which is the key that doth open where no Man shuts and shuts where no man 〈◊〉 that enters where no man hath passage and returnes where no man can hinder The prayer of the faithfull is the life of that soule which is sore wrapped and perplexed with the noysome puddle of a sestered and sinfull conscience where by the heart is so oppresâ—â— with griefe that neither wine nor strong drinke by the rules of Salomon can comfort O then what shalâ— wee doe but crie to thee 〈◊〉 GOD with heart and hand listed vp to 〈◊〉 saying 〈◊〉 that thou wouldest hide 〈◊〉 in thy Grace and keepe 〈◊〉 secret vntill thy wrath 〈◊〉 past Therefore if any 〈◊〉 afflicted let him pray and 〈◊〉 vs not presume in the height of our prosperitie lest wee suddenly see a change but let vs put our whole confidence in the Lord our God and pray vnto him and to none other Neither let vs presume vpon our selues or any earthly meanes besides for there was neuer contemplation exercise or any kind of study in the World so acceptable to the Maiestie of GOD so gracious in his sight so lincked and true a friend to him as heauenly meditation It awaketh in the night season it rests not in the day it forsaketh vs not by Land or by Sea in health in sicknesse in prosperity or aduersitie in weale or woe it is such a sure and tried friend in all extreamities such an inseparable companion in mans greatest distresse as no tongue is able to expresse the contentation it yeelds vnto the oppressed Therefore let vs loue it and lodge it in the bosome of our weake consciences and imbrace it in sincerity of heart for it is our last and best friend alwaies solliciting our Father in Heauen whose name is so worthy to be called vpon so mighty for deliuerance so pâ—â—ssant for protection so gainfull for successe so compendicus to abridge vnnecessary labours as the name of LEHOVAH our most mercifull louing Father There was neuer Sanctuary so free for transgressors in the strongest priuiledge neuer such safetie neuer holes in the Rocke so open for the Fowles of the field the arme of my Mother neuer so open to her child as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gods mercifull compassion to all true and faithfull beleeuers Therefore with speede let vs all 〈◊〉 faithfully vnto this good GOD in all our wants and extremities there shroaâ—â— our selues vnder his protection There was neuer Creature liuing vnder the Sunne that 〈◊〉 not affliction in his daies neither 〈◊〉 there euer any to whom affliction was not grieuous and irkesomeâ— yet neuer was there affliction so great but it hath beene vnder the correction of a louing Lord whose hand hath beene aable to master it Euery affliction as it comes in seuerall kinds for our seueral sinnes and transgressions so our meditations must be seuerall and framed and fitted thereunto and powred forth both with wisedome and zeale that they seem not harsh and vndigested to those sacred eares that can both sift and trie the one and the other The delicacy and tendernesse both of our meditations and prayers must be so deuoutly and wisely composed and the fauour of his countenance so carefully sought for as may appeare by the example of him that knew in his soule that a faint and dissembling Petition would returne emptie into the bosome of him that sent it vp Cursed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that doth the Ier. 48. 10 worke of the Lord negligently saith the Prophet 〈◊〉 But saith Dauid A broken and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord will not despise Dauid neuer sent vp his petitions but with the deepest affection and zeale of heart with the most sincere integritie and meditated zeale that might be for euery night washed hee his bedde and watered his Couch with teares which argued his singular contrition and feruentnesse in his Petitions And therefore after his godly example let vs with a sincere true desire of contrite hearts pray to that good GOD that he will so inspire his heauenly grace into our sinfull hearts that when wee make our Petitions we may haue the force of two tongues in our 〈◊〉 whereby we may the better speede and auoide the malediction which otherwise we may receiue in stead of 〈◊〉 blessing Wee may learne precepts and draw many excellent examples from the liues of the Heathen Philosophers and Writers as also we may learne a zeale in our Petitions euen of those woodden Priests 1 Kings 18 of whom it is written That they called vpon the name of Baal from morning to noon and when they had no answere they cried aloude nay cutte themselues with kniues till the bloud flowed so they praied not onely in teares but in bloud And then shall not wee being the Children of light be as seruent and zealous in our Petitions to GOD The agony zeale of the Sunne of righteousnesse was such that in the dayes of his flesh hee offered vp Prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares to him that was able to helpe him O Lord inspite thy heauenly grace so 〈◊〉 our hearts that wee may learne to addresse ourselues that in all temptations necessities and afflictions wee may in the true zeale of our heart pray so deâ—outely vnto thy omnipotent Maiestie that our Petitions may haue a gracious acceptance in thy sight And as Gods word further declares vnto vs not only that he kneeled at the naming of whose name all knees must bow both in Heauen and Earth and vnder the Earth but that he fell vpon the ground the foot-stoole of his owne Maiestie and lay vpon that face that neuer Angell beheld without reuerence and when hee had praied once hee praied againe more earnestly as his word records He once praied departed a secoÌ„d time yet a third praied and departed euermore vsing the same petitions his prayer ascending by degrees like incense persume And not only his lips went but his agony contention within was so great that an Angel was sent from Heauen to comfort him and out of the trouble of his soule the sweate like drops of bloud trickled downe to the ground Let vs not therefore at any time offer vp any vnworthy sacrifice but let vs remember in our Prayers this glorious example of this our worthy and blessed Sauiour for our imitation that they may be blessed in their speede and wee in their successe and not to vtter them carelesly as if our spirits and tongues were strangers ignorant of eithers purpose the lippes babâ—ing without the heart but no compuâ—ction within honouring God with our mouthes but our spirits of true deuotion being farre from him our hearts not bleeding with the drops of true sinceritie which would bee heard and pittied Our Altar without fire our Petitions without heate and all that wee doe without zeale If we meane that our Petitions should be heard and accepted at the hands of GOD wee must frame our supplications with an ardent true affectionated zeale
vs complaint to him that is the great Shepheard of soules as hee is a Physition he will cure thee as hee is a Shepâ—eard hee will number thee with his flocke sinnes-saluing plaster is to reueale our wickednesse Well may wee confesse our offences but hide them wee cannot by such our confession the Diuell is preuented of his seuere accusation which ancient malice would coÌ„mence against vs. To anatomize exenterate sinne to poure it forth vpon the Altar of repentance before God will not onely take away the occasion of plea from the accuser but also reconcile vs to the whole fauour of that High Commission Beleeuing Niniâ—iâ— wrapt and confounded in sorrow was soone turned out of her mourning gowne of sackecloth and ashes and was girded about with a faire sindon of Gods eternall sauor but harde-hearted Sodome swelling in the pride of her strength is stript of all her beautifull attire and nakedly left in the base ashes of â—er owne destruction Therefore I will confesse with Dauid against my selfe my wicâ—ednesse Psal 32. vnto the Lord. It is â—ot an vsurpation to turne â—udge to cal an Assise to exâ—mine mine owne soule to â—roduce my thoughts as acâ—users of my conscience as 〈◊〉 thousand witnesses to aâ—erre and confound the gilt â—f sinne but these shall preâ—ent that latter and fearefull examination how wee haue spent our time how we haue imployed our wealth how we haue ruled our appetites how we haue mortified our desires how wee haue vsed and bestowed all good gifts and graces of the holy Spirit Nay we shall neuer haue cause to feare that dolefull distaste which Abraham cast in Diues teeth Sonne remember Lu. 16. how thou in thy life time receiuedst pleasure disporting thy time in wanton dalliance solacing thy selfe in pleasing pastimes braue in apparell glittering in gold high in honour delicate in fare defending pride to bee but a point of gentry gluttony a part of good fellowship wantonnesse a tricke of youth because thou hast inclosed and taken in all pleasures to thy selfe vpon earth thou shalt now take vp thy â—ents and reape a plentifull haruest in Hell Meete with â—he day of Iudgement saith Augustine before it come â—ooke about before hand â—repare thy selfe to enter an â—ction against thy selfe for â—o presumption will serue â—e that seeth his house run 〈◊〉 ruine and will not at the â—â—rst or second breach seeke 〈◊〉 reparations striues to â—ake rubbish of a good â—â—ilding And he that traâ—â—ls in a leaking shippe and â—ill not in the beginning â—oke to empty it sayles for â—ught but to drowne himâ—â—fe To morrow to morrow 〈◊〉 the voice of presumption 〈◊〉 who can tell whether he 〈◊〉 liue till to morrow God saith Augustine hath sealed a pardon to him that truly repents but none to him that deferres and saies he will repent And hee that is not fit for his conuersion to day will bee lesse ready to morrow for on the morrow he will bee the same man againe and sing the same song againe languishing still in delay trifling out the time till God in whose hands only are the moments of times shut and barre him out from all time and leaue him to paines without time for so abusing the precious date of time To morrow to morrow is an vncertaine time though the times bee certaine in themselues yeâ— are they most vncertaine vnto man as he knew not hiâ— beginning so he is ignorant of his ending much like to little birds who on their â—earch looke about to flie this way or that way yet before they take their flight they are preuented by the shaft Death is a common â—tate-searcher both of old and young striking as well Dauids young sonne before he was seauen dayes old as 2 Sam. 22. that ancient of dayes Methusalem that liued nine hundred sixtie nine yeeres Lest the Kingdome of Sathan should bee established in vs by frequency of sinning therefore let vs breake off delay putting no trust in old age but as Saint Paul saith Heb. 3. â—uen in this very instant while it is named to day let us repentantly crie to God and call to him to forgiue vs our leude and mispent time and let vs giue our sinnes leaue to die before vs it is good riddance of a painefull pardon for it is little better then desperatioÌ„ to giue free liberty to thy youthfull wil to range abroade vpon confidence of repentance in thy last and least part of thy life For alas what can helpelesse old age helpe when all the strength of the body all the faculties of the mind all the parts and passions are not onely daunted and out-dared with sickenesse but also worne out with a multitude of yeeres as age-spent Dauid is not able to retaine heate of himselfe but Abishai the Shunamite must cherish him An old man is halfe deathes man destitute of all good meanes to conuersion vnfit to fast vnable to pray vnapt to watch or to any other exercise What voice is there more lamentable theâ— that of Milo when seeing the young Champions striuing each with other to obtaine the Conquest he cried out with teares looking on his withered armes My bloud is dead my veines wrinckled my sinewes shrunke to nothing The counsell of the Wise-man may be a present Memorandum to euery man Let vs remember Eccles 12. our Creator in the dayes of our youth while the euill dayes come not That is in our prosperity of streÌ„gth in our hopefull youth in the vigor and lustinesse of our yeeres before forgetfull old age ouertake vs. Let vs betake our selues to him that tooke vs out of the dust and created vs after his own likenesse otherwise it were an euerlasting blemish of ingratitude and a most infamous stampe of iniustice to hope for the receite of eternall glory to receiue at one instance an Angels inheritance to enioy for nothing a place with Christ and not to tender the best of thy selfe to God his Father If it were polâ—ution to the Altar to offer the lame and sicke with what face then canst thou present that little short and maimed peece of seruice which limping old age will affoord Hee which is the Childe of many yeeres is no doubt the Father of many sinnes for life the longer it is the more sinfull it is If in the oblation of burnt offerings and peace offerings the young Lambes without Leuit. 1. blemish were elected for the sacrifice if the chiefe fat of the Ramme made the Exod. 29. sweetest sauour vnto the Lord then stands it against the rule of decencie and good manners to serue in Leuit. 3. Gods messe with the bare leane and rotten bones of sinnes that haue lien rotting in the pit of corruption as many sâ—â—re yeeres as did Lazarus dayes in the graue If no man were admitted to stand before Nabuchadnezzar but children that were Dan. 1. 4. most beautifull how dare any man shuffle himselfe into Gods presence disiointed crooked old aged
slothfull There is no reason in the World that the World should reape that Haruest which God hath bought with the sweat of his bloud no Law for to giue him the lees of wine that hath taken paines to plant the Vineyard and to tread the Presse no equity to leaue him the gleaning to whom the whole sheafe belongeth no iustice to diuide the heart which hee hath made one and to giue the sick and feeble part vnto him and the strong and lusty vnto the Diuell Vnlesse you bring your youngest brother saith Ioseph Gen. 14. you shall neuer see my face againe So vnlesse wee bring young Beniamin that is the first fruites of our youth and tender them to our euerlasting High Priest wee shall neuer partake his ioyful presence neuer enioy his comfortable grace neuer bee comforted with his â—iuine happinesse As young Samuel and young Obadiah being 1 Sam. 2 2 Reg. 18. as it were in their children colours ministred vnto the Lord euen so I in the spring and prime of my youth no way relying vpon aged repentance will confesse my sinnes wholy vnto God and at the barre of his bounty I will sue out a pardon If in Dauids repentance the fire of his deuotion did ascend and moue the Heauens to scabbard vp the wrathfull Sword in the sheath of his omnipotent mercy doubt not but with the same flame to kindle the like sacrifice and with as strong a voice as had Eliah when he brought food from Reg. 1. 17 Heauen to moue the same God to compassion My voice shall bee as able to quench the fire of Gods wrath as was the voice of the three Children that ouercame the hotte burning Furnace My voice shal be as able to procure life as was the voice of Ezechias that 2 Reg. 20 ouercame death As Ionas out of the bellie of the Whale so I out of the hell Ionas 2. 3 of sinne As blind Bartimeus for his want of sight so I in Mar. 20. the sight of my wants will crie to God for his mercifull aide and helpe As young Tobias was not destitute of Tobi. 5. a guide to conduct him to Rages so am not I left ignorant of the way to Heauen Abraham in his iourney to Gen. 12. Canaan tooke a Map of the vpper Canaan and left it registred to all posterities We like so many Abrahams must leaue our Countrey behind our backes must depart and bid adue to the flesh the world and to our selues from pride descending to low humility leauing anger to shake hands with patience giuing our lust the farewell to welcome chastitie excluding enuie to entertaine charitie renouncing cruelty for the exchange of clemency Wee must relinquish and forsake our owne kindred that is the old custome and acquaintance we haue had with sinne shaking the vncleane spirit out of doores and being washt neuer to returne to our olde vomite and being made whole wee will sin no more Wee must turne from the sinister and left hand of this World from the Prince of darkenesse our Father to the right hand of righteousnesse to the King of Kings our heauenly Father which dwelleth in the Land of vertue not in the Land of vice in the Land of peace not in the Land of paine in the Land of ioy not in the Land of sorrow and be partakers of that desired benediction wherewith Isaac in the type and figure of Christ blessed his sonne Iacob Behold the sweet smell of my Sonne that Gen. 27. sauours not of the Onions and Garlicke of Aegypt but the sweete smell of my Sonne that hath beene daintily fed with the choice Milke and Hony of Canaan No flight is more commendable then to flie out of the middest of Babylon to hasten out of Aegypt where miseries haue no period and to trauell to the promised Land where is rest without remoue mercie without measure loue without limit goodnesse in all kind of greatnesse where euery soule may like the Doue in Noahs Arke rest without feare enioy plenty without want take repast without contempt But the frailety of our flesh is so prone to fall into the slipperie vanities of this World which doe so dazell the eies and dull the sences that wee can neither see nor yet remember to tread in the true path of righteousnesse The vanity which reignes in vs is so great that it drawes all our godly desires clean from vs by the pleasingnes thereof and it doth so possesse our weake and fraile flesh whereby it drawes such toyes and phantasies into our wauering minds that it makes vs cleane to forget to labour and trauell to find out the expected promised â—and wherein remaines all rest and pleasure O vaine vaine that wee are that will bee so negligent and carelesse to labour and trauell for a benefit so commodious for the soule of man for the health whereof neither tongue can express nor hart think the comforts it brings But mans life is alway so subiect to fall into the laps of these two vices Pride and Vanity which after they haue once taken hold cleaue so fast to the bone and fasten therein such a deepe roote of continuance as it will be hardly remoued but doe so nuzzle vs in the sweete desire thereof as that they make vs liue without feare either to remember or yet regard the commandements of God which will bring vs to saluation in keeping them On the other side for want of following them we runne our selues to vtter ruine and destruction and withall reape vnto vs such a heauy curse from his diuine and omnipotent Maiestie as the weight thereof will presse vs downe into the bottomelesse pit of hell and there to remaine in darkenes with euerlasting torment which neuer will haue end The miserie that is incident to fraile man through the vaine and fading pleasures of the World is not to bee numbered by reason of our sloth and idlenes in not seruing him that serues vs in all our wants and extremities These things duely considered and pondered in our minds would inforce vs to leaue the diuell and his euill wayes and to follow God and his wayes which are all right and good O let vs call our selues vnto an account with respectiue remembrance what a seducing way is this to them that forget themselues that they are Pilgrimes and Trauellers and stand too much vpon those things which are occurrant in their iourny with a long delay The night will â—ome nay it will come quickely when no man can walke These men shall not come into that heauenly Ierusalem but shall be a prey for the wilde Beasts which walke in the night and for the infernall Wolues For which cause our Sauiour Christ crieth in his Gospell Walke yee while yee haue the light lest the darkenesse come Iohn 12. vpon you It is euidently seen that nothing so much blindeth the eyes of man as the deceits of the world and the vanity of things present