Governour and the Holy Ghost ever illuminating and sanctifying the members thereof With which Church was always established the same Covenant of Grace in Christ the same Sacraments for the substance the same way of Salvation under the same precepts through the like obedience and sufferings upon the same promises and threats of the same rewards and punishments See Heb. 11. Hence ever since the fall we find in the sacred Story as one Generation the Children of Works and born after the flesh as Cain Lamech Cam Canaan Aegypt Babylon c. so another the Children of Faith first Abel Martyr then Seth Father of the whole Race Enos Enoch Noah Shem Abraham to whom the Gospel was more fully preached and the Covenant of Faith published 430 years before the promulgation of the Law c. See all these things prosecuted at large in the forementioned Discourse §. 185. The Love and Power of the Father and the Son VII HEADS for Meditation on the several Offices and Benefits to MANKIND of the HOLY-GHOST The Holy-Ghost the Eternal Spirit of God The intimate Communion and Love of the Father and the Son the Finger of God the Strength and Power of the Father as the Son is the Wisdome of the Father the omnipotent worker of all that which the Father decrees and which the Son the word of the Father commands §. 186. The Spirit of Promise The Holy-Ghost the Holy Spirit of Promise who as the Son was a long time the Promise of the Father to this lower world so after the exhibition of our Saviour this Holy Spirit was a further promise unto it both of the Father and of the Son and at last upon the departure of the Son came down from heaven to abide and dwell with us here on earth in our Lord's absence until his second coming who as the Son was sent by the Father into the world to glorify the Father and to teach men what he had received and heard from the Father so the Holy Spirit descended to glorify the Son and to teach and bring to our remembrance to confirm and bear witness here on earth to all things that were taught and heard and received from the Son who was here pleased not only to be cohabitant with us but an inhabitant within us and vouchsafed to lodge in our persons as the Son did before to dwell in our nature making these our Bodies now the Temples of the Holy-Ghost By whom also both the Father and the Son do dwell with us and in us who put the last hand unto the great affair of our Salvation finishing the internal work thereof upon us in our Sanctification as our Saviour did before the external for us in our Redemption §. 187. The Spirit of Regeneration The Holy Ghost the Spirit of Regeneration who by his unspeakable power doth work the strange work of our second Nativity who is the seed of God by whom we are new Creatures by whom we are begotten and born again born of God and made partakers of the Divine Nature and Sons of God who is the heavenly principle derived into us from the second Adam Lord from Heaven conveying into our Soul Holiness and into our Body Immortality and Life as the flesh we received from the first Adam conveyed unto us sin and death Who being the same Spirit in us that also is in Christ is the bond of that mystical union between Jesus the Head and us the members and between us and all other fellow-fellow-members making all Christians but one and the same Body of the same temper of the same inclinations of one heart and one mind amongst our selves and with the head as being all actuated and moved by one and the same Spirit §. 188. The Spirit of Illumination The Holy-Ghost conveying its gracious Influences and Effects both into our Souls and into our Bodies Into our Souls both in our Vnderstanding and Memory and in our Will and Affections In our Vnderstanding and Memory The Spirit of Illumination who being the Spirit of God and knowing all the deep things of God as a man's Spirit doth the things of a man when as we by Adam's fall do remain miserably blinded and darkned in our Vnderstanding doth reveal unto us all the supernatural mysteries of our Redemption and Salvation and produceth in us a lively faith and credence of things not seen who beareth witness within us to all the doctrine of Christ to the truth of the Gospel and to all the promises and threats thereof by whom it is that we call Jesus Lord who is the Spirit of Truth to guide us into all Truth by whose unction we know all things beneficial to us and are every one taught of God from whom those who are his more diligent and worthy servants receive manifold revelations visions illuminations both in things of spiritual and temporal concernment both for their own edification and the edification of others knowledge of the mysteries of Religion and of the deeper sence of the word of God knowledge of things to come of the secrets of the heart of things done in absence and at the remotest distance The word of Wisdome and Counsel the gift of Eloquence and powerful perswasion Wisdome in Offices and Governments The Holy Spirit distributing unto men these several Gifts as seemeth good unto him and fit for the work wherein he imploys them And all our science being much perfecter and directed to nobler ends when this conferred by the Holy Spirit §. 189. The Spirit of Love Toward God The Holy Ghost in our Will and Affections the Spirit of Love Of Love first toward God and also towards our Neighbour Towards God who doth inflame us with an impatient love of God and things Divine who according to the promise under the Gospel writeth all God's laws in our heart and inclineth our will to obey his Commandments no more out of constraint and fear but out of choice and affection who dictateth to us all our acceptable prayers to and acceptable praises of God and leadeth the greater proficients in God's service into a perfect contemplation of and union with him Elevating them with rapts and extasies and consuming the Soul with the flames of Divine Love §. 190. Towards our Brethren The Holy-Ghost the Spirit of love to our Neighbour Who doth enflame us with a most ardent love towards our Brethren whose blessed fruits are love peace long-suffering gentleness goodness meekness by whom the Saints are rendred kind not envying not vaunting themselves above others not seeking their own not easily provoked thinking no evil bearing all things believing all things hoping all things enduring all things Who teacheth us to keep our Saviour's new Commandment of Love and bestoweth on us this most excellent gift of Charity §. 191. The Spirit of Corporal Parity and Mortification The Holy-Ghost conferring its gracious effects and influences as on the Soul so on the Body In it The Spirit of Mortification and Chastity Who continually warreth against
the flesh and delighteth in the severest afflicting and subduing thereof especially taketh pleasure in its Purity and Chastity and eminently opposeth all uncleanness and those risings of Concupiscence which sin first discovered in our first Parents Who also continually warreth against this world opposing the vain shews of this present life with the representation to the eye of Faith of the Glories of that to come Who also fighteth against Satan and being stronger than he hath cast him out and possessed his house from whose gracious descent upon our Saviour's ascension this evil Spirit hath suffered a great restraint of his former delusions by his Oracles being silenced and Idolatry destroyed §. 192. The Internal Intercessor and Advocate The Holy-Ghost the Paraclete our Intercessor and Advocate here on earth within us to the Father and as the Son is in heaven with God Who helpeth our Infirmities not knowing what we ought to pray for and maketh intercession within us for us with groans that cannot be uttered Who maketh intercessions according to the will of God because he knoweth the deep things of God and God that searcheth the heart knoweth the secret mind of this Spirit Who crieth in our hearts Abba Father and teacheth us to pray by which Spirit all our Prayers must be offered as they are offered through the Son that we may find any access unto the Father Who abiding here on earth with us is the effectual Reconciler and maker of our peace for any sins which we commit whether against the Father or the Son But when we sin against him also and make him depart from us we are desolate since there is no person any more left that can acceptably sue or make request for our pardon without this Spirit §. 193. The Internal Comforter The Holy-Ghost the Comforter whose Divine presence rendreth all sufferings not only supportable but pleasant that which is contrary to the flesh being so much the more grateful to the Spirit who graciously doth afford in all mortifications and sufferings sufficient ability internal peace and spiritual joy who freeing us from the former spirit of fear is the author of a lively constant hope and confidence in God whereby we always rejoyce in and long and wait for that blessed day of our Consummation and the appearance of our Saviour that so we may enter into the joy of our Lord. §. 194. The Spirit of Obsignation and Vnction The Holy-Ghost the Spirit of Vnction and Obsignation an Vnction and a nointing from the holy one whereby we are consecrated unto God as the Lord Jesus was and made Kings and Priests hereafter to reign under Him and to serve Him in his heavenly Temple who is the Seal of God upon us that we are already his adopted Sons and shall be Heirs of all his rich Promises in their due season who is the Earnest of his Covenant made with us and first fruits of the plentiful Harvest to come by whom we have now a foretast of those heavenly Gifts and of the good word and promise of God and of the power of Christ's Kingdome and of the world to come §. 195. The Spirit of Miracles and wonderful Works The Holy-Ghost the Spirit of Power and Might of all miraculous and wonderful Works over all the Creatures and over all the Works of Nature which at first he made Spiritual and Corporal over Satan and all his instruments expelling them and confining them at pleasure over all infirmities and diseases Who only doth great wonders upon the earth above and contrary to the course of Nature healeth the sick enlighteneth the blind strengthneth the lame restoreth the withered multiplyeth food raiseth the dead freeth the possessed cureth the wounded Soul and broken Spirit sanctifieth perverse inclinations to testify to men the power and presence of God amongst them §. 196. The Internal Seed of Immortality The Holy Ghost the Seed of Immortality in our corruptible Bodies and a fountain in us springing up unto eternal life By whose virtue and efficacy It being here sown in shame will hereafter spring up glorious weak shall come up in power natural shall come up spiritual and angelical Who dwelling in this our flesh will never forsake it until as it did raise the Body of Christ our Head from the Dead so it shall have raised up the Body of us his Members and until these Bodies also by the virtue of this Spirit shall ascend like unto his and be caught up in the Clouds to meet him Until this our vile Body shall be made like unto his glorious Body and until as we now bear the image of the earthly Adam so we shall bear the image of the heavenly into which we shall be changed by the Spirit of the Lord from Glory to Glory till with the Angels and Saints the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs we be all made one in God and God all in all To whom be given all Glory unto all Eternity Amen FINIS LITANIES The LITANY to the Sacred Trinity O God the Father of Heaven Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of the World Have c. O God the Holy-Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son Have mercy on us O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three Persons and one God Have mercy on us Holy Holy Holy Lord God Omnipotent which art which wast and art to come Have mercy on us Who manifested'st thy Name I am that I am to Moses whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain and the whole Earth is filled with thy Majesty Have mercy on us Everlasting King Immortal Invisible who inhabitest that Light unto which no man can approach great in counsel and mighty in work and of whose wisdome there is no end Have mercy on us Who only dost great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number who workest all things according to the purpose of thy will and madest all things for thy self Have mercy on us One God and Father of us all who art above all and thro all and in us all from whom by whom and in whom are all things in whom we live and have our Being Have mercy on us Who hast disposed all things in number weight and measure who madest heaven and earth and all things therein who createdst the earth by thy power and the universe by thy wisdome Have mercy on us The Lord forming light and creating darkness making peace and creating evil in whose hands is the life of every living thing and the breath of all flesh Have c. The Lord that searchest the heart and triest the reins who quicknest the dead and callest those things that are not as if they were whose eyes are brighter than the Sun beholding all the ways of men Have mercy on us On whom the eyes of all wait and thou givest their meat in due season who openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing every living thing Have mercy on us Who executest judgment for the oppressed who givest food to the hungry
acquiring Christian perfection §. 90. 1. Concerning Prayer Concerning Preparatives to Prayer 1. BEfore your appearing before God in Prayer clearing your self as God hath commanded so far as it is in your power from your sins towards your Neighbour and quitting all his toward you In satisfaction either already performed to him or seriously promised to God where injuring and in forgiveness presented likewise then to God where injured Matt. 5.23 24. 1. Tim. 2.8 Mark 11.25 Jam. 3.9 10. 2. Performing your devotions either when fasting or very temperate and at some reasonable distance from your meals and sometimes also preparing your self son them by some acts of mortification Nothing is so opposite to devotion and the Spirit as intemperance strong drink and excess in diet See Eph. 5.18 Act. 10.30 Matt. 17.21 Luk. 1.15 Psal 35.13 Dan. 10.1 2. 12. Act. 13.2 3. 3. 1 Not coming to them with your mind and thoughts already tired out and spent in other business which accordingly must needs be less serviceable to you in this your greatest duty and some little time before them if you can deserting other employments 'T is beneficial before you go to Prayer to read something pious or if you please to read some Prayer before praying so to retire your mind from secular thoughts and dispose it to Divine 3. 2 When you go to Prayer with an hour-glass measuring your time and taking some Book of Devotion or Saints life with which you use to be much affected to lye by you and for this also chusing a place of Prayer convenient for light and reading and when sterilities and dulness or much distraction of thoughts assault you reading so long till something affect you This hath been the practice of many great Saints And he who useth this stome will go much more chearfully to this spiritual exercise and spend longer time in it having these Arms about him to repel the ordinary disturbers of it 4. In the morning performing your Devotions first whilst the mind is clear and not engaged in other thoughts 5. In the Evening last when the mind hath for that day taken her leave of all other business and that so your time of Prayer also may not be limited by them 6. Since for every day you perform and renew them applying your Prayers Confessions Petitions c. more chiefly to the occurrences of the present day as that of our Lord Give us this day c. which will make your Requests as being for things near at hand more affectionate and your endeavours that day in the seconding of your Prayers and rendring them not frustrate more vigilant and earnest 7. Using all humble reverence of the Body Corporal Reverence in Prayer c where opportunity yet not confining your self for all the time of Prayer to any one posture thereof after it begins to be painful or tedious whilst you retain the same humility and devotion in all nor omitting the substance of the Duty of Prayer for being hindered perchance of such circumstances Freely expressing also and venting the holy passions of your mind and of the Spirit by the exterior indications and effects thereof As by sighing groaning weeping c. §. 91. Digr 1. Of the great impression the behaviour of the Body makes upon the Soul And that the devotion is much increased by the body's humiliation and the more if this sometimes varied Digr 2. Of the several postures and deportments of the body used by holy men in the time of Prayer As Standing up Prostration and falling on the face and lying on the ground Contemplating the heavens therefore going up to the house top to pray Lifting up casting down the eyes Lifting up spreading forth the hands Smiting of the breast Bowing down of the head Bowing baring the knee kissing the ground Covering the Body with sackcloth or raggs Sighing groaning weeping §. 92. Guard of the Eyes 8. In all places and business where you would enjoy a greater recollection of your mind and thoughts but especially in the service and meditations of God publick or private keeping a strict guard over your eyes which having liberty to wander the mind is filled with many fancies and very difficulty fixed Custodia Oculorum Custodia Cordis §. 93. Exciting of a suitable Passion 9. Striving before hand to excite in your self a passion suting to the particular act of your devotion As great sadness in confession of sin Great humility and lowliness and self-abjection in petitioning Chearfulness and joy in thanking and praising The passion of love in oblation and resignation c. Compassion in Intercession And observe that our intention much helpeth the production of such passion by the lively presentation of such an object to our mind as viz. Death Corruption Hell Heaven Light Glory Musick c. usually excites it the affections being thus subject to the understanding and the will as well as in other respects these faculties are to them Praying before to God to give you such a passion whereby you may be helped to do such a duty Not entertaining at the same time of prayer a contrary passion though it be very pious for so neither can it be so well prosecuted §. 94. Imagination of God's presence 10. In the time of Prayer Imagining God or our Saviour not a far off but present by or within Ps 16.8 you so speaking and discoursing with him hearkning to and attending upon him as one that is present in the innermost part of your soul and heart as indeed if our eyes were but opened as were those of Elisha and his Servant we should see him in all things and in our selves and all things and our selves also in him for these are both one compassing us round as the air or the light doth and again throughly penetrating all things and us as the light doth the air or the fire the glowing iron Omnia implendo continens continendo implens Austin and see our selves again moving in him as fishes or spunges in the Ocean or Atoms in a Sun-beam See Acts 17.27 28 For if the whole earth be but as a small point to the Sun how much less are we to God! But above all creatures more specially we should see him dwelling in the hearts of the faithful therefore called his Temple See 2. Cor. 6.16 1. Cor. 6.17.19 or see them dwelling in him for where things are perfectly united these two expressions are the same and promiscuously used See 1. Jo. 4.13 6.56 Rom. 8.10 comp 2. Cor. 5.17 1. Cor. 1.30 comp 2. Cor. 5.21 See him there speaking to the Soul and visiting it with frequent inspirations the signs of his presence and the interior language wherein God speaks to us and therefore is there to be attentively hearkened to by us Luk. 17.21 Jo. 16.32 8.29 Heb. 11.27 1. Jo. 14.13 4.16 As for those words in the Lords Prayer which art in Heaven they are not mentioned to direct the petitioner to him as a far off but to magnify to