is pardoned do both speak one and the same comfort unto the soul do both signifie one and the same peace Completa est malitia ejus saith the Vulgar translation for militia by a small mistake of the letter as we may suppose but none of the sense For our malitia is our militia our iniquity is our warfare The Hebrew word here used signifies not only the work but also the time of war And Rabbi David saith the Prophet here means The time that Jerusalem was to pass in Banishment or Captivity So that if we joyn the Text and the gloss together we shall find that sin is a time of war of banishment and of captivity Of war with God of banishment from God And of captivity not under God for he can be no Tyrant but under the Devil A sad time certainly as full of fears and jealousies as empty of joyes and comforts anâ—… therefore that must needs be a joyful time wherein this warfare this captivity thiâ—… banishment is at an end because our sin iâ—… pardoned To say this is to speak truly to the heart which is the Hebrew expression for speaking comfortably All other comforts go no farther then the ear then the outward man that his stock is increased his request granted his cause advanced it is only this comfort that enters into the heart and revives the inner man that the time of his warfare banishment and captivity are at an end because his sin is pardoned And this is the comfortable sentence that is already pronounced in Gods Word That he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel All our labour must be to get this same sentence derived from Gods Word into our own consciences And then surely in the mouth of two such witnesses the least whereof is no less then a thousand it is no doubt but the testimony will be fully and firmly established For as the word doth witness the thing infallibly true in it self so will the conscience witness it insallibly true to us The use of a witness is either for information in defect of evidence or for confirmation in defect of assurance and an infallible witness is both these together For he gives evidence from his testimony and assurance from his infallibility Such an infallible witness is a good conscience that is grounded and established on the Word of God and thence collecteth this comfortable sentence Whosoever truly believeth and heartily repenteth shall not come into condemnation But I do truly believe and heartily repent therefore I shall not come into condemnation The major proposition is clear by the testimony of Gods Word the minor is clear by the testimony of our own consciences which can certainly tell us whether we be hypocrites or true Believers whether we be Sheep to hear the voice of Christ and to follow him that he may give us eternal life John 10. 27 28. or whether we be Goats to follow our own hearts lusts so to persist and perish in our sins and the conclusion cannot but follow the premises Read over the sentence that is set down Matthew 25. and thou wilt easily by comparing thine own actions with that sentence see whether at the last Judgement thou art to be set on Christs right hand or on his left Thou wilt easily see which part of that sentence concerns thee And that part which thine own conscience pronounceth of thee here thy Judge will both pronounce and confirm hereafter I hope that with Mary thou hast chosen that good part and if so cannot but assure thee it shall never be taken from thee Luke 10. 42. For Christ will never reject any man that hath sate at his feet to exercise his humility and patience and heard his Word to exercise his Piety and Obedience He will never say Depart from me to those who here did love his company and enjoy his communion And what is their work who are of his communion but to know and love and praise him And they that are thus of his communion on earth can you think he will excommunicate in heaven Saint John sets forth this Judgement of the conscience very fully in few words 1 John 3. 19 20 21. saying v. 19. And hereby that is by loving in deed and in truth not in word or in tongue as appears from the former verse we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him That is we know that we truly love him and therefore may be well assured of his love For he that loves is assured of love for which cause Beza thus renders Saint James his words Mercy rejoyceth against damnation James 2. 13. For he that is truly merciful hath a special promise to assure him of mercy that he shall not be condemned in the last Judgement and this hard-hearted Age of ours would doubtless much more incline to mercy if we did seriously consider that the sentence of condemnation Mat. 25. is denounced against the unmerciful not against the unjust for taking away but against the unmerciful for not giving but yet if against the unmerciful much more against the unjust for as justice is before mercy in order of nature so is also injustice before unmercifulness wherefore though we discourse of assuring our hearts before God more then any others yet we must needs have a much less assurance of his love because we our selves know that we do love only in word and in tongue not in deed and in truth as it follows v. 20. For if our heart condemn us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things and therefore can and will condemn us much more then our heart for this is the true meaning of the words not as they are commonly explained That we ought to oppose the greatness of Gods mercy being ready to acquit us against the sentence of our own heart that is ready to condemn us For indeed the words are not spoken to comfort a distressed but to terrifie a guilty conscience It being the Apostles intent to perswade us above all things both to get and to keep a good conscience that we may not condemn our selves and then we may be assured that our God will not condemn us as it follows v. 21. For if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God sc. that he will not condemn us For the whole argument in brief is this If our conscience now condemn us God will also condemn us at the last day But if our conscience acquit us God will also then acquit us the conscience acting Gods part before hand in condemning the guilty and acquiting the innocent whether they have the first Innocency that of Righteousness or the second Innocency that of Faith and Repentance and the same Doctrine is again re-inforced 1 Iohn 4. 17 18. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement because as he is so are we in this world
of His mercy Psal. 130. 4. But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared The Unregenerate fears God for his Vengeance but the Regenerate fears him for his Forgiveness He looks not on God as he is in himself A consuming Fire but as He is in His Son a still small voice God is a still small voice only in his Enternal Word In him he wil speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints Psal. 85. 8. But if he speak not in His Son Then he is a God speaking out of the midst of the Fire Deut. 4. 33. And his Voice is accordingly with Thunderings and Lightnings a voice great in Power and full of Majesty such as breaketh the Cedars of Lebanon Psal. 29. and is able to rend our stony Hearts but by no means to comfort and raise up our dejected Souls Wherefore the true Believer looks upon God in Christ where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God The right hand of God is terrible in it self but not now Christ is sitting at it The Psalmist cals upon God to pluck His right hand out of his Bosom to consume his Adversaries and his blaspheming Enemies Ps. 74. And which of us is not so much Gods enemy as to be speedily consumed Did not the son of God our blessed Saviour sit on his Fathers right hand to keep him from plucking it out of his Bosome to consume us Or when he plucks it out to interpose betwixt us and it That God cannot strike us but through the loins of his only begotten and only beloved son So secure is that Soul which is in Christ That it may draw neer with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10. 22. Even to the right Hand of God T is an orderly motion of the Soul Going to God in Christ That is the fourth If your Affections carry your soul to God thus Voluntarily thus Universally thus Judiciously thus Orderly T is an invincible argument an undeniable Proof that your soul lives in God and therefore may comfortably from him expect Everlasting Life For you may then say with Saint Paul Gal. 2 20. I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me And the life which I now â—…ive in thâ—… Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me Many men have measured their Faith by the strength of its perswasion and have mistaken Themselves for they have taken Phancy for Faith but never was any man mistaken in his Faith who measured it by the strength of its Affection This is the surest way to know whether you have a true Faith in Christ and whether your soul doth truly live in him by that Faith And if you shall yet further ask what degree of Faith is required to make the soul ascend up unto its Saviour I must answer it is not the measure or the Degree but the Sincerity of Faith that maketh it a saving Faith and placeth the man that hath it in the state of Salvation wherein we may see the infinite Goodness of God towards the souls of men For were such or such a degree of Faith required to justifie a Sinner no man could ever have any comfortable Assurance of his Justification for no man can exactly know the Degree of his own Faith And he that believes the most stedfastly had need to say Lord I believe Help thou my Unbelief Mar. 9. 24. He may undertake for the Sincerity He cannot for the strength or measure of his Faith But now since it is the True and Lively Faith that justifies it is enough that a man only know he doth truly believe and so rest and rely upon the merits of his Saviour for his justification For this is the Apostolical Benediction Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Eph. 6. 24. Sincerity not sufficiency of love is the Touchstone to try the Soul whether it be in the state of Grace The Apostle saith not in Abundance for fear of disturbing the Peace of souls for who can tell when he loveth the Lord Jesus Christ abundantly considering how often He sins against Him But He saith In sincerity to establish and confirm the Peace of Souls For every one that Loveth knoweth the sincerity of his own love the Soul being an Infallible judge of its own Act in the Quality when it may easily be mistaken in the Quantity Saint Peters threefold denyal of his Master had stopped his mouth from Professing the Abundance but not from Professing the sincerity of his Love Yea Lord saith he Thou knowest that I love Thee Iohn 21. 15. He knew well the sincerity of his own Love or He durst not have appealed to the Searcher of Hearts to be Judge of that Sincerity As if he had said Though I do not know That I love thee sufficiently yet I do know That I love thee truly and sincerely And thou knowest it too nor could 〈◊〉 truly say Thou knowest that I love thee if I did not know it my self O happy man whose conscience bears him witness That he Truly Repents Truly Believes and Truly Loves For He can promise to himself not only Admittance to God but also Acceptance with Him For if he can say from the bottome of his Heartâ—… Lord I repent He must be comforted iâ—… This That He who came to call sinners to Repentance Mat. 9. 13. will not reject a Sinner that is Repenting He thaâ—… promised to spare a whole Nation for one Converts sake Jer. 5. 1. if but one of them did Seek Truth who had formerly despised it will much more spare that soul in which himself hath wrought a true Conversion For he cannot despise the works of his own hands though he cannot but despise and abandon the works of Ours Those words then of the man that was born blind God heareth not sinners had little reason to Trouble Saint Augustine for fear no mans Prayers should be heard for that all are sinners which made him find out this exception rather then exposition Verbum coeci adhuc inuncti i. e. nondum illuminati ideò non est Ratum This was the saying of a blind man before his eyes were fully opened to see or his heart was illuminated to know the truth and therefore it holds not But we need no such exception for this is one of those common Notions which the Devil and Sin could not blot out of the hearts of men and therefore we find it in effect avowed by a Heathen Poet Hom. Il. a. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God heareth those that obey him and consequently heareth not the disobedient and unrighteous which is all one with this God heareth not sinners and this may be verified saith Aquinas de Peccatore in quantum est peccator 22 ae qu. 83. art 16. Of sinners as far forth as they are sinners for so God heareth them not yet he may and doth hear them
of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. and by cleansing and purging my will and affections for true faith is in the will no less then in the understanding from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. For Impiety doth directly dispose the soul to Infidelity And they that are men of corrupt minds though of never so clear Judgements are also reprobate concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. The Union of the soul with Christ by hope is expressed and withal required Isa. 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace Heb. Peace Peace the peace of a Good Conscience here of a blessed eternity hereafter whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee v. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength God takes it for an honour to be trusted he that most trusts him most honours him and he that least honours him least trusts him Offer the sacrifices of Righteousness and put your trust in the Lord Psal. 4. 5. He that offers not the sacrifice cannot have the trust For he that doth not think it sit to honour him cannot think it safe to trust him therefore let my hope in Christ be such as becometh a Christian and much more such as becometh Christ such as becometh a Christian not provoking him whiles I trust him much more such as becomethChrist trusting him with what he cares to be trusted that is my soul and for what is worth his trust that is my Salvation The Union or Conjunction of the soul with Christ by Charity is expressed and in that required 1 John 4. 16. And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth 〈◊〉 love dwelleth in God and God in him here we must observe that the soul is uniâ—…ed unto Christ not by every kind of love â—…ut by a Right a Great a Firm love a right â—…ove which loves him before all things for 〈◊〉 loves him upon this ground because he â—…oved us first We have known and believed â—…he love which God hath to us A great love which loves him above all things so that â—…he soul wills not for it self but for God â—…ares not to know any thing but by him â—…or desire any thing but for him nor do â—…ny thing but with him nay yet more â—…ares not to live or move or have any being â—…ut in him and to him alone He that truâ—…y Loves dwells not where he lives â—…ut where he Loves He dwelleth in Love Thirdly and lastly a Firm Love which loves God beyond all things by a â—…ove that hath an everlasting continuance 〈◊〉 love not capable of being corrupted and therefore not of being interrupted For where the love of God is without corruption as in Heaven it is also without Interruption where it is a pure love there it is also an Everlasting Love A love so desiring an Union as to be fully resolved against a separation He that dwells in Gods love will not endure the thought oâ—… being put out of his dwelling And He thaâ—… dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God iâ—… him Excellent is the Rule of the Casuistâ—… Spiritale bonum divinum consistere in Amicitia inter Deum Hominem ac per hoc iâ—… consentire conversari convivere colloqâ—… cum Deo Cajetane in summula verbâ—… Acedia The Spiritual good of man oâ—… the blessing of the Soul consists in this thâ—… a man hath friendship with God and consequently that he lives for him to him witâ—… him in him Lives for him by consent tâ—… him by conversation with him by cohabitation in him by contentation And this iâ—… the friendship that the good Christian hath with Christ whiles he converseth with him or rather is united to him by Faith Hope and Charity For according to Aristotles rule 8. Eth. c. 5. there may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There may be Good will in those that live far asunder but Friendship only in those that live together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An habitual not an Actual Friendship And he proves it by this Proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the neglect oâ—… want of Friendly salutes and compellations hath dissolved many mens Friendships So is it also in this Spiritual Friendship he that will have Christ for his friend must be sure constantly to live with him wholly to rely on him and daily to call upon him for want of friendly compellations hath made many lose his friendship first falling into a strangeness then into a sullenness and at last into a plain dislike and discontent with their Devotions which makes them not care to have their conversation where they do not expect to have their contentment Wherefore above all things O my soul never let go the exercise of thy Faith Hope and Charity that thou maist never let go thy Saviour Thy faith will best exercise it self about his bitter passion thou wilt see him in the garden sweating blood Thou wilt see him on the Cross dropping blood with his feet nailed fast to stay for thee with his hands stretched out to embrace thee with his Head bowed down to hear thee with his side ready open to receive thee This will be the best exercise of thy faith that God having already punished thy sins in his own beloved Son will not in mercy cannot in justice punish them again in thee his most unworthy servant Hence will thy heart be filled with compassion for his sufferings and much more with compunction for thy sins Hence will thy mouth be filled with Thanksgivings to him for suffering and thy whole Life with a blessed conformity to his sufferings Knowing it is a faithfull saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. Thy hope will best exercise it self about his powerfull Resurrection Thou wilt there see a great Earthquake and a great Man-quake Thou wilâ—… there see a great Earth-quake which opened the Graves so that many of the bodiâ—… of the Saints which slept arose Mat. 27. 53â—… And That Earthquake will much more open thy Heart to let into it thâ—… Blessed Hope that is full of Immortality no less full of comfort the hope of a glorious Resurrection of thy body to the lifâ—… everlasting Thou wilt there also see a greaâ—… Manquake the keepers of the sepulchreâ—… the Roman Souldiers trembling and shaking for fear of the Angel though pooâ—… mercenary Souls they were soon afteâ—… bought out of their Fright and as sooâ—… bought out of their Faith A little paâ—… more then ordinary made them forgâ—…â—…eir Fright and forgo their Faith It madâ—… them turn Preachers though it kept them â—…rom turning Christians but their Doâ—…trine was accordingly fit for Mammons Chaplains fit for money Preachers It was â—…he denying of Christs resurrection
Authority for the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. 6. Whiles we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord and he gives the reason of that absence in the next verse for we walk by faith not by sight whence it appears that as long as a man walks by faith not by sight not seeing the divine essence he is not yet present with God but the souls of the Saints when separated from their bodies are present with God for it follows verse the eighth We are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord whence it is manifest that the souls of the Saints separated from the body do walk by sight seeing the essence of God and consequently enjoying everlasting blessedness 2. By Reason for the understanding in the exercise of its operation needs not the body but only for some phantasms or representations but it is manifest that the divine essence is not to be seen by the help of any phantasm or representation Wherefore since the immediate bliss of the soul consists in the Vision of the divine essence it cannot depend upon the body and consequently the soul without the body may be and is undoubtedly blessed Thus Aquinas 12 ae qu. 4. art 5. Shewing himself in this an exact Scholar of the Text and as great a Master of Reason And truly iâ—… we rightly consider the matter that Christ hath opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers what can shut it against a believing soul departing hence but onely sinâ—… And that cannot shut it neither for its guilt nor for its blemish and pollution For the guilt of sin is taken away from the believing soul by the imputation of Christs Righteousness And the pollution of sin is also daily diminished in it by the operation of Christs Spirit during life and quite taken away from it at the hour of death even at the very instant of its departure This is the judgement of some excellent School-men So Gabriel in 3. Sent. dist 15. Animae in mortis instantia datur impeccabilitas impassibilitas God gives to the soul at the very instant of death impeccability that it cannot sin and impassibility that it cannot suffer O what a happy instant will that be wherein we shall be delivered from our sins and from our sufferings And agreeable to this Alexander Ales our own Country-man of Merton Coll. in Oxford and Tutor both to the Seraphical and to the Angelical Doctor gives the distinction of Gratia Baptismalis Poenitentialis Finalis Par. 4. qu. 15. membr 3. art 3. That some Grace â—…s Baptismal which rules and governs in the soul by vertue of the Sacrament some Poenitential which causeth an imperfect subjection and conformity of the will to God and this takes away all mortal sin And some Final which makes the will and all its faculties wholly subject and conformable to God and this takes away both mortal sin and also venial But this grace is given only at the last instant of our life for which reason happily it is called final Grace as coming only at the end only to men departing hence to fit and prepare their souls for God For nothing impure or unclean can enter into the Kingdom of God and therefore the soul before it can enter in thither must be quite purged from all manner of impurity and uncleanness which is accordingly done saith he by final Grace For though other grace doth conquer sin yet it is only final Grace that quite expels it The soul not being wholly freed from that disorder which it hath contracted from the body till it again depart from the body If this be so what have I to do but to long for a happy departure that is to make the best use I can of Baptismal and Poenitential Grace that my soul may he delivered from the dominion of sin and to expect that final grace which shall deliver it from the very inhaesion of sinfulness To bless God that hath given me grace in life to purge my soul from sin and that will give me grace in death to perfect my soul in Righteousness That he parting all sin from my soul before he part my soul from my body I may at the end of my weary pilgrimage lay me down in peace and take my rest Lay me down in that peace which this wicked world cannot give and this tumultuous world cannot take away the peace of a good conscience here of a blessed eternity hereafter And take my rest in the bosome of the earth my mother but in the arms of God my Father even that Rest of which it is said Heb. 4. 3. For we which have believed do enter into rest A Rest into which neither our disturbance can enter with us nor our disturbers after us unless as they have troubled others by their sins so at length they trouble themselves much more by their Repentance A Rest into which he hath already entred who is both able and willing to keep us in everlasting rest A Rest of a quiet of an uninterrupted sleep For so he giveth his beloved sleep Psal. 127. 2. The Grave is a place of corruption in it self but to the servants of God it is a place of Rest Thence were Church-yards anciently called sleeping places Coemiteria or Dormitoria wherein the bodies of the Saints were laid to their last Rest The Ancients did think fit to name their burying places from the rest not from the corruption that was to be found in them Athanasius tels us that a man may be said to be corruptible both spiritually and corporally Spiritually when he sins as the Scripture saith They are corrupt and become abominable in their iniquities And Corporally when he dies which corporal corruption saith he hath three Names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mors Putrefactio Interitus Death Putrefaction and Destruction The death is when the soul is separated from the body The Putrefaction is when the flesh of the body decays But the Destruction is when also the bones are consumed And he saith that the body of Christ was subject only to the first corruption which is by Death not to the second by Putrefaction and much less to the third by Destruction The like is Damascens Divinity lib. 3. de orth fid cap. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word Corruption imports two things Either the separation of the soul from the body or the Total dissolution of the body for he hath joyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one From the first the body of Christ was not exempted from the second our bodies cannot be exempt The body of Christ which knew no sin was subject to the first degree of corruption But our bodies that have been all over infected with sin and defiled by that infection are also subject to the other two degrees of it Christ tasted of death Heb. 2. 9. But we must swallow it down He fed on death
Actions to our subdued Affections and religiously in regard of our God by subduing both our Reason and our Affections to Religion Thus if we do we shall not be guilty of any inordinate work and consequently we shall not fear any punishment which is but the act of some violated or offended Order Vindicating and Revenging it self I say if we live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world we shall not need live and much less die in fear lest any of those orders under which God hath placed us should rise up against us to punish and to depress us But whiles we are under guilt we cannot possibly be above fear for it is the property of all Order to suppress the contrary Disorder and consequently to punish it and sin being a breach of these three Orders the Order of Reason the Order of Justice and the Order of Religion is accordingly punished by them all And therefore the sinner that hath not his sin forgiven him cannot be exempted from the fear of all these three punishments neither from the fear of internal punishment by the remorse of his own conscience which proceeds wholly from the Order of Reason for it is from Reason that a man hath a conscience first to admonish him and at last to torment him because he would not be admonished nor from the fear of external punishment by the hand of outward Government which will never leave stretching it self out till it hath reached the Malefactor and brought him to suffer according to his doings nor from the fear of eternal punishment proceeding from the wrath of God So nearly doth it concern us to fulâ—…ill all righteousness towards God our selves and our neighbours that we may be exempted from all fear of punishment either from God or men or from our selves that is to say our own consciences This is the best way to prevent the terrours of the Judgement to come even to keep our selves in the first innocency the innocency of Obedience but because we have all lost this and do continually lose it we must therefore the more earnestly follow that we may the more happily apprehend the second innocency the innocency of Repentance For there is no protection against fear but only innocency which since we cannot have by our Obedience we must seek to him by our Repentance And therefore it will not be amiss for every good Christian to follow Saint Pauls example who saith of himself Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may look upon this as Saint Pauls Asceticks although here is not one rule concerning a Monastick life or as his exercitium quotidianum for so Beza ipse me exerceo Herein do I exercise my self His daily exercise was this to have a conscience void of offence towards God which they cannot have who are guilty of superstition and a conscience void of offence toward men which they cannot have who are guilty of faction Good Lord how few is the number of those in such an innumerable number of Christians who have a conscience void of offence both toward God and toward men since there are so few who are not guilty either of superstition or of faction Herein a man must exercise by himself that will exercise himself for in such depravations and distempers of the world what he gets of the company he may chance lose of the exercise and indeed since the exercise wholly concerns the conscience it is most fit that every man exercise both himself and by himself and accordingly Catechize his own soul how far he hath had a conscience void of offence toward God and consequently in that regard toward himself for in loving God he loves himself and therefore there is no Text that saith Thou shalt love thy self but only Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self for the Text that saith thou shalt love the Lord thy God includes in it loving thy self which cannot be but in relation to God And lastly a conscience void of offence toward men every one must examine himself how he hath observed his Order towards God by Faith and Obedience in believing his Promises in doing his Commands How he hath observed his Order towards his neighbour by Justice and Charity whether that Order be Civil or Ecclesiastical for he can shake off neither and therefore must satisfie both Lastly how he hath observed his Order towards himself by Temperance Soberness and Chastity bringing his body under his soul and bringing his soul under his God for he cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unless he doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He cannot be wise to be sober unless he be sober to be wise Thus he must examine himself concerning all these three Orders and what he findeth concerning any of them defective in his Obedience he must labour to make up speedily by his Repentance for which cause our Church doth laudably require the distinct rehearsing of all the ten Commandments and the people after every Commandment to ask God mercy for their transgression of the same that so we might be sure to pass by no one sin unrepented which they can scarce do who yet are called to repentance upon more strict terms then we are since the second Commandment is not in so great repute with them as to have any Interrogatory concerning it But he that heartily asks God forgiveness for his transgressions against every particular Commandment since every sin is a transgression of some Commandment is sure to pass by no sin whatsoever without Repentance for he doth really and explicitly repent of those sins which he knows and remembers and doth virtually and implicitly repent of all the rest which is a thing we should all make sure of since there is nothing but Innocency can arm us against Judgement and there is no innocency but either in obedience or in repentance wherefore it being impossible that any man conceived and born in sin should quiet his conscience by the perfection of his obedience for in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 2. anâ—… having offended must fear to be punished it is most necessary that we all labour to quiet our consciences by Repentance aâ—… bless God who though he hath requireâ—… Obedience yet hath also granted Repentance unto life Acts 11. 18. and woulâ—… not have granted it if he would not have accepted it Do then as did that godly Centurion Cornelius a fit pattern noâ—… only for all military but also for all sedentary men give much Alms to the people for sure if there be not a redeeming yeâ—… there is a breaking off sins by Alms-deeds and iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. and pray to God alway that is be so far from taking away what is another mans as to be ready to give of thine own give of thy substance 〈◊〉 thy Brother for his Poverty hath noâ—… disannulled his Fraternity
Here is both the good Confidence and the ground of it the good Conscience The confidence is That we may have boldness in the day of Judgement The ground of that confidence is this good conscience Because as he is so are we in this world for this is in effect the Syllogism Whosoever is here like him in Piety shall hereafter be like him in Glory but we that truly believe in him are here like him in Piety therefore we shall also be like him in Glory He that hath that Good confidence upon this Good conscience as he may not be ashamed of his hope so he shall not be disappointed of it for he is sure to stand in the last Judgement because he hath the Eternal Son of God to support him on the one side with his All-sufficient merits on the other side with his All-saving mercies Two such supporters to which he cannot trust too much for which he cannot glorifie Christ enough though he glorifie him world without end Amen Deo Trin-Uni Gloria in secula seculorum Amen A sick mans Cordial composed of three Ingredients I. Contemplations II. Ejaculations III. Devotions Contemplations on Isaiah 53. Verse 3. O MY Beloved Saviour wast thou despised and rejected of men and shall not I learn to despise and reject my self that I may be like to thee approved of thee and received by thee Wast thou a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs who knewest no sin And shall I who came into the world with sin look to go out of the world without sorrow Verse 4. Didst thou so patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that were due for my sins And shall not I patiently bear the griefs and carry the sorrows that are due for mine own sins How could I have sorrows if I had not sins and why should I not have patience now I must have sorrows Wast thou stricken and smitten of God and afflicted who wast his only begotten and most dearly Beloved Son And shall I look to escape the scourge who heretofore have been his enemy and still am his undutiful and unworthy servant Verse 5. I will look upon my wounds and maladies as upon so many cures and remedies Upon my bruise for I am all over nothing else as upon so much soundness since both wounds and bruises are inflicted not as satisfactions for my sins but as checks and amendments of my sinfulness For he was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for mine iniquities therefore my wounds and my bruises are not now to pacifie the wrath of the Father but to make me conformable to the Son And the chastisement of my peace was upon him therefore I will not repine at my chastisement since I have my peace It being indeed but a chastisement to correct the sinner not a punishment to avenge the sin And since I am healed in my soul I will not fear being wounded in my body For with his stripes I am healed and mine own stripes do but make me the more to see the want and the more to crave the benefit of his healing Verse 6 7. I have been a sheep in my strayings for I have turned to mine own waies O make me also a Sheep in my sufferings not once to open my mouth when thou shearest me clipping off all the comforts of my life no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the torments oâ—… my sickness no nor when thou slayest me bringing on all the pangs and horrourâ—… of my death That as my Saviour was oppressed and afflicted yet opened not his mouth so I may be kept from murmuring and repining in all my oppressions and afflictions For I may well be as he was Meek and Patient since thou hast laid minâ—… iniquities on him but if I follow not his Meekness and his Patience I fear I shall again lay mine iniquities upon my self Verse 8 9. He was cut off from life whose generation was life what can I expect but death who had it in my very birth who was corrupted when I was generated and therefore not only in regard of my death but also in regard of my life it self must say to corruption thou art my Father and to the worm thou art my Sister and my Mother Who shall declare his Generation For he was begotten of his Father before all worlds But who shall declare my corruption for I was corrupted when I was begotten by my Father before I came into the world He was taken away by death but he was taken away from a mortal a miserable and a contemptible life so let me be taken away good Lord from mortality misery and contempt to Immortality Blessedness and Glory My life hath not left much for my death to take away from me Lord let my death take from me all that is left but my Saviour and let it fully give me him He was brought to prison that he might be Judged and he was brought to Judgement that he might be condemned and his death was his Release both from Prison and from Judgement Lord make my death so to me make my death my Release from prison for whiles I am in the body I am imprisoned fettered with the bonds of sin and corruption But bring my soul out of this prison that I may praise thy name then the righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt deal bountifully with me Psal. 142. 7. A most happy Goal-Delivery for my soul for then the Righteous shall compass me about and not sinners nay more then I shall be compassed about with Rightousness who now am compassed about with sins and that not so much with other mens as with mine own sins Thus make my death my Release from Prison and make it also my Release from Judgement For thy Son hath been Judged and condemned for me that I might escape the Judgement of thy condemnation Lord I ask not that thou wouldest not Judge me for after death comes Judgement Heb. 9. 27. I ask only that thou wilt not condemn me when I shall be Judged And this is agreeable with thy very Justice though I wholly appeal unto thy Mercy not to condemn and punish the same sin twice Thou hast already condemned and punished my sins in my Saviour O then let me escape thy condemnation and thy punishment He was Judged for mine Unrighteousness O let me stand in the Judgement for his Righteousness For the transgression of my people was he stricken Lord thou hast placed me among thy people and therefore I must believe that he was stricken for my transgressions Nay thou hast brought me nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Family having admitted me thy servant Nay thou hast brought me yet nearer to thee and made me one of thine own Inheritance having adopted me thy child I deserved not to be among thy people and I am placed among thy servants I deserved not to be among thy servants and I am accepted among thy children O then
Assistance confirming and rejoycing me by his Communion And this example of our Saviour Christ is recommended to me in three respects First because of its powerful efficacy in working for he is the Author and Finisher of my Faith And he that worketh my Faith will also make my Faith work this patience Secondly from its exact conformity with my present condition in that no misery hath befallen me which did not first befall him who made and redeemed me Nay his Cross was much heavyer his shame was much greater then mine can be yet he endured the Cross patiently defpised the shame couragiously and by this patience and courage is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Thirdly from its unavoidable necessity in regard of my present Obligation For it is not left to mine own choice whether I will consider this or no but I must needs consider the example of Christ or I cannot be a good Christian. Verse 3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds What though mine own heart be given to contradict this rigid way of suffering yet he that is greater then mine heart hath gone before me in the very same way and hath passed through far greater contradictions He looked on the Joy that was set before him not on the contradictions that were round about him and he now lives and reigns in his glory and hath promised that if I do suffer with him I shall also raign with him 2 Tim. 2. 12. He is at the beginning of my sufferings either to inhibit and stop them that they shall not invade me or to proportion and stint them that they shall not overwhelm me if he shew me not a way to avoid them he will give me a courage to encounter them nay moreover strength to conquer them and an adversary though he may be more securely avoided yet he is more gloriously conquered He is also at the middle of my sufferings to encourage and support me in my conflict lest I should be wearied and saint in my mind as I cannot but be wearied and faint in my body he had but a weak Cyrenian to help him bear his Cross but he himself doth help me bear mine He had but an Angel to strengthen him but he sends the Holy-Ghost to strengthen me Lastly he will be at the end of my sufferings to reward me nay he himself who is now my shield to succour me will at last be my exceeding great reward to content me my exceeding great reward in all respects for exceeding my best abilitie to deserve him exceeding my best capacity to receive him exceeding my best activity to enjoy him as he is in his own greatness Be it then that my affliction is very great yet sure I am my reward will be infinitely greater but indeed my affliction cannot be great in it self it is so only in my opinion The spirit of truth saith it is but light and momentary For our light affliction which is but for a moment 1 Cor. 4. 17. It is light and therefore not great in quantity It is but for a moment and therefore not great in continuance And well may this light and momentary affliction work patience in me since it doth work glory for me Nay a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Though it be light and momentary in it self yet it is weighty and eternal in its reward For our light afliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory whiles we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal and so is also the smart and misery which is felt but the things which are not seen are eternal and so is also the glory which shall be enjoyed These are Reasons sufficient why I should gladly follow the Apostles advice consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners for so shall I not be enforced to endure the contradictions of mine own sins whiles impatience suggests one temptation to me and infidelity another For though these two sins are inseparable companions because there cannot be impatience without some kind of infidelity yet are they such twins as were Pharez and Zarah Gen. 38. They cannot come into my soul but they will make a breach betwixt themselves one drawing this the other that way nor can they tarry in my soul but they will make a breach betwixt my God and me Therefore the holy Apostle in this case appealeth to mine own conscience saying Verse 4. ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin thereby calling me to witness against my self that I am yet far short of my duty in my strivings against sin because I have not resisted unto blood whereas flesh and blood are to be resisted in the first place as being that weight which doth so easily beset me and must therefore be soonest laid aside I ought then in this quarrel to undertake a double strife A strife against my self and a strife against my sins for whiles I strive against my sins my flesh and blood will strive against me And if I do not resist so far as to thrust away my flesh and blood how shall I thrust away my sins If I do not lay aside my self how shall I do to lay aside my greatest weight But least I should not regard this appeal for Appeals to the conscience are often made but seldom regarded in the next place he appeals to Gods most holy Word plainly shewing how earnestly that calleth upon me to be patient under Gods hand and zealously enforceth many Reasons for my patience Verse 5. And ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children I am called upon to be patient not as a servant for fear but as a child for love He is pleased to invite me by way of exhortation he might have enforced me by way of command yet I may not forget his exhortation unless I would have him forget my supplication for if I regard not his speaking to me as unto a child how shall he regard my speaking to him as unto a Father Wherefore if I desire with joy and comfort to say Our Father I must be attentive and obedient as a child nor can I forsake the temper of my patience but I must forfeit the benefit of my â—…iety and consequently lose all the comâ—…orts of my Devotions which yet alone in these times of rapine are left me for my â—…nsequestrable comforters I may not then neglect to hear this Exhortation which calls upon me to be patient much less may I neglect those Reasons which are alledged for my patience and powerful Reasons they are First because chaistisement is an effect of Gods love for Verse 6. whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Was ever yet any man angry with God for loving him and why then
yet I may with humility and I hope not without some truth impute the amendment of many of them to mine own sufferings The ground hath been tilled and the tree hath been pruned And why should not this tilling and pruning yield the peaceâ—…le fruit of righteousness unto me that have been exercised thereby I have been â—…ng and often ploughed as it were â—…nd broken up and harrowed by the hand of God and why should I not be somewhat amended and improved by his good husbandry I have been long and often â—…ned as it were in my flesh by his â—…harp knife cutting off my superfluities 〈◊〉 make me the less sinful and the more â—…ruitful And why should I not bring â—…rth good fruits in due season even tâ—… peaceable fruits of righteousness or the fruits of righteousness which bring forth peace the peace of a good conscience here and of a blessed Eternity hereafter Therefore earnestly desiring to walk in this righteousness I will hope to lay me down in this peace And at the end of my wearisom Pilgrimage to take my rest in the arms of Gods Eternal mercy though now I groan under the hand of his Justice For so laying me down to sleep none shall ever be able to take either me from his arms or my rest from me Amen The sick mans Ejaculations To the Reader THese Ejaculations are Eighty in number and they are like mans years in Moses time when they come to that same number full of labour and sorrow though this latter age of the world will not let it self tarry so long for labour nor others tarry so long for sorrow And they are therefore called Ejaculations because they are as it were so many dartings of the soul upon some reflexion or thought either of mans misery or of Gods mercy sent up towards Heaven All aiming at one mark though from several occasions and after several waies That is at the rest of the soul in God Nor may you here look for curious method but for Religious matter sometimes you will find the sick mans soul troubled for fear of death sometimes almost inflamed with the desire of it sometimes bemoaning the disturbance of his body sometimes fearing the distemper of his soul sometimes affrighted with the thought of Judgement sometimes rejoycing against it If you find any thing to comfort you in your extremity thank not me for speaking to my self but thank God for speaking to your soul And be not troubled that your Passions like these Ejaculations are not orderly so as they be Religious Trouble and sorrow cannot look after Order but they must look after Religion And a sick mans expressions are not so much beholding to his head to make them Methodical and Eloquent as to his 〈◊〉 to make them affectionate and devout And God grant your sickness may make yours so Ejaculations 1. GRant Lord that I may be dead unto sin before I am dead unto the world that being planted together in the likeness of thy Sons death I may be also in the likeness of his Resurrection That like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father so I walking in newness of life may have a comfortable death here and a glorious Resurrection hereafter 2. Destroy in me O God the body of sin before thou destroy in me the body of flesh that I may be justified from my sins whiles I live and freed from my sins when I shall be dead Make me to lie down in comfort because by my death I shall wholly die unto my sins Make me to rest in hope because by my Resurrection I shall wholly live unto my God 3. Make me to look upon my sickness my tedious and terrible sickness as upon thy Visitation that I may bear it patiently Make me look upon my death as upon my Release that I may take it comfortably 4. O thou who wouldst be crucified before thou wouldst be glorified and didst suffer pain to enter into Joy make me submit to thy Cross that thou mayest prepare me for thy Crown Make me contentedly to suffer with thee in this world that I may triumphantly reign with thee in the world to come 5. O Lord I have Judged my self let me not be Judged of thee so as to be condemned for it is agreeable with thy Mercy to save the sinner though thou destroy the sin And it is agreeable with thy Justice not to punish that sin in me which thou hast already punished in my blessed Redeemer 6. O Lord thou didst make thy beloved Son perfect with sufferings and I cannot hope thou wilt let thy unworthy servant be perfected without them O then let not my sufferings betray the imperfections of my flesh but conduce to the perfections of my spirit and make me ever willing to suffer since thou canst and wilt make me perfect by suffering 7. O thou God of peace that broughtest again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant Make me perfect in every good work to do and suffer thy will working in me that which is well-pleasing in thy sight and working for me that which is profitable for my salvation through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Heb. 13. 20 21. 8. O blessed Jesu the chief Corner-stone on which alone is laid for us the foundation of a blessed Eternity the Rock upon which thy Church is built and all our souls relie Be merciful unto me and give ear unto my prayers and to my sighs and groans when I cannot pray Be unto me a fountain of comfort whensoever my heart is in heaviness and my body is in pain that my soul may have continual health and joy and rest in Thee and in thy Merits and Mercies for evermore 9. Lord make me desire the dissolution of my earthly house of this Tabernacle that I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for I know that whiles I am at home in the body I am absent from the Lord Make me therefore willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with thee my God for in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore And make me labour that whether absent or present I may be accepted of thee through the righteousness of thy dearest Son my only Lord and Saviour Amen 10. Give unto me true sorrow for my sins that thou mayest give me true comfort in my sorrows Grant I may have peace in thee whiles I have tribulation in the world and make me be of good chear in all my tribulations for thou hast overcome the world and wilt not let the world overcome me 11. O Lord Jesus Christ who hast overcome the sharpness of death opened the Kingdom of heaven to all Believers Make me â—…ot to fear death since thou hast made that â—…n Inlet into thy
heavenly Kingdom My-sins had shut the gate of Paradise against my soul but thy Merits have opened it again O let me earnestly desire to enter in for thou art gone thither before â—…e that thou mightest be there ready to receive me and retain me with thy self for evermore Amen 12. Lord when shall this corruptible put on incorruption and this mortal put on immortality that in me may be brought to pass that saying Death is swallowed up in Victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death was sin till sin was expiated The strength of sin was the Law till the Law was fulfilled But thanks be unto God which hath given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ both over my sins and over his Law in this great contestation Having imputed my transgressions unto my Saviour that my sin might be expiated and having imputed my Saviours righteousness and obedience unto me that his Law might be fulfilled Therefore being justified by faith I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also I have access by faith into his grace and rejoyce in hope that I shall at last have access into his glory 13. O Lord Jesus Christ who art the Resurrection and the Life be unto me Life in Death be unto me Resurrection from the Dead and so guide me through Death that it may be my passage into everlasting Life there to see and to bless and to enjoy thee who art the Redeemer and lover of souls and livest and reignest the King of Saints with the Co-eternal Spirit in the glory of God the Father 14. My soul truly waiteth still upon God and still shall wait upon him for of him cometh my help He verily is my strength and my salvation even in weakness and in destruction He is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall And if through mine infirmity I do fall by his power I shall rise again and be able to stand fast being supported through the Merits and Mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 15. O Lord see the blood of thine immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sin of the world sprinkled on my soul that thou mayest see no sin in it And when thou seest that blood let the destroying Angel pass over me never to return again and let the Comforter come unto me and remain with me for ever 16. O dearest Advocate be pleased to intercede and plead for me and to answer all the accusations which the Devils will alledge and mine own conscience will witness against me in the day of Judgement That I being made the monument of thy Mercy who am the purchase of thy Blood may bless and praise thee among thy Redeemed in the Land of the living for ever and ever 17. O thou Eternal Son of Righteousness who risest with healing in thy wings heal thou me and I shall be perfectly healed Shew me the light of thy countenance to dispell all the mists and clouds which now threaten to bring darkness upon my soul Turn thy merciful eyes towards me that I may see thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom where no tears shall dim my sight no sighing shall interrupt my speech no fears shall disquiet my heart and no sadness nor amazement shall disturb or discompose the blessed rest of my soul with thee the longing desires of my soul to thee and the infinite delights of my soul in thee and in thine All-sufficient Merits and All-saving Mercies for evermore 18. O Saviour of the world save me who by thy Cross and precious blood hast Redeemed me Help me O my God at all times but most especially at this time now I am least able to help my self or my friends to help me Intercede for me by thy precious death and passion in all my distresses but then most when I shall least be able to speak for my self at the hour of Death and in the day of Judgement Be now and then and ever my defence and make me know and feel that there is no other name under heaven given unto men in whom and through whom I may expect health and salvation but only thy Name O my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 19. O Lord God which art the giver of all good things and never repentest of the good gifts which thou hast given give unto me health and ease as long as they shall be blessings from thee and give me thy grace to desire them no longer And when thou most takest from me these or any other comforts of this mortal life then Lord most increase and multiply upon me the joyes and comforts of a blessed Immortality 20. Lord I am desirous to go out of my self and out of this vale of misery that I may come unto Mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New-Covenant O thou who hast prepared these immortal joyes for my soul prepare my soul for these joyes that being made a Citizen of thy heavenly Jerusalem I may be able to joyn in consort with the Angels thy first-born there and with the spirits of just men made perfect since them who now both together make but one Quire and are alwaies singing Hallelujah and worshiping him that liveth for ever and ever 21. O blessed Jesus thou only comfort of miserable and distressed sinners consider my distress Look upon mine adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin O thou blessed Mediator betwixt God and man intermediate for me Let the unspotted righteousness of thy life be an acceptable sacrifice for the multiplyed unrighteousness of mine And let the bitter pangs of thy death keep from me all the bitterness of the temporal and much more the pangs and horrours of the eternal Death Thou didst taste the gall and vinegar when thou gavest up the Ghost therefore I beseech thee keep me from tasting it Thou didst seem to be forsaken of thy God O let not me bâ—… forsaken of thee But grant that I putting my whole trust and confidence in thy Merits and in thy Mercies â—…ay from henceforth most chearfully serve thee in all holiness and pureness of living and most faithfully persist in thy service by a resolved constancy contentedness and patience of dying That I may yet more and more know thee and the power of thy Resurrection and the fellowship of thy sufferings being made conformable to thy death that so I may attain to a joyful Resurrection of the dead to give praise and thanks unto thy holy Name world without end 22. O thou Eternal Son of God who didst take upon thee the nature of man that thou mightest lead a miserable life and undergo a shameful death I beseech thee sweeten unto me
thoughts that I may often feel the influence of thy mercy in heavenly joyes I have many sad and dismal sorrows from my self O give unto me true comfort in my Saviour let my trouble be in the day when thou wilt hear me and not in the day when thou wilt Judge me There is no trust but may deceive me save only my trust in thee there is nothing in which I may not miscarry but only thy Mercy O Lord let my trust be so in thee that though I have miscarried in all the desires and designs and delights of this world yet I may not miscarry in thy Mercy but may have the joyes and delights of the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 37. Be thou exalted Lord in thine owâ—… strength so will I sing and praise thâ—… power Thy strength is that whicâ—… strengthens souls and thou lovest to shew thy strength in our weakness Lord let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness so shall I most gladly rather glory then repine in my infirmities whiles the power of Christ doth-rest upon me and my soul doth rest upon thee and thy Mercies in Jesus Christ. 38. O Lord who forgivest the sins of the penitent and coverest those sins which thou forgivest I beseech thee to accept my repentance and to cover all those sins which I desire thee to forgive That I may have the blessing of him whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered For if my sins should be all discovered to my self they would fill me with fear if they should be discovered to others they would fill me with shame And how wilt thou discover them either to my fear or to my shame since thou canst not forgive them unless thou cover them O then be pleased so to cover my sins here as not to discover them again hereafter so to hide my transgressions in the day of thy Mercy as not to lay them open in the day of Wrath Or if thy Justice shall require that all my sins be revealed in the day of the revelation of thy righteous Judgement let the atonement also for my sins be then revealed which I have laboured to make and thou hast promised to accept through the Merits and satisfaction of thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 39. O thou who art gracious and righteous and in thy righteousness teachest the upright the way of innocency and by thy grace leadest sinners in the way of repentance Have mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant and grant that my great defects and wants of the first righteousness that of Innocency may be supplyed by the fulness of the second righteousness that of Faith and Repentance And make mine eyes look so diligently to thee that I may never again want care in looking to my self Order my steps in thy Word and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me Order my heart in thy Faith and so shall I have dominion over all my wickedness for though my fears shall force me to say O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death yet my Faith will be able to suppress that saying and suggest unto me this heavenly comfort and triumph I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 40. O Lord I am in the midst of many troubles and sorrows by reason of my sufferings and much more by reason of my sins but thou hast promised that the righteous shall rejoyce in the Lord and put his trust in him and all they that are true of heart shall be glad Psal. 64. 10. O then make me true of heart that I may trust in thee and be truly righteous And give unto me true righteousness that thou mayst give unto me true joy There is no true righteousness but the righteousness of thy Son There is no true joy but the joy of thy Spirit O thou Father of Mercy give unto me the righteousness of God the Son my Redeemer that thou mayst give me the joy of God the Holy-Ghost my Comforter to be with me and to remain in me for evermore 41. O Lord thou hast brought upon me so much misery that I cannot love my condition And I have so much sin that I cannot love my self Wherefore I beseech thee to fix my love wholly upon thee that my soul may thirst for thee and my flesh also may long after thee in this barren and dry Land where no water is either to cleanse or to refresh or to revive me That looking for thee in holiness I may behold thy power and glory For my soul cannot truly thirst for thee till my flesh also long after thee since whiles my flesh is in love with the profits and pleasures of this life my spirit cannot but lose the desire and neglect the pursuit of the life everlasting O Lord thou hast taken away from me most of the profits and all the pleasures of this life O take from me also the love of it That I may not fear to lose that life which I do not love nor love that life which I am sure to lose but let me so love thee as to live in thee that I may not fear the loss either of my life or of my love 42. O Lord I am assaulted by vexations without and by temptations within and to whom should I flie for succour but only to thee who art not so displeased for my sins but that thou wilt be appeased by my repentance O give unto me that repentance which thou wilt accept and take from me that displeasure which I so fear Thou canst defend me with thy favourable kindness as with a Shield O Lord I ask no other defence but only this defence of thy Mercy to defend me from my self and all my sinfulness to defend me from thy wrath and from all the punishments of my sins Though thou leave me destitute of all other defence yet let thy loving-kindness evermore defend me according to that eternal love wherewith thou hast loved me in the Son of thy love our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 43. O Lord thou hast hitherto guided me by thy counsel and thou wilt hereafter receive me with glory Therefore have I none in heaven but thee because none else can receive me with glory and there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of thee because none else can guide me with true counsel O Lord pardon my strayings from thy directions as thou hast been my guide that thou mayst receive me into thine habitation and be my glory for Jesus sake Amen 44. O Lord make my soul willing to depart and go from hence because it here dwells among the enemies of my peace even among mine own sins and fears which disturb the peace of a good conscience here and threaten to destroy the peace of a blessed eternity hereafter Make me to long for that blessed minute which will restore to me perfect innocency and will transmit me into everlasting peace