Mercies are everlasting and Remedies certain Be we but Penitent we cannot be Miserable 19. WE soon forgot this Visitation loss of Friends and God's Judgments and thought with foolish Agag that Surely the Bitterness of Death is past 1 Sam. 15.32 and provok'd him still to Wrath against us we must have after our Contagion a Purgation by Fire which the best Naturalists say is a proper Remedy against Infection the Almighty seeing it necessary to use this Prescription prepar'd it into a Medicine That great Conflagration which consum'd most part of our City to Ashes It was dreadful to behold and made most tremble yet what signs of Remorse do we shew What Vanity I fear I may ask what Vice have we substracted upon the Sense of God's Anger What nicety in Cloaths or Diet have we cut off in sympathy with the Nakedness and Hunger of our afflicted Brethren Nay do not the unreasonable Jollities among us look as if we triumpht in their Miseries found Musick in the Discordant Sound of their Groans and our own Laughter and emulated that infamous Barbarity of Nero who play'd while Rome burn'd 'T is mention'd by the Prophet as a most prepost'rous thing a kind of impious Solecism to revel under the Menace of Judgments Amos 4.11 I have over-thrown some of you as God over-threw Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a Fire-brand pluckt out of the Burning yet have ye not return'd to me saith the Lord. 20. FIRE is the Eagle in Nature nothing in the Elementary World mounts so high to its Place and stoops so low to its Prey The two Properties God himself ascribes to that Bird Job 39.27 30. And if we still refuse obstinately to be gather'd like Chickins under our Lord's Wings he can again let loose this Bird of Prey this Eagle of Heaven upon us and from the East where it began before flie it home like Lightning even to the utmost West to seize and to devour where-ever there is the least Quarry remaining 21. NEXT Gebal and Ammon and Amalek and the rest that Hell and Rome and their Partizans our Enemies on all hands both Foreign and Domestick have been so long Confederate against us saying Come and let us root them out that they be no more a People that the Name of that Reformed Church of England may be no more in remembrance They have often attempted to bring about their malicious Designs and yet have not been able to seize us To what can we justly ascribe all this but to the gracious Protection of the Almighty to whom we must fly for Defence and Aid 22. AND now when restless and unquiet Men the true Spawn of him whose Tail drew the third part of the Stars of Heaven and cast them to the Earth would fain by their Hellish Plots and Contrivances bring us down again from thence even down to the Ground and lay our Honor in the Dust When by their secret Machinations they are at work on all sides to hurry us back into the old Confusions in hope that out of that disorder'd Mass they may at length rear up a new World of their own but what a World A World made up of a new Heaven of Superstitions and Idolatries A new Earth too of Anarchy first and pretended Liberty but of Tyranny insufferable at the next Remove 23. IN such a dangerous State of Affairs as this whether should we nay whether else can we seek for Help and Deliverance but under his Protections the stretching out of whose Arms of Providence fills the Breadth of thy Land O England He can make these Cockatrice Eggs on which this Generation of Vipers that eat out the the Bowels of their Mother have sat so long abrood windy and addle So that out of the Serpents Root shall never proceed an Adder to bite us or a fiery flying Serpent to Devour us He can confound these Babel Builders with their City Tower and Temple their Foreign Policy and strange Worship their Novel Modes and Models of Governmnet in Church and State and scatter them abroad from hence upon the Face of the Earth like as a Dream when one awaketh So shall he despise their Images and their Imaginations too and make their whole Contrivance consume away like a Snail and Become like the untimely Fruit of a Woman which shall never see the Sun 24. AND And now let us cry mightily unto God and say Remember not Lord our Offences nor the Offences of our Fore-Fathers neither take thou Vengeance of our Sins Spare us good Lord spare thy People whom thou hast Redeemed with thy most Precious Blood and be not angry with us for ever And good Lord deliver us from Lightning and Tempest from Plague Pestilence Fâ—mine and Fire from Battle and Murder and from sudden Death From all Sedition and Faction Privy Conspiracy and Rebellion from all false Doctrin Heresie and Schism from hardness of Heart and Contempt of the World and Commandment Libera nos Domine A Prayer in time of Publick Calamity O THOU God of Justice I humbly beseech thee in this thy Wrath to remember Mercy We confess O Lord our Guilt flasheth in our Faces and Woe unto us for we have Sinned We have not kept the way of the Lord but perfidiously departed from thee our God the Wise hath trusted in his Wisdom the Strong in his Strength and the Rich in his Riches Thus have we brought our selves under the Curse by trusting in the Arm of Flesh and the Ballances of Deceit are in our Hands and throughout the whole course of our Lives we have wrought a deceitful Work 2. BUT O God bow down thy Ear unto our Prayers attend unto the voice of our Supplications create in us new Hearts O God and renew right Spirits within us We have all been Examples of Sin O make us all Examples of Reformation that old things may pass away and all things may become new Deliver us O Lord from these Publick Calamities which we so Righteously have deserved and let not thy Displeasure arise any more against us and grant that we may serve thee for the future in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of our Lives Amen SECT VIII Loss of Friends 1. THOU hast lost thy Friend Thy Sorrow is just the Earth hath nothing more precious than what thou hast parted with For what is a Friend but a Man's self A Soul divided in two Bodies and animated by the same Spirit It is somewhat worse with thee than a Palsied Man whose half is stricken with Numbness he hath lost but the use of one side of his Body thou the half of thy Soul Or may I not with assurance say that a true Friend hath two Souls in one Body his Own and his Friend 's It was so with Jonathan and David The Soul of Jonathan was knit with the Soul of David and Jonathan lov'd him as his own Soul 1 Sam. 18.1 2. STILL the more Goodness the stronger Union Nature can never so fast
beset with Parasitical Friends Young Man said he I pity thy Solitude Perhaps thou may'st be more alone in such Society than in the Wilderness Such Conversation is better lost than continued If thou canst but be well acquainted with thy self thou shalt be sorry thou wert no sooner solitary 12. THOU art from thy Country Who is not so We are all Pilgrims together with thee 1 Pet. 2.11 Heb. 11.13 Whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5.6 Miserable are we if our true home be not Above That is the Better Country which we seek even an Heavenly Heb. 11.16 And thither thou mayst equally direct thy Course in whatsoever Region This Center of Earth is equidistant from the Glorious Circumference of Heaven If we may once meet there what need we make such Difference in the way A Prayer in Exile O LORD GOD Lord of the Mountains and Vallies Land and Sea and the God of the Exiled and Out-crst thou dost with much Patience behold Oppression and Wrong until the measures of Iniquity be filled up O Lord behold the pressures of me thy poor dispised and dejected Servant Thy Mercy and Gracious Audience of the Afflicted is neither limited to Jerusalem nor this Mountain every place is equally near Heaven and where ever Men lift up pure Hands and Hearts Worshipping of thee in Spirit and Truth thou art there present to hear and help them Lord thou seest good to permit me to the power of Men to Exercise me yet can they not shut thy Merciful Ear against me O let my Complaint therefore come before thee Let thy word be as the Cloudy-Pillar to lead me in thy Way and let thy good Spirit direct me 2. LORD leave me not destitute and comfortless in my Afflictions Be my Guide and Helper in this Earthly Pilgrimage and Valley of Tears unto and in the Hour which thou hast appointed to take me hence into the incorruptible and undefiled Inheritance which thou by â—hy Power hast reserved in Heaven for all Believers There no hand of the Oppressor can reach and where shall be no Curse no Sin nor fear of Forfeiture Into which no Enemy shall be admitted and from which no Inhabitant shall ever be cast out Lord Hear and Help me Lord have Mercy on me and grant me that which I ask according â—o thy will and that which I should ask which thou knowest best for me through the Infinite Merits of of the Son of thy Love the Author and Finisher of our Salvation Christ the Righteous Amen SECT XII Of Blindness and Deafness 1. THOU hast lost thine Eyes a Loss which all the World is uncapable to repair and thou art condemn'd to perpetual Darkness For the Light of the Body is the Eye and if the Light that is in thee be Darkness how great is that Darkness Mat. 6.22.23 Couldst thou have foreseen this Evil thou hadst anticipated this Loss by weeping out those Eyes for Grief which now thou art destitute of There are but two Senses by which any external Comfort can have free access to thy Soul Seeing and Hearing One of 'em is now extinguish't for ever Yet thou hast two internal Eyes that can supply the want of thy external the Eye of Reason and the Eye of Faith The One as a Man the Other as a Christian. Answerable to which there is a double Light apprehended by 'em Rational and Divine 2. SOLOMON tells thee of the one Prov. 20.23 The Spirit of a Man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the Inward Parts of the Belly St. John tells thee of the other 1 John 1.5 7. God is Light and in Him is no Darkness and we walk in the Lgiht as he is in the Light Now the two Lights so far exceed that external and visible of which thou art depriv'd as Light Darkness If then by the Eye of Reason thou attainst to intelligible Things and by the Eye of Faith to things Supernatural and Divine the Improvement of these Eyes will make amends for the want of thy Natural ones 3. THY Sight is lost Let me tell thee what Antony the Hermite whom Ruffinus is not doubious of stilling Blessed said to Learned Didymus of Alexandria that was Blind Let it not trouble thee O Didymus that thou art bereft of thy Carnal Eyes for thou lackest only those Eyes which Mice and Flyes and Lyzards have But rejoice that thou hast those Eyes which the Angels have whereby they see God and by which thou art enlightned with a great measure of Knowledge Endeavour to perfect this and thou shalt not be much discomforted with the absence of them 4. THINE Eyes are lost and the chief Comfort of thy Life gone with them The Light is sweet saith Solomon and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun Eccles. 11.7 Hath not God done this purposely that he might take thee off from all Earthly Objects that thou might'st fix thy self upon him and seek those Spiritual Comforts which are to be found in a better Light The Sun is the most glorious Planet the Eyes can possibly see but thy Spiritual ones may behold him that Created that glorious Luminary who is infinitely more glorious than what he Created If thou hast now an Inspection into him more than thou hadst that which thou countedst thy Loâ—s hath prov'd thy Gain 5. THOU art Blind and certainly it is a sore Affliction The Men of Jabesh Gilead offered the Tyrant of the Ammâ—nites to serve him 1 Sam. 11.1 But when he required the loss of their Kâ—â—ht Eyes as a Condition of Peace they will rather hazard their Lives in an unequal War as if Servitude and Death were a less Mischief than one Eye's loss How much more of Both For tho one Eye be but Testis Singularis yet the evidence of that is as true as of both and in some Causes more For when ye take a perfect Aim we shut one Eye as being conducive to an accurate Perspective Yet for ordinary use we value equally these Lights that there is no wise Man but would rather lose a Limb than one of them 6. A Person not less Religious than Witty when his Friends bewail'd the loss of one of his Eyes ask'd them whether they wept for the Eye which he had lost or the Eye which remain'd Weep rather said he for the Enemy that stays behind than for the Enemy that 's gone He look'd upon his Sight with Eyes different from others he look'd upon 'em as Enemies which others beheld as Officious Servants good Friends and dear Favourites 7. INDEED they are all of these as they are us'd Good Servants if they go faithfully on their Errands and return true Intelligence Good Friends if they advise and invite us to Holy Thoughts But Enemies if they suggest Evil. If thine Eyes have been employ'd in evil Offices to thy Soul God hath done that for thee which he hath in a Figurative Sense enjoyn'd thee to
the days of a mispent Youth so now accomplish thine own Work give me an Heart faithfully to adhere unto thee that I may constantly Endeavour to Redeem the many Errors of my life past by becoming a Pattern of Faith and Obedience in all those with whom I Converse with for the Future Lord fill me with thy Holy Spirit that I may bear more fruit in my Age Forsake me not now I am Old and Gray-Headed Neither Remember the Sins and Follies of my Youth 2. O let thy Power appear in my Weakness and the Operation of thy Spirit in the Decays and Ruins of this Earthly Tabernacle by the evident repair of thine own Image in me Mortifying the remainds of Sin and assuring me of my Election and Calling in Christ Jesus And now O Lord that the time of my departure draweth nigh give me a vigilant Spirit that I may be ready when thou Summonest me Lord there are but few steps between me and this Worlds period O strengthen me with thy Grace give me a lively Faith an Invincible and Constant perseverance in this Race of the few and evil dayes of this Earthly Pilgrimage that by thy merciful Assistance I may so run that I may obtain That when thou pleasest to give me rest from my Labours and gather me to my Fathers I may against all the pains and Sorrows of Death willingly and cheerfully yield up my Soul into thy Gracious Hands in full assurance of my Redeemption and Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen SECT XVI Of Mortality 1. THOU fearest Death The Holiest Wisest and Strongest have done no less He is King of Terrors and must command Thou mayst hear the Man after God's own heart say Psal. 116.3 The sorrows of Death compassed me And Psal. 88.3 4 5. My Soul is full of troubles my life draweth nigh to the Grave I am counted with them that go down to the Pit as a Man that hath no strength free among the Dead And Good Hezekiah upon the message of Death Chattered like a Crane or a Swallow and went mourning as a Dove Isa. 38.14 2. THOU fearest as a Man but must strive too ver-come as a Christian which thou mayst perform if from the terrible aspect of the Messenger thou cast thine eyes upon the Amiable Face of God that sends him Holy David shews the way Psal. 18.5 6. The snares of Death prevented me In my distress I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God and he heard my voice out of his Temple and my cry came before him even into his ears He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues of death Psal. 68.20 3. MAKE God thy Friend and Death shall be an advantage Phil. 1.21 It is true what the Wise Man said VVisd 1.13 Chap. 2.24 that God made not death but through envy of the Devil death came into the VVorld But though God made him not he is pleas'd to employ him as his Messenger to Summon some to Judgment and Invite others to Glory and those the Psalmist makes mention of are these latter Psal. 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints And what reason hast thou to abomâ—nate that which God accounts precious 4. THOU art afraid of Death Acquaint thy self with him more and thou wilt fear him less Bears and Lyons at the first sight affright us but upon frequent viewing lose their Terror Inure thine eyes to the sight of Death and that Face shall not displease thee Thou must shortly dwell with him for a long time for the days of darkness are many Eccl. 11.8 but in the mean time entertain him as the blessed Apostle doth 1 Cor. 15.31 I protest by your rejoycing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord I dye daily 5. INVITE him to thy Board lodge him in thy Bed discourse him in thy Closet and walk with him in thy Garden as Joseph of Arimathea did and by no means suffer him to be a stranger to thy thoughts This familiarity shall bring thee to delight in his company whom thou didst formerly dread then thou mayest with the blessed Apostle say Phil. 1.23 I have a desire to be with Christ which is far better 6. THOU art gievously afraid of Death Fears are apt to imagin and aggravate evils Even Christ himself walking upon the waters and the Disciples trembled as at some dreadful Apparition perhaps thou lookst at Death as some utter abolition or extinction of thy being and nature must needs shrink at the thought of not being at all This is an ill and dangerous misprision For it is but departing which thou call'st Death 7. SEE how God stiles it to Abraham Thou shalt go to thy Fathers in peace thou shalt be buried in a good old Age Gen. 15.15 And Jacob Gen. 49.33 When Jacob had ended commanding his Sons he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the Ghost and was gathered unto his People So that dying is going to our Fathers and gathering to our People with whom we shall live in a better World and re-appear Gloâ—ious Let but thy Faith represent Death to thee in this shape and he will not appear terrible 8. DO but observe in what familiar terms God Confer'd with Moses concerning his Death Deut. 32.49 Get thee up into this Mountain Abarim unto Mount Nebo which is in the Land of Moab and behold the Land of Canaan which I gave unto the Children of Israel for a Possession and dye in the Mount whither thou goest up and be gathered to thy People as Aaron thy Brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his People So it is no more go up there and dye should it have been go a days Journey in the Wilderness to Sacrifice it could have been no otherwise expressed or as if it were all one to go up to Sinai to meet with God and go up to Nebo and dye Neither is it otherwise with us only the difference is that Moses must first view the Land of Promise and then dye whereas we must first dye and then see the Promised Land 9. THOU art troubled with the fear of Death What reason hast thou to be Afflicted with that which is common to Mankind Remember the words of Joshua Josh. 23.14 Behold this day saith he I am going the way of all the Earth If all the Earth go this way couldst thou think there is a by-path left thee to tread in were it so that Monarchs Princes Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles were allow'd any easier passage out of the World thou mightst perhaps repine at a painful dissolution but now since all go one way there can be no ground for a discontented murmur 10. GRUDGE if thou wilt that thou art a man but grudge not that being a man thou must dye It is true those whom the last day shall find alive shall not dye but they shall be changed 1 Cor. 15.51 52. but this change shall be
of our own Magnificence But when ever such Cogitations arise let us reverberate it immediately with the Memorial of some of our Follies and Vices so we may make this very Motion of our Pride an occasion of Humility Thirdly We are to make no Comparison of our selves with those we think are more foolish and vicious than we are lest we fall into the same Snare with the Pharisee Luk. 16.11 Extol our selves for being better But if we will compare and associate our selves let us do it with the Wise Sober and Religious and there we shall find we come so far short of 'em that we can have no high Esteem of our selves but rather a more Submission to Humility than we had before Lastly Let us humbly and earnestly invoke the Almighty That he would eradicate all Degrees of this Sin in us and make us of the number of those that are Poor in Spirit Mat. 5.3 to whom the Blessing even of Heaven it self is pronounced and promised 11. THE next Vice in opposition to Humility is Vain-glory which is a hungring and thirsting after the Praise of Men and first that it is a Sin the Words of our Saviour prove it John 5.44 How can ye believe that receive Honour one of another So it is not only a Sin but such a one as hinders the Reception of Christ into the Heart Secondly The great danger of this Sin is such if it keep Christ out of our Hearts it brings us to inevitable Destruction for all our Hope of escaping the Wrath to come depends in our Reception of Him And this Sin where ever it takes Possession in the Minds of Men it endangers the being guilty of many others and he that seeks so much for popular Applause may be in danger of the Mobile's Hissing and without Repentance in danger of Hell Fire Mat. 5.22 12. THIRDLY The Folly of it is we pursue after a Blast of Wind the Breath of Men which affords us no real Advantage Secondly It is not only unprofitable but dolorous and difficult also for he that eagerly seeks Praise is not Master of himself but must suit all his Actions to that end and purpose and contrary to what his own Reason and Conscience dictates to him he must take care to do what will bring him in Commendations and so captivates himself to every one that hath a Tongue to extol him And this Sin is further prejudicial when it is used in Religious Duties or any Christian Acts it destroys all the Fruits of it They that pray or distribute Alms to be seen of Men must accept of that for their Portion Mat. 6.2 Verily I say unto you They have their Reward for they must expect none from God but the reward of those Hypocrites that love the Praise of Men more than the Praise of God And they that make such a miserable Exchange are not only guilty of Folly but are in danger of losing their own Souls Mark 8.36 13. AND the Remedies against this Vice are these First We are to keep a strict Watch over our selves and to observe in any Christian Duty whether we consider the Praise of Men or in the most indifferent Action whether we have not an earnest Inclination to it and if we find our selves leaning that way we must endeavour to have a a strict Eye upon it and whenever we find it moves reprehend and resist it Secondly Let this be our Design to please God that when we intend any thing we may make this inquiry whether it hath his Approbation and then we shall have no time to think what Praise it will bring us from Men for it is a greater Benefit for us to please God who is able to give us Eternal Rewards than Men whose Applauses are vain and empty and none of us can but think it reasonable to make the former our only Care Thirdly If at any time we receive Praise of Men let us not be fond of it nor think a tittle the better of our selves If it be Virtue we are esteem'd for we must remember it came from God and return him the Glory and not imagine any belongs to our selves Indifferent Actions can deserve no Praise and bad Ones ought to set us a trembling else that Woe of our Saviour belongs to us Luke 6.26 Woe unto you when Men speak well of you for so did their Fathers to the False Prophets and there is not a greater Appearance of an hardned Heart than when Men make their Sins the Object of their Glory 14. THE next Virtue is Meekness which is composed of a calmness and quietness of Spirit opposite to the Rage and Impatiences of Anger This Virtue is a Duty to God of which I have already spoken of under the Head of Humility and may be exercised towards our Neighbor and our selves I shall begin with that towards our selves First The advantage we receive by it is this We have the Blessing which Christ pronounced Mat. 5.5 Blessed are the Meek not only in the World to come but in this They shall inherit the Earth and indeed none hath a more perfect Enjoyment than Meek Persons For the Impatient can never enjoy the greatest Prosperities and the uneasiness of this Passion is such that it raises Storms within their own Breasts and a Perturbation upon their Spirits 15. SECONDLY We acquire Honour by it for we resemble Christ that blest Pattern of Meekness Learn of me saith he for I am meek and lowly in Heart Matth. 11.28 And by it we conquer our selves and our unruly Passions which is the noblest Victory Thirdly It makes us deport our selves like Men whereas Anger transforms us to the Fierceness and Wildness of Savage Beasts The One is esteemed and the Other abhorred every one shunning an outragious Man as they would a tameless Beast Moreover Meekness inferreth a sober Mind whereas Anger is direct Madness and renders him uncapable of being his own Master exciting him to those things as himself in his serious Temper utterly detests Many Men have committed those things in their Rage which they have repented all their Life after Therefore seeing how much Anger resembles Beastiality a mad Man than a sober Man let us imbrace this Vertue of Meekness and abandon the contrary Vice of Anger 16. MEEKNESS in the next place makes the worst Condition tolerable and easie and if we meekly bear any Suffering it takes off the Edge that it cannot wound us whereas they that rage whets it and makes it sharper than it would be as in the case of reproachful words which in themselves do no prejudice to our Bodies nor Estates all the mischief they can do is to make us angery and then the Anger will create more Strife and Debate and animate the Espoused Party but more against us Whereas he that Meekly passes them by is never the worse but the better for he shall he rewarded of God for that Patience And St. Paul to Titus gives us this Advice To speak Evil of
following If you add to your Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godliness and to Godliness Brotherly Kindness Charity 2 Pet. 1.5 6. 23. IF Thou wouldst be inform'd what God hath written concerning thee in Heaven look into thy own Bosom and see what Graces he hath wrought in thee Truth of Grace saith the Divine Apostle will make good the certainty of your Election Not to instance the rest of that Heavenly Combination do but single the first and the last Faith and Charity For Faith how clear is that of our Saviour He that believeth in him that sent me hath Everlasting Life and shall not come into Condemnation but hath passed from Death to Life Joh. 5.24 What danger can befall us in our acquiring Heaven All the Peril is in the way Now the Believer is already passed into Life This is the Grace by which Christ dwells in our Hearts Ephes. 3.17 and whereby we have Communion with him and an assured Testimony of and from him For he that believeth in the Son of God hath the Witness in himself And what Witness is that This is the Record that God hath given us Eternal Life And this Life is in his Son he that hath the Son hath Life 1 Joh. 5.10 11 12. Oh happy Connexion Eternal Life first This Life Eternal is in and by Christ Jesus he is ours by Faith and this Faith testifieth to our Souls assurance of Life Eternal Charity is the last which comprehends our love to God and Man For from the reflection of God's Love to us ariseth a Love from us to him again The beloved Disciple can say We love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4.19 And from these resulteth our Love to our Brethren And such an Evidence we have that the Apostle tells us expresly That we know we are passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 For the love of the Father is inseperable from the love of the Son He that loveth him that Begets loves him that is Begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 25. NOW deal impartially with thine own Heart and enquire seriously as in the Presence of the Searcher of all Hearts Whether thou dost not find in thy self these Evidences of thine Election Art thou not effectually tho not perfectly called out of the World and corrupt Nature Dost thou not inwardly abhor sinful ways and think of what thou wert with Detestation Dost thou not endeavour to be in all things approved to God and confirmed to thy Saviour Dost thou not cast thy self upon the Lord Jesus and depend upon his free All sufficiency for Pardon and Salvation Dost thou not love that infinite Goodness who hath been so rich in Mercies to thee and bless those Beams of Goodness which he hath cast upon his Saints on Earth Lastly Dost thou not love a good Man because he is so Comfort thy self in the Lord and let no Fear and Distrust possess thy Soul Faithful is he that hath Called thee 1 Thes. 5.24 who will also Preserve thy whole Spirit and Soul and Body blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes. 5.23 A Prayer for an Afflicted Conscience O GOD the Father of all Mercies and Heavenly Consolation suffer me not at any time to fall from thee or to be swallowed up in the depth of Affliction but when ever it shall please thee to try me in that Furnace let my sure Hope and Confidence be fixed on thee that when multitude of Sorrows shall encompass my Soul my only trust may be in thy Mercies Give me the Oil of Joy for Mourning and the Garment of Gladness for the Spirit of Heaviness that thy great Name may be Glorified by me in a thankful acknowledgement of thy Goodness towards me 2. LORD thou beholdest afar off the manifold Perils and Dangers I am exposed to in this World which is a sea of Miseries and numerous Calamities The Winds blow the deep Waters lift up their proud swelling Waves and the stormy Tempests threaten me with Ship-wrack to the Ruine and Destruction both of Soul and Body But O thou who art the God of Unity speak Peace unto this inward Voice and say unto it I am thy Salvation so shall I be refreshed with thy loving Kindness and Praise thee ever more Amen SECT IV. Remedies against Temptations 1. THOU art assaulted with Temptations And what the Enemy cannot do by Force or Fraud he seeks by Importunity Can this seem averse to thee when the Son of God was in the Wilderness forty Days and forty Nights under the Tempter He that durst set upon the Captain of our Salvation Heb. 2.10 How shall he spare frail Flesh and Blood Why should Christ suffer himself to be Tempted but to support thee in all thy Temptations The Keys of the Bottomless Pit are at his disposal He could have confin'd that Presumptuous Spirit to Chains of Darkness and admitted him no nearer to him than Hell but he would let him loose and permit him to act his worst purposely that we might not dislike to be Tempted and that he might foyl our greatest Enemy 2. CANST thou think that he who sits at the right Hand of Majesty commanding the Powers of Heaven Earth and Hell could not keep off that malignant Spirit from assailing thee Canst thou think him less Merciful than mighty Would he die to save thee And will he turn that Miscreant of Hell loose to worry thee Dost thou not Pray daily to thy Father in Heaven to Lead thee nâ—t into Temptation Thou hast to do with a God that heareth Prayers Oh thou of little Faith why fearest thou He that was led by his Divine Spirit into the Wilderness to be Tempted of that Evil Spirit bids thee pray to the Father that he would not Lead thee into Temptation implying that thou couldst not go into Temptation unless he lead thee and whilst he that is thy Father leads thee how canst thou miscarry Let no Man when he is Tempted say I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with Evil neither tempteth he any Man Jam. 1.13 God Tempteth thee not yet being his thou couldst not be Tempted without him both permitting and ordering that Temptation to his own Glory and thy eternal Welfare 3. THAT Grace which God hath given thee he will have thus manifested How had we known the admirable Continency of Joseph if he had not been strongly sollicited by a Wanton Mistress Or David's Valour if the Philistines had not had a Giantly Challenger to encounter him How had we known the invincible Piety of the Three Children had there been no Furnace to try ' em Or of Daniel if no Lyons to accompany him Be assured thy Glory shall be Proportionable to thy Tryal Neither couldst thou ever be so happy hadst thoâ— not been beholding to Temptations How often sayst thou have I beaten off these base Suggestions yet still they retort upon
not easily determin'd which loss is greatest the Eye or Ear both are afflictive Now all the World is to thee Dumb since thou art Deaf to it And how small a Matter hath made thee a Cypher amonst Men These are the Senses of Instruction and there is no other way for Intelligence to be convey'd to the Soul either in Secular or Spiritual Affairs The Eye is the Window the Ear is the Door by which all Knowledge enters In matter of Observation by the Eye and of Faith by the Ear Rom. 10.17 20. HAD it pleas'd God to have excluded these Senses from thy Birth thy State had been utterly Disconsolate and there had been no possible access for Comfort to thy Soul Had this Affliction happen'd in thy riper Age there had been no way but to be content with thy former Store But now he hath vouchsafed to leave thee one Passage open it behoves thee to supply one Sense by the other and to let in those helps by the Window which are deny'd Entrance at the Door But now Omnipotency hath been pleas'd to lend thee an Ear so long till thou hast laid the sure Foundation of Faith in thy Heart thou mayst work upon 'em in this silent Opportunity with Celestial Meditations and raise 'em up to no less height than thou could'st have done by thy quickest Hearing 21. IT is a great Blessing that in the plentitude of thy Senses thou wert sollicitous to improve thy Bosom as a Magazine of Heavenly Thoughts providing with the Wise Patriarch for the seven Years of Dearth Now that the Passages are block'd up thou mightest have been in danger of Famishing Thou hast now leisure to recal and ruminate upon those Counsels which thy Improvement hath laid up in thy Heart and to thy happy Advantage find'st the difference betwixt a wise Providence and a careless Neglect 22. THINE external Hearing is lost But thou hast an internal Ear whereby thou hear'st the secret motions of God's Spirit which shall never be lost How many thousands whom thou enviest are in a worse Condition They have an external Ear whereby they hear the voice of Men but they want that Spiritual Ear which perceives the least Whisperings of the Holy Ghost Ears they have but not hearing ones for Fashion more than Use. Wise Solomon makes and observes the Distinction Prov. 20.12 The hearing Ear and the seeing Eye the Lord hath made even both of them And a Greater than Solomon can say of his formal Auditors Hearing they hear not Matt. 13.13 If thou have an Ear for God tho Deaf to Men How much happier art thou than those Millions of Men that have an Ear for Men and are Deaf to God 23. THOU hast lost thy Hearing and therewith no small Sorrow How would it grieve thy Soul to hear those woful Ejaculations pitiful Complaints hideous Blasphemies atheistical Notions mad Paradoxes and hellish Heresies wherewith thine Ear would have been Wounded had it not been barr'd against their Entrance It is thy just Grief thou missest hearing of many good Words and it is thy happiness thou art freed from hearing of many Evil. It is an even Lay betwixt the benefit of hearing Good and the torment of hearing Evil. A Prayer Consolatory to the Blind and Deaf O MOST Powerful Lord God who hast in thy good pleasure been pleased to deprive me of Seeing and Hearing I know O Lord I have deserved thy wrath in a greater measure even Death and Hell it self but I know thou art a God full of Compassion Long suffering and abounding in Goodness and Truth and shews Mercy unto Thousands Lord as thou hast inflicted this on me even the loss of my Sight illuminate my Understanding by thy holy Spirit Thou hast taken away my Sight that I might not behold Vanity O Enlighten my Mind that I may behold inwardly the wonders of thy Law Lord I aâ— poor in Spirit but let thy blessed Spirit help my Inâ—â—â—mities that in thy Light I may see Light 2. AND O thou bright Morning-Star guide me in the way of thy Commandments that at last I may safely arrive where all Tears and Obstructions of Sight shall be taken away from my Bodily Eyes And though my outward hearing is fled away yet let me hear the voice of the Comforter speak peace to my Soul and quietness to my Conscience that when ever thou shalt be pleased to call me hence I may be ready prepared to resign my self up into thy hands as into the hands of a Faithful Creator In the mean time Lord Sanctifie these thy Fatherly Visitations to me and ever remember that what thou hast in thy good Pleasure inflicted on my Body may be for the good of my Soul in the day of the Lord Jesus Amen SECT XIII Of Sterility 1. THOU complainest of dry Loyns and a Barren Womb as Abraham did before thee What wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless Gen. 15.2 And the Wise of Israel made the same Complaints Gen. 30.1 Give me Children or else I die So desirous hath Nature been to propagate and so impatient of a Denial Lo Children and the Fruit of the Womb are an Heritage and Gift that cometh from the Lord Happy is he that hath his Quiver full of such Shafts Psal. 127.4 6. It is a Blessing David grudg'd to Wicked Ones Psal. 17.4 They have Children at their Desire 2. IT was the Curse God inflicted on the Family of Abimelech in Closing up all the Wombs in his House for Sarah 's sake Gen. 20.17 18. The Judgment threatned to Ephraim is a miscarrying Womb and dry Brests Hos. 9.14 And Jeconiah's Doom is Jer. 22.30 Write this Man Childless It is a special Favour of God That the Barren hath born seven 1 Sam. 2.5 And observ'd by the Psalmist as a wonder of God's Mercy Psal. 113.8 that He makes the Barren Woman to keep House and to be a joyful Mother of Children 3. IT is pity he was born that esteems not Children a Blessing She hath a double Favour from God that is a Joyful Mother of Children Many breeds Sorrow and Death And there is scarce any other Blessing season'd with so much Acrimony of Misery and Danger Do but compare one Pain with another and consider the Anxious Cares that attend 'em and tell me whether thy bemoan'd Sterility enjoys not more ease and less sorrow 4. IT is thy Sorrow thou art not Fruitful Consider thou art freed from a greater affliction In Sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children Gen. 3.16 Think on the Shricks in the Painful Travels of thy Neighbours wearying Days and Nights in restless Pangs and calling for Death in despair of Delivery And after the unprofitable Labours of the Midwives have made use of another Sex so have been deliver'd of Life and Birth together All these Sorrows thou hast escap'd And many whom thou enviest have thought thee happier than themselves 5. THOU art afflicted thou art not a Mother And many a one wishes they had been Barren If Children
PATIENCE â— H. â—an Hove Sculp The ART of PATIENCE AND Balm of Gilead UNDER ALL Afflictions An APPENDIX to the ART of CONTENTMENT By the AUTHOR of The Whole Duty of Man It is good that a Man should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord Lam. 3.26 The Second Impression with Additional Prayers Suitable to the several Occasions LONDON Printed by R. Smith for E. Mory at the Three Bibles in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIV Licensed Octob. 14. 1693. THE PREFACE THIS Tract meeting with so Candid a Reception at its first Appearance has Encouraged it to make a farther Essay And what was omitted in the former Impression is incerted in this viz. The Prayers annexed to the several Sections which doubtless will prove very acceptable and Practical to the Contemplative The Original Part of this Discourse was Extracted from a Foundation laid by a Learned and Reverend Prelate upon whose Basis this Superstructure is Erected He like a Wise Master-Builder laid the Corner Stone as a Pattern for others to imitate and they which attain to his height of Perfection shall enjoy what Christ said to his Disciples In their Patience they shall possess their own Souls And indeed we never wanted more Motives to excite us to this Duty than now When this Virtue appears so dissentaneous to most Dispositions But I would to God those Turbulent Spirits would listen to the grave Council of St. Chrysostom If with a Desire of Judging thou wouldst needs be a Judge I will shew thee the Judgment-Seat which shall be adventageous to thee and no way touch thy Conscience Let thy Mind and Thought sit down to give Sentence call forth all thy Offences and begin to say with thy self Why hast thou done this or that This private Examining of Themselves would soon make these Publick Controllers of all others by plausible Pretences of Reformation look nearer Home and subdue that in themselves they are apt to spy in others St. Paul blamed their Course whose manner was to go from House to House Tit. 1.13 Esau that lost the Blessing was Hunting but Jacob that enjoy'd it and the Inheritance kept at home Gen. 17.30 The Just Man saith Solomon first accuseth himself And Judah spake humbly of an Offender when he said She is more Righteous than I Gen. 38.26 But let such hot Spirits take along with them this Information That Obedience is better than Sacrifice and that he which giveth Grace to the Humble is also said to resist the Proud And they may be well assured that this Counterfeit Coyn will prove dross when it comes to the Test. It is an easier Task for Malecontents to reprehend others than to amend themselves as those who have blemish'd Eyes think the Sky ever cloudy Nothing more common with troublesome Dispositions which have not known the way of Peace than to be ever Contending seldom Contented The Elements though in quality divers yet they accord for the Constitution of the Corporeal Nature And I would to God that all who profess and call themselves Christians would accord together for the Conservation of Church and State That Peace may dwell in our Land We are all sheep of that Fold whereof Christ is the Shepherd Stones of that Building whereof he is the chief Corner Stone Branches of that Vine whereof he is the Stock We have but one God for our Father that Created us one Saviour that Redeemed us and one Holy-Ghost our Sanctifier that adorns us We are here but Pilgrims and Strangers and we shall one day find that a Peaceable Christian Life with a good departure hence shall bear a greater Value than all Temporal Enjoyments can afford us In pursuance of which let us all endeavour to learn these following Instructions by which means we shall not only attain to be Schollars but Proficients in this School of Patience and acquire that Conquest over our unruly Passions and inordinate Affections but shall be enabled cheerfully to run with Patience the Race which is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the Shame and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12.1 2. and therefore beseech we God That Mercy and Truth may meet together that Righteousness and Peace may Kiss each other and that his Glory may dwell in our Land until we come to inhabite in the Land of Glory THE CONTENTS With a Prayer to every SECTION Sect. 1. OF the Connexion between Humility Meekness and Patience Pag. 1 Sect. 2. In time of Sickness Pag. 12 Sect. 3. Affliction of Conscience Pag. 26 Sect. 4. Remedies against Temptations Pag. 47 Sect. 5. Imbecillity of Grace Pag. 56 Sect. 6. Loss of Reputation Pag. 62 Sect. 7. Of Publick Calamities Pag. 68 Sect. 8. Loss of Friends Pag. 80 Sect. 9. Of Poverty Pag. 85 Sect. 10. Of Confinement Pag. 91 Sect. 11. In Exile Pag. 97 Sect. 12. Of Blindness and Deafness Pag. 102 Sect. 13. Of Sterility Pag. 111 Sect. 14. Want of Repose Pag. 116 Sect. 15. Of Gray Hairs Pag. 121 Sect. 16. Of Mortality Pag. 130 Sect. 17. Of Judgment Pag. 143 Sect. 18. Spiritual Conflicts Pag. 149 Sect. 19. Character of Patience Pag. 157 The Close Pag. 162 The ART of PATIENCE AND Balm of Gilead UNDER ALL Afflictions SECT I. Of the Connexion between Humility Meekness and Patience 1. GOD the Fountain of Goodness from whom cometh Every Good and Perfect Gift Jam. 1.17 hath laid down such Rules and Precepts in Holy Scripture that whoever is Diligent in the search Shall find in them Eternal Life John 5.39 We are commanded to Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 and to practice those Celestial Duties of Humilty Meekness and Patience 2. HUMILITY is first a Duty we owe to God which is to have such a Sense of our Unworthiness and his Excellency as may operate in us a lowly and unfeign'd Submission to Him Now this Submission is twofold First To his Will Secondly To his Wisdom The Submission to his Will is of two sorts Obedience and Patience Obedience is our yielding up our selves with alacrity to do what his Divine Will and Pleasure command us and to enable us to perform This Humility is exceeding necessary And to acquire this Obedience we must endeavour to possess our Hearts with the Sense of that great unspeakable Distance between God and us To consider Him a God of Infinite Majesty Power and Glory and we poor Worms of the Earth He of Infinite Purity and Holiness and we polluted and dead in Trespasses and Sins He of Power able to do all things and we nothing but by his Divine Assistance 3. A Second sort of Submission to his Will is Patience the Subject-matter of our Discourse This consists in suffering his Will as that of Obedience did in acting it and is composed of a voluntary yielding
disquiets thee Doubtless thou art Soul-sick thy Spirit is wounded within thee and what can thus affect thy Soul but sin Or what can this Affection of thy Soul be for Sin but true Penitence 7. THOU repliedst I am indeed sorrowful for Sin but not upon the right Grounds I grieve for the misery that Sin hath brought upon me not for the evil of Sin but for the Punishment not the Offence for my Peril not for the displeasure of my God Beware lest an undue Humility cause thee falsely to accuse the Graces of God's Spirit Thou art no competent Judge whilst thou art under Temptations Had not thy Sorrow a relation to God why wouldst thou Sigh to Heaven Why would thy Heart challenge thee for unkindness in Offending And to cry out of the Sordidness not of the Peril of thy Sin What renders the act of thy Sin to be sinful but the offence against the Divine Majesty How canst thou be sorry that thou hast Sinned and not be sorry that thou hast Offended Tell me What is it thy Conscience primarily suggests to thee in this impression of thy Sorrow Is it thou shalt be Punish'd or that thou hast Sinned And were it put to thy Choice Whether thou hadst rather enjoy the Favour of God with extremity of Pain or continue in his Displeasure with Ease Or if Liberty were tendred to thee that thou mightst freely sin without danger of Punishment Whether doth not thy Heart rise at the Condition as ready to flie in the Face of the Offerer Besides Fear and Horror dost thou not find an internal Indignation at thy Miscarriage and such a detestation of thy Sin that were it to be reiterated if it were possible to be concealed from God and Men and if there were no Hell to avenge it woulst thou not abhor to commit it All these are strong Convictions of the right grounds of thy Repentance and of the injury which thou dost thy Soul in the unjust Scruples which thou raisest against it 8. IF the grounds thou say'st of my Repentance be regular yet the measure is Insufficient I am sorrowful for Sin but not enough An effectual grief for sin should be serious deep hearty intensive mine is slight and superficial I Sigh but my Sighs proceed not from an humble Heart I can sometimes Weep but cannot pour out my self in Tears I mourn but don't continue my Sorrow To this I Answer Thou hast to do with a God which in all the dispositions of thy Soul regards Validity and not Quantity If he find thy Remorse he exacts not the solid Measure He doth not meet up our Repentance by Inches or Hours but where he finds sincerity of Penitence is Indulgent Look upon David and acknowledge his Sin formidably detestable no less than Adultery Inebriation and Murder Yet no sooner did he in a true Compunction of Heart cry out I have sinned against the Lord then he hears from that Mouth which accused him The Lord also hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not die 2 Sam. 12 13. Here is a penitent Confession which was efficacious in the Expiation of those grievous Crimes Thou art deceived if thou imaginest God delights in the Affliction of his Creatures So far only is the grief of his Servants pleasing to him that it may conduce to the health of their Souls in the sensibleness of their Sin and meet capacity of Mercy 9. I do not with some Casuists flatter thee with an Opinion of the sufficiency of any slight Attrition and empty wishes that thou hast not Sinned doubtâ—ess a true Contrition of Spirit and Compunction of Heart are necessarily required to a saving Repentance And these wert thou but an indifferent Censurer of thine own ways thou would'd find within thy self Why is thy Countenance so dejected thy Cheeks pale and watered so oft with Tears thy want of Rest and loss of Appetite Wherefore dost thou pour out those doleful Complaints and vehement Deprecations But after all this art thou such as thou accusest thy self defective in thy Repentance Dost thou rest contented in this condition and not complain of it as the greatest Misery Art thou not heartily sorry that thou canst be no more grieved for thy Sin Comfort thy self even this is an acceptable Repentance and God accepts it What is Repentance but a change from Evil to Good And how sensible is this Change that thou who formerly delightedst in thy Sin now detests it and thy self for it and art yet ambitious of more Grief for being transported into it Let not thy Souls Enemy who desires nothing more than to make thee perfectly Miserable so allure thee as to render thee unsatisfied with the Measure of that Penitency which is accepted of God Rather turn thine Eyes from thy Sins and look to Heaven and fix 'em upon thine All-sufficient Mediator and behold his Face smiling upon thy humbled Soul and perfectly reconciling thee to his Eternal Father as being fully assured That being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith into this Grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5.1 2. 10. THERE thou say'st is the very root of my Complaint I want that Faith that should give me an interest in my Saviour and afford true Comfort to my Soul and Boldness and Access with Confidence to the Throne of Grace Ephes. 3.12 I can be sorry but cannot believe my Grief is not so great as my Infidelity I see others full of Joy and Peace in believing Rom. 15.13 But my stubborn Heart cannot soar up to a conformable apprehension of my Saviour So as indeed I dwell in obdurate Darkness and a sad ponderosity of Incredulity wanting that Assurance which others profess to find in themselves Take heed lest whilst thou art too querulous thou prove unthankful and whilst thy Humbleness disparages thee thou make God a Loser A Man may have a rich Mine in his Ground which he knows not of and there are Shells furnish'd with Pearls whose Worth many are not sensible of This is thy State Thou hast that Grace thou complainest to want and there is no measuring of thy self by Sense especially in the time of Temptation Thou coulst not so sensibly lament the want of Faith if thou hadst it not Thou canst not deny an Assent to the verity of all God's Promises Thou acknowledgst he could not be what he is if he were not even Verity it self Thou canst not doubt but he hath made those promises of Grace and Mercy to all Penitent Sinners which tend to their Salvation and thou canst not but grant thou art sinful enough to need Mercy and sorrowful enough to desire and Embrace it 11. CANST thou but love thy self so well that when thou seest a Pardon held forth to stretch forth thy Hand and take it This Hand is thy Faith which takes hold of thy Redeemer As for that Assurance thou mentions they
are raised to a greater height of Godly Zeal than ever Corinth had never been so rich in Grace if not defiled with so foul a Crime Confess now if this be not in effect thy Case Shouldest thou ever have detested thy Sin if thou had'st not been drawn in to commit it Shouldst thou have had so fervent a Love to God had it not been out of a sense of his great Mercy in remitting it Wouldst thou have been so weary in thy Stops as thou art if thou hadst not slip'd Give Glory to God but shame to thy self and Bless him for the benefit that he hath been pleased to make of thine Offending him 11. BUT Alas thou sayst my Case is far worse than it is conceiv'd I have been more than once miscarried into the same Sin For after I have made profession of my Repentance I have been transported into my former Wickedness Having washt off my Sin as I thought with many Tears yet I have suffer'd my Soul to be defiled again I must not flatter thee this Condition is Dangerous Those Diseases which upon their first Seisure have receiv'd Cure after a Relapse have threatned Death Look upon the Saints of God thou shalt find they have kept a distance from that Fire wherewith they have been formerly Burn'd Thou shalt not find Noah again Uncovered through Drunkenness Nor Judah climbing to Tamer's Bed Thou shalt not take Peter again in the High-Priest's Hall denying his Master or after St. Paul's Reproof Halting in his Dissimulation Gall. 2.11 12 13. 12. BUT tell me notwithstanding Art thou truly serious with thy God Hast thou doubled thy Humiliation for the Reduplication of thine Offence and sought God more instantly with an unfeigned Contrition Hast thou found thy Soul hath a greater detestation of Sin than thine acquaintance with it hath indulg'd thee Hast thou taken this occasion to lay hold on thy Saviour and to reinforce the Vows of strict Obedience If so this unpurpos'd Reiteration of thy Sin shall be no Prejudice to thy Salvation It is one thing for a Man to walk on willingly in a beaten Path of Sin another thing for him to be led out of the way of Righteousness by the violence of a Temptation which he soon recovers by a sincere Repentance 13. THE Best cannot but he overtaken with Sin But He that is Born of God doth not commit Sin 1 Joh. 3.9 He may be transported but makes not a Custom of doing ill His Heart is against that his Hand is drawn to And if in this inward Strife he is over-power'd he lyes not down with a willing Mind but struggles and with a reassumed Courage tramples on that which formerly supplanted him Didst thou give thy self to a resolved course of Sinning and betwixt whiles smite thy Breast with a formal God forgive me I should have no Comfort for thee but rather send thee to an afflictious Remedy of the Almighty for Correction if possibly those Stripes may prevent thine Everlasting Torments 14. BUT now since What thou hatest that thou dost and thou dost that which thou wouldst not and it is no more thou that dost it but Sin that dwels in thee Rom. 7.19 20. Exclaim as much as thou wilt on the sinfulness of thy Sin bewail thy Weakness with a better Man than thy self O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Rom. 7.24 But know that thou hast found Mercy with God Thy repeated Sin may grieve but cannot prejudice thy Soul Had we to do with a Finite Compassion it might be abated by wasting it self on a frequent Remission as a great River may be drawn dry by many small Out-lets But now that we deal with a God whose Mercy is Infinite it is not the greatness or number of our Offences that makes a difference in his free Remission That God who hath charged our weak Charity Not to be overcome of Evil but to overcome Evil with Good Rom. 12.21 justly scorneth that we should imagine his Infinite and Incomprehensible Goodness can be check't with our Evil. 15. IT was not without a singular Providence that St. Peter came to our Saviour with that Question in his Mouth Lord How often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times That it might produce this Gracious Answer for our perpetual Comfort I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven Matth. 18.21 22. Lord if thou wilt have us sinful Creatures indulgent to one another in our Mutual Offences what Limits can be set to thy Mercies in our Sins against Thee Be we Penitent for thou art Gracious A Prayer against Temptations O Lord thou art the God of my Strength and to thee alone I fly for refuge the Tempter is now busie and labours to undermine me and more especially when I least suspect him But O let me be always ready to meet him in the Gate before he advances too far upon me Let not a Supine carelessness seize upon my Spirits but excite me to Vigilancy that I may stand upon my Guard ever prepared to resist him even in the beginning of his first Assaults Lord grant I may be fortified with Faith Courage and Resolution so that with the Assistance of thy Grace I may gain the Conquest 2. FURNISH me with thy compleat Armour the Helmet of Salvation the Sword of the Spirit and the Shield of Faith whereby Satan may be vanquished do thou Arm and so Strengthen me with thy Grace that through the Power of thy Might I may prevail against him and put him to flight when he is intending the greatest mischief and most advantage against me so shall I sing Praises unto thy Name both now and ever and teach others to resort unto thee in their greatest dangers and hardst Conflicts even then when the powers of darkness shall most obstruct them Amen SECT V. Imbecillity of Grace 1. THOU complainest of the Imbecillity of Grace Some little motions thou art sensible of God's Spirit but so insignificant that thou canst not find any solid Comfort Thou seest others thou say'st whose Breasts are full of Milk and their Bones moistned with Marrow Job 21.24 whil'st thou languishest under a Spiritual Leanness and Imbecillity Thou wantest that vigorous Heat of holy Affections and that Alacrity in the Performance of Holy Duties which thou observest in other Christians I like this Complaint and tell thee That without this thou could'st not be in the way to happiness 2. THINK'ST thou that those whom thou esteem'st eminent in Grace make not the same moan that thou do'st Certainly they never had any if they did not complain of too little Every Man is sensible of his own wants and ready to pass secret Censures upon himself for being applauded by others Even the Man after God's own heart can say But I am Poor and Sorrowful Psal. 69.29 He was a great King when he said so it was not Meaness in Estate that troubled him but
And our Saviour hath annexed The Cares of the World and the Deceitfulness of Riches Mark 4.19 He was envied at Rome which could experimently say The poor Man laughs oftner and freer than the Rich and that external Felicity is a perplexity never ceasing to vex it self Thy sides are now freed from Thorns why do'st thou repine at thine Ease 10. THOU lately possessed'st great Riches But rather say Thou wert possess'd by them A wise Roman truly observed That many a one hath Wealth which clogs him as many aptly say Such a one has an Ague when indeed the Ague hath him and holds him with severity Indeed many a Man's Wealth is his Master and keeps under rigid Articles not allowing sufficient Diet Competent Rest nor any Recreation If thou wert thus a Slave to thine Estate thou art not thine own Man enjoy thy Liberty and with thy Patience be thankful THOU art very poor Who made thee so If thy Negligence Laziness Improvidence Prodigality and rash Engagements thou hast reason to bear that Burthen which thou hast pull'd upon thy Shoulders And if forc'd to groan under thy Load which thy own Will hath procured in this Necessâ—ty let the same Necessity move thy Will to run as lightly as thou canst with that pressing Weight If the Occasion comes by others God will enable thee cheerfully to flie with this Cross because thy Hand was not Guilty of imposing it 12. HOW easie is it for thee to see God's Hand chastising thee by another Man's Sin And to be griev'd as the Sin of others Injuriousness than at thine own Correction How dismal it is for Christians to see Brethren a Prey to each other That Neighbours should be like the Reed and Brake set near together the one to Starve the other That we should have daily occasion to renew that woful Comparison of Bromiard betwixt the Friends and Enemies of Christ That Jews don't suffer Beggars but Christians make them 13. NOW if God thinks fit to send Poverty to thy Door by the Message of Men bid it Welcom for his sake that sent it and entertain it not repiningly for its own sake for if well us'd 't will repay thee with many Blessings as quiet Rest safe Security humble Patience contented Humility and a contemptuous Valuation of Earthly Things All which absented thy House in a Prosperous Condition 14. THOU art depriv'd of thy former Conveniencies as Diet Lodging and Attendance How many have affected that which is befallen thee upon Necessity Some out of the Grounds of Philosophy others of Religion Attalus the Philosopher might have lain Soft yet he Praises the Bed and Pillow that will not yield to his Body And Nero's great and rich Master brags of his usual dining without a Table What should I tell then of the Pharisees uneasie Couches and penal Garments the Mats of the Elect Manichees and the austere Usages of the antient Eremitical Christians their rigorous Abstinences affamishing Meals nightly Watchings cold Ground-lyings and sharp Disciplines Thou art in Ease and Splendor in comparison of these who voluntarily impos'd upon 'em these Severeties which thou wouldst be loath to undergo from others Cruelty It was a strange word of Epicurus not savouring of Contentment but Presumption Give me but Water with Barley-Meal and I shall vie with Jupiter for Happiness And if this Ethnick who had an ill Name for Affectation of Pleasure could rest so well contented with a poor Mess of this Composition what a shame it is for Christians not to think themselves satisfied with a larger tho homely Provision A Prayer in time of Poverty O MOST Great and Glorious Lord God the Earth is thine and thy Providence divideth it among the Sons of Men thou makest Poor and thou makest Rich thou bringest low and liftest up the Needy out of the Dust that he may Glorifie thee Thou art the Saviour and Deliverer of the Fatherless and him that hath no helper Lord behold my Necessities who despisest not the Needy tho thou hast Afflicted me yet Strengthen me so that my Wants may never cast me down to despair of thy Favour nor endeavour their supply by any thing which offendeth thee and whatever I want let me never want the comfortable assurance of thy Love and Mercy neither take thy holy Spirit from me 2. BE my Strength in Distress a Refuge from the Storm and a Shadow from the Heat O thou who art the God of all Consolation supply I beseech thee my Necessities hear me and make speed to relieve me forsake me not O my God open the high Places and the Fountains in the midst of the Valleys for the Thirsty Soul Let thy hand relieve me until thou shalt be pleased to bring me into thy blessed Presence where is fulness of Joy without want measure or end Lord sanctifie those Wants unto me make me rich in Faith and those Spiritual Treasures which once had shall never be lost again Grant me these things O merciful God and whatever else thou knowest necessary for me for the sake of thy dear Son my ever Blessed Lord and Saviour Amen SECT X. Of Confinement 1. THOU art restrain'd of thy Liberty I cannot blame thee to be sensible of the Affliction Liberty uses to hold competition with Life it self And how many have lost their Lives to purchase Liberty But take care that thou art not guilty of thine own Complaint for certainly thou canst not be depriv'd of Liberty except thou wilt Liberty is a priviledge of the Will Will is a Sovereign Power not subject to Restraint or Constraint 2. HAST thou freedom to thine own Thoughts It is not the Inclosing of these external Parts that can make thee a Prisoner Thou art not worthy the name of a Man if thou imagin'st this Body thy self which Human Power can reach to Art thou a Christian Then thou hast learn'd to submit thy Will to God's and his Divine Will is declared in his Actions And if his will be to have thee Restrain'd why should it not be thine And if thou desire to be Confin'd why dost thou complain for want of Liberty 3. THGU art Restrain'd And is it such Injustice thou art depriv'd from ranging Abroad How ill hast thou improv'd thy Time if thou hast not laid up enough both of Employment and Contentment in thy Bosom What pleasure can'st thou enjoy abroad to behold those Contentions and horrid Actions thine Eye shall meet withal which thy Confinement frees thee from being a Spectator The Thought is enough to make a Man Miserable And instead of them thou art presented only with the Face of thy Keeper which Custom and Necessity hath made Familiar 4. THOU art immur'd within Stone-Walls and all Company secluded from thee but content thy self God and his Angels cannot be kept out Thou hast better Company in Solitude than Liberty afforded thee The Jollity of Freedom rob'd thee of the Conversation of Spiritual Comforts which only can render thee Happy They which were Strangers to thee
the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet Psal. 91.9 10 11 12 13. In secular Enmity true Valour may be oppress'd but not easily daunted with Multitude I will not be afraid of ten thousand saith David Psal. 3.6 and Psal. 118.12 They came about me like Bees but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them 8. IT was a brave Resolution in that General when a Soldier told him the Persian Arrows darkned the Sun be of good chear said he then we shall sight in the shade Answerable to which was that Heroical Determination of Luther who against all Threats and Disswasions would go into the City of VVorms though as many Devils were in it as Tiles upon the Houses and why should we not imitate this Confidence What if there were as many Devils in the Air as are Spires of Grass upon the Earth God is our refuge and strength as a very present hâ—lp in trouble therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed though the Mountains be carryed into the midst of the Sea Psal. 46.12 Behold God is our Salvation we will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is our strength and our song he also is become our Salvation â—â—a 12.2 Let God arise and let his Enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee bâ—fore him like as the smoake vâ—nisheth so shalt thou drive them away Psal. â—8 1 2. 9. BUT on the malice of those infernal Spirits is implacable and deadly whose Artifice is Temptation and Accusation whose delight Torment Shrieks Howlings Groans and Gnashing whose main Drift is the Eternal Damnation of miserable Mankind Why should we expect otherwise from him who is a Manslayer from the beginning That carries Destruction in his Name and Nature That goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour 10. SURELY this Malignanty is restless on this side Hell But comfort thy self in spight of Hells malice thou art safe Dost thou not know by thee stands the Victorious Lyon of the Tribe of Judah whom that infernal Fiend dare not look in the Face Dost thou not remember when sentence was pronounc'd of Eternal Enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent it was with this Doom It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 11. A bruise of a Heel is far from the Heart but a bruise of the Serpents Head is Mortal where his Sting is there his Life lies Neither did the Seed of the Woman Christ Jesus this for himself who was infinitely above all the Power and Malice of the Devil but for us the impotent and sinful Seed of Man The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your Feet saith the blessed Apostle Rom. 16.20 not under his own only Of whom God the Father had long before said Sit thou on my Right Hand till I make thine Enemies thy Foot-stool Psal. 110.1 But what do I speak of the Future Already is this great work atchieved For the Lord of Life having spoiled Principalities and Powers hath made a shew of them openly triumphing over them on his Cross Col. 2.15 12. ALL the Powers of Hell were dragg'd after this Conquerour when he advanced upon that Triumphant Chariot Look therefore on these Hellish Forces as vanquished and know that in all things we are more than Conquerors through him that loved us Rom. 8.37 Only do thou by the power of thy Faith apply to thy self this great work that thy Victorious Saviour hath done for Salvation of all Believers 13. POWER without Malice were Harmless and Malice without Power Impotent But when both combine together they are Dreadful But Malice to execute Mischief hath Force or Fraud now the Malice of Satan prevails more by the latter and the Subtilty of these Malignant Spirits is perniciouser than their Power In his Power he is a Lion Psal. 7.2 in his Subtilby he is a Serpent Gen. 3.1 He is that Old Serpent Rev. 20.2 Whose craft is marvellously increased by the Experience of so many thousand Years 14. THEN the more careful ought we to be lest as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 2.11 Satan should get an advantage of us This he seeks and if our Spiritual Wisdom and Circumspection be not vigilant will be sure to find It is a Word too sublime for us which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 2.11 For we are not ignorant of Satans devices Alas he hath a thousand that weak Simplicity is not able to reach The Wisest knows not the Deceitfulness of his own heart much less can we dive into the Plots of Hell that are against us 15. WE hear and are forwarned of the wiles of the Devil Eph. 6.11 But what his Machinations are how can we know or prevent Ev'n the Children of this world saith our Saviour Luke 16.8 are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light How Craftier is their Father from whom their cunning is deriv'd Be as humble then as thou wilt and say with Agur the Son of Jakeh Prov. 30.2 3. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned Wisdom nor have the knowledge of the Holy 16. BUT what ever thou art in thy self know what thou art in Gods esteem Consider what the Psalmist impartially professes Psal. 119.98 Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser than mine Enemies for they are ever with me The Spirit of Wisdom is ours as well as Righteousness Deut. 34.9 Eph. 1.17 1 Cor. 1.30 And he who over-rules Hell hath said Mat. 16.18 The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against his Church 17. WHAT are Hell Gates but the deep Plots of those Infernal Powers The Serpent is the Emblem of Subtilty The Serpents of the Egyptian Sorcerers were devoured by Moses his Serpent Wherefore but to shew that all crafty Counsels and Machinations of hellish Projectors are easily destroyed by the Power and Wisdom of the Almighty It was the Rod of God that swallow'd 'em all and was still it self when they were vanquished And when Satan thought to have won most honor to himself attended him shame and loss 18. WHAT an advantage did the Powers of Darkness think to acquire in drawing our first Parents by their subtil Suggestions into sin and perdition imagining either Mankind shall not or shall be ours But the Incomprehensible Wisdom and Mercy of God disappointed their hopes and took occasion by Man's fall to raise him to a greater Glory and so order it that the Serpents nibling at the heel lost him the breaking of his head What Trophies did that wicked Spirit think to erect upon the Ruines of miserable Job and how was that Saint doubled in his Estate and Honour by his conquering Patience 19. HOW confidently did the Subtilty of Hell say concerning the Son of God exhibited in the flesh This is the Heir come let us kill him and the Inheritance shall be ours Mat. 21.38
when he hath once fastned he sooner leaveth his life then his hold Contrariety of Events Exercise not dismay him and when Crosses Afflict him he seeth a Divine Hand invisibly striking with those sensible scourges against which he dares not Murmur nor Rebel 9. HE troubleth not himself with Exciting Thoughts nor others with needless Suits He intermeddles not in others business nor adventures upon rash Attempts he offends none with provoking Terms not taketh offence at others Actions He lendeth not his Ear to idle Tales nor soweth discord or seeketh Revenge But hath a meek heart a contented mind and a charitable eye his Tongue is Affable hand Peaceable and his gesture sociable His Deportment is Neighbourly his Judgment charitable a loving Speaker and a friendly Converser He puts up all wrongs patiently and wrongs none willingly And such manner of Men ought we to be in all holy Conversation And I shall end with the words of the holy Apostle and desire of God that he would direct your hearts into his love and into the patient waiting for him 2 Thes. 3.5 I shall not think it improper to insert here a Relation of Sir Thomas Moore that excellent Pattern of Patience who wholly resigned himself to the will of the Divine Providence Sir Thomas returning from beyond Sea after his Embasy and being remote from his House with the King in the Month of August part of his dwelling House and all his Barns laden with Corn were by a sudden Fire consumed his Lady by a Letter certified him of this sad mischance to which he return'd her this Answer Madam All Health wished to you I do understand that all our Barns and Corn with some of our Neighbours likewise are wasted by a fire an heavy and lamentable loss but only that it was Gods will of such abundance of Wealth but because it so seemed good to God we must not only patiently but also willingly bear and submit to the hand of God so stretched out upon us God gave whatsoever we have lost and seeing it hath pleased him to take away what he gave his Divine Will be done Never let us repine at this but let us take it in good part we are bound to be thank-ful as well in Adversity as in Prosperity and if we cast up our Accounts well this which we esteem so great a loss is rather a great gain For what is necessary and conducing to our Salvation is better known to God than us I intreat you therefore to have a good heart and to take all your Family with you to the Church and there give thanks to God for all these things which he hath pleas'd to take away as well as for his blessings which he hath bestow'd on us and to praise him for that which is left It is an easie matter with God if he please to Augment what is yet left but if he shall see good to take away more even as it shall please him so let it be And let Enquiry be made what my Neighbours have lost and wish them not to be sorry For I will not that my Neighbours shall suffer any thing by my loss though I leave not my self any thing and though all should be taken away I pray thee O Alice be joyful in the Lord with my Children and all our Family all these things and we are in the hands of the Lord. Let us therefore wholly depend upon his good will and so no losses shall ever hurt us Farewel From the Court at Woodstock September 13th 1529. What a sincere Devotion was here to the Divine Will of God! What a Letter from a heart truly setled upon Heav'n This Master of the Family had learn'd his Lesson well and was grown a proficient in the Art of Patience This was a Man that by supporting himself upon God's Providence was able to bear all losses sweetly Behold an Ostrich able to digest Iron His Barns were burnt but his Mind was cool Patience kept him in his uprightness In a short space after God requited his Losses in September he received this heavy news In October he was promoted Lord Chancellor of England so that not only Honour but his Means also were mightily enlarged that now he needs not repair his Barns but may build new ones Certainly there is not in the World such a holy sort of Artifice so Divine a charm to unite God to us as this of resigning our selves to him We find the Gibeonites by yielding themselves Vassals to the Israelites had their whole Army at their back to rescue them in their danger Jos. 10.6 and can we think God is less considerate of his Homagers and Dependents No certainly his Honour as well as his Compassion is concern'd in the relief of those who have Surrendred themselves to him A Prayer for Patience O Most gracious God let not the Spirit of Impatience possess me whereby I may in any measure incur thy displeasure thou art my Maker O let me not strive with thee I am the Work of thy Hands and therefore with thee there is no contending if I provoke thee by strugling under the Yoke of Affliction the end thereof will be Gaul to my Neck and Bitterness to my Conscience But O Lord it is not my Punishment thou pursuest after but my Repentance and Amendment of Life and what thou art pleased to inflict upon me is but to chase me to my Duty which when I have perfectly learnt I know thou wilt fully Reward and Recompence my Patience that I may possess my own Soul in the day of the Lord Jesus 2. O thou that art the wise disposer of all Things both in Heaven and Earth let me look up to thee from whence cometh Affliction and then inspect into my own Heart where I shall find out the efficient Cause O let nothing then seem to perplex me which thou in thy good pleasure knoweth to be advantagious but let me ever be content to drink of the bitterest Cup of Affliction which thou hast allotted me O let thy good Spirit still strive with me and draw me unto thee with the Cords of thy Love it is of thy tender Mercies that I am not consumed but I know thy Compassion fails not towards poor and wretched Sinners Lord give me Grace to perform this Duty and say of my Affliction as thou O Jesu didst of thy bitter Cup and Passion Father if it be thy will let this Cup pass from me if not not my Will but thy Will be done Amen The CLOSE Consisting of Scriptural Ejaculations referring to the several Sections of the before-going Treatise 1. HAVING gone through this short Tract of the Art of Patience I shall now lay down these following Ejaculations as being most necessary and we have St. James 's Testimony for it Is any among you afflicted let him pray James 5.13 This is the Great and Soveraign Catholicon of the distressed Soul which is able to give relief to all the forementioned Complaints 2. FOR