that mysticall body whereof thou art the head and whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood as well as oâ—…r selves Make us to conceive aright that without this love which is the badge of thy Disciples and Children wee can never assure our owne hearts that we are either the true and naturall children of our heavenly Father or lively members of thy mysticall body and thy very Disciples indeed and that we deceive our owne hearts untill wee become thus truly affected at least in the inward longing of our soules and that wee can unfeignedly mourne for the want of the lively feeling heereof Lord cause us to know that their sinnes are in some sort our sinnes their miseries our miseries as being of the same mysticall body of our Lord Iesus Christ that both their sinnes their calamityes and their afflictions may bee matter of heavinesse mourning unto us and their prosperity both bodily and spirituall may be our continuall rejoycing Cause us to have this fellow-feeling of their estate wheresoever they be though amongst the Indians or in any of the remotest and barbarousest places in all the earth and much more as thou hast united them unto us by neerer bonds of profession place kinred and the like and hast made their estates more knowne unto us More specially make us to have a more sensible feeling of the estate of those who are of our owne nation and stocke and as they are yet linked unto us by neerer bonds Above all good Father make us to bee most loyally and hartily affected towards those in all quarters countries whom thou hast ordained in thine owne place to be Nursing-Fathers Nursing-Mothers to thy Church either presently or in their due times to succour and provide for all thy children committed to them as the faithfull Nurse for her tender Babes And amongst them for all those of them yet in a more speciall manner whom thou hast already vouchsafed this high favour to bee such unto them and to whom thou hast made knowne thy heavenly will in this behalfe what thou lookest for at their hands and whome thou hast bound unto thee by so many bonds of thy heavenly and earthly favours Oh grant that at our instant cries their hearts may bee inclined accordingly towards all thy Children especially to all those whom thou hast to this end specially committed to their trust that they may shew forth before men and Angels their tender affection towards all of them chiefly all those of them who in all unfeigned study of true holinesse and righteousnesse doe most lively resemble thee their heavenly Father and most visibly carry upon them the true Image of our Lord Iesus Christ. Oh give them like affections to thy heavenly Majesty in this behalfe that thy people and children may bee so precious unto them that like as in thy tender love thou gavest thine owne deere Son and with him all good things also yea thine owne selfe for the saving and happinesse of thy Church and namely of all blessed Kings Princes and Governours so they againe may not onely be willing to imploy all their thoughts and endeavours but also be ready to spend offer themselves and also to bee offered up so to give themselves and all theirs most willingly for the saving and happinesse of thy people Lord perswade their and our hearts that the lively evidence hereof will upon our death-beds if our consciences shall thorowly bee awaked and so ever after bee more worth unto us then ten thousand worlds and the contrary more bitter and dreadfull then all the evils of this present life can possibly bee unto us These things we humbly intreate thee to grant for thy Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ his sake our alone Saviour and Advocate III. A prayer that wee may be able to seeke and finde this first that God is our gracious and tender Father in Christ and that we may grow in this assurance daily Father OH deere Father and most blessed Lord God perswade all thy people that this is that which is first to bee sought of every one of us next thy glorie aboue all other things to bee assured that thou art our gracious and tender Father that so each of us may in faith call upon thee saying truly as our Saviour hath taught us Abba Oh Father That this assurance alone being rightly considered of that thou art our heavenly and loving Father will quiet our heart or the heart of any beleever in all the world will fill it with unspeakeable joy in the middest of the greatest troubles temptations that can possibly befall us And contrarily make every one of thy people to know for certaine that the very doubting and want of assurance whether we bee in thy favour and love or no and much more whether we bee thy Children will worke extreame disquietnesse and horror in our soules when once our consciences shall bee awaked and will bee unto us as the unspeakeable torments of hell fire and that this will fall upon all the ungodly most of all when their consciences shall tell them as one day the conscience of every wicked and impenitent sinner will doe that they are not thy Children but thine enemies and the Children of wrath yea of Sathan himselfe and therefore that they are hated of thee as Sathan their Father is whose Image they have borne and whose worke they have done To this end good Lord worke upon our hearts and the hearts of all that belong to thy eternall election whosoever and wheresoever they be in all the earth that we all may truly understand and rightly know our owne miserable condition by nature that wee are thorow the first Adam by naturall generation and by the whole course of our lives none other but the Children of disobedience and so vessels of wrath and fire brands of hell untill such time as we are or shall be regenerated and borne againe and by a lively faith ingrafted into Iesus Christ the second Adam and so made thy Children and heires of thy kingdome by thy grace in him Cause us all to know moreover that we can never attaine heereunto to bee thy Children much lesse to any certaine knowledge or assurance heereof untill wee feele these two graces of thine wrought in our hearts by thy blessed Spirit and the preaching of thy heavenly Gospell unto us to wit an unfeigned repentance for all our sinnes and a lively faith in Iesus Christ and likewise that wee have the same daily increased or at least continued with a true and earnest desire indeavour of the increase thereof for that these two are lively evidences to any man that hee is regenerate and in the state of grace and that of a Child of wrath hee is made thine owne deere Child â—…cceptable to thee his heavenly Father by Iesus Christ alone
will make us cry loud day and night both for them and for ourselves Yea moreouer heerein wee are to striue to bring our harts to a right and wise consideration That as the Lord being displeased against Israel gave Sathan liberty to stand up against David to move him to number his people so to make a way to the just execution of his displeasure for their sinnes and thereby to awake them bring them to repentance so he might thus most justly for a long time have given him liberty to stand up against all the Churches for our coldness and security but against us especially of this sinnefull Nation having so long greeved him by all our heynous prouocations even these threescore yeeres and more and much more may he doe it now most righteously for our so unspeakeable impenitencie and senselesness at this day for that nothing els hath hitherto or can yet awake us And withall we are to labour to bring our hearts to a wise and right consideration of the extreame rage and fury that Sathan now exerciseth roaring upon all the true Churches of Christ as if hee would devoure us at once knowing he hath but a short time and how he hath heereupon thus lately begun to cast out this floud of bloody persecution out of his mouth to carry away all the Churches and Children of God at this once together as he hath done some already How he and his bloody Instruments haue decreed the certaine effecting heereof as God hath made it manifest even by themselves and that to all the world I meane to every one whose eyes the God of this world hath not utterly shut up And to bee euer thinking heereof That onely our blessed God tender Father hath caused the earth hitherto to helpe his Churches and all of us his Children in â—…o opening her mouth and swallowing up the waters albeit so very many of our Brethren abroad haue bin already carried away therby That our course is now as we haue just cause to feare comming amaine like the raging Sea Sathan standing up day and night against every one of us to tempt us all each according to our places callings occasions to provoke him by our sinnes more and more especially by our induration and security dayly increased that so the Lord may leave us likewise into his hand which wee haue just cause to feare according to all his severe denunciations and threats so neerely executed and that to as great miseries as they or any other Churches or people euer indured before as he had almost done The right Meditation of all these will make us cry aloud Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from euill Lord deliver us not over to the tempter for our sinnes to bee thus indurate and prepared for destruction but deliver us from him and from the innumerable evils which he so furiously seekes to bring upon us and upon all our Brethren and which so many other Churches so groane under And yet more then all this wee are never to rest day nor night till our heartes rightly understand and conceiue hereof that as all the miseries now upon or towards the Churches are wholly or principally from the Dragon who hath thus inraged all those whom he hath deceiued to fight against them so our God hath also heerein ordained Pastors and Watchmen both spirituall and temporall to preserve his Children from him and those his Pastors and Watchmen to bee awaked and made more vigilant heereunto by the instant Prayers and cries of his poore people committed to their charge We are ever likewise to be thinking heereof that he that cannot cry for himselfe and for the Watchmen and Churches to be delivered from the tempter and from all these evils Especially from the evill of sinne that it reigne not over him but suffers himselfe to be a servant though it be but of any one sinne and a slave of Sathan therein must indure eternall evils and miseries with him in the Lake for ever and ever The eight particular Meditation of the second generall That the kindgome and glory are Christs that Sathan and Antichrist fight principally against him and against his Church onely for his cause and therefore are sure to be overthrowen 8. ANd yet more still to awaken us to prepare our hearts to this worke wee are to fâ—…iue to bring our soules on further to a right and due consideration that our Lord Iesus Christ is absolute Lord and King that all the kingdomes of the world are our Lords and his Christs and that he must reigne for evermore That Sathan and Antichrist his eldest sonne all their Souldiers in all these bloody warres which they haue so dreadfully begun and do so furiously pursue against all the Churches doe fight onely against his glorious Maiestie and even of hatred against him howsoever these whom Sathan hath so enchanted thinke not so much but rather imagine that they doe God good seruice in it That Sathan Antichrist haue sent forth these croaking Frogs the Iesuits and Seminaries to stir up all the Kings and great men of the earth to give away their power and authority from Christ Iesus to whom it is wholly due and whose they and all their power is to take part and to fight on their side against our Lord Iesus Christ. That it is indeed our Lord Iesus Christ against whom they fight even to thrust him out of his throne and to destroy his people and therefore that wee have just cause to thinke that this same being thus eagerly pursued against him and against all his true members in all the Churches is the very battle of the great day for that it is so set as it was never in such sort before all things being rightly considered And therefore we are wisely to Meditate that howsoever to the end to harden them all and all their Souldiers to their utter destruction he hath permitted them to prevaile thus farre and still raging to pursue his Israel into the heart of the Sea yet we may haue good hope that there is the very place and time where and when he will get himselfe the victory even when once his owne people and Children seeing and feeling their miseries upon them and that there is nothing remaining in regard of any helpe from man but present destruction shall cry aloud unto him as Israel at the Sea That then hee will cause his owne people to stand still and see what he will doe That then he will manifest his power and get himselfe glory upon his owne and his Churches enemies even upon Pharaoh and his hoast and that by his owne right arme That howsoever there are multitudes nations mighty Monarches and Kings against him and these have all one minde to give their power and authority from him unto the Beast untill
speedy and unfeigned repentance thou wilt cut them offâ—… from ever seeing thy celestiall Canaan and much more make all them to know this specially who with the tenne spyes after they have not only searched out the good land tasted and brought to others the fruite of it but filled them selves at least with the outward blessings and daynties thereof have yet either turned backe or brought an evill report upon it even upon thy sacred religion and Gospell to discourage their Brethren thereby to cause them to be faint-hearted and as much as â—…veth in them to turne into Aegypt againe Oh Lord most holy most dreadfull and most terrible make us all ever to remember that of all those hundreth thousands who so tempted and dishonoured thee by their unbeleefe in the way towards the earthly Canaan never any one could enter in but thou causedst their catkasses to fall in the wildernes untill they were utterly consumed and for those that brought that vile slaunder upon the good land thou causedst them to die by a terrible plague and that therefore these may justly expect a more heavy wrath and vengeance from thy Majesty Oh gracious Father give all thine owne faithfull people and children the same hearts of Caleb Iosua especially all them who as those thy two worthy servants have unto this day constantly stucke unto thy sacred Majesty in the conscionable profession of thy heavenly truth that we may all couragiously and boldly give testimony unto the happinesse of this good land into which thou hast brought us this good way of life wherein thou hast set us that this indeed to wit the sincere profession of thy name according to thy sacred word and as it is confirmed by our good Lawes is a land that floweth with milke and hony and the Lord if he love us will continue it unto us and increase the glory and happinesse of it untill he have brought us into his heavenly Canaan Inable us good Father thus to incourage our owne hearts and the hearts of all our faithfull Brethren and for all other to perswade them by all meanes out of thy blessed word that they rebell not against thee the Lord of hoasts neither feare the proud enemies of the Church but onely that we may joyntly be truly humbled before thy glorious Majesty for all our sinnes whereby we have thus provoked thy greatnesse and holinesse thus caused thee to muster thine armyes and to strengthen thine and our enemies against us to cause thine owne people in so many places to fly before them Oh Lord inable us by thy holy Spirit that wee may never leave wrastling with thee untill we have prevailed with thy Majesty thus farre that thou shalt incline the hearts of all especially all those whom thou hast set in thy place for the saving of thy people that they and all their dominions even all the Churches and every soule of thine may seeke thee in sack cloth and ashes in fasting weeping and mourning never giving over crying to thee through thy Christ untill thine anger be appeased and thou bee reconciled to thy people againe for that then undoubtedly as thou hast bene wont to doe in former Ages thou wilt make thine and thy Churches enemies to be but bread for thy people that all the world shall see that their sheild is departed from them and that thou the Lord of hoasts art with us and that wee shall not need to feare them any more Oh gracious God most tender Father cause all the Churches to know and especially us of this sinfull nation that hitherto we and so many as have beene preserved thou alone hast spared and saved us of thy rich mercy and at the instant requests importunings of thy Moseses which have bene amongst us And more specially cause all unbeleevers to know that thou now speakest to them as thou diddest to thy people in the wildernesse That notwithstanding thy great mercies and the sparing of us at the cries of thy faithfull ones yet all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. that all those who have seene thy glory the good land and great deliverances which thou hast given to thy people and yet have so oft and doe still tempt thee not obeying thy voyce shall never see that thy heavenly Canaan which thou hadst so promised and offered unto them nor any other that so provoked thee by their unbeleefe That onely thy faithfull servants who as Caleb and Iosuah having another Spirit doe follow thee still remaining still more constant and faithfull even in the greatest timerousnesse and backsliding of the multitude these onely thou wilt bring into the heavenly Canaan and they alone shall inherit it for evermore Heare us Oh most gracious God and loving Father and keepe us by the mighty power of thy blessed Spirit that alwayes remembring what thou hast done for us and considering aright of the miserable estate of all under Sathan and Antichrists tyranny and our owne happy estate and condition under our Lord Saviour Iesus Christ we may all joyntly strive fast forward towards the full fruition of thine owne glorious Majesty in the heavenly Canaan and in the new Ierusalem eternally Grant that in the meane time the unfeigned repentance of all thy true Churches and people for all our sinnes may bee one of thy effectuall and principall instruments for the pulling of the remainder of thy people forth of Sodome and of Aegypt and to cause all thine to fly speedily and get themselves out of Babilon that by escaping her sins they may likewise escape her plagues and finally that it may thus prepare the way to the calling and conversion of the Iewes the gathering in of all thy Israel the speedy comming of our Lord and Saviour for our eternall deliverance the everlasting glory of thy Sion and of us all for evermore Heare us Oh most gracious Father in these our requests and accept of this our poore thanksgiving for this inestimable favour even for Iesus Christ his sake our onely Lord and Saviour X. A prayer that wee and all the Churches in token of our thankfullnesse to our blessed God for our deliverance from Babilon for making us his people and Children and his Covenant with us may set our selves to honour him more then ever wee have done especially in a more conscionable and chearefull walking in all his holy Lawes and Commandements that hee may alwaies keepe us from that bloody tyranny OH Lord most holy most great and glorious who hast made all things for thine owne sake even the wicked for the day of evill Perswade the hearts of all thine owne people that thou hast thus created formed all things for thine owne honour that thy great name might ever be magnifyed in all the world and especially by thine owne children and to this end
mercy And the crie of his servant Which are haue bene so hated 2 Chron. 36. Nothing can give us any true security but our unfeigned repentance Till this nothing but expectation of some dreadfull scourge The remooving of our Candlesticke heavier then all other outward iudgements how we deserve it And to have their Idolatry set up Knives at oâ—… throats Some of these to be feared for want of performance of ouâ—… Coâ—…so oft renewed by vs As in 〈◊〉 Fasts since The peaceable bringing in of our gracious Soveraigne At our deliverance from the hellish Furnace So many wayes witnessed How these must either worke the performance of our promises or arme the Lord against us Not to rest till we have brought our hearts to consider our dissimulation with the Lord. Psal. â—…07 6. 12. 19. â—…3 That we are now so farre further off from repentance That all begin to be almost out of hope oâ—… it How Iudah went further then we Even to a generall renewing the covenant outwardly Yet starting backe The Lord brought that Captivitie Notwithstanding all other meanes of their security To be thinking of the removing the Candlestick from other Churches Though God spare the wâ—…ole at the 〈◊〉 of â—…is deerest Yet everie particular soule not turning and helping must perish Kings Princes ordained and used to bring Gods people to repentance As by Moses c. As by Moses c. To pray therfore as for all of them so chiefly for our dâ—…ead Soveraigne That all may inquire wisely into the causes of all â—…heir evils That all is from the lord to bring us to repentance that hee may spare us And he may take our caus in hand By seeing how our sin is increased And our dangers And by inquiring the meanes to pâ—…isie the wrath And setting themselves to the speedy execution thereof To labour to prevaile for all herein cheefly for our dread Soveraigne bringing thus the greatest deliverance by his hand Lâ—…ad us not into temptation bâ—…t deliver us from evill To Meditate how Sathan having gotten the Church into the wildernes there exerciseth his tyrany on it Sathan seekes to cause all Gods people to fall away or to dissemble for fearâ—… by their miseries To provoke the Lord more against them Or to doubt of Gods favor soundnesse of their religion or faith Or whether they haue any Faith Thence to melancholy distempers To accuse themselves falesly The effect of the right Meditation of these How iustly God may leave Sathan to stand up against us as against Israel Euen against all the Churches but us pâ—…ially How Sathan roares uppon the Churches See Statesmysteries of the Iesuites The earth hitherto caused to helpe the Church Iust feare left our course should bee comming thorow Sathans wonderfull prevailing The right Meditation heereof will make us to cry loude Leade us not c. The fourih branch All the miserâ—…es of the Church chief ly from the Dragon Pastors and Watchmen ordained to preserve Gods Children to bee stirred up heer â—…unto at their cries They that cannot cry to be delivered from the tempter to helpe to deliver their brethreÌ„ must endure all miserie with him For thine is the Kingdome c. To meditate That the Kingdome is our Christs Apoc. 11. 15. Sathan Antichristâ—… sight onely against him Apoc. 16. 23. 24. How they have sent forth their croaÌ„king frogs To stir up all to battle against Christ Iesus To thrust him out of his throne And to destroy all his people We may iust ly thinke this the battle of the great day That though the Lord thus permit them to prevaile to harden them to pursue his people into the Sea Yet there he will get himselfe the victory When his people shall cry unto him Though there be mighty Kings against him and for Antichrist Yet the Lambe sâ—…all over come them That they shall give their power to the Lambe to make the Whore desolate To provoke our selves to more instant crying for the full accomplishment of this To consider how the whore is discovered to all 〈◊〉 mysteries of the Iesuits Layed forth to be visibly beholden of all to be of Sathan by his cheefe workes viz. lying and murther Received her deaths wound by her owne hands in the Powder treason And will fall being spent by her owne violent and bloody rage 4. branch That our Saviour hath clearly foreshewed her destruction of all who receive her marke Revel 19. Made the hoast of heaven to reioyce thereat Made proclamation to all to come to be inriched by her spoiles 5. branch That he will destroy every one that is not on his side Amen To reioyce that Christ is that everlasting Amen Who will performe every word which he hath spoken And is comming quickly After our seeing the order which the Lord takes in saving his Church and necessitie of prayer to be carefull we be such as the Lord calleth to helpe him Our certaine direction by the Lords prayer Our Father That having Christs call in our eares We make sure we be the true children of our heavenly Father by the true marks thereof 2. Pet. 1. 4. The first branch of this meditation more particularly to make this sure That we may not deceive our selves herein we are to thinke What ones we are by nature 1. Cor. 15. 47. Eph. 2. 2. Iohn 8. 44. Eph. 2. 3. 2. What ones we must be by grace 3. That we never rest in using the meanes untill we be such In regard of our miserable estate we stand in till then And more for the horror which will come oâ—… us when our consciences shall be awaked And our blessed estate of the contrary when can we finde our selves Gods Children Meanes cheeâ—…y the word and prayer For obtaining the principall graces Repentance Faith In ouâ—… repentance to 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Change 4. If such yet to labour to increase in our assurance in walking before him in more hprightnes Two lessons to be ever in memory to this end 1. That there is but one narrow way of life Iâ—…numerable leading to destruction 2. That one directed onely by Gods word The generall whereof is comprized in the Catechisme For Faith Conuersation Helpes in ouâ—… iourney the Sacraments For more strength so to walke earnest prayer 5. To pray thus for our Brethren as well as our selves that they may have the same assurance and so manifest themselves for their heavenly Father and for the good of all their Brothren as we doe To remember al ioyntly 6. To pray more specially for all in authority As in Gods owne place For the succour comfort of all the rest of their Brethen Bearing his owne name and ordained for this end Esay 49. That they may chiefly be indued with all excellent graces As in the first ranke Better to provoke all the rest And chiefly those peculiar to their places That we may performe all duties to them of honour Obedience Thankfulnes Therein those three Acknowledgment Hearty
furie of Satan and Antichrist who have therefore set themselves truly to helpe our Lord Iesus in his members to pacifie his wrath and for the restoring of his captives with the glorie of his Sion Yet have we too just cause to accuse and condemne our selves herein not onely all our Atheists and prophane sort but also the multitude generally that wee suffer our adversaries so farre to condemne the greatest part of us who professe the Gospell that they should labour farre more in their superstitious devotions to increase their sinne and judgement upon them all though this have beene alwayes the nature of superstition than we in our holy and true devotions to increase our owne happinesse and for the saving of us all Notwithstanding that whatsoever deadnesse and want is amongst us in this behalfe it is not through the fault of our Religion which teacheth and enableth us otherwise when it is rightly knowne and practised but it is the want of true knowledge and of a sound and conscionable practice of our Religion Hence it hath beene and is one principall end whereunto I have bent my studies in these poore labours the better to awaken us and to put more life into us to begin more universally and joyntly and also more incessantly to importune the Lord herein being provoked by their ensample That thus we may labour as powerfully and as earnestly with the Lord hereby for the saving of our selves generally and of so many of them with us as belong unto his eternall election as they doe by theirs to destroy both us and themselves together And thus much also for cutting off the third head of this subtill serpent which I trust shall thus fall with the rest And now that this Hydra is so laid in the dust and all his heads taken utterly from him for so poysoning and destroying any more let me once againe come unto the further demonstration of that assumption concerning which that learned Gentleman of whom I made mention in the Epistle Dedicatory professed long agoe that if it could be proved viz. that Popery teacheth lying and murdering for the supporting of it he would utterly renounce his religion and embrace ours For that this doth in like manner and as neerely concerne every Papist in the world as it doth him That they must needs every one either professe with him that if it can be proued they likewise will utterly renounce Popery and embrace the Gospell or that they are of that Religion which is of Sathan and will so remaine whatsoever the Lord shall manifest to the contrary Which point as all may see doth fitly come in to be yet more plainly demonstrated in this place and upon this present occasion The Syllogisme whereby I endevoured to let him see the danger wherein himselfe and all the rest of them who are of that popish Religion doe stand because that Religion so farre as it is differing from ours and properly Popish holding their chiefe grounds must needs bee of the devill was grounded upon the expresse words of our Saviour to the unbeleeving Iewes who therefore sought by lies and all devices to kill him even for the truth which he declared unto them as now they doâ—… us all The words are Iohn 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Devill and the lusts of your father will you doe He hath beene a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth This I framed in the plainest manner that I could for the easier understanding and triall of it as now I doâ—… that every one may be better able to discerne of the truth and weight of it thus That Religion which teacheth lying and murder for the supporting and advancing of it is of the Devill But the Religion of the Iesuited Papist it a Religion which teacheth lying and murder for the supporting and advancing of it Ergo the Religion of the Iesuited Papists is of the Devill First the proposition I shewed to be strong from the expresse words of our Saviour and not possibly to be gainesaied for â—…hat if liers and murderers are of the devill then that Religion which teacheth lying and murdering to support and advance it selfe must needs be so likewise He therefore being pressed with the Assumption denied it onely by distinguishing that howsoever some of them had practised so yet it was not their doctrine and that if it could be proved to be their doctrine he would utterly renounce his Religion and ioyne himselfe againe to us This I undertooke to prove unto him but living some miles distâ—…nt from him and having my calling to follow which I was necessarily to attend the Lord our faithfull and most gratious Father seeing my unfained desire for his reclaiming and salvation undertooke for me the proving of it in such a manner as whereby to give satisfaction for the truth of it to all the world and for ever to stop his mouth and the mouthes of all our adversaries even of every one affected to that Popish Religion and that two waies First this conference of ours and so my promise being but a little before the powder Treason it proved it selfe or rather his heavenly Majestie manifested it by themselves leaving them up to themselves in that very powder Treason wherein there was for the supporting and advancing of their Religion first such a murder intended as the world before that day never heard of And secondly a lie as great as it devised not only to cover that bloudy fact for the present but by it to have destroyed all the rest who had escaped that blow even all truly professing Christs Gospell in all countreys of the earth under the name of Puritans for that they had commited such a fact viz. That the Puritanes had blowen up the Parlament house like as when it was discovered they gave it forth that the Puritans had intended it That which should have beene their owne most detestable act they father vpon the people of the Lord whom they would have butchered by it and blowne up for ever Now this whole act of this devillish and deadly preparation we know was proved to be done by the advice of Father Garnâ—… and other their superiours And therefore it being their doctrine that they are to obey their Superiours and Ghostly Fathers chiefly in all things which concerne the promoting of the Catholike cause and therein to be ever ready to adventure their lives I appeale to the conscience of this Gentleman and the consciences of them and you all whether it bee not their doctrine by necessary consequence 2. His heavenly Majestie goodnesse declared it thus further for me soone after upon the same occasion of the Powder-treason in causing Mr. Doctor Morton a man meet for his learning and knowledge of their workes to proue it against them in his booke called An exact discouerie of Romish doctrine in the case of conspiracie and rebellion written by direction from our Superiours
hee so oft saved and delivered his people for Moses alone thus importuning him albeit hee have over-just cause to say to us as hee said to Iudah before her Captivitie though Noah Iob and Daniel were amongst us yet they should neyther save sonne nor daughter but even their owne soules yet I say howsoeuer he shall deale in mercy for the generall wee must notwithstanding know undoubtedly that every particular soule that turnes not to God by unfeigned repentance and that prepares not himselfe to come thus to help by his prayers for pardoning the sinnes of the Land and pacisying of the Lords wrath must certainly perish And to conclude this point wee are to meditate likewise seriously how GOD hath principally ordayned and ever used when he would save his people and call and bring them to true repentance to do it in like manner by Kings and Princes or other Rulers stirred up extraordinarily and by the voyce of his true Prophets calling them and his people by them thereunto as by Moses Ioshua Iehosaphat Hezekiah Nehemiah the king of Nineuy and others even when he wold but save them from the present temporall destruction And therefore as we are to pray instantly for all the Rulers in the severall Churches so above all for our dread Soveraigne to whom hee hath given such excellent understanding of his heavenly will and whom he hath bound unto himselfe by so many bonds of such great deliverances the like mercies and favours above all the Kings and Princes of the earth that they may all yet whilst there is time now the Lord calles so lowd vpon them set themselves to enquire wisely into the true causes of the evils already upon the Churches and of those which are further threatned That they may truly consider that all this is from the Lord in his everlasting commiseration and fatherly pitty tendering us as his deere children thus calling us all to a generall and unfeigned repentance that he may spare us and that himself may take our cause in hand against his own and our bloody enemies That they may with holy Iosiah first inquire rightly into all the crying sins in every state and degree within their Dominions and into all the provocations of the wrath of God and see how the sinnes of our time seem to be above the sinnes of Iudah before the Captivity our glorious light and all other meanes which he hath used to reclaime us being rightly weighed And secondly that they may consider wisely of the danger which both themselves and all theyrs yea all their Dominions stand in for the same according to all the Lords most terrible warnings and denounciations And thirdly that they may thinke seriously as in the presence of the Lord and inquire from his mouth of the meanes yet left to pacific and prevent the same And finally that they may set themselves forthwith to put all the same in execution with holy Iosiah and do in all things belonging thereunto as the Lord himselfe directeth and commandeth for that this alone can bring comfort and boldnesse to them and theyrs in assurance of the Lords mercifull love and favour and that they and theirs shall abide still and ever before the presence of the Lord. Thus are we to labour to prevaile espcially for our Soveraigne Lord and his that our God may yet by him magnify the riches of his mercy above all former times bringing thus to us all his Churches a third greater deliverance and cause of rejoycing by his hand through our unfeigned repentance and the like repentance in all the Churches then ever heretofore And thus wee are earnestly according to our bounden dutie to stirre up our hearts by our due meditations to cry for him and to doe what we can both by our prayers and all other holy meanes that all other may ioyne with us herein and that we may never rest wrestling with him weeping untill he have heard us even in this behalfe for the pardoning and taking away our sinnes in what sort soever shall seeme best to his heavenly Maiestie to answere us And thus much for this Meditation The seuenth particular Meditation of the second generall how Sathan exerciseth all his power and tyranny against all the Churches spiritually SEuenthly wee are withall to betake our selves to a serious Meditation and to bring our hearts likewise to a right feeling hereof That as the Lord hath in his iust and heavy displeasure left his poore afflicted Churches and children to be thus pursued by Sathan and driven into the wildernesse so Sathan having gotten them thither he there principally exerciseth his power tyranny against them even spiritually against their seules and consciences so farre as God permits him as well as against their bodies How hee thereby bestirres himselfe to bring them into all spirituall miseries to cause them either to fall away from the Lord Iesus Christ and the soundnesse and sincerity of his heavenly Gospell which they have received professed or to vse dissembling even to deny the Lord Iesus or other vnlawfull meanes for their reliefe and succour thus to wound their weake cōsciences ◅o get more advantage against them both to accuse them before the Lord and so to provoke his Maiesty to leave them up into his hands and even to drive many of them to utter and endless despaire of the Lords helpe succour which is the height of miseries and the very entrance into the lake Or at least which is his usuall manner with every one of us and wherein he can and doth oft prevaile with manie of the deerest Saints and Children of the Lord he settes on them day and night to cause them to doubt of the Lords favor and love of the truth of their Religion the goodnesse of their cause the soundnesse of their Faith and repentance or whether they have any Faith or no seeing hee so leaves them to so many miseries which if hee loved them he would not doe Then hee makes them possess the verie sinnes of their youth setting all of them before their faces which ever they fell into in their whole lives so much as he is able and aggravating every least slip or fayling as if it were the most heynous sin that ever was committed Then through melancholy passions and distempers into which hee can driue thee best by long affliction and by still urging his temptations terrors hee can and useth to cause them to accuse themselves falsely and for those things wherein they are most innocent or for the best things that ever they have done and so can increase their miseryes both bodily and spirituall The right meditation of these and other like miseries which he drives them into m◅st needs cause us to commiserate their poore and wofull estate and the due consideration of the present danger to our selves of the like
accepted as saithfull Abraham and Moses in regard of the high favour in which wee are in through Iesus Christ and that wee are so qualified and fitted as our Saviour requireth of them who are to helpe him in this worke The fourth generall Meditation Concerning the frame and order of our prayers that they likewise may be well pleasing and so we may bee more certaine to prevaile thereby when wee follow in all things our Saviours direction FOr the frame and forme of our prayers that the want therein may not any thing hinder our certaine assurance but contrarily that our right manner ordering framing thereof may increase our strength and confident crying They must bee so framed as neere as wee can at our great Master and Teacher our Lord Iesus Christ hath directed us and then his Soveraigne Majesty who hath saide Pray thus will make them powerfull according to his gratious promise Aske and you shall have and will set to his seale first in our hearts and after manifestly before the world The first particular Meditation of the fourth generall That we pray onely to our heavenly Father in the name of Christ. FIrst wee are carefully to see that our prayers bee directed onely to our heavenly Father and none other and that in the name and mediation of our blessed Saviour our hearts being lifted vp to heaven in confidence of faith through him and in his name and mediation alone and not by the mediation of any Saint or Angell and also without the least looking at our selves for any excellency in our selves or any matter of merit worth or desert in our selves or any other creature for which wee should looke any way to bee heard whereunto our hearts are wonderfully prone and wherein they are exceeding deceiptfull and very hard to bee knowne albeit wee have taken long paines to bring them thereunto The second particular Meditation of the fourth generall That above all and in all wee ayme at Gods glory and the advancement of Christs scepter SEcondly as hee hath taught us in the first place to pray Hallowed be thy name so in and above all things we must ayme at his glory and never rest till wee have a burning zeale thereof so to seeke the advancement of his great name and the comming of his kingdome even that Iesus Christ may raigne in all the world all sorts stooping unto him that thus his elect speedily bee gathered forth and saved Sathan and Antichrist with all his enemies being utterly overthrowne and confounded For seeking first his glory kingdome righteousnesse that is seeking them cheefly and in the first place wee have a certaine assurance from his gracious and faithfull promise That all other things shall be cast upon us as an over measure concerning our selves or ours And herein specially wee are to bee warned for that in this is usually the cheife failling of Gods people and for which hee may justly send us empty away even for looking at our selves more then at his Majesty and the things that concerne his kingdome and honour preferring our selves and our owne particulars and the care of them before the things that concerne his owne glory kingdome and people Though his wisedome hath in his goodnesse so plainly directed us herein beginning and ending with this The seeking of the advancement of his glory and kingdome as being all in all like as indeed it is for that then as was saide when we can so seeke him in order hee will undoubtedly give us our hearts desire and more then wee can imagine neitheir can wee ever assure our selves of any thing as a blessing untill this time For this purpose and the certaintie hereof read carefully the first of Haggai and consider it well how this selfe-love makes us forget the first and great Commandement Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soule strength and might c. and so to loose the obtaining of those things which otherwise we might certainly injoy The third particular Meditation of the fourth generall That wee seeke the doing of his heavenly will for his glory and kingdome chiefly THirdly we are to labour to bring our hearts hereunto That the accomplishing of his heavenly will whatsoever he hath determined chiefly iâ—… things that concerne his glory and kingdome and the good of his Church and Children bee sought by us in the first place and afterwardes in all things belonging to our selves That to these ends all his will and good pleasure which he hath been or shall bee pleased to make knowne unto us may be done by us and all his people and that as chearfully wisely faithfully and couragiously as the Angels doe it in heaven The fourth particular Meditation of the fourth generall That we seeke all good things from God alone chiefly that wee may have wherewith to honour him and advance his kingdome FOurthly in the fourth place wee are to meditate how wee are to travell with our owne hearts to seeke our daily bread from him not for our selves but for these ends principally That he will be pleased to feed us and to minister unto us from heaven all things needfull and behouefull hereunto both for our selves and for all our brethren that wee may not live to our selves but to his heavenly Majesty alone who hath redeemed and saved us for this purpose The fift particular Meditation of the fourth generall and so of the sixt and seventh together FIftly wee are seriously to consider how wee are to pray That to these ends likewise chiefly and for these causes hee will forgive our sinnes and the sinnes of his people that they may not hinder his mercy nor these our prayers in any of the things which wee are taught to beg of his heavenly Majesty nor yet provoke his wrath against us but having put them away by his Christ hee may for his sake tender us as his owne Children and heare us in all things concerning his glory and kingdome and also for our owne necessitie and happinesse and the good of his people 6. And finally that for his glory sake hee will save us from Sathan and from all the evils which hee intends and seeks to bring upon us for our sinnes and whereby he seekes to dishonour the Lord provoke him against us and to hinder all these mercies and to bring all contrary miseries and evils upon us and upon the Church 7. How in all these still wee are ever to seeke for his owne glory and the merit of his dearly beloved Sonne ever beginning and ending here with And that our Lord Iesus Christ may shew himselfe gloriously both Lord and King exercising all his Soveraignty Dominion and Power for vs all that so hee may bee glorified by us and by all the Churches and also glorifie us with himselfe for evermore And thus much also for the
in all things to walke hvmbly with him shall likewise bee stirred up by his blessed Spirite thus joyntly to cry unto him for that hee having taught and commanded us thus to pray and having given us so many assurances that being such praying thus he wil heare us and finally hee enclining and setting our hearts as with one accord thus to importune him heerein we can make no doubt of gracious audience and a happy answere from his heavenly Majesty even when we can joyntly crie in Faith Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus come quickely Amen Amen The Sixt generall Meditation How all but those that are thus qualified are excluded from helping the Lord and doe rather pull downe his wrath upon his Church SIxtly we are to bring our hearts yet further to a serious Meditation hereof likewise That all other who are not so qualified at least in the earnest desire and constant resolution of their hearts and much more all who are contrarily affected in any of these things thus necessarily required in our preparation and so all that beleeue not the word of the Lord in such manner as to be fully perswaded of the truth of his promises and threatnings are excluded by the Lord himselfe from being any meete helpers in this worke The First Meditation hereof to be seriously pondered 1 THat all such as live securely in theyr owne wayes without any due regard of the Lord and of his poore Church are excluded hence even all such as who albeit the Lord shewe such manifest token◅ of his heavy displeasure agaynst his owne people and children for their sinnes and although they see his Glory Gospell People to bee so generally trampled under foot our lord Iesus Christ to be ready utterly to be thrust frō his throne and his members in such miserable distress or imminent perill yet they care for none of these things but only mind their owne courses and seeke to satisfy their owne wils and desires as all our worldlings and all the prophane sort in generall do Yea all such are shutte out as unmeete who are not now in a tender commiseration of the wofull estate of all the Lords people de◅irous to obey our Lord Iesus Christ comming to helpe him and them all in what thing soever he shall make knowne unto them that he stands in need of their helpe and so calls for it at their hands and who endeavour not unfeignedly to doe whatsoever he requireth tending thereunto And that this must needs be so for these reasons following which are therefore every one of them to be seriously meditated of and pondered until we know our selves to have passed the danger of them The first reason to be seriously meditated of 1 FOr that al such who regard him not in his poore and needy members must be separated from these whom our Saviour calles The blessed of his Father and must stand at his left hand among the Goats and must then hear the wofull doome at that last dreadfull day Go ye cursed into everlasting f◅re prepared for the Divell and his Angels when I was an hungrie you gave mee no meat when I was thirsty you gave me no drinke when I was s◅ke and in prison you visited me not when I was naked you cloathed me not when I was a stranger and harbourlesse you tooke me not in c. And therefore if it shall be so with these at that day then certainely they must needs bee rejected by him as utterly unmeet for this service who now that he calles for these duties at theyr hands and that so lowd as all the world doth ring thereof yet are deafe in all in regard of any commiseration For what King General or Commander will ever willinglie have any admitted into pay to fight under them but onely such as they know to be loyally and faithfully affected towards them and which doe lay to heart their honours causes and quarrels as if they were their owne much lesse then can we thinke that the Lord of heaven earth who needes none of our helpe but can get himselfe the victorie over his enimies by the breath of his nostrils when it pleaseth him will admit of any other to be with him and to helpe him in this great work wherein he will so highly honour them but onely so many as shall bee loyally and heartily affected towardes his Majesty his causes and children The second reason to be seriouslie thought of SEcondly we are seriouslie to lay to heart and to bethinke our selves in time if we would be helpers herein That all such who live in any one gross sinne impenitently and much more in any one of those notorious abhominations which broght that dreadfull Captivity upon Iudah which the Lord hath caused to be set so lively before the face of all by y◠holy Prophets themselves together with the vengeance denounced for them are also utterly excluded especially if they live therein scandalously to the slander of the Gospell or the offence of others to harden them in their courses for that all such are both blinde and deafe and make others so Such cannot see the wrath and vengeance of GOD certainly rushing upon thēselves for their owne sinnes wherein they lye much less can they see that which is rushing upon all the Churches for theyr security and abuse of the gospell and least of all can they discerne of any wrath conceived agaynst our selves for that they consider onely that we yet live in peace but perceyve not at all the multitude and heynousness of our most odious and lowd-crying sins agaynst which the Prophets so thunder out the vengeance of the Lord and for which all who are wise-hearted indeed and whose eyes GOD hath rightly opened doe feare and tremble They can neyther see any tokens of the Lords displeasure nor yet discerne the enemies raging so furiously agaynst all the Churches abroad as by their most deepe and bloody practises threats and intendments they daylie manifest to all the world no not those enemies which bee in our very bosomes such as all those are who beare evill will against Sion They perceiue not the multitude of Locusts with such stinges in their tails sent out of the bottomelesse pit to all the Kings of the earth to draw them all if it were possible certainly every one of them so farre as ever the Lord shall permit them to take up arms against our Lord Iesus Christ and his poore Church They are deafe and cannot heare the cry of their poore brethren though sounding daily in their eares so as to take any true pitty of them how then should they heare the cry of the Lord calling to themselves and all other to repent so to prevent and pacifie his wrath Concerning these so continuing the holy Ghost oft declareth the heavy wrath of God that is upon them That he hath blinded their eies and made their eares
may yet put some more life into all these Meditations and quicken us in our crying to him according to all the prayers following hee calls upon us all to have this specially ever in our hearts and his voyce in it sounding incessâ—…tly in our eares which was in part touched before That as the Spirit and the Bride doe call to our blessed Saviour to come so first all the distressed Churches yea all the members of Christ and all the elect of God which are under the power of Sathan or of any cruell Tyrants or under other miseries doe call and cry to every one of us as the man of Macedonia did to Paul come helpe us Come helpe us by your prayers helpe us by your teares And secondly as the Angell of the Lord said Curse ye Meroz because he came not to helpe the Lord so now hee saith Curse ye all and every one of them who come not to helpe our Lord Iesus Christ who come not to helpe him in his poore members And tell every one who wil not set himselfe at least in the full purpose of his heart to come that hee hath no part in that heavenly prayer of our blessed Saviour nor of the glorious priviledges and promises conteyned in it that hee hath no part or portion in the Brother-hood Inheritance Glory Kingdome Rewardes Promises of this and the better life Remission of sinnes Deliverance from Sathan from the evils which hee seeks to bring on all that hee can have no comfort in that everlasting everliving Amen to whom all Kingdome Power and Glory do onely appertaine but that he is contrarily stripped of each of these and that our Lord Iesus is comming quickly in all Majesty and Glory to give to every one according to his workes to all that come the happinesse of all these blessings to all now refusing to come when he calls the misery of all contrary curses Wherefore hee saith to all Come Come every one thou though be in thy filth loathsome ragges all Leprous worthy to be thrust out of yâ— campe of Israel excluded for evermore yet come strip off those rags by repenâ—…ance wash in the fountaine of my blood which is opened to all the house of Israel and be thou cleane Put on the garment of the righteousnesse of thy Saviour and be glorious put on all the compleat Arm our of my Spirit in the full resolution of thy soule be valiant come helpe me Though thou have no strength but meere desires yet come and thou shalt bee accepted I will not quench the smoaking flax therefore come Though thy desires be never so weake yet come my power shall bee manifested and perfected in thy weaknes Therefore come yea though thou have no grace at all yet come hee tels thee from heaven his Grace is and shall be sufficient for thee And finally though thou have no faith to apprehend this Grace of his but art full of unbeleefe yet ever remember him that said I beleeve Lord Lord helpe my unbeleefe and how he sped and then thou wilt come Yea though thou get others to carry thee thou wilt certainly doe it if thou canst but set before thy face the Palsy-man thou wilt bee glad thâ—…s to come Finally be thinke thy selfe if ever thou canst name but one who thus desired to come to our Saviour in the uprightnesse of his heart neglecting no meanes thereunto who was rejected of him but contrarily how every one so comming hath beene graciously accepted and imbraced of him as the Prodigall Son was of his Father and then try whether his blessed Spirit will not give thee Davids Eccho to answer to him in thy soule Lord I come I come I come to doe thy will Thy will is within my heart Accept the worke of thine ownegrace Amen enen so Lord Iesus I come I come Prayers according to our Sauiours direction chiefly for maintaining and advancing of his glory and kingdome against the râ—…ge of Sathan and Antichrist and for helping his poore distressed Churches with all the members of Iesus Christ scattered over the face of the whole earth and that the whole number of Gods elect may be speedily gathered forth I. A prayer for our preparation that wee may bee made meete to bee admitted and may bee accepted as helpers in this so great a worke AH Lord our most gracious and tender Father in Christ Iesus wee thy unworthy children heere prostrate beholding how thy heavenly Majesty is foughten against thy honour trampled under foote thy kingdome people sought to bee destroyed out of the earth and that by Sathan Antichrist other thy cruell enemies who carrying a mortall hate against thee and against thy Sonne Iesus Christ and so against thy Gospell and people for thy cause alone do seeke that they alone may raigne over us and over all the world in thy place seeing also how thou hast suffered them fearfully to prevaile and still to proceed because of our sins and the sinnes of all other that professe thy name and hearing withall how thou now callest us all who are thine and in any favour with thy Maiesty to helpe thee and the rest of our Brethren and Sisters thy poore children in these their extreame miseries by our prayers and teares doe humbly intreat thee so to prepare and fit us that through our Lord and Saviour wee may be accounted meete to bee admitted to this so great a service Lord open our blind eies that we may have a right view of all these things open likewise our dease eares that we may heare thee calling us unto this duty and touch our dead hearts that they may be truly affected herewith inable us that thus seeing hearing and seeling we may cry unto thee uncessantly untill thou shalt shew thy selfe from heaven to come downe maintaine and defend thine owne causes and children to rescue all thine every where both from that bodily and spirituall tyranny and from all other dreadfull miseries under which they groane and so to judge betweene them betweene thine and their enemies and to get thy selfe a gloryous name and victory in thy due time to thine owne everlasting prayse and glory Oh deere Father perswade our hearts effectually how now at this very day in these fearfull times and extremities of thy poore Church as thou hast beene wont in all former Ages thou seekest out a man that may stand in the breach and how thou lookest for some that may specially bee singled out hereunto to helpe thee and thy poore people Vouchsafe good Lord that every one of us may strive to bee if not that one man yet as some one of Gedeons three hundreth And to this end that all these holy Meditations following and the like may be in our hearts continually That we may never rest untill hereby wee may know assuredly that
their owne wits and strength wee contrarily may looke up unto thee our heavenly Father Lord grant that we may first begge all from thy heavenly bounty using onely the meanes that thou hast appointed to accomplish our ends after returning praise and thankes for all unto thy divine and sacred Majesty Teach and perswade us and all thy people that wee may bee truly mindfull of the rest of our Brethren thy deere Children wheresoever dispersed and that wee may bee rightly touched with a true and lively feeling both of their bodily and spirituall estate and therefore like as thou haâ—…t taught commanded us to pray for all other thy Children as for our selves O our Father And give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill c. Grant that wee may not onely thus pray for them with the lips alone but sigh and groane unto thy Majesty for them in all these respects and desire earnestly to seeke and to use all meanes for them in every one of these kinds as lively feeling members of the same mysticall body of Iesus Christ with them Make us to consider how the carnall worldling hath little or no sense or feeling of any of these things nay almost no understanding at all as appeareth daily by all his carriage and affections towards thy deerest servants whom for this cause hee principally hates and makes a mocke of even for their piety their care and conscience to feare and please thy heavenly Majesty Make us all to have a true sense and feeling of our sins and of the vilenesse of them in regard of the nature of sin it selfe and that it is so displeasing and so odious to thy holinesse Inable us therefore by thy holy Spirit to groane under ouâ—… sinnes as a burden heavier then the earth yea to bee oft-times grieved inwardly and â—…ejected in regard of our new and many slips and failings for them all to cry Forgive us our trespasses and that we may never give any rest unto our soules untill wee bee fully assured of the pardon of them all and that thou our heavenly Father arâ—… fully reconciled unto us in Iesus Christ and thy displeasure wholly appeased towards us Whereas the unregenerate and carnall man hath usually no feeling of his sinnes at all whereupon hee commonly makes but a sport of sinne and drinke in iniquity as water so heaping uppe wrath against the day of wrath making a scoffe at all the godly who are troubled with their sinnes as at fantasticall and melancholly fools Teach and perswade our hearts that whereas carnall men can hardly or never forgive wrong done unto them untill they bee revenged or their corrupt mindes some way fully satisfied wee contrarily may labour to bee so farre off from reuenge as we may be able to pray with our Saviour and with Stephen Father forgive them they know not what they doe and that if our enemyes hunger wee may feed them as thou â—…hast commanded yea perswade our hearts that wee may by all meanes seeke the conversion and salvation of our greatest enemyes And if thou shalt be pleased to convert any of them soundly that wee may rejoyce therein even as the heauenly Angels and delight in such above our owne naturall brethren or sisters Lord worke so uppon us that whereas the Worldling is seldome or never affraid of Sathan and of his temptations or of sinning against and provoking thy holiness and therefore doth continvally or most commonly whatsoever Sathan and his owne sinnefull heart moves him unto without any checke or controulement or looking at thee or without any feare or regarde of the evill which will follow upon that which he doth we contrarily may desire to feare thee evermore Make us alwayes to stand in awe of thy Majesty with a holy reverence least for our security or for other our sins thou shouldest leave us to be tempted by Sathan and overcome and therefore in the sense and privity of â—…ur â—…eserts by all our sins our â—…aylings weaknesses and for the corruption of our sinneful natures with our inclination to hearken to the Serpent â—…o be overtaken and circumvented by him and in regard of the danger which thereby wee stand in continually we may cry day and night Leade uâ—… not into temptation but deliver us from euill yea that wee may strive as our Saviour hath taught us To watch and pray continually that wee may not fall into temptation Good Father graunt that whereas the carnall and unregenerate man in his actions lookes onely at the command and authority of man and at his countenance and power and what he can doe and so gives to men the glorie due unto thy Soveraigne Majesty or secretly takes it to himselfe wee contrarily may looke higher even unto thy Highness and to thy absolute Soveraignty over all Kings and Princes and at thy divine power and so give unto thee the glory of all abhorring all imagination of any excellency that we may any way conceyue to be in our selves therefore that wee may in all things desire ever with all thy holy Angels thus to acknowledge thee thy Soveraignty alone and to give thee all the glory and to crie evermore For thine is the kingdom power and glorie And whereas the worldling lookes commonly thinkes onely of this present life and seldome or never thinkes of eternity but rather labors to put the remembrance thereof out of his heart having his portion and so his meditations onely heere below grant that we contrarily may be alwayes thinking and meditating of eternity even of that life which is eternall that so we may live with thee and fully behold and enjoy thy kingdome power and glorie for evermore Finally perswade us and all thine that whereas the unregenerate and carnall Worldling hath usually in all his prayers and dealings with thee some eye unto himselfe and his worthiness for his deâ—…otion and service or for some other matter in himself being little or nothing at all acquainted with thy Son our Lord Saviour Iesus Christ and his intercession and how to come and appeare before thy holiness who art onely our father in and thorough him and how to make his requests onely thorow him and in his name alone wee may come cleaâ—… other wise Grant that we contrarily may in all our supplications prayers our giving of thankes strip our selves of all such opinion of our owne merit or worthiness and as wee account all but losse and dung so that we may be found in Christ not having our owne righteousness but that which is of Christ so likewise wee may make all our prayers and supplications with giving of thankes onely in and thorow him who is that everlasting Amen and thorow whom alone all thy promises are Yea and Amen who alone hath
needfull for us or thy whole Church or any part thereof for Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour VII A Prayer that all may understand how deere Gods Children are unto him that they may be so to us likewise OH Lord most merciful most wise and tender Father make all sorts to understand and know in time especially all those who so furiously rage agaynst thy Church and people at this day how deere and precious every one of thy Children is unto thy heavenly Majestie that they are unto thee as the apple of thine owne eye and that therefore their blood is precious in thy sight That they perishing for lacke of care to save and succor them much more being destroyed by them to whom thou hast committed them as to their nursing Fathers in thy place their blood will cry for vengeance like as the blood of Abel did and wil cause the murderers one day without unfeigned repentance to crie out when it is too late My sin is greater then I can beare Yea cause all to know that thou canst no more beare with wrongs done unto these thy Children and especially to those of them whom thou hast manifested by their child like obedience and by the glorious image of our Lord Iesus thy deere Sonne printed visibly upon them to bee so deere and precious unto thee then thou couldst beare with the wrongs done unto thy servants Abraham Moses David or any other of thine That if for Abrahams cause thou wast so severe agaynst Abimelech and his house though hee was but a Heathen King that which he did agaynst Abraham hee did ignorantly and with an upright heart as he sayth yea and thorow Abrahams weakness in saying of his wife she was his sister thou wilt then be much more severe agaynst all those who being convinced in their consciences of the innocency of thy poore children as all must needes be in a very great measure in this most glorious shining light of thy heavenly Gospell and yeâ—… doe so vexe and mollest them yea and seeke to destroy them out of the earth onely for thy names sake for cleaving fast unto thee and to thy sacred truth Lord perswade the hearts of all sorts that these while they are in any place are in some sort as Noah was to the old world and as Lot to Sodome for keeping off the vengeance from all the rest Yea good Lord make all sorts understand and know and especially set this ever before our eies and the eies of all thy people every where that thou madest poore Ioseph who was scorned and hated of his Brethren for his religion and pietie for seeking to reforme their evill behaviour to bee yet the preserver of his Brethren yea of all his Fathers house and of the whole Church and causedst his Brethren in their greatest extremity and in the very anguish of their soules to acknowledge how they had sinned against the Lad chiefly in their lack of commiseration and moreover to come and to stoope unto Ioseph and humbly to seeke unto him that he would not remember the wrongs and evils that they had done to him Cause us all to consider well how thou madest him to save them all even him whom for his dislike of their evill manners for his care for their good and for thy speciall favour manifested towards him they accounted the dreamer plotted against cast into the pit sold to the Ismalites thinking thereby they should never have bene troubled with him noâ—… have heard of him any more Grant good Lord seeing thy Children are so deere unto thee that for their causes and the wrongs done unto them thon callest for a dearth upon the lands where they are thou plaguest even Kings for their sakes that thou wilt not spare their owne Brethren or Sisters if they wrong them no not Miriam her selfe though she be beloved of thee a Prophetess and Sister of Moses but wilt make her feele her sinne and her shame if she dare but speake against thy servant Moses especially for doing as thou hast commanded him that they may be likewise as deere and precious unto all thy people Grant Oh tender Father that all sorts thus esteeming of them for thy cause as thine owne deere Children and so highly beloved of thee may all joyntly acknowldge their wrongs against them their haynous sinne against thy Majesty for them in all the rebukes scornes and taunts cast upon thee and thy sacred religion thorow the evils done unto them Vouchsafe that heereby all these may with faithfull Abraham Moses and Samuell pray for all thy people and so helpe to make the attonement for them by the blood of the Lord Iesus that all their sins may bee pardoned thy anger appeased thy people turned to thee againe thy hand may bee turned against thine obstinate and implacable enemies and the enemy may once againe bee given for the ransome of thy Children and people as thou diddest sometimes give Aegypt for thine Israel Lord perswade this principally to all thy Deputies and Vicegerents wheresoever in the earth that even for this cause alone for that these are so beleved of thee they likewise may in all tender affection set themselves as in thy place to rescue succour and protect them from the rage of all thine and their cruell enemies and that they may seeke withall the uniting of the hearts of all thy Children in that firme bond of brotherly love which is in Christ Iesus that those of them who most excell in vertue as they are most deâ—…re unto thy heavenly Majesty may bee so likewise unto them that they may respect and tender them their welfare and prosperity above all others That they may seeke to keepe all thine in this bond of holy love and wisely to prevent whatsoever may dissolve this brotherly knot or but breed any hatred envy grudgings heart-burnnings or unbrotherly censurings amongst them or whatsoever may hurt or annoy them any way That heereby all such thy Vicegerents may get this testimony and seale to their Consciences that they themselves are as thy first borne and amongest the deerest of thy Children and of all other of the earth most precious unto thee and that thou wilt shew thy selfe a Father and Protector unto them theirs for evermore when as thou wilt declare thy selfe full of vengeance against all of them who have any way wittinglie wronged or intended evill agaynst them Oh unite all the hearts of thine owne children unto them and theyrs in all loyall affection as to their foster-fathers and mothers whome thou hast in so much mercie to this end raised up for them and committed them unto as the hearts of all thine owne servants were united into thy faithfull seruant David whom for this cause they accounted better then ten thousand of themselves as the Candle of Israel and as they were
sathan and Antichrist fight against him and his Church for his cause onely and therefore are sure to be overthrowne pag. 59 9 How our Lord Iesus is that everlasting Amen and comming quickely for the reioycing of his Church pag. 67 The third generall Meditation 3 What manner of ones wee must bee whom the Lord now calleth and whom he will accept and admâ—…t to bee his helpers in this Worke and whose Prayers shall be avayleable with him according to our Saviours direction and warrant pag. 68 Heerein these particular Meditations and marks 1 To make sure that we be the true Children of our heavenly Father and the meanes thereunto pag. 72. 2 That we be such as can and use to seeke Gods honour above all other things whatsoever pag. 86 3 That we use to seeke his Honour chiefely in the advancement of the Scepter and Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. pag. 87 4 That we seeke also to honour him â—…ver in the full accomplishment of all 〈◊〉 Heavenly will pag. 89 5 That we bee such as looke unto and depend upon our heavenly Father alone for all good things pag. 91 6 That wee be such as feele our sinnes and infirmities as in heauie burthen and travailing vnder them do flye ever unto Christ. pag. 93 7 That wee endeavour to pray continually Leade us not into temptation pag. 95 8 That we bee such as can and doe use to sing the song of the 24 Elders Glory Honor c. pag. 97 The fourth generall Meditation 4 Concerning the frame and order of our Prayers that they may be well pleasing as wel as our persons and so wee may be more certaine to prevayle thereby when we follow in all things our Saviours direction pag. 100 Heerein these particular Meditations 1 That we pray onely unto our heavenly Father in the name of Christ. pag. 101 2 That above all and in all we ayme at Gods glorie and the advancement of Christs scepter pag. 102 3 That we seeke the dooings of his heavenly will for his glory and kingdome chiefly not for our selves pag. 105 4 That we seeke all things from him alone chiefely that wee may have wherewith to honor him and advance his Kingdome pag. 106 5 That wee seeke forgivenes for the same ends viz. for his glory and Kingdom and that our sinnes doe not hinder his mercies and so likewise deliverance from Sathan and from all evils pag. 108 The fifth generall Meditation 5 The power and efficacy of our Prayers made and performed in all things according to the heavenly patterne pag. 120 Heerein these particular Meditations 1 That when wee can so ' pray he will manifest himselfe our father setting his seale to our soules that hee is our tender father pag. 111 2 How hee will from Heaven shew us his glory when we can pray so and that more then ever in this last Age. 112 3 How hee will then cause his Kingdome to come with power and ruinate the kingdom of Sathan and Antichrist pag. 115 4 How he will then fulfill whatsoeuer is not yet accomplished concerning his enemies or his servants and put new chearfulnesse into our hearts to doc his wil. pag. 116 5 How he will then deliver his people feede them from Heaven and recompence double unto them pag. 118 6 How then hee will cleanse his people from their sinnes and write his Law in their harts pag. 119 7 He will deliver his stocke from Sathan and dissolue all his cursed works discovering the depths of all his wickednesse pag. 122 8 How then he will declare him selfe sole Monarch to whom all glory belongs and cause all to acknowledge his Soveraigâ—…ty pag. 125 9 How we are never to rest till wee can triumâ—… in the assurance of faith crying ioyntly Amen pag. 128 The sixt generall Meditation 6 How all but those who are so qualified as is mentioned are excluded from helping the Lord and do rather pul down Gods wrath upon his Church Herein these particular Meditations 1 How all living securely are excluded hence and so all who doe not in commiseration strive to come to helpe him and his poore Church 131 Reasons heere of to be seriously thought of 1 All such must be separated at the last day 2 All living in any grosse sinne impenitently are excluded hence for that they are blind and deafe pag 1â—…5 3 All the threatnings in Gods Book against such sinnes and sinners are against them not any promâ—…se to them untill they repent and therfore they are excluded pag. 140 4 For that every notorious sinner helpes to pull down wrath on all pag 143 5 All excluded who have not so much compassion of theyr Brethren in their miseries as to be reâ—…d to adventure them selves for them pag 145 6 All but those who can more lay to heart the causes of God and his people then their own pag. 148 7 All reiected who will not cast away their sinne though as deere as their right eyes and receive the love of every part of Gods truth pag. 150 8 All excluded from this service who but incline to any evill in their hearts pag. 152 9 All but they who endevour in all things to be with our Saviour for that none else can be his true disciples pag. 153 2 The second particular Meditation of the sixt general who may with hope and confidence offer themselves onely they who strive in all things to bee so qualified as hee requireth pag. 155 Reasons that onely such can hope to have acceptance heere pag. 157 The 7. generall Meditation 7 That the Lord notwithstanding gâ—…ciously calles all sorts to helpe herein therefore every one who will not strive to bee of this number must perish pag. 165 Reasons shewing that he cals all to helpe if ever they will see his face with ioy pa. 167 Three speciall Meditations to be ouer in our hearts untill wee be of this number pag. 172 1 That the Lord Iesus standes at the heart of euery impenitent sinner to enter inâ—…knocking lowder now then ever heeretofore pag. 172 He knockes at the heart of everie one reading or hearing this or the like admonition offering mercy to them who will admit him in and having infinite wrath against all who will still repel him 175 2 To thinke what it is for a man to forsake his owne happinesse in reiecting Christs gracious call and to ioyne with sathan against him to his endlesse perdition Pag. 178 3 How God sets heerein before the faces of all life death blessing and cursing life to each one hearkning to his call and comming to helpe death to euery one still hardning his heart pag. 188 Conclusion How all the distressed partes of Gods Church do cry to euery one of us to come and helpe them pag. 192 How our Saviour himselfe calls each to come notwithstanding all obiections of vnfitnes or disability with the answer of euery true Christian heart to his call Lord I come I come pag. 195 These with the