundance f Lu. 12 16 5 That Christ and his disciples were poore g Mat. 8.20.4.21 6 That I shall carry nothing with me h Iob. 1.21 1. Tim. 6.7 7 That I must giue an account of my getting * Lu. 16.2 8 That it will hinder me in the seruice of God i Luk. 14.18.19 9 That rich men come hardly to heauen k Lu. 18.24 10 That by riches I am most subiect to be spoiled l Ie. 52.26 11 That they make a man vnwilling to die m Ec. 41.1 12 That they may be taken away frō me n Pr. 23.5 13 That many woes are denounced against rich men o Am. 6.1 Lu. 6.24 Ia. 5.1.2.3 Euch. What remedies haue you against the tempation of pride Phil. I must meditate 1 That I must not bee proude because I haue all things of gift a 1. Cor. 4.7 2 That God resisteth the proud b 1. Pe. 5.5 3 That it hindereth a greater largesse of grace c Lu. 18.24 4 That I am but dust and ashes d Ge. 18.27 5 That pride cast Sathan out of heauen e 2. Pet. 2.4 6 That if it be in apparell I haue more occasion to bee humbled for my shamefull nakednesse f Ge. 2.25.33
confession of sinnes in great Congregations scarce fortie are present vpon the Sabbath day yet none hereby may take occasion or be permitted so to rest wholly in such forme of Prayer as alwaies to kéepe idle the spirit within them or grace giuen them for growth in the power of Prayer to dull let or burie the gift or grace of the Spirit tending to riper perfection But euerie one ought to stirre vp and whet the Spirit and exercise the grace and power receiued to be fitted not only to repeate or reade but euen to endite any good matter and to be fitted by readinesse of inuention sutable to all occasions being as in the whole inward man so in the ripenesse of inuention facultie of conceuing increased and more and more perfected not alwayes to remaine like Children or Weakelings néeding to créepe vpon all foure or to walke with a staffe but able to goe without such helpes which any shall doe through Gods assistance by vse and frequent exercising themselues in Prayer and obseruation and imitation of other good Prayers heard or read and by kéeping a good method and order in praying A briefe Prayer vpon the Lords PRAYER OVR Father By the benefit of creation through thine omnipotencie assistance of preseruation through thy prouidence gift of Adoption through thy grace communication of eternitie through thy Christ Which art in Heauen euer raigning by thy power enlightining by Spirit forgiuing by thy mercy ruling by thy Maiesty Hallowed be thy name of vs by an honest coÌ„uersâ—tioâ— in vs by a cléere conscience from vs by an honest report aboue vs by the representation of Angels Thy Kingdome come in thy Holy Church by the sanctification of the Spirit in thy faithfull soules by iustification of faith in thine Holy Scriptures by instruction of Ministers in thy celestiall Pâ—radise by assimilation to Angels Thy will bee done in Earth in singlenesse of heart by humilitie chastitie of bodie by abstinence holinesse of will by custome truth of action by discretion As it is in heauen willingly without murmuring speedily without delaying constantly without ceasing vniuersally without omitting Giue vs this day our daily bread For humane necessitie to couer our shame future prosâ—eritie to maintaine our calling present liberalitie to doe good to others eternall glorie to lay vp in Heauen And forgiue vs our trespasses of omission in thinges commaunded commission in thinges forbidden of the first Table against thy selfe and the second Table against our neighbour As wee forgiue them that trespasse against vs Heartily in puritie chearefully in curtesie continually in Christianitie forgetfully in not requiting like for like And leade vs not into temptation either importunate which wearieth or sudden which discourageth or fradulent which deceiueth or violent which ouercommeth But deliuer vs from all euils of mundane aduersitie which will disquiet vs Sathans subtiltie which will destroy vs humane crueltie which will ouerthrow vs eternall misery which may torment vs. For thine is the Kingdome powerfull in it selfe comfortable to vs terrible to thine enemies eternall in Heauen Power great in our creation mightie in our preseruation mercifull in our iustification and wonderfull in our glorification And glorie For which thou diddest make all thinges to which we referre all thinges in which all thinges doe remaine on Earth and by which all thy Saints shal reioyce in Heauen For euer and euer in themselues by continuance in thy Saints by practise in thy creatures by proofe in the wicked by torment Amen so bee it by intention of the mind serious inuocation of thy name diligent execution of thy Commandements continuall communication of all thy mercies prayed for Another of the like Argument O Our Father high in Creation swéet in loue rich in mercie Which art in Heauen the glasse of eternitie the crowne of incunditie the treasure of felicitie Hallowed be thy name that it may bee honie to the mouth musicke to the eare a fire in the heart Thy Kingdome come pleasant without mixture safe without annoyance sure without losse Thy will bee done that wee may flie that thou hatest loue that thou louest and by thee doe that thou commandest In earth as it is in Heauen willingly readily faithfully Giue vs this day our daily bread necessarie for this life not superfluous for our delights nor waÌ„ting to our necessities And forgiue vs our debts against thée our neighbour and our selfe As wee forgiue our debters who haue wronged vs in our bodie goods name And lead vs not into temptation of the World Flesh Diuell But deliuer vs from euill past present to come Spiritual Corporall Eternall And this we aske because thine is the Kingdome for thou rulest all Power for thou canst doe all and Glorie for thou giuest all now whilest we doe liue and for euer whilest we shall liue Amen neither doubt we but that wee shall certainely obtaine these thinges because thou art louing as our Father and powerfull in Heauen Thou sayest Amen by commanding art Amen by performing we say Amen by beléeuing and hoping say but the word and we shall be cured Dauid tentatur tentatus orat orans Liberatur liberatus gratias agit August Dauid is tempted being tempted hee prayeth praying is deliuered and being deliuered he giueth thankes This is the summe both of Dauids Psalmes and the Lords Prayer MATTH 26.41 Watch and pray that you fall not into temptation A COMMVNICANT INSTRVCTED THOV SHALT LABOR FOR LONDON Printed for Edward Blunt and William Barret 1613. To the right Honourable the Ladie FRANCIS Daughter to the most honourable the Countesse of Darbie and wife to the honourable Sir IOHN EGERTON Knight of the BATHE ALbeit the houses of the poore are not at any time as of the rich alike adorned with gorgeous furniture yet the gardens of the poore as well as the rich are in the spring-time a-like couered with flowers furniture That great flower of the Sunne it is not indeede found but amongst the rich but the Marigold Heliotropiuim which openeth and setteth with the Sunne and which is as profitable as the other is beautifull this is amongst other sweet and holesome hearbs ordinarie in the poorest Orchard These kinde of hearbs sometime they vse for meate and medicine and often wanting things to present their betters with of these they doe offer a poesie of flowers As they haue receiued so they giue That spirituall Garden which is committed to my keeping hath not at this time any rare flowers in it but such as being planted some few yeares past doe now shew themselues in a more Orient colour and in greater aboundance Out of them this spring-time I haue gathered three seuerall nose-gaies and two of them are presented to two most honourable Counsellers this Third I am bold to present to your Honour I hope there is no such Antipathie betwixt flowers and you as there was betwixt a worthie Ladie and a Rose The Ladie Hennage especially such flowers as these since Religion which giueth colour
is spirituall and secret And as we haue feeling of Christ dwelling on our hearts so the more shall wee haue feeling of this blessed societie by which we haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an vnion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellowship and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 participation with whole Christ and his merits and meet altogether in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4.13.5.30 But as in our separation from God by the spirit of Satan our mindes heart and wils were first seuered and then followed the whole man so the first thing in this coniunction which must be ioyned with God by his spirit is the vnderstanding by knowledge the heart by affiance the will by obedience after which will follow all the new man By the humanitie of Christ we are conioyned to him and by his Spirit he is ioyned to vs. Not either by an actuall falling of Christs flesh into ours or a naturall contiguitie or conexion of our persons or essentiall comixtion of his body with ours but by a copulation and connexion altogether spirituall felt by grace in this life and seene by glorie in the life to come when Christ and his Church before Gods iudgement seate shall appeare as one Christ. But Christ is in heauen and we vpon earth Send thy faith into heauen and hee in heauen is ioyned to thee heere vpon earth Thy sight in a moment can visiblie touch the starres of heauen much more may thy faith touch that morning starre and sunne of righteousnesse which is in heauen Say that the wife bee in England the husband in India the head aboue the feete below the branches on the top the roote in the ground the spring in one place the riuers in an other the foundation on the earth the building in the ayre is there not notwithstanding an vnion betwixt them Surely there is Christ is our husband the Church is his spouse Christ is our head ech Christian is a member Christ is the roote the righteous are branches Christ is the fountaine the Religious are riuers Christ is the foundation belieuers are Gods building Be hee neuer so high euen in the highest heauens we vpon earth are so ioyned vnto him that by vertue of this vnion our soules do receiue the life of grace in this world and our bodies shall receiue the life of glorie in the world to come Heere this coniunction appeares in the vnitie of spirit for in it there is neither a commixtion of persons nor an vnion of substances but a confederation of our affections and concatenation of our wils there it shall appeare in the consociation of our persons For wee shall enioy there a most holy and comfortable conuersation with Christ see him as he is conferre with him face to face and as in this sacrament as by a marriage ring wee are espoused to him heere so there wee shall be solemnly maried to him for euer And all this comes vnto vs because the word was made flesh not because that Flesh hath any such vertue in it selfe it is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing but in that it is caro verbi flesh vnited to the word to that word which is the fountaine of life quickning all things and causing the death of that flesh to obtaine for vs eternall life The flesh is not quickning in it selfe but in the word Hypostatically vnited vnto it saith Cyrill This word by personall vnion quickneth Christs humanitie and giueth it for our saluation merite and efficacie and by mysticall vnion quickneth Christian consciences and ioyneth them in loue and life vnto God so that now there is a mutuall giuing and receiuing betwixt Christ and his Church From Christ wee receiue first him selfe which the Father and their Spirit to become our portion Secondly Adoption to be actually made the children of God Thirdly a title and right to Christs righteousnesse in his sufferings and with all to his fulfilling of the whole law Lastly a right to the Kingdome of heauen which now is made the inheritance of the Saints And what doth he now receiue from vs surely drosse for gold euil for good shame for glorie sorrow for solace and a curse for this blessing For he receiues ftom vs first our sinnes with the punishment thereof made his by imputation and suertie-ship Secondly our afflictions which hee accounts his owne so long as we suffer for righteousnesse sake And this is our communion which we haue with Christ But because we are all members of one bodie and are all baptized into one Spirit and after do eate of one bread there is also a communion with all Christians one with an other Art thou a liuing saint vpon earth thou art in regard of minde of one iudgement in the grounds of pietie affection of one heart alike affected to God Christ Iesus and euery good Christian though thou wast neuer acquainted with them And in regard of the gifts of the spirit like a good candle thou wilt spend them al to the good of others be ready to serue thy brother in loue and both by example admonition exhortation consolation prayer to conuey all graces in thee to an other yea not to be wanting to him in communicating thy goods And for our communion with the dead they in heauen do pray generally for al vs and we on earth do desire our dissolution to be with them But that we may enioy this blessed societie we must walke in the light For if we say that we haue fellowship with him yet walke in darknesse we lie but if we walke in the light as hee is in the light then haue wee fellowship one with an other 1. Ioh. 1.7 that is God with vs we with God and godly people and the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne purgeth vs from all sinne Thus then Christ in heauen by his spirit is so vnited to vs we on earth by our faith are so vnited to him that without him we can do nothing with him we are able to do al things Of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace And as by the power of the sunne in the second heauen all things are made fruitfull heere vpon earth so by the power of Christ in the third heauen all men become sanctified in the Church yet not by the alone inward operation of his spirit without the outward vse of the word and sacraments By the word alone when the sacraments are not administred and both by word and sacraments when they are ioined together Is the word preached in it Christ speaketh by his spitit to vs. Are the sacraments administred by baptisme we are receiued in to the communion of Gods couenant and by the Eucharist wee are more confirmed in the same By the word God enters by one gate into vs namely by the eare by the Eucharist he knocks at al the gates
learn all our life to die and this is the principall office of life To be briefe by this you shall purchase libertie to your conscience you shall feare nothing you will liue well contentedly and peaceably and without this knowledge there is no more pleasure in life than in the fruition of that which a man feareth alwaies to lose Quest To draw to an end and to come to my end when the pangs of death come vpon me and the wormes of the earth wait for me if God giue mee then mine vnderstanding what I pray you may bee my fittest meditation Answ Say now inwardly to your sicke soule Now my pilgrimage is ended mine haruest is inned my iourney is finished my race is run my glasse is spent my candle is in the socket many of the godly are gone before and I am now to follow them now thinke that you are come out of prison gotten out of Babylon and are going to Ierusalem Now thinke that the Angels stand at your beds head to carrie your soule into Abrahams bosome where you shall see God the Father behold God the Sonne and enioy God the holy Ghost where you shall enioy the societie of Angels the companie of the Saints and the knowledge of them whom you neuer knew héere where you shall liue eternally reigne triumphantly and obey God perfectly Meditate now that you must not bee loth to leaue this world because you go to that which is to come to leaue your house because you are going to Gods house to leaue your temporall riches because you are going to eternal riches to leaue your earthly preferments because God will set a crowne of pure gold vpon your head and to leaue your friends and acquaintance heere because you shall see them in glorie hereafter These and such like must be your meditations Quest Now it may be and I pray God it may be that I may haue speech vnto the last gaspe what words are fit for me to vtter Answ If God giue you that blessing say now with Dauid Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth With Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation With Paul Christ is to me life and death is to mee aduantage I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the faith from henceforth is laid vp for mee the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day and not to mee only but to all them that loue that appearing of his Say How sweet is my Sauiour vnto mee sweeter then the hony and the hony combe Say Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them Say Lord I haue sinned against thee thou hast promised to forgiue me my sinnes I beleeue Lord helpe mine vnbeliefe Say with Steuen Lord into thine hands I commend my soule Say with the Saints Come Lord Iesus come quickly Say Lord keepe thy Church and people in thy trueth and peace for euermore now Lord dissolue in me the cursed workes of the diuell Say I am sicke be thou my Physitian I am to die Lord giue me life eternall Say Lord bee good vnto my kinsfolks in the flesh and my friends in the Spirit that they may liue in thy feare and die in thy fauour Say with Ambrose I haue not so led my life that I was ashamed to liue neither doe I feare death because I haue a good Lord. Say to thy friends with S. Bernard O ground the anchor of your faith and hope in the safe and sure port of Gods mercie Say with Oecolampadius to all that come to thée I will tell you newes I shall shortly be with the Lord. Say with Luther I pray thee Lord Iesus receiue my poore soule my heauenly Father though I be taken from this life and this body of mine is to be laied downe yet I know certainly that I shall remaine with thee for euer neither shal any be able to pul me out of thine hands Say with Annas Burgius Forsake me not O Lord lest I forsake thee Say with Melancthon If it be the will of God I am willing to die and I beseech him that he will grant me a ioyfull departure Say with M. Caluine I held my tongue because thou Lord hast done it I mourned as a a doue Lord thou grindest me to powder but it sufficeth mee because it was thine hand Say with Peter Martyr My bodie is weake but my minde is well There is no saluation but onely by Christ who was giuen of the Father to bee a Redeemer of mankinde This is my faith in which I die and God will destroy them that teach otherwise Farewell my brethren and deare friends Say with Babylas Martyr of Antioch Returne O my soule vnto thy rest because the Lord hath blessed thee Because thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my foote from falling I shall walke before thee in the land of the liuing Say Blessed is God in all his waies and holie in all his workes Naked I came out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne againe The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. I know that my Redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth And though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet I shall see God in my flesh Whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall cehold and none other for mee though my reines are consumed within me Say in a word Lord I thanke thee that I am a Christian that I liued in a Christian Church that I die amongst a Christian people that I goe to a Christian societie Lord Iesu sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me and receiue my soule Euen so Come Lord Iesu come quickly Amen Quest If I haue time these are fit both meditations and speeches but I may die vpon the sudden what instructions can you giue me against sudden death Answ You may indéed die suddenly either by fire in your house or water in your ship or earth falling into some pit or casualtie in your way or impostumation and an apoplexi in your body or by trauel in child-birth if you be a woman or the sword in warre if you bee a man Therefore thinke 1 That death may come vpon you vnawares wherefore as you would doe for a suspected enemie waite so for it that it may neuer surprize you 2 Know that many worthie men haue died suddenly Iulius Caesar disputing the night before of the good of sudden death was the next day by Brutus and Cassius slain suddenly in the Senate Ioannes Mathesius hauing preached a Sermon of the raising againe of the widow of Nains sonne and therein handling the knowledge that one
content our selues with a profession of piety and labour not for the power of godlinesse And as for our liues they abound with actuall transgression against euery one of thy ten Commandements hauing broken the same ten thousand tims We Lord haue liued in contempt of thy prouidence committing idolatry with thy creatures taking thy glorious name in vaine and profaning of thy most holy Sabbaths We euen we who should haue been vpright haue not regarded our betters but enuied our brethrē defiled our soules with vnchaste desires laboured to be rich by vnlawfull meanes disgraced our neighbours and longed after that which was none of ours Wee haue heard thy word O Lord but we haue not beleeued it we haue known the word but haue not practised it Wee haue come to thine house without reuerence approched to thy Table without repentance and practised many sins without remorse Doe we any good wee please our selues too much Doe we any euil we feare thée too little we are wearie of praying when we talke with thée we are carelesse in hearing when thou speakest to vs. If we reade thy Sacred and Holy Word it is not swéete vnto vs as the hony combe but wee delight more euen in vngodly bookes Yea O Lord the pampering of our bellies the pride of our apparel the negligence in our calling the mispending of our time our vaine conference at table our wandring eyes our wanton lusts our ambitious minds our couetous desires our vngodly spéeches our lasciuious eares our censuring of our brethren our sinne in recreations our vnwillingnesse to labour our vnfaithfulnesse in life our forgetfulnesse of death and our abuse of thy mercies especially in Christ doe testifie against vs that wée haue sinned against Heauen and against thee and are no more worthie to be called thy children Are wee ashamed at this and reclaimed from it no Lord wee are not ashamed but howsoeuer it hath pleased thee to vse many meanes as partly by thy Word and partly by thy Spirit and partly by thy mercies partly by thy iudgments to the end we might bee reclaimed from our crooked wayes yet we haue contemned thy Word the Ministerie of saluation greiued thy spirit the earnest of our inheritance abused thy mercies the pledges of thy loue and forgotten thy iudgments the messengers of thy wrath Enter not into iudgement with vs thy seruants O Lord for then shall no flesh liuing bee iustified in thy sight Be mercifull vnto vs in forgiuing sinnes past and be gracious vnto vs in preuenting sinnes to come Correct vs O Lord but with mercie not in thy iudgement for then shall we be consumed and brought to nought Open our blind eyes that we may come to a particular knowledge of our particular sinnes especially such as wee are most giuen vnto Soften our hard and stonie hearts that wee may sigh and grone vnder the burden of them make vs good God displeased with our selues because by sinne wee haue dishonoured thy Maiestie Stirre vp our dead and dul hearts that we may hunger after Christ and his righteousnesse and after euery drop of his precious bloud In that Sonne of thine looke on vs thy seruants and for his merits and righteousnesse vouchsafe good God mercifully and fréely to do away al our offences Wash them away in his blood and by the purity of his spirit clense our hearts from the pollution and impurity of them all say vnto our soules thou art our saluation let thy spirit in our hearts crie Abba Father Teach vs. O Lord thy way we shal walk in thy truth O knit our hearts vnto thée that we may feare thy Name And because through corruption in our hearts and sinne in our liues our faith is féeble and our confidence small wée doe humbly beséech thée to strengthen our faith by the daily meditation and particular application of thy mercifull promises made vnto vs in thy Sonne Christ that neither in the dangers of this world nor in the troubles of conscience nor in the houre of death we may fall from thée Gracious Father expell out of our hearts al carnal confidence the vnderminer of our faith teach vs in the spirit of true humilitie to denie our selues and to relie only vpon thée and the merit of Christ in the matter of our saluation And because it is not enough to come vnto thée by prayer and to sue vnto thée for pardon but all that are in Christ must be new creatures therefore we call vpon thée for the spirit of regeneration mortifie therby the corruptions of our flesh quicken vs thereby in the inner man By the power of Christs death let vs die vnto sinne and by the power of his resurrection let vs rise to righteousnesse and newnes of life let the one as a corrasiue eate vp the dead flesh of vngodlinesse and the other as a spur stir vs vp to holinesse Illuminate our mindes that wee may know thy will giue vs spirituall vnderstanding to discerne good and euill Sanctifie our memories to treasure vp good things purifie our consciences to haue peace in thée reforme our willes to doe thy will and let all our affections be ordered aright Teach vs to feare thée continually wheresoeuer wee are to neglect all things in regard of Christ to loue thée and our brethren for thy sake to be zealous of thy glorie to bée grieued at our owne and others sinnes and ioyfull when we can please thée Let our bodies the instruments of sinne be euer hereafter clensed by thy spirit that they may bee temples for that spirit to dwell in keepe our eyes from beholding vanitie our eares from hearkening to variety our mouthes from speaking blasphemie our hands from committing of iniquitie and our bodies from the action of adulterie Let our light so shine before men that they séeing our good workes may glorifie thee our heauenly Father Make vs to remember that as we are sonnes we must depend vpon thée as wee are seruants we must obey thée and as wee are Christians we ought to walke worthy of our vocation calling And because we haue all some particular calling either of rule or seruice or trust or fauour make vs from the highest to the lowest faithfull in our callings and to remember that a day will come in which wee must giue an account vnto thée of all our actions done in this flesh whether they bée good or euill Take away from vs all opportunitie of sinning and make vs euer thankfull that wee liue so as wée want allurements to many sinnes Cause vs to sée how deformed sinne is in it selfe and to what confusion it is like to bring vs Lord make vs to flie the very occasions of sinne and to resist the beginnings of all temptatition let not a night passe ouer our heads in which wee examine not how wée haue spent the day neuer let vs come into any companie wherein wee may not doe or receiue some good Keepe vs that wee fashion not
of thee when we pray vnto thée We haue nothing to say for our selues O Lord but that shame and confusion belongeth vnto vs mercie and forgiuenesse belongeth vnto thee Haue mercie therefore vpon vs most mercifull Father and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all our offences We confesse indéed that wee are miserable sinners yet by thy Spirit thou hast taught vs that we be thine And therefore wee beséech thee to seperate our sinnes from vs which otherwise will seperate vs from thée If we remember our sinnes thou wilt forget them teach vs therefore to remember them in the bitternes of our soules If we sorrow for them in this life wee shall not sorrow for them in the life to come make vs truly sorrowfull that wee haue offended thée our gratious Father To this end giue vnto vs the comfort of thy Spirit to assure vs of thy fauour by which we may be as readie to euery good worke as we are prone to all that is euill Thou hast renued in vs O Lord the image of thy Sonne O let vs not turne it into the image of Satan neither let thy enemie take vs away from thée we desire good God to warre against him and his champions the flesh and the world we cannot ouercome without thée we pray thée therefore to arme vs with the shield of faith and the sword of thy Spirit against all their assaults and to put vpon vs thy complete armour and wherein we are most weake there make thou vs most strong that in the end wee may be more than conquerers Kéepe vs now and euer in the feare of thy Maiestie And because we go now forth to sight against all the enemies of our saluation the weakest whereof are stronger than weâ— therefore we come vnto thée for the assistance of thy Spirit and do humbly entreate thée to aid vs by thy prouidence arme vs by thy power guard vs by thine Angels instruct vs by thy Word and gouerne vs by thy Spirit in all our actions Let thy blessing be vpon vs thy seruants in our going out and comming in and in euery action wee vndertake from this time forth and for euermore Let all our thoughts words and workes this day tend to the glorie of thy name the good of thy Church and the euerlasting saluation of our soules Let vs make conscience of al that we do neither let vs account any sin little because thy Sonne died for the least Let vs cast away the workes of darknesse and put vpon vs the armour of light And howsoeuer heretofore by lying and swearing and sporting and spending inordinate liuing we haue offended thée yet grant that we may leaue them all lest they leaue not vs till they haue brought vs to destruction Make vs to discerne betwixt right and wrong good and euill truth and error and to learne some good thing euery day make vs skilfull in the profession of pietie that we may know how to serue thee and let vs not be ignorant in the mysteries of our callâ—ngs that wee may learne how to liue thereby Settle our affections in the loue of thy Maiestie zeale of thy glorie and vnfained good will one towards another so as we may as much ioy at the prosperitie of others as in our owne Are we merrie let it be in thée are we sorrowfull let it be for our sins haue we peace make it in vs all the peace of a good conscience are wee â—fraid let it bee of sin that we with as great delight may run the waies of thy Commaundements as euer we haue ouerrun thée in the waies of wickednesse Thou hast bin good vnto vs many waies O Lord as in our creation when we were nothing in our redemption when we were worse than nothing in our vocation when we thought not of thée and in our sanctification when wee were defiled before thee Thou thou alone hast preserued vs by thy prouidence preuented vs by thy goodnesse instructed vs by thy word acquainted vs with thy Maiestie and deliuered vs from many dangers And all to this end that we should goe as farre before others in thankfulnesse towards thée as far as thou goest in mercie towards vs before them We do acknowledge O Lord this fauour of thine and wee desire from our hearts to acknowledge it more taking all that wee haue as a gift from thée And in a thankfull remembrance of these thy mercies we desire thee O Lord to settle euery one of vs in such a constant course of obedience to thée that we may serue thée from this houre with all those duties which the world the flesh and the diuell would haue vs to deferre till the day of death O let vs thinke alwaies of our last houre yea last iudgement the ioyes of heauen the torments of hell and what a bitter death thy Sonne Iesus did suffer to redéeme our soules out of the hands of the diuell Let vs spend the rest of our vncertaine life in a renued repentance for our sins paâ—â— make vs to leaue the pleasures of this world before that they doe leaue vs. And now O Lord albeit we are vnworthie to aske any thing for our selues yet because thou hast commanded vs we doe intreate thée for others not as Abraham did for the Sodomites but as Samuel did for the Israelites Be fauourable to Sion build vp the walles of Ierusalem Behold with the eye of pitie compassion the great ruines and desolations of the Church Feede it as thy flock foster it as the familie dresse it as thy vineyard deck it as thy spouse and euer rule in it as in thine owne kingdome Many are the enemies that crie Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Abate their pride asswage their malice confound their deuices and let their counsell in the end be as the councell of Achitophel so that peace may be within her walles and prosperitie in all her palaces so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth To this end giue vnto our Prince the wisedome of Salomon to his Counsellors the prouidence of Hushâ—y to our Iudges the conscience of Samuel to our Ministers the diligence of Paul and to our people the obedience of those subiects who with one consent cried out vnto their Gouernour Whatsoeuer God shall command vs by him that will we doe Thus we O Lord and our posteritie after vs shall enioy a spirituall communion of Saints in this life and a blessed communion in the life to come Many of thy seruants suffer for thy cause let all such sée the truth of their cause thy comfort in their calamitie and an happie deliuerance if it be thy will Are any now lying in the anguish of their conscience disburden them of the feare of thy iudgement and refresh them right soone with the conduit of thy comfort And as thou hast made them examples for vs so teach vs to take example by them that we may looke vpon thy promises
commandements not so much in outward conformitie as in soundnes of heart And when we haue done thée the best seruice wee can teach vs to say in humilitie We are vnprofitable seruants And séeing it is not sufficient to do good but it is also our dutie to auoid euill make vs to abhorre al appearance of euill knowing out of thy word that it defileth the soule may be committed in thought is of omission as well as commission and if we commit but the least sinne we offend the puritie of thine excellencie and are guiltie of the whole law Make vs therefore euer to remember that sin is filthie and lothsome euen in the greatest pleasure and act thereof that the end thereof is bitter and the inward parts most abominable Teach vs O thou Master of Israel to kéep a continual watch ouer our inner and outward man to feare our selues euen then when thou art most mercifull to vs to walke alwaies as in thy presence to meditate of thy iudgements inflicted vpon thy dearest children for sin and in faith patience diligence and humilitie to be euer laboring in our vocation Make vs to mourne for our delight in sinne to know that we carrie this traytor about vs that we can neuer subdue him but by prayer to thée and practising vertues contrary to his assaults But because all is in vaine without perseuerance wee intreate thée that wee may continue in the practise of all holy duties to thée euen vnto our liues end Wee thanke thée O Lord for all thy benefits this day past in our whole life thou hast giuen thy Son for a ransome thy Spirit for a pledge thy word for a guide and reseruest a kingdome for our perpetuall inheritance Thou mightest haue said before we were formed let them be monsters let them be Infidels or let them be beggers or cripples or bondslaues as long as they liue But thou hast made vs in the best likenesse and nurced vs in the best religion and placed vs in the best land so that thousands would thinke themselues happie if they had but a piece of our happinesse We want nothing but thankfulnesse to thée make vs more thankefull then euer we haue béene heretofore and because wee know not how long wee shall enioy these blessings of thine by reason of our sins fit and prepare vs for harder times that wee may bee contented with whatsoeuer thou shalt send Blesse thy Church and children this night and for euer according to their seueral necessities be merciful vnto them Blesse this Land wherein we doe liue the gouernment and Gouernours of the same from the highest to the lowest And because we are now to rest in our beds watch ouer vs in this rest of ours giue vnto vs comfortable and swéet sleepe fit vs for all seruices of the day following make our soules to watch for the comming of Christ let our beds put vs in minde of our graues and our rising from thence of the last resurrection so that whether we wake or sléepe we being thine may waite for thée Forgiue vs the sinnes of this day past this houre present and our whole life before not for our merits but for Christs mercies in whom alone thou art well pleased and in whose name and whose words we further call vpon thee and thanke thée saying Our father which art c. NOw the very God of peace sanctifie vs throughout and hee grant that our whole spirit and soule and bodie may bee kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God the Father the blessing of God the Sonne and the comfort of God the holy Ghost be with vs and all the seruants of Christ Iesus to preserue our bodies from sicknesse our soules from sin and our estates from ruine this night and for euer more Amen A PRAYER TO BE VSED by a mans selfe or with others changing the number O Lord my God mercifull and louing to all thy seruants pitifull and patient to mee thy child I with that poore Publican cast my selfe downe at the foot-stoole of thy Maiestie and with an vnfained sorrow for all my sinnes do as he did crie vnto thée for fauour saying Lord bee mercifull to mee a sinner One déepe calleth to an other the depth of miserie to the depth of mercie Haue mercy vpon me O Lord according to thy great goodnesse and in the multitude of thy mercies doe away al mine offences Lord I acknowledge confesse my sins and mine iniquities are not hid from thée By creation I confesse thou diddest make me good in righteousnesse and true holinesse I was like vnto thée if my first Parents had not defaced that image I should haue serued thée in truth all the daies of my life But they falling from thée I fel with them and they sinning against thée I sinned with them And as when a great man is a traitor his blood is stained so by Adams transgression his posteritie is tainted Thus O Lord I was conceiued in sin and brought foorth in iniquitie and now I know that in mee that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing yea I am by nature the child of wrath if I haue none other but my first birth I may curse the day that euer I was borne I féele O Lord but it is thy spirit that giueth me this féeling that mine vnderstanding is darkened conscience seared memorie decaied will bewitched heart hardened affections disordered conuersation corrupted my thoughts desires and best actions are abominable sinnes in thy sight Mine eyes cannot sée thée in thy creatures mine eares cannot heare thée in thy word my mouth cannot praise thée in thy workes mine hands and féete cannot serue thée in my calling destruction and calamitie are in all my waies and the way of peace I haue not knowne For these sinnes of mine I am subiect to the curse for cursed are they that erre from thy statutes Cursed is the earth with briers and barrennesse and cursed is the heauen with often droughts and moistnesse And for my selfe what am I not subiect to by reason of sinne My bodie is subiect to all diseases my soule to all her sicknesses my name to all reproches mine estate to all casualties I deserue iustly to bee deliuered ouer to the illusions of Satan allurements of the world corruptions of my flesh hardnesse of heart desperation of thy goodnesse calamities in my calling and to eternall destruction after I am dead Vnto whom now shall I come for comfort vnto whom now shall I sue for succour I am stung with a Serpent I will looke vp to the brasen Serpent I am sicke of sinne I will goe to the Physician of my soule I lie dead in the graue of corruption who shall raise mee vp but he that is the resurrection and the life O bountifull Iesu O swéet Sauiour O thou Lambe of God that takest away the sins of the world haue mercie vpon mee Lord giue vnto me
a true and liuely faith to apprehend and applie all the promises of saluation to my sinfull soule and to this purpose illuminate mine vnderstanding confirme my memorie purifie my conscience inlarge mine heart rectifie my will order al the members of my body and so sanctifie me throughout that my whole bodie soule and spirit may be kept blamelesse till the glorious appearance of my Sauiour Christ Grant me I beséech thée knowledge of thy truth faith in thy promises feare of thy Maiestie zeale of thy glorie obedience to thy statutes faithfulnesse in my calling patience in troubles hungring after righteousnesse and a tender affection towards all my brethren Grant me I beséech thée the gift of Regeneration to become thy childe of faith to beléeue thy promises of obedience to doe thy will of prayer to séeke thy presence of comfort to endure thy trials and of strength to continue thy seruant to my liues end Grant me again and grant it I intreate thée the sauing knowledge of thy word let it bee in my minde by vnderstanding memorie by remembring thought by meditating heart by affecting tongue by speaking and mine actions by performing it to my dying day Mine heart O Lord is deceitfull let mée watch ouer it my will is vnwilling to all goodnesse let it run the way to thy commandements Many behold my life conuersation let it I beséech thée be ordered aright To this end teach mee to sanctifie thy name aduance thy kingdome doe thy will Thou hast placed me in a calling make me painfull in it that thereby from thée I may haue my daily bread If I haue it kéepe me from pride if not kéepe me from despaire And forgiue mee the abuse of all thy good blessings And howsoeuer I must néeds liue in this world yet let me vse it as though I vsed it not let my conuersation be in heauen mine eyes on thy presence my trust in thy prouidence my delight in thy word and the communion of Saints Make me thinke often of heauen that I may loue it of hel that I may feare it of death that I may exspect it of iudgement that I may escape it and of the vanitie of this present world that thereby I may learne to contemne it I liue by thy prouidence a life of nature I desire by thy spirit to liue the life of grace put on this desire O my God by thy spirit and draw me from good desires to delights from delights to actions from actions to continuance in dooing that which is good And because Satan the aduersarie of thine elect goeth about as a roring lion séeking whom he may deuoure let mee not be ignorant of all his enterprises Make mee wise to foresée his stratagems vigilant to beware his pitfals circumspect to preuent his practises couragious to resist his temptations and constant to ouercome his suggestions He is strong be thou stronger in me he is wise be thou wiser for me hee is watchfull be thou more watchfull about mee hee is malitious bee thou mercifull vnto me Let him neuer finde me idle for then he will allure nor carelesse for then he will surprise nor sinning for then hee will subdue O Iesu be thou Iesus vnto me saue me O Lord from this enemie of mine that this Dragon neuer infect mee with his poyson this Serpent neuer kill mee with his sting this Lion neuer teare mee with his teeth and this aduersarie neuer haue power to ouerthrow me O Christ bee thou Christ vnto mee and anoint mee so with the oile of thy Spirit that of thy fulnesse I may bee filled with grace euen that grace which may further my saluation By it I acknowledge my misery by it let mee féele thy mercie giue mee by it a broken heart a contrite spirit a sorrowfull soule an humble minde a liuely faith that by humbling my selfe I may bee lifted vp by thée and by beléeuing thy promises I may come vnto thée and that as by the one I may mourne for my sinnes so by the other I may beléeue they are pardoned I durst not bee so bold as craue this thy fauour but that I am incouraged by confidence of thy mercie Doe the simple beg wisdome thou giuest it doe the afflicted beg deliuerance thou grantest it doth he that is troubled with his sinnes come vnto thée thou séest him a farre off thou embracest him in thine armes receiuest him into thy grace againe Thou commandest why should I not obey thou promisest why should I not beléeue thou hearest why should I not speake I speake vnto thée in the language of Canaan kéepe not silence at these my prayers Thou O my Sauiour hast died for my sinnes let the power of thy death make me die vnto sin especially to my beloued sins and such as I can hardly get the mastery of Thou O Lord Christ art risen from the dead let the power of thy resurrection make mee to rise vnto newnesse of life And that which is impossible to flesh and blood make it possible by the vertue of thy blood Thou hast redéemed me suffer me not to be in sinnes captiuitie thou hast triumphed ouer Satan for me suffer mee not to be vnder his tyrannie Thou hast couered mee with the robes of righteousnesse teach mee to cast off the rags of iniquitie Thou hast washed me and I am cleane kéepe me that I return not with the swine to my wallow Thou hast begun thy good work in me performe the worke that thou hast begun and strengthen mee in the workes which I doe haue or shall take in hand Kéepe mée good Lord in my old age forsake mee not when I am gray-headed And when it shall please thée to cast me vpon my sicke bed as what man liueth who shall not sée death grant that I may take my sicknesse patiently and at the last gaspe let not either sinne or Satan take such hold vpon me that I depart this life with crying and scrichings and words of despaire but that beleeuing thy word and yéelding to thine ordinance my last houre may bee my best houre and I may say with the Psalmist Lord into thine hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Thus I still crie vnto thée for mercie because my sins crie against mee for iustice Preserue me O Lord for I trust in thée and let me in all things see that I am preserued by thee let me see it in the health of my body the peace of my conscience the gifts of my minde the credit of my name the works of my calling and vpon all such as are neere and deare vnto me Thou hast beene good vnto me in times past O that I could depend vpon thee for the time to come Thou hast by thy mercie kept mee from grosse sinnes cleanse mee I pray thée from my secret sinnes especially such as put forth their heads when I am but a little moued Am I prouoked stay mine anger is my enemy
aduaÌ„ced â—sswage mine enuie haue I abundance temper mine intemperance am I in want mitigate my feares doest thou exalt me keepe me from pride doest thou humble me kéep me from impatience doest thou withdraw thy selfe from mee let mee euer say Vp Lord why sleepest thou doth Satan assault mee because I am rich in grace preserue me O Lord that I lose not thy grace For woe is mee if I fall from thée I haue promised that I will not fall thou hast promised I shall not fall leade mee by thine hand that I do not fall Finally because thou hast been good vnto me many waies Lord make me thankful for all thy fauours Thou hast made mee a man not a beast a Christian not an Heathen a Protestant not a Papist Whilest many are ignorant I haue knowledge whilest many are profane I haue been obedient to thy will whilest many want the ordinarie meanes of saluation thou affordest me meanes for saluation of my soule Many are bound I am free in prison I haue libertie in want I haue sufficiencie They liue in warres I in peace they in persecution I in free profession of the truth they in sicknesse I in health And although by my sinnes I deserue to bee consumed yet thou hast spared me a great while and giuen me a long time of repentance What shall I giue vnto thee for all these mercies and fauours of thine I will take the cup of saluation praise thy great and glorious name and most humblie entreate thée that as thou neuer ceasest to bee good vnto me so I may neuer cease to be thankfull vnto thée Pardon good God my losse of time my abuse of thy creatures my negligence in my calling my vnthankfulnesse for thy kindnesse and whatsoeuer is wanting in my person practise prayer or thanksgiuing make a supplie of it in the merit of Christ Iesus to whom with thée and thy blessed spirit be all praise and glorie now and for euermore Amen A PRAIER TO BE SAID by a sick person or for him changing my vnto vs c. ALmightie God and in Iesus Christ my most mercifull and all-sufficient Sauiour I thy sicke and sinfull seruant diseassed in my bodie and distressed in my soule doe flie vnto thée yea to thée alone for succour I haue liued heretofore in the health of my bodie I acknowledge that thou wast the author of my health I am cast downe vpon my sicke bed thou hast by thy prouidence sent this Herauld to arrest me It is O Lord the messenger of death preaching vnto mee that vndoubted doctrine which I haue beene learning euer since I was borne namely That it is appointed that all must die and after death commeth iudgement My spirit is willing and would faine say Come Lord Iesus come quickly my flesh is fraile and in weaknesse doth say Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me And as in mine health I did nothing but sinne when I was not assisted by thy good Spirit so now in my sicknesse I shall doe nothing but sorrow vnlesse I bee comforted by the same Spirit O Lord comfort me in this agonie of mine and say vnto my soule I am thy saluation Thou art the Physitian heale me thou art that Samaritan pitie me thou art the resurrection and the life quicken me and quicken mee so in the inner man that neither the loue of this world nor the losseÌ„ of this light nor the consideration of thy Iustice nor the feare of death nor the terror of hell may make me vnwilling to depart this life Thou alone knowest the sorrowes of mine heart take them away thou beholdest my feare of death deliuer me out of al my feares couer my sores with the righteousnesse of thy Son heale them by the blood of thy Son and though thou launce them with the knife of the law yet bind them vp againe with the bands of the Gospell I know that my Physitian dwelleth in heauen yet he sendeth his medicines downe vpon the earth Besides thee none in heauen can helpe me and there is none in earth in comparison of thée to do me any good I am weake strengthen me I am sick cure me I am faint comfort me I must die quicken me I am assaulted defend me I am full of feare encourage mee I haue desired to liue the life of the righteous O let mee die the death of the righteous and let my last houre be like vnto his Into thine hands doe I commend my soule for thou hast redeemed it ô Lord God of truth My conscience doth tell mee that I haue sinned against thee and whatsoeuer I now suffer it is for my sinnes they are like an heauie burden vpon my soule they presse me downe to the graue of death and Satan doth lay them now especially before me to make me despaire of thy mercies in Christ Lord assure mee of the pardon of them all perswade my soule by the Spirit of my Sauiour that they are nailed to his crosse washed in his blood couered in his righteousnesse acquited by his death buried in his graue and fully discharged by his alone satisfaction Now now I stand in néed of thy Spirit let it crie in mine heart Abba Father I desire none Angell from heauen to comfort me I desire the Spirit of adoption to assure me to assure me o Lord that thou art my Father and I thy son thou my shepheard and I thy sheepe thou my king and I one of those subiects who shall shortly waite vpon thée in the kingdome of heauen to which I must passe by the gates of death O though I haue now a sick body yet grant me I pray thée a sound soule In thy hands are life and death thou hast the keyes of the graue and death thou bringest to the graue and pullest back again my mother bare mee a mortall man I came into this world to leaue it at thy pleasure it pleaseth thee now to forewarne me of mine end which might haue come vpon mee before this time I might haue perished either in the womb or in my cradle or in my childhood or before I had knowne thée or suddenly might I haue béen taken away and I deserued to die so soone as I was borne I owe thée a death as Christ Iesus died for me I haue béene salling to this hauen euer since I was borne be thou my Pilot that I sinck not in the hauens mouth but that I may land at the port of paradise I haue done I confesse little seruice vnto thée and if thou shouldest now take mee away I should die before I haue begun to liue Thou knowest what is best for me Conuert me O Lord and I shall be conuerted O Lord turne me and in a moment I shall bee turned vnto thee Therefore déere Father giue me that mind which a sick man should haue faith in thy promises hope of eternall life patience with my paine a desire to bee loosed and to bee with Christ and
a loathing of the vanities of this present euill world Call to my remembrance all those things which I haue heard or read or felt or meditated of to strengthen mee in this houre of triall that I who haue beene negligent in teaching others by my life may now teach them how to die and to beare patiently the like visitation Lord grant that my last houre may bee my best houre my last thoughts the best thoughts and my last words the best words that euer I did speak so that with my swéet Sauiour I may then say Father into thine hands I commend my spirit or with old Simeon say Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word Take away from mee in that houre all terror of conscience all scriching and howling all sottishnesse and senslesnesse which doth often accompany the wicked at their ends and since thou hast lent mee for a while my life grant that I may willingly restore it again when thou callest for it to heauen Let not the graue make me afraid because it is perfumed by the buriall of Christ and made as a bed for my body to rest in against that day in which thou shall clothe mee againe with mine owne flesh and make it like to the glorious bodie of Christ when he will say vnto mee Come thou blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome which was prepared for thee before the foundations of the world were laid Lord I thanke thée for all thy mercies in the time of my health and in this of sicknesse especially that thou hast taught mee out of thy word which also by thy Spirit I beleeue that howsoeuer I am by nature mortall yet by grace thou hast made me immortall and that I am translated from death to life I thanke thée O Lord for all the good meanes of health offred to me in this visiâ—ation of mine as my Christian friends their holy prayers and godly comforts for the meanes of Physicke and all other fauours which I now taste of in this sicke bed of mine which thou hast denied vnto many of thy seruants and déere children who haue deserued thy fauour more then my selfe I thanke thée also that as I haue liued in a Christian Church so if I die I shall die in thy Church and be buried in the sepulchres of thy seruants who all waite for the consolation of Israel and the Redemption of their bodies in the Resurrection of the iust Blesse all good meanes vnto mee so farre sorth as it may be for thy glory and my good and as I haue euer praied Thy wil be done so now let me not be offended that thy will is done Teach me that all things euen both sicknesse and death turn to the best to them that loue thee teach me to see my happinesse through troubles that euery paine is a preuention to the godly of the paines of hell and that this light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre most excellent and eternall weight of glorie Teach mee againe by thy holy Spirit that there is none hurt by going to heauen that I shall lose nothing but the sense of euill and that anon I shall haue greater ioyes then I feele paine O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorie I thanke thee O Lord who hast giuen me victorie by Iesus Christ in the confidence of this conquest I come vnto thée am assured that if I liue I shall liue vnto thée and if I die I shall die vnto thée I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ for he vnto me is both in life and in death aduantage I shall by death put off corruption and put on incorruption shake off sinne and be couered with righteousnesse cast off mortalitie and be attired with immortalitie I shall lose my life in earth and finde it againe in heauen Thou my Father Christ my brother the Saints my kinred happinesse mine inheritance are in heauen alreadie why should I feare to go thither whither all the godlie dead are gone before me and all the faithful liuing shall follow after mee Why art thou troubled O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee Lord I know I cannot escape death why should I feare it my chiefest happinesse is behind and I cannot haue it vnlesse I go vnto it I could be content to go thorow hell to heauen O make me to go through death to heauen My paines I confesse O Lord are great but since I trauell to bring forth eternitie make me patient to endure all paines I sée my sins make mee now to sée my Redeemer I feare the Iudge perswade me that his Sonne is become my intercessor Satan would affright me I hope thine Angels pitch their tents about me the graue will gape on me out of thy word I know it was the bed of my Sauiour What though I leaue many aliue behind me yet they shall all follow after if I get mine inheritance before my brethren I must bee more thankfull to my father for it Grant therefore most mercifull God that if I liue I may liue to sacrifice and if I die I may die a sacrifice I am thy seruant and the sonne of thine handmaiden do with me what thou wilt Blesse O Lord the suruiuing generation make them wise to saluation to number their daies a right and to applie their hearts to wisedome And though thou kill mee yet let me now trust in thée Grant this O Lord for thy Sonnes sake in whom alone thou art well pleased for my comforts sake which by this means shall bee encreased and for the beholders sakes who shall sée mine end that they all may say Grant that wee may die as this our brother did so that our ends may be like vnto his and our soâ—les follow his Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus come quickly and the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the loue of God the Father and the comfort of the holy Ghost bee with mee now and for euer more Amen Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Reuelat. 14. The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceiue the good things which God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Corinth 2. We know that if this earthly house of this Tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a building giuen of God that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the Heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 Farewell my friends but you shall follow for it is appointed that all must die A THANKES GIVING AFTER DELIVERANCE from any crosse or sicknesse O Eternall God almightie and most mercifull Father the life of them that die the health of them that are sick and the only recouerer of them that are cast downe I thy late sick and sorrowfull seruant doe with bended knées and a thankfull hart prostrate my selfe before thée at this time and doe thankefully acknowledge
wauer in his faith nor stagger in his hope nor faint in his patience nor coole in his loue nor sorrow at his dissolution nor looke backe to the world nor bee ouermuch cast downe with the dread of death Grant that when death shall haue closed vp the eyes of his body the eyes of his soule may be fixed vpon thee that when his speech shall be taken from him then his heart may crie vnto thée say Come Lord Iesu come quickly Heare vs good Lord praying for him heare him praying for himselfe heare vs al for Christ Iesus his sake in whom alone thou art well pleased and in whose name and in whose words we conclude our vnperfect prayers saying Our Father c. LOrd blesse vs and kéepe vs Lord make the light of thy countenance thine vpon vs and grant vs thy peace O God the Father looke vpon thy sonne O God the Son looke vpon thy seruant O God the holie Ghost enter into thy temple O holie Father O righteous Sonne O comforting holie Ghost O blessed and glorious Trinitie one in essence thrée in person be with this thy seruant comfort him with that comfort which we would desire in the like visitation let thine Angels pitch their tents about him let his last houre bee his best houre make his life victorious his death pretious and his and our resurrection glorious through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Lord Iesu be with his spirit Amen Amen A THANKES GIVING FOR THE faithfull departure of one after he or she is dead changing as before O Lord God the onely health of them that liue and the alone life of them that die according to thy commandement we called vpon thée and in desire of thy goodnesse we cried vnto thée that thou wouldest be gratious vnto this seruant of thine whose body lieth dead before our eyes We asked his life thou gauest it not because thou sawest what was best for him wee desired his patience to endure this crosse thou heardest our prayers and hast not denied vs the request of our lips because that alone was fittest for him He died not as a foole dieth neither was his dissolution bitter vnto him He is now O Lord a tree planted in thine orchard a stone setled in thy building a Priest sacrificing at thine altar a starre fixed in thy heauen and an heire reigning in thy kingdom If he had died like Absolom we might haue taken vpon vs Dauids lamentation or like Saul we might haue taken vpon vs Samuels lamentation or as the malefactor on the left hand of Christ wee might haue lamented and mourned for him as doubting that hee died not the death of the righteous But precious in thy fight was this death of his and comfortable in our sight was this departure of his Hee like a Lion triumphed ouer death and like a Lambe resigned vp his life he knew that this Redeemer liued and that Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. His faith was in thy promises his hope was in thy mercies his loue was on thy ioyes his zeale was on thy glorie and his desire was to be in heauen For this thy fauour towards our Christian brother wee yeeld vnto thy Maiestie all possible thankes and that thou taking him out of this vale of miserie hast by thine Angels carried his soule to the throne of thy glorie We are O Lord we confesse full of sorrow in that we haue lost the comfort of his presence and we could haue béen contented to haue enioyed him longer if it might haue stood with the good pleasure of thy will But we néed not to mourne as men without hope because we are perswaded he so died in thy fauour that as his soule is partaker of eternall glorie so in that great day of assise and generall iudgement this bodie of his which shall returne to dust must be raised vp againe to liue for euer and then bee made like the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus in heauen He O Lord is gone before vs and we must one day follow after him O how can we render vnto thée sufficient thankes for thy great fauour to vs Christian people aboue all the nations of the world whom when thou callest out of this wretched life thou vouchsafest to place vs with thine Angels in thy kingdome In the sight of the vnwise they appeare to die but in the eyes of the godly they are translated from death to life They are arayed with white haue crownes on their heads and Palmes in their hands they shall not die but liue and do behold thy goodnesse in the land of the liuing They serue thée at thy table eate in thy kingdome sing of thy praises are freed from all miseries and they follow the Lambe whither soeuer hee goeth and enioy such pleasures as the eye hath not seene because they are not visible yet the heart doth beleeue because they are most comfortable We beseech thee O Lord that since we must for a while go on in our pilgrimage we may euer haue our eyes bent towards our countrie raise vs out of the graue of sinne renue in vs the life of righteousnes estrange vs from the loue of this world possesse vs with a loue of heauen take from our féete the fetters of pleasure that we may runne as fast to heauen as the wicked do to hell take from our backes the burden of worldlinesse that we may looke as stedfastly vpon things that are aboue as worldlings do vpon things that are below Guide vs euer so by the direction of thy Spirit that both in sicknesse and in health in prosperitie and aduersitie in life at death we may so behaue our selues in this present world that whensoeuer it shall please thée to call vs hence we may by faith in thy promises hope of thy mercies commend our bodies and soules into thy mercifull hands In the meane time hasten the comming of thy Sonne shorten these daies of sinne confound the enemies of saluation dissolue in euery one of vs the cursed workes of Satan sanctifie thy name aduance thy kingdome accomplish thy will giue vs our daily bread forgiue vs all our sinnes giue vs not ouer into any temptation but deliuer vs from all euill both of sinne in this life and of punishment in the life to come so that we with this our brother and all other departed in the faith of Christ may haue our perfect consummation and blisse in thy eternall and euerlasting kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thée our Father and the holie Ghost our Sanctifier our sanctifier in this life and our glorifier in the life to come bee all praise power Maiestie might and dominion ascribed of vs and thy whole Church from this time forth and for euermore Amen A PRAYER FOR A WOman in trauaile O Lord our Lord Creator of all things preseruer of al mankind comforter of all thine afflicted and the only deliuerer of such as are in danger we
banket Giue mee grace to put on my wedding garment that the Bridegrome of this feast neuer say vnto me Frind how camest thou hither not hauing on thy wedding garment Hast thou now commanded me to examin my selfe let me now trie and examine mine heart and looke how I stand in thy sight The Iewes would not eate with vnwashen hands dare I eat with an vnwashen heart they would not drink but their vessels must be purified and dare I now drinke and my soule not purified Before the passeouer they sanctified themselues and before this sacrament shall not I now sanctifie my self I desire to doe it Lord helpe my desire lest eating and drinking vnworthily I eate and drinke mine owne damnation I therefore being now readie to come to thy Table doe acknowledge and confesse mine owne vnworthinesse I haue sinned against thée many waies and that since I last receiued this Sacrament I haue not knowne thée in thy word beheld thée in thy workes apprehended thée in thy Sonne serued thée in the spirit applied thee by faith feared thée for thy iustice nor admired thée as I ought for thy great mercies I haue not frequented thine house heard thy word laid it vp in mine heart nor practised it in my life as I should I euen I by the lusts of mine eyes the lusts of my flesh and the pride of life haue dishonoured thy great and glorious name And when thou hast forgiuen me ten thousand talents I would not forgiue my brother and hundred pence What shall I say vnto my selfe I haue sinned I will doe so no more I haue sinned Lord forgiue me all my sins and grant that in the whole course of my life hereafter I may liue to the honour of thy great name Giue vnto me now a broken heart a contrite spirit a sorrowfull soule and a minde hungring and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnes Giue me now grace to know thée the only true God the Creator and preseruer of mankinde Giue me grace now to féele the burden of my sinnes and that I am eased of them by the blood of Christ Iesus I doe beléeue in him helpe my vnbeléefe I am sorrie for my sins make me to be heartily and vnfainedly sorrowfull I promise now to liue neerer to thée then euer I haue done giue mee power to performe my promise I forgiue all that haue wronged me euen as thou for Christs sake hast forgiuen me Let this forgiuenesse of mine be without dissimulation And because I am now to taste of bread and wine make mee to consider the vse of them I know O Lord that this sacramentall bread is not the body of thy Son this sacramentall wine is not the blood of thy Sonne but this I know out of thy holy word that they are seales of his bodie and blood Teach me therefore now most gracious God that I seeing bread and wine on the table may behold Christ vpon the crosse and obseruing the bread broken to me may consider of Christs body crucified for mee looking vpon the wine powred out of the vessell may thinke how Christs blood was powred out for my sinnes And as I receiue this bread wine into my stomack for bodily sustenance so cause me to féede on the body and blood of our Sauiour Christ that it may be nourishment for my soule Grant O Lord that I may so now come to thy holy table that hereafter I may bee partaker of thy heauenly Table through Christ my Lord and only Sauiour Amen Our Father which art c. A THANKESGIVING after the Communion ALL glorie honour and praise be giuen to thée most glorious God for all thy mercies bestowed vpon mee for mine election in thy loue my redemption by thy Sonne my sanctification by thy spirit in this life and hope of glorification in the life to come I thank thée for thy word in which I beare of thy goodnesse and I thanke thee for this Sacrament in which I behold thy fauour I haue now béene partaker of bread and wine Lord make mee partaker of Christs bodie and blood Those they will turne to the nourishment of my body let these turne to the nourishment of my soule By those I féele some refreshing for a while by these let mee feele refreshing for euer O let not Christs blood be shed in vaine for me but by it cleanse me from all my sinnes I haue now cast vp all the poyson of impietie suffer me not hereafter to licke it vp againe I haue now disgorged my selfe of reuenge let me neuer returne to my vomit againe I am now washed from all my pollution make me to remember that it is the part of a swine to wallow againe in mud or mire I haue promised now to liue better than before make the latter part of my life better than the former I am a liuing stone in thy building knit me fast to the corner stone I am a branch of the vine set mee fast in that roote I am a member of Christs body kéepe mee that I neuer bee cut off I haue renued this day my couenant with thée grant that I may kéep it to my liues end I haue this day béen put in mind of the benefit by Christs death let me euery day thinke often of his death that therby I may learn to die vnto sin And grant that euer hereafter I may so walk before thee that all such as know that I haue béen at thy table may see that I am become a new creature As for the rest of this day in which thou hast thus shewed thy selfe vnto mee grant that I may spend the same not in surfetting and drunkennesse not in chambring and wantonnesse not in sporting and idlenesse but in hearing of thy word calling on thy name meditation of thy mercies and in holy conference about heauenly things Vnto thee O Father my Creator and preseruer vnto thee O Christ my Redéemer and Iustifier vnto thee O Holy Ghost my Sanctifier and Instructor bee ascribed of mee and thy whole Church all praise and power might and Maiestie glorie and dominion both now whilest we doe liue and for euer whilest we shal liue Amen Our Father which art c. NOw the very God of peace sanctifie me throughout and I pray God that my whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen Amen A THANKESGIVING FOR our late Deliuerance from that vnnaturall conspiracie against our King and State ALmightie Lord God Father of our Lord Iesus Christ and in him our most gracious and mercifull Father many are thy mercies towards vs and that our soules know right well And as we cannot be ignorant of them vnlesse wee bee senselesse so we may not be forgetfull vnlesse we be thanklesse By thée our lot is fallen into a good soile and by thée wée haue a goodly inheritance by thée are our bodies deliuered from sicknesse and by thée are our soules
deliuered from sinne by thée our names are not a reproch vnto our enemies and by thée our estates are not a prey vnto the Idolatrous Thou euen thou hast done great things in our land and thy right hand amongst vs hath brought mightie things to passe What is it O Lord that thou hast not done vnto this vine of thine English Israel and what couldest thou doe more for it then thou hast Thou hast planted it by thy hand placed it in thy vineyard hedged it by thy prouidence garded it by thine Angels watred it by thy Spirit pruned it by thy rods supported it by thy power committed it to thy husbandmen beautified it by thy mercies and fructified it by thine abundance not of sowre but swéete grapes The wilde Boare of the woods can neuer roote it vp the beasts of the forrest shall neuer deuoure it Lord continue stil to visit this vine which without thy visitation must be fruitlesse and strengthlesse Thou hast cast out the heathen and planted vs in thou hast subdued our enemies and made vs the mirror of the whole world Thou hast giuen vs thy Sonne to be our Sauiour thy word to bee our instructor thy Spirit to be our sanctifier thy Preachers to be our monitors thy Sacraments to be our seales and Kings to be our nursing Fathers 1588. Q. Elizabeth K. Iames. 1603. and Quéenes to be our nursing Mothers When our enemies came against vs thou subduedst them when our light was extinguished thou diddest set vp a greater when the Plague was amongst vs thou calmedst it and when our Countrie was to bee betraied then wast our deliuerer What shall wee render vnto thée for all these fauours or what can we render for all these mercies O our soules praise the Lord and all that is within vs praise his holie Name O our soules praise the Lord and let vs neuer forget his benefits We Lord had béene blowen vp with the powder of rebellion had not the power of thy prouidence watched ouer vs. We therefore our Princes Nobles Clergie Commons our Wiues Children Seruants and all are heere before thy Maiestie this day now render vnto thée for more we cannot and more thou desirest not the sacrifice of praise the calues of our lips for this wonderfull deliuerance shewed vnto our gracious King and Countrie Lord teach vs thereby to bee thankfull vnto thée obedient to our Gouernours frequent in prayer feruent in the spirit and zealous in good workes lest a worse thing hereafter happen vnto vs. Make vs to detest Poperie the poyson of Authoritie Iesuites the bellowes of sedition Papists the plotters of rebellion to thinke better of our Christian Brethren this not new but most ancient Religiō of ours by which we are taught pietie to God loyaltie to Gouernors peace to the Church reuerence of superiority charitie to our inferiours amitie to our equals loue to our enemies patiēce in tribulation thankfulnesse in prosperitie faithfulnesse in our calling and honestie to all And séeing of late thou hast deliuered our backes from whipping our libertie from seruing our soules from dying our country from consuming our King and State from a sudden blowing vp Lord wee pray thée that the meditation of this mercy may neuer depart out of our mindes but that wée may bee thankfull vnto thée for mercies receiued and feareful of thée for iudgements escaped Teach vs to pray vnto thée alone who canst heare and grant our requests to kéepe our Countrey from inuasion our Church from dissension our houses from infection our State from alteration and people from the cruell mercies of the Italian Popedome whose faith is fancie whose force is fraud whose trust is treason whose obedience is hypocrisie whose lawes are traditions whose pardoners are Priests whose sauiour is the Pope whose god is an idoll whose seruice is ceremonies whose glorie is their shame and whose end is damnation except they repent Let the Sunne of the Gospell be neuer eclipsed the light of thine Israel neuer bee extinguished the hope of our happinesse neuer be subuerted nor the branches of our vine euer cut off Thus we thy people and shéepe of thy pasture shall haue iust occasion to prayse thy great Name in the face of thy Congregation from this time forth for euermore Lord kéepe in our King the spirit of Maiestie in our Quéene the spirit of Chastitie in our Prince the spirit of Pietie in our Nobles the spirit of loyaltie in our Counsellers the spirit of Prudencie in our Clergie the spirit of Vigilancie and in vs all the spirit of Fidelitie And as for such as wish euill to this Sion of ours the Honor of thy Name the Palace of thy pleasure the Place of thy protection and the wonder of the world if they belong to thée giue them hearts to repent and to returne to vs if not or euer their pots be hot with thornes let indignation vexe them as a thing that is rawe Euen so let all thine enemies perish O Lord. And vnlesse their Children be better than the Parents as the Prophet prayeth deliuer them vp to famine let them drop by the force of the sword let their wiues be robbed of their children and be widowes and let their husbands bee put to death let their confederate yong men be slain by the sword let them be ouerthrowne in the day of thine anger and let none be left to make lamentation for them and to say O my brother O my sister Lord roote all Cananites out of this land of the liuing that such as feare thée may dwell safely Blessed be the Lord God of our saluation for euer and euer and let all the people say Amen Amen 1. Sam. 12.24.25 Now therefore feare yee the Lord and serue him in the truth with all your hearts and consider how great things hee hath done for you But if yee doe wickedly yee shall perish both yee and your King GRACES He that eateth and drinketh and letteth Grace passe Sitteh downe like an Oxe and riseth like an Asse Grace before meate WE acknowledge and confesse this fauour of thine eternal God and gracious Father that it pleaseth thy Maiestie to giue vnto vs so many opportunities to méet together we beséech thée to blesse vs our méeting at this time all thy good creatures prouided for vs and grant that we may vse them soberly as in thy presence and receiue them thankfull as from thine hand to the glory of thy Name the good of our bodies the future saluation of our soules through Christ our Lord and alone blessed Sauiour Amen Grace before meate ALmightie Lord God our mercifull Father we beséech thy Maiestie to bee good vnto vs in the pardon and forgiuenesse of our sinne past and by the assistance of thy good and holy Spirit to preuent all them that are to come to watch ouer vs as thou hast done by thy speciall prouidence to direct vs continually by thy holy word to blesse vs in thy vse of all thy good creatures that now wee shall receiue from thy bountifull hand giuing strength to them to nourish vs and giuing hearts vnto vs to bee thankfull vnto thée for the same And grant that whether we eate or drinke or whatsoeuer we do else we may do all to the glorie of thy most holy Name through Christ thy Sonne and our only Sauiour Amen Grace after meate WE beséech thy Maiestie eternall God gracious Father to make vs truly and vnfainedly thankfull vnto thée for all those mercies that we haue receiued and for all those iudgements that we haue escaped both temporall concerning this life eternall concerning that life to come for thy gratious prouidence this day past for our comfortable and peaceable chéerefull méeting together in thy feare at this time and for all thy good creatures bestowed vpon vs for the comforting refreshing of these feeble and weake bodies of ours Now we humbly intreate thée that as thou hast fed them with that foode which is conuenient and necessarie for the same so it would please thée to féede our soules with that foode which perisheth not but endureth to eternall and euerlasting saluation so as we may séek so to passe through these things temporall that finally we lose not things eternall Blesse with vs thine vniuersall Church our Kings Quéenes Maiestie the Prince and their Realmes O Lord continue thy truth and peace amongst vs with the pardon and forgiuenesse of all our sinnes this day at this time and héeretofore committed against thée through Christ our Lord and blessed Sauiour Amen Another after meate O Lord of eternall glorie who hast elected vs in the loue of a Father redeemed vs by the obedience of thy Son sanctified vs by the operation of thy Spirit preserued vs hitherto by thy gracious prouidence instructed vs many times by thy good and holy word and now at this present and often heeretofore most gratiously and bountifully refreshed comforted vs with thy good creatures and with the mutuall societie and comfort one of another and hast bestowed many other good blessings and benefits vpon vs as health of bodie peace of conscience and abundance of thy good creatures which thou hast denied to many of thy seruants and déere children which deserue the same as well as our selues thy Maiesties Name be blessed and praised of vs and thy whole Church both now and for euer-more Amen FINIS
man into temptation Phil. Hee doth this 1 By ceasing to support not the nature of man but his grace in man n Psa 119.8.51.11 2 By deliuering him to his owne lusts when the first grace is not sufficient to help him o Ro. 1.24 Psal 107. 3 By giuing him into the power of Satan so as he may tempt him to commit grieuous sinnes p 2. Sa. 24. 4 By blindfolding him and hardning him in such sort as that hee shall make no conscience of sinne q 2. Sa. 12. Euch. Is God then the author of sinne Phil. God forbid for thou art a God that hatest iniquity saith the Prophet Dauid r Psalm 5. and God tempteth no man to wit vnto sinne saith the Apostle Iames ſ Iam. 1.13 Euch. But how is God freed from being the author of sinne seeing hee is an Actor in sinning Phil. Well euery way if we can learne to distinguish betweene the action it selfe and the ataxie or disorder that is in the action Euch. Is God the author of euery action Phil. Yes verily for in him we liue wee mooue and haue our being t Act. 17. Euch And can hee worke in a sinnefull action and not bee the author of sinne in that action Phil. Doubtlesse he may for the doing of a thing it procéedeth from the Creator u 2. Sam. 24.1 the euill doing it commeth from the creature x Ier. 13.23 Euch. Can you shew this by some comparisons Phil. I remember you taught me this by these which follow The Sunne beames light vpon a carion that it smelleth the Sunne is the cause that it smelleth ill it selfe is the cause A man spurreth forward a lame horse that the horse goeth on the Rider is the cause that he limpeth on himselfe is the cause A Musician playeth vpon an vntuned or broken instrument that it soundeth the Musician is the cause that it soundeth ill it selfe is the cause and the like may be said of many other thinges Euch. But why doth GOD tempt some and they recouer in temptation and doth also tempt others and leaues them in temptation Phil. Doe you a man aske this of mee who am but a man let vs both learne the answere of the Apostle Paul O man Rom. 9.20 who art thou that disputest with God He finds such euill and leaues them so hee is bounden to none to giue him grace his iudgements are vnsearchable his waies past finding out p Rom. 11.33 and wee are all as clay in the handes of the Potter hee may make vs of of what fashion he will q Isa 45.9 The Sunne doth harden the Clay and softens the Wax and no man must aske a reason thereof Euch. How may God bee said to tempt man Phil. 1 By afflictions as he did the Israelites r Deut. 9.3 Iudg 2.22 2 By commandement as hee did Abraham ſ Gen. 22.1 3 By prosperitie as he did Dauid t 2. Sam. 12 4 By offering obiects as hee did Euah u Gen. 3. and as Masters vse to trie the fidelitie of seruants by laying monie in some corner to trie them Euch. That this may bee knowne the better shew mee how you were taught that each man is said to harden himselfe Sathan is said to harden man and God is said to harden man Phil. Man hardens himselfe when hee refuseth grace x Psal 95.8 Sathan hardens man to presume of grace y 2. Cor. 4.4 God hardens man when hee giues not grace though hée offer vnto him all the meanes of grace z Deu. 2.30 Acts 28.26 Euch. Are not mercies and iudgements able to bring man to God without the especiall grace of God Phil. No they are not but as the high-way the more it is trodden vpon the harder it is till the raine moisten it and the Stiddie the more it is beaten vpon the harder it is till the fire soften it so the heart of man the more it is trodden and beaten vpon by mercies and iudgements the worse it is a Isa 26.10 Exo. 10.27 til God by the dew of his grace moisten it and the fire of his spirit soften it b Ezech. 11.19 Euch. Shew mee some other reasons then you did before Isa 44.3 Mat. 3.11 why God doth thus tempt and harden man Phil. He doth it to these ends 1 To humble them that they may sée themselues c Eccl. 3.10 2 To chastise them for former sinnes d 1. King 11.9 3 That his grace in them may appeare as Gold in the fire e 1. Pet. 1.7 4 That they may sée their owne weakenesse and impatience f Luk. 22.61.62 5 That they may take more héed hereafter g Psal 119 67. 6 That more earnestly they may pray to God for asistance h 2. Cor. 12.8 Euch. What vses can you make of this Doctrine of temptation Phil. I learne first the incomprehensible puritie of God who can worke in sinne without sinning i Ps 145.17 2 That Sathan can goe no further in tempting then God will giue him leaue k Lu. 22.31 3 That I must not pray absolutely against temptations but that I be not ouercome in temptation l Mat. 26.39.8.31 4 That by nature wee are all Sathans bondmen m Rō 7.14 till such time as God free vs from temptation n 1. Cor. 10 13. Euch. Seeing God tempteth many wayes tell mee how hee tempteth by prosperitie and riches Phil. By this he tries man 1 Whether hee will consider how hee comes by them o Eccl. 6.2 Ezec. 28 4. 2 To whom the continuance of them is promised p Psalme 112.3 3 To what end they are giuen vnto him q Luk. 16.9 4 Whether hee will thinke of the mutabilitie of high places r Dan. 4.30 1. Tim. 6.17 5 Whether he wil meditate of the fearefull downe-falles of such as haue not vsed Prosperitie well ſ Hest 7.10 Luk. 12.20 And 6 that it is a part of great felicitie not to be ouercome of felicitie t 1. Tim. 6.9 Pro. 10.22 Ann. Dom. 1605. Nouem 5. Euch. How doth God trie vs by that late deliuerance from that vnnaturall conspiracie against our King and Countrie by Gun powder Phil. 1 Whether we will acknowledge it u Ps 18.48 2 Whether we will be thankfull for it x Vers 49. 3 Whether wée will kéepe a memoriall of it y Hest 9.27 4 Whether we will pray more earnestly for our King and Countries preseruation z Psal 20. 5 Whether we will desire the conuersion or confusion of those our enemies a Psal 58.6 7.8.9.10 6 Whether we will be more obedient to God than before lest a worse thing happen to vs b Ioh. 5.14 7 Whether wee will detest that cruell Catholique Religion which eateth her God and killeth her Gouernours and thirsteth after bloud especially the bloud of Princes c Reu. 17.6 8 Whether wee
vs by the Word and Sacraments The secōd Position I beléeue this faith to bee wrought in vs of the holy Ghost by the Word and Sacraments that by this faith wee might immediatly receiue and eate the bodie of Christ which was deliuered vp for vs and receiue and drinke the bloud of Christ which was shed for vs for remission of sinnes And so we might more and more bee engraffed and immediatly vnited vnto the bodie of Christ as our Mediatour who died for vs. For euen as the Bread and Wine being Earthly and Materiall Bodies cannot bee incorporated into our Earthly bodies vnlesse wee receiue them in at our mouth and eate them and drinke them So wee cannot bée vnited and incorporated into the bodie and bloud of Christ which Irenaeus calleth an Heauenly thing vnlesse by faith we take hold on Christ eate him and drinke him that is applie him vnto vs. The third Position OF the vse for which we eate the body of Christ and drinke his bloud I beléeue that the bodie of Christ in the Supper is offered and exhibited vnto vs to be eaten and his bloud to bee drunke and that faith by the Word and Sacraments by the helpe of the Holy Ghost being wrought in our hearts it is eaten of vs indéed to the end that we being more neerely and effectually incorporated into Christ we may also bee more throughly confirmed in the New Couenant which in Christ is communicated vnto vs. For as Christ did therefore deliuer his bodie vnto death and shed his bloud that by his death and bloud our sinnes being purged hee might confirme and for euer establish the couenant being renued betwéene God the Father and vs euen as the words of the Supper concerning the bloud doe teach vs and other bookes of the Scripture especially the Epistle to the Hebrewes doe confirme euen so for this end also the body and bloud of Christ is communicated vnto vs that by the participation of them we in like manner being more and more incorporated into Christ might be more and more confirmed in the New Testament Therefore when Christ gaue forth the cuppe in plaine wordes hee named the New Testament that the Apostles might vnderstand to what end the bloud of the sonne of God was not only shed and powred out but also was exhibited to be drunken of them Verily to this end that as by the shedding of his bloud their sinnes and the sinnes of all Gods Elect were purged and being purged the couenant betweene them and God was for all eternitie confirmed So also by drinking of the same both they and all the Elect being more and more incorporated may know themselues to be confirmed and established in the euerlasting Couenant But yet because the Couenant and the flesh and bloud of Christ are diuers obiects and the one is ordinated vnto the other therefore for doctrine sake I distinguish the one from the other and shew what is the proper vse of either of them The fourth Position OF the benefit or vse of the Couenant communicated vnto vs. Lastly I beléeue the couenant it selfe being ratified and confirmed in the bodie of Christ and by the bloud of Christ to bee more and more communicated vnto vs in the same bodie and bloud of Christ that by the bond thereof wee may wholy whatsoeuer we are bee vnited more and more vnto God the Father the Fountaine as of the whole Diuinitie so of all goodnesse and blessednesse by Christ the Mediatour the Spirit working and dwelling in vs and that we may be so vnited that in mind wee may daily more clearely acknowledge him by the Holy Ghost to be our true and our best Father in Christ and in our heart loue him more feruently in Iesus Christ through the Holy Ghost yea with all the powers of soule and bodie wee may daily more sincerely honour him and may bee made like vnto him in Holinesse and Iustice vntill at length sinne being vtterly destroyed and death abolished and the perfect Image of God recouered wee may so perfectly through Christ in the Spirit of God bee vnited and coupled after this life vnto God the Father that he may be all in all Amen For this is the last end vnto which not only the Supper of the Lord but also Baptisme yea the whole Word of God all his benefits all his corrections lastly all the words and works of God doe lead vs vnto CHAP. III. Of the dutie of a Christian man in the Supper of the Lord. WHerefore I thinke and beléeue that these are the duties of a Christian man in the Lords Supper First that he set before his eyes the perfect Communion with God which is none at al without Christ and is to be found only in him and that he direct all things vnto it as vnto the last end Secondly that hee may come vnto this end hee must make his beginning from the meanes which doe incurre into our senses as those things which are first perceiued by our vnderstanding and are better knowne by nature as also hee must heare the word attentiuely and come vnto the Sacraments reuerently and diligently consider as well what the word signifieth as what the Sacraments doe represent and what is offered vnto vs by the Ministerie of them both which is this that Christ hath offered vp his bodie vnto death for vs and shedde his bloud for remission of sinnes and therefore hee hath by his bloud sealed and confirmed in himselfe being Mediatour the New Testament of our euerlasting reconciliation and peace with God And these things are so signified by the Sacraments that they are also offered and giuen vnto vs to be receiued Whereby it comes to passe that they are truly called Signes not only signifying but also exhibiting and giuing the things which they signifie Thirdly I beleeue because the thinges signified and offered by the Signes are to be receiued by faith and faith is the gift of God therefore God is to be praied vnto as hee who offereth the things by the Signes and who commands vs to receiue them by faith He also can giue and increase faith whereby we are able to receiue them Fourthly I beléeue that faith being begotten in vs by hearing of the Word and increased by the diligent consideration of the Sacraments through the Holy Ghost it is the dutie of a Christian man while he receiueth the Externall and Visible Signes with his hand being also Externall and Visible and eateth them with the mouth of his body and drinketh them heare vpon Earth together also to receiue with the hand and mouth of faith and to eate and drinke the Heauenly and Inuisible thinges namely the flesh and bloud of Christ with a faithful heart lifted vp vnto the Heauenly Table that hee being more and more coupled vnto Christ and made flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones may liue in Christ and Christ in him For I beleeue the faithfull in the Supper truly to
saith it is a Synecdoche so that both part agrée in this that it is the true and naturall bodie of Christ as the Euangelists and the Apostle doe plainly teach that it is spoken of the true bread and so that the Articles of faith bee kept on both sides in their plaine meaning pure and vncorrupt As that the naturall bodie of Christ is one is finite is humane is in Heauen doth no more die is not consumed not broken And yet indéed as the Scriptures teach is offered vnto all is communicated to all the faithfull but in a mysterie and after a Spirituall manner Euen as the faithfull themselues doe grow vp into one bodie and are incorporated with their head Christ and with the whole Catholike Church not after a Carnall but after a Spirituall manner And therefore as in the Sprituall and Mysticall fellowship with Christ and the Church wicked Hypocrites haue no part séeing they want faith but are only in the outward and Visible societie so I beléeue that those Hypocrites are Partakers not of the true and naturall and truly Heauenly flesh and bloud of Christ but only of the externall and outward signes the which also are termed by the name of the flesh and bloud of Christ euen by Christ-himselfe Wherefore wheras the Apostle saith They who eate vnworthily are guiltie of the bodie of the Lord if it bee vnderstood of the wicked which certainly and not without a cause Bucer denieth I interpret that in this sense wherein the same Apostle saith vnto the Hebrewes that some doe tread vnder foot the Son of God and account the bloud of the Testament a prophane thing to wit not because they doe truely eate the flesh of Christ and drinke the bloud but because they doe it vnworthily but rather because reiecting by their vngodlinesse the bodie and bloud the Bread and Wine being offered they drinke and eate the Bread and Wine vnworthily This thing good Christian assure thy selfe of that I am not so wicked as to doubt of the truth of Christs wordes in the Supper as some too impudently doe accuse me of neither that I dispute of the simple vnderstanding of euery word in this proposition This is my bodie For by this Article This that the Bread is declared besides that the text doth teach Paul also doth so interprete it 1. Cor. 10. 11. Neither this word is doth signifie any other thing as I thinke then to bee and I take this word bodie for the true bodie of Christ as Christ himselfe doth interpret who addeth which is giuen for you And therefore there is no controuersie among vs whether in the lawfull vse of the Supper the Bread bee truly the bodie of Christ but wee dispute only of the manner by which the Bread is the bodie of Christ And moreouer neither part call into question that the bread is after that manner the body of Christ after which Christ would then haue it will now haue it to be for it must be according to his will And whereas in the words of the Supper the wil of Christ is not expressed cōcerning the maner I think it is to be gathered out of the like places to wit Sacramentall kinde of spéeches Moreouer this foundation being laid that Christ then would not and now will not that the bread should bee his body after any of the manners of those men who take away the truth of his true humane body or else doe disagree from the analogy of faith and ouerturne some article of the faith from his simple meaning So the manner of Christs being in the Sacrament by Transubstantiation is excluded both because neither in the Sacrament of Baptisme the substance of the water is changed as also because straight way many bodies héere vpon earth should bee faigned vpon Christ besides that body which he hath in heauen and lastly because the substance of bread neither before neither after the conuersion was deliuered to death for vs I adde moreouer that according to Saint Marke the substance of wine was in the belly of the Apostles when he said This is the bloud The manner also of Consubstantiation is excluded both because neither in the water of Baptisme the bloud of Christ is locally included whereby we are washed from our sinnes as also because this maner doth take away the nature of the true humane body and doth Diametrically repugne with the article of the ascention into heauen and of the sitting at the right hand For the same causes that manner also is to be taken away which is not much vnlike vnto this which is imagined by a real and local adherency or coniunction not to speake that not one word can be read for the proofe of this that after some of these thrée manners Christ would haue the bread to be his body After what manner then is it probable that Christ would haue the bread to bee his body Verily after this manner as all other Sacraments are said to be that thing whereof they are Sacraments to wit by a Sacramental and so a Mystical vnion For that which we call a Sacrament the Grecians cal a Mystery Wherefore this spéech is vsuall with the Fathers that the bread is the body of Christ euen the present body and that it is eaten in a mystery Now a mystery is said to be when visible things doe lead vs to the true vnderstanding and receiuing of inuisible things and earthly things of heauenly things corporall things of spirituall things In which sense the Apostle to the Ephesians calleth the carnall marriage of Adam and Eue a great mystery because of the spiritual marriage which is contracted betweene Christ and his Church and to which that other marriage doth leade vs. But carnall men destitute of the spirit of God and of faith cannot be brought by earthly things vnto heauenly things or by the participation of those earthly vnto the communion of these heauenly seeing they cannot so much as vnderstand them as the Apostle saith Which is the cause why I iudge and beleeue that the flesh and bloud of Christ being heauenly and spirituall things cannot in deede and truth be receiued of wicked men no not by the mouth of their body which also was Bucers opinion Therefore hee said that the body of Christ was both present and eaten of vs in the Supper not after any worldly manner but onely after a spirituall and heauenly manner The which what is it else then to say that it is eaten of vs by the spirit of Christ For by Christ heauenly things are ioined vnto earthly things and by him they are receiued of them And this is my beleefe and iudgement for the meaning of the words of the Supper which I will constantly hold till that a better a truer and more agreeable to the Scriptures shall by other men bee offered and plainely prooued unto me Ille non edit corpus Christi qui non est de corpore Christi August He cannot eat the
liuing that they take héed of such sinnes I will deliuer vnto you a rare example I knew a Gentleman of good sort who seldome came to the Church in the time of his health I was sent for to him in the time of his sicknesse and after many instructions deliuered vnto him he vttered vnto me this speech Sir I am beholding to you for this paines and thanke God for this comfort But if God had now denied this fauour vnto mee hee should haue dealt with me but according to iustice I haue liued a good time in this Parish I haue beene inuited by my friends called by the Bel mooued by the good report I heard of you and others to come to this Church but I made many excuses as of sicknesse and going to other places and did not come And though I haue many sinnes which I must answere for yet none at this time grieueth mee more then that I haue liued vnder a painfull Ministerie and yet was neuer partaker of it so that you and the whole Parish may iudge that I am either of no Religion or of a contrarie Religion to that which is professed in this Kingdome pray for mee that this sinne may bee pardoned heare me make a confession of my faith and that I die in the faith of Christ and am heartily sorrie for this mine offence I pray you therefore make it knowne when I am dead An. This I did and thus must we do ye◠in discretion that we may not be thought biters of the dead if either for crownes or gownes we doe otherwise it is a sinne Quest You propounded in the beginning fiue thinges which I ought euer to meditate on The first is expounded to my great comfort concerning the second which is Christs passion and death what ought I especially to thinke of Answ It is necessarie indéed you should thinke often of it for nothing will make you more willing to die then to be perswaded that Christ by his death hath washed you from sinnes and by his resurrection hath giuen vnto you eternall life I remember that Hierome complaining much of the people of his time that they had little féeling of the passion of Christ crieth out after this sort Euery Creature suffereth together with Christ at his suffering the Sun is darkened the Earth is mooued the Rockes cleaue a sunder the Vaile of the Temple is diuided the graues are opened only miserable man suffereth not with Christ for whom alone Christ suffered And Saint Bernard complaining of himselfe saith I went on securely knowing nothing of that fearefull iudgement of God which was in heauen denounced against mee and behold the Sonne of a Virgin the Sonne of the most high God is sent and commanded to be slaine that by the precious balme of his blood hee might heale all my wounds Consider O man how great are those wounds for the curing of which the Lord Christ must needs be wounded If these wounds had not beene deadly yea and to eternall death the Sonne of God would neuer haue dyed that he might cure them And that Augustine meditating on the passion of Christ saith The Crosse of Christ it to vs the cause of all happinesse it hath deliuered vs from the blindnesse of error it hath restored vs from darknesse to light it hath conioyned vs being aliens to God wee were farre from him it hath brought vs to his presence wee were pilgrime Citizens it shewed vs to him his crosse is the cutting off of discord the foundation of peace aboundance and largesse of all gifts Quest What then is the passion of Christ Answ It is that al-sufficient sacrifice of the Sonne of God whereby he offered himselfe to the Father that he might merit for all that beléeue in him iustification by this obedience sanctification by his Spirit redemption by his death and eternall life by his resurrection from the dead Quest What moued Christ thus to suffer Answ 1 The good will and pleasure of the Father 2 The misery of mankinde 3 Gods infinite and vnspeakeable loue 4 The voluntary obedience of Christ himselfe Quest Of what continuance was this passion of his An. From the day of his birth till the houre of his resurrection Quest Tell me what he suffered from his birth till his death Answ He suffered in his body circumcision hunger weeping and wearinesse in his soule temptation and heauinesse in his estate pouerty and needinesse in his name ignominy and contemptuousnesse in person persecution and weakenesse and in his whole life miserie and wretchednesse and to this end onely that he thus freeing vs from deserued ignominy might bring vs in the ende vnto eternall glory Quest But because his greatest suffering was about and at his death shew mee first what he suffered not long before he died Ans When Dauid considered by the spirit of prophecie of this point he saith The sorrowes of the graue haue compassed mee the troubles of hel haue taken hold vpon me And when Ieremy did consider it by the same Spirit he crieth out in the person of Christ Lament 1.12 Haue you no regard all yee that passe by this way Behold and 〈◊〉 if there bee any sorrow like vnto my sorrow which is done vnto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce wrath from aboue he hath sent fire into my bones which preuaileth against them hee hath spread a net for my feet and turned mee backe hee hath made mee desolate and daily in heauinesse He was in a Garden where Adam transgressed his soule was heauy vnto death hee sweat drops or rather cloddes of bloud trickling downe vnto the ground and was constrained to cry Father if it bee possible let this cup passe from mee There hee was assaulted by Satan betrayed by Iudas apprehended by Souldiers and forsaken of all his professed Disciples Quest And why thinke you was his soule thus perplexed Ans Not for the feare of a bodily death for that he might if he would haue auoided But 1 The meditation of sinnes tyranny deaths victory and Satans malice al which had made hauocke of mankinde 2 The consideration of those cursed contumelies and that damnable death which he was to vndergoe in his blessed body 3 The thoughts he had of mans ingratitude who was not thankefull nor mindeful of so great saluation 4 The sense and féeling of Gods wrath which hee susteined and satisfied for our sinnes Quest When he was apprehended and brought vnto Caiphas surely the high Priest would vse him well Ans Nay hee is by him arraigned as a theefe mocked as a foole accused as an incendiary stricken as one contemptible and spit vpon as an execrable person and all this to frée vs from that shamefull execration Qu. Was he no better vsed when he came before Pilate Answ Not a whit for 1 Hee was accused as a seducer of the people a seditious person a conspiratour against the State a subuerter of the Nation an enemy to Caesar
Heart cannot comprehend it because it must Comprehend the heart and this wee shall more fully perceiue by how much wee doe more Faithfully beléeue Firmely expect and Ardently desire God saith the said Father hath prepared that for them that loue him which cannot be Apprehended by faith Attained to by hope or obtained by charitie it transcendeth our desires and wishes it may be Obtained it cannot be valued Quest Yet that I may get such a glimpse of that glorie begin with mine estate after I am dead what shall I enioy in the Kingdome of Heauen Ans You shall be carried to the Bosome of Abraham the Celestiall Paradise the House of your Father the new Holy and durable Ierusalem you shall then enter into your Masters Ioy you shal haue an Inheritance immortall vndefiled which withereth not reserued in the Heauens you shall Rest from your labours haue Peace from your Enemies and behold the Glorie of God in Christ Iesus in which place shall bee such and so many ioyes as all the Arithmeticians in the World are not able to number them all the Geometricians are not able to weigh them all the Grammarians Rhetoricians and Logicians are not able to expresse them in fit termes There shall bee ioy aboue vs for the Vision of God about vs for the vision of the Angels beneath vs for the vision of the Heauens and within vs for the vision of Happinesse There Salomons wisdome shall be reputed but folly Absaloms beautie but deformitie Azaels swiftnesse but slownesse Sampsons strength but weaknesse Methusalaes long age but infancie and the Kingdome of Augustus Caesar but beggerie Quest By what meanes shall I obtaine this happinesse Answ By Gods mercie that giueth it by Christs Merit that bought it by the Gospell that offereth it by Faith that receiueth it and by the Spirit that sealeth it vnto your soule Quest What is the obiect of it Ans The Vision knowledge and comprehension of God in Christ We shal indéed behold the Angels and enioy their companie sée the Saints and haue their societie But as the ioy of a Courtier is in the presence of his Prince so the ioy of a Christian shall be in the presence of his Christ Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Matthew 5.8 Blessed are they that dwell in thine house for they shall euer praise thee Psal 8.4 We shall see him as he is 1. Ioh. 3.3 The Angels doe this in the Kingdome of Heauen and wee shall doe it in the same Kingdome Here we liue by faith there we shall liue by sight Quest Is this felicitie prepared for all Answ For all that beleeue it is prepared The Elect haue obtained it the rest are hardened Rom. 11.7 In euery Nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10. There is neither Iew nor Gentile Grecian or Barbarian Male or Female Bond or Free but wee are all one in Christ Iesus Gal. 3.27 Quest Shall my bodie only or my soule only or both bodie and soule enioy this felicitie Answ Both bodie and soule your soule shal be sanctified throughout and your body made like vnto the glorious bodie of Christ Iesus Phil. 3.20 Quest Shall this very bodie of mine rise againe to life after death Answ It shall assuredly for 1 The Lord keepeth all the bones of his Saints that not one of them shall be broken Psal 34.21 and there shall not an haire of our head perish Luke 21.18 2 Euery one shall receiue in his bodie that which he hath done be it good or euill 2. Cor. 5.10 3 God hath consecrated this bodie of yours to be a Temple for the holie Ghost to dwell in 1. Cor. 3.16 4 This corruptible shall put on incorruption saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. This saith he pointing as with the finger at the same substance and could not speake more expresly vnlesse hee should haue taken his owne skinne with his owne hands as Tertullian well obserued 5 Christ rose againe in his owne bodie and you shall rise as he did 6 In this bodie you haue suffered for Christ liued for Christ and in it you shall reigne with Christ 7 You shall be happie but how happie if one part should perish saith Tertullian in his booke of the Resurrection of the flesh 8 I am sure saith Iob that my Redéemer liueth though after my skin wormes destroy this bodie yet shall I sée God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall sée and mine eyes shall behold and none other for mee though my reines are now consumed within me Iob. 19.25 Quest O that you could teach me this by some such comparisons as might confirme my faith concerning this doctrine for there are many Sadduces in the world at this day who denie the resurrection of the bodie Answ Indéed I remember that Gregorie in his Morals hath a like saying of some in his time There are saith he a number of people who considering that the soule is dissolued from the bodie that the bodie is turned into rottennesse that rottennesse returneth to dust and that this dust is resolued into the first elements cannot see how that by reason there should be any resurrection and beholding drie and dead bones mistrust that they shall not againe bee clothed with their flesh and so reuiue Such men though they cannot by faith beleeue as they ought the bodies resurrection yet let them be perswaded by this naturall reason What I pray then doth the whole world but imitate our resurrection daily in her elements For wee see daily that trees in winter want both leaues and fruit and behold suddenly in the spring time out of a drie tree as it were by a new resurrection leaues bud out fruits ripen and the whole tree is apparelled with her reuiued beautie Let them behold the dead kernell set into the earth how a tree sprouteth out of it and let them deuise if they can where that great tree was in so small a seede Where was the bodie where the barke where the branches where the greene leaues where that plentie of fruit Do they not perceiue that all these were in the kernell or seede before it was cast into the ground Why then should they wonder how a little dust resolued into elements should when God will become a liuing bodie againe seeing that so small a seed comming first out of a tree should by the power of God become an huge tree againe For as the tree is in the kernell so are our bodies in the glorified bodie of Christ In the man Christ saith Cassiodorus is the flesh of euery one of vs yea our very blood and a portion of vs. Therefore I beleeue that where my portion reigneth there shall I reigne where mine owne blood ruleth there do I perceiue that I shall rule where my flesh is glorified there know I that I shall be glorious And why then shall it séeme strange vnto you that God is able to raise your body againe
at the last day A Tayler can rip a garment and set it together againe though it bee in a thousand pieces a Clockmaker can take asunder euery wheele of a watch and ioyne it together again and shal not God be able to doe the like for your bodie Why my deare brother did God create you of nothing can he not restore you from something doth not he hold all the elements in his hands is not he more skilful then that Alchymist who can extract the quintessence of any substance or that goldsmith who though many mettals bee mingled together yet can he seuer each one to his first substance is not he the Lord God of all flesh is there any thing hard to him Ierem 32 Can the Phoenix rise out of her own ashes and shall not you arise out of your owne dust Can the trees reuiue againe in the spring and cannot you reuiue againe at the last day You sée that many birds and flies are dead all winter and reuiue in summer you know that the corne which at the séede time is cast into the ground groweth vp in haruest Shall God saith Augustine quicken the rotten and dead graines of seed whereby thou liuest in this world and shall bee not much more raise thee vp that thou maiest liue for euer Know then that as euery night hath his day euery Sunsetting his Sunrising euery sleeping his awaking euery labour his rest and euerie winter his spring time so euerie death shall haue his life Say then euen when you are to die Post tenebras spero lucem After darkenesse I hope for light Iob. 17.12 For if the Spirit of him that raised vp Iesus Christ from the dead dwel in you he that raised vp Christ from the dead shal also quicken your mortall body by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Reade and reade often the 1. Cor. 15. chapter and those two golden Chapters of the last resurrection and eternall life in Bucanus his Institutions and you shall be much comforted and confirmed in this point Quest I beleeue that I shall see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the liuing but when I see him what shall bee the qualities where with my body shall be adorned Ans It shall be 1 Immortall for this mortall shal put on immortalitie 1. Cor. 15. 2 Incorruptible for this corruptible shall put on incorruption 1. Cor. 15. 3 Spirituall it is sowen a naturall body it shall rise a spirituall bodie 1. Cor. 15. 4 Strong it is sowen in weaknes it shal rise in strength 1. Cor. 15. 5 Perfect for as Adam was in his first creation and Christ after his resurrection so shall you be at the resurrection of the iust 6 Beautifull it shall shine like the stars be bright as the Sunne and cleare as Crystall Dan. 12. Matth. 22. 1. Cor. 15. The glory of the heauenly bodies is one the glorie of the earthly bodies is another Quest Why saith the Apostle that our bodies shall be spirituall bodies Answ Not that the essence shall be changed but the qualities of that essence they are called spirituall 1 Because they shall giue themselues wholly to be gouerned by the Spirit 2 They shall be vpheld by the power of the Spirit so that they shall need no meat or drinke but by the Spirit of Christ shall be nourished to eternall life Quest And why say you they shall be perfect Answ Because as there is no pollution in heauen so shall there be no imperfection The yong infant shal not rise in his infancy nor the aged person in his decrepite age nor the blind person without his fight nor hée that is borne lame or imperfect with that imperfection but séeing our resurrection is a new creation we shall then be as in our first creation Aug. lib. 11. de ciuit Dei cap. 13. And in his Enchiridion to Laurentius he saith The bodies of the Saints shall rise without any maime without any deformitie without any corruption without difficultie in which there shall be as great facilitie as there is felicitie Lyra ad Ephes cap. 4. ver 13. Looke to the 1 Adam created a perfect man the 2 Adam rising a perfect man and Gods promise Philip. 3.21 1. Cor. 15. 49. to make our bodies like Christs bodie and you will resolue w … comfort of this truth Quest As my bodie shall be thus renued so shall not my soule be renued Answ It shall Then shall the glorious Image of God shine in it for 1 Your vnderstanding shall be full of the knowledge of God which he shall immediately reueale vnto you 2 Your will shall perfectly obey God 3 All your affections shall be so purified and well ordered that there shall be a swéet harmony betwixt all the faculties of your soule Quest Can you shew me this by any comparison Answ Lactantius will do it for me As a candle saith he while it is in the lanterne it giueth a good light and enlightneth the lanterne it selfe and if it bee taken out although the lanterne bee left darke yet the candle shines more cléerely than it did before so while the soule is in the body it is the light and gouernour thereof and when it forsakes the bodie although the bodie bee left dead and insensible yet then the soule enioyes her proper vigour and brightnesse Lib. 7. cap. 12. Diuin Iustit Quest That I may the better thinke of this glorious e … tie and eternall glorie tell mee what the ancient Fathers haue thought of it Answ They indéed sequestring themselues from the mist and mudde of this present world saw more clearely than we the happinesse of Paradise and therefore they haue many diuine meditations of this matter I will repeate some and reade you to this purpose the two last Chapters of the Reuelation Augustine said Such is the beautie of eternall righteousnesse such is the ioy of that eternall light that if wee might stay there but for one day euen for that time alone wee should contemne the innumerable yeares of full delights and circumfluence of all happinesse Again We can more easily tell what there is not in that eternall life then what there is There there is no death sorrow lâ—ssitude or infirmitie There there is no hunger no thirst no heate no corruption no want no mourning no griefe Againe Haste haste to that place where you shall liue for euer for if you so loue this miserable and mutable life where you liue with such labour and for all your running riding sweating and sighing you can hardly prouide necessaries for your selues how much more ought you to loue eternall life where you shall not labour but enioy all securitie all felicitie happie libertie and happie blessednesse where we shal be like Angels the righteous shine like stars where God shall be all in all vnto them who shal be seen without end loued without wearinesse praised without irksomenesse Againe This inheritance I meane this of Christ by which we
become fellow heires with him is not lessened by the multitude of possessors nor straitned by the number of heires but it is as great to many as to few to euery one as to all Againe Doe we loue riches let vs there keepe them where they cannot be lost Do we loue honor let vs there haue it where honor is giuen to none but the worthy Do wee desire dignitie let vs there affect to get it where being once gotten we may not feare to lose it Do we loue life let vs there seeke it where it is not ended by death Againe Such shall be there the delight of beautie that thou shalt euer haue it and neuer be glutted with it yea rather thou shalt euer be satisfied and neuer glutted For if I say thou shalt not be satisfied there shall be hunger if satisfied thou maiest feare satietie there where there is neither fulnesse nor famine I know not what to say but God hath what to giue Againe Behold the Kingdome of heauen is set to sale if thou wilt thou mayest buy it Thinke not much of the greatnes of the price it is worth all that thou hast Look not what thou hast but what an one thou art It is worth as much as thou art worth giue thy selfe and thou shalt haue it Thou wilt say I am euill and perhaps he will not take mee by giuing thy selfe to him thou shalt become good Againe The poore widow bought as much for two mites as either Peter did by forsaking his nets or Zacheus by giuing halfe his goods to the poore Againe In the citie of God the King is veritie the Law charitie the dignitie equitie the peace felicitie the life eternitie but it is contrarie in the diuels citie there the king is falsitie the law cupiditie the dignitie iniquitie the hapinesse contention the life temporalitie Againe Compare we this life temporall with that which is eternall and it is but a death rather than a life For this continuall decaying of our corrupt nature what is it else but a prolixitie of death But what tongue can expresse what minde can comprehend the ioyes of heauen to be amongst the quire of Angels to bee with the blessed spirits to behold the presence of God to see that most cleere light to bee affected with no griefe to reioyce in the gift of perpetuall incorruption Againe There shall we enioy whatsoeuer shall be louely nay can we desire that which wee shall not enioy There we shall rest there we shall see there we shall know there we shal loue there wee shall praise wee shall praise that Being which shall bee in the end and without end For what else is our end but to come to that kingdome which is without end Againe There this shall be the sole vertue to see that thou louest and the soueraigne felicitie to loue that thou seest There shall blessed life be drunke out of her owne fountaine where the vision of veritie shall bee most cleerely opened Gregorie said Let vs runne and follow Christ heere are no true ioyes but there they are reposed where there is true life Againe Because in the elect in this life there is a diuersitie of workes there shall bee without doubt in the life to come a distinction of dignities that wherein heere one excelleth another there he may surpasse his fellow in reward yet though all haue not the like dignitie yet all shall haue one and the same blessed life Bernard said There are twelue starres in the Crowne of Christians in heauen The first is memorie without forgetfulnesse the second reason without error the third will without perturbation the fourth impassibilitie in which the bodie shal rise the fift brightnes by which it shall be like Christs glorious bodie the sixt agilitie to mooue according to the mobilitie of our mindes the seuenth transparencie that albeit it be solid and thick yet shall it be impenetrable the eight to loue our neighbor as our selfe in truth the ninth to see cleerely that our neighbour loues vs as himselfe the tenth to loue God perfectly but more than our selues the eleuenth to loue our selues but for God the twelfth to see God louing vs more than he loued himselfe Againe O that blessed Region of Paradise O that blessed Region of delights for which I sigh in this vallie of teares where wisedome shall shine without ignorance memorie without forgetfulnesse vnderstanding without error and reason without obscuritie Blessed are they that dwell there they shall for euer and euer praise God The kingdome of God is granted promised shewed receiued Granted in predestination promised in vocation shewed in iustification receiued in glorification Prosper said The life to come is that whereby wee beleeue that it is blessedly sempiternall and sempiternallie blessed where there is certaine securitie secure tranquilitie safe iucunditie happie eternitie eternall felicitie where there is perfect loue no feare an euerlasting day swift motion and in all one spirit To conclude thinke you of the goodliest sights that euer could be seene the most melodions musick that euer could be heard the most delicate diet that euer could be tasted the greatest honor that can be enioyed the best companie that may be possessed and all the comforts that you can haue in this life and in comparison of the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen they are but a point and lesse than a point they are petie ioyes peacocke ioyes the ioyes of prisoners and poore pilgrimes Quest I shall like the better of this life eternall if you giue me such a taste here of eternall death that I do not feele it in the life to come Can this eternall death be described Answ It cannot any more than eternall life for as the heart cannot comprehend that one so the tongue cannot expresse this other Quest But what saith the scripture of it Ans Very terrible and fearefull things as Deut. 32.22 Fire is kindled in my wrath shall burne down to the bottom of hell Psal 10.6 Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares fire and brimstone stormie tempests this is the portion of their cup. Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell his angels These shall go into euerlasting paine Reuelat. 20.10 The diuell was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where the Beast and the false prophet shall be tormented euen day and night for euermore Chap. 21.8 The fearefull and vnbeleeuing and abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and forcerers and idolaters and all liers shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 2. Thessal 1.7.8.9 The Lord Iesus shall shew himself from heauen with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that do not know God and which obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power 2. Pet. 4. God
Mat 27.27 derided but h Lu. 93.24 Pilate condemnes him condemned but the Souldiers abuse him Is hee on the Crosse the k Mat 27.39 people will not pitty him is he risen the High priests wil l Mat. 28.15 belle him In a word is hee vpon earth he is tempted in his m Luc. 11.16 person is hee in heauen hee is n Act 9.4 tempted in his members Thus the life of Christ was a warfare vpon earth and the life of Christians must bee a warfare vpon earth We liue heere in a sea of troubles the sea is the world the waues are calamities the Church is the ship the anker is hope the sailes are loue the Saints are passengers the hauen is heauen and Christ is our Pilot When the sea can continue without waues the ship without tossings and passengers not be sick vpon the water thou shal the Church of God be without trials Wee begin this voyage so soone as we are borne and wee must saile on till our dying day We doe reade in Gods word of many kinds of temptations God Satan Man the World and the Flesh are said to tempt God tempteth man to trie his obedience Satan tempteth man to make him disobedient men do tempt men to trie what is in them man tempteth God to try what is in him The world is a tempter to keepe man from God and the flesh is a tempter to bring man to the Diuel So God tempted a Gen. 22. Abraham in the offering of his sonne Satan b Iob. 1 18 tempted Iob in the losse of his goods a c 1. King 10 1. Queene tempted Salomon in trying his wisdome men d Exo. 17.3 tempted God by distrust in the desert the world tempted Demas e 1. Tim. 4.10 when hee forsooke the apostles and the flesh tempted Dauid f 2. Sa. 11.4 when he fel by adultery Doth God tempt vs take héede of hypocrisie doth Satan tempt vs take héed of his subtilty doth man â—empt man take héed of dissembling doth man tempt God take héed of inquiring doth the world tempt man take héed of apostasie doth the flesh tempt man take héed of carnality But doe we so are wee wary of these tempters No wee are not and therefore we fall We fall on the right hand by temptation in prosperity and wee fall on the left by temptations in aduersity of the one it may be said 1 Sam. 18. it hath slaine thousands of the other that it hath slaine tenne thousands When we come and sée cities dispeopled houses defaced and walles pulled downe we say the Souldier hath beene there and when we see pride in the rich discontent in the poore and sinne in all we may iustly say the tempter hath been there Now of all other temptations it pleaseth God to suffer his Church to bee tempted with afflictions It is neuer frée either from the sword of Ishmael which is a a Ge. 21.9 reuiling tongue or the sword of Esau a b Gen. 27.41 persecuting hand Neither was there yet euer Christian man found who had not his part in the cup of affliction We must drinke of the c Mat. 20.23 same cup our master did d Mat. 10.24 the disciple is not aboue his master The reasons why God doth visit vs thus with afflictions are 1 To humble vs. Reasons why God doth afflict his children 2 To weane vs. 3 To winow vs. 4 To preuent vs. 5 To teach vs. 6 To enlighten vs. 7 To honour vs. 8 To cure vs. 9 To crowne vs. 10 To comfort vs. 11 To protect vs. 12 To adopt vs. And last of all to teach and comfort others To a Ecc. 3.10 humble vs that wee be not proud b Psa 119.67 to weane vs that wee loue not this world c Luk. 22.31 to winnow vs that wee be not chaffe d Psa 119.71 to preuent vs that we doe not sinne e Psa 39.9.40.1 to teach vs that we be pacient in aduersity to f Gen. 42.21 enlighten vs that wee see our errors to g Iam. 5.11 honor vs that our faith may be manifest to cure vs that we h Deut. 32 15. surfet not of security to i 2 Ti. 4.7 crowne vs that wée may liue eternally to k Ioh. 6.33 comfort vs that he may send his spirit to l Act. 12.7 protect vs that he may guide vs by his Angels to m Heb. 12.7 adopt vs that wee may bee his sonnes n 2. Pet. 2.5 and to teach others that they seeing how sinne is punished in vs they may take heed it be not found in them that they o 2 Cor. 1.6 seeing our comforts in troubles may not be discouraged in the like trials Thus a Christian mans diet is more sower then swéet his physick is more aloes then honey his life is more a pilgrimage then a progresse and his death is more despised then honoured This if men would thinke of before afflictions would bee as welcome to the soule of man as p Ruth 2.8 afflicted Ruth was to the field of Boaz. But because wee looke not for them before they come thinke not on Gods doing when they are come and doe desire to be happie both héere and héereafter therefore wee can away with the name of Naomi but in no case would we be called a Ruth 1.20 Mara Wee b Ionah 1.15 see the sea not the whale the c Ex. 14 11 Egyptian not the saluation the d Dan. 6.16.22 Lions mouth not him that stoppeth the Lions mouth If wee could sée God in our troubles as e 2. Kings 6.16 Elisha did in his then would we say There are more with vs than there are against vs. But because wee doe not therefore at euery assault of the Assyrians wee say as the seruant to f 2. Kings 6.15 Elishah did Alas master what shall wee doe and with the disciples g Mar. 4.38 Carest thou not master that wee perish Yet it is good for vs to suffer affliction h IaÌ„ 1.12 Iob 5.17 Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receiue the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him It is i Pro. 3.11 commanded by God k Mat. 4.2 practised by Christ l 2 Tim. 3.12 yeelded to by the Saints m Psa 119 71. assigned by Gods prouidence and good for vs each way Wee are Gods n Psal 1.4 trées wee shal grow better by pruning Gods pomander smell better by rubbing Gods spice bee more profitable by bruising and Gods conduits wee are the better by running Let vs suffer afflictions they are o 2. Cor. 4.17 momentarie iâ— respect of time p Phil. 1.29 fauours if wee respect Gods loue and a meanes to bring vs to the Kingdome of God If they did consume vs we might wish them an end but
and winds of troubles and persecution and they shall flie before him as a Iud. 17.4 Sisera did before Debora and the b 1 Sa. 14. Philistims before Debora and the Philistims before Ionathan and his seruant And as Christ asking the woman of her accusers shee answered c Iohn 8. There was none so in the end aske a Christian of his troubles and he will say There are none He is a buckler for our left hand a sword in our right he is an helmet on our head and harnesse for our bodie We shal look vpon troubles as d Exod. 14 Israel did vpon the Egyptians as the e 1. Sam. 17.52 Iewes did on Goliah and as the Grecians did on Hector to triumph ouer them and as the Angell said to Ioseph f Mat. 2.20 They are dead that sought the childs life so the Spirit shall say to the afflicted They are dead that did séeke your life A day of deliuerance a yeare of Iubile wil come and then g Gen. 41. Ioseph shall be out of Prison h Gen. 31. Iacob out of seruitude and i Iob. 41.12 Iob shall lie no more in the dust of the Earth If our afflictions were plagues as to the Egyptians curses as to Cham destruction as to Sodom desolation as to Israel then had wee cause to flie from them as Moses did from that miraculous Serpēt But since they are but the trials of faith corrections of a father visitations from the Bishop of our soules since they are as Phlebotomie to a Pleurisie and a purgation to a Plethora they are to be endured with all patience k 1. Thess 4.18 Let vs comfort our selues with these words Now to the end that all men may thinke of their end and liue well I haue inserted héere in loue to him certaine propheticall verses sound in the pocket of a most Religious yong Gentleman one M. Henrie Morrice Sonne to M. Morrice Atturney of the Court of Wards who thinking euer of sudden death died suddenly in Milford Lane Septemb. 12. 1604. at the age of 23. yeares Twice twelue yeares not fully told a wearied breath I haue exchanged for an happie death My course was short the longer is my rest God takes them soonest whom he loueth best For he that 's borne to day and dies to morrow Loseth some daies of rest but moneths of sorrow Why feare we death that cures all sicknesses Author of rest and end of all distresses Other misfortunes often come to greiue vs Death strikes but once and that stroke doth releeue vs. He that thus thought of death in lifes vncertaintie Hath doubtlesse now a life that brings eternitie Liue for to learne that die thou must And after come to iudgement iust This Heauenly Meditation may well bee placed heere My God I speake it with a full assurance Faith will auow claime by appropriation My God who keep'st this debter Spirit in durance Fettered with sinne and shakled with temptation Oh of thine endlesse mercy soone enlarge me Nor hell nor sinne nor ought beside shall charge me My soule may now be gone vnto her maker Maker of her but not of her Infection That is her own when Gods helpe doth forsake her Finall forsaking is not in Election For where he once by grace hath made his dwelling There may be striking but theirs no felling Earth what art thou A point A senselesse center Friends what are yee An Agie trustlesse triall Life what art thou A daily doubtfull venter Death what art thou A better lifes espiall Flesh what art thou A loose vntempered morter And sicknesse what art thou Heauens churlish porter Sweet Iesus bid thy porter then admit me I hold this World and worlds delay in loathing If ought be on my backe that doth not fit me Strip me of all and giue me brideall clothing So shall I be receiued by my liuerie And prisoners soule shall Ioy in gaole deliuerie Veni Domine Iesu veni citò The summe of this direction Mors tua mors Christi fraus mundi gloria coeli Et dolor Inferni sunt meditanda tibi Thinke oft on death thine own and Christs this Worlds deceitfulnesse The ioyes of Heauen the paines of Hell in which is wretchednesse Suprema cogita cor sit in aethere Felix qui didicit mundum contemnere A godly prayer to bee vsed at all times especially of such as delight in this exercise without wearinesse MOst high and mightie God and in thy Son Christ Iesus our mercifull louing and gracious Father thou hast commanded vs to come vnto thee and vpon the knées of our hearts wée doe come vnto thée humbly entreating thée before we begin to remoue farre from vs all such impediments as vsually Satan casteth vpon this exercise and so to quicken vs vp by the Spirit of supplication that in feare and reuerence of thy great name in faith and confidence of thy gracious assistance and in a féeling desire of the supply of our wants we may put vp and powre out our supplications vnto thée that as the messengers of our soules they may signifie our wants as the petitiouers of mercy they may sue for our pardon and as proclaimers of thy grace they may declare our thankfulnesse for all those mercies which we haue receiued and all those iudgments which we haue escaped O Lord our God we doe here in thy presence and blessed are we that we may come to thy presence acknowledge and confesse that we are of our selues most wofull wicked cursed creatures The corruption of our natures the iniquities of our liues doe generally beare witnesse against vs. But more particularly wee confesse that our hearts are full of infidelity by reason wherof we doe not as wee ought either depend vpon thy prouidence for the things of this life or beleeue thy promises for the life to come Doest thou visit vs wee are impatient doest thou denie vs our desires in this world we are neuer contented with our estate We are full of doubt for the life to come and full of distrust for the things of this life Wee are glued too much to this wicked world and as though we said in our hearts there is no God our mindes are greatly estranged from thee And alas miserable wretches that we are we delight in doing our owne wils it is not meat and drinke to vs to doe thy will In the pride of our hearts we exalt our selues aboue thee and our brethren and boast our selues as though we had receiued nothing from thee We put away from vs the euill day and liue as though wee should neuer die Wee walke on in the hardnes of our hearts by reason of the abundance of vaine-glory we rather séeke praise of men then thy glory Our soules are so filled with loue to our selues that we preferre our owne pleasure peace and liberty before thy Maiesty or the loue of our brethren yea hypocrisie is so rooted in our soules that wee